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Building Your UX Writing Portfolio
Dr. Katharina Grimm
4.7
Based on 52 ratings
Dr. Katharina Grimm
Please note that this course does not include a review of your personal portfolio. We can, however, discuss all of your questions, worries, and concerns about creating your portfolio in detail – as always.
Read more
Please note that this course does not include a review of your personal portfolio. We can, however, discuss all of your questions, worries, and concerns about creating your portfolio in detail – as always.
Read more
Please note that this course does not include a review of your personal portfolio. We can, however, discuss all of your questions, worries, and concerns about creating your portfolio in detail – as always.
The field of UX Writing is on the rise, and that does not only mean that the number of great working opportunities is increasing. It also means that there are more and more amazing UX Writers out there who want to try their luck. For applying for UX Writing jobs – whether for freelancing or full-time positions – having a well-thought-out and carefully crafted state-of-the-art portfolio is crucial. Why? Simple:
For showcasing UX Writing skills and experiences, a UX Writing portfolio is necessary.
However, many UX Writers have quite a hard time building their portfolio: Some have never worked on a real-life UX project before, others don’t know which of their work samples to include, some don’t know which platform might be the right choice for hosting their portfolio, and others are simply scared of tackling the task and actually get started.
If any of the above applies to you, don’t worry, because this course right here has your back.
What you will learn
In this course, you will learn
which elements to include in your UX Writing portfolio
how to ensure high quality in your UX Writing portfolio
which projects to include in your UX Writing portfolio
how to get work samples for your UX Writing portfolio when you have no experience
how to choose the right platform to host your portfolio
how to choose a high-quality design for your portfolio
and much more
We will work with a step-by-step tutorial so that you will leave this course with your very own UX Writing portfolio.
Who should join
This course is a great match for all UX Writers, juniors, intermediates, and seniors, freelancers, employed, unemployed – whoever you are, if you are currently concerned about crafting your very own UX Writing portfolio, this course is for you.
Sounds good? Then join this class and leave it with your very own, high-quality UX Writing portfolio.
If you want to take all of my UX Writing courses, here is the order recommend:
1 Introduction To UX Writing
2 Transitioning To UX Writing
3 Accessible UX Writing
4 UX Writing: Finding Your Voice and Tone
5 UX Writing in Practice: Documentation & Processes
6 User Research And Testing For UX Writing
7 Inclusive UX Writing: Physical Abilities & Neurodivergence
8 Inclusive UX Writing: Gender, Race & Age
9 Culture-Based UX Writing
10 Localization in UX Writing
11 Fighting „Dark“ UX Writing: How To Write Kind UX Copy
12 Building Your UX Writing Portfolio
13 Freelancing in UX Writing
Please note that all courses stand for themselves and that you don't need to take any course as a prerequisite for taking another one. You don’t have to follow this order. This is only my very own suggestion, which is especially helpful when you need guidance on which course to pick next.
Register for this course and see more details by visiting:
OpenCourser.com/course/70cnz1/building
What's inside
Learning objectives
- Understand why having a ux writing portfolio is essential
- Learn about what needs to be included in a ux writing portfolio
- Learn what makes a good ux writing portfolio
- See where to get inspiration for a ux writing portfolio
- Learn how to choose the right platform to host your ux writing portfolio
- Know how to choose the design and layout of your ux writing portfolio
- Learn how to choose projects and work samples for your ux writing portfolio
- See how to write descriptions for your ux writing portfolio
- Know how to get your ux writing portfolio online
- Learn how to create a ux writing portfolio with no experience
- Understand why having a ux writing portfolio is essential
- Learn about what needs to be included in a ux writing portfolio
- Learn what makes a good ux writing portfolio
- See where to get inspiration for a ux writing portfolio
- Learn how to choose the right platform to host your ux writing portfolio
- Know how to choose the design and layout of your ux writing portfolio
- Learn how to choose projects and work samples for your ux writing portfolio
- See how to write descriptions for your ux writing portfolio
- Know how to get your ux writing portfolio online
- Learn how to create a ux writing portfolio with no experience
Syllabus
Part I: Introduction
Welcome & Introduction to Part I
Why You Need a Portfolio
Elements to Include & To Exclude
Read more
Syllabus
Part I: Introduction
Welcome & Introduction to Part I
Why You Need a Portfolio
Elements to Include & To Exclude
Read more
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Activities
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Building Your UX Writing Portfolio.
These are activities you can do either before, during, or after a course.
