UX design is one of the most sought after genres of design in recent years thanks to the exponential growth in the development of tech platforms, apps, SaaS products and more within the digital ecosphere. If you are looking to break into this booming field of UX design, grow your creative career and get better jobs, you need to prove yourself and show people what you are capable of. The best way of doing this is through a UX design portfolio. Design is incredibly visual and there is no better way of truly showcasing your talent than through an online UX designer portfolio. Whether you are working independently in a freelance capacity, or as part of a firm or agency, a UX designer portfolio is a must-have component of your professional arsenal.
So, let us talk about UX designer portfolios, what they are, the best ways of creating a portfolio for UX designers as well as some of the best UX portfolio examples to help inspire you in your quest for success as a UX designer.
What is a UX Portfolio?
UX design is an important part of the development of digital products and platforms like apps, websites, video games etc. UX stands for User Experience and UX designers ensure that any user who interacts with a product or platform for the first time can easily and intuitively understand how to navigate through it. A UX design portfolio is a curated collection of your best work as a UX designer. It can involve visual examples of your work as well as case studies of your project to show potential clients and employers how you approach your UX projects.
A good UX designer portfolio will include a brief look at your best UX work across different genres to showcase your range as a UX designer, as well as one or two detailed case studies to showcase the depth of your knowledge and creativity in the field of UX design.
These amazing UX design portfolio examples are sure to give you some ideas when it comes to setting up your online portfolio website. Meanwhile here are 5 top tips to creating a UX designer portfolio that works!
Here are 5 Top Tips for Creating a Stellar UX Design Portfolio
- Curate your UX design portfolio work
- Include case studies to add value to your UX designer portfolio
- Think like an employer
- Solicit feedback for your UX designer portfolio
- Choose the right UX design portfolio builder
Curate your UX design portfolio work
The first rule of any portfolio is to make sure you curate your work. Curation basically means ensuring that every piece of work you choose to display on your portfolio is deliberately chosen to serve a purpose and showcase you at your best. Too many projects can crowd out your UX design portfolio and make it confusing to navigate. Curating involves picking your best work so that you can put your best foot forward. However, your best work does not mean simply picking your favorite pieces. When you are curating your portfolio you want to make sure that you present not just your best work but also your most diverse work. This is to show potential clients and employers that you can work with different categories of products and platforms. Here is a listicle with some examples of design portfolios from designers working in various genres to help you get an idea of what a portfolio should generally look like.
Include case studies to add value to your UX designer portfolio
UX design work is more than just visual. UX is all about user experience and experiences have to be more than just visual. This is where case studies can help you add more depth to your portfolio and let potential clients and employers know the length and breadth of your design expertise. Case studies should not comprise more than one or two projects in your UX designer portfolio’s catalog. This is because case studies tend to be on the longer, more detailed side and can easily clutter up your portfolio. Instead, it makes more sense to include one or two detailed case studies of major UX design projects or your very best work, and briefer less detailed glances at some of your other work. This way you can both highlight your best work and give people a look at your other projects. It also gives a sense of depth and range to your UX designer portfolio and makes you appear more versatile and capable of taking on a challenge.
Think like an employer
A very important factor when it comes to creating your online UX designer portfolio is to think like an employer. Just like a resume, a portfolio is meant to be a professional tool meant to introduce potential employers to your skills and previous work.
Hiring managers and potential clients can use your UX design portfolio to gauge whether you are a good fit for their needs and whether you have the skills that they are looking for.
So, when you are creating your UX portfolio try to think like an employer. This means that you should consider who you will be working for or who you want to work for and then craft your portfolio accordingly. Keep abreast of the various web design trends that are in vogue because if your work appears dated or too experimental then marketability can become a problem. Here are some of the top design trends of 2023 to help you out!
Get feedback for your UX designer portfolio
Feedback is an important element of any design venture and creating your UX designer portfolio is no different. Generally, when you are working on a UX project, either independently or as a team, you tend to solicit feedback and advice from various people, including clients, colleagues, friends and mentors. Creating your UX design portfolio is no different. It helps to get a second opinion on your portfolio website because it can enable you to look at your portfolio with a second pair of eyes. Sometimes we are overcritical of some aspects of our work while ignoring others because of ingrained biases. Getting feedback from a third person can help address these issues and make your UX design portfolio more well rounded and complete.
Choose the right UX design portfolio builder
While creativity, skill and talent are important factors when it comes to design, the tools you use matter as well. Any artist can go only as far as their tools can take them. This is why it becomes incredibly important to choose the right portfolio builder when it comes to your UX designer portfolio. There is no reason to settle for something that is just good enough when you can get a portfolio builder that is tailor made to meet the requirements of UX designers and other creative professionals. After all, you don’t want your creativity and talent to be limited by the tools you use. Talking of tools, here are some of the best drawing tablets you can use as an artist and designer!
