#does this make sesn? did I make it confusing? is it even interesting

[kandulce]

🌻🌻 :D

Pak technology isn’t unique to Irkens. The history may have been meticulously obliterated, any evidence snobbishly labeled as ‘lost’, along with ancestors and sister species. Nature, however, did not comprehend intent. Even of her favorites. Nor did she comprehend pride anymore than the stark fear of company in the emptiness of space.

Planets still orbit undisturbed, far far far from any space accessible even to The Massive. Chance still occasionally gapes open, swallowing one side of the universe, and granting access to another. Ancient, forgotten paranoia of predation, reignited with renewed force and a fierceness uncontested.

And still, freshly graduated Red gets his growth spurt just in time to be the Tallest of the lowly runts, and to be consequently promoted Commissioned Officer to the squad being sent to the front lines.

They're not even gonna serve complimentary doughnuts.

How do I explain this abandoned little passion project…

In which the fresh recruits are being proudly sent to the front lines, as they are encouraged to feel. Red very actively does not share this pride, and very actively understands this is not something to Share With The Class. Still, he wants, more than anything, to be a good, responsible soldier.

His very own squad gets assigned a delinquent Taller just days before deployment, and it becomes rather clear why the creepy, off-putting jerk was kicked from the Cool, Taller kids table.

Secretly, Red recognizes shared beliefs and, to his horror, understands some of the dishonorably reprehensible and self-preserving behavior the Taller carelessly and openly displays. This, and the last shitty cafeteria meal he’ll likely ever have, are shoved far down as down can go as Deployment Day arrives.

The planet stinks, glowing paks that aren't paks contort and deform the local fauna, along with some fellow squad members. Whatever information Command had been fed was clearly and hopelessly wrong, and it was the starry-eyed elites who would pay.

Someone in charge, or stupid enough to have a false tone of confidence carry over the staticky radio, ordered some last-ditch semblance of the original plan; throw your plasma then your pak legs into the enemy and hope you make Irk proud.

It was the Taller’s natural convincing wiles, Red will convince himself, that causes him to commit the most criminal, despicable act of desertion. The charisma that had always been present, and not the small unnatural, unheard voice that whispered, better them than you when the various looks of shock and betrayal die from his squad’s loyal, gullible eyes.

Red turned, followed Purple, and had forgotten each of his subordinates names before coily, living metal could even finish wrapping around their still bodies.

There was no use in the guilt Red didn’t feel; not three rotations, seven close calls, and fifteen arguments later did one of those power leeching parasites sneak up and manage a brief but fatal blow to Red’s pak.

Purple killed it back, but that didn’t take away the damage already done. It did make the weird look he gave Red even weirder, as those little shits had been of a particular anxiety to Purple during their visit.

Whatever. It wasn’t Red’s problem anymore, and the nightmare world finally ceased.

Until it didn’t and pain and sensations both unknown and missing become forefront and center to the awareness Red had, quite quickly, gotten used to being departed from.

His legs, both warm and cold, wouldn’t respond, his eyes focused and unfocused on everything wrong, and worse of all there was another voice in his head. An annoying one that Red would have preferred the sickly, unnatural parasitic paks over.

In this new confusing, incongruous state of sensation, memories, thoughts, and shitty opinions that weren't his flowed past, just within reach. Through them, a new understanding for his situation, and the asshole he was apparently strapped to, came to light.

Eventually, after a couple of near-deaths to curb their bickering, both got used to jointly operating their pak legs, and Red learned to shut up long enough for Purple to concentrate on their surroundings.

Skills and blueprints a respectable soldier really shouldn't know, even one of Purple’s height, floated through Red’s awareness. If Red passed the boring, awkward time of his immobility to copy some of it to his own memory, it was really Purple’s fault.

Besides, the unencrypted knowledge of Paks, and apparently the tightly guarded secret that they can be connected together, had saved Red’s life.

Some more close calls, horribly, utterably boring moments, and some truly stellar entertainment where Purple’s life choices and survival strategies could be mercilessly judged, and eventually, impossibly, a stray ship came into view.

An Irken ship. Ready for takeoff out of this hellhole.

