Bestfolios Redesign - Portfolio inspiration platform redesign
Bestfolios is a curated gallery of the best design portfolios on the web. Working in a team of two, I redesigned the browsing and discovery experience over a focused two-week sprint, improving navigation patterns, filtering, and the overall visual hierarchy to help designers find inspiration more efficiently.
Goal
Improve the portfolio viewing and talent search experience for both designers and recruiters, while preserving existing functionality.
Deliverables
- Usability testing (2 rounds)
- Personas & journey maps
- Information architecture
- Lo-fi prototype
- Hi-fi mockups (4 feature areas)
Team
- Jeffrey Li
- Grace Yuan
Project Details
- Type
- UX Redesign Concept
- Duration
- 2 weeks
- Methods
- Usability testing, personas, journey mapping, competitive analysis
The Problem
Bestfolios originally targeted designers seeking portfolio inspiration. But as they launched a new "Talent List" feature for recruiters, usability problems emerged. The current design optimized for browsing but fell short for talent discovery - and the two user groups had conflicting needs that the existing interface didn't reconcile.
Key Challenges
- How to make portfolio viewing more immersive and up-to-date?
- How to make the search function usable for recruiters?
- How to strengthen submission credibility while keeping it simple?
Research: Two User Types
We ran initial usability tests with 3 users on tasks like viewing portfolios, searching for designers, and navigating the original site. The findings shaped two personas: a recruiter (Samantha) seeking talent efficiently, and a designer (Karl) showcasing work and seeking opportunities.
Journey Mapping
Journey maps for each persona revealed distinct pain points. Recruiters struggled with outdated portfolio screenshots and missing location filters. Designers faced uncertainty after submitting - no sign-in required meant low credibility, no notifications, and no control over submissions.
Ideation & Architecture
We brainstormed solutions for each challenge, then restructured the information architecture to accommodate new features - portfolio viewing, talent search, registration, and an account system - without overcomplicating the existing experience.
Wireframes & Testing
Paper wireframes explored layout and hierarchy before we committed to pixels. The lo-fi prototype was tested with 3 target users who talked through their thought process at each step. A critical finding: users needed assurance about if and when their submitted portfolio would be featured.
Hi-Fi Mockups
The final mockups addressed four feature areas: an immersive portfolio viewing experience, a recruiter-friendly talent search with filters, a credible registration flow, and a full account system for managing submissions.
“The biggest lesson was recognizing that adding a new user group doesn't just mean adding features - it requires rethinking existing experiences through a completely different lens.”