Pixpa is an all-in-one, easy to use portfolio website builder for UI/UX designers that helps you build stunning, professional, portfolio websites without having to write a single line of code. Pixpa is a feature-rich, accessible and affordable platform that allows you to create beautiful UX designer portfolio websites with built-in tools like e-commerce galleries, blogging tools, a full-fledged client proofing platform, integrated SEO and marketing features, and more. Pixpa can help you showcase your work, market yourself, build your brand, get more gigs and grow your career, all in one place.
If you are still not convinced, here are 25 reasons why Pixpa is the portfolio website builder of choice for creative professionals everywhere! Let’s take a look at some of these stunning UX design portfolio websites built on Pixpa to see what this platform can help you achieve.
Do check out these inspiring examples of UX Design Portfolios built with Pixpa
Jarvey Aldaba
Jarvey Aldaba is a visual project lead and UX product designer. His portfolio showcases his approach to design and leadership and his inclination to establish empathy for the people who use the products.
The homepage immediately provides a brief introduction to give visitors a clear understanding of his professional identity and expertise. The case studies section on the navbar provides a tangible demonstration of his skill and problem-solving abilities to potential clients. The gorgeous presentation of UI/UX projects in grid format is aesthetically pleasing.
The website's design is simple and uncluttered, with plenty of whitespace. Its clear focus on content reflects the principles of good UX design. As a UX designer, Jarvey emphasizes a user-centric approach, with a tagline that reads, "People ignore design that ignores people." Social icons like Dribbble, Behance, and others make it easy for visitors to explore more and contact.
Natalia Fdez
Natalia is an experienced designer with expertise in UI/UX design, art direction, brand identity, motion graphics, advertisements, email marketing, and more. The UI/UX portfolio effectively highlights Natalia’s skills and projects. The navbar offers a dropdown option for exploring Natalia's different projects, offering an in-depth look at her work in each area.
The About Me page provides insight into Natalia’s journey, skills, and unique approach to design. A downloadable CV makes it easy for potential employers to skim the work experience.
The inclusion of visual elements like project images or graphics enhances the attractiveness. The design appears clean and minimalistic, allowing the work to stand out without overwhelming the viewer.
Aleksandra
Aleksandra is a UX designer interested in research and leading workshops. The portfolio highlights her expertise and experience in UX design and industrial design. The website design is sleek and professional.
The homepage features visuals and descriptive texts in a grid layout, each linked to different UX design projects. Visitors find navigating through the homepage easy and exploring Aleksandra’s work quickly.
The blog section, powered by Pixpa’s built-in capabilities, contains insightful posts that add value for visitors by sharing her knowledge and experiences.
Brandon Wingfield
Brandon Wingfield is an experienced UX/UI designer with an affinity for solving complex problems. His projects in the portfolio display a very user-centered approach. Projects listed in columns with visuals and descriptions containing navigation links help visitors explore Brandon’s work style.
The projects section utilizes Pixpa’s built-in blog capabilities to display case studies with problem statements, solutions provided, user stories, user flow, client feedback, and more. These case studies provide an in-depth view of Brandon’s work and intrigue potential clients.
The site’s layout allows easy navigation through different sections, which is crucial for showcasing his UX design principles. The design appears clean and uncluttered, focusing on content and user experience.
Valentina Varela
Valentina’s portfolio showcases her expertise and creativity as a product designer. The website blends functionality with aesthetic appeal, reflecting Valentina's design ethos. Valentina enjoys creative problem-solving in design, hinting at a deep passion for making impactful designs.
The homepage has multiple sections featuring work across various projects. Each section contains an image on one side and a description on the other. The CTA button is well-placed to help visitors explore the project in depth.
The CV section on the navbar redirects you to a downloadable resume so potential employers can easily access it and keep it for reference. Social icons like LinkedIn and Medium are strategically placed at the footer to help visitors explore more.
Marco H
The portfolio introduces Marco as a designer, engineer, architect, and more, indicating a multidisciplinary approach. The site likely employs a clean and intuitive interface, which is crucial for a UX portfolio. The cursor icon, a stick with a star instead of a standard arrow, is aptly chosen for a UX portfolio.
The portfolio showcases diverse projects and is divided into ‘Creative’ and ‘Experience’ to make it easy for visitors to explore and learn about the work.
As you scroll through multiple sections, they attract attention with large, gorgeous image banners and bold typography. The gallery in each project is randomly arranged in a grid layout with subtle animations on hover. The social icons on the navbar, like Spotify, Github, and Instagram, portray versatility and intrigue visitors to explore more.
Sasank Anipeddi
Sasank is a UX designer based in Maryland, US, with experience delivering end-to-end UX/UI design for software products. The navigation bar is easy to use and helps visitors explore the biography, UX case studies, blogs, and GitHub.
