Week 4: Building a professional presence

Hey, welcome back. You now know all about design sprints and how you fit in as an entry
level UX designer. Next, you’ll learn what a portfolio
is and why UX designers use them; how to choose a website builder for
your portfolio and start to create your website; how to demonstrate your unique value and
personal brand through the story you tell; how to describe your work
concisely and articulately, and how to create
a consistent online presence; and finally, how to network with
others and find a UX design mentor.

Introduction to UX design portfolios

A UX design portfolio is a collection of your work that showcases your skills and experience as a UX designer. It is an important tool for getting a job in UX design, as it allows potential employers to see your work and assess your skills.

A strong UX design portfolio should include a variety of projects that demonstrate your skills in different areas of UX design, such as user research, information architecture, interaction design, and visual design. It is also important to include projects that are relevant to the types of jobs you are interested in.

When creating your UX design portfolio, it is important to keep the following tips in mind:

• Choose the right projects. Not all of your projects will be relevant to every job you apply for. Choose projects that showcase your skills and experience in the areas that are most relevant to the jobs you are interested in.
• Highlight your impact. For each project, be sure to highlight the impact that your work had on users. This could include things like increased user satisfaction, improved conversion rates, or decreased customer support costs.
• Use clear and concise language. When describing your projects, be sure to use clear and concise language that is easy for potential employers to understand. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that they may not be familiar with.
• Include high-quality visuals. Visuals are a great way to showcase your work and make your portfolio more engaging. Be sure to include high-quality images and videos of your projects.
• Get feedback from others. Once you have created your portfolio, be sure to get feedback from others, such as friends, family, or colleagues. This will help you to identify any areas that need improvement.

By following these tips, you can create a strong UX design portfolio that will help you stand out to potential employers.

Here are some additional tips for creating a UX design portfolio:

• Tell a story. Your portfolio should tell a story about your journey as a UX designer and the skills and experience you have gained along the way.
• Be personal. Your portfolio should reflect your unique personality and style. This will help you to stand out from other candidates.
• Keep it updated. As you complete new projects, be sure to update your portfolio to include them. This will show potential employers that you are active and engaged in the field of UX design.

By following these tips, you can create a UX design portfolio that is both informative and engaging.

As we mentioned at the
beginning of the program, our goal is for you to
learn the skills you need to get a job as an
entry-level UX designer. But how do you demonstrate those skills during the
job application process? That’s where portfolios come in. In this video, you’ll
learn what a portfolio is and why UX designers use them. A portfolio is a collection
of work that you’ve created that shows your
skills in a certain area, like painting,
photography, or UX design. UX design is a creative field, so it’s important to show
hiring managers examples of your work and demonstrate the skills you can
bring to the job. In the past, portfolios
were usually a physical collection of work like a giant briefcase
full of drawings. But in today’s world, it’s more likely that your portfolio will
be on a website, which is much easier
to update and share. Next, you’ll build
your own website to showcase your
future portfolio. You don’t need to
know how to write code or have any
work to include yet. As you build your own projects
throughout this program, you’ll add them to
this new portfolio. Sound fun? It is. Creating a showcase of
your work and skills is a great way to start feeling like a part of the UX
design community. Keep in mind that the design of the website itself
is also important. Having a well-designed
website is another way to demonstrate that you understand the principles of UX design. You wouldn’t want
your website to have a bad user experience when you’re applying
for a job in UX. As you design the website, you want your portfolio to tell a story and grab the
user’s attention. This will help you stand out. After all, the user might be a recruiter or a client
interested in offering you a job. Next up, you’ll meet
entry-level UX designers, explore real-world
portfolios, and learn how those portfolios help lead
to jobs in UX design. Ready? Let’s get started.

I’m Lisa, I’m a visual
designer at Google. A visual designer at Google is a user experience designer that really focuses in on the creative expression
of a user experience. When I decided I wanted to get into user experience design, I had no experience. I didn’t have a
real first job yet. I had a very traditional
graphic design and branding portfolio. I had new projects from doing an internship for nine
months that I’d created. But then I decided that
I wanted to go into UX and I needed to
recreate that portfolio, having no work experience in UX, to still be a user
experience portfolio. When I was just applying
to user experience jobs, I knew I wanted to be
a visual designer. Even though at heart I was still unsure if I wanted
to call myself that, I knew it was important
to identify myself like that strategically
in the portfolio, so I said that I was
a visual designer. The actual portfolio in itself, I had to completely
redo the layout. I don’t need to
start from scratch, I don’t need to panic,
everything is there. I just need to reroute
the way that I am storytelling and bringing some
of these elements to life, so it does feel more like
a user experience project. I really focused in on the storytelling and the thinking like user experience designer. It was interesting because
when I got to Google, I felt, okay, I can
think like this. I just now need to catch
up on the day-to-day, the tools, the software, the things that most
people know going in, that somehow I faked
it till I made it. The funny part about
that is my team didn’t seem to care that I
didn’t know any of that. They were just happy
that I was curious, that I was hungry to learn, that I was anxious to get
started on a project. What really defined
how I got into the job was a curiosity to
learn, and to grow, and to project myself as a
ambitious visual designer.

