To avoid sounding generic, find your unfair advantage: Passion + Talent + Designer Skills The overlapping themes can be your narrative to explain your value proposition. For example mine is: New Ideas + Design Fast + Ship Products So my one-liner is: I help startups ship MVP to market, FAST
You just gained a new subscriber. To your question, I'm glad to hear hiring managers are looking for standout storytelling and I'm going to work harder to emphasize how my past experience informs my design decisions. Thanks for the concise, distilled advice.
The problem and solution with design is that it is biased and subjective, one has to tune their communication that appeals to the respective market to get a shot into landing a job or gig. It is pretty confusing as to what others would like, so one must stick to what they offered as a solution to their existing firm in a way that is lucid and easy on the eyes to consume for the hiring manager/client. It can be frustrating when one is trying to find a solution to making a portfolio that appeals to the most and not be generic. The irony of the previous sentence can only be balanced by giving it time and careful planning which is again contrasted by the need to make a portfolio quickly so that one can move in the hiring process faster
Hi Femke, thank you so much for going through the examples with so much detail, I really appreciate it! As a junior designer, I've been hearing conflicting advice on what to include in case studies; in your video you emphasize the 3 main highlights (problem/opportunity, solution, and impact), but I've also been told to showcase how I worked with others, my specific contributions, and how I approach the design process. I was wondering what your thoughts are on this? Thanks again, you're a gem!
Hey! I think those are great topics to touch on in your portfolio presentation during the interview process, however I don't think they are as critical in a showcase piece on your website.
I’m changing careers. I would love to hear more on ways to incorporate past experience and examples…at an older age/mid to late 40’s. I’m going from being in the electro-mechanical field to the design/developer field. I’ve always been an artist. So I’m into design & tech.
Gonna be straight with you - your chances at landing an entry level design job at your age and lack of relevant experience is near 0. Anyone who tells you otherwise are always referencing anecdotes and unicorns to support their toxic positivity. What I've learned from hundreds of applications is that "transferrable skills" simply don't compete with direct relevant job experience, not to mention a degree. Age-ism is also unfortunately a reality as it relates to job culture. Recruiters don't want to hire a middle-aged employee and toss them into a work culture full of 20-somethings.
I don't know much about the electro-mechanical field - but I struggle to see any adjacent or transferrable skills. My recommendation would be to go out and get some real world experience, however you can. Start a side project, freelance for a friend, volunteer. Nothing beats real world experience.
Following on from the current replies; pivoting is possible but it may feel like starting again. Shillington gives a decent education (though their locations are limited) for people of all different ages looking to get into design. Other avenues within the design-space could work as stepping stones, project management, research & analytics and client services, though if you can code already then you may be able to move into design engineering easier.
Thank you Femke for this video.❤ Answer to your question: I am going to introduce myself quickly, highlighing my top services and skill set. I will also make my portfolio a reflection of my actual design work. Thank you. ❤
This looks as too much, but I've taken notes and made a to do list which now looks more simple than I thought. Some changes here and there aaaand done. Thank you! 😊
I love this so much! I'm interested on your personal preference and opinion on showing the work before anything else. A lot of the examples walked us through a few sections reviewing who the designer is and their impact they have made/can bring which is awesome to see and a breath of fresh air but something growing designers are told against. When I was a junior I was told again and again that kind of info should be in the "About Me" or after showing your work, so below or in a separate page. I'm open to hearing everyone elses' thoughts on this and hiring managers, if you're out there, please chime in (:
Thank you so much, I was about to create a portfolio of my work, and this video is really supportive.. great tip, I'Il go for showcase instead of creating long case study.
@@femkedesign please guide me I want to mention my contributions just as Sean Kennedy did. Like to mention product domains that I worked in. For example, I designed mobile wallets apps for local market. So i can write in three words Mobile wallet apps Now currently I design responsive websites for affiliate marketing agency that do comparisons of digital products/services of our client's brands Please tell me how can i shorten this domain to two to three words just as I done for mobile wallet apps
Hi Femke! I understand that people want to see the final solution, designs, etc ... But how do you go around confidentiality? I work for a big corporation and would have 0 chance of them allowing me to publish anything that shows the final designs... Any advice is welcomed! 😊
Thank you so much for your videos! You are adorable! You said super many great things and how you got excited about the portfolios! Lots of details were great too. I have to say though, so much text in each portfolio... it's less beneficial (people don't read).