Red pretended to not notice, and even more so, ignored his own understanding, of Purple's momentary hesitation to pull the connection. There’d be enough charge to last through to the repair bay, and the commotion of war would cloak them both from scrutiny.

Still, even as awareness slipped from Red once again, a silly, and surely defective emotion flickered as Red sensed Purple's gaze, Purple's secure hold on his fractured, defective pak. And then nothing.

Red powered on, logged online, and for a moment memories of his own body muddled with someone else's, and Red couldn't tell which was the normal and what was the damning. Miraculously, he passed the verbal, technical, and physical evaluations Curiously, he was given a deferring gaze from the tall-ish technician, and even better, was assigned a research field team of High Standing.

It must have been his valiant service for the empire.

Attendance was called, and it wasn't until most of the way through that Red realized someone familiar was next to him. It took him even longer to recognize the dissonance between then, and the last time he’d seen this Irken.

Purple just so happened to be exactly at antennae level. What a coincidence.

Whatever, Red was taller anyway.

[t-baba]

Transcript: Ask the UXperts: Creating a Competitive, Effective and Impactful Portfolio — with Joe Natoli

Our Slack channel was running hot yesterday when I hosted our good friend Joe Natoli to chat about portfolios.

Joe shared some valuable tips for creating powerful UX portfolios that stand above the competition. If this sounds like something you need in your life, make sure you check out Joe’s newest course Build a Powerful UX Portfolio That Gets Your Hired

If you didn’t make the session today because you didn’t know about it, make sure you join our community to get updates of upcoming sessions.

If you’re interested in seeing what we discussed, or you want to revisit your own questions, here is a full transcript of the chat.

Transcript

hawk

2017-09-27 22:01

Ok – I’m rapt to be hosting Joe Natoli in our Slack channel today. Joe has become a great friend to us over the years and he’s so willing to share his knowledge.

hawk

2017-09-27 22:01

This session is off the back of Joe’s recent workshops http://ift.tt/2fdCLku

hawk

2017-09-27 22:02

And he has just launched a new course http://ift.tt/2ybHv5m

cindybigyu

2017-09-27 22:02

@jeankaplansky thanks. I think so too Being a researcher gives me a whole new perspective

hawk

2017-09-27 22:02

But today he’s here to answer your questions!

hawk

2017-09-27 22:02

The formal intro:

hawk

2017-09-27 22:02

Joe Natoli has been preaching and practicing the gospel of User and Customer Experience to Fortune 100, 500 and Government organizations for nearly three decades.

Joe devotes half of his practice to writing, coaching, and speaking. From guiding students at the beginning of their careers to integrating UX into the work of seasoned veteran developers and designers, he is immensely passionate about the inherent power of UX and design.

The remaining half of Joe’s practice is dedicated to training Enterprise Design and Development teams, helping them integrate best practices in UX into their product development efforts.

Joe runs a series of workshops called Give Good Portfolio. Keep your eyes peeled for his upcoming course on the same subject.

hawk

2017-09-27 22:03

@joenatoli Over to you to briefly intro the topic before we kick off the questions

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:03

Hello all — first, thank you all for taking time from your lives to be here — I am honored to be with you! Also grateful to @hawk and the great folks at UX Mastery for having me.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:03

I want to set the stage with one quick thought, and tell you very quickly about my new Portfolio course — and then, it’s all you.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:03

Although we are all fiercely dedicated to delivering great UX in our daily work, we often fail to apply the same discipline, rigor or effort to our personal websites or portfolios.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:03

The 250+ portfolios I’ve reviewed over the past 6 weeks for a client is absolute proof. Of those, only 3 made it to the interview short list.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:04

You have to do better.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:04

THat’s what tonight is about, and the UX Portfolio course @hawk mentioned course is designed to show you what “better” actually is.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:04

And speaking of which, enrollment for the Fall session closes OCT. 4, 2017 — so if you want in, now’s the time :wink:

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:04

Now — talk to me. What’s on your mind(s)?

gregux

2017-09-27 22:05

what’s the difference between give good portfolio workshop and build a powerful ux postfolio

hawk

2017-09-27 22:05

Questions are go!

