Open almost any junior UX portfolio and you’ll notice a pattern.
Spotify.
Netflix.
Instagram.
Airbnb.
Swiggy.
The apps change, but the projects often feel the same.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with redesigning an existing product.
It can help you practice interface design and learn new tools.
The challenge is that redesigns rarely demonstrate what hiring managers are truly evaluating.
They’re not hiring someone to redesign Spotify.
They’re hiring someone who can identify problems, understand users, make thoughtful trade-offs, and create solutions that improve experiences.
That’s why the best portfolio projects often start with a question instead of an interface.
What problem am I trying to solve?
Look around your everyday life.
Where do people struggle?
Where do they waste time?
Where are they frustrated?
Those moments are opportunities for meaningful UX work.
Maybe students struggle to organize semester notes.
Maybe patients experience long hospital waiting times.
Maybe visitors find office check-ins confusing.
These problems may not be glamorous.
But they are authentic.
A strong portfolio doesn’t need millions of users.
It needs a believable problem and a thoughtful process.
Show how you:
- Understood users.
- Defined the problem.
- Explored multiple solutions.
- Tested assumptions.
- Refined your design.
- Reflected on trade-offs.
That’s the story interviewers want to hear.
A portfolio isn’t a gallery of polished screens.
It’s evidence of your thinking.
The next time you’re planning a portfolio project, don’t ask:
“Which app should I redesign?”
Ask:
“Which real problem is worth solving?”
That’s the kind of work that stands out
UX Crumbs Team
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