Lets be honest, the market has also been saturated with lots of bad designers. It shouldnt be a walk in the park landing a job in tech, but now they are looking for people that are actually dedicated to the craft that either have deep knowledge, OR are actually interested in becoming great. They also are trying to weave out the ones that went into it thinking it would be.a quick check. I think this should apply in any type of work, and tech should be no different. I personally blame youtube tech-bros and tech-chicks for the oversaturated market. Good video :)
Great video! I’ve got some real experience on small projects and few websites, but I’m starting to lose hope I’ll ever get a company role. To be clear, you need your website portfolio and a presentation style portfolio with slides for when or if you get an interview?
great video! I do have a question regarding fresh graduates. Should I also arrange my projects only as showcase and not a full case study? I dont have "real world" projects and I only present school work...
Thank you so much. I have a question - How can I position myself for the role I want when I'm unsure what role I would like? I don't have any experience within UX yet, only my case studies.
Thanks for the great insights on what to look out for in a design portfolio. For the designers who don't have any developer experience , would it work to provide a portfolio link that's designed in Figma? Fully functional design portfolio but not developed.
I don't have any developer experience either! There are so many tools out there that make it easy to build a portfolio website, without requiring use or knowledge of coding. I use and recommend Webflow: webflow.grsm.io/1125819 In the mean time, I think it's ok to link to a portfolio presentation in Figma.
This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks @shrutikatkar6028 for asking this. I'm not sure why the industry expects a fully blown portfolio website from a designer instead of a portfolio created on Figma (or any design tool), which can help them assess their design skills. Anyways, great content, @femke. Thanks for your time and effort in creating valuable content for this community.
I hear so much negativity regarding product design roles now like - gen ai will eat a lot of design jobs and this won't get better even after fed cuts the rate. what do you think?
Today I'd say very important as it's the best way to showcase your skills and experience. I recommend Webflow if you're looking for a tool to get started! webflow.grsm.io/1125819
Great tips, fem! For someone who’s applied to 50 applications with 7+ years and $XXm in impact as a growth designer, would you say it’s my resume, portfolio or both not standing out? TIA 🙏
In thailand, 70% of ux/ui position working on design dashboard for company. How can we use a full ux methodology like product design to apply a job in real ux ui context? 😢😢
I got 1st round screening on bain&co They asked me “Have I had any experience running user research before how might we to work on ?” I lost a big opportunity 😢😢
As a graphic designer aspiring to transition into product design, I don't find this video particularly helpful for beginners like myself. For instance, I keep encountering a lot of advice that emphasizes the importance of designers stating the impact of their project. However, how can you effectively communicate the impact of an academic project or a fictional case study?
Companies are hiring, but that's not a universal fact. I've analyzed ML data on this, and subjective views on job markets shouldn't be reported as trends.
To clarify though, what they are looking for based on a lot of sentiment gradient scoring is quality over speed. They’re not being picky. They’re simply building direct and deliberate awareness and decision making. They’re becoming more targeted in their product goals which is how it should’ve always been. So don’t worry about standing out as much talking about the actual work that you’ve done vs copying what other people are doing or trends like these videos push on
I don't get WHY you liked Walker's webpage. the reason why I emphasize 'WHY?" is because you work on a TEAM and walker's 3rd bullet point is 'independent creative'. hmmmm... very confusing. Why? don't UXers function as a team? I could swear many designers, hiring managers, and recruiters would say that 'teamwork' is important...so WHY did you pick Walker's? not to bash the designer, it's just ... misleading, don't ya think? just wanted clarification why you chose it cuz 'if ' I was a hiring manager, I would not waste my time interviewing the designer. thanks.
I showed Grace's portfolio as a good example of a design portfolio - not necessarily as an example of someone that is a good candidate to hire into a full-time role. I see a lot of companies hiring contractors lately, so I do believe hiring managers could be looking at Grace's portfolio and considering her for a contract position on their team. Irregardless, Grace still has to position and market herself to find clients, so it's not too different!
@@therealjayzee Feedback is either positive or negative. Whatever the case, it has the right to exist. And for me it really does make a difference, because I felt the same. If I was to impress someone who praises portfolios like that... I would be doomed and would never know why I failed.
@@zvsvrerer2732 see that’s where the logic is faulty. How can you know exactly what to do from negative feedback that has no suggestions or guidance but is plain rude. Being rude is not cool, period. There’s no arguing there. How would you even know what is not “ugly” or “convoluted”? Feedback should always be constructive, and shouldn’t be rude. Whether that’s how you prefer negative feedback, rude and not constructive, is a personal preference and shouldn’t be projected onto others. All I was saying is that there are better ways to give feedback, positive or negative, but it should always be constructive.
