A case study is an important tool for designers to showcase their skills and approach in a story format, to recruiters, hiring-mangers, colleagues, or fellow designers. Sagars case study ends with a section about How is the app performing? and another one for reflections. Many UX designers use it to ensure that the data in their case studies remain confidential. 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. How to design your UI/UX case study | Portfolio tips + detailed After all, this process is a huge part of user-centered design. His case study includes his research methods, market analysis, detailed user persona, user journey map, and lots of early sketches and website iterations. 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. When choosing projects for your portfolio go for impactful ones that. 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. I design products & brands." Trailer 2:32 2. Sometimes, the first project to go into your portfolio will be a UX project you worked on as part of a design course, UX bootcamp, or degree program. What makes for a great UX portfolio? For each methodology, briefly introduce the technique and include why you used it, what you hoped to learn, the result, and how it influenced your design. Showcasing your process is the most important part of a UX design case study. Use emotive language to show empathy. You'll also have the opportunity to participate in a Capstone project to build the front end of a web application. Youve actually thought about what youve learned that you can utilize in future projects as well. User research and personas. Felipe has three case studies in his portfolio. If well designed, small illustrations, nice flowcharts, redesigned deliverables can elevate a case study immensely. Sketches, wireframes, and prototypes. During a hackathon, a group of designers and programmers get together to collaborate on a project. In this blog post, I am explaining the purpose, structure, and best practices of a UI UX Design case study and portfolio. 2023 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved. Standing Out as a Junior UX Designer: The Pitfalls of Reinventing the Squarespace . Instead of an image, he uses a bright gif of his name that immediately catches visitors attention. This technique gives a sense of closeness and raises the credibility factor of a case study. This is exactly what a great portfolio home page should achieve: it should make your readers want to learn more. Building Brand Awareness in a New Market: Stockwell and WebFX Premium Premium Package. Her case study titles and subtitles are effective too. Many interviews include a design challengean interactive test meant to show how you think. Portio Hugo is well organized, well-formatted, and named accordingly so it's easy to change any and all of the design. Focus on solving a real problem. Its also an option to present more information about the projects right on your own portfolio home page. But need someone to work a little on the research part and the to do some ux activities and to have it in a presentation pdf. These should be your best work, and you can always swap them out for new case studies as you gain experience. If you aim to be a generalist, choose projects where you worked on all elements of the design process. What is a UX case study? 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. Like other proficient designers, Sagar showcases 3 case studies, the perfect number according to recruiters. Polish your hackathon project before presenting it as a case study (and acknowledge that you did so). 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. Both analytical data and learnings would be impactful closures for a case study, but combining the two is even better! Looking for a way to volunteer your UX design skills? Daley Wilhelm Jun 10, 2022 Writing effective agency case studies It's harder than it looks, and why film posters are a good start. Using an unconventional color and building your portfolio around it is a great way to stand out from the crowd. Also, try to make it easy for the reader to establish a connection between those two parts. Theres a reason why UX designer portfolios are structured the way they are. Audreys bio and introduction are extremely straightforward. Discuss how to put together a portfolio . But they're not the same thing. GitHub community articles . Besides brightening up the case studies, they create cohesion and connection through her projects. After working with many designers throughout my own career and helping many more build their job-ready portfolios, there are a few designers that I keep coming back to for inspiration and some that are inspiring a new generation of UI/UX and Product Designers to enter the field.. I've chosen 10 of our favorite UI/UX and Product Designersa colorful tapestry of digital product architects that . Follow his example! It typically contains detailed case studies of UX design projects, demonstrating skill and approach. Just remember: When youre writing your UX case studies, show how your users influenced your design decisions. Showing parts of the final UI on your thumbnails, like Danielle does, is a good way to arouse your visitors curiosity: theyll want to learn more about how youve arrived there. She keeps it sleek with the white background of her portfolio front page, using one of UXfolios streamlined templates. Using UXfolios thumbnail styles, Quentin made sure that the case study titles appear on hover only. Include any positive feedback from the judges, even if your project didnt ultimately win. The look is on point, and so is the content. -Join a Code for America brigade to help design new tools for local communities. But Denis shows us how its done: find one common thread a color, shape, etc. The introduction contains all necessary elements: She provides an overview, introduces the team, the problem, and her role. When reviewing candidates, design leads always check their portfolios first. Great case studies combine the following ingredients: While your home page and case studies are the most important elements of your portfolio, you should take it a step further. Consider including the following: Of course, youll dive deeper into some of these in later sections, so keep it brief for now. This way we open each project with some background knowledge. 