Pavle Lucic

Senior UI/UX Designer @ Toptal | Prototyping, Branding, UI Development

I am a Senior UI/UX Designer at Toptal, a network of the world's top 3% of software engineering, design, and finance talent. With over 10 years of experience in the design industry, I have a proven track record of creating visually engaging and user-friendly interfaces for in-car navigation systems, SaaS apps, and marketing websites.

My background in business and economics gives me a unique perspective on how to design UX and UI that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also functional, efficient, and user-friendly. I am passionate about solving complex problems, collaborating with diverse teams, and learning new skills. I am also Adwords Search Certified, which demonstrates my ability to optimize the online presence and performance of my clients. My goal is to help tech companies increase their revenue by improving the user experience of their products.

Senior UI/UX Desiger

This is how I work now:

1. Think
2. Write
3. Plan
4. Ask
5. Wait
6. Then design

It’s slower. But it works.

Because UX isn’t just what you make.
It’s what you understand first.

(Repost ♻️)

P.S. What is your process?

Senior UI/UX Product Designer | UX Strategy | Figma

No alternative text description for this image

This might be a controversial post but it's true.

I don't have a formal design degree.

I'm pretty sure a lot of self-taught designers experience this too.

Examples:

Every time I share my work online, someone asks "where did you study?"
I can feel the judgment coming.

Every time I'm in a room with "formally trained" designers.
I hear the whispers: "They probably just watch YouTube tutorials."

Every portfolio review, every job interview, someone implies "you're not a real designer without the credentials."

But then...They see just ONE of my projects and:

That skepticism closes immediately
I get genuine compliments in my DMs
I get referrals + new client inquiries

So...

Why do we judge credentials before we judge the work?
Especially with creative fields? 😊

Fear that talent and hustle might matter more than a piece of paper. 
Which, honestly, they often do.

To my fellow self-taught designers who've "made it work" I love you. 

Keep building. Keep proving that skills speak louder than diplomas.

Keep letting your work change people's minds. It's worth it.

Pavle ❤️

Most designers aren't designers.

(they're technicians who happen to use design tools)

Yesterday I lost 2 hours on a shelf.

Just me obsessing over form and function.
And here's the thing...

That "is" design.

Not the logo you send on Friday.
Not the mockup in your portfolio.
Not the deliverable in your inbox.

Design is how you "think."

- How you can't ignore a bad detail.
- How you see a room and want to fix it.
- How you solve problems no one asked you to solve.

Just think about this:

1. The Bauhaus school understood this.
↳ They didn't teach "tools." They taught living.

2. Japanese carpenters understood this.
↳ No nails. No shortcuts. Every cut is intentional.

Design is form.
Design is function.
Design is creation.

It doesn't "clock in and out."

If you only design when you open your laptop...
And stop when you close it...

You're not a designer.
You're a technician who uses design tools.

Nothing wrong with that.

Just don't confuse the two.

P.S. Agree or disagree? 👇

Loading states matter.

Blank screen = user thinks it's broken.

Progress bar = user knows how long.
Spinner = user knows something's happening.
Skeleton screen = user sees structure forming.
Instant feedback = user doesn't notice the wait.
Steps = user knows where they are ("Step 2 of 4").
Active waiting = user is entertained while waiting (tips, facts).

Never leave users guessing.

Show them the system is working.
Even if it takes time, show progress.

(Repost further ♻️)

17 genuine tips for using illustrations to improve UX

(I wish someone told me number 8 sooner)

1. Empty states feel less scary
2. Error messages feel friendlier
3. Users remember visuals 6x better
4. Onboarding completes 40% more
5. They reduce mental effort instantly
6. They help users know where they are
7. You will add illustrations way too soon
8. They reduce support tickets by 30-40%
9. Permission requests make more sense
10. Complex steps feel simpler with visuals
11. They answer questions before users ask
12. Visual metaphors beat long explanations
13. Users understand faster than reading text
14. They build trust during frustrating moments
15. Empty spaces feel intentional instead of broken
16. They guide without overwhelming with instructions
17. Strategic placement turns confusion into confidence

Repost this free value for others ♻️ Thank you!