To avoid sounding generic, find your unfair advantage:
Passion + Talent + Designer Skills
The overlapping themes can be your narrative to explain your value proposition.
For example mine is:
New Ideas + Design Fast + Ship Products
So my one-liner is:
I help startups ship MVP to market, FAST
Came across this video and found your comment Chris! Always passionate and inspired!
this video came out just as I was redesigning my portfolio! Perfect timing :) love your videos xx
Perfect!
You just gained a new subscriber. To your question, I'm glad to hear hiring managers are looking for standout storytelling and I'm going to work harder to emphasize how my past experience informs my design decisions. Thanks for the concise, distilled advice.
The problem and solution with design is that it is biased and subjective, one has to tune their communication that appeals to the respective market to get a shot into landing a job or gig. It is pretty confusing as to what others would like, so one must stick to what they offered as a solution to their existing firm in a way that is lucid and easy on the eyes to consume for the hiring manager/client. It can be frustrating when one is trying to find a solution to making a portfolio that appeals to the most and not be generic. The irony of the previous sentence can only be balanced by giving it time and careful planning which is again contrasted by the need to make a portfolio quickly so that one can move in the hiring process faster
Thank You! I've been minimising UA-cam & Updating my Notes on Notion every now & then while watching this video.
Revamping my portfolio now, Femke never disappointed me, you gave advice that always gets to the point! thank you so much
thank you so much! right now i'm redesigning my portfolio, this is very helpful!
Glad to hear it!
This video and tips is gold. Thanks for sharing us!
so many lessons I learned from this video. also, you gathered great examples. thanks for sharing femke.
I'm so glad!
Thank you, I'm in the process of building my portfolio now, and this helps a lot.
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Femke, thank you so much for going through the examples with so much detail, I really appreciate it! As a junior designer, I've been hearing conflicting advice on what to include in case studies; in your video you emphasize the 3 main highlights (problem/opportunity, solution, and impact), but I've also been told to showcase how I worked with others, my specific contributions, and how I approach the design process. I was wondering what your thoughts are on this? Thanks again, you're a gem!
Hey! I think those are great topics to touch on in your portfolio presentation during the interview process, however I don't think they are as critical in a showcase piece on your website.
@@femkedesign Thank you, that makes sense!
Fantastic advice, thank you so much for preparing this! I will definitely make my case studies shorter and punchier.
Best of luck!
Thank you so much my dear you really helped me organizing my mind and improving my portfolio quality
Happy to help!
I’m changing careers. I would love to hear more on ways to incorporate past experience and examples…at an older age/mid to late 40’s. I’m going from being in the electro-mechanical field to the design/developer field.
I’ve always been an artist. So I’m into design & tech.
Gonna be straight with you - your chances at landing an entry level design job at your age and lack of relevant experience is near 0. Anyone who tells you otherwise are always referencing anecdotes and unicorns to support their toxic positivity.
What I've learned from hundreds of applications is that "transferrable skills" simply don't compete with direct relevant job experience, not to mention a degree. Age-ism is also unfortunately a reality as it relates to job culture. Recruiters don't want to hire a middle-aged employee and toss them into a work culture full of 20-somethings.
I don't know much about the electro-mechanical field - but I struggle to see any adjacent or transferrable skills. My recommendation would be to go out and get some real world experience, however you can. Start a side project, freelance for a friend, volunteer. Nothing beats real world experience.
Following on from the current replies; pivoting is possible but it may feel like starting again. Shillington gives a decent education (though their locations are limited) for people of all different ages looking to get into design. Other avenues within the design-space could work as stepping stones, project management, research & analytics and client services, though if you can code already then you may be able to move into design engineering easier.
Loved it, thank you! I just discovered your channel. I will try to find other videos more towards switching careers / junior designers.
Welcome!!
Thank you so much for this
You are so welcome!
What technique or software did the person use to make with the clickable prototype inside the frame?
Thank you Femke for this video.❤
Answer to your question: I am going to introduce myself quickly, highlighing my top services and skill set. I will also make my portfolio a reflection of my actual design work.
Thank you. ❤
Good luck!
One of the best one Femke thank you for making such an insightfull video. ⚡
Thank you!
This looks as too much, but I've taken notes and made a to do list which now looks more simple than I thought. Some changes here and there aaaand done. Thank you! 😊
I love this so much! I'm interested on your personal preference and opinion on showing the work before anything else. A lot of the examples walked us through a few sections reviewing who the designer is and their impact they have made/can bring which is awesome to see and a breath of fresh air but something growing designers are told against. When I was a junior I was told again and again that kind of info should be in the "About Me" or after showing your work, so below or in a separate page. I'm open to hearing everyone elses' thoughts on this and hiring managers, if you're out there, please chime in (:
Thank you so much, I was about to create a portfolio of my work, and this video is really supportive.. great tip, I'Il go for showcase instead of creating long case study.