cindybigyu

2017-09-27 22:05

Is this thru Udemy? I think i paid for your portfolio course but need time to do some work!:confused:

sandyux1

2017-09-27 22:05

@joenatoli is this the only time you are offering the course this fall as I’m trying to complete my course with Career Foundry and have to meet a deadline by the 7th of October?

aura

2017-09-27 22:06

Are there sites you recommend for hosting a portfolio or is it better to build one from scratch?

razel

2017-09-27 22:06

What did those 3 do differently that got them a spot on the shortlist?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:06

The course is essentially the same content; 16 video lessons plus a 2-hour group QA session/portfolio review

shillman

2017-09-27 22:06

I’ve found that research portfolio information, especially concrete information beyond ‘tell a story’, is missing from the landscape. This makes it very difficult to know what makes your portfolio great, and unlike with visual designers, you’re less likely to have the skills to make it visually appealing.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:06

@sandyux1 there wil be a Winter session as well.

sandyux1

2017-09-27 22:06

@joenatoli okay, thanks!

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:06

@aura: Are there sites you recommend for hosting a portfolio or is it better to build one from scratch? The latter.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:07

The problem with templates is that they all do this art gallery presentation

cindybigyu

2017-09-27 22:07

@joenatoli can you provide a link to the course please

gregux

2017-09-27 22:07

deadline is oct 4th, then when does teh course start

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:07

and that doesnt tell a recruoter how you THINK, what problems you solved ro how well.

gregux

2017-09-27 22:07

want to make sure my portfolio is live so you can review it

shillman

2017-09-27 22:07

(also, the site you linked says the enrollment for the course is closed)

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:07

@cindybigyu Is this thru Udemy? I think i paid for your portfolio course but need time to do some work! No, this is not available on Udemy; my platform only.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:08

@razel What did those 3 do differently that got them a spot on the shortlist?

aura

2017-09-27 22:08

Thanks Joe! I’m seeing that as my biggest hurdle since I an a Visual designer with limited coding experience.

hawk

2017-09-27 22:08

@shillman there wil be a Winter session as well.

flaxenink

2017-09-27 22:08

@joenatoli: Everyone is asking about the unicorn… UX/UI/Interaction Design, do you think as design moves forward how do you see the combination will fit? What is you opinion?

vfxguru001

2017-09-27 22:08

Tim from SF, CA – hi

shillman

2017-09-27 22:08

@hawk yes, but he just said that enrollment is until Oct 4?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:08

They told me what I needed to know from the very first screen — I got a sesne of what kind of work they did, who they did it for and whether or not it was successful. No intros :wink:

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:09

@joenatoli : is this course suitable for someone who has to build a portfolio from scratch because everything I’ve ever done is owned by an employer or former employer?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:09

Yes.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:09

We talk about gettign around NDAs as well.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:09

Doesn’t matter how many clients you have — what matters is how you present that work, in context of success.

gregux

2017-09-27 22:10

One of the main issue I’m having right now is how detailed each projects need to be on the portfolio? Putting too much and employers got to see all they wanted from you or put less to trigger employers curiosity so they contact you for an interview?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:10

@gregux Think of it as 2 parts:

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:10

Yes! NDA’s are the bane of my portfolio existence!

desertcoder

2017-09-27 22:10

I think someone mentioned this already…how can a UX researcher build a portfolio?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:10

First, the magazine cover that tells you what’s inside and why you should care about it, and

shillman

2017-09-27 22:10

@desertcoder yeah, me. :slightly_smiling_face:

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:11

second, the inside stories themselves — which will only be viewed if what was on that cover was relevant, appropriate, compelling

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:11

@desertcoder and @shillman (HBD, btw) – researchers can and should build portfolios!

ferrersocialmedia

2017-09-27 22:12

@joenatoli how can we have a detailed projects if certains part of this project cant show (like delicated information about user research)

brendan.t.norris

2017-09-27 22:12

@joenatoli You only mention success as the context for presentation, even when so much of our process is centered around failure, learning, and iteration. What are your tips on presenting failure?

shillman

2017-09-27 22:12

(HBD?)