Introduction to Website Builders

A website builder is a tool that allows you to create a website without any coding knowledge. Website builders typically use a drag-and-drop interface, making it easy to add and edit content on your website.

There are many different website builders available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some of the most popular website builders include:

• Wix
• Squarespace
• Webflow
• WordPress.com
• Weebly

Each website builder offers a variety of templates and features, so you can choose the one that best meets your needs.

Benefits of using a website builder

There are many benefits to using a website builder, including:

• Easy to use: Website builders are designed to be easy to use, even for people with no coding experience.
• Flexible: Website builders offer a variety of templates and features, so you can create a website that reflects your unique style and needs.
• Affordable: Website builders typically offer affordable pricing plans, making them a great option for small businesses and individuals.
• No coding required: You don’t need to know any code to use a website builder.

How to choose a website builder

When choosing a website builder, there are a few factors to consider:

• Ease of use: How easy is the website builder to use? Does it have a drag-and-drop interface?
• Template selection: Does the website builder offer a variety of templates to choose from?
• Features: What features are important to you? Do you need a blog? Ecommerce capabilities?
• Pricing: How much does the website builder cost?

Once you’ve considered these factors, you can start comparing different website builders to find the one that’s right for you.

Getting started with a website builder

Once you’ve chosen a website builder, you can start creating your website. Most website builders offer a step-by-step process to help you get started.

First, you’ll need to choose a template. Templates provide a pre-designed layout for your website, so you can start adding content right away.

Once you’ve chosen a template, you can start adding content to your website. This includes adding text, images, videos, and links.

Most website builders also offer a variety of tools to help you customize your website. For example, you can change the colors, fonts, and layout of your website.

Once you’re happy with your website, you can publish it so that people can view it.

Conclusion

Website builders are a great way to create a professional website without any coding knowledge. There are many different website builders available, so you can choose the one that best meets your needs.

If you’re not sure where to start, I recommend checking out some of the most popular website builders, such as Wix, Squarespace, and Webflow. These website builders offer a variety of templates and features, so you can create a website that reflects your unique style and needs.

What beneficial features do website builders offer UX designers when building a personalized online portfolio? Select all that apply.

Tutorials with guidance on how to add text and multimedia elements

Website builders offer user-friendly editing features, tutorials and even some templates so users do not need to start from scratch.

User-friendly editing features

These builders feature user-friendly WYSIWYG editors, offer tutorials and even some templates to start from. WYSIWYG is an acronym that means: what you see is what you get. Common website builders include Squarespace, Wix, and Webflow.

Hey, there. Now that you know
why you need a portfolio, let’s find out how to make one. Coming up, we’ll explain how to build a personalized
online portfolio, and we’ll help you choose the website builder that
works best for you. Building a website might
seem intimidating, but there are a lot
of tools to help you. Most website builders
are simple to use and don’t require any coding
or technical knowledge. Plus, they have a support
team on staff to help. Website builders often have tutorials to help you figure
out what layout to use, and how to add text,
sound, and images. These user-friendly
website builders feature WYSIWYG editors. WYSIWYG stands for What
You See Is What You Get. In other words, you can type, and make your text
bold or add italics as you would in a word
processing program like Google Docs
and Microsoft Word. All this might seem obvious, but Web-based WYSIWYG editors have only been around
for 10 years or so. Before website builders
were widely available, you had to create
everything in HTML and CSS, which are the coding languages used to build the internet. Fortunately, things
are a lot simpler now, so you don’t need to know any code to build an
impressive portfolio. If you do know how to code, or if you’d like the challenge and flexibility that you get
with coding, awesome. You can choose to build
a website from scratch, instead of using a
website builder. Just be sure to put your UX
design work front-and-center, and prioritize the
UX of the site. Remember, recruiters
and employers want to know about
your UX design work, not how good you are at coding. Now let’s check out some
common website builders used by UX designers
to build portfolios. There are lots of options
for website builders. But in this video, we’ll focus on three of the most popular: Wix, Squarespace, and Webflow. For this program, you can
choose any of the three. They all have benefits
and drawbacks. So choose the website builder
that works best for you. Don’t worry that your portfolio might look similar
to your classmates’. There are a variety
of templates to choose from on each
website builder. You’ll personalize your template to convey your unique style, communicate the value you bring to the UX design industry, and showcase your designs. Now, we’ll quickly review
each website builder. Then you can use the links
in the readings to learn more and decide which website
builder you’d like to use. The reading also has step-by-step instructions on
how to set up your website. Wix is easy to use, and a favorite with folks in all kinds of
creative industries. There are plenty of templates and even some templates
specifically for portfolios. Templates mean that you don’t have to start
from a blank slate, which makes it easy to achieve impressive
results in no time. Squarespace is also popular, especially with visual designers. Squarespace is best known
for its blog function, but it also has beautiful
website themes. There are a bunch of
templates to choose from, and it’s flexible to allow
for personalization. If you’re new to
website building, it’s definitely a great choice. Finally, Webflow is
a well-known option among UX designers for
its on-trend styles, and layouts, and high
level of customization. You do need some knowledge
of coding though. So if you’d like to practice
your coding skills, Webflow might be a
good choice for you. Each of these website
builders offer their own add-ons that
you can purchase. One option is a domain, or the address of your website. It’s better to have
your own domain name for personal branding. You’ll personalize your template to convey your own unique style, communicate the value you bring to the UX design industry, and showcase your designs. Okay, now you know why
website builders are helpful tools for building
your UX design portfolio. Take some time to
check out each tool so you fully understand
the options available. Then pick the one you want
to use based on your needs and your career interests. Next, we’ll cover
the best practices and essential features of a UX designer’s
portfolio. See you then.