P.S. Hey, which one (1-17) do you like most?

If there's one thing I'd eliminate in UX design...

It's birthday pickers like this. You know the ones:

1. Scroll wheels flicking through 40+ years to find 1986
2. Calendar grids tapping "previous month" 480 times
3. Three separate dropdowns, praying the order is right

There's a much better way.

It's called "TIF = Text Input First". 
Rooted in real behavior.
Backed by research. 

TIF is simple:

1. Let users type their birthday
2. Auto-format date as they go
3. Offer a picker as backup only

Why it works:

People know their birthday by heart.
Typing takes 2 seconds.

Scrolling through a picker takes 15+ seconds of frustration.

Hope this helps! (Repost if so ♻️)

P.S. Anything worse than a scroll-wheel date picker?

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I was in a meeting last week.

One designer talked for 60 of them.

References to everything. 
"What if we..." on repeat.

Opinions on everything.

Loud. 
Confident. 
Influential.

Everyone nodded along.

Then someone asked:
"So who's going to build this?"

Silence.

The loud one? 
"I'm more of a strategy person."

The quiet one in the corner?

She opened Figma.
Had 3 options ready.
Built while they debated.

That's when I realized:

The best designer in the room?
Often the one who says the least.

Repost this ♻️ if you've seen this happen too.

Good UX is boring.

Users complete tasks without thinking.

They don't notice the design. They just finish.

Bad UX is memorable.
Users remember frustration. Confusion. Friction.

Stop trying to impress users.

The best interfaces are simple.

P.S. When was the last time you noticed good UX?

A client came to me with a "broken" product. 

Here's what happened:

They spent 8 months building an app.

It worked perfectly. But nobody used it.

Refund requests? Daily. 
App store reviews? 2.1 stars.
Support tickets? 200+ per week. 

They thought the product was broken.

It wasn't.
The design was.

I changed 5 things:

1. Moved the main CTA
2. Simplified the onboarding
3. Fixed the mobile navigation
4. Added visual feedback on buttons
5. Reduced the menu from 15 items to 4

4 weeks later?

Retention doubled.
Reviews jumped to 4.4 stars. 
Support tickets dropped 73%. 

Same code. Same product. Same features. 

I didn't "make it pretty."
I made it usable.

That's what designers actually do.

Repost ♻️ if this changed how you see design.

P.S. Have you ever blamed your product when design was the problem? 😊

My first client ever:

"Make the logo bigger."

Quoted Steve Jobs.
I argued for 20 minutes. 
Sent 5 articles about white space. 

They made it bigger themselves in PowerPoint.

My latest client:
"Make the logo bigger."

I said: "Let's test it. I'll send you 2 versions. You pick."
They picked the smaller one.

What changed?

I stopped convincing. 
I started collaborating.

People don't resist ideas. They resist being told what to do.

Give them ownership. 
Watch them choose wisely.

♻️ Repost if you wish you knew this earlier.

Entry-level means no experience.

It's for juniors to begin their careers, learn, and grow.

Yet job posts say:

"Entry-level position"
"Requirements: 3-5 years experience"

That's not entry-level. That's mid-level.

Stop lying in job descriptions.
You're not finding candidates because you're asking for the impossible.

Entry-level = zero experience required.

If you need experience, it's not entry-level.

(Repost for job seekers ♻️)

P.S. Have you seen this contradiction in job posts?

Mini-masterclass on receiving design feedback:

(save this for your next critique)

Well-delivered feedback = great insight
Well-received feedback = great growth

That being said... Let's dive into 5 levels of receiving feedback:

Level 1: Defensive 
↳ "But here's why I did it this way..." 
↳ You're protecting ego, not improving work

Level 2: Silent 
↳ You nod. You take notes. You change nothing. 
↳ Feedback theater. Everyone sees through it.