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. The Notch case study could be used as a template by any designer whos not scared of copywriting. You'll learn the skills you need for an entry-level role in less than six months, no degree or prior experience required. Many designers use the word 'portfolio' to refer to their case studies. An exceptional case study keeps the audience in mind I'm going to repeat what others have said many times before: your portfolio is just another design project. Offer helpful resources ~~~~~ Ready to pivot into UI/UX design? Melysias case studies showcase what a difference a well-chosen accent color makes. Matchy.. Is a Master's in Computer Science Worth it. Realistically, a product will continue to grow in an iterative process; explaining the direction the product is heading or talking about features that are coming up in future iterations is a great way to showcase this. 7 Best UX Case Study Generators (and how to use them) - DesignerUp Nuwanthi prefers her case studies on the shorter side. Felipe, whos a senior product designer, created a simple yet engaging UX designer portfolio. 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. Mood boards and style guides. It is her case study thumbnails that tie the whole portfolio page together visually by featuring mockups on grey backgrounds. Prioritize navigation to meet their needs. Complete Guide to Building an Awesome UX Case Study - CareerFoundry This is your opportunity to articulate which user research methodologies fit into your design process. Also, pay mind to your introduction. As leaders, its up to us to start fostering and empowering new design talent now. Case studies aren't just for UX portfolios or for consulting proposals: they provide a narrative to describe your work to friends and colleagues. We find Melysias take on this aesthetic particularly stunning because she balances the serious tone of the black background with the colorful thumbnail backgrounds. luisv0301/ux-portfolio. Give it a try! This is a more holistic approach instead of the usual process-explanation take. And through case studies you can show it to them. In particular, their traffic and clicks skyrocketed they experienced an 885% increase in search traffic and a 473% increase in clicks. This is a level that many designers aspire to achieve, and so use these case studies as a source of inspiration and as something you can look up to. 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. Its structure is fantastic. His favorite medium is photography and he is a lover of UX because it means constantly helping people. UX heavyweight, 3.5yrs+ experience, with light UI. Linh used descriptive and straightforward case study titles that make you want to read more. Another way to add real client work to your UX portfolio is to complete one or two small projects pro bono. 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. Pick an app or website that youre familiar with, and make it better through your design process.. How to create a POWERful case study for your UX portfolio Some work may need to be password-protected due to NDAs, but you want to give recruiters something to look at without having to email you for a password first. The Ultimate UX Case Study Template - UXfolio Blog UX designersnewbies and experts alikewill often share a case study on a portfolio website as a great way to get hired. Remember, your UX portfolio is for busy clients and hiring managers (the users). Tie your project to business results if possible. Therefore, it has to look good & serve its purpose, which is to make your visitors want to learn about your work, aka read your case studies. The case study includes. Remember, they were working with a brief and real-world constraints.. UX Case Study template A UX case study is a detailed but summarized presentation of a design project, its goals and objectives, the research methods used, the process to find a solution and the results achieved. Avoid signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for unpaid work. 20 Best UX Design Portfolio Examples and How to Make One - Mockplus Whenever you are showcasing design changes or insights from users, think about how would you present the same things for your clients or boss. Visuals make long UX case studies easier to understand and less of a chore to read. This way you wont have to leave out anything from your portfolio, but you wont clutter it either. Case study:Literally anything on her portfolio, but here's her latest Zillow project Why it's awesome: It's a case study that integrates images in a way that is incredibly readable. Recruiters and readers dont have hours to review your portfolio, so feature only 3-5 of your absolute best projects. Follow the link to get started for free., An unsolicited redesign (sometimes called an uninvited redesign) is an excellent way to show off your skills before you ever land your first job as a UX designer. However, we can get a glimpse of her storytelling skills in the BizTrip case study. . Jon Aizlewood May 19, 2022 The second main page is your About Me. He uses the same color for his headings and the visuals in the case study, achieving a very put-together feel. I love listening to peoples stories, solving problems, and creating beautiful things that matter thats a simple yet beautiful intro sentence from the portfolio of Oslo-based UX/UI designer, Marthe. I'm a former teacher transitioning into a career in UX. 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. Of course, the number of iterations you present is not set in stone. How do you build a UX design portfolio with no experience? I don't mind if you have a template of case study and you will change in it Your Cover Page should include a hero image, as well as your name and current job title. A good case study explains your design process from start to finish, providing reasoning behind each decision leading up to the final design. In addition to walking through the entire UX design process step by step, Clayton offers insights into how he and his team responded to the urgency of the process, lessons learned along the way, and the results: three days after launch, the number of volunteers had increased from 100 to 1,200. Shubham included some of his wireframes, a final, embedded prototype, and even finished UIs to illustrate the entire design process. By the end, you'll have completed nine projects in a lab environment or web application and earned a Professional Certificate from Meta. This is where you get to show your personality and briefly talk about your history. How to create a POWERful case study for your UX portfolio - Userfocus Its also worth noting how she includes the orange accent color and typography in her portfolio and CV, even though theyre separate: one is a website the other a downloadable PDF document. Highlight your specialty. 