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

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

Working with 100s of designers, I saw most designers are in someway self taught. Thinking back to my non-linear & uncomfortable journey of:

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

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. 

And 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) real examples from real experience 

So, I started an experiment in mid 2020

The results were pretty phenomenal, we grew 1400% in one year

It was clear people valued UX Playbook

That’s why I’m here—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

Helping you:

– build real, usable skills
– understand why frameworks work
– become more self-reliant as a designer

Through stories, breakdowns, & practical plays.

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

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

Helping you:

– earn trust
– communicate clearly
– navigate stakeholders
– create impact that’s visible

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

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.

My impact:

→ 20,000,000+ content impressions in the last 3 years
→ 500,000+ weekly newsletters & blogs read
→ 100,000+ people following my daily UX content
→ 20,000+ people downloaded my UX guides & templates
→ 1,000+ people, from 93+ countries, bought my products

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 I help

Learn more about my FAST TRACK DESIGNER BUNDLE → https://uxplaybook.org/fast

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

Cigna

I help clients create and execute customized engagement strategies. I leverage internal and external resources, analytics, and feedback loops to consistently improve outcomes and measurable results for my clients. I utilize problem solving and impactful story telling skills to back up creative, evidence based recommendations to stakeholders. In this position I work collaboratively with internal and external matrix partners and frequently facilitate idea generation sessions on both sides.

I have also had the opportunity to take on other projects outside my role, including:
- Designed engagement collateral custom client campaigns
- Contributed to the design, roll out, and national training of an Environmental Policy Toolkit and Environmental Assessment platform 
- Developed a 6 month, nationally implemented professional development curriculum and managed/coached 12 direct facilitator reports
- Served on Centralized Training Team to design and facilitate onboarding curriculum for new hires

Engagement Consultant II

Public Goods

Adapted desktop and mobile designs to reflect the shift from a member only to member optional business model. Redesigns include Homepage, PDP, PLP, Cart Drawer, and Order Summary.

UX Designer

Easy Expense

I'm worked as part of a 4 person design intern team in collaboration with development to redesign Easy Expense's website with the goal of increasing web traffic and conversion.

UX/UI Designer

Mizaru

During this 6 week internship I worked with a team of 2 other designers to conduct user interviews, secondary research, research synthesis (including affinity mapping and user journeys), and key business recommendations as the organization pursued problem identification in a new industry.

UX Researcher

City Year

• Facilitated student and staff education & co-working sessions including data analysis and program design
• Developed community partnerships by sitting on an Ambassador’s committee in order to spread awareness and fundraise through storytelling

Corps Member

Miami University

• Developed, facilitated, and evaluated health programs for Miami University faculty

Employee Benefits and Wellness

Vice President/Outreach 2016-2017
• Collaborated with like minded organizations to sponsor 4 health campaigns for Miami students

Peer Health Educator 2015-2016
• Facilitated and delivered over 25 programs for student body groups ranging from 4-200 individuals
• Held weekly team office hours to address walk in concerns and complete administrative tasks

HAWKS Peer Health Education

• Developed, implemented, and evaluated programs for groups of 29-37 residents, designing educational materials to be fun and engaging
• Facilitated student mediations and engaged in comprehensive relationship building/mentorship via
individual meetings and group discussions

Resident Assistant

St. Rita's Health Management Group

• Designed visually engaging patient education collateral, making complex concepts simple for the target user population.

Intern

National Student Leadership Conference

• Designed a 40+ page position manual, writing copy and illustrations
• Simultaneously managed needs of 4 program staffs with equipment set up/break down, material and classroom preparation, training, and transportation
• Liaison between the NSLC central office, Yale Conference and Events, and the Yale on-site office

Site Assistant

Samaritan's Suicide Hotline

• Designed press releases and marketing for Boston Marathon runners and volunteers

Hi, I'm Ashley!

I'm a UX Designer in the Seattle area currently looking for a UX / UI / Product Design role. I'm particularly passionate about safe and inclusive design, user advocacy, interaction design, and prototyping.

A bit about me:

I recently climbed an active volcano. It was 14,000 feet tall. Did I train for it? Nope. Did I learn my lesson? No, I still genuinely believe that I can do literally anything even if I've never done it before. What can I say? I'm a hands on learner! Throw me in and I'll figure it out. 

I'm curious, creative, and always craving a new challenge. In fact, learning new things is kind of my hobby. Just this year I've taught myself wood working, knitting, gardening, fell in love with reading again, and now I'm on to perfecting my homemade hummus recipe. I have to say though, I have a particular soft spot for power tools. 

What does all of this amount to? A fun, invested, and open minded team player with a strong growth mindset and an attitude for gratitude! Simply put, you want me on your team.

Do you know someone looking to grow their design team? Let's chat!

Some of my primary design skills include:

User Interviews
User Research
Affinity Maps
Empathy Maps
Personas
Journey Maps
User Stories
UserFlows
Sketching
Wireflows
Wireframes
Survey Design
Prototyping
High Fidelity UI Design
User Testing
Design Sprint

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Ashley Miller

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