6-Week Portfolio Sprint
FINISH
YOUR
DAMN
PORTFOLIO.
Deadlines for Designers is a 6-week high-velocity sprint. No fluff. No hand-holding. Just 6 tasks, peer reviews, handbook and a finished portfolio.
Sign up
June 2026 Cohort
6
Deadlines
6
Weeks
+15
Peer Reviews
1
Finished Portfolio
01 / How It Works
THE 6-WEEK
INTENSIVE SPRINT
01
Thursday
The Task Drops
- A brief
- A short list of portfolios to review
02
Tuesday
Silent session
- A silent session to work with others online.
- No talking, just working.
03
Next Thursday
Submit
- Reviews - done
- Case study - done
02 / Structure
6 WEEKS.
6 DEADLINES.
Each week builds on the last. Each deadline locks the previous one.
Wk 1
June 4 - 10
Positioning & Prepare
- Write your positioning statement
- Meet other designers in your cohort
- Choose your portfolio tool
Wk 2
June 11 - 18
Case study 1
- Review examples of case studies and decide what best matches the image you are trying to portray.
- Create your first case study.
wk 3
June 18 - 25
Case study 2
- Create your second case study
- Review >3 case studies
wk 4
June 26 -
July 2
Case study 3
- Create your third case study
- Review >3 case studies
wk 5
July 3 - 9
Case study 4
- Create your fourth case study
- Review >3 case studies
wk 6
July 10 - 16
Compile portfolio
- Compile your portfolio
- Review >3 case studies
End
Portfolio review
- Top 20 designers with the most reviews will get personal feedback about their portfolios from the facilitator.
- Your cohort has been through this with you every step of the way, so ask them what they think of your final portfolio.
03 / The peer loop
COMMUNITY
FEEDBACK.
ADPList is great for 15 minutes. Deadlines for Designers is built on the Review Waterfall — a structured system where feedback is mandatory, specific, and reciprocal.
You submit → peers review you → you review peers. Every cycle. Every week. No passengers.
◈
Structured Rubrics
No "looks good" comments. Peers use Senior-level rubrics to critique logic and storytelling with actionable feedback.
◎
Consensus
When multiple designers flag the same issue, you know it's a real problem — not one person's taste. Consensus is signal.
◐
Slack cohort
Build connections with a cohort of peers. They will support you through the process, and who knows, maybe one day you will be future colleagues.
04 / Secure your spot
FINISH YOUR
PORTFOLIO
IN 6 WEEKS.
Next cohort starts Thursday, 4 June. Limited space to ensure feedback quality. When it's full, it's full.
FREE
No credit card · No commitment
✓
Full 6-week curriculum with weekly deliverables
✓
Handbook with examples
✓
Optional silent sessions
✓
Access to the Slack community
✓
Senior-level rubric feedback from your cohort peers
Sign up
June 2026 Cohort
YOUR QUESTIONS.
ANSWERED.
How many hours per week will this take?
Up to you. The more effort you put in, the more you get out. I would budget for 1 hour for reviews, and 4 hours to work on your case studies per week.
What happens if I miss a deadline? Am I kicked out?
No, you won’t get kicked out. But you will hurt yourself by not getting reviews, and you will hurt others by not giving them reviews.
Is this for junior, mid-level, or senior designers?
This is for all product designers. Because this is the first time we are trying this, we are making it as broad as possible.
What platforms/tools do I need?
The course will be run in Slack and Notion. As for portfolio building tools, we will introduce a few options for you to explore, but in the end it is up to you what platform you want to use.
Is this really 100% free? What's the catch?
Yep, this is 100% free. This is the first time I am running one of these, so if you join, consider yourself a ‘beta tester.’
Your facilitator
Tess Gadd is a builder, dabbler and author of the UI Cheat Sheet series on UX Collective. She has reviewed more portfolios than she cares to remember in her over 10 years experience in product design, and wants to help others get the careers they dream of. Her current role is at LabXchange.
© 2026 Deadlines for Designers. All rights reserved.
June 2026 cohort
6-Week Portfolio Sprint
FINISH
YOUR
DAMN
PORTFOLIO.