The case studies and blog section leverage Pixpa’s built-in blogging capabilities to dynamically present the case studies with a mix of custom-aligned visuals and text material. The Behance, LinkedIn, and Email Address icons at the bottom of each case study are strategically placed to invite attention and persuade to explore more or contact for collaboration.
Pixpa’s built-in logo showcase capabilities help display the tool stack and clients Sasank has worked with.
Melody Wu
Melody Wu is a UX designer passionate about research, music, fashion, true crime podcasts, and pop culture. Her portfolio has a clean, minimalistic look and an uncluttered navbar.
The work section is the central focus of the website, where she displays her projects in grid format, showcasing her skills in UX design. It also shows her affinity for understanding the complexities of human psychology and bridging the gap between functional and beautiful design.
The website’s design and layout reflect Melody’s proficiency in visual design. The projects are beautifully laid out with images, videos, and detailed explanations, making them visually appealing.
Diedre Ann
Diedre Ann is a product designer based in Boston. She focuses on creating research-driven solutions that enhance the connection between people and services.
The homepage is characterized by bold typography and ample whitespace. The brief bio instantly tells visitors what the portfolio is all about and who it represents. The website has a clean and intuitive layout, making it easy to navigate. The website design reflects the designer’s philosophy and skills, focusing on aesthetics and functionality.
Emphasizing research-driven solutions in her projects, she showcases her systematic approach to product design. The detailed case studies, with everything from discovery to ideation and prototyping, allow visitors to delve deeper into her work process. The social icons on the navbar, like Medium, LinkedIn, and Instagram, prompt you to explore more.
Marcin Spiewak
Martin Spiewak is a product designer based in Berlin. His portfolio showcases his diverse skill set, including UI/UX design, product design, graphic design, and web design.
The homepage immediately captures attention with large typography and strikethroughs to display the designer’s quick biography. A large candid photo beneath this text has a subtle animation as it zooms in and out when you hover it.
The website uses Pixpa’s logo showcase to display brands Martin has worked with, emphasizing his experience collaborating with diverse companies. The project section provides quick info and is linked to Figma for in-depth exploration.
Matthew Park
Matthew Park is a UX/UI designer based out of Sunnyvale, California. Matthew aims to create engaging and immersive applications through his UX design work and that is exactly what we can come through in his UX design portfolio as well. Matthew’s UX designer portfolio is simple and straight to the point. The landing page comprises a gallery showcasing his different UX design projects and other work. The online portfolio is easy to navigate and understand which is of major importance when it comes to UX. He also includes both brief descriptions of some of his projects as well as detailed case studies of some major projects.
Michael Collins
Michael Collins is an experience director and design strategist who likes to work at the intersection of curiosity, reasoning and imagination to create one of a kind user experiences and future-oriented solutions. Michael’s UX design portfolio catalog includes projects such as the Revlon website and the BMW iremote app. Michael’s UX design chops are very visible in his minimalist website that favors clarity over clutter. Speaking of minimalist websites, if you want to learn more about how minimalism can help your UX design portfolio, check out these 30 amazing minimalist websites and how they use the less is more approach!
Gaelle Monin
Gaelle Monin is a French UX/UI designer based out of London, UK. Gaelle started her career in fine arts and printmaking but transitioned into UX/UI design following the pandemic. She also has a background in photography and fine art publishing which helps her bring in a unique perspective to her UX projects. Her UX designer portfolio uses minimalist design and soft color palettes which provide a sense of calm and reliability. Her UX design work is also very user-focused and aims at providing an immersive experience.
Do read these articles on design:
- 25 Best Design Portfolio Websites to Inspire You.
- Best Design Portfolio Website Examples.
- How to Create Your Online Portfolio Website.
- How to Design a Website- A Step-by-Step Guide.
- How to Create the Perfect About Us Page with Examples.
- How to Create the Perfect Contact Us Page with Examples.
- Understanding the Principles of Design.
- Guide to 9 Best UX Design Bootcamps
- Top 10 Inspiring Web Design trends for 2023.
Conclusion
We hope these UX portfolio examples serve to inspire you and get you itching to create your own UX designer portfolio website! If you are ready already then this step by step guide on how to design your website will be very useful for you. UX design is similar to website design and yet different so we hope this guide will be a useful starting point. Meanwhile, why don’t we brush up on our design knowledge by taking a look at some basic principles of design? It is always a great idea to start with the basics anyway!
Did you know that creating your UX designer portfolio can be shockingly easy, affordable and accessible? Really! You don’t even have to write a single line of code! Pixpa makes it easy. You can sign up for a full-featured, 15-day free trial right now to test drive Pixpa and start building a stunning, feature-rich UX design portfolio. No credit card required for sign up and no hidden charges. Sign up now!