Career center
Learners who complete Building Your UX Writing Portfolio will develop knowledge and skills
that may be useful to these careers:
User Experience Writer
User Experience Writer
A User Experience Writer crafts clear, concise, and helpful text that guides users through a product interface. This includes microcopy, error messages, labels, and onboarding flows, all designed to enhance the user's interaction. This course is specifically tailored to help you build a professional User Experience Writing portfolio, a fundamental tool for showcasing your abilities in this rapidly growing field. It focuses on identifying relevant projects, even if you have no prior experience, and selecting the optimal platform and design to present your work effectively, ensuring you stand out to potential employers or clients.
Product Content Designer
Product Content Designer
A Product Content Designer focuses on the words and language within a product, ensuring consistency, clarity, and brand voice across all touchpoints. This role is highly collaborative, working closely with user experience designers and product managers to shape the user experience through language. Building a high-quality portfolio is absolutely essential for a Product Content Designer to display their expertise in crafting effective in-product copy and understanding user journeys. This course helps you compile your content design projects, select the right platform, and design a compelling presentation to articulate your contribution to user-centered digital products, even if you are just starting out.
Content Designer
Content Designer
A Content Designer shapes the content strategy, creation, and delivery for digital experiences, ensuring that information is clear, useful, and user-centered. This role often involves a blend of writing, strategy, and user experience principles. For a Content Designer, a sophisticated portfolio is indispensable for showcasing their diverse content projects, from user flows to editorial guidelines, and demonstrating their impact on user understanding and engagement. This course offers a comprehensive approach to building such a portfolio, guiding you on selecting compelling content samples, designing an effective presentation, and choosing an appropriate platform to highlight your expertise.
Technical Writer
Technical Writer
A Technical Writer creates clear, comprehensive, and accurate documentation, such as user manuals, how-to guides, and release notes, that helps users understand complex products or services. While the output differs from microcopy, the emphasis on clarity and user understanding is shared. Building a portfolio is increasingly relevant for Technical Writers to demonstrate their ability to simplify complex information and present it effectively. This course helps you learn which elements to include and how to ensure high quality in presenting your technical writing samples, and how to choose the right platform to showcase your documentation expertise.
Content Strategist
Content Strategist
A Content Strategist plans and oversees the creation, delivery, and governance of content across an organization, ensuring it aligns with business goals and user needs. While the core work is strategic planning, demonstrating past achievements is often crucial. This course may be useful as it guides you through articulating your past projects and skills in a structured, high-quality portfolio. Learning how to select compelling work samples, choose an appropriate platform, and design a presentation for your content strategy work can effectively highlight your analytical and strategic capabilities, aiding your career advancement.
Content Marketer
Content Marketer
A Content Marketer creates and distributes valuable, relevant, and consistent content, such as blog posts, videos, and infographics, to attract and retain a clearly defined audience, ultimately driving profitable customer action. For a Content Marketer, a portfolio serves as a vital tool to display their ability to generate engaging content and demonstrate campaign success. This course provides a structured approach to building a professional portfolio, teaching you how to select compelling content samples, curate them effectively, and choose an ideal platform to host your work. These skills are helpful for articulating your value and attracting new opportunities in content marketing.
Copywriter
Copywriter
A Copywriter crafts persuasive and engaging text for marketing and advertising purposes, aiming to drive action from target audiences across various mediums, from digital ads to website content. While the immediate goal differs from user experience, demonstrating writing prowess through a portfolio is fundamental for any Copywriter. This course may be useful as it teaches the principles of creating a high-quality portfolio, including selecting impactful work samples and developing a compelling layout. These skills can be directly applied to presenting your persuasive copy, helping you effectively showcase your creative abilities and strategic thinking to potential clients or employers.
Communications Specialist
Communications Specialist
A Communications Specialist manages internal and external communications for an organization, responsible for crafting messages, developing communication strategies, and maintaining brand consistency across various channels. For a Communications Specialist, a well-structured portfolio can be a powerful tool to display successful campaigns, press releases, internal memos, and strategic communication plans. This course may be useful in guiding you through the process of building a high-quality portfolio, including how to select compelling communication samples, articulate your role in their success, and choose an effective platform and design to present your professional expertise to potential employers.
Information Architect
Information Architect
An Information Architect focuses on organizing and structuring content in a way that is intuitive and easy for users to find and understand. This involves creating sitemaps, navigation schemes, and taxonomies to improve usability. For an Information Architect, a portfolio is a key tool to showcase examples of their structural design work, demonstrating their problem-solving approach and logical organization skills. This course may be useful by providing a step-by-step guide to building a high-quality portfolio, including how to select and present complex schematics and user flows effectively, and choosing the right platform to host your detailed work examples.
