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What should be included in a portfolio review for a product design interview?
I just finished my UX/UI bootcamp and I'm wondering what advice you have on what makes a compelling portfolio review for a Jr. Designer.
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5 answers
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Ricardo’s Answer
Hi Anthony,
Congratulations on completing your boot camp! Here are some tips to make your portfolio review stand out:
1. Showcase your best work: Select projects highlighting your strengths and demonstrating your UX/UI designer abilities. Include a variety of projects that showcase different aspects of your skills, such as user research, wireframing, prototyping, and visual design.
2. Provide context and process: When presenting your projects, briefly overview the problem or challenge you were solving and the goals you set. Explain your steps during the design process, including user research, creativity, iterations, and the outcome.
3. Show your problem-solving skills: Include examples demonstrating how you tackled design challenges or resolved user pain points. Share how you conducted user research, gathered feedback, and iterated on your designs to create effective solutions.
4. Include real-world examples: Whenever possible, include examples of how your designs were implemented and their impact on users or businesses. If you have any metrics or positive feedback, share them to demonstrate the effectiveness of your work.
5. Show your passion and enthusiasm: Use your portfolio to convey your UX/UI design passion. Talk about your motivation and what excites you about the field. Passionate designers who continuously learn and grow are highly valued in the industry.
6. Seek feedback: Before submitting your portfolio for review, share it with mentors, peers, or other professionals for feedback. Incorporate their suggestions to improve your portfolio's overall quality.
Good luck with your portfolio review and your career!
Congratulations on completing your boot camp! Here are some tips to make your portfolio review stand out:
1. Showcase your best work: Select projects highlighting your strengths and demonstrating your UX/UI designer abilities. Include a variety of projects that showcase different aspects of your skills, such as user research, wireframing, prototyping, and visual design.
2. Provide context and process: When presenting your projects, briefly overview the problem or challenge you were solving and the goals you set. Explain your steps during the design process, including user research, creativity, iterations, and the outcome.
3. Show your problem-solving skills: Include examples demonstrating how you tackled design challenges or resolved user pain points. Share how you conducted user research, gathered feedback, and iterated on your designs to create effective solutions.
4. Include real-world examples: Whenever possible, include examples of how your designs were implemented and their impact on users or businesses. If you have any metrics or positive feedback, share them to demonstrate the effectiveness of your work.
5. Show your passion and enthusiasm: Use your portfolio to convey your UX/UI design passion. Talk about your motivation and what excites you about the field. Passionate designers who continuously learn and grow are highly valued in the industry.
6. Seek feedback: Before submitting your portfolio for review, share it with mentors, peers, or other professionals for feedback. Incorporate their suggestions to improve your portfolio's overall quality.
Good luck with your portfolio review and your career!
Updated
Rachel’s Answer
Hi Anothony, :)
First and foremost, what most interview panels are looking for during a portfolio review is the ability to tell an engaging story about your work, your approach, and for junior designers especially - lessons learned. Instead of walking the group through each component on the screens you're sharing, try to focus more on your high-level approach/strategy, process working with others if applicable, key challenges that came up over the course of the project + how you worked to solve those problems.
A few things to avoid:
- Never try to take credit for all of the work. Even if you don't have experience working in a corporate environment with various cross-functional partners, make sure to mention anyone and everyone who helped with your direction. Working in UX is all about collaboration and teamwork!
- Avoid calling out user personas! Across all the portfolio reviews I've been in, this is one thing that I've seen 95% of designers include in their review. While it sometimes can be useful in the design process, it's pretty standard and doesn't truly highlight the unique and special skills that YOU bring to the table, just another design process that everyone in the room is already familiar with.
- Trying to hide or cover up mistakes and/or problems. No one is perfect and I can guarantee no project is every executed perfectly. What I most often look for during interviews and a portfolio review is a candidate's ability to call out what went wrong, take accountability, highlight what they learned from it, and understand how they applied those learnings moving forward.
and most importantly, be yourself! Your portfolio review doesn't have to be completely buttoned up and perfect - feel free to let your own unique personality and style shine.
First and foremost, what most interview panels are looking for during a portfolio review is the ability to tell an engaging story about your work, your approach, and for junior designers especially - lessons learned. Instead of walking the group through each component on the screens you're sharing, try to focus more on your high-level approach/strategy, process working with others if applicable, key challenges that came up over the course of the project + how you worked to solve those problems.
A few things to avoid:
- Never try to take credit for all of the work. Even if you don't have experience working in a corporate environment with various cross-functional partners, make sure to mention anyone and everyone who helped with your direction. Working in UX is all about collaboration and teamwork!