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 Calvin 801 Followers Tie great UX back to business value (how does solving a user problem impact the business in a positive way?). She includes affinity maps, a user persona, task flow chart, and low-fidelity, high-fidelity, animated, and clickable prototypes. If you have to sign an NDA, make your case study password protected or keep it general, focusing on the early ideation. Tammy presents her case study as a slidedeck that lays out the challenge and the four steps of her design process. Such thumbnails alongside a concise and intriguing introduction make for a winning combination. The best way to get your visitors to read your case studies, where they can see your skills in actions, is to grab their attention. It is a much better option than forcing clashing colors and elements next to each other. 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. If youre more interested in user research or user interface (UI) design, prioritize these elements in your case studies. Thats where you can utilize Shubhams technique: create a thumbnail template that can be used for any project with only a few tweaks. 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. We created it specifically for UX professionals, so its packed with powerful features thatll help you through the portfolio-building process. Be sure to mention what you would have done differently if you did.. 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. But if youd like to get started building a portfolio for free, these platforms can help you showcase your work: 1. Youve seen some of the best portfolios and youve probably realized that they share many similarities. In Danielles portfolio, the spotlight is on the UIs. Ability to discuss and explain your design decisions and back them up by applying customer insights and business metrics. This is your opportunity to show hiring managers how you think under pressure. In her case study, Phyllis is upfront about the constraints of the project, as well as what her team chose to focus on and why., Scope of work chart for the Autonomous Ridesharing case study, For example, the team decided to focus their efforts on solving two specific user pain pointsnamely finding the car and starting the ride without a driver. Kurt Winter. 14 inspiring UX designer portfolio examples in 2023 - Webflow She also elegantly solves the issue of how to present small projects that don't merit a full case . The first step to creating UX case studies is to choose the right projects to feature in your portfolio. Join Khrys to learn more! This is a good way to encourage visitors to get in touch. No matter how short or long your case studies are, an overview at the beginning is a great way to aid comprehension. HCI graduate student, Victoria, demonstrates that you can create a unique UX designer portfolio without ending up with an over-designed mess. If you only have time for one, we recommend checking out Manage Billing and Subscriptions as it showcases how you can create a fantastic case study from your UX designer internship project. A UX portfolio is a collection of case studies that reveal your design process and skills through the story of design projects you've been part of. UX Portfolio Case Study template (plus examples from - Medium Portfolio example: Clayton Hopkins - #DullesJustice, Clayton Hopkins includes a few pro bono case studies in his portfolio in the form of Medium articles. Choose a project you care about. Salesforce Product Designer, Rachel used UXfolios thumbnail generator to create stunning thumbnails that match the style of the case studies theyre linking to. He uses case study level password protection on two. Include as many visuals in your case studies as possible: wireframes, personas, user flows, sketches, and even doodles if you please! David Travis. And if they are, they can find them in the footer navigation. UX Portfolio Case Study template (plus examples from successful hires) | by Calvin | UX Planet Write Sign up Sign In 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. Case-study examples - UX Portfolio Ready to land your dream job? If you received feedback during your challenge, include it in your case study. A UX designer portfolio is designed to showcase a UX designer's work. He paired these descriptions with rough sketches trying to solve those particular challenges. Telling the story of your design does not necessarily mean that a case study should be a list of methods and steps ending with a final design. The Beginner's Guide to Creating a UX Portfolio on Medium Aesthetically pleasing branding strategies help them effectively reach more customers. How to create a successful UX case study in 2023 to ace your first Jeremy also highlights his visual design strengths with a full brand guide that highlights the meaning behind his design choices. We had to pleasure of talking to some of the most innovative and influential UX designers in the industry, such as. Victorias take reassures us that app concepts are perfect material for UX case studies, as they show even more of your personality and perspective on design. You need to share design stories. Each case study starts with a title and a concise description of the UX project. For her thumbnails, Marthe opted for the same mockups to create visual consistency. 10 Inspiring UX Portfolios and Why They Work - Medium Most UX designers have worked on different projects that came with their own colors and styles. Itll make the time and effort you put into it much more worthwhile. So many portfolios are grid images on a white page, and while there's nothing wrong with that approach, Jared's portfolio stands out for its light grey background and use of color in general. 15 Best UX Portfolios and What We Can Learn from Them - Creative Blog Natalies case studies include illustrations that are similar in style. A structure with which the industry is familiar and comfortable: The portfolios home page is where your visitor will land. The final section includes your Case Studies. Sarah put together a beautiful UX portfolio that emphasizes case studies above all else. 