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:12

You have something to show — your process. Whiteboard work, notes, infographics — find a visual way to tell the story of your research work

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:12

Happy BirthDay

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:12

:slightly_smiling_face:

cindybigyu

2017-09-27 22:12

@desertcoder I’m a user researcher – I think we can build one if we state the problem we are solving and show the methods we used to solve the problem. And present it in charts. Data graphs, statements etc

randyman5775

2017-09-27 22:12

So many sites are going with wordpress where you scroll down one long page. Doesn’t that lower your SEO?

shillman

2017-09-27 22:12

(Ah! Thanks. :)

cindybigyu

2017-09-27 22:13

@desertcoder don’t think it has all be about design:relaxed:

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:13

@brendan.t.norris: You only mention success as the context for presentation, even when so much of our process is centered around failure, learning, and iteration. What are your tips on presenting failure?

hawk

2017-09-27 22:13

@randyman5775 There is no evidence of that.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:13

Failure is equally important — lessons learned. No one does this, and it can speak volumes about you

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:13

Show potential employers that you cast a critical eye on your work, that you care more about outcome than being right

shillman

2017-09-27 22:14

@joenatoli Do you have any recommended portfolios that you can share? It’s often helpful to have that level of concreteness.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:14

@randyman5775 it doesn’t lower SEO at all.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:15

But one long page can be a detriment in other ways

gregux

2017-09-27 22:15

should my “paper” resume be on my portfolio too (as a downloadable pdf) , are employers even looking at it or just linked in is enough

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:15

unless there are guideposts along the way, it’ll feel like a novel the viewer has to read.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:15

@gregux: should my “paper” resume be on my portfolio too (as a downloadable pdf) , are employers even looking at it or just linked in is enough?

pixelgem

2017-09-27 22:15

How do you suggest one credits co-workers in a portfolio? In other words, almost all of my work involves back-and-forth with analytics, visual/interaction design, product management, etc. Should I mention them by title, title-and-name, or some other way? Or should one shy away from this in a portfolio?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:15

ALWAYS.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:16

THere should be a clear link to your resume/cv and it should appear both in text on an HTML page and in downloadable PDF form. (@gregux this was your last question)

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:16

@pixelgem: How do you suggest one credits co-workers in a portfolio? In other words, almost all of my work involves back-and-forth with analytics, visual/interaction design, product management, etc. Should I mention them by title, title-and-name, or some other way? Or should one shy away from this in a portfolio?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:17

Mention YOUR role. Don’t worry about naming evertyone, but DO mention those other roles — that you collaborated with (roles).

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:17

That tells a potential employer you work well with a team, and taking the time to point that out says your focus isn’t on who gets the credit — it’s on doing good work.

ferrersocialmedia

2017-09-27 22:18

is there a list of things to do to consider a project documented enough?

gregux

2017-09-27 22:18

Thanks. Should the paper resume include actual data like – Created an on-boarding experience that increased user sign-up by 150% or do you keep numbers on case study with screenshots and all

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:19

Yes — push that outcome in both places!

gregux

2017-09-27 22:19

great

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:19

@ferrersocialmedia is there a list of things to do to consider a project documented enough?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:19

Not sure what you mean by this, sorry! Tell me more

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:20

Want to say one more thing:

shillman

2017-09-27 22:20

How do you define success if you don’t have metrics like that? Eg, the project that I did the most with is not yet to the point of being a thing: they are still working on the project that underlies it. Similarly, I’ve got a couple projects that I’m actively working on: how do you recommend including those? (do you recommend it?)

ferrersocialmedia

2017-09-27 22:20

i mean: step 1: verify that you add the people that collaborate with you on this project. step 2: ensure of show yor process & critical eye.

Think like that.

ferrersocialmedia

2017-09-27 22:20

your*

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:21

Sites like Dribbble, Krop, Behance, etc. are OK — but they really shouldn’t be the ONLY source of uyour work. Formats are too constrictive and do not lend themselves to focusing on the process and story behind the work — they’re glorified visual galleries.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:21

@shillman: How do you define success if you don’t have metrics like that? Eg, the project that I did the most with is not yet to the point of being a thing: they are still working on the project that underlies it. Similarly, I’ve got a couple projects that I’m actively working on: how do you recommend including those? (do you recommend it?)

brendan.t.norris

2017-09-27 22:21

@joenatoli I work at an e-commerce company and led the redesign of our product cards. I can write about it, but I don’t feel like it’s big or cool enough to include in my portfolio. Is something like this too small to include? Should I make it part of a bigger case study?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:22