Deadlines for Designers is a 6-week high-velocity sprint. No fluff. No hand-holding. Just 6 tasks, peer reviews, handbook and a finished portfolio.
Sign up
June 2026 Cohort
6
Deadlines
6
Weeks
+15
Peer Reviews
1
Finished Portfolio
01 / How It Works
THE 6-WEEK
INTENSIVE SPRINT
01
Thursday
The Task Drops
- A brief
- A short list of portfolios to review
02
Tuesday
Silent session
- A silent session to work with others online.
- No talking, just working.
03
Next Thursday
Submit
- Reviews - done
- Case study - done
02 / Structure
6 WEEKS.
6 DEADLINES.
Each week builds on the last. Each deadline locks the previous one.
Wk 1
June 4 - 10
Positioning & Prepare
- Write your positioning statement
- Meet other designers in your cohort
- Choose your portfolio tool
Wk 2
June 11 - 18
Case study 1
- Review examples of case studies and decide what best matches the image you are trying to portray.
- Create your first case study.
wk 3
June 18 - 25
Case study 2
- Create your second case study
- Review >3 case studies
wk 4
June 26 -
July 2
Case study 3
- Create your third case study
- Review >3 case studies
wk 5
July 3 - 9
Case study 4
- Create your fourth case study
- Review >3 case studies
wk 6
July 10 - 16
Compile portfolio
- Compile your portfolio
- Review >3 case studies
End
Portfolio review
- Top 20 designers with the most reviews will get personal feedback about their portfolios from the facilitator.
- Your cohort has been through this with you every step of the way, so ask them what they think of your final portfolio.
03 / The peer loop
COMMUNITY
FEEDBACK.
ADPList is great for 15 minutes. Deadlines for Designers is built on the Review Waterfall — a structured system where feedback is mandatory, specific, and reciprocal.
You submit → peers review you → you review peers. Every cycle. Every week. No passengers.
◈
Structured Rubrics
No "looks good" comments. Peers use Senior-level rubrics to critique logic and storytelling with actionable feedback.
◎
Consensus
When multiple designers flag the same issue, you know it's a real problem — not one person's taste. Consensus is signal.
◐
Slack cohort
Build connections with a cohort of peers. They will support you through the process, and who knows, maybe one day you will be future colleagues.
04 / Secure your spot
FINISH YOUR
PORTFOLIO
IN 6 WEEKS.
Next cohort starts Thursday, 4 June. Limited space to ensure feedback quality. When it's full, it's full.
FREE
No credit card · No commitment
✓
Full 6-week curriculum with weekly deliverables
✓
Handbook with examples
✓
Optional silent sessions
✓
Access to the Slack community
✓
Senior-level rubric feedback from your cohort peers
Sign up
June 2026 Cohort
YOUR QUESTIONS.
ANSWERED.
How many hours per week will this take?
Up to you. The more effort you put in, the more you get out. I would budget for 1 hour for reviews, and 4 hours to work on your case studies per week.
What happens if I miss a deadline? Am I kicked out?
No, you won’t get kicked out. But you will hurt yourself by not getting reviews, and you will hurt others by not giving them reviews.
Is this for junior, mid-level, or senior designers?
This is for all product designers. Because this is the first time we are trying this, we are making it as broad as possible.
What platforms/tools do I need?
The course will be run in Slack and Notion. As for portfolio building tools, we will introduce a few options for you to explore, but in the end it is up to you what platform you want to use.
Is this really 100% free? What's the catch?
Yep, this is 100% free. This is the first time I am running one of these, so if you join, consider yourself a ‘beta tester.’
Your facilitator
Tess Gadd is a builder, dabbler and author of the UI Cheat Sheet series on UX Collective. She has reviewed more portfolios than she cares to remember in her over 10 years experience in product design, and wants to help others get the careers they dream of. Her current role is at LabXchange.
© 2026 Deadlines for Designers. All rights reserved.
June 2026 cohort
6-Week Portfolio Sprint
FINISH
YOUR
DAMN
PORTFOLIO.
Deadlines for Designers is a 6-week high-velocity sprint. No fluff. No hand-holding. Just 6 tasks, peer reviews, handbook and a finished portfolio.
