I Open-Sourced My Solutions Architect Portfolio (Real-World Case Studies)

#architecture #career #opensource #portfolio

You know that awkward moment when an employer asks for your SA portfolio or examples of your architectures? Ever tried to find a real SA portfolio example online? I tried. You’ve probably tried too. There’s nothing.

Reference architectures? Sure — pretty many diagrams for AWS, Azure, and Google architectures. But how do YOU format YOUR work into a portfolio that shows architectural thinking, not just “I drew boxes”?

To address this, I decided to open-source my own Solutions Architect portfolio, featuring sanitized case studies from real-world projects. The goal is simple: provide a reference so others don’t start from scratch and can see how architecture decisions, trade-offs, and diagrams are documented in practice.

🌐 Portfolio: https://childishgirl-portfolio.vercel.app
📂 GitHub repository: https://github.com/ChildishGirl/sa-portfolio

Why Solutions Architect Portfolios Are Hard

Compared to developer portfolios, Solutions Architect portfolios are inherently more difficult to create:

Systems are complex: You’re not just showing code, but architecture decisions, constraints, and trade-offs.
Most work is confidential: Real projects often can’t be shared as-is.
Impact is broader: Architecture work connects technical design with business goals.

Because of this, many aspiring architects struggle to create their portfolio without having examples.

What This Portfolio Includes

The portfolio is structured around real-world case studies, carefully sanitized to avoid exposing sensitive information:

Industry context: Because architecture doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The same pattern solves different problems in fintech vs healthcare.
Trade-offs explicitly called out: This is THE signal of architectural thinking. Anyone can pick a solution. Architects explain what they sacrificed to get it.
Diagram style inspired by AWS reference architectures: Familiarity reduces cognitive load. When readers recognize the visual language, they focus on YOUR decisions.
Responsibilities: Shows your actual scope of impact and ownership within the project.

Who This Is For

This portfolio can be useful for:

Junior or aspiring Solutions Architects
Engineers transitioning into architecture roles
Mentors, lecturers, or educators looking for a reference example

Key Principles for Building Your Own SA Portfolio

While working on this portfolio, I followed a few principles that may help others:

Emphasize decisions, not just outcomes: Explain why a solution looks the way it does.
Use diagrams generously: A clear diagram often communicates more than a page of text.
Sanitize aggressively: Replace real names and sensitive data with neutral placeholders.
Make it skimmable: Use headings and concise sections.
Be honest about trade-offs: Mention alternatives you considered.

Final Thoughts

I hope this open-source portfolio helps someone avoid starting from a blank page when preparing for architecture roles.

If you’ve built (or reviewed) Solutions Architect portfolios before, I’d be curious to hear:
What do you think a strong SA portfolio should include?