Free · 7 min read
LinkedIn for designers: a profile recruiters can find
How to set up LinkedIn as a designer: photo, headline, About section, skills, Featured case studies, recommendations, a custom profile URL and Open to Work settings.
- Fill in the top of your profile so the first screen makes clear who you are
- Show case studies in Featured and add the skills people search for
- Set up Open to Work and job alerts without broadcasting it to everyone
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How to fill in LinkedIn as a designer: 5 steps
- 1
Step 1
Fill in the introduction section
- 2
Step 2
Write your About section and set your profile URL
- 3
Step 3
Add experience, projects and skills
- 4
Step 4
Show case studies in Featured and ask for recommendations
- 5
Step 5
Turn on Open to Work and job alerts
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This guide is for you if you are
New to LinkedIn
You have an account, but most fields are empty and it's unclear what a designer should put there.
Looking for a first job
You want recruiters to find you, not only you to find their job posts.
Changing careers
Your profile tells the story of your previous job, and it needs to show you're a designer now.
In short
- The introduction section is the first thing people see on your profile: photo, the headline under your name, position, location. Fill it in first.
- The headline and About are different fields: the headline says briefly who you are, About explains what you do and what you're looking for.
- Skills help people find you in search: LinkedIn lets you add up to 100, but fewer and more precise is better.
- Show case studies in Featured, but repeat your portfolio link in About: Featured isn't discoverable through search and is visible only to people logged in to LinkedIn.
- Open to Work can be shown to everyone or to recruiters only; choose deliberately.
How to fill in LinkedIn as a designer: 5 steps
- 1
Step 1
Fill in the introduction section
LinkedIn describes the introduction section as the topmost part of your profile and the first thing visitors see. Here you edit your name, profile photo, background photo, headline, current position, education, location, industry and contact info. What matters for a designer:
- photo: under LinkedIn's rules it must reflect your likeness; an illustration or caricature of yourself is allowed, while logos, emojis, landscapes, animals or stock photos may be removed;
- background photo: a place to show a fragment of your work or style;
- headline (the text under your name): your role and focus, for example “UI/UX Designer · mobile apps · open to junior roles”;
- location and contacts: a city or country and an email you actually answer.
💡 Don't write “looking for a job” in your headline without a role. LinkedIn ties recruiter search to the job titles and skills you list, so name the role in your headline in the words job posts use.
- 2
Step 2
Write your About section and set your profile URL
LinkedIn describes the About section as the place for your mission, motivation and skills. It's different from the headline. For an early-career designer, four or five short paragraphs are enough:
- who you are and what kind of design you do: UI/UX, product, graphic;
- the tasks you've already worked on: study projects, design games, volunteering, freelance;
- the tools and methods you use: Figma, prototyping, user interviews;
- the role you're looking for and a portfolio link.
💡 Create a custom profile URL: LinkedIn says it can be 3 to 100 characters, with no spaces, symbols or the word LinkedIn, and you can change it up to five times in six months. Use a version of your name: job applications will ask for it and it goes on your resume.
Show your profile to the community
In the community you can share your LinkedIn link and ask whether the first screen makes clear who you are and what role you want. Fresh eyes catch what you no longer notice.
Get feedback on your profileFree. 1,504 designers are already in the community.
- 3
Step 3
Add experience, projects and skills
Besides work experience, LinkedIn has sections for education, courses, certifications, projects and volunteering. If you have no commercial projects, these are the sections that show you already do design:
- Experience: it can include volunteering and freelance; describe what you did, not just the project name;
- Projects: study case studies and design games with a link and an honest note on the context;
- Courses and Licenses & certifications: courses that left a result in your portfolio;
- Skills: LinkedIn allows up to 100 skills and says they improve your chances of being found in search; for each one you can mark where you used it.
💡 Add skills using the words that keep appearing in the job posts you apply to: Figma, UI Design, User Research, Prototyping. Ten precise ones beat a hundred random ones.
- 4
Step 4
Show case studies in Featured and ask for recommendations
In the Featured section you can pin your own posts and articles as well as external media, documents and links, such as a Behance case study or a PDF portfolio. It sits below About. Keep in mind:
- LinkedIn says Featured content isn't discoverable through search and viewers must be logged in to see it, so repeat your portfolio link in About and your contact info;
- new items appear first, but you can reorder them: put your strongest case study on top;
- if Featured is empty, LinkedIn hides it, so one case study is better than none;
- you can ask a connection for a recommendation: choose your relationship, your position at the time and add a personal message.