Introduction to best practices for UX design portfolios

A UX design portfolio is a collection of your work that showcases your skills and experience to potential employers. It is an essential tool for any UX designer who wants to land their dream job.

When building your UX design portfolio, it is important to follow best practices to ensure that it is effective and engaging. Here are a few tips:

• Highlight your strongest work. Choose projects that showcase your best skills and experience. Make sure your portfolio is visually appealing and easy to navigate.
• Tell a story. Your portfolio should tell the story of your design process. This means explaining the challenges you faced, the decisions you made, and the results you achieved.
• Use clear and concise language. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that your audience may not understand. Instead, focus on explaining your work in a way that is clear and easy to follow.
• Include case studies. Case studies are a great way to demonstrate your design process and the impact of your work. When writing case studies, be sure to include the following information:
  • The problem you were trying to solve
  • Your research methods
  • Your design solutions
  • The results of your work
• Make sure your portfolio is responsive. This means that it should look good and function properly on all devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
• Get feedback from others. Ask friends, family, colleagues, or mentors to review your portfolio and provide feedback. This will help you identify any areas that need improvement.

By following these tips, you can create a UX design portfolio that will help you land your dream job.

Here are some additional best practices that you may want to consider:

• Use high-quality visuals. Your portfolio should be visually appealing and easy to scan. Use high-quality images and videos to showcase your work.
• Use keywords throughout your portfolio. This will help potential employers find your portfolio when they search for UX designers online.
• Keep your portfolio up-to-date. Add new projects and case studies as you complete them. This will show potential employers that you are active and engaged in the UX design community.

By following these best practices, you can create a UX design portfolio that is effective and engaging. This will help you land your dream job and start a successful career in UX design.

Identify best practices that can help you personalize your portfolio. Select all that apply.

Tell a story

By telling a story about your design process, you engage your audience and they learn about your personal approach to design. Establishing your personal brand, and going beyond the template are other best practices that can help personalize your portfolio.

Establish your personal brand

Your personal brand should clearly demonstrate who you are and what value you bring to an organization. Telling a story, and going beyond the template are other best practices that can help personalize your portfolio.

Go beyond the template

Customizing your website to align with your brand and story differentiates your portfolio from others. Establishing your personal brand, and telling a story are other best practices that can help personalize your portfolio.

Congrats on setting up your website now
that you’ve got that first step out of the way. You can start personalizing the website in
this video will share best practices and highlight some essential
features of UX design portfolios. Keep in mind there is no right
way to build your portfolio. Every designer recruiter and client has a different idea about what
should be featured in a portfolio. It’s most important to find a way to
make yourself stand out from the other designers. You’ll also want to express yourself
in a way that fits your job interests. For example, if you’re interested
in specializing in interaction, visual or motion design, your portfolio should showcase that
type of work ready, let’s get started. Pro Tip # 1,
establish your personal brand. Your personal brand is the way in
which your personality, unique skills, and values as a designer intersect
with your public persona. We’ll learn more about branding later,
but the main thing to know is that your personal brand is the first
impression you make. Your personal brand should clearly
demonstrate who you are and what makes you interesting. Pro Tip number two, tell a story. Your website could easily turn into
a list of links and photos, but to engage your audience, you need to tell a story about your design
process with a beginning, middle and end. This might mean that you start with
an introduction of the design problem. Then in the middle show the process you
followed to complete the designs like user research, sketches and wire frames. Then end with an image
of the polish design and an endorsement from your client or
another person whose opinion you value. Pro tip number three, be concise,
use minimal text to describe your work and highlight the key insights that
help inform your decisions. Let your work speak for itself. If you need to explain your work in more
detail, add links to other pages or PDFs. Pro tip number four,
keep your navigation simple and intuitive. The navigation is the way users get
from page to page on a website. Users should be able to reach the home
page from any part of your site and your navigation should lead them
from one project to the next. It should also be easy for
users to navigate to the contact page. If they want to get in touch with you, your contact page should
include your email address, a copy of your resume and links to your
professional social media accounts. Pro tip number five go
beyond the template. Although a website builders pre designed
layouts make it easy to get started. You need to go a step further customize
your website to align with your brand and the story you want to tell. You should demonstrate your design skills
and provide a good user experience. For example, remove the text that
comes preloaded in the template and replace it with your own content. Also register your own domain name so that your websites address doesn’t
contain the name of the website builder. You can buy a domain directly
through website builders or through a 3rd party service. Pro tip number six,
include the diversity of projects. You should have 3-6 projects in your
portfolio that demonstrate the range of your skills. At the end of this program, you’ll have
created at least three projects so you’ll be well on your way. Make sure each project shows a different
facet of your design talents. Pro tip number seven,
feature case studies. A case study leads the user through
your design process from the beginning to the end. Your portfolio should
feature case studies, not just mock ups of design ideas. A case study answers these questions. What was the problem you
were trying to solve? What process did you follow? Where did you succeed or fail? What insights inform your
design decisions along the way? And what was the ultimate solution? And why do you feel that
solution was the best? When describing case studies you
might want to include things like the project’s name and duration,
your role on the design team, including your personal
contributions to the project. The project’s goal,
the research that was conducted, the intended audience, any sketches or
wire frames user testing results, the final design and a conclusion
about what you learned in the process. You’ll learn more about each of these
elements as you continue through the program. One more thing to keep in
mind about case studies. Be careful not to share any
proprietary information or break a nondisclosure agreement,
if you have one. A non disclosure agreement is a contract
an employee might sign when working with a business in which they agree not to
share sensitive information like designs. In the process of being developed. Pro tip number eight,
make sure your website is responsive. Remember that responsive means the on
screen appearance of the website adjusts based on the user’s device. So whether someone looks at your website
on the desktop computer or mobile phone, they’ll have a good experience. And finally, pro tip number nine,
test your website. It’s important to test your website
on different devices to make sure it functions properly. For example,
you might need to move buttons around or adjust images to fit on
the mobile version of your site. You don’t want to lose a recruiters
interests because they decided to pull up your website on their phone
instead of their computer and found the text misaligned. Like we mentioned earlier, having
a portfolio with a great user experience will impress potential employers. All right, that’s it. It’s a lot of work to build a design
portfolio that tells your story and connects with users. That’s why we’re starting now. If you add new pieces to your
portfolio as you build them, you’ll be in much better shape
when it’s time to apply for jobs. To stay on track, schedule time to
work on your portfolio every week. We’ll remind you to add to your website as you
complete projects and learn new skills. Coming up we’ll explore personal
branding and why it matters so you can get to work personalizing
your portfolio, let’s get to it.

