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When Projects Go Awry: Why "Failed" Work Can Still Shine in Your Portfolio 😱

How to Turn Unfinished, Pivoted, or “Failed” Projects into Powerful Portfolio Case Studies

Author

Florian Bölter
February 12, 2025

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Hey and welcome back to a new week! 👋 

In this issue:

  • Why Failed Work is Good Work: A lot of work is left out of portfolios for the wrong reasons. Is there something you should actually include?

  • The Best Design & Product Resources: Subscribe to one of my favorite newsletters: Product Disrupt!

  • Priyam’s Portfolio: Join me for a masterclass in visual storytelling.

  • Today’s Question: How much time should I spend on (take-home) design tasks?

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When Projects Go Awry: Why "Failed" Work Can Still Shine in Your Portfolio 😱

A while ago, I reviewed a portfolio for a mentee (yes, I do portfolio reviews). I noticed on her resume that she had done freelance work recently, but there was nothing about it in her portfolio. Assuming an NDA was holding her back (which isn’t always the case—more on that in another issue), I asked her about it. What she said surprised me.

She hadn't written a case study because the project went off course and completely changed direction. She felt that this non-linear story wouldn't reflect well on her skills, and she didn’t know how to structure a case study around it. What she didn’t realize? She was sitting on gold.

After digging a bit more, I found there were no major red flags: no abrupt ending, no conflicts with the client—just a project that pivoted. This is exactly the kind of experience that can add depth and authenticity to a portfolio.

Recognize These Scenarios? You’re Not Alone

Many designers leave valuable projects out of their portfolios because they don’t fit the “perfect case study” mold. Here are some common examples:

  • Projects that were never shipped (even though they were meant to be)

  • Projects that were shipped but not as designed (significant changes made post-handoff)

  • Projects that ended abruptly (due to funding cuts, organizational changes, or shifting priorities)

  • Projects with inconclusive or mixed results (where user feedback was conflicting or results weren’t clear-cut)

  • Projects that pivoted mid-way (completely changing the original goal)

If any of these sound familiar, you’re probably sitting on case study material that’s more valuable than you think.

Why Failed, Stopped, or Changed Projects Are So Valuable

Hiring managers LOVE to see these types of projects. Why? Because they reflect reality far better than flawless case studies ever could.

  • Reality Check: Not every project will be a success. If you work on four projects a year, at least one will fall short of expectations, often due to factors beyond your control.

  • Context Over Perfection: A project's outcome doesn't always reflect the quality of the design work. External factors like business decisions, funding issues, or shifting priorities can derail even the best-designed projects.

  • Growth Through Reflection: Mistakes aren’t the problem; failing to learn from them is. Showing how you've reflected on and grown from challenges demonstrates maturity and self-awareness—traits that hiring managers value.

How to Showcase These Projects in Your Case Studies

The key is context. Here’s how to handle it:

  1. Set the Stage Early: Start with an upfront explanation of the project’s original goals and the factors that caused changes. Keep it concise.

    • Example: “This project aimed to redesign a mobile app for [Client]. Midway, funding constraints shifted priorities, limiting the scope. Despite this, I completed significant design work, focusing on user research and interface design.”

  2. Focus on Your Work: Describe your process, decisions, and contributions. The project’s trajectory doesn’t diminish the value of your design work.

  3. Highlight Learnings and Potential Impact: If the project didn’t reach implementation, discuss potential outcomes based on your research and findings. What could have been the impact if circumstances were different?

  4. Reflect Honestly: Conclude with reflections on what you learned. If mistakes were made, acknowledge them and share how they shaped your growth.

When NOT to Include a Project

While most projects have value, there are exceptions:

  • Toxic Client Relationships: If the project involved significant conflicts that could reflect poorly (even if you were in the right), consider leaving it out. Only leave it out if it really affected the work you did massively. Otherwise, showcase the work but keep silent about the client relationship.

  • Incomplete Work: If the project was cut so short that there’s little to showcase, it might not be worth including. Parts of the process can be valuable to show, but often it’s not enough to reflect your full capabilities.

  • Low-Quality Output: If you’re not proud of the final work, it likely won’t represent you well.

When discussing sensitive situations, avoid dwelling on client conflicts or internal drama. Keep the focus on the work and your professional growth.

Summary

Not every project has a perfect arc, and that’s okay. Including "failed" or pivoted projects in your portfolio can showcase your resilience, problem-solving, and ability to adapt—qualities that hiring managers are eager to see. Be honest, reflective, and proud of the work you did, regardless of the outcome.

⁉️ Q&A

Today’s Question
How much time should I spend on a (take-home) design task?

💼 More Jobs

👀 Portfolio Showcase

We start with the first pick from my recent call for portfolios on LinkedIn which is Priyam with his clearly Apple-UI-inspired portfolio. His portfolio immediately felt fun and made me want to explore more and see his work in more depth. Not every portfolio needs to be this playful but in Priyam’s case it works really well. It feels fresh and unique compared to most portfolios I look at.

Let’s see what made go from wanting to explore more to featuring it!

The Good:

  • Visual Storytelling: Priyam’s intro states that he excels in visual storytelling. Well he is living up to that. Especially his Levity and even more so his IntelliTouch case studies are lovely examples of what you can do when you think outside of the standard case study box so many of us (including myself) are often caged in. At times this reminds me of scrollytelling which is a popular way of visualizing complex data or narratives. Priyam only uses it as an element and isn’t entirely relying on it which is probably right for a UX / Product Design case study. No matter what, Priyam’s case studies are highly engaging which is the best way to stand out.

  • Personality & Vibe: You don’t have to like Priyam’s choice of using an iMessage-style conversation to present his work on the homepage but you have to admit that it stands out. This continues looking on his about page which is carefully blending personal facts with his passion for design, cars and Lego. If you are looking for a way to blend professional and personal, this is a great way to do it! Personality does count, especially for hiring managers. And while it certainly is secondary to the work and skills shown, it is not to be neglected still.

Priyam’s portfolio is fun, engaging and standing out but there is definitely a few things I was able to find that still leave room for improvement. Let’s have a look.

The Potential:

  • More Context: Some designers tend to overdo it with describing the product at the start of a case study. Too much text isn’t great, especially at the beginning of a case study. With Priyam it’s the exact opposite. I was yearning for a bit more information. Especially in the Sift case study I felt a bit stumped being immediately hit with the timeline and then research bits that definitely lacked context as to what the product, problem space and approach was. The other case studies did this a bit better but remember that these things ideally are equally well-done in each case study as there is always a chance that the viewer only checks out the first and drops after.

  • Last Polish: While overall Priyam’s visual standard is quite high considering his career level, I was able to find mishaps and inconsistencies here and there. An example: In the Sift case study towards the end there is a section on “Impact Measurement”. The cards here have a slightly awkward spacing between the text elements that should be smaller. Additionally, looking at this on a bigger screen I noticed that the cards content alignment was different for the first card which probably didn’t happen on a smaller screen hence it was missed (always test responsiveness 😉). This might not fully count as polish but I wanted to make sure I account for it: ideally don’t open case studies in new tabs. It feels quite jarring and confusing at times. Instead aim for a clear navigation that lets users move back and forth.

Priyam’s portfolio is definitely unique and well-done. Especially if you wonder about visual storytelling I can only recommend that you take a look at it.

That’s it for this week—thanks so much for the support! ♥️

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