UX writing and content strategy are essential skills for creating engaging and effective digital products. But how do you demonstrate your abilities and showcase your work to potential clients or employers? In this article, you'll learn some tips and best practices for creating a portfolio that highlights your UX writing and content strategy skills.
Your portfolio should include a variety of projects that showcase your range of skills, such as web pages, mobile apps, chatbots, email campaigns, landing pages, and more. However, quality is more important than quantity, so focus on the projects that you are most proud of, that reflect your unique voice and style, and that have clear goals and outcomes. Ideally, you should have 3-5 projects that cover different aspects of UX writing and content strategy, such as research, content audit, information architecture, tone and voice, copywriting, testing, and analytics.
Less is more. As a novice before starting with my first design company, I would just go and put all of my works in the portfolio I have ever done. But this is a huge mistake, that you should learn from my experience. Having more projects doesn't mean more offers, it's just a representation of your mindset and at the end you have to explain that to your recruiter in the interview. In such case if you have a variety of work but still incapable of showcasing your skills, it's a goodbye for you from that company. Having 3 projects that showcase all your skills and uniqueness is recommended at most. But dont stick to one type of project. Try a bit harder with the kind of project topic you choose to build.
While having a variety a projects is ideal and it's great to show range, be deliberate with the projects you choose to showcase and if you're starting out feel free to add some writing samples that may not qualify as full-fledged UX case studies.
For each project, you should provide some context and background information, such as the problem you were trying to solve, the target audience, the client or stakeholder, the scope and timeline, and the tools and methods you used. Then, you should explain your process and approach, such as how you conducted user research, how you defined the content strategy, how you wrote and edited the copy, how you collaborated with other designers and developers, how you tested and iterated the content, and how you measured the results. Finally, you should highlight the impact and value of your work, such as how you improved the user experience, increased conversions, reduced errors, or achieved other business goals.
Your UX writer portfolio doesn’t need to be made up of full-fledged UX writing case studies that outline every detail of the project. Because your portfolio is viewed at the beginning stages of the hiring process, your UX writing portfolio should be simple, scannable, and easily digestible. You can peel back more layers of context as you progress through the hiring process. But at the start, you’re one of many, many candidates being looked at, and you want someone to grasp your value and skills as quickly as possible. Hiring managers and recruiters are busy people. If someone can easily and quickly comprehend your portfolio, you’re gonna have a better chance at getting to the next round.
In the story you are telling in a case study, recruiters and experienced designers are likely to look particularly into how you iterated on your product: what you learnt from usability studies or user interviews, what conclusions you draw from it and how by following them you optimize your products. No matter how structured your case study is or how well-built the wireframes are, our discipline is centered around users, and your case study should show how you make decisions based on their feedback.
In addition to telling a story, you should also show your work by including screenshots, mockups, wireframes, prototypes, or live links of your final or intermediate deliverables. You should also include samples of your content artifacts, such as user personas, content audits, content models, style guides, content briefs, or feedback reports. These will help you demonstrate your skills and methods, as well as your attention to detail and quality. However, make sure you respect the confidentiality and privacy of your clients or employers, and only share the work that you have permission to share.
I have a sturdy box I take with me everywhere: I call it my Big UX Portfolio Box. Whenever I find myself in a wide open public space I empty out all of the contents - be it detailed case studies, client feedback, or empty crisp packets - and display them alluringly on the ground. I then stand on the box and remove all my clothes, whereupon I have tattooed user journeys and new GOV.UK patterns on my thighs and torso using a quilting pin and a broken biro. There can be no better way to show professionalism and quality than to really perform in this way outside government buildings and public arts venues: it shows resilience, flexibility and above all, ingenuity. Akin to training LLMs using people's desperation for gainful employment.
Be very selective with the material you showcase. Make sure your case studies are not overwhelming your readers. Design your portfolio to be scannable and easy to read and comprehend, just like you would any content design project.
Your portfolio should be easy to access and navigate, so that your potential clients or employers can quickly find and view your projects. You can use a platform or tool that allows you to create a simple and professional portfolio website, such as Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, or Dribbble. Alternatively, you can use a PDF or a Google Slides presentation to showcase your projects. Whichever format you choose, make sure you organize your portfolio logically, use clear and consistent labels and headings, and provide contact information and links to your social media or other online profiles.
If you are a ux designer then your portfolio should be usable and easy to navigate at first. Charity begins at home they say. If you want to work and showcase your skill that you can improve their design. You need to have your home ground or portfolio easy to navigate at first. Any problem in usability and it is a waste of all the efforts in building case studies. The user should be able to trace back the headings and easy to go around and explore the sections in your portfolio. This is almost non negotiable!
Your portfolio is not a static document, but a dynamic and evolving representation of your skills and achievements. Therefore, you should regularly update your portfolio with new projects, feedback, or metrics, as well as remove or revise any outdated or irrelevant projects. You should also review your portfolio periodically and ask for feedback from your peers, mentors, or clients, to identify any gaps or areas for improvement. By keeping your portfolio updated, you will show your potential clients or employers that you are passionate, proactive, and committed to your craft.
These could be a good place to show your writing samples that may not be UX focused. Writing blog posts, for example, is a great way to expand on your craft and showcase what you're passionate about. Are you interested in localization? Accessibility? Inclusive language? You can consider writing an article about it and share it in this section of your portfolio.