Powerful Portfolios for Design Leaders
Having a clear story about your experience gives you a competitive advantage. You'll leave this workshop with a portfolio people will talk about.
"It was great! I enjoyed the material and thought it was moderated well. Super helpful and worthwhile overall!"
– E.L., Senior Director of Digital Experience
Give your experience a story it deserves.
You've solved complex problems, managed challenging projects, led teams, and earned the trust of stakeholders. You delivered results that moved the business forward. But when it comes time to telling your story, something gets lost in translation.
The challenge isn't your work, it's your perspective. You're too close to your own experience to see it clearly. You know all the context, all the complexity, all the nuance, but struggle to distill it into something hiring managers can understand quickly.
The design industry is changing rapidly. You know it. I know it. Companies need designers who can lead and execute. Companies want designers who can communicate clearly. Having a clear story about your experience gives you a competitive advantage. The question is, can you tell that story clearly enough for others to see it?
After this workshop, the answer will be yes.
"This has SO much wonderful information! I naturally LOVE frameworks and now have a solid one to utilize and capture deeper data points to achieve my desired results. Thank you so much for your knowledge."
– J.T., Lead Experience Design Manager
What you'll learn
This workshop teaches you to see your work the way others want to see it. You'll leave this workshop with a portfolio people will talk about.
During this workshop, you'll:
- Learn a story-first method: the most effective way to structure your story is around a central theme. Instead of randomly talking about actions like "I created Design System" or "I updated the org chart", you'll ask why those actions existed in the first place
- Uncover your greatest hits: identify the work that truly showcases your unique value by separating the actions you took from the outcomes they created
- Build narrative arcs: recall the challenges you faced that made it difficult for you to do a good job; btw, these are the challenges hiring managers are facing too but they won't talk about in an interview setting
- Frame your work in a business context: get an outsiders perspective into what your company was trying to do that made them hire you in the first place
- Assemble the elements of your story: make your work feel bigger than just the things you did because a good story fundamentally changes how hiring managers see you when your work is presented convincingly enough
- Create multiple angles: walk away with three different ways to present your work depending on whether you want to emphasize execution, management, or leadership
The result?
A portfolio that positions you as the expert you are and a story that shows depth of impact you create.
"It was great! I enjoyed the material and thought it was moderated well. Super helpful and worthwhile overall!"
– E.L., Senior Director of Digital Experience
🧰 What's included
- 6 hours of workshop session replays
- Workshop session summaries and transcripts
- Workshop Figma board
- Portfolio Template in Figma Slides
- AI Case Study prompts
- AI Voice and Tone prompts
- Free book: Play Up Your Impact
- Example portfolios of senior designers who are getting the gigs
- Next step tips and guidance of putting these lessons into action
"NPS 100! This workshop fills a gap that has not been addressed. Ryan demystifies the idea that only the best of the best can build a bulletproof, 100% hirable portfolio. I am so glad I took this workshop."
– L.S., Head of Product Design
✅ Who this is perfect for
- Leads, Principals, Managers and Directors
- Enough experience to mentor others
- Have accomplished meaningful work but struggle to present it clearly
- Want to work with other experienced professionals
- Are ready to think critically about your own career progression
❌ This isn't a right fit if you…
- Are early in your design career
- Are satisfied with how you currently present your work
- Prefer working completely independently
- Don't want to invest time in strategic career positioning
What you'll walk away with
- Three variations of your story that showcase different aspects of your experience
- Your story in slides – organized with a clear, narrative structure
- Personal branding language that guides how you write and speak about your work
- Practice time with peers at your experience level
- Expert feedback from someone who's hired hundreds of designers
The transformation: You'll stop feeling uncertain about how to present your experience and start feeling confident that your portfolio reflects your actual capabilities in a way you that stands out in the crowd.
Who led this workshop?
Hi, I'm Ryan. I am the founder of CDO School and author of Business Thinking for Designers. I write and speak frequently about my experiences designing software at Apple, as the first design leader at Electronic Arts (twice) and the Nestle Institute of Health Sciences, and as an executive at USAA.
Here's what matters: I've hired hundreds of designers. I know what hiring managers pay attention to and what they ignore. I've taught over 2,000 design leaders through CDO School and run programs at Google, DocuSign, and LinkedIn.
The difference: This isn't advice from someone who studied good portfolios. It's guidance from someone who had decided which portfolios get interviews and which candidates get the offer. It's guidance from someone who has been working with experienced designers like you for the last 6 years to get new gigs.
I know what hiring managers look for because I've been doing it for years.
TL;DR
Your experience has value. You have solved real problems. Your approach made a difference. You are amazing.
The question is: can you tell that story clearly enough for others to see it?
After this workshop, the answer will be yes.
How to get these materials
Purchase the CDO School Toolkit by December 8, 2025 and I'll share these resources with you.