{"id":7414,"date":"2022-09-22T10:46:59","date_gmt":"2022-09-22T10:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/?p=7414"},"modified":"2025-05-02T10:09:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T10:09:29","slug":"ux-design-job-one-portfolio-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/ux-design-job-one-portfolio-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Can you get a UX design job with one portfolio project?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The short answer is yes. But we\u2019re not going to leave you hanging like that. You must want to know how to get a UX design job with just one portfolio project. We would know – our students<\/a> have done it time and again.<\/p>\n

Maybe you\u2019re a new UX designer looking for your first gig or maybe you\u2019re still learning and thinking about the job search already. Either way, you\u2019re want to get your portfolio in order and you don’t need a dozen projects to showcase your skills.<\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll walk you through how to make an impressive one-project portfolio, what hiring managers are looking for in a portfolio and stories from students who landed their first UX job with just one portfolio project.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the basics.<\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n \n

[GET CERTIFIED IN UX]<\/p>\n Take our Professional Diploma in UX Design course<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

What is a UX design portfolio and why do you need one?<\/h2>\n

A UX portfolio is an online place where you display your best work for hiring managers. Your portfolio is a way to show how you work. Usually, UX design portfolios are formatted as case studies and they walk hiring managers through your project from start to finish.<\/p>\n

You need an impressive portfolio to land a job but that doesn\u2019t mean you need a lot of projects. In fact, you can just include one project to start your job search. But you do need to have the basics beautifully and effectively so that your project stands out.<\/p>\n

What should a UX design portfolio include?<\/h2>\n

Your UX design portfolio should, first and foremost, include your best complete project. But along with that, your portfolio needs to demonstrate who you are, your personality and your skills.<\/p>\n

Make sure your portfolio includes:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A noteworthy introduction<\/li>\n
  2. Only high-quality UX case studies<\/li>\n
  3. Evidence of your ability to reflect and learn<\/li>\n
  4. A user-friendly format<\/li>\n
  5. Accessible elements of UI design<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Your portfolio should demonstrate that you know what a polished finished product looks like. It should demonstrate your process, show deliverables and measurable results. If possible, you can also include a testimonial or two to push it over the top.<\/p>\n

    5 tips for building a portfolio with one project<\/h2>\n

    Your portfolio is the best evidence that you have the knowledge and skills to do the job. It\u2019s the only way to show that you can take those skills beyond the theories you\u2019ve learned. It also proves that you can apply them to real-world situations with real stakeholders, deadlines and requirements. Here are five ways to make these objectives clear in your one-project portfolio.<\/p>\n

    1. Make it an in-depth case study<\/strong>
    \nWhatever work you do, explain it. As you\u2019re working through a project, document everything you do. Never delete anything! Even if you think you made a mistake. Go back and make sense of every aspect of your project and show why you did what you did in chronological order.\u00a0 This will make your project extensive yet meaningful.<\/p>\n

    2. Keep improving<\/strong>
    \nWhile you\u2019re applying for jobs, take the time to update and improve your portfolio project regularly. If you get feedback on your portfolio during an interview, use it to improve your project. If you can, start creating a second portfolio project while you search.<\/p>\n

    3. Quality over quantity<\/strong>
    \nYour portfolio should be polished. Include work that you\u2019re actually proud of. Your portfolio isn\u2019t for incomplete projects, partial drafts or work that you\u2019d describe as \u201cmeh\u201d. Sure, you can update the projects in your portfolio to ensure they\u2019re the best they can be. But don\u2019t put work in progress in your portfolio. One well-executed project is better than six poorly-executed projects.<\/p>\n

    4. Use the 50\/50 rule<\/strong>
    \nThe 50\/50 rule: include 50% images 50% text. Wherever possible, show<\/em> what you\u2019ve done through screenshots, wireframes and other project images. Hiring managers want to grasp the look and feel of your project, your process and how you approach design. Plus, they\u2019re usually crunched for time. The 50\/50 rule will allow them to breeze through your portfolio while still gleaning everything you want to express.<\/p>\n

