What I learned teaching 12 portfolio classes

I just wrapped up my UX Portfolio class at Pratt Institute.

Twelve classes. Four weeks. Three sessions per week. Every student building a portfolio from scratch choosing a platform, writing a case study, shaping their story, and connecting it all to their resume and LinkedIn before the final presentation.

It was one of the best semesters I’ve had. Not because it was easy. It wasn’t. Building a portfolio is hard work, and my students felt every bit of that. But they showed up. They did the writing. They learned new tools. They pushed through the moments when it felt like too much. And their final presentations were inspiring.

What I heard this semester

At the end of the course, I received feedback.

“You took something that can be so difficult and broke it down into manageable steps. Thank you.”

Those words meant a lot. They also reminded me of something I sometimes forget after 25 years in the industry: presenting your work, and yourself clearly is a skill. Like any skill, nobody is born knowing how to do it. It has to be taught, practiced, and refined.

How I structured the course

I broke the twelve classes into four sections, each one building on the last, with instruction, workshop time, and feedback built into each week.

Week 1 — Platform, structure, and homepage. Choose a platform, build a basic sitemap, and get something live.
Week 2 — Project selection and case study framing. Choose one strong project and outline the story before writing a single word.
Week 3 — Case study writing and brand basics. Draft the case study, bio, and about page, and find your voice on the page.
Week 4 — Polish and job search basics. Refine the presentation and connect it directly to resume, socials, and interview prep.

That structure kept the course focused: one thing at a time, no jumping ahead, no trying to do everything at once. The workshop time gave students room to apply each step with support, so by the end of week four they had the beginnings of a portfolio that told a clear story about who they are as a designer.

What teaching reminded me

This semester reminded me how challenging building a portfolio really is.

When you’ve been in the industry for a long time it’s can be easy to forget what it feels like to stare at a blank portfolio platform and not know where to begin. To have years of work and no idea how to frame it. To know you’re a good designer but not know how to prove it on a page.

My students reminded me that the gap between doing good work and presenting it clearly is real. Crossing that gap takes structure, guidance, and someone willing to break it down into steps that actually make sense.

That’s what I try to do in every space I work in: the classroom, the coaching session, the newsletter, the portfolio review. Break it down. Make it manageable. Help designers see their own work clearly. Because once they can see it, they can tell the story of it.

If you're working on your portfolio right now and it feels like too much — that feeling is normal. Every designer I've ever taught or coached has felt it.

The answer isn't to do everything at once. Pick one case study. Frame the story. Write it clearly. Then move to the next.

If you want a direct, experienced set of eyes on whether it's landing — that's exactly what a portfolio review is for.

→ Book your portfolio review — $95"My callback rate doubled after Anthony's audit."

Talk soon, Anthony

P.S. If the bigger issue is your overall career direction, not just the portfolio a 1:1 strategy session is where we tackle that directly. Bring me the real problem and we'll leave with a clear plan. $175.