How to create a UX design portfolio with no work experience (2022)

A mentor’s guide to creating a portfolio that gets your first UI/UX designer job

Why is UX portfolio important in getting a job? What should I showcase in my portfolio? The best ways to learn UI/UX design and build my first case study? How to build a UX portfolio with no work experience? How can I improve my portfolio and make it stand out? The best online portfolio website builder? What UI/UX tools should I learn? How to apply for jobs and get interviews?

(This article is also published on Flowhack resources.)

As the founder of Flowhack and a senior UX designer who’s mentored 100+ students and helped many land a job, I’ve been asked portfolio related questions a lot, therefore I want to share with you my complete guide to creating a UX portfolio from scratch to fast track transition into a UX designer.

Why is a portfolio so important in getting a job as a UX designer?

A good UX portfolio is about showing the process, not only the end result.

A portfolio is a mandatory requirement in almost every job application because UX design is extremely hands-on, and employers want to see that you can execute an entire UX design project from research to implementation, that you’re familiar with industry tools, and that you’re able to identify users’ problems and solve them in an effective way. Especially for career-changers with little to zero professional UX experience, a strong portfolio holds the key to stepping into this new career.

The people who review your portfolio will be recruiters, senior UX designers, product managers or the head of design/product. They have very limited time to look through portfolios therefore your portfolio should be scannable and concise. It should allow people to look through your work in 60 seconds and know what projects you’ve worked on, what processes you went through, what your strengths and interests are, and how you solve problems.

What should I showcase in my portfolio?

Develop at least 3 solid UX…