Should I ask for a portfolio or for real code? — answered by Engineer Saeed Baatiah
Ask for both, but in this order: first, live links to sites or apps running now, because they prove the work actually reached production rather than stopping at the design stage. Then — if your project is large — ask for a public GitHub repository or a code sample from a past project with its owner’s consent. Figma mockups prove visual taste only; they do not prove anyone can run and maintain the system.