Sign up
June 2026 Cohort
6
Deadlines
6
Weeks
+15
Peer Reviews
1
Finished Portfolio
01 / How It Works
THE 6-WEEK
INTENSIVE SPRINT
01
Thursday
The Task Drops
- A brief
- A short list of portfolios to review
02
Tuesday
Silent session
- A silent session to work with others online.
- No talking, just working.
03
Next Thursday
Submit
- Reviews - done
- Case study - done
02 / Structure
6 WEEKS.
6 DEADLINES.
Each week builds on the last. Each deadline locks the previous one.
Wk 1
June 4 - 10
Positioning & Prepare
- Write your positioning statement
- Meet other designers in your cohort
- Choose your portfolio tool
Positioning
Introductions
handbook
silent session
Wk 2
June 11 - 18
Case study 1
- Review examples of case studies and decide what best matches the image you are trying to portray.
- Create your first case study.
Case study 1
handbook
silent session
wk 3
June 18 - 25
Case study 2
- Create your second case study
- Review >3 case studies
Case study 2
review >3 case studies
silent session
wk 4
June 26 -
July 2
Case study 3
- Create your third case study
- Review >3 case studies
Case study 3
review >3 case studies
silent session
wk 5
July 3 - 9
Case study 4
- Create your fourth case study
- Review >3 case studies
Case study 4
review >3 case studies
silent session
wk 6
July 10 - 16
Compile portfolio
- Compile your portfolio
- Review >3 case studies
Portfolio
review >3 case studies
silent session
End
Portfolio review
- Top 20 designers with the most reviews will get personal feedback about their portfolios from the facilitator.
- Your cohort has been through this with you every step of the way, so ask them what they think of your final portfolio.
03 / The peer loop
COMMUNITY
FEEDBACK.
ADPList is great for 15 minutes. Deadlines for Designers is built on the Review Waterfall — a structured system where feedback is mandatory, specific, and reciprocal.
You submit → peers review you → you review peers. Every cycle. Every week. No passengers.
◈
Structured Rubrics
No "looks good" comments. Peers use Senior-level rubrics to critique logic and storytelling with actionable feedback.
◎
Consensus
When multiple designers flag the same issue, you know it's a real problem — not one person's taste. Consensus is signal.
◐
Slack cohort
Build connections with a cohort of peers. They will support you through the process, and who knows, maybe one day you will be future colleagues.
04 / Secure your spot
FINISH YOUR
PORTFOLIO
IN 6 WEEKS.
Next cohort starts Thursday, 4 June. Limited space to ensure feedback quality. When it's full, it's full.
FREE
No credit card · No commitment
✓
Full 6-week curriculum with weekly deliverables
✓
Handbook with examples
✓
Optional silent sessions
✓
Access to the Slack community
✓
Senior-level rubric feedback from your cohort peers
Sign up
June 2026 Cohort
YOUR QUESTIONS.
ANSWERED.
How many hours per week will this take?
Up to you. The more effort you put in, the more you get out. I would budget for 1 hour for reviews, and 4 hours to work on your case studies per week.
What happens if I miss a deadline? Am I kicked out?
No, you won’t get kicked out. But you will hurt yourself by not getting reviews, and you will hurt others by not giving them reviews.
Is this for junior, mid-level, or senior designers?
This is for all product designers. Because this is the first time we are trying this, we are making it as broad as possible.
What platforms/tools do I need?
The course will be run in Slack and Notion. As for portfolio building tools, we will introduce a few options for you to explore, but in the end it is up to you what platform you want to use.
Is this really 100% free? What's the catch?
Yep, this is 100% free. This is the first time I am running one of these, so if you join, consider yourself a ‘beta tester.’
Your facilitator
Tess Gadd is a builder, dabbler and author of the UI Cheat Sheet series on UX Collective. She has reviewed more portfolios than she cares to remember in her over 10 years experience in product design, and wants to help others get the careers they dream of. Her current role is at LabXchange.
© 2026 Deadlines for Designers. All rights reserved.
June 2026 cohort
6-Week Portfolio Sprint
FINISH
YOUR
DAMN
PORTFOLIO.