Level 3: Selective 
↳ You only hear what confirms your choices 
↳ Cherry-picking isn't growth

Level 4: Receptive 
↳ You listen. You ask questions. You implement. 
↳ This is where most good designers live.

Level 5: Hungry 
↳ You seek feedback before anyone offers it 
↳ "What's not working? Where did you struggle?" 
↳ This is where great designers live.

Getting feedback is a skill. Just like giving it.

And most of us never practiced receiving.
We just practiced defending.

Time to switch.

Repost this ♻️ for your design team.

P.S. What level are you at right now (1-5)? No judgment 👇

Old design workflow:

1. Sketch idea
2. Open Figma
3. Design for hours
4. Export and code
5. Test and iterate

New workflow with Claude:

1. Describe idea to Claude
2. Claude codes it fast
3. See design instantly
4. Iterate with prompts
5. Ship faster

I made glass icon effects this way.

No design tools. 
Just conversation.

The bottleneck shifted from execution to clarity of thought.

Can you describe what you want clearly?

That's the new design skill.

(Repost this shift ♻️)

P.S. How has your workflow changed with AI?

I just found out the best color generator for designers.

uicolors. app/generate

Save it for later or repost ♻️

Three reasons Inter dominates:

It's variable

One font file. 
It's optimized.
Multiple widths. 
Multiple weights. 
Smaller load times.

Letter spacing, x-height, character distinction all tuned for screens.

It's free
No legal.
No licensing. 
No procurement. 
Just download and use.

Hard to compete with that combination.

P.S. What font makes your product memorable?

Feedback feels personal.

It's not.

They're critiquing your design. Not you.

Hard to separate:

"This button is unclear" = design feedback
"You made this unclear" = feels like attack
Same words. Different interpretation.

Train yourself to hear:

"The layout is confusing" not "You're confused"
"This needs work" not "You're not good enough"
"Try another approach" not "You failed"

Your design is separate from your worth.

(Repost if this resonates ♻️)

P.S. Does feedback feel personal to you?

Here's the biggest lesson my son taught me:

Yesterday, I cut my finger.

He saw blood. He didn't freeze. He didn't cry.

He ran to get a napkin. 
Wrapped it around my finger. 
Taped it with whatever he found.

Then he grabbed a pen.

And drew a little stick figure on the bandage.
A tiny man.

"That's you, daddy. So you're not alone."

I looked at this ridiculous napkin-bandage. 
Tape peeling off. 
Little man with "hair".

This is what support actually looks like.

Show up. With what you have. 
And make sure they know they're not alone.

That little stick figure?

Best medicine I ever got.

Repost this ♻️ to spread a good message today.

"Wait, you actually use AI for prototyping?"

I get this reaction a lot from other designers.

Yes, I use AI tools daily. 

When did it become normal for designers to hide that they use AI? 
Like it's some dirty secret that makes your work "less valid"?

And...

↳ I prototype 10x faster than I did 2 years ago. 
Yes, full flows in minutes. 
Yes, clients can't tell the difference. 

↳ I refine everything myself. 
I bring the soul. 
AI gives me the skeleton. 
Never shipping raw AI output. 

So to answer this once and for all:

"Is it cheating?"
"Is AI doing your job for you?"
"Is your work even original anymore?"

No. It's leverage.

Try it. 
You'll see.

It's not that scary. 

(Repost if it hits home ♻️)

P.S. What's YOUR resistance to AI prototyping?

Christopher Nguyen

I help UX designers go from Fuzziness to Focused (uxplaybook.org), now Freedom (backlog.design)

I went from 0 experience to Head of Design in 4 years.

Then, in 2020, I quit.

Leaving the high-paying salary and status of working at a FinTech unicorn behind.

The job I once dreamed of wasn't align with my values.

But, I wasn't ready to give up on UX.

I intrinsically want to help other designers succeed. 

Working with 100s of designers, I realised that most designers are in someway self taught, but why? 

