If you are a mobile UI designer, you know how important it is to showcase your skills and creativity in a portfolio that stands out from the crowd. But how can you make your mobile UI portfolio more competitive and attractive to potential clients or employers? Here are some tips to help you create a portfolio that demonstrates your value and expertise in mobile design.
The first and most obvious tip is to select your best and most relevant projects for your portfolio. You don't need to include everything you have ever done, but rather focus on the ones that highlight your strengths, achievements, and problem-solving skills. Choose projects that reflect your design process, your understanding of the user needs and goals, and your ability to create engaging and intuitive mobile interfaces. Make sure your projects are up to date, relevant to the industry or niche you are targeting, and showcase your versatility and adaptability.
Diversify your mobile UI portfolio to showcase versatility. Present design challenges, methodologies, and positive outcomes in concise case studies. Prioritize seamless user experiences and incorporate current design trends while demonstrating innovation. Highlight effective collaboration with cross-functional teams and developers. Emphasize user feedback and iterations to showcase commitment to refinement. Stay updated on emerging technologies for added adaptability. This streamlined approach will make your portfolio stand out, portraying you as a versatile and innovative mobile UI designer.
Go beyond table stakes elements like having a diverse mobile portfolio, or including the process in your narrative story. A mobile UX portfolio that stands out includes details about the product tradeoffs you considered before you put it in the hands of your customer (Product Thinking). In your project learnings, share details about what you would change or do differently about your behavior and decisions, not just in the UI (Adaptability & Grit). It's also a pro move to include a data supported perspective on why the app or feature you worked on matters to the world (Business-designer mindset).
There are usually two ways to present your portfolio, you can choose one of them or use them simultaneously: 1) Present projects that have a decent impact in its niche. For business, it's about the ratios, conversions and numbers in general. For non-profit organizations, it's about the values and mission. 2) Present projects that had a big impact on your expertise. Maybe the project didn't perform that well as you would want it to, but if you could gain valuable experience, that's a great story too.
Choose 4-6 diverse projects that highlight problem-solving and measurable achievements. Tailor the selection to your target audience (and role).
Your portfolio is not just a collection of screenshots, but a way to communicate your design thinking and approach. For each project, provide some context and background information, such as the client, the problem, the goals, the target audience, the scope, and the constraints. Then, explain your role and responsibilities, your research methods, your ideation and prototyping process, your design decisions and rationale, and your feedback and testing results. Finally, show the outcomes and impact of your design, such as the metrics, the user feedback, the awards, or the testimonials. Use clear and concise language, and avoid jargon and technical terms that might confuse or bore the reader.
Wow LinkedIn, that's a lot of things to include. The truth is that it's as much about what you leave out as what you include. If all your projects are the same story then you'll lose the nuance behind what you're showing. It's not so much about the story of each project as the cohesive whole. Imagine what part of your skillset each project demonstrates best. Maybe you've got a wonderful demonstration of how you collaborate with others. Tailor the story to suit that. Talk about the challenges you encountered, the ways you solved them, and how things were resolved.
Go beyond screenshots. Share your process, challenges, and the thinking behind your designs, enriched with wireframes, user flows, and mockups.
Visuals are essential for a mobile UI portfolio, as they show your aesthetic sense, your attention to detail, and your ability to create responsive and consistent mobile interfaces. Use high-quality images, videos, animations, or interactive prototypes to showcase your designs in action. Make sure your visuals are clear, sharp, and aligned with your brand identity and style. Use mockups or device frames to display your designs in realistic contexts and scenarios. Avoid cluttering your portfolio with too many visuals, and use white space, grids, and typography to create a clean and professional layout.
Figma offers a fantastic set of features that enhance consistency in mobile and UI design. With its variables feature, managing spacing, grids, color, and typography becomes a breeze, ensuring a harmonious look across all designs. For mobile prototypes, Protopie steps in as a game-changer. It elevates the prototyping experience with a wide range of animations and interactions, providing capabilities that go beyond Figma’s offerings. These combination of tools can significantly streamline and improve you design process and make your mobile UI stand out in a positive way.
Your portfolio is not only a way to show your skills and experience, but also a way to show who you are as a designer and a person. Add some personality and flair to your portfolio by using a unique and memorable name, logo, and domain. Write a compelling and authentic bio that summarizes your background, your values, your passions, and your goals. Include a professional and friendly photo of yourself, and link to your social media profiles or online communities where you are active and engaged. Show some of your personal projects, hobbies, or interests that demonstrate your creativity and curiosity.
Personalize & Innovate! Inject your unique style and voice. Don't shy away from experimenting and showcasing non-commercial designs / side projects.
Your portfolio should be easy to access, browse, and understand by anyone who visits it. Keep it simple and user-friendly by using a clear and intuitive navigation system, such as a menu, a search bar, or a filter. Organize your projects into categories or tags that make sense for your audience and your niche. Use a responsive and mobile-friendly design that adapts to different screen sizes and devices. Avoid using too many colors, fonts, or effects that might distract or annoy the reader. Test your portfolio for speed, performance, and usability, and fix any errors or bugs that might affect your credibility.
The manager looking at Portfolios has a few minutes to digest what’s in front of them. Keep things simple. Make it pretty (yes it counts). Leave the bells and whistles behind. Tell a short story with either words or images. Less is more, only chose your best work. Your portfolio is your brand. If your brand can’t keep people engaged quickly, your audience will leave and most likely won’t look back.
Keep in mind that hiring managers don't usually spend much time on each portfolio. Keep your story simple and straightforward. That's why you don't need to include loads of text into your cases — hardly anyone would read it all.
Your portfolio is not a static or finished product, but a dynamic and evolving one. Update and improve your portfolio regularly to reflect your growth and learning as a mobile UI designer. Add new and exciting projects that showcase your latest skills and techniques. Remove or revise old or outdated projects that no longer represent your best work or your current style. Seek feedback and reviews from your peers, mentors, clients, or employers, and use them to improve your portfolio and your design skills. Keep an eye on the trends and innovations in the mobile design industry, and learn new tools and methods to enhance your portfolio and your value.
This is an underrated point. As painful as it may be, adding and updating things piecemeal is logically easier to do than doing it in one go. I’m sure you’ve seen by now, how many other designers struggle with completing their portfolio; spending months trying to finish it. If you get in the habit of updating it bit by bit, it’ll be less stressful and you’ll have an opportunity to revisit any outcomes on a particular project. It’ll be a record of history if you will. That gives good insight into your portfolio and you’ll have solid proof of it. But above all, you’ll always be ready for a new opportunity that might just be around the corner.
Optimize for Mobile: Ensure mobile-friendly viewing and intuitive navigation. Prioritize accessibility with clear typography and descriptive image texts. ?? Make your mobile UI portfolio not just a collection of work, but a testament to your expertise, creativity, and impact in the digital design world.
Create an interactive prototype via Figma and insert it in your design portfolio. Clients will be able not only to see but also to interact with your solutions. Prototypes provide an engaging user experience that is closer to actual use.