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Kaleb Cardenas

Land your dream design role with a stunning portfolio that GETS YOU HIRED. This intensive course shows you exactly how to craft a portfolio showcasing your skills to maximize your career potential. Exclusive guidance from professional designers helps you determine what projects to feature based on your goals, organize content strategically, and develop compelling case studies. High-impact peer and instructor reviews refine your work. You'll also gain the interview skills needed to sell yourself with polished mock sessions. By the end, your portfolio will impress recruiters and make you stand out from other candidates. Don’t delay landing your ideal job - enroll now, and we'll have you job-ready in no time with the top-notch portfolio that gets you noticed!

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Strategically select and format portfolio projects to accentuate your strengths and career goals within the current job market
  • Craft compelling case studies through professional writing that highlight your design process, challenges, and solutions in a way that excites recruiters
  • Organize your content purposefully using best practices like grid layouts, modular sections, and highlighting keywords for optimal recruiting visibility
  • Polish your public speaking skills through one-on-one mock interviews to learn how to pitch yourself, and your work to sell your qualifications to hiring managers
  • Incorporate invaluable feedback from instructors and the xccelerate community into iterative portfolio drafts to produce a clean, visually appealing final product that boosts your career opportunities

Syllabus

Unit 1. Design Portfolio
Principles and guidelines for a good portfolio
Good Portfolios examples
Portfolio building platforms
Read more
Choosing the best platform for you
Portfolio Strategy
Portfolio Architecture
Portfolio deliverable
Practice interview skills with mock interviews
Portfolio best practices
Portfolio production
Portfolio reviews and final presentation

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Explores principles to guide your portfolio design and development
Teaches you to organize your portfolio for best visibility and impact
Offers structured guidance and feedback from professionals
Provides opportunities to refine your mock portfolio interviews
Demands that you have some knowledge of design fundamentals

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in How to Build Your Design Portfolio with these activities:
Practice Sketching and Wireframing
Sharpen your sketching and wireframing skills to generate ideas and communicate design concepts effectively.
Browse courses on Sketching
Show steps
  • Draw simple shapes and objects from observation.
  • Practice creating low-fidelity wireframes to represent user interfaces.
  • Use online or offline resources to learn different sketching and wireframing techniques.
Design a User Interface (UI) for a Mobile App
Apply the principles of UI design to create a functional and visually appealing interface for a mobile application.
Browse courses on UI Design
Show steps
  • Define the purpose and target audience of the app.
  • Sketch out wireframes and mockups.
  • Create interactive prototypes using design software.
  • Test the UI with users and iterate based on feedback.
Attend Industry Meetups and Design Conferences
Connect with other designers, learn about industry trends, and expand your professional network.
Browse courses on Networking
Show steps
  • Research and identify relevant meetups and conferences.
  • Attend events and engage in conversations.
  • Follow up with individuals you meet and build connections.
Five other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all eight activities
Participate in Portfolio Review Workshops
Receive valuable feedback and guidance on your portfolio from experienced designers and peers.
Browse courses on Professional Development
Show steps
  • Find and register for portfolio review workshops.
  • Prepare your portfolio for review and feedback.
  • Be open to constructive criticism and use it to improve your work.
Read the book: Design of Everyday Things
Review the principles and design patterns for creating usable and understandable interfaces.
Show steps
  • Read each chapter thoroughly and make notes.
  • Summarize the main ideas and concepts in your own words.
  • Identify examples of good and bad design in everyday objects.
Write a Case Study on a Design Project
Document and share your design process by creating a case study that highlights your skills and problem-solving abilities.
Browse courses on Case study
Show steps
  • Identify a design project that demonstrates your strengths.
  • Outline the project goals, challenges, and solutions.
  • Write a compelling narrative that showcases your process.
  • Include visuals, such as screenshots or prototypes.
Follow Tutorials on Portfolio Presentation Techniques
Enhance your portfolio by learning effective techniques for organizing, showcasing, and presenting your design work.
Browse courses on Portfolio Design
Show steps
  • Search for tutorials on portfolio presentation best practices.
  • Follow step-by-step instructions to design and structure your portfolio.
  • Incorporate techniques for highlighting your skills and impact.
Develop a Presentation Deck for Your Portfolio
Craft a compelling presentation deck that effectively showcases your design skills and projects to potential employers.
Browse courses on Public Speaking
Show steps
  • Organize and select key projects to present.
  • Design slides using visual aids and clear language.
  • Practice presenting your deck in front of a mirror or a friend.