Because most UX education is incredibly expensive, lack accessibility, and real-world practicality.

I had a hypothesis.

Designers craved for education that 1) cuts to the core, 2) applies to every day scenarios, 3) templatized execution, 4) affordable, and 5) personalized 

Thus levelling the playing field for equal opportunities in the design industry.

So, I started an experiment in mid 2020. 

And the results were pretty phenomenal.

We grew 1400% in one year.

It was clear people valued UX Playbook.

My mission is to "Make UX Education Accessible & Enjoyable." 

My impact:

→ 14,000,000+ content impressions in the last 2 years
→ 270,000+ weekly newsletters & blogs read
→ 94,000+ people following my daily UX content
→ 17,000+ people downloaded my UX guides & templates
→ 1,000+ people, from 84+ countries, bought my products 

If you want to learn more about how I can help you as a designer, you can check out:

FAST TRACK DESIGNER BUNDLE

In this 6 product bundle, you will learn how to thrive in your UX career. Build a kickass portfolio, learn how to job hunt, and master UX frameworks for project success, grow meaningfully, and lead your first design team. It’s packed with 93,000+ words, 130+ videos, 125+ templates, and 200+ examples. Join 20,000+ designers using this system to level up.

→ https://uxplaybook.org/fast

BACKLOG

If you're looking to replace your 9 to 5, become an independent designer, and kickstart your designpreneur journey, join us a Backlog. Be part of our tight-knit community, get personalized coaching, and access our resources made for design founders.

→ https://backlog.design

Email: hello@uxplaybook.org
YouTube, Twitter, IG: @uxchrisnguyen

Co-Founder & CPO

UX Portfolio Do’s & Don’ts


Recruiters don’t hate designers.
They just hate bad portfolios.

Your’s probably look like:

• 12 case studies nobody asked for
• “I designed an app” with zero context
• Screenshots so blurry they need glasses
• Walls of text longer than Terms & Conditions

Reminder:

Your user is the recruiter.
Your portfolio needs good UX.

Design it like their attention span depends on it.

Repost ♻️ to save a designer from themselves.

Need a hand with your portfolio? Here’s my playbook: https://lnkd.in/gDje-7VQ

I help UX designers go from Fuzziness to Focused (uxplaybook.org)

Your portfolio mockups don't matter.
These 5 things do:

1. The Problem
2. The Process
3. The Outcome/Metrics
4. The Specific Contribution
5. The Lessons Learned

I break it down in the carousel below ↓

When I was hiring designers…
I looked for thinkers (not just pixel-pushers).

Your portfolio should show:

🔲 How you think
🔲 How you solve problems
🔲 How you work with others
🔲 How you measure success
🔲 How you grow from experience

Use this as your checklist.

Now take a good look at your portfolio.
Did you miss something?

If yes, I built a playbook to turn 'no experience' into 'you're hired.'
↓
https://lnkd.in/gDje-7VQ

Repost ♻️ to share this with your designer friends.

5 must-haves for your UX portfolio

"How do I show design impact without having the numbers?"

I get asked this ALL the time.

What I learned is the numbers help. But they're not the whole story.

5 things that SELL your work ↓
(during your portfolio presentations)

𝟭. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Before vs After tells a story numbers can't.

→ The messy problem
→ The solution you delivered
→ The aftershock that stuck

💡 Pro tip: Add a “Before / After” slide to every case study — literally label it that. 1 screen for the old flow, 1 for the new. Let contrast do the talking.

↓

𝟮. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂

Numbers tell one story. People tell a better one.

→ The PM who loved the sprint
→ The VP who finally got buy-in
→ The user who had raving reviews

💡 Pro tip: Add a “Voices” slide in every case study. Include 1–2 short quotes from stakeholders — ideally in their own words. Real voices build real trust.

↓

𝟯. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

You don't need exact metrics to show impact:

→ "Accelerated onboarding for new hires"
→ "Eliminated a major customer pain point"
→ "Reduced support tickets" (even without the number)

💡 Pro tip: Frame your results in outcomes, not outputs. Write every impact sentence like this: “This design helped [team/user] do [thing] better.”

