Transcript: “I teach UXers how to build a persuasive portfolio : Ask Me Anything.”
Sarah Hawk
Building a persuasive portfolio is high on the priority list of a lot of our community members, and the audience at today’s AMA session with Louise Campbell was testament to that.
We had a record number of attendees, and although Louise typed faster than I can think, we still didn’t get through all the questions.
If you don’t have a portfolio (or you’re not happy with the one you do have) then you need to read this transcript. It is gold.
If you didn’t make it because you didn’t know about it, make sure you join our community to get updates of upcoming sessions. If you have follow up questions for Louise, you can ask them here.
If you’re interested in seeing what we discussed, or you want to revisit your own questions, here is a full transcript of the chat.
Transcript
hawk
2016-09-22 18:00
OK guys, let’s get this show on the road
suzi.sarmento
2016-09-22 18:00
Yaaayyy
hawk
2016-09-22 18:01
First up, a warning. It’s only 6am here and I’m over-caffienated
suzi.sarmento
2016-09-22 18:01
hahaahahah
tyler
2016-09-22 18:01
@dave I don’t think I’m quite sure what role I am aiming for I enjoy User Interface but I would like to do more UX work. its a tough call. I like it all
desertcoder
2016-09-22 18:01
@hawk that means you’ll be typing faster. :slightly_smiling_face:
lambiris
2016-09-22 18:01
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jxslepton
2016-09-22 18:01
I’m under caffienated so maybe it’ll balance out lol
hawk
2016-09-22 18:01
Second, this looks like a VERY popular session, so go easy on us!
hawk
2016-09-22 18:02
I’ll start by introducing @lou and saying a huge thanks to her for her time today.
hawk
2016-09-22 18:02
I’ll introduce here, she’ll introduce the session, and we’ll open the floor to questions
lou
2016-09-22 18:02
Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be here :slightly_smiling_face:
hawk
2016-09-22 18:02
I’ll queue your questions for Louise in a back channel, and she’ll answer them in order
@tyler: ah ok. Just FYI I wouldn’t download info if I can’t see it on the site. I know other recruiting manager won’t do that or have the time to do it. I would said select a couple of what you considered you best work and focus on that. And just put a section that more samples are available upon request. We do that a lot if we are interested on a candidate. Good luck.
rswild
2016-09-22 18:03
has joined #ask-louise-campbell
anne-dougherty
2016-09-22 18:03
@hawk A general portfolio structure question: Is it better to show deliverables (e.g. designs, content inventories, etc) or process (e.g. here is what I/we did to get to where we ended up)?
hawk
2016-09-22 18:03
I suspect we won’t get through all the qs today either, so we can continue the conversation there too
hawk
2016-09-22 18:04
So Louise is a Lead UX Design consultant for giant eCommerce companies. She started out at 19 as a junior print designer for Littlewoods Home Shopping Group. Over the last 15 years has worked her way up to consulting for luxury e-commerce companies including http://Net-a-porter.com, http://MrPorter.com, The Body Shop, http://Benna.co.uk, and travel giant http://Greyhound.com.
hawk
2016-09-22 18:04
She is also a career transition coach for ambitious graphic designers who want to make it big in UXD. She teaches a free weekly mini-class to show you ‘How to Create a Persuasive Portfolio’ at http://UpSkillMastery.com.
hawk
2016-09-22 18:04
And we’re lucky to have her time
hawk
2016-09-22 18:04
Over to you @lou
lou
2016-09-22 18:04
Thanks @hawk been a crazy long day here :slightly_smiling_face: I need more cafffinnneeee
lou
2016-09-22 18:05
@desertcoder I love this question
lou
2016-09-22 18:05
“I’m working as a Business Analyst in UX right now. It seems all staff have a portfolio to share, except me. While I’ve tinkered around with wireframes in Axure, I’m wondering if screen captures of my work would count towards “portfolio” material.”
