Anatomy of a UX Portfolio: Jince's Perspective
Let me start this blogpost off with a quick summary
Your portfolio is just a deliverable - the goal of that deliverable is to communicate who you are and how you do what you do. There are many other deliverables that can communicate that (like a blog!).
You don’t need a website! Again, it’s just a tool to communicate your process. A PDF can do that just as well (and in a controlled, linear format). If you do decide to build a website, you better make sure it’s usable and caters to your audience’s needs
Every minute you spend networking/going to UX events is 100x more valuable than cold calling/emailing.
Don’t get hung up on the graphic design of the portfolio - nail the story first!
With that out of the way, let’s get down to business. This event was FANTASTIC! As a budding UX designer, I found it incredibly helpful to see/hear Shannon and Meaghan share their stories of hustling for jobs and building portfolios. I’m finishing up classes at General Assembly in their UXDI program and happened to come to this session with a couple of my peers. We all had great “aha” moments while at the event.
My biggest takeaway? A blog can be more important than a portfolio in telling the story of who you are and how you think.
This was ground-breaking for me! Meaghan’s personal story of getting hired at Moment as an Experience Designer (such an awesome title!) didn’t really have much to do with a sweet portfolio, but with her point of view (with this blog) and her activity within the UX community. She’s living proof that by just getting out there and meeting people, you can land opportunities and have doors open for you.
Shannon shared a bit about her experience with portfolios as well. Hers was more traditional; she had a clear, concise portfolio website that caught the eye of JWPlayer. She told her story in a compelling way that really resonated with JWPlayer’s needs and vision. She’s now building up her own UX team over there!
This meet up was actually what compelled me to start my blog (shameless plug: uxisahammer.tumblr.com) and to start forming solid thoughts about UX. “A blog can be a great way to crystallize your UX communication skills” was one of the quotes of the night for me. And that it has - I’m beginning to become more observant of everyday UX and to take note of it.
Needless to say, I took away a treasure trove of information from this event. As I start to build my portfolio over the coming weeks, I’ll keep much of this information at front and center.
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Jince is a UX Designer in NYC. You can check out his website here: jince.org