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The Best Junior Design Portfolios I Saw in 2025 👀

A year-end review of craft, clarity, and what actually worked

Author

Florian Bölter
December 17, 2025

In partnership with

Hey and welcome back to the last week with Open Doors in 2025! 👋 

2025 is coming to a close and what a year it’s been for Open Doors, design and the job market. There is lots to reflect on which I’ll do over on LinkedIn but I wanted to thank everyone who has been reading this newsletter in 2025, clicking ads here to keep the lights on and generally being super supportive.

I’ve brought many folks into jobs this year and I’m incredibly proud of that. I hope that in 2026 I can scale my efforts, show more, teach more and do more for early-career folks like yourself!

Service announcement: This week’s issue will be the last for the year until I’m back on January 7.

Happy holidays and a happy new year!

P.S.: If you are still lacking a gift for yourself (or a loved designer) have a look at the gift guide I sent last week and make sure to make use of the discounts I got for you 👀!

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A Designer’s 2025 Gift Guide: Tools Worth Giving (or Getting) 🎁

This is the last issue of 2025.

There’s no separate portfolio review this time—because this article is the portfolio review.

Over the course of this year, I reviewed nearly one portfolio every week. Not randomly, not as filler content, but deliberately. I tried to find work that genuinely stood out—work that reflected where the industry actually is right now, not where people think it is.

And honestly: the level of craft I saw in 2025 was the highest I’ve seen in my career so far.

Despite (or maybe because of) AI reshaping workflows, tools, and expectations, the designers who stood out this year did so for very human reasons: taste, judgment, clarity, and restraint. The portfolios below aren’t just “good”—they explain why certain designers broke through in a tough market.

There’s no ranking here. No winner. Just a set of portfolios that, in different ways, defined what worked in 2025.

If you’re struggling to get interviews right now, there’s a very high chance your portfolio is the bottleneck. These examples show what moving past that bottleneck actually looks like.

Miggy Fajardo

Now at Discord

Miggy’s portfolio is the clearest example of why craft still wins.

From the moment you land on his site, it’s obvious that every decision is intentional. The intro animation, the subtle dithering on hover, the pacing of the case studies—nothing is accidental, and nothing is overdone. It’s elegant without being flashy, confident without being loud.

What makes Miggy’s work especially strong is that the visual excellence never becomes shallow. He doesn’t just show polished screens—he shows thinking. Diagrams, structure, and reasoning are all there, but presented with the same level of visual care as the UI itself. That combination is rare.

This is why his portfolio has been shared as an example of senior-level work—despite him being early in his career. And it’s why landing at Discord doesn’t feel surprising at all. Miggy’s portfolio doesn’t ask for permission. It sets a bar.

Rachel Chen

Product Designer & Engineer | Incoming Notion Intern (Summer 2026)

Rachel’s portfolio shows what happens when technical depth and design craft reinforce each other instead of competing.

She sits at the intersection of product design and engineering, and you can feel that in her work. Motion, transitions, and visual polish feel production-grade—especially across consumer-facing surfaces—but there’s also serious logical depth underneath.

Her AI poker coach project, built with other students, is a great example of this balance. It’s not just a “cool concept.” It demonstrates reasoning, constraints, and systems thinking in a way that goes far beyond typical fictional work.

Normally, I’m cautious when someone shows six, seven, eight case studies. Most portfolios can’t sustain that level of consistency. Rachel’s does. That alone tells you something.

Her confirmed internship at Notion is a natural next step, not a lucky break. And once she graduates, I’m confident we’ll see her name surface again—probably quickly.

Haohui Gong (Howie)

UK-based Product Designer | Still looking for the next role

Howie’s portfolio is one of the most frustrating stories of 2025—for all the wrong reasons.

His work stood out early. I shared it publicly, talked about it repeatedly, and genuinely believed it would open doors quickly. And yet, despite exceptional quality, he’s still waiting for the opportunity that should already be his.

