Let me tell you something… I started to work on my portfolio 20 years ago and I have continued working on it since then — I literally just did some updates yesterday 🤓
Perfection is your enemy
As you might know, I have been dedicated to educating the new generation of UX/UI Designers and I see how much of a struggle it can be to put a portfolio together.
I see young Designers striving for perfection, putting tremendous pressure on themselves to achieve it as if there is only one shot at it or else they are over…
Let me tell you something — you will have plenty of shots at it!
Change your mindset
You don't need to reach perfection, overthink, or get frustrated…building your portfolio should be a pleasure!
I want you to have fun with it and embrace the "good enough" mindset, embrace the continuous improvement, because your portfolio will evolve as you also evolve as a professional.
⚠️ Good enough doesn't mean your portfolio isn't curated or is ok to be sloppy, simply means it's your best at that given time and you know you will continue to improve it as you go.
Your own cells are changing all the time, why wouldn’t your portfolio be changing as you go as well?
Be yourself
When building a portfolio often I get asked: How can I stand out?
Just be yourself!
Present yourself as you indeed are and reflect that in your portfolio. For example, the way you write can tell a lot about your personality, so pay attention to that too.
What about the style? Seems like all the portfolios are the same now — they tell me. Well, they are! You have the power to present yourself as you want, and it’s okay to blend in or to stand out, you do whatever you feel comfortable with.
Reflect on what represents you and what you feel passionate about and dive into it, for example, imagine you are super into sunsets and you feel that is a big part of you, think about how you can represent that in your portfolio, maybe with the colors, maybe with the animation of elements where things move smoothly and they dim their brightness, go ahead and explore it.
Tackle it as you go
Make sure you start with a structure, content, and style that are good enough, meaning that it represents you and that you feel okay with it.
Evolve from there, take breaks, note down the things you want to improve further, and tackle them as you go, as you have the time and will to do so.
Understand you most likely will never be completely satisfied! So again, be agile and embrace that your portfolio is a work in progress.
Pro-tip
Detaching yourself from a product, either your portfolio or a product you will be working for, will help you a lot in your career in tech because things are always changing and you should be comfortable with that.
As I always tell my students and mentees "Fall in love with the process, not the end result".
Follow me on Instagram at uxuiwithsusanapassinhas
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