WhatThePort

Overview

WhatThePort is a reference site for people who are tired of guessing whether their cable or port supports data transfer, power delivery, display output—or all three. With standards constantly evolving, and physical ports looking deceptively similar, the site aims to bring clarity to the chaos by breaking down specifications in plain language.

Solution

I designed WhatThePort to focus less on what ports look like, and more on what they’re supposed to do. It organizes connector standards like USB, HDMI, DisplayPort, and Ethernet by version, capabilities, and use case—explaining bandwidth, charging specs, alternate modes, and backward compatibility in simple terms. The clean interface and filtering options make it easy to zero in on what matters: whether your gear will actually work together.

Results

WhatThePort has become a go-to educational tool for everyday users, tech enthusiasts, and even product designers trying to untangle spec sheets. It’s helped people avoid mismatched cables, understand why their USB-C charger won’t power their laptop, and feel more confident navigating an increasingly complex hardware landscape.