Explore Personal Brands

A personal brand is the way in which you present yourself to the world. It is your unique identity, and it can help you stand out from the crowd and achieve your goals.

There are many different ways to explore your personal brand. Here are a few ideas:

• Think about your values. What is important to you? What do you believe in? Your values should be the foundation of your personal brand.
• Consider your skills and talents. What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? Your skills and talents should be the focus of your personal brand.
• Think about your goals. What do you want to achieve in your career? What kind of impact do you want to have on the world? Your goals should be aligned with your personal brand.

Once you have a better understanding of your values, skills, talents, and goals, you can start to develop your personal brand. Here are a few tips:

• Be authentic. Your personal brand should be a reflection of who you truly are. Don’t try to be someone you’re not.
• Be consistent. Your personal brand should be consistent across all of your platforms, including your website, social media, and email signature.
• Be active. Share your thoughts and ideas with the world. Participate in online discussions and events. The more visible you are, the stronger your personal brand will become.

Here are some examples of personal brands:

• A UX designer who is passionate about creating accessible and inclusive products could have a personal brand that focuses on their commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• A software engineer who is interested in using technology to solve social problems could have a personal brand that focuses on their social impact work.
• A writer who is passionate about storytelling could have a personal brand that focuses on their unique perspective and voice.

No matter what your interests or goals are, there is a personal brand that is right for you. By exploring your values, skills, talents, and goals, you can develop a personal brand that will help you achieve your dreams.

Here are some additional tips for exploring your personal brand:

• Talk to people who know you well. Ask them to describe your strengths, weaknesses, and unique qualities.
• Look at other people’s personal brands. What do you like and dislike about their brands? What can you learn from them?
• Experiment with different ways of presenting yourself. Try different writing styles, social media platforms, and creative projects.
• Get feedback from others. Ask people what they think of your personal brand and how you can improve it.

Exploring your personal brand is an ongoing process. It takes time and effort to develop a strong and authentic brand. But it is worth it. A strong personal brand can help you achieve your goals, build relationships, and make a difference in the world.

Fill in the blank: When working as a UX designer or in any other creative role, your personal brand is important because _____. Select all that apply.

it is a way for you to stand out from the crowd

Your personal brand helps you stand out from the crowd because it is a reflection of your individual values and interests. 

it helps you identify with companies that share your values

Your personal brand helps match you with companies that share your values. This is important because it helps companies understand how you could fit as a member of their organization.

