One of the biggest challenges new UX designers face: building a UX portfolio without on-the-job experience.
Fortunately, there are opportunities everywhere to learn and apply your UX skills—you don’t need to wait till you’re hired.
Here are a few tips to build a UX portfolio online:
1. Master essential UX tools
Here’s a collection of tools you can master:
- Miro – a collaborative whiteboard software used by UX designers
- Trello – a workflow management tool used for card-sorting
- Figma – one of the fastest growing UX prototyping tools
- UXPressia – a customer journey mapping tool
These tools are bread and butter for UX designers to learn. With these, you can begin to embark on small portfolio projects.
2. Publish your work on open platforms
A good place to document your UX journey and iterations can be done through Dribbble or Behance. Besides, think of Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or even TikTok.
Example of a Dribbble profile from one of our alumni: https://dribbble.com/glavislohzh
3. Building a personal brand
To build a personal brand, you can start off by:
- Publishing your work on open platforms, or portfolio sites
- Joining communities to meet like-minded people in UX
- Presenting your work in creative ways
- Telling a story
- Gathering feedback and reviews
Offer to work with well known UX designers, artists, and entrepreneurs you admire on mini-projects.
In the long-term, a testimonial or recommendation from someone who is well known or working in a tech company would bring you all the opportunities, exposure, and credibility you need.
4. Attending a professional UX Design course
By attending an accelerated UX Design course, you will learn how to build a UX portfolio with no experience. You learn what is a UX portfolio, how to create your first UX portfolio project and what to include in your UX portfolio. It is important to attend one taught by actual industry practitioners who will also serve as your mentors throughout your learning process.
When you complete the programme, you will be awarded a professional UX design certificate – one that you can showcase to future employers and clients!
To keep learning affordable, you can also utilize Singapore government subsidies such as up to 90% IBF Funding, SkillsFuture Credits and NTUC UTAP to offset your course fees!