↓

𝟰. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺

Generic case studies = ignored
Tailored examples = conversations

→ B2B client? Show your enterprise work
→ Consumer app? Highlight your mobile projects
→ Startup pitch? Feature speed and scrappiness

💡 Pro tip: Before you present, look up their website. Mirror their language, tone, or colour palette in your slides. Make them see themselves in your work.

↓

𝟱. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

How you think (more than what you made)

Show them:

→ What you'd do differently now
→ How you identified the real problem
→ Why you chose this approach over others

💡 Pro tip: End every case study with a slide titled “What I’d Do Differently.” It signals maturity and instantly builds trust.

↓

Don’t build your slides just to impress designers.
Build them to make clients nod: “They get it.”

This happens through:

1. Clear thinking.
2. Relevant work.
3. Not vanity metrics.

Start with these questions:

• Who is my ideal clients or companies?
• What am I really good at? (Or love doing?)
• How can I showcase work that bridges both?

Answer those first.
Everything else flows from there.

♻ Repost to help others present their work better.

P.S. If your portfolio were a LinkedIn post, would you actually read it? 🥶

📌 If you’re in the middle of portfolio updates, my playbook would help: https://lnkd.in/gDje-7VQ

Struggling with your portfolio? Don’t stress.

Here's your UX Portfolio Masterclass:

1. Your portfolio is a UX project. Launch, get feedback, iterate. If you're thinking it’s one and done, you're missing the entire point.

2. Remove the friction from password-protected case studies. Add a link or your email so the reader knows how to request access.

3. Each case study thumbnail needs a image that screams "click me." Not a generic mockup. Not a wall of text.

4. Your portfolio homepage should answer 3 questions in 5 seconds: Who are you? What do you do? Why should I care?

5. Your "About" page should be about THEM (the reader), not just you. Why should they hire you? What's in it for them? How are you a culture fit?

6. Everything needs to be legible. If I can’t read the text on mobile or the image is blurry, you've already lost half your audience.

7. Hot take but... Figma prototypes in portfolios are overrated. Most hiring managers won't click through screens without context. Plus they take forever to load.

8. Include your face. A real photo. Show you “in action” at a workshop, or on the laptop. Not an avatar. Not an illustration. Humans hire humans.

9. A condensed version of your resume should live on your portfolio website. Don't make me download a PDF.

10. Add testimonials from real people. Ask for their permission. A quote from your UX manager, PM, or an engineer carries weight.

11. White space is your friend. If I need to scroll past 3000 words before seeing design work... I won't.

12. Include a clear CTA on every case study. "View next project" → "Let's talk" → Make it easy to take action.

13. Your portfolio should load in under 3 seconds. Compress those images. Hiring managers are impatient (trust me).

14. Update your portfolio every 6 months. Outdated work = skills are no relevant in a hiring manager's eyes.

15. Case study structure that works: Problem → Solution → Impact → Key decisions → Learnings. I don’t want to know about your generic Process.

16. Your contact info should be visible on EVERY page. Put your email in the footer. Don't make recruiters hunt for how to reach you.

17. Curate and pick 2-3 max. If you’re a junior, show range: mobile, web, maybe a design system or research project.

Made it through all 17?

Guess what happens next…

You’ll bookmark this, forget about it, and your portfolio stays exactly the same (I know you mate 🙄)

Don’t be that person.
Make updates and share it.

P.S. Which tip made you think "oh shit, that's my portfolio"? 🫣

P.S.S. If you in the middle of updates, here’s the full playbook → https://lnkd.in/gDje-7VQ

Designers, is he right?

Naval Ravikant said "UI is pre-AI."

This rage-bait hit a nerve.

Did designers panic because deep down they know there’s some truth to this?

If we consider:

Pre-AI → Click, scroll, type, search
Post-AI → Tell it what you want

Then AI turns navigation into intention.

