Today: Mihir Sonalkar

Mihir’s portfolio is a strong case for why business thinking belongs in design — even early in your career.

Based in Vancouver, Mihir’s work reflects a clear understanding of not just UX principles, but also product goals, business constraints, and how to align design decisions with measurable impact. That alone sets his portfolio apart — but there’s more to like here, especially in how he structures and explains his work.

Let’s take a look at where Mihir really shines — and what could make this already solid portfolio even stronger.

The Good

Sharp Business Thinking From the First Scroll

This is the first thing you’ll notice once you dig into Mihir’s work: he gets the business side of things — and shows that he cares.

From the start of his case studies, Mihir frames projects around clear problems and measurable outcomes. He talks about business goals and collaboration with stakeholders, and weaves impact thinking into every section.

• Pofu.io: 20% reduction in candidate drop-off

• Lynks: 25% improvement in onboarding efficiency

• Revenue gains, recruiter time saved, user conversion rates — it’s all there.

This kind of thinking is rare in early-career portfolios. Mihir doesn’t just go through the motions — he shows that he’s designing with outcomes in mind. If you’re hiring for a junior designer who can already speak the language of product, Mihir makes that decision easier.

Storytelling That’s Clear, Digestible, and Thoughtful

Even though there are some layout issues we’ll talk about later, Mihir’s case study storytelling is remarkably strong.

Each one is structured around a problem-solution-impact flow that’s easy to follow. He avoids jargon, keeps things focused, and gives enough context without overwhelming you. And even when the visuals or layout could use more polish, the content itself keeps you reading — and that’s a testament to how well he’s written it.

It’s rare to see a junior portfolio that blends storytelling and business logic this smoothly. Even without perfect formatting, the narrative comes through — and leaves a strong impression.

The Potential

Refine the Visual Layout and Typographic Details

While Mihir’s visual design inside the products is solid, the presentation of his portfolio could use some love.

A few specific areas to focus on:

• Homepage previews: The mockups are small and hard to parse. Breaking out the UI a bit more — or adding subtle motion — could make these much more engaging.

• Typography: Headers are too light and small, and overall spacing lacks hierarchy. For example, headings often have equal spacing above and below, making it hard to tell what belongs where.

• Alignment and consistency: Some elements are misaligned or break the left margin for no clear reason. There are also multiple column styles that don’t feel unified.

• Motion usage: The slideshows are too fast to be useful. Instead of fast-paced image rotations, consider embedding short prototype walkthroughs or simple screen recordings.

These things don’t change the content — but they do affect how it’s perceived. Right now, the layout slightly undermines the strength of Mihir’s thinking. With a more refined system and tighter presentation, his work could land even harder.

Lead With Impact in Case Study Previews

Mihir has some truly impressive results in his portfolio — but you only find out after clicking into the full case studies. That’s a missed opportunity.

Take this example:

His Pofu.io case study preview currently reads:

It sounds nice — but it doesn’t tell us anything about what actually happened. He could instead say:

Or:

That immediately signals value and gives the viewer a reason to click. The brand name (which few will recognize) can always come second. This same principle applies across his homepage — every preview could work harder by surfacing the impact first.

Given how well Mihir understands results, it’s worth making them visible up front — not buried inside.

Final Thoughts

Mihir’s portfolio is a great example of how business thinking, thoughtful storytelling, and clear process can elevate junior design work.

His impact metrics are real, his case studies are focused, and his instincts for aligning design with business outcomes are strong. With more polish in presentation and a bit more assertiveness in positioning, Mihir’s portfolio could easily stand out even more — especially for early-stage companies looking for someone who gets product.

If you want to see how to write a truly outcome-driven case study without overcomplicating it — Mihir’s work is well worth reading.

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.

Like so many others Mihir made his portfolio with Framer 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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• Book a quick 15 min chat to ask a question and see if we vibe