pesenson
2016-09-22 18:05
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tyler
2016-09-22 18:05
@israel very interesting! Last year when I was applying I only had 4 projects and I thought I had a severe lack of work in my portfolio so I added more I guess that wasn’t the best strategy
lou
2016-09-22 18:06
So you can create user flow in Axure that you can host on their softwear that is password protected you can use this to show potential clients what you worked on and what parts you were responsible for adding value to… does that help?
ux_dude
2016-09-22 18:06
@lou Question: For someone switching from a related career (me: front-end developer). How many UX projects should you have in your portfolio? How much of the UX process should you show?
anne-dougherty
2016-09-22 18:07
@ux_dude I’m in the same boat. :raised_hand_with_fingers_splayed: former front-end dev here.
desertcoder
2016-09-22 18:07
Yes, thank you. When you say “user flow” do you mean showing the process or do you mean actual workflow?
rvaelle
2016-09-22 18:08
I’m not sure where to start to improve my portfolio http://www.serviceease.net. I know I need more projects and experience and it reflects that.
lou
2016-09-22 18:08
@nwhysel it all depends on how valuable the work is to your future employer… will it add value to their work…
claraearendil
2016-09-22 18:08
@ux_dude current front-end wanting to switch to UX
jeanna
2016-09-22 18:08
any advice for how to present a portfolio when someone asks to see your “thought process” and not just artifacts?
irinahpda
2016-09-22 18:08
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lou
2016-09-22 18:09
@nwhysel your portfolio need to be a good content fit for your potential employer.
kailualisa
2016-09-22 18:09
@jeanna excellent question!
claraearendil
2016-09-22 18:09
@lou how to even get started with your portfolio when you’re switching careers?
sonia2016
2016-09-22 18:09
@lou How do I sell myself , I dont have much work to put in my portfolio and I am transitioning from Social Work. I have applied for Junior level positions but have not received any positive responses. Most of these jobs want years of experience.
nwhysel
2016-09-22 18:10
@lou Does that mean different portfolio for different prospective employer? I sometimes do create a special link on my website but people just coming to the site are going to see a lot more: blog, events/presentations, past projects, slideshare, resume, etc.
desertcoder
2016-09-22 18:10
@jeanna how about adding photos of your journey mapping process or story mapping process to show your “thought process”?
lou
2016-09-22 18:10
@dave generalist is good if that’s what you are interviewing for. You need to align your portfolio with the job you are going for. Focus. Take out stuff that’s not 100% focused on the clients needs. I hope that helps!
renat
2016-09-22 18:10
@lou Luxury UX – what it is?
israel
2016-09-22 18:11
@tyler yes at least we don’t mind if you only have a couple projects since we are looking specifically for a UX designer we are looking at those skills. I guess you’ll need to decide which one you would like to purse since you have a variety. Are you looking to be in UX UI only? Then I’ll concentrate on those pieces only.
dave
2016-09-22 18:12
@dave pinned a message to this channel.
irinahpda
2016-09-22 18:13
DO you have many QA roles switching to UX?
lou
2016-09-22 18:13
@sonia2016 I never took expensive courses I learned everything to do with UX in the work place. Break into UX design by focusing on one area to start off with – say Research, and then look for research roles, perhaps job shadow a colleague, do everything you can to get experience in that one area you can then add value to employers in that area! Focus is the key…
tyler
2016-09-22 18:13
@israel yes specifically UI / UX – ugh but I have such good branding strategy as well.. meh maybe I’ll just make two portfolio websites haha
israel
2016-09-22 18:14
@tyler: yeah that may be a good idea specially if marketing is an area you’re interested.
gregor
2016-09-22 18:14
@gregor pinned a message to this channel.
lou
2016-09-22 18:15
@swishie find an area of UX that you LOVE it’s a long career you need to love it :slightly_smiling_face: Never be generic if you can help it. EG. Interaction design is a fascinating career if you specialise you can also command higher salaries :slightly_smiling_face:
tyler
2016-09-22 18:16
@lou would you have better chances of getting work if your a specialist? or a generalist?
