The 4 iterations
I've built 4 completely different portfolio websites during my job hunt journey.
Portfolio #1: Graphic designer
Portfolio #2: Visual designer
Portfolio #3: Product designer
Portfolio #4: UX architect and IA specialist (you are here)
Every "unfortunately we've decided to move forward with another candidate" email sent me back to rebuild. Different positioning, different case studies, different version of me trying to fit what I thought they wanted.
The Validation Trap
In my Linkedin post I talked about the validation trap. How every time I lost a final round interview, I'd analyse everything and adjust. What should I've said differently? How do I need to position myself? What's missing?
So I kept changing.
Need someone who executes fast? I'll show speed.
Want an all-in-one product designer? Here's versatility.
Looking for a UI designer who just ships pixels? Sure, I can do that.
Losing by the Tiniest Thing
Except I kept losing by the tiniest thing: "You were great, but we went with someone who had just slightly more experience in this specific thing."
That was me losing to people who weren't faking it. People who actually were those things.
I was trying to fit a concept that wasn't mine, and everyone could tell.
The Pattern I Missed
Finally: I stopped looking at job descriptions and looked at what I'd actually been doing across every project, every medium, every role.
Architecture (organising spatial systems) →
Print design (visual hierarchy) →
Illustration (visual storytelling) →
Graphic design (communication structure) →
Motion design (temporal sequencing) →
Visual design (interface systems) →
UI design (interaction patterns) →
Product design (user flows) →
UX and IA (information architecture).
The pattern was always there.
What Was Always There
I've been organising information and making complex things simple the entire time. Making messages land. Making flows make sense. Making things actually work for people.
Not because I decided it in a branding exercise. Because when I stopped masking, that's what was left.
Where I Am Now
So my website finally says what I actually do: I'm a UX architect and IA specialist. I fix systems. I organise complexity. I've worked across enough mediums to adapt to anything, and I know my strength well enough to stop pretending I'm someone else.