💡 Ask someone who has seen your work: a mentor, a teacher, the client of a volunteer project, a fellow design-game participant. Say which project to mention so the text is specific. Note that LinkedIn only lets you request recommendations in your primary profile language.
Not sure what to put in your profile? Ask the community → - 5
Step 5
Turn on Open to Work and job alerts
Open to Work tells people you're looking for a job. LinkedIn says that if you specify the roles and location you want, it will help your profile show up when recruiters search. In the settings you pick job titles, location types, locations, start date and employment types, plus visibility:
- all LinkedIn members: an #OpenToWork frame is added to your photo, and colleagues at your current job can see it;
- recruiters only: visible to LinkedIn Recruiter users; LinkedIn takes steps to hide it from recruiters at your current company but can't guarantee complete privacy;
- job alerts: after a search, switch the alert toggle on; jobs arrive daily or weekly, and you can have up to 20 alerts at once;
- Easy Apply and Apply: the first submits your application inside LinkedIn, the second takes you to the company's website; an application sent through LinkedIn can't be edited or withdrawn, so check everything before submitting.
💡 Nielsen Norman Group notes that an outdated profile signals an applicant who isn't serious. Added a new case study to your portfolio? Update Featured and Projects the same day.
You're not alone with these questions
We counted what people ask about most in our community. Jobs and vacancies are among the six most popular topics, next to portfolios and learning.
Messages by topic in Spaceberry Community, July 2024 — November 2026. Keyword search.
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Free. 1,504 designers are already in the community.
How to join: 1 minute
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Tap the button
Telegram opens with the Spaceberry community.
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Join
It's free: all you need is a Telegram account.
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Introduce yourself
Say where you're starting from and ask your first question.
Questions and answers
Didn't find your answer? Ask it in the community.
Should my LinkedIn profile be in Ukrainian or English?
It depends on where you're looking for work. For international companies, keep your primary profile in English. LinkedIn lets you have a profile in several languages, but note that recommendations can only be requested in your primary profile language. If you're job hunting both in Ukraine and abroad, make English primary and add a Ukrainian version.
Should I turn on the #OpenToWork photo frame?
It's your call. The frame appears when you share your status with all LinkedIn members, and then colleagues at your current job can see it too. If you'd rather keep it quiet, choose recruiters only: LinkedIn tries to hide it from recruiters at your company but doesn't fully guarantee it. If you're not currently employed, the frame carries no risk.
Does LinkedIn replace a resume and portfolio?
No. Nielsen Norman Group writes that some hiring managers like LinkedIn's consistent format, but many look at the resume first and use the profile as supplemental information. Keep all three in sync: the same role, the same projects. More on resumes in [Designer resume](/en/guides/resume-design) and on case studies in [Designer portfolio](/en/guides/designer-portfolio).
What do I put on my profile with no work experience?
Write about what you've already done: study case studies in Projects, design games and volunteer projects in Experience or Volunteer experience, courses with results in Courses. Name the context honestly. Put the role you want in your headline and a portfolio link in About. Where to find a first role is in [First design job](/en/guides/first-design-job).
Is the Spaceberry community paid?
No, Spaceberry Community is completely free. It's supported by Spaceberry Foundation, a non-profit public organization. All you need to join is a Telegram account: tap the button on this page, introduce yourself and ask your first question. The community has 1,504 designers who share their work, give feedback and take part in design games with the same brief for everyone. Conversations are in Ukrainian.
A profile works better once someone has looked at it
Join 1,504 designers who share their job-search experience. Show your LinkedIn and portfolio and find out what's clear at first glance and what isn't. The community talks in Ukrainian.
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Updated · Spaceberry Foundation
Sources:
- LinkedIn Help — Edit the Introduction section on your profile
- LinkedIn Help — Edit the About section on your profile
- LinkedIn Help — Your LinkedIn profile
- LinkedIn Help — Profile photo guidelines and conditions
- LinkedIn Help — Manage your public profile URL
- LinkedIn Help — Add and remove skills on your profile
- LinkedIn Help — Featured section on your profile FAQs
- LinkedIn Help — Request a recommendation
- LinkedIn Help — Let recruiters know you're Open to Work
- LinkedIn Help — Job alerts on LinkedIn
- LinkedIn Help — Apply for jobs on LinkedIn
- Nielsen Norman Group — 5 Tips for UX-Internship Applicants