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.. Show Your Stuff: 15 Content Design Portfolios That Inspire - UX WRITING HUB Writing a well-structured UX case study is also one of the basic skills that a competent UX professional should have. UX Designer Portfolios - Inspiring Examples | Toptal 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.. Alexanders portfolio has some password-protected projects which is a great way to protect sensitive data or case studies that are not strictly public. The best case studies are simple stories that can be re-told in your absence and the POWER framework provides the scaffolding . You might include the final mockup or the company logo in this section. A UX design portfolio will highlight your unique professional experiences, skills, and design process, and showcase UX/UI case studies and examples. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals. Attending a hackathon gives you the opportunity to design a real app while collaborating with a real team of other designers, developers, and engineers. This isnt exactly the case. Fund open source developers The ReadME Project. On his case study thumbnails, he achieves visual consistency by showing mockups in front of bright, rectangular shapes. In the Spotify case study Audrey presents usability improvements by showcasing the final UIs and indicating what changed and why. A good overview can consist of the steps of your design process. Meta Front-end Developer Professional Certificate: Throughout this program, you'll manage a project in GitHub using version control, Git repositories, and the Linux terminal. Adobe Portfolio is free with most Adobe Creative Cloud plans and allows you to create a customized site that synchronizes with Behance. This is also your time to showcase any unique hobbies or things that make you, well, you. Behance offers a free online portfolio platform for creative work, including UI, UX, and graphic design. Getting started with Pixpa is relatively simple. UX Case Study Generators Generating UX/UI Ideas and Case Studies Watch on 1. What are some key companies or brands you have worked with? She achieved this by using large, colorful case study thumbnails that capture your attention immediately. Below are some examples of case study deliverables during the design phase. We chose to showcase the Diem case study from Victorias portfolio because its such a great example of an app concept. Portfolio Review: Get feedback on your UX Portfolio - reddit On a similar note, remember that your case study describes your project, so feel free to let your individual personality shine through in your writing. On top of reading well, it includes beautiful, well-placed images with plenty of explanation. Include a positive testimonial from your manager, supervisor, or peers from your time at the company. Her project got her an internship, as well as a stellar portfolio piece. It showcases the entire process in a step-by-step fashion. The Beginner's Guide to Creating a UX Portfolio on Medium | by Mike Curtis | The You Design System | Medium 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. In these cases, consider volunteering as a team or doing pro bono work as part of a nonprofit hackathon. Case studies are an essential part of a UX portfolio. But its also an opportunity to let your creativity shine., Portfolio example: Jeremy Stokes - Cultivate, Jeremy Stokes is a former Google UX intern and current product designer at Duolingo. a short but revealing sentence for subtitle. If youve never written a UX case study, dont worry. In UXfolio, this is a native feature both on the portfolio and the case study level. UX writing & relevant articles. Free. Mina uses password protection for her case studies to ensure complete control over who can access them. Our high level goals were to: Make it fast and easy to use for everyone, everywhere. In this article, well dive into this further and highlight some UX case study examples, templates, and more. Jared Bartman. You want to select projects that demonstrate your UX process, your problem-solving skills . Choose projects that are fun or interesting to you and that youd be proud to display in your portfolio. Her thumbnails share the same mockup style, resulting in an overall consistency. A project from his experience as a documentary filmmaker bolsters his UX portfolio and speaks to his capability to perform as a professional. This is particularly important when giving background on the problem you set out to solve. All case studies should include a section with learnings. 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. How to write case studies for your design portfolio - Wix.com On a mission to create more UX professionals. Reflecting on a project shows that you didnt just move on to the next one after delivering the design. Most of Rachels case studies are password-protected. Dorons case studies resemble the style of Behance. Such narratives showcase designers' skills and ways of thinking and maximize their appeal as potential hires. We all know that UX goes beyond pretty screens. If you also find yourself writing about versions or solutions, feel free to show some sketches and scribbles. When presenting the outcome of your project, make sure to reflect back on the research findings you mentioned earlier. This way your visitors can still check the public parts of your work. These features include text ideas and guiding questions for copywriting, prototype embedding, scrollable mockups, galleries, statistics section and many, many more. Mina includes only three case studies in her UX design portfolio, which is within the ideal range. He begins by setting the scene: we learn about his role, the problem, tools, and his approach/ideas. 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. Case Studies; Customer Stories Resources Open Source GitHub Sponsors. Quentins was built on the less is more principle. 3. She doesnt overexplain her process, assuming that the reader has a general knowledge of UX principles and methods. The case studies that call for it are more text-heavy, while the rest are more visual-leaning to showcase Maxs design skills and eye for subdued beauty. Show how you incorporated it into your design. User Experience Strategist @userfocus. This attention to detail is what distinguishes true professionals. Your key elements here might include: As you continue building your story, answer the same questions that you did for the research section: If possible, include a deliverable for each methodology.