Tell a compelling story with your UX portfolio

A UX portfolio often features at various stages of the job and interview process. Sometimes, it may be a requirement at the time of application; other times, it features during a later stage in the interview process. Regardless, it is a useful artifact to aid you in the UX job search. Here are answers to some FAQs about UX portfolios, specifically for UX research:

A portfolio is a collection of case studies or past projects used to showcase one’s skills and knowledge relevant to the field.

FAQ #1: “I need to create a portfolio, but I don’t know where to start.”

If you are new to the field, and have (realistically) no product/UX experience, you can still put together a wonderful portfolio. Begin by retrospecting on your experiences.

• What experiences make you unique? (Unconventional background, Educational background/Graduate school, cultural etc.)
• Did you apply design thinking in any of your past projects and how?
• Did you engage in a research or design endeavor for a past employer?

Once you have a list of relevant experiences, start putting them together. Choose 2–3 projects that you think have high impact. If you need inspiration, check out sample portfolios online. What helped me during this stage of the portfolio creation was setting up informational interviews with UX professionals and asking them for advice.

FAQ #2: “But I don’t have any experience with a UX project. What should I do?”

Whether you are transitioning out of academia or self-taught, don’t let your lack of ‘relevant experience’ deter you. The truth is that you can draw on your current experiences as well as create opportunities for yourself to gain relevant experience.

• Past experience: If you are an academic researcher, you may have worked on research projects. Choose projects that (you think) showcase your core skills and methodology.
• Getting experience: You can also create opportunities to get hands-on experience. Volunteer organizations, pro-bono projects, capstone projects, certifications are great ways to get your feet wet.

Volunteer organizations: Hack for LA, UX rescue.

Pro-bono projects: When I was in graduate school, I volunteered to do a pro-bono heuristic evaluation of a summer employer’s website. The insights from this study were used to re-design their website that ultimately led to increased traffic as well as engagement.

• Internships: If you are a current student and eligible, consider pursuing an internship. An internship can help you gain real-world experience and can also be a pathway to a full-time job!
• Apprenticeships: For those pivoting into UX from non-traditional backgrounds, apprenticeships are a great option. These programs have been on the rise at major companies and are intended at providing training and skills required to be successful on the job.

FAQ #3: “How do I structure my portfolio?”

Approach the portfolio as a UX project where your end user is the recruiter or hiring team. Understand the needs of this specific end user base. Know that the hiring teams have limited time on hand. It is important to be concise as well as compelling in your portfolio. Here is how you can structure each case study:

1. Background: Tell the ‘user’ the premise of the study

• Why was this study done?
• What was the problem you were trying to solve?
• What was your role in the project?
• Were there any collaborators on this project? What was their role?
• How were the decisions for the project taken? (In other words, how did you collaborate with stakeholders to arrive at key decisions for the projects?) Academics: Use your experience collaborating with your advisor, research assistants, inter-departmental relationships etc. in this section!
• Were there any constraints (time, budget, resources)
  - Did you encounter any challenges and how did you overcome them?

2. Methods: What research methods did you use in this study and how did you choose them?

3. Findings: Enlist top 3 findings from the study

4. Implications: Tell the ‘user’ what impact the project had. What did the results lead to?

If you are coming from an academic background and wondering how to talk about the implications (re: design/product/strategy implications), you can always relate this back to the problem you were trying to solve. Discuss how your findings could potentially help solve this problem in an ‘ideal world.’

5. BONUS: SWOT analysis

• If you got a do-over for this project, what would you do differently?
• In retrospect, what were the challenges and opportunities?

Some of these pointers might be helpful when creating your portfolio (Background, Methods, Findings and Implications), while others might be more helpful when presenting your portfolio during the interview process (Challenges, SWOT analysis).

FAQ #4: “Do I need to disclose the results from my project if they are confidential?/What if I am under an NDA?”

When working for an employer, you might engage in projects that are proprietary. Do not reveal confidential results in your project under any circumstances! This can be perceived as a big red flag! The good news is that even with this constraint, you can add these projects to your portfolio. You don’t need to specify the results from your study. Instead, provide a general overview of the results and focus on the impacts. Ultimately, hiring teams are interested in learning more about your thought process (rather than the specific results) behind the project.

FAQ #5: “Is the portfolio required during the application process?”

The UX portfolio can feature at different stages of the job search process. For design roles, you are almost always asked to submit a portfolio along with the application. For research roles, a portfolio may not be required at the time of application. However, it does appear during stage 2 or stage 3 of the interview process (portfolio review/presentation) where you present a research project or two to a panel.

FAQ #6: “Where do I create my portfolio?”

There are different ways in which you can present your portfolio. Some prefer to create a website, while others prefer to create a PDF/slides version. You can also find templates for UX portfolios to help you design one with ease. While it is important to invest time creating a portfolio, it is also important to update it from time to time as you diversify your experience.

The UX portfolio is an artifact that helps hiring teams learn more about your experience and expertise beyond your resume. Elaborate on your experiences and thought process, and use this artifact to tell a compelling story!

Opinions expressed in this article are my own and do not reflect those of my employer.

Additional resources

Aona Talks video on UXR portfolio
User research portfolios — belly up to the BAR by Lori Birtley

Trying to make the shift to UXR from academia? Check out this other article I wrote: How I translated my PhD skills to UXR