"Regardless of format, your portfolio should tell a story. Break up text with visuals and make a clear distinction between projects.

There are three common formats for designer portfolios:"

- Web-Based
- PDF / Slide Deck
- Physical Artifacts

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

- Step 1: Take Inventory of All Your Projects
- Step 2: Choose 3–5 Projects as Detailed Case Studies
- Step 3: Choose Your Desired Format
- Step 4: Create Your Portfolio
- Step 5: Get Feedback and Iterate

Putting It Together

By Rachel Krause on August 4, 2019
Topics: UX Teams
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-design-portfolios/
Copyright © 1998-2020 Nielsen Norman Group, All Rights Reserved.

NNG Reference Article: "5 Steps to Creating a UX-Design Portfolio"

"Ask yourself the following questions:
- What am I really good at?
- Which UX activities do I really like to do?
- What differentiates me from other designers?
- On which projects did I bring the most value?
- From which projects did I learn the most?
- What interesting stories can I tell about the work that I did?"

"Prioritize projects that align to the work you’re looking for. You don’t want to promote work that you don’t like doing, so be sure to avoid adding in projects that don’t align with your future career goals."

Step 1: Take Inventory of All Your Projects

"Quality over quantity is the best rule to follow when putting together your portfolio. Since hiring managers don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to each candidate’s portfolio, it’s best to choose a few of your best projects to showcase from your prioritized list you made in the previous step. The projects you choose should align to the work that is described in the job description."
"In addition to visuals for each project, create a case study that includes the following information:

1. 1 The problem(s) you had to solve or the hypothesis you came up with for solving it

2. 2 Your specific role in the project and how you collaborated with others

3. 3 How you came to your proposed solution(s)

4. 4 How your proposed solution(s) solved the problem

5. 5 Challenges you faced, including design concepts that were ultimately not pursued

6. 6 How the project affected the users and the business

7. 7 What you learned"

"Remember, the final screenshots only tell part of the story."

Step 2: Choose 3–5 Projects as Detailed Case Studies

Step 3: Choose Your Desired Format

"Now that you have a plan for your projects and format, you can start putting everything together. Regardless of which format you’ve chosen, create a basic template that you’ll follow so that all of your projects look cohesive."

Step 4: Create Your Portfolio

- Try to view your portfolio as a constant work in progress.

- Once your portfolio is created, show it to others to get feedback. It's always good to have another set of eyes on your to catch possible spelling or grammar errors, report any confusion about the content, and get a sense of the overall usability of your format.

- As you interview with hiring managers, make note of what resonates with them and what is unclear. Then try to reflect this more in your portfolio.

- One of the biggest pieces of advice you can take away from this is, as you work on new projects going forward, to *save any artifacts or process documents to use as future case studies in your portfolio.* It really helps to have an efficient method for keeping track of projects, as this will make updates easier.

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