Example: To-do apps

Today, AI could scan your:

→ Chats
→ Notes
→ Emails
→ Calendar
→ Reminders
→ Screenshots

Then ask:

"Do this today?"
“Yes or No”

That might be the new interface.

If this happens then…

The AI is the app layer.
UI becomes confirmation.

So why did designers lose their minds?

The counterarguments revealed some fears:

"UI inspires!"
"Chat is not enough."
"Precision needs interface!"

Translation:

"I'm scared. I'm obsolete."

UI isn't dying.

The paradigm of interactions are changing.

From Googling a specific keywords to find a website, to asking a contextually aware AI in natural language.

From deciding what to watch, to letting the algorithm show you what you already like.

From searching for new music, to a recommended playlist to listen to.

This is a world we already live in.

The REAL debate isn't about interfaces.

It's about prediction.
It's about intention.
It's about control.

And maybe designers are scared the machine will…

→ Predict better than they can design
→ Wrongly guide our intentions
→ Take control

And they're not wrong to be.

What do you think?
Is UI pre-AI?

———

📰 Get more honest notes about the work behind the (design) work in my 2-minute email each week: https://lnkd.in/gmTfNKwN

I almost quit UX Design because I f***ed up so much.

In my early days, I was so afraid of asking questions.

Most designers I worked with were experts.
I didn’t want them to think I was “terrible”.
(I was, but my ego didn’t like to accept).

So I made mistakes, huge ones.

— Tested the wrong version of design, silly me
— Overslept important meetings with stakeholders
— Aesthetic-obsessed but technically useless designs
— Misread clients’ briefs, took weeks and big bucks to fix

I was filled with guilt and insecurity 24/7 at this point.

One day, after so many hiccups…
A senior designer asked me:

“Have you been learning from your mistakes?”

I was speechless.

He didn’t shame me.
He didn’t say what was wrong with me.
He simply asked, what were the lessons?

And that’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned.

Of course, we make mistakes, we are humans after all. But our humanity makes us capable of designing for humans.

The messy, error-ridden process is where growth happens.

→ It's where good designers become great.

Designers, if you’re also drowning in comparison, guilt, shame:

• Each setback is a set-up for a better design solution.
• Each mistake is a step up the ladder.
• Each f**ckup brings a lesson.

Share your stories.
Own your mistakes.
Celebrate the learning.

Let's redefine what your success looks like.

♻️ Repost and share your lessons 🫶

"I’ve never needed a portfolio"

I hear this on LinkedIn every week…

Usually from designers who say:

"I prefer conversations”
"I explain my work better in-person"
"I don’t have time, I’m busy designing"

That works for you. But it doesn’t work for everyone.

Sure, nothing beats a real conversation. But first question we should ask is…

How do you even get into those conversations?

Without referral.
Without network.
Without connection.

Your portfolio is your first introduction.

It might not your best work. But it's your entry ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

Your portfolio doesn't have to be:

• An award-winning website
• A fund-raising pitch deck
• 5 perfect case studies

It could be:

• A single compelling project
• A 3-minute walkthrough video
• A Notion doc linked to your work

Something that shows:

• You understand craft
• You're worth talking to
• You can solve problems

The designers crushing it right now?

They're not choosing between portfolio OR conversations. They're using portfolio TO GET conversations.

Not having your work online isn't a power move. It's leaving money on the table.

You’ve been warned.

🫳🎤

P.S. Portfolio or No portfolio? Which camp are you in? (And why are you so wrong? 😂)

You might know me on LinkedIn. But you probably don’t know about my non-linear and uncomfortable journey.

I’ve been:
– fired (multiple times)
– jobless with 0 savings
– broke in a foreign country
– overworked, over-titled, under-fulfilled

I’ve also been:
– paid well
– promoted fast
– trusted by big teams + brands
– responsible for products used by millions

Somewhere in between all of that, I realised:

Most designers don’t fail because they’re untalented. They struggle because there’s no clear path in figuring out their craft, their career, and their calling.
It’s a daunting endeavour.

