Today: Harsha Gowda

Harsha Gowda’s portfolio is a standout example of early-career creativity meeting thoughtful presentation.

A student and product designer based in Indianapolis, Harsha is still in university — but his work already feels strikingly mature. I actually first came across him through Girlfriend Guide, a vibe-coded side project he worked on with a group. It’s a playful, thoughtful, and surprisingly polished little product that captures notes on how to be a better partner — and it immediately showed me the creativity and craft Harsha brings to his work.

That same spirit carries into his portfolio. While you can still tell he’s early in his career, the level of polish, personality, and storytelling already sets him apart from most peers at his stage. And by the time he graduates, it’s clear he’ll have even more under his belt than many early-career designers entering the field.

Let’s take a closer look at what Harsha is doing well — and two areas where tightening up could take his portfolio to the next level.

The Good

A creative, curated surface that feels personal and inviting

From the moment you land on Harsha’s site, you’re drawn in. The interactions are small but meaningful, the details feel cared for, and the whole experience is rounded without being cluttered.

He’s kept things minimal but not sparse — with enough work to show depth, but not so much that it overwhelms. His “Garden” section, a creative outlet akin to a playground, is a particularly nice touch. Projects like Girlfriend Guide are quirky, personal, and highly polished, immediately setting his work apart and making you want to learn more about him.

This balance of minimalism and personality is tricky to pull off. Harsha nails it. His portfolio doesn’t just present projects — it makes you interested in him as a designer.

Storytelling that makes research and process engaging

Harsha’s case studies are also supported by strong storytelling. He knows how to recap research in a way that’s digestible and engaging — summarizing insights without drowning the reader in raw detail.

Even better, he often uses visual cues and illustrations to support the narrative. It’s a small thing, but in an era where tools make it easy to add lightweight visuals, these touches elevate his work beyond walls of text. It’s clear he understands that case studies aren’t just about the work itself, but about how you guide someone through it.

The Potential

Elevate case study presentation beyond the “standard” format

While Harsha’s storytelling is strong, parts of his case studies still echo a more standardized, early-career format. Personas, color/font slides, or repeated screen galleries — while not inherently wrong — feel more like filler than essentials. These elements are rarely seen in more senior portfolios, where the work itself speaks louder than style guides.

The biggest opportunity lies in how he presents actual product work. At times, the flow of a case study means you scroll halfway down before seeing real screens. When they do appear, the presentation can feel underwhelming: long prototype videos, static screen galleries, and pairs of screens side by side that don’t fully do the work justice.

The solution isn’t to add more, but to curate more. Shorter prototype clips embedded in clean mockups, tighter visual storytelling, and less redundancy would let his already strong design work shine. The work itself is excellent — the presentation just needs to catch up.

Polish small visual details for hierarchy and flow

This second point is minor, but worth addressing. Small inconsistencies in hierarchy and layout occasionally distract from otherwise strong visuals.

Examples include headings with awkward line breaks, research sections where percentages overshadow their headings, and button designs that feel a touch over-stylized compared to the rest of the work. None of these are deal-breakers — and in fact, Harsha’s visual maturity is impressive for someone still in school — but refining these details will add a layer of polish that matches the quality of his design thinking.

Final Thoughts

Harsha Gowda’s portfolio is one of the strongest student portfolios we’ve seen this year. It’s creative, personal, and thoughtfully put together, with side projects that immediately grab attention and case studies that show he understands both process and presentation.

The design work itself is strong. The storytelling is engaging. And with just a few tweaks — elevating how product work is showcased and sanding down small visual inconsistencies — his portfolio could easily shift from “very promising student” to “early-career standout.”

If you’re a hiring manager looking for a designer who already shows maturity, creativity, and polish while still in university, Harsha’s portfolio is absolutely worth your time.

Loved the playfulness of Harsha’s portfolio? It was done with Framer.

Still struggling to get your portfolio off the ground?

Don’t want to spend weeks learning yet another tool? Framer is my top recommendation for building your portfolio — fast, clean, and without the usual headaches.

I knew Harsha’s portfolio was either hand coded or Framer. Well, as you can probably tell already it was Framer. There are just very few other builders that enable you build amazing interactions and layouts as easily as Framer does.

If you’re just starting out (or even if you’re not), I think Framer is a perfect fit. Here’s why:

• Flat learning curve: The interface feels familiar if you’ve used Figma — plus, there’s a plugin to bring your designs straight in.

• Plenty of learning support: Framer Academy is packed with free tutorials, videos, and guides to help you go from zero to published.

• A huge template library: Tons of high-quality (often free) templates in the marketplace to help you launch quickly without starting from scratch.

And that’s just scratching the surface. I wrote more about why I recommend Framer here—but honestly, the best way is to try it for yourself.

Affiliate disclaimer: I only recommend tools I personally believe in. Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase — at no extra cost to you.

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