Your portfolio choices signal to the panel what to ask. Know these questions before you submit.
If your portfolio...
Leading with a group project
"What was YOUR contribution?"
Vague collaboration answers
💡 Be specific: 'I designed the interaction flow and prototyped the key screens'
If your portfolio...
Showing an unfinished project
"Why didn't you complete it?"
Making excuses instead of sharing learnings
💡 Frame it as: 'I stopped here because I learned X, which changed my approach to Y'
If your portfolio...
6+ projects in the portfolio
"Walk me through your strongest two"
Inability to prioritize. Not knowing which project to lead with
💡 Have a clear ranking of your projects before the interview
If your portfolio...
All digital work, no physical prototypes
"Can you work with materials?"
💡 Most relevant for Product/Industrial Design. Less so for Interaction or Visual Communication
If your portfolio...
Heavy on research documentation
"What did you actually make?"
💡 Even research-heavy projects should end with a tangible output
If your portfolio...
Highly polished but only 1-2 projects
"What else have you worked on?"
Having nothing beyond what is shown
💡 3-5 projects is the expected range. Polish matters less than range