Talk about what you’re aiming for, the desired outcome — and why that out come matters so much, and why you think this will get there

gregux

2017-09-27 22:22

BTW if anyone have dribbble invites im interested :slightly_smiling_face:

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:22

So show AND tell, not show don’t tell…

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:22

YES

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:23

@ferrersocialmedia – details go in the long version. There should always be a “summary” version that intros the project first, gets someone interested enough to hear the whole story

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:24

@brendan.t.norris: How small is too small for a case study? Example -> I work at an e-commerce company and led the redesign of our product cards. I can write about it, but I don’t feel like it’s big or cool enough to include in my portfolio.

It absolutely is if you can tell the story of why it came to be in the first place. What’s it going to do for users? for your company? That’s the story, the WHY behind why you’re doing this in the first place. That applies to everything.

vfxguru001

2017-09-27 22:24

@joenatoli I’m a hybrid Visual Designer + Web Developer (with a background in 3D/VFX) trying to make the jump over into XR (VR/AR/MR) UX. I haven’t found any portfolios online that show that kind of work. Do you have any suggestions for portfolio/presentation basics that I could build off of? Thx

vfxguru001

2017-09-27 22:24

and, yes, that is a lot of acronyms

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:24

LOL

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:25

@vfxguru001 I think your answer there has to be video, screen recording

talarsen74

2017-09-27 22:25

Do you have a recommendation where beginning developers can get help if they are stuck on a small coding issue for their portfolio?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:26

You need to show the immersiveness of those experiences. But at the same time uyou still need text and a story of WHY it came to be. What problem it solves or goal it accomplishes

vfxguru001

2017-09-27 22:26

@joenatoli lightbulb goes off – thanks!!

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:26

So something as “simple” as configuring an authoring UI to make authors more efficient counts?

gregux

2017-09-27 22:26

@talarsen74 stackoverflow

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:27

@talarsen74: Do you have a recommendation where beginning developers can get help if they are stuck on a small coding issue for their portfolio?

Apply for membership in my private Facebook group and ask, lotta devs who are wonderful people: http://ift.tt/2ybITou.

hawk

2017-09-27 22:27

@talarsen74 Or http://ift.tt/2ftRes7

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:27

@jeankaplansky: So something as “simple” as configuring an authoring UI to make authors more efficient counts?

Absolutely!!! That’s the WHY.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:27

There is no reason that isn’t relevant or isn’t “sexy” enough

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:28

Cool! Half of my career has been about configuring one authoring UI or another.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:28

Most organizations are facing very boring problems, truth be told :wink:

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:28

They’re expensive problems, and they have impact, but boring on their faces

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:28

And the same problems across industries/disciplines.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:29

Yep

brendan.t.norris

2017-09-27 22:29

@joenatoli Are solutions outside of digital/physical products okay to put in a UX portfolio? At my current job I do a lot of facilitation/management and apply design thinking/process there too. Should I write about that?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:29

Absolutely — that’s how you contribute, how you impact UX

shillman

2017-09-27 22:29

@talarsen74 I’m pretty fond of Wix, as it lets me customize to a good degree but doesn’t make me write the code. I had been writing the code and kept getting distracted by trying to figure out how to make things do what I wanted.

ux.julie

2017-09-27 22:29

@joenatoli I was just telling another UX’er wanna be that I figure most of the real world UX jobs would be basically boring. That anything really exciting you would either have to do on your own or be lucky enough to work for someone like NASA or Disney.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:30

@ux.julie that’s largely correct

gregux

2017-09-27 22:30

when you re lucky to get an interview and face actual people, what are a few things to do or say that will make them think you might be the one

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:30

The issues aren;t galamorous but they do matter a great deal

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:30

So cat-herding stories are cool too? So long as names are Changed etc?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:30

and if you care about this stuff, you can absolutely get just as much charge and satisfaction from solving them.

shillman

2017-09-27 22:31

thinks it might be less about being ‘the one’ and more about being a good fit…

gregux

2017-09-27 22:31

yes

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:31

@jeankaplansky if its a compelling story that made or saved $, yes

gregux

2017-09-27 22:31

@shillman unless you’re at the final round and it’s you vs one other designer lol

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:32

@shillman: “I had been writing the code and kept getting distracted by trying to figure out how to make things do what I wanted.” That’s one of my beefs with these platforms. You’re spending too much time solving tech problems, not enough on what you’re saying and how you’re saying it.