anne-dougherty
2016-09-22 18:16
@anne-dougherty pinned a message to this channel.
swishie
2016-09-22 18:17
thank you @lou
lou
2016-09-22 18:17
@swishie Behance is Ok as long as you include annotations on your design about how the design was informed, what research did you do, who was it for? how does the interaction actually work… included detail it’s all about the details. That will make you stand as an ideal candidate inderstandingthe process involved in UCD.
lou
2016-09-22 18:17
@israel “as as UX looking to hire other UX. Designers whenever we get portfolios for evaluation we look at getting insights of your UX process as quick as possible since we don’t have a lot of time to search for that info. If I don’t see that I’ll move to the next one. I click on your pieces but didn’t see any info that would give me insights to your process. Maybe I missed it… which that should give you some UX info.”
brennan
2016-09-22 18:18
@lou – can we se your portfolio and case studies? Do you have a link?
brockawesome
2016-09-22 18:19
I have just jumped into UX in the last year and have been going back through my older branding and illustration work to document my process. i’m not a front end programmer by any means and have been using Behance to showcase my work, but It doesn’t quite shine. Are there any tips you can give on where to start to learn HTML/CSS as it pertains to creating a portfolio? I plan on designing it from the ground up but I’m lost when it comes to coding my designs after they are finished. check out http://brockbeuch.com and let me know what you think.
lou
2016-09-22 18:19
@israel the clients I work with have confidentiality agreements in place. I password protect my work for privacy reasons. Saying that – if the project is live I will share the password with potential clients IF they are looking for a Lead UX who specializes in ecommerce.
lou
2016-09-22 18:20
@gregor “I was hoping to ask louise about ideas for promoting a portfolio better (than I am now).”
@lou: what are your thoughts on including work which is not strictly UX, but which demonstrates related skills in your portfolio? (e.g. I did design and prototyping as an engineer)
claraearendil
2016-09-22 18:23
@brockawesome you can check http://codeacademy.com and the’re several other resources/tutorials online where you can learn HTML&CSS
lou
2016-09-22 18:23
@gregor I would make as many friends in the industry as humanly possible with out becoming a stalker :slightly_smiling_face: People generally hire YOU and your great personality — over your portfolio. You can have an AMAZING portfolio, but if you are difficult to work or have poor social skills…. they are not going to hire you. The best jobs I’ve ever had have been through referral and my portfolio was a secondary concern.
kavini
2016-09-22 18:23
has joined #ask-louise-campbell
grosenhan
2016-09-22 18:23
I am currently a digital designer, meaning I do mostly web design but in the past year at my job I have been working a bit in UX and Front end dev. I realized that I want to focus more on UX but don’t want to step backwards in my career. How can I go about marketing myself as a UX person when 90% of my work is Design and on many of those projects I didn’t do Ux on?
lou
2016-09-22 18:23
@anne-dougherty “A general portfolio structure question: Is it better to show deliverables (e.g. designs, content inventories, etc) or process (e.g. here is what I/we did to get to where we ended up)?”
gregor
2016-09-22 18:24
@lou Thank you!
brockawesome
2016-09-22 18:25
I have just jumped into UX in the last year and have been going back through my older branding and illustration work to document my process. i’m not a front end programmer by any means and have been using Behance to showcase my work, but It doesn’t quite shine. Are there any tips you can give on where to start to learn HTML/CSS as it pertains to creating a portfolio? I plan on designing it from the ground up but I’m lost when it comes to coding my designs after they are finished.
desertcoder
2016-09-22 18:25
I’ve heard there are portfolio-designed websites where users can drag and drop content. I’ve also heard of numerous disadvantages to such websites (i.e. difficult to customize). Thoughts?
