1,000 Portfolios for 1 Designer

What We’re Really Looking For

We review over 1,000 portfolios to hire EACH Variate designer.

That scale is not a flex. It is how we filter for judgment. Because great designers do not just make things look good. They make decisions under pressure.

We hire decision-makers, not taste.

Most portfolios show polished work. Very few show how decisions were made.

The designers we move forward with clearly explain:

• The real problem they were solving

• The constraints they faced

• The tradeoffs they made

• The decisions they personally owned

If we cannot see how you think, the work does not matter.

Ownership is the signal.

Clear outcomes are easy to present. Clear reasoning is not.

We look for designers who take responsibility, speak plainly about what changed, and stay grounded when work gets messy. This is what signals readiness for high-stakes work.

Why one gets the role.

Out of 1,000 portfolios, many are talented. Few are ready.

The one we hire shows clear thinking, strong judgment, and confidence in their decisions. That is what separates one from 1,000.