- Avoid calling out user personas! Across all the portfolio reviews I've been in, this is one thing that I've seen 95% of designers include in their review. While it sometimes can be useful in the design process, it's pretty standard and doesn't truly highlight the unique and special skills that YOU bring to the table, just another design process that everyone in the room is already familiar with.
- Trying to hide or cover up mistakes and/or problems. No one is perfect and I can guarantee no project is every executed perfectly. What I most often look for during interviews and a portfolio review is a candidate's ability to call out what went wrong, take accountability, highlight what they learned from it, and understand how they applied those learnings moving forward.
and most importantly, be yourself! Your portfolio review doesn't have to be completely buttoned up and perfect - feel free to let your own unique personality and style shine.
Updated
Stacey’s Answer
Hi Anthony!
For your portfolio, I second what Ricardo mentioned. It seems like a great way to format your portfolio! A few things I'd like to add:
1. Often, bootcamp grads don't have real world experience.
There was a time where an employer might be OK with that, but with the industry being what it is now and the flood of bootcamp grads, employers are going to be pickier. Bootcamps often partner with fake agencies to create what looks like real world projects - but most employers aren't fooled by this. If you haven't already, try to get into some freelance work to build real examples.
2. It's brutal out there in tech now. With the layoffs, you're competing with people from big tech companies to get jobs. Don't get discouraged and keep honing your skills while you apply. You've got this!
3. I've reviewed a lot of portfolio websites, and I've been shocked that sometimes the website is hard to navigate to actually find their work. Don't forget about designing for usability on your portfolio. Think about who will be seeing it. Recruiters, hiring managers, other team members.
4. I've seen questionable choices made with lack of color contrast for accessibility, no alt text, etc. - accessibility doesn't end with designing for a product.
Happy to follow up for any more specific tips. Best wishes!
For your portfolio, I second what Ricardo mentioned. It seems like a great way to format your portfolio! A few things I'd like to add:
1. Often, bootcamp grads don't have real world experience.
There was a time where an employer might be OK with that, but with the industry being what it is now and the flood of bootcamp grads, employers are going to be pickier. Bootcamps often partner with fake agencies to create what looks like real world projects - but most employers aren't fooled by this. If you haven't already, try to get into some freelance work to build real examples.
2. It's brutal out there in tech now. With the layoffs, you're competing with people from big tech companies to get jobs. Don't get discouraged and keep honing your skills while you apply. You've got this!
3. I've reviewed a lot of portfolio websites, and I've been shocked that sometimes the website is hard to navigate to actually find their work. Don't forget about designing for usability on your portfolio. Think about who will be seeing it. Recruiters, hiring managers, other team members.
4. I've seen questionable choices made with lack of color contrast for accessibility, no alt text, etc. - accessibility doesn't end with designing for a product.
Happy to follow up for any more specific tips. Best wishes!
Updated
Alison’s Answer
There are already some insightful responses here, but I'd like to add that it's important to try to make your portfolio unique compared to your peers. When a group of UX Designers graduate from the same bootcamp and all apply for the same positions, it's essential for your portfolio to stand out. Participating in hackathons or volunteering can be effective ways to add projects that will make your portfolio distinctive. Aim to include real-world, non-academic work in your portfolio whenever possible.
Additionally, approach your UX portfolio as if it were a UX project. Conduct user research, gain a deeper understanding of recruiters and hiring managers, and learn what they seek in a portfolio. Consider performing usability testing on your portfolio. Connect with your network and ask them to review your portfolio, allowing you to iterate and improve it.
Additionally, approach your UX portfolio as if it were a UX project. Conduct user research, gain a deeper understanding of recruiters and hiring managers, and learn what they seek in a portfolio. Consider performing usability testing on your portfolio. Connect with your network and ask them to review your portfolio, allowing you to iterate and improve it.
Updated
Caroline’s Answer
Hello Anthony,
You've received some excellent advice here, but I'd like to highlight Rachel's point about the power of storytelling. Take the time to practice narrating the context of your work, your team members, the reasoning behind your choices, and the effects of those choices.
Remember, reviewers typically value abilities like problem solving, teamwork, responsiveness to feedback, and flexibility in the face of fresh insights, just as much as they appreciate stellar design documentation. Make sure to demonstrate these skills in your reviews.
You've received some excellent advice here, but I'd like to highlight Rachel's point about the power of storytelling. Take the time to practice narrating the context of your work, your team members, the reasoning behind your choices, and the effects of those choices.
Remember, reviewers typically value abilities like problem solving, teamwork, responsiveness to feedback, and flexibility in the face of fresh insights, just as much as they appreciate stellar design documentation. Make sure to demonstrate these skills in your reviews.