Hi again. We’ve established that your personal brand is the way
in which your personality, unique skills, and values as a designer intersect with
your public persona. Your personal brand is an essential way to
demonstrate your value as a designer and should be a central focus when
building your portfolio. But why do personal
brands matter? Let’s investigate. When you think of the word brand, well-known businesses
come to mind. How do you think about a company when you hear their name? What’s your perception of
McDonald’s as a brand? Or Starbucks? What about Apple? All of these are
major brands with very different messages
about their business, products, and the value
they offer consumers. It might even make you feel a certain way when
you think about them, like hungry or excited. But branding isn’t just
for big companies. People think about
their brands too. For example, celebrities
choose their work and philanthropies they support based on the personal brand
they want to convey. You can do the same
thing as a UX designer. You want to build a
personal brand that showcases the type of
work you want to do. Your personal brand is your
primary source of marketing, which is why it’s so important
to be your authentic self. So how do you figure out what your personal
brand should be? You can start by asking
yourself a few questions. What am I naturally good at? What have I learned to do well? What do I enjoy? What do I value? How do other people
describe me and my talents? What do I want people
to recognize me for? If you are already
answering those questions in your mind, fantastic. Later, you’ll
complete a worksheet that will help you
answer these questions. Now let’s explore why
branding is important. When you’re working
as a UX designer or in any other creative role, your personal brand is a way for you to stand out from the crowd. Otherwise, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of
job applicants. You want recruiters to
understand who you are, your passions, and your
strengths right away. Having a strong
personal brand can also help match you with companies
that share your values. When a company looks
for a designer, it’s helpful for
them to understand your personal brand
before they hire you. Think about how you might shop at a certain store based
on their branding. For example, what brand
comes to mind when you hear the words inexpensive
or expensive? What about healthy
or comfort food? How about celebrities? Who would you describe
as a social activist, or generous, or humble? Ideally, you want the
way you think about yourself and the way others
describe you to be similar. When you think about
your personal brand, it’s useful to come up with a list of your
talents and values. When doing a personal
branding exercise, you might realize that
your self-perception and public perceptions
are different. That’s perfectly normal, but it’s not ideal when you’re trying to project a
particular brand. So you might want to think
about how you can bring your self-perception and public perception
closer together. In addition, your brand should be consistent everywhere you
have a presence online. That includes your
social media accounts, your profiles on UX
design communities, your resume, and
your business cards. If figuring out
how to communicate your personal brand in
writing makes you nervous, we’ve got your back. Later, we’ll go through best practices to describe
your work in writing. Keep up the awesome work.

Use writing best practices in a UX portfolio

Your UX portfolio is a chance to showcase your skills and experience to potential employers. Your writing is an important part of this, as it can help you to communicate your ideas clearly and concisely.

Here are some writing best practices to follow when creating your UX portfolio:

• Be clear and concise. Avoid using jargon or overly complex language. Instead, use clear and simple language that is easy to understand.
• Be specific. Don’t just say that you are a “skilled UX designer.” Instead, highlight specific skills and experience that are relevant to the jobs you are applying for.
• Use strong verbs. Instead of saying “I was responsible for the design of the user interface,” say “I designed the user interface.”
• Use keywords. Include keywords that are relevant to the jobs you are applying for in your writing. This will help your portfolio to be found by potential employers who are searching for candidates with your skills and experience.
• Proofread carefully. Make sure to proofread your writing carefully before publishing your portfolio. This will help to ensure that there are no errors in grammar or spelling.

Here are some specific tips for writing about your UX work in your portfolio:

• Start with a strong introduction. Your introduction should provide a brief overview of your portfolio and highlight your skills and experience.
• Use case studies to showcase your work. Case studies are a great way to tell the story of your UX projects and demonstrate your skills.
• Be specific about your role in each project. What were your responsibilities? What challenges did you face? What solutions did you develop?
• Use visuals to support your writing. Screenshots, wireframes, and prototypes can help to illustrate your points and make your writing more engaging.
• End with a call to action. Let potential employers know what you are looking for and how they can contact you.

By following these writing best practices, you can create a UX portfolio that is clear, concise, and effective. This will help you to communicate your skills and experience to potential employers and increase your chances of landing your dream job.

We’ve covered the essentials of a good portfolio and the importance of communicating
your personal brand. Next up, let’s talk about writing concisely and articulately
in your portfolio. Communicating through design and through writing are
similar skills. The main goal for writing
your portfolio is to structure the information
clearly and concisely. Focus on highlighting the
most important parts of your story and keep your writing succinct and easy to skim. Most recruiters and
hiring managers review a lot of portfolios. You want them to stay engaged. Let’s start with
your introduction. The introduction to you
and your portfolio should go above the fold on the
homepage of your website. The term “above the fold” comes from the design
of a newspaper. If you’re holding a
newspaper in your hands, the most important information
is on the top part of the front page, before you
unfold it or flip it over. The same concept
applies to websites. What’s above the
fold is the content on a website that doesn’t
require scrolling down. Your introduction should
be clear and to the point: your name and what you do. You might also include something that establishes
your personal brand. For example, “Hi, I’m Michael. I believe that creative
collaboration between design and technology is the magic that takes experiences
from good to great.” If a recruiter is searching for a motion designer and can
immediately tell that’s your specialty by glancing at the introduction on your
homepage, then great — they’re more likely to continue going through your portfolio. But if your homepage uses vague language or doesn’t
communicate anything at all, the recruiter might not
bother going further. Next up, the About Me page. This is exactly what
it sounds like — a professional page about you. Try reading About Me pages on websites of a few UX designers
or companies you admire. You can write in more detail
on your About Me page, since you want
potential employers and recruiters to be able to
learn more about you. You might include
what kind of work you do; what you’re passionate about or things you value; where you work currently; if your job is
in a related field; your credentials, like
this certificate and any additional education;
any notable projects, clients, or awards; and your contact information,
including your email address, links to your profiles on
professional networking sites, and where you currently live. Finally, you want to include descriptions of your
work in your portfolio. Within the case study
for each project, you should write about the
topics we discussed earlier, such as your role in the project, your process, and
the final design. Throughout your portfolio, let your designs tell the story and provide
evidence of your talent. To keep your writing
concise and articulate, here are a few tips. Use as few words as
possible to make your point. Avoid complicated language.
You don’t need three adjectives when one specific one will do. The words you choose should be clear descriptors, not buzzwords. Avoid jargon. Jargon
are industry terms that people who don’t work
in UX design may not know. Your writing should be easy to understand and approachable. Include keywords that might
be in a job description or concepts that every UX
designer should know like, the user journey
or design sprint. This is a good way to increase your site’s discoverability
on search engines. Inject personality,
be conversational. Your website should
accurately reflect you, your work, and your brand
you’ve established. Last tip, find a trusted editor. Everyone, even professional
writers, makes mistakes. Ask a friend to
check your writing for spelling and
grammatical errors, or to point out any places
where the writing is distracting from the projects
you’re trying to highlight. That’s it, now you know some tips for writing
in your portfolio. Writing well takes practice. It might take a few
tries to get it right. You’ll have the
opportunity to practice your writing in an
upcoming activity. If you’re having trouble, check out the discussion forum and ask a classmate for advice. Coming up, we’ll
talk about building a cohesive and
consistent presence online. Let’s keep going.

