She also discusses how she would test and iterate with more resources, giving her interviewers a preview of the value shed bring to the company. Keep in mind that many nonprofits and small businesses may need more than just design. These can pull together even your weirdest projects into a coherent whole. CarbonMade : Andrea Azcurra: Andrea is a seasoned UX writer and content strategist with a love of design thinking and user experience. In the Toolbox case study, Carson wrote about the key challenges they faced during the wireframing phase. How do you build a UX design portfolio with no experience? Our ambitions were to create a strong foundation that embraced a rapidly evolving business and more diverse user base. Thus, it is a great template for you if you dont feel like creating separate sections for the research insights or simply want to showcase final UIs as soon as possible. But, since they are under his own domain name on a dedicated website made with UXfolio, they have a more portfolio-ish aura to them. Get inspiration for your entry-level UX portfolio with real world examples. You should also highlight and tease any emerging technology that you used (such as AR, AI, or VR) to pique your readers attention. Letting your personality shine via funny or unexpected copy is always a great way to go. Our job at UXfolio includes talking to world-renowned design leaders to find out what theyre looking for in portfolios. Including a course assignment or capstone project in your portfolio can demonstrate your ability to: Work with the constraints and challenges of a brief, Incorporate feedback into design iterations, Portfolio example: Phyllis Liu - Autonomous Ridesharing, Phyllis Liu, a Seattle-based UX designer who has worked for Facebook and Shopify, designed an autonomous car ridesharing experience as part of a project for a course at the University of Washington. Her portfolio contains both case studies and lots of samples of her work. These should be your best work, and you can always swap them out for new case studies as you gain experience. Alexanders portfolio has some password-protected projects which is a great way to protect sensitive data or case studies that are not strictly public. This article breaks down the anatomy of a UX case study to help you tell a simple and effective story that shows off your skills. The first thing we see when landing on Sagars portfolio home page is a photo of him at work and an introduction with two CTAs. Leslie Griffiths portfolio breaks with the tradition of one-note UX portfolios. What I most enjoy about Kurt's UX portfolio: It doesn't feel like a UX portfolio. The result speaks for itself. Sarah put together a beautiful UX portfolio that emphasizes case studies above all else. 15 UX portfolio website examples A particularly interesting example is the website design he did for a group of lawyers offering free legal aid to travelers at Dulles Airport in response to the Muslim travel ban in 2017., Homepage concepts for #DullesJustice project. Play an active role in our thriving, inspiring, and fun UX Design practice and culture. Tie great UX back to business value (how does solving a user problem impact the business in a positive way?). These research-based design decisions are at the heart of user-centered design. Objective: The objective of this project was to design a responsive newsletter website for my college society that would provide an informative platform for students . The title reveals the purpose of the app/project. User flows are another great way to show the design you are working on: If user testing was part of your process, make sure to include what you learned from your iterative usability testing sessions here as well. This can be a good tactic if you have NDA-protected work that you want to showcase without exposing it to the whole world. UXfolio gives you the power to set up passwords on the portfolio and the case study level. This way you can be sure that you won't be judged based on mediocre work. Includes examples of real portfolios and advice for new researchers. Jon Aizlewood May 19, 2022 The 6 must-have components of a good UX researcher portfolio, according to a user experience career coach. What is the work of a UX designer? Get XD Ideas delivered weekly to your inbox. If youre wondering what a senior UX designer portfolio should look like, check out Nuwanthis! Pixpa is an all-in-one portfolio building tool, offering modern, pixel-perfect templates, an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, customisable gallery layouts to showcase your work, and affordable pricing plans. Show your design process in action through photos, sketches, and screenshots. Heres an example of a good structure to follow: Remember, hiring managers comb through a lot of portfolios, so its important to keep yours focused. However all UX design portfolios need to balance an engaging visual experience with one that enhances usability. So please don't think of a case study as . This is a common theme in the best UX portfolio examples. It showcases the entire process in a step-by-step fashion. Portfolio example: Clayton Hopkins - #DullesJustice, Clayton Hopkins includes a few pro bono case studies in his portfolio in the form of Medium articles. You'll learn the skills you need for an entry-level role in less than six months, no degree or prior experience required. When opening the portfolio, the lightweight case study thumbnails immediately draw attention. Her project got her an internship, as well as a stellar portfolio piece. Her custom thumbnails use the same mockup styles, yet they dont feel repetitive at all. A service that uses plant care as a method to empower users to cultivate (and talk about) their own mental health., User journey map from the Cultivate case study. She achieved this by using large, colorful case study thumbnails that capture your attention immediately. Problem: Important notices were getting lost among the flood of other messages, with half of the information becoming irrelevant by the time it reached students.As a result, students had to rely on word of mouth to stay informed. User research and personas. Read about prioritizing personas, mapping user journeys and practical techniques to achieve an engaging user experience. 