Career center

Learners who complete How to Build Your Design Portfolio will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Web Designer
Web designers can use this course to improve their portfolio and show off their skills in the best light. The course will help students learn how to organize their portfolio and choose the best projects to showcase. It will also teach students how to write compelling case studies and sell their work in a polished and professional manner.
UX Designer
UX designers can use this course to learn how to build a portfolio that showcases their skills and experience in the best possible light. The course will teach students how to select the best projects to feature in their portfolio, and how to organize and present their work in a way that is both visually appealing and informative. Students will also learn how to write compelling case studies that highlight their skills and experience.
Graphic designer
Designers that specialize in visual communication and page layout can expect this course to help them present their work in a way that is visually appealing and exciting. The course will help students think about how to organize their portfolio in a way that will be most attractive and persuasive to potential clients. It will also help designers create compelling case studies that sell their skills and qualifications.
UI Designer
This course is a great option for UI designers who want to learn how to build a strong portfolio that will help them land their dream job. The course will teach students how to select the best projects to feature in their portfolio, and how to organize and present their work in a way that is both visually appealing and informative. Students will also learn how to write compelling case studies that highlight their skills and experience.
Art Director
Art directors may find this course helpful to learn how to build a portfolio that showcases their skills and experience. The course helps students learn how to organize their portfolio and write compelling case studies that effectively sell their skills and qualifications.
Product Designer
Product designers may find this course helpful to learn how to improve their portfolio and showcase their skills. The course helps students learn how to effectively organize their portfolio and write compelling case studies that effectively sell their skills and qualifications.
Creative Director
Creative directors may find this course helpful to learn how to build a portfolio that showcases their skills and experience. The course helps students learn how to organize their portfolio and write compelling case studies that effectively sell their skills and qualifications.
Interaction Designer
Interaction designers may find this course helpful to learn how to create a strong portfolio that showcases their skills and experience. The course helps students learn how to organize their portfolio and write compelling case studies that effectively sell their skills and qualifications.
Visual Designer
Visual designers may find this course helpful to learn how to build a portfolio that showcases their skills and experience. The course helps students learn how to organize their portfolio and write compelling case studies that effectively sell their skills and qualifications.
Content Manager
Content managers may find this course helpful to learn how to build a portfolio that showcases their skills and experience. The course helps students learn how to organize their portfolio and write compelling case studies that effectively sell their skills and qualifications.
Public relations manager
Public relations managers may find this course helpful to learn how to build a portfolio that showcases their skills and experience. The course helps students learn how to organize their portfolio and write compelling case studies that effectively sell their skills and qualifications.
Social Media Manager
Social media managers may find this course helpful to learn how to build a portfolio that showcases their skills and experience. The course helps students learn how to organize their portfolio and write compelling case studies that effectively sell their skills and qualifications.
Brand Manager
Brand managers may find this course helpful to learn how to build a portfolio that showcases their skills and experience. The course helps students learn how to organize their portfolio and write compelling case studies that effectively sell their skills and qualifications.
Advertising Manager
Advertising managers may find this course helpful to learn how to build a portfolio that showcases their skills and experience. The course helps students learn how to organize their portfolio and write compelling case studies that effectively sell their skills and qualifications.
Marketing Manager
Marketing managers may find this course helpful to learn how to build a portfolio that showcases their skills and experience. The course helps students learn how to organize their portfolio and write compelling case studies that effectively sell their skills and qualifications.

Reading list

We've selected six 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 How to Build Your Design Portfolio.
Provides guidance on writing effective case studies and other written materials for your portfolio.
Emphasizes the importance of storytelling in effectively communicating your ideas, which is valuable for presenting your portfolio to potential employers.
Offers insights into the techniques used by Steve Jobs in his presentations, which can be applied to effectively presenting your portfolio during interviews.
Explores the creative process and offers insights into how to foster creativity, which can be valuable for enhancing your portfolio and design work.
Promotes the concept of lean methodology, which can be applied to portfolio development by focusing on iterative improvements and customer feedback.

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