How to start building an online presence in UX

Building an online presence is important for any UX designer, whether you’re just starting out or you’re an experienced professional. A strong online presence can help you connect with potential employers, clients, and collaborators. It can also help you establish yourself as an expert in your field and build a reputation for high-quality work.

Here are some tips on how to start building an online presence in UX:

1. Create a portfolio website. This is the most important step in building your online presence. Your portfolio website should showcase your best work and give potential employers and clients a sense of your skills and experience. Make sure to include a clear and concise bio, as well as contact information.
2. Be active on social media. LinkedIn is a great platform for connecting with other UX professionals and potential employers. You can also use Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms to share your work, articles, and other resources related to UX design.
3. Contribute to online communities. There are many online communities for UX designers, such as the UX Stack Exchange and the UX subreddit. Getting involved in these communities is a great way to learn from others, share your knowledge, and build relationships with other UX professionals.
4. Write blog posts and articles. Writing blog posts and articles is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and share your knowledge with the UX community. You can write about your own experiences as a UX designer, or you can share your insights on the latest trends and developments in UX design.
5. Give talks and workshops. If you have the opportunity, giving talks and workshops is a great way to reach a wider audience and share your knowledge of UX design. You can give talks at local meetups, conferences, or online.

Building an online presence takes time and effort, but it’s worth it in the long run. A strong online presence can help you land your dream job, grow your career, and make a real impact in the UX community.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind as you start building your online presence:

• Be consistent. The key to building a strong online presence is to be consistent with your efforts. This means regularly posting new content on your portfolio website and social media accounts, and actively participating in online communities.
• Be authentic. People can spot a fake from a mile away, so be yourself and let your personality shine through in your online presence.
• Be helpful. One of the best ways to build a strong online presence is to be helpful to others. Answer questions, share your knowledge, and offer advice.
• Be patient. It takes time to build a strong online presence. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately. Just keep at it and you’ll eventually start to see progress.

Building an online presence is an essential part of being a successful UX designer. By following the tips above, you can start building a strong online presence that will help you achieve your career goals.

Fill in the blank: As a best practice, your photos should be _____ when posted across social media platforms.

consistent

Posting photos consistent across platforms helps to build a cohesive professional presence online.

Great work on your portfolio so far. You’ve accomplished so much already,
like setting up your website and learning best practices for writing. In this video, we’ll explain how to build
a cohesive and consistent presence online. We covered how to apply your
personal brand to your portfolio in an earlier video. Your personal brand should come across
in your portfolio, on social media, in online UX design communities, and
on job search websites. You’ll also want to keep handy
the worksheets you completed about your personal brand, so you can
reference them in the next few videos. So, what does it mean to build
your professional presence online? Start with your personal statement, which was part of the branding
worksheet you completed. A personal statement is a one- or two-sentence phrase that describes
what you do and what you stand for. Think of a personal statement
like your own slogan or tagline. You want your personal statement to
highlight what makes your work unique. The best personal statements
are memorable and catchy. Consider including a version of your
personal statement on the About Me page of your portfolio website. It’s helpful to repeat words that you
use to describe yourself in order to reinforce the key elements of your brand. You might also want to include your
personal statement on your social media profiles or your resume.
Keep in mind, whatever your personal statement communicates should
also be reflected in your work. For example, if you describe
yourself as organized, that should be evident in your designs. Or if you’re passionate about
working in virtual reality, you should include a design for
a virtual reality experience. Even if it’s not your own design, you
can describe why it’s inspiring to you. In addition, you probably know that
you should be thoughtful about posting pictures of yourself on the internet. Since we’re trying to build a cohesive
professional presence online, your photo should be consistent across platforms,
like your portfolio and LinkedIn profile. For example, using the same
photo of yourself everywhere can help recruiters identify
you across platforms. And when selecting a photo
of yourself to use, you should express your unique style,
culture, and interests. Finally, make sure your color
scheme, logo, font, and other design elements
are consistent across platforms. This includes websites
like your portfolio and social media accounts, as well as physical
products like your business cards. Of course, there’s only so much customization you can do on some
of these social media sites, but try to keep the look and feel as
consistent as possible whenever you can. Keep in mind that your online presence and personal brand are important in landing
a job and growing your career. It’s also a chance for
you to be creative, so have fun with it. Next, we’ll explore how personal branding
is useful when creating profiles on social media sites and online communities
for UX designers. See you soon.