4. Its also an option to present more information about the projects right on your own portfolio home page. Mention what tasks you worked on. It could be attributed to the combination of the amazing illustration on his homepage and his bold choice of colors. This is a good way to encourage visitors to get in touch. In this article, well walk through seven types of portfolio case studies you can add to your portfolio that dont require you already having a job. Its structure is fantastic. UX portfolio and case study templates in a click In UXfolio everything's just a click away: UX portfolio templates, UX case study generator, stunning galleries for your UIs, auto-generated device mockups, copywriting help, community and expert feedback and much-much more! These examples come from portfolios of prominent designers, so don't be intimidated by the quality of work and presentation. His passion project, Cultivate, lays out a clear problem to solve: theres a stigma around talking about mental health, particularly within the Black community. Visuals make long UX case studies easier to understand and less of a chore to read. Typically, most people choose to build their portfolio online, in the form of a website, as an additional layer of demonstration that they understand how to create effective digital interfaces and flows. Hi there! Simply put, a case study is the story of a design project you've worked on. Felipe has three case studies in his portfolio. This way your visitors can still check the public parts of your work. Felipe, whos a senior product designer, created a simple yet engaging UX designer portfolio. Having your own hosted website can often be worth the extra expense. While the project thumbnails are quite large in size their content is way smaller. Work through the entire process, including user research (your friends and family can be your first test subjects). Salesforce Product Designer, Rachel used UXfolios thumbnail generator to create stunning thumbnails that match the style of the case studies theyre linking to. Our speakers were keen on conveying how important these case studies are, as recruiters won't simply take notice of your design outputs. Think of the introduction as your time to capture your readers attention in a concise, articulate manner. Here is an example of next steps for a minimum viable product (MVP) for a wine-pairing app. In case you need a tool to help build your portfolio quickly and easily, we made a great one: UXfolio. Well also take a look at how working UX designers present these types of case studies in their portfolios, and offer some takeaways and tips for making your portfolio shine. Remember, your UX portfolio is for busy clients and hiring managers (the users). They also ensure that the end-to-end journey with their products or services meets desired outcomes. As leaders, its up to us to start fostering and empowering new design talent now. Limiting your portfolio to three main sections will help keep it focused and showcase your UX design techniques in the most effective manner. Writing a case study is the way a UX researcher demonstrates their value. Keep the same tone as in the rest of your design portfolio's copy, in order to form a clear personal brand and consistent browsing experience. They add a touch of personality to your case studies and also some credibility. I'm a former teacher transitioning into a career in UX. Show how you incorporated it into your design. 2023 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved. Designing a few UX case studies for your portfolio is a powerful way to help you stand out among the crowd. The course teaches you how to create a solid UX portfolio in record time. UX Case Study Generators Generating UX/UI Ideas and Case Studies Watch on 1. Make sure to link this section from your introduction at the top of your case study in case your readers want to jump straight to it. Being honest, owning your mistakes, admitting what could have been done better and what you have learned during the project shows humility and your willingness to grow. UX/UI case study is a visual document that contains detailed information about a specific project. UX designersnewbies and experts alikewill often share a case study on a portfolio website as a great way to get hired. Also, pay mind to your introduction. Just imagine: what if the design lead or recruiter opens the case study that youve included only for the sake of having more case studies? Most of her info is reserved for the About page, allowing her work to take center stage. What is a UX case study? Leslies A Meal Planner for Everyone case study is minimalistic yet effective. If youre looking for an exemplary UX case study, check out Notch by Sarah! Ability to discuss and explain your design decisions and back them up by applying customer insights and business metrics. If youve never written a UX case study, dont worry. A typical mistake I see in UX portfolios is lack of content explaining their contribution to the effort, the images are only the final product and not the process to get there. The first week is free. Shubnhams Tax Planner case study is the perfect mix of visuals and text. HCI graduate student, Victoria, demonstrates that you can create a unique UX designer portfolio without ending up with an over-designed mess. Build a concise, clean, portfolio. Kurt still shares all the necessary details, but succeeds in making it visually engaging. The only text on his home page is his mission statement, which is to invent and design user-friendly & accessible products and services with added value.. This upbeat portfolio page by junior product designer, Shubham, mixes great text-styling techniques, pops of vibrant colors, and the space-filling effect of large project thumbnails. We are looking for a dynamic UI/UX designer who will be responsible [] Most of Rachels case studies are password-protected. -Join a Code for America brigade to help design new tools for local communities. Roys Boulderr App case study has a good balance of visuals and texts. The thumbnail generator takes your case studies hero section and your images (with or without device mockups) and offers you various thumbnail options. Adding pages like About/Bio, Contact, UX designer resum, and social links can make your portfolio