What makes Howie’s work special is his focus on business impact. That’s something you almost never see at this level. He doesn’t just talk about outcomes—he understands how design decisions translate into measurable results.

On top of that, his portfolio is alive. The interactions feel organic. The storytelling is thoughtful. The work invites exploration without demanding effort.

If you’re a hiring manager in the UK and you’re planning to make a product design hire in 2026: interview him. Seriously.

I’m hoping—and expecting—that 2026 finally does justice to the level of work he’s already producing.

Airla Fan

Figma Campus Design Leader | Former JPMorgan Chase Intern

Airla’s portfolio is a great example of emotional intelligence in product design.

Her work sits in an interesting middle ground—neither purely consumer-facing nor classic B2B—and that’s exactly where her strength shows. She understands how products feel to use, not just how they function.

Motion is used sparingly but effectively. Small animations add warmth and clarity without ever turning into decoration. The portfolio feels human.

One standout aspect is how she handled NDA constraints in her JPMorgan Chase case study. She shows almost nothing visually—yet communicates a lot. If you’ve ever wondered how to talk about sensitive work without breaking trust or contracts, this is a textbook example.

Airla is still a student, but the maturity of her work suggests she won’t struggle for long. Whether through further internships or a full-time role, she’s clearly on a strong trajectory.

Jackson Ringger

US-based Interaction-focused Product Designer | Still looking for the next role

Jackson’s portfolio makes one thing very clear: interaction design is not optional anymore.

His work is incredibly strong in motion, flow, and responsiveness—but what impressed me most is how restrained it is. Nothing feels performative. Interactions serve clarity, not ego.

His case studies are more text-heavy than most, but they remain easy to scan and genuinely pleasant to read. That’s hard to pull off, and it speaks to strong information hierarchy and narrative control.

The range of work is also notable. On one end, he tackles extremely complex systems like air traffic control. On the other, he presents a self-coded consumer mobile app that feels production-ready.

That combination—complexity and simplicity—is rare. I’d be very surprised if Jackson doesn’t announce a great role in 2026.

Andrea DaSilva

Product Designer | Former Amazon Design Intern (Rufus AI)

Andrea’s portfolio was the biggest surprise of the year.

It bursts with personality in a way that immediately makes you want to talk to her. The tone, the energy, the confidence—it all comes through instantly. And yet, none of it overshadows the work.

Her presentation is subtle and controlled. There’s nothing flashy for the sake of it. The restraint actually makes the personality land harder.

Right now, she’s only showing one full case study. Normally, that would be a concern. In her case, it’s not. The quality is high enough that you just want to see more.

With experience at Amazon, BMW, Deloitte, and Oshkosh already under her belt—and with this level of clarity so early—I’m confident her next steps will be big ones.

What 2025 Made Clear

Looking back at all of these portfolios, a few patterns are impossible to ignore.

The designers who stood out didn’t win by chasing trends or tools. They won by:

  • Investing deeply in craft

  • Making deliberate decisions

  • Showing restraint instead of volume

  • Communicating clearly, visually and verbally

AI didn’t lower the bar this year. If anything, it raised it. The best work I saw in 2025 was sharper, more thoughtful, and more intentional than ever before.

One thing to add here: these were just the absolute highlights and it was hard to decide on this selection. There were others who also delivered excellent portfolios and every single portfolio I featured deserves a shoutout.

That makes me genuinely optimistic about 2026.

If you’re still struggling to get interviews, don’t assume it’s just the market. Study these portfolios carefully. The gap is often smaller—and more fixable—than it feels.

And if you’re looking to close that gap, last week’s gift guide includes several solid ways to upskill deliberately instead of randomly.

2025 was a strong year for design.

2026 might be even better.

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That’s it for this week and this year — thanks so much for the support! ♄

See you all in 2026!

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?

I got you!

Keep kicking doors open and see you next week!
- Florian