If you’re a design student or recent graduate, you’ve probably felt the pressure to create a huge, impressive portfolio project. Something polished. Something substantial. Something that looks like it took months.

But here’s a thought I keep coming back to — and it’s more of an experiment than a rule:

Smaller projects might actually help you improve faster.

This edition builds on the ideas from Edition 9 about personal projects, but takes a closer look at why small, focused work can be a real advantage.

What counts as a small project?

For me, a small project sits somewhere between 5–15 hours of effort, spread over 1–3 weeks. Enough time to explore, make decisions, and polish but not so much that it becomes overwhelming.

A big project, by contrast, often stretches beyond 15 hours and drifts into months. That’s where things get messy: the scope balloons, life gets busy, and momentum disappears.

Small doesn’t mean unambitious. It just means intentionally scoped.

Why smaller projects might help you improve faster?

Faster feedback loops

When you finish something quickly, you can ask for feedback within days, not months. That feedback helps you iterate, apply, and move on, accelerating your growth.

A better sense of progress

Finishing things feels good. It builds confidence. It creates momentum. Smaller projects let you experience that more often.

More realistic to junior design jobs

Most junior designers don’t redesign entire platforms. They work on small features, components, fixes, and improvements. Small projects reflect the real world.

Concise scope = better execution

With a focused brief, you have more clarity and can make stronger design decisions. You spend more time designing and less time trying to hold an entire product in your head.

Easier to communicate in interviews

A tight, clear project is far easier to walk through during an interview. You can explain the problem, solution, and outcome without rushing.

The problem with big, overwhelming projects

Big projects fail for a simple reason: they are extremely hard to finish.

They start with excitement, but as weeks pass, the scope expands. You lose direction, energy, or motivation. You might end up with a half-built case study, unfinished flows, or a folder full of abandoned files.

And here’s the truth:

You don’t need a massive project to prove you can design.

What matters is clarity of thought, effectiveness of process, quality of execution, and the ability to finish something.

Examples of small but strong projects

Here are five examples across different design disciplines. Each one is achievable, focused, and portfolio-friendly:

Physical Product Design: Redesign one component of an everyday object (like a bottle lid, pen clip, or hinge) with an emphasis on ergonomics or usability.

Graphic Design: Create a refreshed layout for a small printed piece such as a menu, flyer, poster, or event ticket.

UI Design: Redesign a 3–5 screen flow such as a checkout, onboarding, settings panel, or simple mobile feature.

Engineering / Interaction: Build a tiny prototype that demonstrates one mechanical or interactive behaviour, like a latch, slider, or simple linkage.

Mixed Discipline: Run a short audit on a physical or digital product and present three targeted improvements.

It is about choosing something that shows off a few key skills clearly.

How small projects strengthen a portfolio

Small projects signal important qualities:

• You understand how to scope work.
• You deliver consistently.
• You communicate clearly.
• Your process is easy to follow.
• Your craft comes through without the clutter.

A portfolio full of two or three strong, well-executed small projects is far more compelling than one giant, semi-finished one.

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This isn’t a rule or a universal truth, just something I’ve seen work. If big projects overwhelm you or never get finished, try going smaller. You might find it’s exactly what you needed.

The Move

Pick one tiny project from the list above and start it this week.

Scope it clearly.

Keep it simple.

Finish it.

And if you’d like feedback, send it in.

See you next week!

Tom​
​Hired in Design

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