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:32

Or if you recognize the stuff that didn’t work, but had ideas about what could’ve worked better? Learning by failure demonstrated?

shillman

2017-09-27 22:33

@joenatoli Yes. I was using a static website generator, and just got too frustrated. Wix is pretty flexible.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:33

@jeankaplansky Yes — failure is a part of success, and anyone you want to work for knows that (and wants to hear about it)

talarsen74

2017-09-27 22:33

I’m attending my first hackathon and career fair…do I bring business cards? I’m old and new to tech.

pixelgem

2017-09-27 22:33

@shillman I’m just getting started with Wix. I like what I see so far.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:34

@gregux: when you re lucky to get an interview and face actual people, what are a few things to do or say that will make them think you might be the one?

Ask questions. Ask about the organization, how they work, what challenges they face. Communicate that you care about what they’re dealing with and that you see yourself as someone ready to throw down and help them.

shillman

2017-09-27 22:34

@pixelgem *nodnod* It also helps me learn the terms d’art for things, making it easier to look them up, Not being a visual designer has made it difficult to know what’s even a decent option!

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:35

Interviews should never be one-sided interrogations — show that you have a need to know, that you’re curious, that you’re not afraid to ask about anythign you don’t know

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:35

What do you think of the “one UX idea per day for X amount of days” idea? I’ve seen quite a few People take this approach.

desertcoder

2017-09-27 22:35

Thanks @joenatoli! I’ve been working on a UI audit of released software. Boring. But it sounds like this is portfolio material, provided I talk about the the importance of shared UI components that could have led to reduced UI problems!

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:36

@jeankaplansky it’s clever, but not necessary — and I don’t know that a recruiter or hiring mgr will look at all of that work unless each one is EQUALLY compelling. Tough to do.

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:37

Feh. Probably better for newbies than someone with 20+ years experience then.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:37

@desertcoder: I’ve been working on a UI audit of released software. Boring. But it sounds like this is portfolio material, provided I talk about the the importance of shared UI components that could have led to reduced UI problems!

The criteria you use for the audit is the story. Worth telling. Speaks volumes about your ability to go deeper to find the problem instead of just addressing the solution.

ux.julie

2017-09-27 22:37

@jeankaplansky I never do those. It’s takes weeks to do a project. I’m not too sure what you will be practicing by just taking a few hours to do a small part of a larger project.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:38

It’s a novelty item, in my opinion. Cool if you have time, but…

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:38

@talarsen74 I bring biz cards with me everywhere I go. And everyone wants one. Bring them :wink:

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:38

The other thing I see is people who redo a prominent UI with their own take on improved UX. Any value to this?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:39

If you have a shortage of real-world work, sure.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:39

Otherwise, this comes across as a vanity exercise (which it often is).

shillman

2017-09-27 22:39

I bring business cards everywhere. They’re old, so they aren’t the most accurate to my level of knowledge, but they still work.

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:39

So newbie stuff again.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:39

But if you’re light on work, its a great solution

shillman

2017-09-27 22:40

(ah, if you are logged in, you can see the correct link to the course!)

brendan.t.norris

2017-09-27 22:40

Not necessarily newbie, although it could be more valuable there.

vfxguru001

2017-09-27 22:40

@joenatoli one of the portfolio pieces that I would like to use is actually a piece that I created for an Interaction Designer “interview process challenge” by an electric car company that starts with “T” :slightly_smiling_face: – Is that something I could use? I didn’t sign anything saying that I couldn’t use it. I’m not sure how I would label it as it they weren’t a client. Should I remove their logo and white-label it? Thx

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:40

@shillman (http://ift.tt/2fuXct2

brendan.t.norris

2017-09-27 22:40

@jeankaplansky I’m new and don’t do them for the same reasons people have stated here.

shillman

2017-09-27 22:41

Yup, just enrolled. :slightly_smiling_face:

