Engineer to UI/UX Designer? Then this one’s for you!
Simplify the process of creating your first design portfolio.
As a software engineer turned UI/UX designer myself, I get quite a few questions about landing internships and building portfolios. So I thought I’d break it down for you, give you a few pointers that would help you!
A little bit of background
The first portfolio I made was to apply for a master’s degree in HCI. I’d applied to universities in the US and got into the ones I wanted. And a lot of the credit goes to my portfolio although, universities look at your profile holistically. Universities consider your GRE, TOEFL scores, resume, SoP, and LoRs. If you’re someone like me, who didn’t get the highest scores in your GRE, then your portfolio is what will help you cover-up. Either way, having a strong portfolio will land you in the right places– may it be further studies or job opportunities.
Here are some steps I took that helped me not only get into university but also land internships.
#1 Firstly
Your research will take you a long way. Before you start, do your share of exploration– What are the current topics? What is something that will showcase my skill? What does my competition look like? What is currently trending? How do other designers curate their projects? These are some of the questions you should ask yourself before starting.
Do your best to read well and draw inspiration from designers already established in the field. There are a bunch of articles and case studies from which you can learn and keep up with the times.
➡️ Click here for reading material.
#2 Get a project 💪🏼
Speaking from personal experience, most students who want to switch fields aren’t sure where to start. During engineering, most of us don’t work on projects that focus on interaction nor experience (in fact, it’s the least of our worries).
So for starters, get yourself a project. It could be anything, from designing an app for a waste disposal system in your apartment to a website for your aunt’s baking business.
Remember to choose a project that has a good scope and highlights your skills.
There are resources that have project ideas and prompts that can help you to start off. Here’s an article to help you with that.
#3 Follow a process 📝
Every project in your portfolio should have a structure. Following that structure will not only make your work look consistent but also simplify things for you.
Of course, you won’t be following the same process for all your projects, which means setting an outline is what you should be aiming for. Bringing a flow to your content and easing readability.
People feel comfortable when they know what to expect.
By setting a structure, readers know what to expect next when they’re going through your work.
#4 KISS- keep it simple, silly! 🤷🏻♀️
You’ve completed a project, great! Time to create a write-up for it. Now the question is- what to include and how much of it? You have to keep in mind that no one has the time to read every detail of your project. The structure you put in place earlier could include:
- A challenge that you faced
- How you overcame it
- What you learned from the process
- Key takeaways and insights
- Something you would improve on
- Something you changed during the process
These are just a few things that could show possible recruiters your thought process.
People want to know what your role was as a designer, what you accomplished, and how did it. Stick to putting forth essential parts of your process.
Keep it short and simple, easy to read and follow through but remember to not miss out on important details that showcase your interests and skills.
#5 Where do I put all of my work?
Okay, so you’re all set to put all of this work into your portfolio, where and how do you do it?
You’re in luck because it’s 2021 and your options are endless. If you’re looking for a personal website that showcases your personality I suggest you make a website. Here are some options for you that help you create a website easily, quickly, and economically:
These websites have a bunch of templates and are very flexible in terms of pricing and design. Again, these are for you to create sites from the ground up.
Here are some other options if you want to straight away upload your work on a common space with a predefined look:
Remember to set a theme– color palette, typography and maintain the structure that you established irrespective of where you design your portfolio.
Lastly, you do not have to make your portfolio super stylish or make it look like a million bucks, it's about how well it conveys your work. And the same applies to your projects as well.
“Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works.” — Steve Jobs
When I made my first portfolio for my masters, I stuck to the same outline as above however, I wanted to convey two key points. Firstly, that I intend to learn more (hence I’m applying for a degree), by including sections that show learnings and insights. Secondly, I’ve tried to show versatility. I covered projects from subjects like mental health, technology & nature and e-commerce. I did my best to learn and plug mockups from InVision & Miro and include different UX methodologies. And I suggest you do the same.
Hope this article helps you to design your portfolio and kick-start your career. All the very best! 🙌🏽