Welcome back. Now
that you’ve defined your personal brand and
built your own website, it’s time to think about professional networking
on social media. In this video, we’ll
discuss how you can use social media as a tool to
connect with recruiters, potential employers, and your peers in the
UX design community. There’s a good chance you
already have a profile on at least one
social media site, like Facebook or Instagram, that you use to connect
with friends and family. Social media can be a great way to connect with
potential employers, learn about new
concepts and ideas, and network with
other UX designers. Right now, let’s focus on two of the most popular
social media sites for UX designers,
LinkedIn and Twitter. LinkedIn is a professional
networking site where you can connect
with people you know, learn more about companies, read about interesting ideas, and post your own content. LinkedIn is a great place to host your resume and get
noticed by recruiters. It’s one of the top
websites recruiters use to find job candidates. In fact, many of my
job opportunities over the years started with networking and making
connections through LinkedIn. How do you set up a
profile on LinkedIn? First, you go to the LinkedIn homepage and create an account, then create your profile. Be sure to list
your job history or other professional
experiences along with descriptions of your role
at each organization. Once your profile is filled out, you’re ready to
connect with people. It’s best to connect with
people you actually know, especially people
you’ve worked with. You might also want to
connect with former teachers, coaches, classmates,
or family members. You can add a connection by
clicking the Connect button. Personalize your
connection request with a short message that reminds the person how
you know each other. Once they accept, you’ll get a confirmation saying
you’re connected. You should also use
LinkedIn to connect with recruiters in the
UX design industry. Add a note to your connection request that you’re looking to learn more about the company
and their job openings. You can also consider
connecting with employees at the company
you’d like to work for. Browse the LinkedIn profiles of people associated
with the company. Check out if you know
anyone who currently works at the company or has
worked there in the past. If so, don’t be afraid to send them a
personalized message. LinkedIn will also
tell you if you have friends of friends who
work at the company. If this happens, reach out to your friend
to see if they’re willing to make an
introduction to their friend who
works at the company. If you don’t have connections
to anyone at the company, send a personalized
message to someone at the company whose
work impresses you. You can ask if they’d
be willing to have a 15-minute conversation about their day-to-day job and how they like working
at the company. Finally, join a LinkedIn group. These are groups of people in a particular industry or who
share a specific interest. There are dozens of groups already dedicated to UX design, so join one or two
that interest you. Get involved in the
group conversation, and feel free to connect
with folks in the group. You can also follow a specific
company or hashtag on LinkedIn, like #UXdesign,
to learn new trends, read articles, and chat with people who share
your interests. Another great place
to network with professionals is on Twitter. If you aren’t familiar
with Twitter, it’s a social media platform
where you can follow people, interact with their posts, and share your own ideas. Twitter isn’t as focused on professional networking
as LinkedIn; it’s usually better
for reading posts from prominent people in the
UX design industry, starting conversations
with peers, and learning from
industry thought leaders on a more personal level. It’s okay if you’re not ready
to start tweeting about your UX design knowledge while you’re still
learning about the field. You might start by following industry insiders and liking
and retweeting their posts. If you’re feeling bold, you can add to the conversation by replying to their tweets. You can also tag industry professionals
in your own tweets. This is just like striking up a conversation in real life — who knows they might
want to connect. Keep in mind that
LinkedIn and Twitter have different tones and it’s a good idea to treat
them that way. You might be more professional
and focused on LinkedIn, but more open and conversational on Twitter. That’s great. It gives recruiters
and other designers the opportunity to see different sides of
your personality. Remember, anything you post
on social media is public-facing. Even private messages with other users can be
copied and shared widely, so be smart about what
you post and like. You should also be
smart about sharing photos or posts that don’t align with
the personal brand you’re developing
as a UX designer. When in doubt, set your personal accounts
to private mode. There’s a reading included this week that outlines
how to do just that. All right, you’ve got
LinkedIn and Twitter covered. Now, let’s keep going with popular online UX
design communities.

Dive into the World of UX Design Communities: Grow, Share, and Connect

Greetings, aspiring UX designers! Ready to unlock the power of online communities and skyrocket your career? This tutorial delves into three vibrant platforms bursting with opportunities to learn, showcase your skills, and connect with fellow designers: Dribbble, Behance, and Medium.

Dribbble: Your Design Playground

• Showcase your creativity: Share bite-sized design snippets highlighting specific skills like branding, product design, or typography.
• Gain valuable feedback: Post your work and solicit constructive criticism from experienced designers.
• Network and connect: Follow inspiring designers, teams, and companies, and initiate conversations through likes and comments.
• Land your dream job: Utilize the robust job board and freelance marketplace to discover promising opportunities.

