Structuring Your UX Portfolio
You’ve finished a couple of case studies and projects and are excited to move forward with applying to companies! You realize that many of these companies require a portfolio. What is a portfolio and why do we as UX/UI designers need one? Here is a guide to starting your first portfolio:
Why do you need a portfolio?
As a designer, it is important to communicate and showcase your experiences so companies can really understand who you are. A portfolio is an enhanced, personal version of your resume and will help recruiters visualize who you are as a person and designer. Think of your portfolio as a meet and greet between you and the hiring manager before they even speak to you. Creating a cultivating and personal portfolio is crucial to your steps in landing that first design opportunity!
The Contents of a Portfolio.
Where do I even start my portfolio? Do I grab a piece of paper and start writing? In a portfolio, you want to showcase your best work and experiences. You want to share your stories and perspectives on your favorite projects. So before anything, pick your favorite projects, whether they may be case studies, redesigns, interactive design, etc.
Writing Your Projects
When writing up case studies on your portfolio, you want to treat it as if you are storytelling. It is key to have some kind of plot development and structure. The audience is there to look at the case study through your lens and perspective. You want to share your timeline, process, and most importantly, your role. What did you specifically do in this project? Here are some examples to write up your first case study:
It is important that you are guiding the reader through your experience as if they were their own. Pick out the most important details and highlight your takeaways.
When presenting your projects, pick your top 3–4 best case studies. You don’t want to overwhelm the audience with all of your experiences. Unfortunately, people don’t have enough time to look at everything, so be sure to focus on your main projects. Having 3–4 solid projects written up will give a good balance for the hiring manager to understand who you are, how you think and work.
Branding Yourself
Great, you’ve written up your case studies and they are powerful, bold, and detailed. One of the key elements of a portfolio is branding. This is the fun part! In the eyes of recruiters and hiring managers, you really want to showcase who you are visually. Are you a minimalistic or maximalist designer? The way you design your portfolio will be extremely vital in how recruiters and designers can get to know you! A helpful tip is to look at sample portfolios to see how designers all over the world convey their personality through branding. Whether it may be through small interactions or big visual designs, it is easy to understand a person when you glance at their portfolio.
Once you have finalized your style and your case studies, find the perfect place to host your portfolio. There are a lot of wonderful websites that can help build an online portfolio such as Wix, Webflow, Squarespace, Weebly, etc. Once you find the one you are most comfortable with, get ahead and transfer your work to the website. It is important to have an online portfolio so recruiters can easily access it and it’s an easy copy-paste for job applications!
User Testing Your Own Portfolio
Lastly, like any UX project, it is important to see if your portfolio is passing usability tests! Even if you think that your portfolio is clear and effectively communicating your projects, it is different when others look at it. So definitely ask friends and fellow designers to walkthrough your portfolio to make sure they understand every single feature and aspect of your portfolio. Here are 3 steps to creating a short usability test for your portfolio:
- Create a checklist (Did they understand this case study? Were they able to find my resume?)
- Ask them to think aloud while browsing your portfolio.
- Lastly, ask questions, (i.e “What did you get from reviewing this case study?”)
Conclusion.
Building a portfolio takes time and a lot of combinations of your past experiences. Don’t rush it, don’t panic, you have time. At the end of the day, your portfolio is a window to who you are and your experiences as well. Don’t feel overwhelmed or intimidated, like all things, your portfolio will grow too! Put your best foot forward and start building your portfolio now.
