World Class Design

Your portfolio link is getting blocked by company security. And you have no idea it's happening. You send your link to recruiters. They never respond. You think your work wasn't good enough. But here's the reality: They never saw it. Corporate security blocked your link. Their VPN flagged it as unsafe. Their IT proxy rejected it. And you lost the opportunity without ever knowing why. The Problem Companies with proper security measures block default portfolio builder subdomains. portfolio(.)builder(.)site. yourname.platform(.)website. Shared hosting subdomains. Not because your portfolio is bad. Because their security treats these subdomains as potential threats. The recruiter clicks your link. Gets an error. And moves on. They don't email you to say "your link is blocked." They just assume you sent a broken link. And you never hear back. Why This Happens 63% of organizations have implemented zero-trust security strategies as of 2024. Zero trust means: verify everything, trust nothing by default. Corporate networks protect against data leaks and security risks. Default subdomains from third-party platforms trigger those protections. Enterprise firewalls use wildcard blocking—one rule blocks *.platform.com and every subdomain under it. The bigger the company, the stricter the security. And security is getting tighter every year. So if you're applying to reputable companies with strong security measures, your portfolio is invisible to them. You're an amazing candidate. Your portfolio is perfect. But they can't see it. What Actually Works Your own custom domain with HTTPS. Not a platform's subdomain. Your own domain. yourname(.)com with proper HTTPS security protocols. This passes through corporate security because it's: - A legitimate custom domain - HTTPS encrypted - Not flagged as a third-party risk The Fix Get a custom domain ($15/year). Connect it to whatever portfolio platform you're using. Most platforms support custom domains. Make sure it has: - HTTPS (the lock icon in the browser) - Valid SSL certificate - YOUR domain name (not a platform's subdomain) That's it. Now recruiters at secure companies can actually see your work. Why This Matters You could be the perfect candidate. The perfect portfolio. The perfect match. But if the recruiter can't open your link, none of that matters. And they won't tell you. They'll just move to the next candidate. Don't lose opportunities because of a technical issue you didn't know existed. At World Class Design, we help you present your work the right way—including making sure companies can actually see it. No more job hunting. No more endless interview loops. You do 3 interviews with us (the same process billion-dollar companies use to find top 1%). Qualify, and we match you with companies who hire you with 1 interview. Don't qualify, and we tell you how to improve—no ghosting. Link in comments.

Here's why you're not getting callbacks—and it has nothing to do with your portfolio. I've been on dozens of recruiting calls where candidates just don't show up. No message. No heads up. Just silence. And they have no idea this automatically removes them from every opportunity. Here's what's happening: You applied. The recruiter liked your profile. They scheduled a call. Then you forgot. Or something came up. Or you got another offer. And you didn't tell them. From your side, it feels like no big deal. Interviews get rescheduled all the time, right? From their side, you just failed the first test. The Test Before the Portfolio Companies aren't just hiring for design skills. They're hiring for reliability. Can you show up? Can you communicate? Can you commit? Before they even look at your portfolio, they're watching: - Do you show up to scheduled calls? - Do you respond to messages? - Do you communicate when something changes? If the answer is no to any of these, you're out. Not because you're not talented. Because you're not reliable. Why This Matters More Than You Think When you ghost a recruiter, here's what they see: "This person can't manage their own calendar. How will they manage deadlines?" "This person doesn't communicate when plans change. How will they work with teams?" "This person doesn't value our time. Why should we value theirs?" And you get removed. Immediately. No second chance. No "let's reschedule." Just removed. The Irony Candidates ghost recruiters as much as recruiters ghost candidates. I know. I've been on both sides. Getting ghosted as a candidate feels terrible. But here's the difference: When a recruiter ghosts you, it's unprofessional. When you ghost a recruiter, it's career suicide. Because they're testing if you can be trusted with bigger things. What Actually Works If you can't make a call, send a message. Any message. "Something came up, can we reschedule?" "I accepted another offer, thank you for your time." "I'm no longer looking, I appreciate you reaching out." It takes 30 seconds. And it keeps you in consideration. Companies want people who communicate. Even when it's uncomfortable. Show up on time. Or communicate when you can't. That's it. At World Class Design, reliability matters as much as your portfolio. No more job hunting. No more endless interview loops. You do 3 interviews with us (the same process billion-dollar companies use to find top 1%). Qualify, and we match you with companies who hire you with 1 interview. Don't qualify, and we tell you how to improve—no ghosting. Link in comments.

