If you are a UX designer, you probably know how important UI prototyping is for creating engaging and effective user interfaces. But how do you showcase your UI prototyping skills and the impact of your work in a portfolio? In this article, we will explore some tips and best practices for measuring and presenting the value of your UI prototyping work in a portfolio.
Before you start prototyping, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. What are the objectives and requirements of the project? Who are the users and what are their needs and pain points? How will you test and validate your assumptions and hypotheses? What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) and success criteria that will show the impact of your UI prototyping work? By defining your goals and metrics upfront, you will be able to align your UI prototyping work with the project's vision and strategy, and demonstrate how your work contributes to the desired outcomes.
A good UI portfolio should have an equal balance of the context of why you worked on a project, the actions you took on that project, and the results that came from those actions. When it comes to results, user experience designers have the ability to improve consumer engagement, reduce user friction, increase cross selling and upselling, and enhance the brand perception of users. It’s important to think through the leading metrics that can lead to these larger impacts for your company.
An effective usability test can measure the benefits of the new design, even in a quantitative way. We can compare the amount of time to accomplish a task before and after the new design. In addition we can even get a satisfaction score for both scenarios.
Measure the impact of UI prototyping work in a portfolio by showcasing clear before-and-after comparisons, detailing the problem-solving process, incorporating user feedback and testing results, and quantifying improvements in user engagement or conversion rates where applicable.
One of the benefits of UI prototyping is that it allows you to experiment, iterate, and refine your design solutions based on user feedback and data. To show the impact of your UI prototyping work, you need to show your process and iterations, not just the final result. How did you start with low-fidelity sketches or wireframes and progress to high-fidelity prototypes? How did you incorporate user research, usability testing, and analytics into your UI prototyping process? How did you use feedback and data to inform your design decisions and improve your prototypes? By showing your process and iterations, you will be able to showcase your UI prototyping skills and the value of your work for the project.
It it would be awesome if you show your process in an easy way. So that your potential customers don't need to download something, open heavy images and so on. Nowadays you can type your customer phone number and they will receive and SMS or email, click on a link, and see an interactive prototype. That's what some people forget: they show UX work in not a UX-friendly way.
Another way to measure and present the impact of your UI prototyping work is to tell a story with your prototypes. A story is a powerful way to communicate the context, purpose, and benefits of your UI prototyping work to your audience. How did you identify and solve a user problem or need with your UI prototyping work? How did you create a user journey or scenario that illustrates how your UI prototyping work enhances the user experience? How did you use visual elements, animations, interactions, and content to create a compelling and immersive UI prototyping story? By telling a story with your prototypes, you will be able to engage and persuade your audience with the impact of your UI prototyping work.
To measure and present the impact of your UI prototyping work, you need to use both quantitative and qualitative evidence. Quantitative evidence is the data and numbers that show the results and outcomes of your UI prototyping work. For example, you can use metrics such as conversion rates, retention rates, satisfaction scores, task completion rates, error rates, and time on task to show how your UI prototyping work improved the user interface performance and user behavior. Qualitative evidence is the feedback and insights that show the user perception and experience of your UI prototyping work. For example, you can use testimonials, reviews, ratings, comments, quotes, and case studies to show how your UI prototyping work met the user expectations and needs. By using both quantitative and qualitative evidence, you will be able to provide a balanced and credible assessment of the impact of your UI prototyping work.
The last tip for measuring and presenting the impact of your UI prototyping work is to highlight your learnings and takeaways. UI prototyping is a learning process that helps you discover and validate your design solutions. Therefore, you should reflect on what you learned and what you can improve from your UI prototyping work. What were the main challenges and opportunities that you faced and how did you overcome them? What were the key insights and discoveries that you gained from your UI prototyping work? What were the best practices and lessons that you learned from your UI prototyping work? By highlighting your learnings and takeaways, you will be able to show your growth and development as a UX designer and the impact of your UI prototyping work for your professional portfolio.
Below are the several strategies you can use to showcase the effectiveness of your designs: 1. Before-and-After Comparisons 2. User Feedback 3. Key Metrics 4. Project Success Stories 5. Client/Testimonial Quotes 6. Visual Portfolio Design 7. Iterative Process 8. Awards and Recognition 9. Personal Growth 10. Client or Company Endorsements Incorporating these elements into your portfolio will help potential employers or clients understand the real-world impact of your UI prototyping work and your ability to deliver effective design solutions.