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:41

@vfxguru001: one of the portfolio pieces that I would like to use is actually a piece that I created for an Interaction Designer “interview process challenge” by an electric car company that starts with “T” :slightly_smiling_face: – Is that something I could use? I didn’t sign anything saying that I couldn’t use it. I’m not sure how I would label it as it they weren’t a client. Should I remove their logo and white-label it? Thx

NO, leave the name in. But be 100% clear about what this was, that’s it’s not paid work for that client :wink:

desertcoder

2017-09-27 22:41

Is this the same as a heuristic evaluation?

vfxguru001

2017-09-27 22:41

@joenatoli Schweet – /will-do thanks

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:42

@desertcoder: Is this the same as a heuristic evaluation?

Not necessarily, but it can be.

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:42

Ok. So stuff like digital pdf form design, word templates with complex macros and styles are all effective examples so long as you have the story to go with what you did…

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:42

Heuristics are generalities. Still valuable, but not always as deep as a UX or UI audit

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:43

@jeankaplansky: Ok. So stuff like digital pdf form design, word templates with complex macros and styles are all effective examples so long as you have the story to go with what you did…

You’ve got it. It’s all valid as long as you tell the story, explain the value of the work

brendan.t.norris

2017-09-27 22:43

@joenatoli I’ve seen videos on youtube and some medium posts talking about using the “T” structure in your portfolio. Have you heard of this? Is this your recommended structure?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:44

I’ve heard of it and I always feel like it overcomplicates things :wink:

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:44

Huh. I’ve got more to work with than I thought then…

brendan.t.norris

2017-09-27 22:44

So, focus less on what skills/etc you’re showing and talk about the project story?

aura

2017-09-27 22:44

I’ve seen some UI portfolios that tell a story while also throwing in some light animations on titles and buttons. Does that make it stand out more to a potential client?

ux.julie

2017-09-27 22:45

What is “T” structure?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:46

@brendan.t.norris I’ve been both a generalist and a specialist all my life, and I think both are equally valuable. My problem with these definitions (T-shaped) is that it sends you off on a wild goose chase overanalyzing whether you’re good enough, have the right skills, etc. I’ve never paid attention to any of that; I do what I do best and that’s what I promote and offer.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:47

@ux.julie the vertical bar on the T represents the depth of related skills and expertise in a single field, whereas the horizontal bar is the ability to collaborate across disciplines with experts in other areas and to apply knowledge in areas of expertise other than one’s own. Both matter, both are important, and most people are usually a mix of both anyway, they just don’t see it as such

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:47

So bells & whistles like t-structure and animations are more distracting than effective to your story unless there’s a compelling reason to include?

brendan.t.norris

2017-09-27 22:47

Awesome. I have that exact problem so it’s nice to hear.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:47

@aura: I’ve seen some UI portfolios that tell a story while also throwing in some light animations on titles and buttons. Does that make it stand out more to a potential client?

Not unless it does something to help illustrate your point or tell the story. Animation is commonlace and will in many cases just be a distraction to someone trying to focus on what they see.

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:48

Animation = Squirrel!! ;)

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:49

If I see “I’m a T-shaped professional, ” my reaction is, “you and everyone else.” I don’t care about the claim — I want to know how you do what you do and why other people have paid you to do it :wink:

kalyani

2017-09-27 22:49

Just joined! Nice to meet all of you :slightly_smiling_face:

shillman

2017-09-27 22:49

SQUIRREL! :squirrel:

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:49

LOL

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:49

That got my dog’s attention

shillman

2017-09-27 22:50

Just recommended your course to folks on UXPA Boston’s FB page. :slightly_smiling_face:

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:50

Aw man… didn’t do anything on my phone.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:50

Thank you @shillman!

shillman

2017-09-27 22:50

I figure it I think it’ll be useful, others might be interested.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:51

talk to me folks!

hello468

2017-09-27 22:51

@joenatoli what would be the metrics you yourself use to measure if portfolio is successful :unicorn_face:

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:51

I just thought of 2 other places I can share the link. Ppl need to educate themselves on this stuff!!!

kalyani

2017-09-27 22:51

@joenatoli How should one handle an NDA situation? For one of my projects, I’ve written up the work I did, but haven’t shown screens or gotten into process because that would mean violating the NDA. Is that good enough for a hiring manager?

gregux

2017-09-27 22:51

should you put work you’re doing at your current employer on your portfolio or should you write on your cover letter current employer’s work available on demand and you send a separate link

desertcoder

2017-09-27 22:51

When it comes to showcasing UX research, is there an easy way to mask the client’s name? I’m thinking of some type of software?

