Today: Justin Shi

This week’s portfolio is from Justin Shi, a product designer based in Los Angeles and currently working at Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

And this is a really important one.

Because lately, a lot of the portfolios we’ve looked at leaned heavily into consumer-facing design. Mobile apps, polished UI, high visual bar, all of that.

Justin’s work sits in a very different space.

Enterprise software.

Now, I know that for many people, that immediately sounds… less exciting. But it really shouldn’t. Because what Justin demonstrates here is something that’s actually much harder:

Delivering high-quality design inside constraints.

Legacy systems. Complex data. Technical limitations. Organizational friction.

And despite all of that, Justin produces work that feels thoughtful, clean, and genuinely well crafted.

That’s not easy.

Let’s break down what makes this portfolio work so well.

The Good

Making enterprise complexity feel simple and understandable

One of the biggest pitfalls in enterprise portfolios is this:

The case study becomes as complex as the product.

You open it, and you’re hit with walls of explanation, endless diagrams, and way too much context.

Justin avoids this entirely.

He worked on Mist (formerly Juniper Mist), a platform for managing large-scale networks like Wi-Fi infrastructure across massive environments. That’s inherently complex.

But instead of over-explaining the system, he focuses on what actually matters:

• The problem (low adoption of an existing AI assistant)

• The context in which it exists

• The decisions he made to improve it

He doesn’t fully explain the entire product. And that’s exactly why it works.

You still understand enough through context.

The real strength here is how he prioritizes clarity over completeness.

• Carefully curated visuals

• No unnecessary process dumps

• No “wall of sticky notes” syndrome

• Strong, speaking headings that carry the narrative

In fact, you can skim his case studies just by reading the headings and still understand the story.

That’s how it should be done.

And what makes this even more impressive is that he applies this approach consistently across two very different problems within the same product:

• An AI assistant redesign

• A 3D-heavy data visualization

Same system. Different challenges. Both clearly explained.

There’s also a subtle but important lesson here:

You don’t need different companies to show range.

You need different problems.

Justin demonstrates that perfectly.

Showing craft and builder skills beyond enterprise work

It’s easy to assume that designers working in enterprise environments don’t focus on craft.

That assumption is wrong.

Justin proves that clearly.

Below his main case studies, he includes a playground section that highlights a completely different side of his skillset.

There are three standout elements:

• A fully interactive Pokédex

• A stats widget from his esports analytics work

• An interactive game picker component

These are not just static visuals. They’re interactive, polished, and clearly built with care.

And this is where things get interesting.

Because while his main work is enterprise-focused, this section shows:

• Strong interaction design

• Builder mindset

• Likely use of modern tools (vibe coding / AI-assisted development)

That combination is rare.

Especially in enterprise-heavy profiles.

Even better, this section is well curated.

A common mistake is throwing in too many side projects and breaking the cohesion of the portfolio.

Justin avoids that:

• 4 main case studies

• 3 focused interactive pieces

• Clean, consistent layout

It feels intentional, not cluttered.

And even though the Pokémon project stands out thematically, it still works. Because the quality is there.

It adds personality without weakening the overall narrative.

The Potential

Strengthening positioning through a clearer intro

This is the biggest opportunity in Justin’s portfolio.

Right now, his intro reads:

That sounds nice, but it doesn’t say much.

On the side, he includes more detailed information about:

• His role at HPE

• His background

• Previous work

But visually, that content is de-emphasized.

And that’s the problem.

The most important information is not where the attention is.

What to do instead

Merge both parts into a single, stronger statement.

Keep the “I’m Justin” part.

But replace the rest with something that actually reflects his strengths.

Because his work clearly shows:

• Deep experience in enterprise systems

• Strong capability in B2B / SaaS environments

• Ability to improve complex, data-heavy products

• A growing builder mindset

That’s powerful.

And it’s currently under-communicated.

The work does speak for itself, yes. But:

The intro sets the lens through which the work is viewed.

Right now, that lens is too vague.

Extracting more value from the playground and builder work

The playground section is great.

But it’s also underutilized.

Justin shows impressive interactive components, but he doesn’t really explain:

• What they are

• Why he built them

• How he built them

• What tools or process he used

For some people, that’s obvious.

For many others, it’s not.

And more importantly:

This is where he could differentiate himself even more.

Because combining:

• Enterprise design experience

• Strong visual craft

• Hands-on building skills

…is a very compelling profile.

What would improve this

Turn these into mini case studies.

Not full pages. Just lightweight context.

For example:

• A modal or overlay when clicking a project

• Short explanation underneath each component

• Quick breakdown of tools and process

Even a few lines would go a long way:

• What motivated this

• What problem it explores

• How it was built

This would also make it clear that he’s working with modern tooling and workflows, which is increasingly valuable.

There’s also a broader opportunity here:

• The About page is quite minimal

• There’s no footer

• No dedicated space to talk about this “builder” side

This is where he could expand the narrative.

Because right now, that story is present — but only implicitly.

The Verdict

Justin Shi’s portfolio is a great example of enterprise design done right.

It shows:

• How to simplify complex systems

• How to tell clear, concise stories

• How to balance depth with readability

• How to integrate craft into constrained environments

And importantly, it also hints at something more:

A designer who is not just executing within systems, but starting to build beyond them.

With a bit more clarity in positioning and better storytelling around his builder work, this could become an even stronger and more differentiated portfolio.

But even as it stands:

This is already a very compelling profile — especially for B2B and enterprise roles.

And if you’re someone who thinks enterprise design is boring, this portfolio is a good reminder: It absolutely doesn’t have to be.

If you’d like to craft a similarly impressive portfolio Framer is likely your best choice.

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.

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.

• Free if you are a student: Although Framer already offers a generous free plan for everyone, if you are an enrolled student you can get Framer Pro completely for free!

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.

How I can help YOU

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