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Few pointers for you to create an exceptional portfolio

Posted on 19 August 2022

Introduction

The irony is it is difficult to land a job without a great portfolio, and it is impossible to create a great portfolio without having jobs first. This is a true example of the chicken and egg problem. It may seem like a problem that seems impossible to resolve, but don’t be such a pessimist. This is not the end of the world. Fortunately, we live in a world full of possibilities, so even if you don’t have any jobs you can still build a great portfolio.
Very few universities are here to provide you with a degree in UX designing, so this industry can only judge based on your abilities. Use this drawback in your favor. We are here to give you a few ideas with which you can create a great portfolio. Yes, we know that you would want to learn these ideas ASAP, and won’t want to read a long boring article. That’s why we would try to be as brief as possible.

So, let’s just get straight into it;

Projects to be included

1. If we talk about the projects that could get you your first job then they are mostly of three types.

● One- unsolicited redesigns

2. Unsolicited redesigns are not accepted well in this industry, but still, there are many cases in which we have seen where these designs helped designers land their dream job. Here is a quick definition of unsolicited design- designs that you recreate from some existing website or app.

Note: when designing unsolicited redesign, not just focus on aesthetics, but focus on the solution of business problems as well.

● Two- non-profit projects

3. Voluntary projects include the projects you do for free. It is great to build experience and add something to your portfolio. However, you need to work on the project the same way as you would have while doing your best professional work.

●Three- apps or designs you build yourself (side projects)

4. Despite the great risk adding side projects to your portfolio is a bold move. However, we suggest you consider the risk factor before putting a link to your project in your portfolio because the employer will assess your skill set based on the project you do yourself. So, don’t ever mention your side project if it is poor or mediocre.

Layout of portfolio

Now, even if you have completed several projects, but don’t know how to present them compellingly then you can’t convince the employer to hire you. So, present something to an employer on which he considers you worthy of spending his money. As UX designing is all about understanding, you need to consider your employer in the place of users before creating your portfolio because they are humans too, so of course, they will remember your portfolio presented as a story more compared to Pandora’s box of images and information about your designs. So, create a beautiful and interesting story to enhance your chances of acceptance.

Things to exclude from a portfolio

If you are one of those people who are just getting into the UI/UX designing world and don’t have enough projects to include in your portfolio then this part is solely for you.

First of all, don’t even consider including the school projects. No matter how good they are but still they lack the professionalism that you need in the professional designing world. Secondly, don’t include anything in your portfolio that is not related to the design. Third, don’t include the projects that ended poorly, or the projects for which you didn’t get paid. Last but most important is don’t include the project with which you are not comfortable. We mean we all go through different phases of life where we do things that we don’t want to but we have, to keep going. Well, if there is that kind of project you have done then don’t include it in your portfolio.

So, these are a few things from our side to help you create an exceptional portfolio. We hope this article helped you while creating your portfolio. For more informative content about UX/UI designing stay with us. We will try our best to help you in your design ventures.