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:52

@hello468: what would be the metrics you yourself use to measure if portfolio is successful?

Outcomes, outcomes and outcomes. What was the end result, what did it do for users/for the business? And if that’s unknown, what problem were you trying to solve and why did you feel this was the way to do it? I want to see how you THINK well before I see the produced work.

shillman

2017-09-27 22:53

@desertcoder Blurr the name out?

shillman

2017-09-27 22:54

Blur, even

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:54

@kalyani How should one handle an NDA situation? For one of my projects, I’ve written up the work I did, but haven’t shown screens or gotten into process because that would mean violating the NDA. Is that good enough for a hiring manager?

Ask first, anyway. You never know. Second, provided there is work the hiring mgr CAN see, everyone understands NDAs are a fact of life.

kalyani

2017-09-27 22:54

To clarify, I’ve written what I worked on in the project.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:54

It’s also sometimes possible to talk about the strategic nature of the work without naming names or showing screenshots

desertcoder

2017-09-27 22:54

@shillman Yes, I need to blurr the name

vfxguru001

2017-09-27 22:54

@shillman Blurr is the new and improved blur filter. (it’s trending…it’s hot)

hawk

2017-09-27 22:54

5 mins left people!

shillman

2017-09-27 22:55

@desertcoder Most of the tools I’ve used to do things like crop also have blurr? But you could try (for example) free and open source Inkscape. Or similar.

shillman

2017-09-27 22:55

@vfxguru001 *laughing*

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:55

@hawk aw man!!! Can’t we stay up 5 more minutes? Pleeeaassse?

shillman

2017-09-27 22:55

*laughing*

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:55

@gregux should you put work you’re doing at your current employer on your portfolio or should you write on your cover letter current employer’s work available on demand and you send a separate link?

Provided they won’t fire you for doing so, that work should be there if possible. But if you’re on the fence, on demand in the CV is fine.

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:56

parting shots?

pixelgem

2017-09-27 22:57

This was all very helpful. Thanks, @joenatoli!

jeankaplansky

2017-09-27 22:57

Yes! Thank you!!!

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:57

You’re welcome, @pixelgem!

ux.julie

2017-09-27 22:57

Thanks :slightly_smiling_face:

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:57

(nice to see you Maureen)

aura

2017-09-27 22:57

Thank you, Joe! Can’t wait to find out more in your class!

gregux

2017-09-27 22:57

Definitely great, thanks a lot

vfxguru001

2017-09-27 22:57

Yes, good stuff. Thanks, @joenatoli + everyone

talarsen74

2017-09-27 22:57

Thank you!

desertcoder

2017-09-27 22:57

Good stuff – thank you!

shillman

2017-09-27 22:58

Thanks, Joe. :slightly_smiling_face:

hawk

2017-09-27 22:58

I think that’s a good place to end things

shillman

2017-09-27 22:58

I’ve been following you on twitter for a while, and getting your newsletter. Good stuff!

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:58

Thank you all for the great questions, and again for being here! Check out the course — http://ift.tt/2fuXct2 – and in all that you do, ESPECIALLY your portfolio, GIVE GOOD UX!

hawk

2017-09-27 22:58

A huge thanks to @joenatoli for your time today

kalyani

2017-09-27 22:58

Thanks @joenatoli!

hawk

2017-09-27 22:58

And to everyone else – go take Joe’s course :wink:

shillman

2017-09-27 22:58

\o/

joenatoli

2017-09-27 22:58

Thank YOU @hawk for your generosity :wink:

hawk

2017-09-27 22:59

__end transcript__

The post Transcript: Ask the UXperts: Creating a Competitive, Effective and Impactful Portfolio — with Joe Natoli appeared first on UX Mastery.

by Sarah Hawk via UX Mastery http://ift.tt/2xIDaF5