Instructional Designer
Instructional Designer
An Instructional Designer creates engaging and effective learning experiences, developing instructional materials, courses, and educational content for various audiences. To secure roles, an Instructional Designer frequently needs to present a portfolio showcasing their projects, design methodologies, and impact on learning outcomes. While not always required, some roles may prefer or require an advanced degree. This course may be useful by providing a step-by-step guide to building a high-quality portfolio. It helps you choose project samples, design a compelling layout, and select a suitable platform to host your work, effectively communicating your expertise in designing clear and impactful educational experiences.
Brand Strategist
Brand Strategist
A Brand Strategist defines, develops, and implements a brand's identity, voice, and positioning to resonate with target audiences and achieve business objectives. This role requires a strong ability to articulate vision and demonstrate impact. While a portfolio for a Brand Strategist might emphasize strategic documents and case studies, the fundamental principles of presenting work professionally are shared. This course may be useful in helping you organize and showcase your projects effectively, learning how to choose the right platform and design to present your strategic thinking and successful brand initiatives, which can enhance your professional presence.
User Researcher
User Researcher
A User Researcher plans and conducts studies to understand user behaviors, needs, and motivations, providing insights that inform product design and development. While the primary output of a User Researcher is research reports and insights, many professionals benefit from a portfolio to showcase their methodologies, projects, and the impact of their findings. An advanced degree, such as a master's or PhD, is often preferred or required for many user research positions. This course may be useful in helping you learn how to organize and present complex information in a structured and high-quality format. The principles of selecting key projects, designing a clear narrative, and choosing a suitable platform can enhance how you communicate your research expertise.
Accessibility Specialist
Accessibility Specialist
An Accessibility Specialist champions inclusive design, ensuring that digital products and content are usable by people with diverse abilities. This involves auditing, advising, and implementing accessibility standards. While not a writing role, demonstrating expertise often requires showcasing project work, audits, and proposed solutions. This course may be useful for an Accessibility Specialist, as it provides a framework for building a high-quality portfolio. Learning how to select and present case studies of accessibility improvements, choose an effective design, and publish your work can significantly enhance your professional presence when advocating for inclusive digital experiences.
Interaction Designer
Interaction Designer
An Interaction Designer focuses on how users interact with digital products, designing intuitive interfaces and user flows to create seamless and effective experiences. While the primary output of an Interaction Designer often involves visual prototypes and wireframes, a strong portfolio is essential for showcasing their design process and problem-solving skills. This course may be useful in helping an Interaction Designer organize and present their work effectively. The principles of choosing compelling projects, designing a clear narrative around their interactions, and selecting an appropriate online platform can enhance how they communicate their design decisions and user-centered approach.
Digital Product Manager
Digital Product Manager
A Digital Product Manager oversees the entire lifecycle of a product, from conception to launch and iteration, coordinating teams and defining the product vision, strategy, and roadmap. While a Product Manager typically doesn't build a portfolio of "work samples" in the same way a designer or writer does, demonstrating past project leadership and outcomes through a curated online presence is increasingly beneficial. This course may be useful in helping you structure and present your career trajectory and project successes in a clear, high-quality manner, choosing a suitable platform to articulate your strategic contributions and leadership without focusing on specific content pieces.
For more career information including salaries, visit:
OpenCourser.com/course/70cnz1/building
Reading list
We've selected 24 books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
Building Your UX Writing Portfolio.
Is essential for learning how to align UX copy with business goals and user needs, which is the core of a strong portfolio case study. It provides frameworks and patterns that help writers describe their decision-making process to recruiters. It is widely used by industry professionals as a guide for creating measurable impact through text.
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Helps students understand that UX writing design discipline, providing the necessary background to explain their role in the design process. It is highly valuable for learners who need to articulate how their writing solves specific usability problems in their portfolios. It serves as a modern textbook for those transitioning from traditional writing to UX roles.
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Often called the 'bible' of microcopy, this book is an indispensable reference tool for students looking to include high-quality work samples in their portfolios. It provides deep breadth on voice, tone, and specific UI elements like buttons and error messages. Reading this ensures the samples included in a portfolio meet professional industry standards.
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Introduces the 'user needs' first approach, which prerequisite for any professional-grade UX writing project. It helps students structure their portfolio projects around evidence-based decisions rather than just creativity. It short, high-impact read that adds depth to the course's module on mapping out content.
