What does a good UX portfolio presentation look like?

So you’ve finally landed a UX interview at an awesome company and you find out there will be a portfolio review. You might wonder “which projects should I talk about?” or “should I just walk through projects on my website?”. Here are a few tips from my experience hiring to set you on the right path.

Summary

The UX portfolio review gives you a chance to show who you are and what you can do. When it’s at the beginning of your interview loop, the portfolio review sets the tone for your 1:1s, and when it’s at the end it’s the last thing they’ll remember. Consequently, nailing the portfolio review can play a big part in landing the job. Here are a few tips for making the most of this opportunity:

1. Present yourself — think outside your portfolio website
2. Pick projects that show relevant skills
3. Focus on approach and impact, not artifacts
4. Demonstrate self-awareness

This approach is most effective if you have an understanding of your audience as well. Try to research the company and position beforehand so you can tailor your presentation and set yourself apart from the crowd.

#1 Present yourself — think outside your portfolio website

Most hiring managers will have reviewed your website by the time they invite you on-site. When I look at a candidate’s website I want to see what type of work they’ve done and their high-level approach. In the interview I want to hear the candidate tell their stories (see #3). I want to learn about them as a professional and how they got where they are (see #4). UX designers usually do a fair bit of presenting, and this is also a chance to show your presentation skills.

I always recommend crafting a portfolio presentation that ties your projects together and highlights your professional journey. I’ve seen some pretty fancy decks, but you don’t have to go crazy on the visual design. Focus on keeping your messages on each slide clear and organize your topics in a way that is easy to follow.

Tip: If it’s an in-person interview, don’t be afraid to bring handouts if they’ll enhance your presentation.

Approaching this as a presentation also gives you the chance to demonstrate culture fit by infusing a bit of your style and personality into your storytelling. Avoid over-sharing, but something simple like having a picture of you with your dog on your thank you slide when applying to a dog-friendly company can make you relatable without seeming unprofessional.

Tip: This is best done when you know your audience well enough to know what culture fit means to them. Connecting with someone at the company before you apply can help you get a feel for the culture.

#2 Pick projects that show relevant skills

If it’s a UX designer role for a website, don’t just show your awesome VR capstone project. The goal is to show how you will be a good fit for the position you’re applying for, not just that you’re a good UX designer or researcher. Consider showing one project that is similar to the work you’d do in the position and one strong project you’re passionate about. This allows you to show skills suited to the position as well as showing your strongest work.

Tip: If you’re currently in school, consider your portfolio and the kind of job you want when picking projects. If you’re not 100% committed to a certain type of work, try to tackle a variety of projects.

If the job you’re applying for is a little outside your past experience, look for crossover skills you can tie back to this position and highlight those.

#3 Focus on approach and impact, not artifacts

It’s good to include samples of artifacts you created for a project, but don’t spend too much time talking about them. If you’re applying for a specialist role you might want to spend more time on them, but less if it’s a general UXD role. Instead, share the stories behind the projects:

• What was the user problem?
• Why was it important problem to solve (from a client or business perspective, if possible)?
• How did you make decisions?
• How did you evaluate your decisions and/or measure success? What was the outcome?
• What challenges did you encounter and how did you overcome them?

Check out 6 storytelling principles to improve your UX to learn more about how to weave all of this together into a story your audience can get invested in. It can also help to keep the STAR framework in mind to make sure you hit the key points.

#4 Demonstrate self-awareness

Self-awareness is an important trait for managers to see as it indicates how coachable the candidate will be. There’s the old “what are your biggest strengths/weaknesses” interview question, but the portfolio presentation lets you get ahead of that. You can show off how your individual contributions helped drive team successes and reflect on things you could have done better. Here are some prompts for you to consider:

• What did you learn during this project? Either reflectively or skills you intentionally built.
• What didn’t go to plan and how did you bounce back?
• What did your teammates rely on you for or appreciate about your work?
• What would you do differently next time?

Reflections also let managers see your growth trajectory, which can help you stand out from other candidates as a good investment.

Tip: If you’re just out of school make sure you spend some time here — growth potential can be a tie-breaking factor when comparing candidates with similar experience.

Closing thoughts

The portfolio review or presentation is your time to shine — spend some time preparing and practicing. Most importantly, research your audience and the company and use what you learn to customize your approach. These tips reflect my experience hiring, but different hiring managers will have their own priorities. Leverage your UCD know-how to win your interview!