Putting together an online portfolio can be overwhelming.
First, you need to decide what projects to include in your portfolio. Then you wonder what to include about each project. How much detail? What do I show?
Over the past two years, I’ve reviewed hundreds of portfolios and have conversed with numerous recruiters and hiring managers. This is what I’ve learned about what to include in online portfolios.
What projects to include
Sometimes, it’s easier to eliminate projects before deciding on which projects to include. So, let’s start there.
Eliminate any project you didn’t enjoy.
You don’t want to show a project where the recruiter or hiring manager will assume you enjoyed doing what you did on that project — if you didn’t. They may say we need someone that does that, and then you’re in a role you won’t enjoy. So, don’t show projects that drain your energy.
Also, don’t show projects within industries you don’t want to work in. Again, a hiring manager or recruiter will see that project and think, “Oh, we need someone with experience in this industry.” Then you’re back in an industry you don’t enjoy.
Don’t be too fast in eliminating what you consider ‘failed’ projects.
One of the big things recruiters, and especially hiring managers, look for is your adaptability and growth as a UX Designer. Showing a ‘failed’ project is a great way to show your adaptability and growth as a UX Designer. They will want to know
- how did you handle that ‘failure’
- do you understand why it failed
- what will you do differently next time
Don’t automatically eliminate ‘failed’ projects; just be very selective in choosing these projects and turn that ‘failed’ project into a learning experience.
Show projects that highlight the skills you want to use.
Do show projects that you enjoyed doing and that used the skills that you want to continue to use and advance. The projects in your portfolio are indicative of what you like to work on — whether it’s the type of project or the specific tasks you perform.
Choose projects that show impact.
Recruiters and hiring managers love to know the difference you can make for them.
What to include for each project
Intro
The intro provides an overview of the project. Include a visual of your final design. State the problem you are solving. Include your role in the project, the timeframe, and the tools used.
Remember, recruiters and hiring managers are very busy. They want to be able to glance at your projects and understand what you did quickly. A good overview provides that.
One of the best things to include in the intro is how you used metrics to determine whether this project was successful. What needs to be measured to deem this project successful? Better yet, if you have these metrics, refer to them throughout the project where appropriate.
The process
This is the most time-consuming part. You want to take them through each step of the process. (Please note that you don’t have to show each step. If you want to focus on just a particular aspect of a project, that’s ok, too)
Usually, the process involves a section for each step of the design process. (Note: Do not use these steps as the main headings in your portfolio. Be more creative. Highlight what you learned in the step by including that in the heading. This will make it easier for busy recruiters and hiring managers to easily scan your project by reading the headings.)
- Empathize.
This includes competitive analysis and user research. You can show the details about this, but your audience is mainly interested in the insights you gained from performing these tasks. What did you learn? And how did that affect your perspective on the project? - Define.
In this phase, you can discuss and show user personas and user journeys. Explain how you came up with these. How did the insights from the previous phase affect the user personas and the user journeys? - Ideate.
This is where you start to ‘design.’ User flows, information architects, and prototypes are a part of this section. But don’t just show visuals; provide context around each visual you include. Why did you choose that layout for the information architect? What problem were you solving, or what did you want to emphasize? (this should be based on what you learned in the first 2 steps). The recruiters want to know that all your decisions were based on the information you gathered or your expertise. - Test.
In this section, you’ll discuss how you performed usability tests and your key findings. Again, recruiters want to know the thought process behind your design. It’s not so much about the what but about the how and the why. One great way to share this is to include before and after images of your design. And explain what changed and why it changed. (This should be based on results from the usability tests.)
Conclusion
Your conclusion is a key section of your resume. In this section, you have the opportunity to show your forward-thinking and your design strategy.
Of course, show your amazing final design. It’s best to include mobile and desktop versions, if applicable.
Even more important is to include the following:
- what you learned
- the challenges you faced (or include these within each step)
- what you would do differently next time
- next steps, if applicable
You can also refer to any metrics that need to be measured in the future to determine the success of this project. (Recruiters and hiring managers love this!)
The conclusion provides closure to the project. The project itself doesn’t need to be done, but you provide closure as far as the story of the project that you are sharing. Including the items listed above provides that closure.