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Reflecting on my submissions to the Notion Buildathon and how my first idea was really niche for very specific workflows. So, as of now, it has no downloads. My 2nd and 3rd ideas have broader scopes that allows more individuals to find use for them.
As of today 14 people have downloaded my Social Media Planning Tool, and a brand new download for my Book Trends and Sales Tracker. Hopefully they find these tools as useful as I intended them to be.
Definitely gained more confidence from this buildathon, as I was coming up with ideas left and right once things started flowing. I had reflected on previous work and needs and where the custom agent would make sense in similar work flows.
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I need honest feedback: what would make you stay longer on a case study? 🤔
I recently saw a recommendation in Contra’s dashboard about going deeper on projects to improve portfolio quality, and it made me question how I am presenting my own work.
I tend to write a lot. I like explaining the thinking, the systems, the decisions. But I honestly do not know if people are actually reading it, or just scrolling through the visuals.
I have been revisiting projects like BASYX and asking myself. Is this a portfolio for designers, or for the person hiring me?
Would really appreciate honest feedback. Is this too much copy?
Do you read case studies fully, or just scan?
What actually makes you stop and pay attention?
Honestly the visuals do the scanning, the copy does the convincing — you need both, just don't front-load the text
When does a project stop serving your portfolio? 👀
I’m currently working on a new website.
My work, knowledge, and vision have evolved a lot since I built the current one. Honestly, I think I disliked it about a month after launching… but it still did its job. It helped me share my work and build a business.
Now I’m moving into a more intentional direction, and I’m rethinking what actually deserves a place in my portfolio.
I know this isn’t always a clear or easy decision. So I’m sharing a few thoughts I’ve been using to evaluate my own work.
Would really love your perspective on this.
How do you decide what stays and what goes?
I feel this a lot.
For me, a project stops serving the portfolio when it no longer reflects how I think — not just how it looks.
Sometimes it can still be “good work,” but if it doesn’t represent your current depth or standards, it starts creating the wrong expectations.
For Energy Central, I also took a much bolder approach for one of the ideas.
For every project, I always push one idea that sits at the bolder end of the scale. It probably won't make the final cut, but elements of it usually do.
The reason I do it? Presenting only "safe" ideas is underwhelming. I want clients to feel a buzz when they first see our work. The same excitement you get when you buy a new car or unwrap a present for the first time.
That's the feeling I'm chasing every time I design.
I'm obsessed with this direction. I tend to do the same in my process—I feel like sticking to the safe options dulls my own senses as well as my clients. If I do that too much, I feel like my skills start to atrophy.
Even if the client won't choose the riskier option, it's more...
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