So you’ve decided to create your own UX design portfolio but wonder what to showcase, how many projects to put up, whether you can show off client projects etc… and the many other questions. We have all been at that stage of our career where we wondered how we’d create a portfolio to show our skills and also assist in landing us the perfect job. The following article will give you a few handy tips and ideas on how you can go about creating your first design portfolio.
Quality over Quantity
When you decide it’s time to showcase your work to the world and to land that job you have been eyeing, decide on which of your projects advertises your skills the best. Ultimately, you want to go for quality rather than quantity. If you have worked on many design projects, select the best ones out of them to put up in your portfolio. One well designed and explained project is way better than having multiple projects which don’t really convey anything to anyone who is/will be going through your portfolio. Focus on having your best projects in your UX Design portfolio.
Focus on the Process, not the Jazz
Make sure you explain your project well. Well written content along with supportive images work like a charm. Ensure you explain every stage of your project, beginning with the brief, the process you took, the solutions you came up with, iterations and the final designs. A possible recruiter or any person viewing your portfolio would expect to see your thought process rather than your final designs. Don’t overpopulate your project with images of your screens and UI. Make sure you put a lot of emphasis on the process. Keep up an equal balance between UI design and UX Design showcase. This works wonders especially when it comes to landing your first job or a future job change.
Client Project?
In a lot of cases, you may be working on client projects which have a non-disclosure clause in their agreement. This means that you may not be permitted to share the project on your portfolio. Sounds uncool, but you got to respect the client’s privacy. In such cases, you can come up with scenarios/possible client briefs and come up with your own solutions and showcase them in your portfolio. You can refer to everyday problems you find as you browse the internet or your phone. Find a website or an app with usability or UI issues? Solve it and put it up on your website. Prospective employers will see that you have a penchant to come up with quick solutions and good observational skills and appreciate it.
Balance in Projects
Apart from client projects, it’s also recommended to showcase a few of your personal projects. A balance in your portfolio is absolutely needed. It’s not necessary to have only official client projects on your site, you can populate it with personal projects which highlight the multiple skills in your arsenal. Are you good at designing logos? Showcase a few you have made. Exceptional illustration skills? Put your personal illustration projects so that people come to know you are quite the multi-talented designer.
Showcase Your UI Skills?
If you are quite keen on the showing of some of your UI/Visual design skills along with the above mentioned UX Design skills, please do so. Ensure you add the relevant screens to your projects along with visual assets like icons, illustrations, app icons, etc. Another way to showcase your design skills would be to design your own website. Yes, it does take time, but it will pay off in the long run if you are absolutely keen on getting into a visual designer role. Alternatively, if you want to showcase your UI design skills, you can take up the Daily UI challenge (a challenge for 100 days where you can practice your UI/motion design skills with the prompts provided for each day.) and showcase the screens on your website. If you are looking to beautify your portfolio with good looking visuals, wireframes and mockups, you can take the help of design resources found on plenty of websites for free or for a nominal price.
Quality Content
Yes, content matters a lot when it comes to crafting a good looking portfolio. Ensure you have a well-written copy for all your projects and any content related to your portfolio. A good looking description about you and your skills, a blog (only if you want to), and anything more if needed. If your portfolio is going up on Behance or any other portfolio sharing website, make sure you have a good bio written, along with a proper presentation of your projects – images and content explaining each of the steps you took to come up with the solution/design.
Final Thoughts
These are a few simple tips you can follow to get your portfolio up and running. The knack of creating a UX Design portfolio lies in how smartly you select your projects for the showcase, the quality of content and images and how you market yourself. Keep in mind these 3 points and you’ll be on your way to having a really good looking portfolio ready to show off to the world or for scoring an interview with that job you have been eyeing for some time.