Here's how to know if you're applying at the wrong level—and what companies actually look for at yours. I've reviewed over 1000 portfolios. Most designers apply one level above where they actually are. Mid-levels apply for senior roles. Seniors apply for leads. Everyone's chasing the next title. And getting rejected. Not because they're not good. Because they're the wrong match. Here's the reality: Companies don't hire "the most senior person possible." They hire the right level for their product stage. And if you're world-class at your current level, you're more valuable than someone average at the next level up. The Three Levels Mid-level: Pixel-perfect execution You ship clean, polished work. You execute designs that solve defined problems without hand-holding. Senior: Problem-solving with data You form hypotheses. You test options. You iterate based on data. You solve ambiguous problems. Lead: Product vision and strategy You set direction. You align teams. You think systems-level. You shape what gets built and why. None is "better." They're different skills for different needs. How to Know Your Level Ask yourself what you're actually great at: 1. Do you execute defined problems flawlessly with minimal direction? → You're likely world-class mid-level 2. Do you solve ambiguous problems with hypotheses and data? → You're likely world-class senior 3. Do you set product direction and align cross-functional teams? → You're likely world-class lead The mistake is thinking you need to be senior to be valuable. You don't. You need to be world-class where you are. What Companies Actually Look For A startup with product-market fit needs seniors to solve execution problems. A scaling company with clear direction needs a lead to set the vison. A product team shipping defined features needs world-class mid-levels to execute flawlessly. If you're a world-class mid-level applying for senior roles, you're competing against actual seniors. But if you show you're the best mid-level they've ever seen? You're exactly what certain companies need. What to Show Mid-level: Flawless execution. System thinking. Ability to ship without hand-holding. Senior: Problem-solving with data. Hypotheses tested. Evidence-based iterations. Lead: Product vision. Cross-functional alignment. Strategic thinking. Don't fake the next level up. Prove mastery where you are. That's what gets you hired—and promoted when you're ready. At World Class Design, we help you understand what world-class looks like at YOUR level. No more job hunting. No more endless interview loops. You do 3 interviews with us (the same process billion-dollar companies use to find top 1%). Qualify, and we match you with companies who hire you with 1 interview. Don't qualify, and we tell you how to improve—no ghosting. Link in comments.

After reviewing 1000+ portfolios, I found two types of designers: Product Starters, aka brief translators and Product Builders aka problem solvers. Product Starters: They take a brief and turn it into Figma pixels. The portfolio shows beautiful final screens. But no validation. No hypothesis. No iteration. Product Builders: They take a brief, form hypotheses, design multiple options, validate with data, and iterate to the right solution. The difference determines what work you get. What Product Starters Show "The client/my "boss or team" needed a checkout redesign. Here's what I designed." Beautiful screens. Clean layouts. But no process. No mention of: - What hypotheses they tested - What options they explored - What data informed decisions - How they validated the solution - What they learned and improved It looks like: Brief → UI → Done. And that signals: "I execute. I don't solve problems." What Product Builders Show "What is needed is to reduce checkout abandonment. I formed 3 hypotheses about why users dropped off." Then they show: - Hypothesis 1: Too many form fields (designed simplified flow) - Hypothesis 2: Unclear shipping costs (designed transparent pricing) - Hypothesis 3: No guest checkout (designed optional account) They tested all three. Data showed Hypothesis 2 performed best. They iterated based on feedback. Abandonment dropped 23%. This signals: "I solve problems with data, not just design." Why This Matters Companies don't hire designers to translate briefs into UI. They hire designers to solve problems. But most portfolios look like brief translation. Even designers with 10+ years experience show: Brief → UI → Done. No hypothesis testing. No validation. No iteration. No learning. And that makes them look like freelancers hired to make pretty screens, not product designers hired to solve problems. The Fix For each project, show your problem-solving process: 1. The hypothesis - "I believed users abandoned because of X" 2. The options - "I designed 3 approaches to test this" 3. The validation - "We tested with 50 users, data showed Y" 4. The iteration - "Based on results, I refined Z" 5. The outcome - "Final solution reduced abandonment by 23%" This isn't about being perfect. Solutions aren't right the first time. It's about showing you use data to get to the right solution over time. At World Class Design, we evaluate if you're a problem solver or brief translator. No more job hunting. No more endless interview loops. You do 3 interviews with us (the same process billion-dollar companies use to find top 1%). Qualify, and we match you with companies who hire you with 1 interview. Don't qualify, and we tell you how to improve—no ghosting. Link in comments.

