Introduction: Portfolio Ideas
The situation when you need to prepare a portfolio for a UX job but have no experience at all may arise. You may see that most job descriptions require previous research experience, practice with users, and proficiency in research tools.
However, the truth is that you do not have to have a UX research expert to create a portfolio. The following portfolio ideas for aspiring UX researchers with no experience will assist you in putting together the necessary evidence for landing your first UX research job.
Portfolio Ideas for Aspiring UX Researchers With No Experience
1. Study an Everyday Problem
If you lack experience, you may want to study a common problem. In this case, you may research issues related to common products and services.
For instance, you may investigate problems related to using online food delivery services, making an appointment with a doctor, ordering groceries online, or using public transport. You should pick a specific problem, investigate it, interview some users, find out the pain points, and describe the results.
The point is that the process of conducting research and the necessary stages in the pursuit of a solution are more significant than the problem itself.
2. Conduct a User Interview Project
You may want to practice conducting user interviews. You will be able to interview your friends, classmates, or family members. For instance, you may ask them to describe their experience with shopping online and introduce their requirements and expectations.
When conducting user interviews, you may want to come up with 5-10 open-ended questions in order to avoid leading the users toward a specific answer. After you conduct the interviews and collect all the data, you will have to analyze it and find common themes and patterns.
In your portfolio, you should present the questions you asked, the description of the users you interviewed, and your findings and conclusions.
3. Usability Testing Case Study
You may want to conduct a usability test as a project for your portfolio. In this case, you will have to pick a website or an application and ask several users to complete a set of predefined tasks in order to discover usability issues.
For instance, you may ask the users to find a specific page, purchase a product, sign up for the site, or locate the contact information. You will have to observe whether they can complete these simple tasks and see what obstacles they face.
You may also want to see whether the users understand what you expect them to do. For instance, they may confuse a button with an image or misinterpret a label.
You will be able to comment on the crucial issues and summarize the experience for the users. However, you should avoid criticizing the company; instead, you should illustrate your abilities as a researcher.
4. Research a Product You Already Use
You may want to research a product or a service you already use in your daily life. You will have to address such questions:
- Who are the typical users of a specific service or product?
- What problems do these users experience?
- What goals do these users seek to achieve?
- What are the typical barriers that prevent these users from achieving their goals?
- What information does the target audience need?
You may want to conduct multiple rounds of interviews, surveys, and tests to discover these problems. Thus, you will be able to create a strong body of evidence for your case study.
5. Small Survey
A survey may also be a helpful project for your portfolio. You may want to narrow the topic and focus on a specific aspect rather than try to cover everything.
For instance, you may conduct a survey among students to see how they decide which online platform to choose. Or you may take a look at the preferences of working professionals in terms of productivity apps.
You may create a short survey, collect responses, summarize the most important quantitative results, create charts and graphs to visualize the results, and provide qualitative feedback. You should not just focus on numbers but also elaborate on the most important insights.
6. Redesign a Research Process
Another idea for a portfolio project is to take a problem experienced by the users and detail how this problem could be studied. This study should feature a detailed description of the goals, objectives, target audience, methods, questions, and tools.
For instance, the company wants to redesign its banking app. Describe what research you would conduct, who you would interview, what questions you would ask. You will have to suggest the tasks for the usability test and provide the questions you would include in a survey.
Conclusion: Portfolio Ideas
The absence of professional experience should not prevent you from preparing your first portfolio. In fact, the field of UX research allows you to collect a substantial body of evidence for a study even without professional expertise.
The key point is to learn the essentials of UX research and try to follow the basic rules of this discipline. The above portfolio ideas for aspiring UX researchers with no experience will help you address a range of problems.
However, remember that your first portfolio should testify to your ability to ask the right questions, provide compelling results, and deliver a thorough analysis and meaningful insights. You do not need to be perfect, but you should be an honest and critical researcher who cares about this field.
Ready to start your UX research career? Turn your skills into a strong portfolio, showcase practical projects, and start exploring opportunities that match your goals. Once your portfolio is ready, use Best Job Tool to discover relevant job opportunities and take the next step toward landing your first UX research role. Explore Best Job Tool.
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