lou
2016-09-22 18:26
@anne-dougherty Always show your deliverables — as part of your design process. You might like to use a method I use called the STAR method…. S=start what you did at start of a project. T=tasks, what were they how were they defined. A= Audience who are they. R=Results what were they… if you can use that as your framework during an interview combined with your deliverables you will have nailed it!
anne-dougherty
2016-09-22 18:26
@brockawesome Udemy has a couple of good, free HTML courses. Also check out CodeAcademy if you’re a learn-by-doing kind of person.
anne-dougherty
2016-09-22 18:26
@lou Thank you!
lou
2016-09-22 18:27
@anne-dougherty welcome!
lou
2016-09-22 18:27
@ux_dude Question: For someone switching from a related career (me: front-end developer). How many UX projects should you have in your portfolio? How much of the UX process should you show?
crystal
2016-09-22 18:28
@crystal pinned a message to this channel.
gregor
2016-09-22 18:29
@brockawesome I always encourage people to learn coding, but at the same time wouldn’t want the time it takes to learn it to slow you down from getting your portfolio out there. Since so much of UX involves collaboration, why not hook up/coordinate with someone who can code your site design for you…. maybe work out some kind of bartering where you can help them out in return?
israel
2016-09-22 18:30
@lou: yes we have some candidates that have work under NDAs but you can create a fake project that showcases your process and skill. I think that’s something a lot of people asks. You don’t need real projects to put on your portfolio if you don’t have the experience or you can’t show them because if NDAs. Just Taylor the portfolio for the job you want. Just my two cents :grinning:
lou
2016-09-22 18:30
@ux_dude Answer: 3 really great ones based on what your client is focused on – so tailor your portfolio for them. If you are going in on a cold “pitch” you’ve never met them before you need to do your homework before hand and tailor your interview to their needs. Every job I ever interviewd for I’ve literally had to tailor my portfolio for. That detail really get you great clients and work in the end. It’s hard work but worth the effort!
anne-dougherty
2016-09-22 18:31
@anne-dougherty pinned a message to this channel.
lou
2016-09-22 18:31
@jeanna Question: any advice for how to present a portfolio when someone asks to see your “thought process” and not just artifacts?
uxrose
2016-09-22 18:33
@lou Going off of what you said about the STAR approach. What types of results would you show on your portfolio if you were doing a personal side project?
claraearendil
2016-09-22 18:33
@lou @ux_dude what if you don’t have so many projects, just 1 or 2… seems difficult to “tailor” your portfolio when you’re starting
lou
2016-09-22 18:34
@jeanna answer: yes take photos of everything you worked on on the project and host them on a web page – even take the sketches with you, take videos of any interaction design and host them within the web page in a case study/webpage. Include the STAR framework above! Good luck I can’t wait to hear how you get on!
ux_dude
2016-09-22 18:35
@lou what to do if you only have done personal UX work and don’t have any client work? Does it matter?
lou
2016-09-22 18:36
@sonia2016 does your previous employer have a website? If so go back to them and ask if you could job shadow the development team. You need to focus on “warm” leads peoepl you know or friends on colleagues. I want you to get on LinkedIn and create a great profile! Follow your fav. design companies, find out who works there, intro yourself, be interested and you will get there :slightly_smiling_face:
jeanna
2016-09-22 18:37
@lou thanks for the recommendations – I’ve included photos and schematics as well as wireframes but have had several people ask to see my notebooks to see how I arrived at design…
gregor
2016-09-22 18:38
@israel maybe it’s just semantics I’m taking issue with, but ALL projects are “real projects” if you’re putting in the work on them, whether they’re personal (what I assume you mean by “fake”) or for a client. Just my two cents! :sunglasses:
lou
2016-09-22 18:38
BTW Everyone who makes it to the end of this AMA gets a link to my first design contract proposal that got me my first design contract worth $12K. As a gift to say thank you for being patient!
sonia2016
2016-09-22 18:38
@lou I am currently not work and my previous employer was a temp agency. I have worked in hospitals for the most part as a social worker. I am going to try and ad more projects to my portfolio and try to do a case study.