Deadlines for Designers is a 6-week high-velocity sprint. No fluff. No hand-holding. Just 6 tasks, peer reviews, handbook and a finished portfolio.
Sign up
June 2026 Cohort
6
Deadlines
6
Weeks
+15
Peer Reviews
1
Finished Portfolio
01 / How It Works
THE 6-WEEK
INTENSIVE SPRINT
01
Thursday
The Task Drops
- A brief
- A short list of portfolios to review
02
Tuesday
Silent session
- A silent session to work with others online.
- No talking, just working.
03
Next Thursday
Submit
- Reviews - done
- Case study - done
02 / Structure
6 WEEKS.
6 DEADLINES.
Each week builds on the last. Each deadline locks the previous one.
Wk 1
June 4 - 10
Positioning & Prepare
- Write your positioning statement
- Meet other designers in your cohort
- Choose your portfolio tool
Positioning
Introductions
handbook
silent session
Wk 2
June 11 - 18
Case study 1
- Review examples of case studies and decide what best matches the image you are trying to portray.
- Create your first case study.
Case study 1
handbook
silent session
wk 3
June 18 - 25
Case study 2
- Create your second case study
- Review >3 case studies
Case study 2
review >3 case studies
silent session
wk 4
June 26 -
July 2
Case study 3
- Create your third case study
- Review >3 case studies
Case study 3
review >3 case studies
silent session
wk 5
July 3 - 9
Case study 4
- Create your fourth case study
- Review >3 case studies
Case study 4
review >3 case studies
silent session
wk 6
July 10 - 16
Compile portfolio
- Compile your portfolio
- Review >3 case studies
Portfolio
review >3 case studies
silent session
End
Portfolio review
- Top 20 designers with the most reviews will get personal feedback about their portfolios from the facilitator.
- Your cohort has been through this with you every step of the way, so ask them what they think of your final portfolio.
03 / The peer loop
COMMUNITY
FEEDBACK.
ADPList is great for 15 minutes. Deadlines for Designers is built on the Review Waterfall — a structured system where feedback is mandatory, specific, and reciprocal.
You submit → peers review you → you review peers. Every cycle. Every week. No passengers.
◈
Structured Rubrics
No "looks good" comments. Peers use Senior-level rubrics to critique logic and storytelling with actionable feedback.
◎
Consensus
When multiple designers flag the same issue, you know it's a real problem — not one person's taste. Consensus is signal.
◐
Slack cohort
Build connections with a cohort of peers. They will support you through the process, and who knows, maybe one day you will be future colleagues.
04 / Secure your spot
FINISH YOUR
PORTFOLIO
IN 6 WEEKS.
Next cohort starts Thursday, 4 June. Limited space to ensure feedback quality. When it's full, it's full.
FREE
No credit card · No commitment
✓
Full 6-week curriculum with weekly deliverables
✓
Handbook with examples
✓
Optional silent sessions
✓
Access to the Slack community
✓
Senior-level rubric feedback from your cohort peers
Sign up
June 2026 Cohort
YOUR QUESTIONS.
ANSWERED.
How many hours per week will this take?
Up to you. The more effort you put in, the more you get out. I would budget for 1 hour for reviews, and 4 hours to work on your case studies per week.
What happens if I miss a deadline? Am I kicked out?
No, you won’t get kicked out. But you will hurt yourself by not getting reviews, and you will hurt others by not giving them reviews.
Is this for junior, mid-level, or senior designers?
This is for all product designers. Because this is the first time we are trying this, we are making it as broad as possible.
What platforms/tools do I need?
The course will be run in Slack and Notion. As for portfolio building tools, we will introduce a few options for you to explore, but in the end it is up to you what platform you want to use.
Is this really 100% free? What's the catch?
Yep, this is 100% free. This is the first time I am running one of these, so if you join, consider yourself a ‘beta tester.’
Your facilitator
Tess Gadd is a builder, dabbler and author of the UI Cheat Sheet series on UX Collective. She has reviewed more portfolios than she cares to remember in her over 10 years experience in product design, and wants to help others get the careers they dream of. Her current role is at LabXchange.
© 2026 Deadlines for Designers. All rights reserved.
June 2026 cohort