That’s why I built UX Playbook
That’s why I write online
That’s why I’m here

Not another “design-fluencer”

But doing my part to be useful for designers dealing real constraints.

3 pillars to my mission:

𝟭. 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 — 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼?

Your ability to execute.
Your skillstack.
Your taste.

In hopes of helping you:
– build real, usable skills
– understand why frameworks work
– become more self-reliant as a designer

Through stories, breakdowns, and practical plays.

Feeling I want you to have: “I can do this tomorrow.”


𝟮. 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 — 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿?

Great designers don’t just design well. They build leverage in/outside their orgs.

In hopes of helping you:
– earn trust
– communicate clearly
– navigate stakeholders
– create impact that’s visible

So your work doesn’t just ship, it matters.

Feeling I want you to have: “I got this.”

𝟯. 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 — 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱?

This is the part no bootcamp talks about.

The quiet questions:
– who am I without my title?
– what does “success” actually mean to me?
– what kind of life am I building through this career?

My aim is to creates space for that reflection.

Not with answers.
But with courage.

Feeling I want you to have: “I need to live my own life.”

↓

I didn’t build UX Playbook because I had it all figured out.

I built it because I didn’t, and I wished it existed when I was stuck, doubting, or starting over.

If you’re a designer trying to:
– get better without ego
– grow without burning out
– build a career that is yours

You’re exactly who this is for.

If you’re new here — say hi 👋

Tell me where you’re at in your design journey.

We’ll figure this out together.

Chris.


P.S. Best way to join me on this journey, is my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gmTfNKwN 

Just honest notes about the work behind the (design) work with 2 emails a week.

I've publicly roasted 86 UX portfolios since 2021

Every mistake, every win, every "what were they thinking" moment — recorded and saved for you to learn from.

I wanted to help entry-level designers stop guessing what hiring managers want. Because most portfolio advice out there is either too generic or straight-up wrong.

So I started recording live portfolio critiques:

→ Real portfolios from designers
→ How to stand out without gimmicks
→ Common mistakes that kill your chances
→ What actually makes recruiters stop scrolling
→ Unfiltered feedback from a hiring manager's POV

Then something clicked:

Designers started fixing their portfolios using these critiques and landing jobs (even within weeks).

Why it worked:

• Skip months of trial and error
• See what "job-ready" actually looks like
• Learn from other designers' mistakes (not your own)
• Get hiring manager's perspective you can't find elsewhere

This vault gives you years of wisdom, distilled into real examples you can apply today.

No fluff.
No theory.
Just what works.

Want the Portfolio Critique Vault?

🔗 Here’s the link: https://lnkd.in/g6epu4PK

You can't prove your impact if you can't see the numbers.

Most designers & researchers are stuck:

→ You can't quantify what you deliver
→ You're blocked from the data
→ Your work feels invisible

Somehow, career conversations get awkward, fast.

Sound familiar?

Nikki Anderson is joining me on The Design of Everyday People for a career impact AMA.

We're covering:

1. How to measure impact without data access
2. Tracking contributions without controlling the numbers
3. Building a case for your work that actually lands

Nikki runs User Research Strategist. She's coached researchers at Google, Amazon, Meta, and Spotify, and helps teams turn insights into decisions that move the business.

If you're tired of feeling like your work disappears into the void...

This one's for you.

📌 Drop your burning questions below ↓
🎙️ Join us Wednesday, Feb 4th!

———

Together with Mobbin

Join 2M+ designers using the world's largest mobile & web design reference library with…

→ 1,200 industry-leading apps
→ 260,000 user flows
→ 500,000 screens

Try Mobbin for free: https://lnkd.in/gC6DZy9v
(use my link to get 20% off ↑)

∗ new subscribers only
∗ 1st year of pro plan

#mobbinpartner

Christopher Nguyen, Sanjoli Chauhan and 3 other connections attending

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The Battle

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