lou
2016-09-22 18:39
@nwhysel Question….Does that mean different portfolio for different prospective employer?
hawk
2016-09-22 18:40
@plath.ma You’re in. :slightly_smiling_face: It’s a text chat session. If you have a question, ask away. You can read back through the transcript at your leisure
plath.ma
2016-09-22 18:41
Ah, got it, thanks!
amirasallam
2016-09-22 18:42
@lou can we have access to your portfolio ? for inspiration and reference ?
graeme
2016-09-22 18:42
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wendy
2016-09-22 18:42
@lou would learning front end development and graphic design increase the chances of getting a junior UX design role for someone coming from a different career? (Psychotherapy)
lou
2016-09-22 18:42
@nwhysel answer: 1. find out what problem you will be solving for your employer…2. create three case studies in your portfolio that address that need (you might be focused on ecommerce, publishing or finance) 3. when you get to the interview you want to be super specific about how the results you got in a previous – and similar job – will help you get results for them too. Does that help?
israel
2016-09-22 18:43
@gregor: yes I agree all projects are real projects since you are taking the time to do it. What I meant is if you haven’t work for a lot of clients and don’t have a variety of projects to show you can create your own. So maybe you do an e-commerce project or an app project and show how do you apply your knowledge in those areas.
plath.ma
2016-09-22 18:43
I’d like to know how best to include previous relevant experience (in my case graphic design) in your portfolio?
lou
2016-09-22 18:43
@tyler question: would you have better chances of getting work if your a specialist? or a generalist?
nwhysel
2016-09-22 18:44
@lou: yes. I guess also knowing when to drop pieces that no longer address current problems.
sonia2016
2016-09-22 18:45
@wendy we are in the same boat, I come from a social work background. It is a hard transition. Some times I question myself about transitioning because I dont want to fail.
plath.ma
2016-09-22 18:45
@lou Also – how do you deal with a project that never got finished? I.e. I worked on a project pro bono just to get something in my portfolio. The client decided they didn’t have the money to get a custom design built, so went with (another) (cr*??^) template instead. What’s the best way of including that in your portfolio, in the absence of actual results??
ux_dude
2016-09-22 18:46
@wendy I would learn front-end and graphic design on top of all the UX stuff you are learning, but it’s not a guarantee. I’m a front-end developer with over 10 years experience and I’m having a tough time landing a UX job right now.
ux_dude
2016-09-22 18:46
@sonia2016 don’t be afraid to fail :slightly_smiling_face:
lou
2016-09-22 18:46
@tyler answer: If you specialise in you’ll always be in demand, it also makes it easier to sell your services. :slightly_smiling_face:
lou
2016-09-22 18:47
@brennan question: can we se your portfolio and case studies? Do you have a link?
wendy
2016-09-22 18:47
@sonia2016 yes it is a difficult transition looking at job descriptions wanting a unicorn
wendy
2016-09-22 18:48
@uxdude yes I meant front end development and graphic design on top of the HCD UX process
anne-dougherty
2016-09-22 18:48
@wendy @sonia2016 I saw this in a job description today: – Ability to solve all sorts of design challenges with creativity, efficiency and precision; *a full stack designer (interaction, usability, graphic design, HTML5, CSS3 and front-end development).*
@brennan answer: I’m running a free webinar later this evening and I’ll be running through the http://greyhound.com case study if anyone is interested in the frameowrk I use and how I use it to persuade clients to hire me. Let me know if you want to attned?
pesenson
2016-09-22 18:49
@sonia2016 @wendy …you may want to do UX Design in particular, but UX Research is also a great path (and specialization) that wouldn’t require coding or graphic design skills. It’s more about psychology, sociology, and interviewing users and working closely with designers –might be a great way to reframe social work too
desertcoder
2016-09-22 18:49
What type of formula do you use to equate portfolio value = contract price? Meaning, how do you negotiate your contract based on what a potential client sees in your portfolio?