more usable, revealing, and personal. Many interviews include a design challengean interactive test meant to show how you think. Also, try to make it easy for the reader to establish a connection between those two parts. Consider including hidden talents, interests, and anything else that is not design related that shows who you are as a person. The introduction contains all necessary elements: She provides an overview, introduces the team, the problem, and her role. GitHub community articles . An unsolicited redesign gives you the structure of an existing product to start withincluding an established target user basewhile allowing you to put your user experience skills to work. Sagars case study ends with a section about How is the app performing? and another one for reflections. Kurt Winter. In the Pebble Health case study Alexander showcased a whole Visual Design Evolution, explaining how he applied an existing visual language to a new platform. If you received feedback during your challenge, include it in your case study. 3. With a pretty impressive portfolio, Arshad Wala uses a case study on the UX of the Xbox to demonstrate his problem-solving and design skills. He paired these descriptions with rough sketches trying to solve those particular challenges. In summary, your UX design portfolio should contain 3-4 UX case studies and some information about yourself. In this article, well dive into this further and highlight some UX case study examples, templates, and more. Besides brightening up the case studies, they create cohesion and connection through her projects. It's not rocket science, but there are certain guidelines to follow to make your portfolio a success. All Rights Reserved. Setting the thumbnail titles to appear on hover only adds to the weightless feel of the home page. Just like sending a resum. The intro is kept short, instead, he uses an About me to list the personal information a recruiter might be interested in. The case study walks through the projects user research, product design iterations, validation through user testing, and user journey map before wrapping up with key takeaways and lessons learned.. Its because he used the same text styles and naming formulas on each. Resist the urge to simply redesign the interface. He uses the same color for his headings and the visuals in the case study, achieving a very put-together feel. Such behind-the-scenes details can set you apart from the hundreds of other designers who are only showcasing their final, polished works. Christiaan managed to create visual consistency by showcasing his projects in mockups. If you are making a career change make sure your projects reflect your desired position so you wont confuse recruiters and UX professionals what sort of work you are actually looking for. He gives an outline of the project and an overview of his approach, then walks through the steps of research, ideation, design, and presentation.. The list below outlines a few 100-percent online, self-paced programs that you can use to expand your UX design skills and bulk up your portfolio. Gabriel is a UX designer with a background in visual design, motion graphics, and illustration. Perhaps theres a non-profit organization, school, or small business in your community that could use a website or app redesign.. (including typography, color palettes, logos, and visuals).. Knowledge of UX methods and their application. Focus on process over finished product. These aim to demonstrate how you approach the UX process, and who you are as a designer. How to write great case studies that speak to the audience? A UX case study tells the story of how you create a great website or app and, in particular, what you do to improve the UX of the site. You may also want to include a short bio and links to your social media accounts here. After the event, Yang even added an illustration showing how the app would bridge the gap between user experience and business value based on feedback from hackathon judges.. The difference between UX portfolios and UX case studies. So, all UX designers juniors and seniors alike need a UX portfolio. What do you love most about design? These seven types of UX case studies make excellent portfolio material for UX designers looking to get their start in the industry. Choose student projects with realistic constraints and real business value. The takeaway from Maxs portfolio home page is that keeping your portfolio clutter-free will always be a winning strategy. First consider the overall structure of your UX portfolio, which should demonstrate your skills and value as a designer. Just because youve never completed UX design work for a paying client doesnt mean you have to apply for your first job with an empty portfolio. Here is where you can show how you are able to take your research and apply it to your design. Follow his example! Present your design process step-by-step, from the beginning to the end. Whats important is that you showcase your range through your best work. So next time you are out and about testing with users, document as much as you can. Check out our portfolio to learn how our digital marketing solutions drive results for clients! And that reason is their audience. Refresh the page, check. Remember: Outcomes are evident for you, but not for others, since they didnt work on the project with you. But if youd like to get started building a portfolio for free, these platforms can help you showcase your work: 1. But each section is important for an effective UX case study. Portfolios for UX Researchers: Top 10 Recommendations Summary: A portfolio of past projects can advance the career of a UX researcher. Its not surprising, since shes an experienced UX/UI designer. This content has been made available for informational purposes only. The case study includes. Roy has also created some additional visuals for his case study, to tie each of his sections together. We created it specifically for UX professionals, so its packed with powerful features thatll help you through the portfolio-building process. Sagars home page features large thumbnails with illustrations of similar style. Most UX designers have worked on different projects that came with their own colors and styles. You should never inflate the number of words in