The 5 best design portfolios I’ve seen this year (FAANG level)
What top designers get right in the age of AI — and how to make yours stand out
TL;DR
Portfolios still matter. In fact, they matter more in an AI-saturated world. I reviewed dozens — and these 5 blew me away. Real-world impact, clean storytelling, and decision-first case studies. If you’re aiming for FAANG or any top-tier product team, this is your new benchmark.
What’s FAANG, and why does it still matter?
FAANG = Facebook (Meta), Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google. The legacy acronym still signals elite expectations in product design. Add Stripe, Figma, Airbnb, and you’ve got a new wave of “FAANG-level” companies hiring designers who:
Think systemically
Lead with outcomes
Collaborate cross-functionally
Ship at scale
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AI won’t replace portfolios. But it will expose weak ones.
A flashy UI made with Midjourney won’t cut it. FAANG-level hiring managers want to see how you think — not just what you can make.
What were the trade-offs?
What impact did you deliver?
Did you co-create with PMs, engineers, researchers?
A great portfolio is a thinking artifact, not a Dribbble flex.
What every strong portfolio had in common:
Crisp role headline: “Product Designer focused on growth, AI, and UX strategy”
Case studies with decisions, not just screens
Real-world impact: “+22% activation,” “cut checkout drop-offs by 12%”
A voice: You don’t sound like ChatGPT wrote your site
Mention of how you use AI in your design workflow
Here are 5 portfolios that nailed it (and why they’d get hired):
Simon Pan — Uber case study
The gold standard. Period.
Simon doesn’t just present screens — he unpacks product strategy, user insight, and business impact with clarity and control.
Standout moment: How he reduced Uber driver wait times by 15% through service-level design.
Would get hired anywhere from Google to Stripe. Instantly.
2. Angelisa Scalera — Latest Projects
Hardware + software + taste.
Angelisa’s work blends UX, brand, and R&D in a way that feels rare. Projects span Samsung to Nothing Phone — and every piece shows polish and product strategy.
Standout moment: How her work shaped the onboarding flow for a flagship wearable product.
Ideal for hybrid roles at Apple, Meta, or Sonos.
3. David Paulsson — Portfolio
The design-dev hybrid everyone wants on their team.
David clearly articulates how he blends UX, front-end dev, and strategic thinking. The work is technically sharp, but also grounded in business goals.
Standout moment: A site redesign that boosted mobile revenue by 26%.
Great fit for Amazon, Shopify, or any growth-stage startup.
4. David Pacheco — Portfolio
Quiet confidence, clean systems.
From Apple to Cisco, David’s work shows strong design systems thinking, collaboration, and cross-functional leadership.
Standout moment: Leading the design unification of Webex Suite across multiple platforms.
Perfect for senior IC or lead roles at Meta, Atlassian, or enterprise UX teams.
5. Elvis Obanya — Preply
If your team loves research, this is your guy.
Elvis takes you through the why, not just the what. His usability testing, stakeholder alignment, and iteration cycles are on-point.
Standout moment: Improving conversion for first-time learners through iterative prototyping and qualitative testing.
Ideal for research-rich environments like Duolingo, Airbnb, or Microsoft Learn.
Takeaways: How to make your portfolio FAANG-ready
Write case studies like short blog posts: hook, conflict, resolution
Frame decisions, not just deliverables
Show team size, product lifecycle stage, and your role
Add impact metrics — percentages > paragraphs
Sprinkle in how you’re experimenting with AI in real workflows
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