Glad it was helpful!
@@femkedesign please guide me
I want to mention my contributions just as Sean Kennedy did. Like to mention product domains that I worked in.
For example, I designed mobile wallets apps for local market. So i can write in three words
Mobile wallet apps
Now currently I design responsive websites for affiliate marketing agency that do comparisons of digital products/services of our client's brands
Please tell me how can i shorten this domain to two to three words just as I done for mobile wallet apps
I appriciate.
What platform do you guys use to create a portfolio? Thanks.
I use Webflow! webflow.grsm.io/1125819
Hi Femke! I understand that people want to see the final solution, designs, etc ... But how do you go around confidentiality? I work for a big corporation and would have 0 chance of them allowing me to publish anything that shows the final designs... Any advice is welcomed! 😊
I think you already know. Change design ie: colour, logo, naming, etc. and add to the case one of these features you were involved.
Could you password protect it?
Thank you so much for your videos! You are adorable!
You said super many great things and how you got excited about the portfolios! Lots of details were great too.
I have to say though, so much text in each portfolio... it's less beneficial (people don't read).
This is gold!
Extremely interesting video! Thank you! Are all these tips applicable to a freelancer's portfolio?
Yes they are!
thanks for the tips
No problem!
Lets be honest, the market has also been saturated with lots of bad designers. It shouldnt be a walk in the park landing a job in tech, but now they are looking for people that are actually dedicated to the craft that either have deep knowledge, OR are actually interested in becoming great. They also are trying to weave out the ones that went into it thinking it would be.a quick check. I think this should apply in any type of work, and tech should be no different. I personally blame youtube tech-bros and tech-chicks for the oversaturated market.
Good video :)
Thank you!
You're welcome!
How do you discover portfolios? Any recommendations on where one can fine more such inspring designers and their portfolios?
Making it easier to skim yet unique & interesting is SO IMPORTANT! :D
So true!
Great explaination! As a fresher what can be added in the portfolio website with no prior much work experience?
Any experience or demonstration of skills! Personal projects, school projects, freelance work, side projects etc.
@@femkedesign Thank you!😊
Super helpful! Do you have a list of recommended platforms to use for creating our portfolios? Thank you :)
Webflow! webflow.grsm.io/1125819
@@femkedesign Thank you for the reply! I've seen webflow mentioned before but I was definitely curious to know what you recommended. Thanks
@@77AlexS I've been using it for 5+ years myself :)
Great video! I’ve got some real experience on small projects and few websites, but I’m starting to lose hope I’ll ever get a company role. To be clear, you need your website portfolio and a presentation style portfolio with slides for when or if you get an interview?
Typically yes - the website is useful when applying, the portfolio presentation (slides) is often expected during the interview process.
This is perfect timing for me.
Are no code tools good options for building a personal portfolio? I'm currently working with framer
Yes! I think no-code tools are the way to go. Framer is one great option, another option is Webflow: webflow.grsm.io/1125819
@@femkedesign Thank you
great video! I do have a question regarding fresh graduates. Should I also arrange my projects only as showcase and not a full case study? I dont have "real world" projects and I only present school work...
I think showcase pieces on your portfolio website are ok! I would prepare a more detailed case study as a presentation for the interview process.
Thank you Femke, I need to revamp it.
Just recently got laid off last month :,) The market is tough
So sorry to hear you experienced a layoff. It’s so tough out there - fingers crossed!
Thank you so much. I have a question - How can I position myself for the role I want when I'm unsure what role I would like? I don't have any experience within UX yet, only my case studies.
Thanks for the great insights on what to look out for in a design portfolio. For the designers who don't have any developer experience , would it work to provide a portfolio link that's designed in Figma? Fully functional design portfolio but not developed.
I don't have any developer experience either! There are so many tools out there that make it easy to build a portfolio website, without requiring use or knowledge of coding. I use and recommend Webflow: webflow.grsm.io/1125819
In the mean time, I think it's ok to link to a portfolio presentation in Figma.
@@femkedesign Thank you for your suggestion!
This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks @shrutikatkar6028 for asking this. I'm not sure why the industry expects a fully blown portfolio website from a designer instead of a portfolio created on Figma (or any design tool), which can help them assess their design skills.