    5. Make problem-solving the focus<\/strong>
    \nHiring managers want to see how you solve problems. Just like math class in your early years, it\u2019s not going to be enough only to show the final product. As you craft your case studies, try leading with the problem immediately. Then, follow a logical structure to show your process. Even beyond the final step of your solution, reflect on your work. How did it make a difference?<\/p>\n

    \n\t
    \n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t
    \n \n

    [GET CERTIFIED IN UI DESIGN]<\/p>\n Take our Professional Certificate in UI Design course<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

    Can you get a UX design job with one portfolio project? Yes.<\/h2>\n

    Now that you know what to do to make a stand-out one-project portfolio. We\u2019ve rounded up a few stellar portfolio examples and experiences from students who landed their job with only one portfolio project.<\/p>\n

    \"Shweta<\/p>\n

    Shweta Shukla<\/strong>
    \nShweta landed her first UX job with an excellent one-project portfolio.     She said,<\/a> \u201cI had only one real project on my portfolio. I wanted to make sure it was as detailed as possible to showcase what I had learnt in this course\u201d.<\/p>\n

    \"Alessio<\/p>\n

    Alessio Ferracuti
    \n<\/strong>Alessio attributes landing his first job in UX design to his one-project portfolio.     He told us<\/a>, \u201cMy course portfolio is how I got my job, it showed that I have the knowledge”. Alessio is obsessed with user experience design. He now hosts a podcast and mentorship program for new UX designers. You can check out Alessio\u2019s one-project portfolio here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"Helen<\/p>\n

    Helen Peak<\/strong>
    \nHelen\u2019s one-project portfolio got her noticed! \u201cI actually gave a presentation about the Professional Diploma at a UX design networking event,\u201d she remembers. \u201cMy current boss was there. He looked up my portfolio online and reached out to me to say he was looking for someone like me.\u201d Her portfolio landed her a job at Delbur, which is on the Scottish Government\u2019s CivTech accelerator scheme. You can see Helen\u2019s portfolio     here<\/a>. She\u2019s added a couple of projects since then.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"Jonny<\/p>\n

    Jonny Fraser<\/strong>
    \nJonny made his portfolio shine with his personality and found that\u2019s what attracted employers to him.     He said<\/a>, \u201cEmployers knew I had limited UX experience, but they liked the fact that I was passionate about learning. I love what I do now, and I wouldn\u2019t be where I am without the UX Design Institute.\u201d View Jonny\u2019s portfolio here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    One last piece of advice<\/h2>\n

    We checked in with Ronan McConville<\/a> for one last piece of advice for aspiring UX designers:<\/p>\n

    I would say, in the boldest terms, if I get an application for a UX role I will spend seconds looking at the CV and far, far longer at the portfolio. That\u2019s where the quality is. A portfolio can make or break if a hiring manager will take a chance on you. Ultimately, they want to hire the best candidate to solve their problems.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    The portfolio is your time to shine. One fantastic portfolio project is far better than three mediocre projects. Your portfolio should make hiring managers and recruiters confident in your UX skills.<\/p>\n

    Finding a course where practical work is a big part of the curriculum will be a bonus for your portfolio. You\u2019ll have multiple projects you can choose from to customise even further for your final portfolio.<\/p>\n

    In the UX Design Institute’s Professional Diploma in UX Design<\/a>, every student will have a project to contribute to their portfolio through the practical assessments they complete. They will also have feedback from the Student Support Team and Career Advisors to make sure that their portfolio projects prove how job ready they are.<\/p>\n

    To learn more about portfolios, take some case study inspiration from Miro’s Srecko Dimitrijevic.<\/a> Or try creating a UX<\/a> portfolio without any on-the-job experience and building it with one of these ten tried-and-tested portfolio builders<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    We believe that with some hard work and a great attention to detail, you can land a UX design job with one portfolio project. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7415,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[269],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ux-portfolio"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7414"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12020,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7414\/revisions\/12020"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}