A portfolio is not just about the final product; it is about explaining the 'why' behind the work. crucial reference for the 'How to write descriptions' objective of the course, teaching students how to justify their copy choices to stakeholders. It is highly recommended for building the narrative structure of a UX case study.
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While not a technical UX book, this is the definitive guide for the mindset required to build a portfolio. It is particularly helpful for the course section on 'So You Have No Experience?', as it teaches how to document the learning process as a way to gain visibility. It serves as an excellent motivational supplement to the course's practical steps.
Useful reference tool for managing the actual task of writing, which can be the hardest part of building a portfolio. It provides a process for getting words on the page and organizing content, directly supporting the course's 'Step 2: Map Out Your Content' syllabus item. It is highly accessible for beginners and juniors.
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Focuses on voice and tone, which major component of the course's recommended learning path. It helps students ensure their portfolio itself has a professional and consistent voice. It classic industry reference that bridges the gap between general web writing and specialized UX writing.
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Since the course covers user research for UX writing, this book provides the necessary depth on how to conduct and present research findings in a portfolio. It is valuable for showing recruiters that a writer's work is grounded in data. It is frequently used as a textbook for designers who need to integrate research into their workflow.
Is perfect for learners who are building their portfolios without the support of a large company or team. It provides methods for creating work samples from scratch, which directly supports the course objective of creating a portfolio with no experience. It practical guide for those working in 'solo' environments.
Effective portfolios are built on stories, not just screenshots. teaches how to use narrative techniques to make case studies more engaging for hiring managers. It adds significant breadth to the course by helping students craft the 'About Me' and project description sections of their site.
As UX writing often involves creating a dialogue between the user and the interface, this book provides the theoretical background for advanced portfolio pieces. It valuable reference for students wanting to showcase high-level thinking regarding interface interactions. It helps elevate a portfolio from basic copy to strategic design.
Published recently, this book focuses on how to advocate for the value of content within an organization. For a portfolio, this knowledge is useful for writing case studies that highlight the writer's influence on the broader design team. It is an excellent resource for intermediate and senior writers looking to level up their career narrative.
Provides the psychological principles that justify design and copy choices. Including these 'laws' in portfolio case studies demonstrates a high level of professional maturity and theoretical knowledge. It visually driven book that helps writers understand the visual design context of their work.
A portfolio is itself a complex information architecture problem. helps students organize their own site's navigation and content structure effectively, which core part of the course's 'Step 2: Map Out Your Content' module. It modern, concise reference for organizing digital spaces.
Given the course's emphasis on inclusive and accessible UX writing, this book provides essential context for building a portfolio that reflects these values. It helps students understand the ethics of design, which highly sought-after trait in modern UX hiring. It very recent and relevant publication.
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Is useful for understanding the fast-paced environments where UX writers often work. Describing projects through a 'Lean' lens in a portfolio shows recruiters that the candidate can work efficiently in modern tech teams. It standard textbook for industry professionals.
Adds depth to the course's modules on 'Fighting Dark UX' and 'Inclusive UX Writing.' By mentioning how they addressed cognitive biases in their work, students can make their portfolio projects stand out as more ethically conscious. It highly relevant modern reference for UX professionals.
This foundational text that every UX professional should have as background knowledge. It teaches the core principles of usability that should be evident in every project featured in a portfolio. While an older title, its 'revisited' edition remains a primary reference for the field.
Helps writers understand how to move beyond functional copy to create delightful user experiences. It is particularly useful for the course's module on 'Finding Your Voice and Tone' and for creating portfolio pieces that have a unique personality. The second edition is updated with modern examples.
Provides a step-by-step process for organizing information, which is directly applicable to students who feel overwhelmed by the 'Step 2' of the course. It is an excellent tool for those who have a lot of work samples and don't know how to categorize them. Its clarity makes it a great prerequisite for complex projects.
This practical reference tool that provides templates and processes for managing content projects. It is useful for students who want to show a 'Documentation & Processes' angle in their portfolio, as suggested by the course's recommended path. It is more valuable as a handbook for project work than as a theoretical text.
Provides the essential prerequisite knowledge for all UX disciplines. While not specific to writing, its concepts of affordances and signifiers are vital for writing copy that helps users navigate interfaces. It is the most commonly cited book in the industry and adds significant academic weight to a student's background.
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Serves as a good introductory reference for those coming from non-writing backgrounds. It covers the basics of digital readability, which is the foundation upon which UX writing is built. It is helpful for ensuring that the basic writing quality of a portfolio is high before tackling advanced UX concepts.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/course/70cnz1/building
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