How to Create a UX Design Portfolio: Tips from a UX Recruiter

How to Create a UX Design Portfolio: Tips from a UX Recruiter
by Tom Cotterill

How to Create a UX Design Portfolio: Tips from a UX Recruiter

As a UX recruiter, my role involves not just identifying and developing tech talent, but also following the industry closely; going to events, workshops, and conferences to make sure I’m in a strong position to connect the dots and successfully match companies with perfect-fit employees.

Through the conversations I have day-to-day, I’ve managed to put together a clear picture of the industry as it stands in 2017 and what the expectations are for all levels of UX designer, from absolute beginners to senior UXers and UX directors.

One big aspect of my role is making sure that the candidates I work with are amazing at showcasing their skills, experience, and past achievements. One thing I get asked over and over again is, “Where should I begin with creating my portfolio? What’s the standard? How can I make it better?”

So, I’m going to share the advice that I frequently give out to candidates I work with, be it a beginner, mid-level or senior UX designer. I’ll be explaining why your portfolio is so important, what to include, where to host it, how much to include, and answering lots of other common questions.

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The Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction, 2nd Ed.

The Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction, 2nd Ed.
by Interaction Design Foundation

Textbooks written by 100+ leading designers, bestselling authors, and Ivy League professors. The textbooks are assembled in a gigantic 4000+ page encyclopedia covering the design of interactive products and services such as websites, household objects, smartphones, computer software, aircraft cockpits, you name it.

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Design With A Purpose: 15 Everyday Things You Never Imagined Had A Purpose

Design With A Purpose: 15 Everyday Things You Never Imagined Had A Purpose
by Suchismita Biswas

Technology has science behind it. Every small design has logic. Do you know the purpose of the small hole in your pen cap? I bet many of us don’t know the actual purpose of the feature. Like this, there are many everyday small things we use but don’t know the exact purpose of the features. This article is written to inform you such little things which you use but don’t know the purpose.

design-purpose-15-everyday-things-never-imagined-purpose

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How Great Icons Can Affect The User Experience

How Great Icons Can Affect The User Experience
by Jake Rocheleau

Interfaces are all about communication and getting things done. A website’s UI is a means to an end, and the designer’s job is to create an interface that helps the user reach that end quickly.

Icons are perfect for interfaces because they convey meaning without words. Users can learn how an interface works just by studying the visuals and interacting with the elements.

In this post I’ll cover a few different ways to use icons to improve the quality of UX on a website. There are no perfect uses but there are commonalities between great icons and an improved user experience.

designmodo.com

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Can an application have a good result while measuring against "10 Usability Heuristics" but still have a bad experience?

Can an application have a good result while measuring against "10 Usability Heuristics" but still have a bad experience?

Yes, an application can give a bad user experience even when it has great usability.


quora.com

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plug with a convenient hole to hook a finger into

Plug with a convenient hole to hook a finger into
by Katherine Bennett

You can accuse me of living under a rock because I haven't seen one of these before, but this is absolutely brilliant. I just bought a new contact grill and take a look at the plug on the cord set. For all of you designers out there who bemoan the "stupidity" of consumers, how they won't follow directions, bla bla bla, take note of this simple design solution.

The problem is as old as electric products themselves. People grab the cord rather than the plug to unplug an appliance, eventually ruining the cord.

more.... designinvestigations.com

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7 Practical Skills of UX Designer You Need to Know

7 Practical Skills of UX Designer You Need to Know
by Tangerine

Nowadays, companies and users’ requirements for the design are getting higher and higher, and more and more diverse. What skills do you need to be a good UX designer? Here are seven practical skills of UX designers you need to know.

1. Lifelong learning and constant progress
2. Design inspiration and rich imagination
3. More than perfect
4. User-Centered design
5. Logical thinking ability
6. Good interpersonal relationship
7. Perseverance

www.mockplus.com/blog/post/skills-of-ux-designer

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Mind the footprints!

Mind the footprints!
by Nathan Zeldes

An important element of everyday product design that is all too often ignored is the footprint of an object.

http://designblog.nzeldes.com/

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Universal Design Today: Live & Learn 2017

Universal Design Today: Live & Learn 2017
May 15 @ 8:00 am - May 17 @ 5:00 pm

Human talent comes in all ages, shapes, sizes, ethnicities and genders. It offers a dizzying range of abilities and mind-blowing potential. Imagine a world designed and built to engage, empower, and maximize that potential. An estimated 500+ people who are out to smash silos and innovate across many disciplines and industries are expected to attend UD Today: Live & Learn 2017.




Universal Design Today: Live & Learn 2017

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
Join Us in Charleston, WV, as we welcome many of the nation’s most dynamic designers and users of places, spaces, and things.  Intense focus will be on the economic and social benefits of design that supports the potential, productivity, and needs of every 21st century resident, family, customer, student, client, or citizen.

Speakers

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From Small CSS Tricks To Great Design Mysteries: SmashingConf Barcelona 2017

From Small CSS Tricks To Great Design Mysteries: SmashingConf Barcelona 2017
By Vitaly Friedman

$399 (ca. €365 incl. VAT)

About The Conference

In Barcelona, we’ll explore new front-end challenges, UX strategies and design patterns that you can apply to your work right away. No fluff, no theory: just hands-on, practical and on point — things that worked well in real-life projects, with talks and workshops by practitioners from the industry.

Why This Conference Could Be For You

This event focuses on the practical. You’ll learn many valuable techniques for your workflow, and you’ll meet fantastic, like-minded people from the industry. You’ll learn:

1. Strategies for building fast responsive websites,
2. Clever psychological techniques for smarter interfaces,
3. Techniques and guidelines for better mobile UX,
4. Guidelines for scalable CSS and JavaScript,
5. Techniques for better interaction design and typography,
6. How to optimize for performance and content delivery,
7. Gotchas and guidelines with SVG, CSS Grid, HTTP/2,
8. Mistakes and lessons learned from real-life projects,
9. Responsive design patterns for future-ready websites,
10. How to move away from generic solutions towards designs that exhibit soul and personality.

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