your case study just for the sake of it because itll become a chore to read it. Portio is built with Bootstrap 4. Gabriel uses a similar outline for all his UX case studies. Throughout his case studies, he used many of UXfolios built-in device mockups, so theres a feeling of coherence even between different case studies. And its worth hovering for these titles and subtitles! In UXfolio, this is a native feature both on the portfolio and the case study level. As we know, the UX design process is not linear, and every design calls for a different methodology. After all, this process is a huge part of user-centered design. My Role This way we open each project with some background knowledge. Here are the most common user research methods: As you explain the process for your methodology, answer these key questions: A comparative and competitive analysis is a good way to describe the results and what you learned, as shown below: Or, you can include your key takeaways in bullet points, as shown in this example: Next, walk the reader through your design phase. You can also create a GIF to showcase certain user flows like this: Or, feel free to take a simple approach with mockups like this: After you blow the reader away with your impressive final design, you can address the next steps in your design process. Check out these sites for opportunities: -Get matched with a nonprofit project on Catchafire. You can use the steps in your process to create a navigation section, such as the one offered in UXfolio, to tie all parts of your case study together. Joke made this classic UXfolio template unique, by adding his logo and harmonizing his thumbnails. You may not have a huge budget (or any budget at all) when working on a passion project. She uses arrows to point to a specific element. To give recruiters vital insights, designers tell compelling stories in text and images to show how they handled problems. Youd probably point out details and show what exactly changed so try applying this mindset to your written case studies as well. The 9 Best UX Design Portfolio Examples [Updated For 2023] Courses Programs to change your career UX Design UI Design Full-Stack Web Development Data Analytics Digital Marketing new Product Management new Introductory courses Intro to UX Design Intro to UI Design Intro to Frontend Development Intro to Data Analytics Intro to Digital Marketing new 1. . But they're not the same thing. She digs into the insights and challenges uncovered during her user research, points back to other apps where she found inspiration and ideas, redefines the Wish apps information architecture, and validates her design with usability testing. There is no better way to show how much work and consideration is involved in the design process. Standard Standard Package. UX Portfolio Case Study template sections Project Title & Subtitle (A headline and subtitle that indicates the name and goal of the project) Client/Company/Project type Project date (When did you work on the project) Your portfolio website is itself a demonstration of your skills. Her case study titles and subtitles are effective too. One UI/UX case study for your portfolio Up to 3 design screens. Instead of an image, he uses a bright gif of his name that immediately catches visitors attention. In the end, we can try a working prototype, which makes the entire case study even more engaging. I'm feeling discouraged and like my work doesn't measure up. We all know that UX goes beyond pretty screens. Follow this UX case study template and youll be well on your way to your dream job. You can learn more about her professional background on the About page. He grew up in Texas, matured in Colorado, and spent his late 20s living in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Sign up and start building your portfolio for free! Quentin begins with a short overview of the project, then makes a fantastic transition onto the design process by stating the problem. The first step to creating UX case studies is to choose the right projects to feature in your portfolio. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), HTML, UI/UX design, React, JavaScript, Web Development Tools, User Interface, Front-End Web Development, HTML and CSS, Responsive Web Design, Test-Driven Development, Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), Linux, Web Development, Bash (Unix Shell), Github, Version Control, Debugging, React (Web Framework), Web Application, Application development, Unit Testing, Web Design, User Experience (UX), Accessibility, Pseudocode, Algorithms, Communication, Data Structure, Computer Science. Usability testing results chart for a Wish design challenge. These primary users are not interested in your blog or social media. When in doubt, you can always rely on semi-realistic mockups, that have similar borders and shadows. Valeries is a good example that your thumbnails can diverge from the color scheme of your showcased projects if those dont fit together on your home page. Tie your project to business results if possible. If you dont want your portfolio to be public, you can set a password for your entire portfolio. Just remember: When youre writing your UX case studies, show how your users influenced your design decisions. There are a few ways to do this. They also care about how you think. She includes the tools and skills she used in each, to help future clients/employers see what she brings to the table. It creates a sense of cohesion even when some of your visuals include colorful pictures. Her thumbnails share the same mockup style, resulting in an overall consistency. If you can tell an effective story while integrating human-computer interaction principles throughout, youll come across as a great UX designer that any company would like to hire. Throughout the previous years, long case studies have been the standard among UXers. He uses case study level password protection on two. He included three UX case studies and 3 collections for the rest of his work. She started her career as a tech recruiter, so she knows a thing or two about portfolios, which is obvious from the looks and copy of her own UX portfolio. In particular, their traffic and clicks skyrocketed they experienced an 885% increase in search traffic and a 473% increase in clicks.