Today: Matt Fredette

Matt’s portfolio is a great reminder that you don’t need flash to leave a strong impression — just clear thinking, solid design, and a bit of restraint.

His work is clean, grounded, and thoughtful. He doesn’t try to do too much, and as a result, what’s there really shines. If you’re looking for an example of a junior designer who understands how to tell a story and stay focused on the essentials — Matt’s portfolio is a great one to study.

Let’s take a closer look at what he’s doing well — and where I see opportunities to take it to the next level.

The Good

Case Study Storytelling That’s Honest, Focused, and Well-Balanced

Matt’s storytelling — especially in his Anchor case study — is excellent.

This is a fictional project, but it’s told with the kind of clarity and structure that makes it feel real and grounded.

Rather than just jumping into solutions, Matt does a great job of framing the problem, explaining how he arrived at certain design directions, and validating his assumptions through actual user feedback. That balance — intuition supported by testing — is what gives this project real weight.

He also leans on clean visual formatting and crisp language to keep things readable. There’s a good ratio of visuals to text, and the sections are easy to scan without losing the thread of the story. This isn’t fluff-free in the sense of being sparse — it’s thoughtfully edited, and that’s exactly what you want.

Designing With Impact in Mind — Even in Fictional Projects

The other thing Matt does well — and what many juniors don’t do — is show he’s thinking about success.

Whether it’s through measuring user satisfaction in fictional projects, or tracking usability score improvement in his real-world case study (Last Cup Cafe), Matt makes it clear that he isn’t just designing for aesthetics — he’s designing for outcomes.

That Last Cup Cafe case study is a perfect example: he raises the site’s usability score from 63.5 to 97.5. That’s not only a strong number, it’s the kind of detail that signals he knows what good design is supposed to do — and how to validate whether it worked.

In the absence of extensive real-world metrics, this kind of thinking goes a long way. And the fact that he applies it consistently across all three of his current case studies is a very good sign.

The Potential

Stronger Positioning in the Intro

Matt’s intro is better than most — it’s personal, a bit unique, and speaks to where he’s coming from.

But it could do more to support his overall positioning.

Right now, the intro leans into soft traits and general experience, but doesn’t clearly frame who Matt is as a designer — or what kind of roles he’s aiming for. That makes it harder for a hiring manager to quickly connect the dots.

Given that three of his four case studies are mobile-focused and consumer-facing, why not say that?

Even something like:

…would give a much clearer impression right away. Matt clearly has a strong understanding of human behavior and motivation — so why not bring that front and center?

Your intro should set up the story your work is already telling. Right now, there’s a small disconnect that could easily be closed.

Bring Results Into the Preview, Not Just the Case Study

This is a common one — but still worth flagging.

Matt’s actual case studies often include great metrics and success notes — but you don’t see any of that until you’ve already committed to clicking in and reading. That’s a missed opportunity.

Case study previews are like ad headlines: their job is to make someone want to click.

Right now, the previews focus on product names or project types — e.g., “Last Cup Cafe.” But unless you’re working with a household name, that doesn’t mean much. Instead, lead with the outcome:

That’s far more compelling than the name of a business most people haven’t heard of. Even fictional work can use this principle:

You can always tuck the project name below or inside the case study itself. But giving the headline space to outcomes gives your work a much stronger hook — and helps reinforce your impact-first mindset right from the start.

Final Thoughts

Matt’s portfolio shows that thoughtful, well-scoped design work speaks for itself — no fluff needed.

His storytelling is strong, his case studies are focused, and his interest in real user outcomes is clear across both real and fictional projects.

With a few tweaks to how he frames his intro and case study previews, he could make this already strong portfolio even more engaging — and make the value of his work easier to spot at a glance.

If you want to see what it looks like to balance simplicity with depth — Matt’s portfolio is well worth a scroll.

This portfolio (like so many others) was made 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.

Matt made his portfolio with Framer and it’s great proof that you can get a nice looking portfolio without the fuzz with it too.

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.

How I can help YOU

Do you want your own portfolio reviewed in-depth with a 30-minute advice-packed video review? Or do you require mentoring to figure out a proper strategy for your job search?

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• Book an in-depth portfolio or resume review with me

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