plath.ma
2016-09-22 18:49
@lou – I’d like to attend the webinar please!
ux_dude
2016-09-22 18:49
@anne-dougherty I have all those requirements! :disappointed:
tyler
2016-09-22 18:50
@lou how does having graphic design skills tie into a UX design position?
brennan
2016-09-22 18:50
@lou – I would love an invite to the seminar but hopefully not to late since I am in Boulder CO.
ux_dude
2016-09-22 18:51
@tyler to design flashy wireframes maybe? A lot of companies confuse UI and UX.
plath.ma
2016-09-22 18:51
@tyler – creating wireframes based on the user research!
paapoo
2016-09-22 18:51
How do we sign up to attend your web inarticulate today?
tyler
2016-09-22 18:51
@plath.ma isn’t that more of a UI job then?
wendy
2016-09-22 18:51
@pesenson yes, I have looked into it. My impression so far is that the job descriptions/ requirements even for a research assistant are a bit much (years of qualitative and quantitative research experience in tech industry)
gregor
2016-09-22 18:52
@wendy I would just add to what’s been said that “learning” front-end and graphic design should be interpreted as at least having a good understanding of these so that you can work with others who do these. UX is about collaboration, and I don’t think you need to master these other areas to become successful in your own area of UX.
rvaelle
2016-09-22 18:52
@lou — I’d like to attend your webinar.
sonia2016
2016-09-22 18:52
@pesenson I will look more into UX Research to get my foot in the door some where. My only thing is I dont want to be put in a box. Once I have enough experience , I want to focus on the other part of UX
@lynne answer: prototyping is a HOT UX topic. Those skill you have developed and UCD thinking are very valuable to potential employees, as long as you can prove the results you got – in an interview situation and use the STAR method for example, you could persuade a team to hire you. Get creative :slightly_smiling_face:
plath.ma
2016-09-22 18:52
@tyler – no, creating the wireframes is putting together the structure of the website (which page leads to which page, user flow, etc) UI is just the pretty colours and graphics on top (=skin )
brennan
2016-09-22 18:53
@hawk thought the seminar was in this channel tonight, misunderstood
hawk
2016-09-22 18:54
Also respectfully ask that you hold off on the side convos for the last 5 mins so Lou can talk
lou
2016-09-22 18:54
@brockawesome I host my work on WP. You don’t need a fancy site. Create case studies and share them on your site, document everything share it with your network. I hope that helps!
brennan
2016-09-22 18:54
Thanks for sharing your time and experience today @lou
lou
2016-09-22 18:55
@desertcoder question: I’ve heard there are portfolio-designed websites where users can drag and drop content. I’ve also heard of numerous disadvantages to such websites (i.e. difficult to customize). Thoughts?
rvaelle
2016-09-22 18:55
@lou Thanks for providing tangible solutions to questions today.
lou
2016-09-22 18:58
@desertcoder answer: so I use leadpages for certain content pages on my site because it’s very simple to use (drag and drop) And WP “pages” to build my case studies. You can mix the two. Your case study should be a simple narrative, and your live work the fancy stuff that you can show in conjunction with your thoughts process, sketches, and the STAR method. I hope that helps you?
lou
2016-09-22 18:58
@rvaelle thanks!
crystal
2016-09-22 18:59
@lou Also, thanks for reposting the questions you were about to answer. It made it much easier to follow along
plath.ma
2016-09-22 19:00
@lou thanks for sharing your expertise with us tonight, much appreciated!
hawk
2016-09-22 19:00
If you haven’t been to one of these sessions before, I leave the channel open so you can read back through, and I also post the transcript up on http://uxmastery.com
@claraearendil you need to sign into facebook and then like the page as far as know when I’ll show up in video in the news feed.
lou
2016-09-22 19:15
@claraearendil See you there! you can also try this if you don’t use facebook. https://zoom.us/j/518784761 (I’ll be there at 8.30pm) in 15 minutes. See you there!