Behance: Explore and Be Discovered

• Dive into a global design library: Explore diverse projects from around the world and find inspiration for your own work.
• Follow your design heroes: Keep tabs on influential designers and stay updated on industry trends.
• Land your dream opportunity: Search for full-time, freelance, and internship positions tailored to your specific interests.
• Learn in real-time: Witness design magic firsthand through live streams hosted by talented professionals.

Medium: Share Your UX Insights

• Shift gears to long-form content: Contribute thought leadership articles about UX design, often incorporating visuals.
• Learn from the best: Immerse yourself in articles by industry leaders and glean valuable insights into design processes and trends.
• Build your voice and audience: Share your unique perspective and establish yourself as a thought leader by publishing your own articles.
• Connect with your community: Engage in discussions through comments, claps (likes), and following inspiring figures.

Remember:

• Actively participate: Don’t just lurk! Engage in discussions, offer feedback, and connect with other designers.
• Find your perfect fit: Each platform has its strengths. Explore and discover which one aligns best with your goals.
• Showcase your skills: Utilize these communities to present your design talent and attract potential employers.

Ready to take action? Here’s your personalized roadmap:

1. Choose your platform(s): Start with one or two communities that resonate with your style and goals.
2. Create a compelling profile: Highlight your skills, interests, and unique design perspective.
3. Start sharing: Showcase your work, offer insightful comments, and actively participate in discussions.
4. Connect and network: Reach out to inspiring designers, ask questions, and build meaningful relationships.
5. Grow and evolve: Continuously learn, iterate, and refine your online presence to stay ahead of the curve.

By embracing these online communities, you’ll unlock a treasure trove of learning, connection, and career opportunities. So, step into the vibrant world of UX design communities, and watch your creative journey flourish!

Bonus Tip: Explore additional communities like UX Collective, AIGA, and Interaction Design Foundation to further expand your network and knowledge base.

We just discussed how LinkedIn and Twitter are great places to network
with recruiters and professionals. There are also online communities
specifically for UX designers. Having a presence on one of these sites is
a fantastic way to gain exposure and demonstrate your skills in UX design. In this video, we’ll talk about some of
the most popular UX design communities: Dribbble, Behance, and Medium. You can create accounts on these sites to learn more about UX design in general and to get design inspiration
from other professionals. In addition, posting your own designs
on these sites is a great way to get feedback on your work
from experienced UX designers. To get started, let’s dig into Dribbble. Dribbble – that’s three “B”s – is a
community of designers who want to share their work, ask for feedback, get inspiration, and find jobs. The designs that people share on Dribbble
are usually not full case studies like what’s in your portfolio. Instead, they are small snapshots of work
that highlight a particular skill or interest like branding,
product design, or typography. If there’s a specific design you like,
you can follow that designer. It’s also helpful to check out designers
with the most followers in order to understand popular kinds of designs and get ideas about how to
present yourself effectively. Similarly, you can follow
teams on Dribbble. These might include
companies like Google or independent design groups
that have their own pages. Plus, liking and commenting on projects
is a great way to start conversations with other designers and make
connections in the UX design community. Finally, Dribbble is a great community
to join if you’re looking for a job. Dribbble has a robust job search
forum, including a job board and a freelance marketplace. Employers pay to list their jobs and
internships in this forum, so the posted positions
are legitimate opportunities. In addition, recruiters look for
designers on Dribbble, so being an active member is another way to
demonstrate your skills and get hired. A second popular community for
UX designers is Behance. Many features on Behance
are similar to Dribbble. For example, you can discover
designs from around the world and follow specific designers. Behance also has a job board
that features full time jobs, freelance roles, and internships. You can narrow your search on the job
board down to very specific fields. In addition, designers frequently
live stream from Behance to demonstrate their skills in real time. Finally, a third online community for
UX designers is Medium. You might be familiar with Medium already. It’s a popular blogging platform featuring
articles on all kinds of topics. There’s a vibrant UX design
community on Medium, specifically at UX Collective,
a subset of the website. Medium is pretty different
from Dribbble and Behance. For example, on Medium your designs
are not the main attraction. Instead, the Medium community focuses
on long-form writing about UX design, sometimes including visuals. So start reading. There are lots of articles on Medium from
leaders in UX design, including Googlers. Medium is a great place to discover
the processes of top designers and learn about industry trends. We even have a Google design collection. Keep in mind that articles on blogging
sites like Medium should be considered opinion pieces, not objective research. That said, you can still learn a lot
from the resources on Medium, like tips for using a specific design
software or how to build equity and accessibility into your work. You can communicate with other designers
by responding to articles in the comment section and giving claps, which are basically Medium’s like button. You can also follow designers who inspire
you and sign up for their newsletters. It’s a great way to expand your network. You can even publish your own Medium post. Medium offers plenty of resources
to help you get started. Polish your story, and find your audience. You can find more details on how to
create a profile on each of these platforms in the course readings. Get creative, and don’t be afraid to
start posting your design ideas, requesting feedback, and becoming an active member of online UX
design communities. You’ll do great. Next, we’re going to
explain how recruiters and interviewers might check out your
online presence. See you there.