Your LinkedIn gets you shortlisted. Your portfolio gets you ghosted. Here's why. The hiring process is backwards. A recruiter finds your LinkedIn. Your experience looks solid. They shortlist you. Then they request your portfolio. And that's where everything falls apart. Because the process just started in the middle. They liked you based on what you've done. But your portfolio doesn't show how you did it. It's a gallery with no why. What's Happening Your LinkedIn says: "Led design for checkout redesign" Your portfolio shows: Beautiful screens with no story The recruiter needs to know: HOW did you lead? WHAT decisions did you make? WHY this approach? They don't know. Your portfolio doesn't tell them. So they can't advocate for you internally. And they ghost you. Not because your work isn't good. Because they can't prove you're the person who made it good. The Disconnect When a recruiter opens your portfolio after seeing your LinkedIn, they're expecting to validate what they already believe: that you're good. But most portfolios are just final designs. No context. No process. No decisions. So the recruiter is stuck. They can't connect your impressive LinkedIn to the work in front of them. Did you lead this or just execute? Make strategic decisions or follow instructions? Navigate constraints or have unlimited resources? Your portfolio doesn't answer that. The Fix Bridge the gap between your LinkedIn and your work. For each project, add: 1. Your role - "Led design for 3-month sprint with 2 engineers" 2. The constraints - "Limited to existing components, 2-week deadline" 3. The decisions - "Chose progressive disclosure over dashboard because users needed focused workflows" That's it. Now your portfolio validates what your LinkedIn promises. When hiring starts in the middle, you need both ends to connect. Your LinkedIn gets you in the door. Your portfolio needs to prove you belong there. At World Class Design, we review portfolios with ex- senior designers and recruiters from Shopify and Uber. Once verified, you skip early interviews and get matched with companies hiring for your skills. Link in comments.

Most designers never get the kind of feedback that actually changes their career. That’s about to change. I’ve partnered with Tham Nguyen, former recruiter at Uber and Shopify, to help me design the World Class Design Method. The goal is simple: take the standards from the toughest tech companies and make them accessible to every designer who wants to prove they belong at the top. Think of it as your chance to get insider feedback from people who’ve hired at the highest level, without needing to land the interview first. How it works 1. You will receive a link and asked to submit your name, portfolio, and LinkedIn URL 2. If you fit, I will email you a link to book a call with Tham Nguyen. 3. You meet Tham for a thirty minute interview. 4. You receive a detailed written report after the call. 5. If Tham recommends moving forward, we schedule a second interview with a former big tech hiring manager to assess a different set of skills. Price is $399, the first ten designers are FREE. Want in, comment “Review” or DM me “WCD.”

The next World-Class Design meetup is happening at Epitech Montpellier. We are proud to partner with Montpellier Tech Hub and The Real to bring this to life. We’ll be talking about AI and Vibe Coding, what happens when creativity, intuition, and machine intelligence start speaking the same language. If you're building, designing, or just thinking about the future of product, you should be in the room. 📍 Epitech Montpellier 🎤 Topic: AI and Vibe Coding 📅 Date + RSVP link in the comments 🎁 Sponsored = free goodies Come for the insights, stay for the energy.

We're excited to welcome Kevin Silve to our next session on Personal Branding for Designers. Kévin is a seasoned product designer and founder of La Boîte à Créa, where he helps startups turn bold ideas into validated, investor-ready products in less than 30 days. In this session, he’ll unpack what personal branding really means for designers today, beyond portfolios and pretty interfaces. If you’re a creative looking to stand out and be remembered for the right reasons, this is not one to miss. Link in the comments

We’re excited to welcome Paul MENANT as the speaker for our upcoming Paris event. Paul is the founder of Design Club, an international collective of over 2,000 vetted designers, and the host of a podcast dedicated to Heads of Design. His work consistently stands out for its clarity, generosity, and impact within the design community. He’ll be sharing valuable insights at our next event, don’t miss it. 📍 Event details in the first comment.