Anyways, great content, @femke. Thanks for your time and effort in creating valuable content for this community.
I hear so much negativity regarding product design roles now like - gen ai will eat a lot of design jobs and this won't get better even after fed cuts the rate. what do you think?
Hey. Do you have any promocode or affiliate link for webflow let me know
thanks
I do! webflow.grsm.io/1125819
How important is it to have a website?
Or what is the best medium to showcase the design skills
Today I'd say very important as it's the best way to showcase your skills and experience. I recommend Webflow if you're looking for a tool to get started! webflow.grsm.io/1125819
Video was so good i tried to subscribe only to figure out i'm already subscribed lol
hahaha
Hi, guys. Genuinely question. Is it okay to have a 2 projects?
yup!
How do you feel about using a deck as a portfolio rather than a website?
Will the deck be publicly available/searchable on the internet? If so then I think that's ok!
Great tips, fem! For someone who’s applied to 50 applications with 7+ years and $XXm in impact as a growth designer, would you say it’s my resume, portfolio or both not standing out? TIA 🙏
Hard to say without seeing it tbh!
@@femkedesign that’s fair! Thanks for the response.
Why are there so little likes. VERRRRY helpful video
Thank you!
In thailand, 70% of ux/ui position working on design dashboard for company.
How can we use a full ux methodology like product design to apply a job in real ux ui context?
😢😢
I build over 50 projects in 3 years most of work = dashboard, mobile app, and informative website for old enterprise.
I got 1st round screening on bain&co
They asked me “Have I had any experience running user research before how might we to work on ?”
I lost a big opportunity 😢😢
I wonder if companies are okay with their ex coworker(s) sharing so much detail about past projects in their case studies.
Depends on the company I think! I know some companies are strict on NDA's even for public, completed work.
when AI has started to do most of the work i'm not sure what are we going to do :(
As a graphic designer aspiring to transition into product design, I don't find this video particularly helpful for beginners like myself.
For instance, I keep encountering a lot of advice that emphasizes the importance of designers stating the impact of their project. However, how can you effectively communicate the impact of an academic project or a fictional case study?
You're right! This video isn't really aimed at beginners. This video might be helpful instead: ua-cam.com/video/i-b7_acZcAg/v-deo.html
Companies are hiring, but that's not a universal fact. I've analyzed ML data on this, and subjective views on job markets shouldn't be reported as trends.
To clarify though, what they are looking for based on a lot of sentiment gradient scoring is quality over speed. They’re not being picky. They’re simply building direct and deliberate awareness and decision making. They’re becoming more targeted in their product goals which is how it should’ve always been. So don’t worry about standing out as much talking about the actual work that you’ve done vs copying what other people are doing or trends like these videos push on
how come design turned into just ''digital product design''..... it is so sad
Hasn't been the case in my experience!
subscribe
thanks!
I don't get WHY you liked Walker's webpage. the reason why I emphasize 'WHY?" is because you work on a TEAM and walker's 3rd bullet point is 'independent creative'. hmmmm... very confusing. Why? don't UXers function as a team? I could swear many designers, hiring managers, and recruiters would say that 'teamwork' is important...so WHY did you pick Walker's? not to bash the designer, it's just ... misleading, don't ya think? just wanted clarification why you chose it cuz 'if ' I was a hiring manager, I would not waste my time interviewing the designer. thanks.
I showed Grace's portfolio as a good example of a design portfolio - not necessarily as an example of someone that is a good candidate to hire into a full-time role. I see a lot of companies hiring contractors lately, so I do believe hiring managers could be looking at Grace's portfolio and considering her for a contract position on their team. Irregardless, Grace still has to position and market herself to find clients, so it's not too different!
All of those portfolios were ugly and convoluted.
That's a bit rude.
As fellow designers, giving feedback should be one of our strengths. This feedback was rude and, therefore, unnecessary.
@@therealjayzee Feedback is either positive or negative. Whatever the case, it has the right to exist. And for me it really does make a difference, because I felt the same. If I was to impress someone who praises portfolios like that... I would be doomed and would never know why I failed.
@@zvsvrerer2732 see that’s where the logic is faulty. How can you know exactly what to do from negative feedback that has no suggestions or guidance but is plain rude. Being rude is not cool, period. There’s no arguing there.
How would you even know what is not “ugly” or “convoluted”? Feedback should always be constructive, and shouldn’t be rude. Whether that’s how you prefer negative feedback, rude and not constructive, is a personal preference and shouldn’t be projected onto others. All I was saying is that there are better ways to give feedback, positive or negative, but it should always be constructive.