11 UX Project Ideas To Help Boost Your Portfolio & Resume

As a UX (user experience) designer, your portfolio is essential to landing your first design job or taking the next step in your career. What you include in your portfolio is just as important as what’s on your resume. Including a variety of projects in your portfolio is a great way to showcase your design skills, and will also demonstrate that you understand how users interact with websites and apps.

Want to build a portfolio that will help you land a job? You’ve come to the right place. Showcase your diversity and creativity with these 11 UX design project ideas. 

What Is a UX Project?

UX design projects are a key component of a UX designer’s portfolio and resume. These projects illustrate how designers apply their skills and evince the claims of your resume. (Learn more about what is UX Design here)

Your UX designer portfolio should include a range of projects that demonstrate your abilities. Present your projects as case studies so that you can demonstrate your skills in greater detail. Case studies showcase your problem-solving skills and illustrate how you arrived at your final design. 

The most effective portfolios only include a designer’s best projects. Make sure your projects are challenging and interesting. If the project is too easy or not especially interesting, it may not be the right fit for your portfolio.

Related Read: What Does a UX Designer Do?

UX Project Ideas

Completing new UX design projects is a great way to enhance your portfolio and develop your skills (more on becoming a UX designer here). What project should you choose? Here are 11 UX project ideas that will strengthen your portfolio and distinguish you from the competition.

1. Mobile App Signup Flow

The signup process is a vital step in the user experience journey and this experience can significantly impact a user’s perception. For this project, consider a user’s needs and create an easy-to-use signup flow for a mobile app. 

A mobile-centric project is a great addition to any portfolio, especially if you’re looking to demonstrate your ability to understand and design for mobile users. It will also demonstrate that you keep up with mobile app development trends, which employers always look for.

2. Single Landing Page

A landing page is a simple but important project for a UX design portfolio. Online, first impressions are crucial. Most visitors only stay for a few seconds before deciding to leave, so a good landing page is essential for most businesses. Landing pages should entice visitors and persuade them to fill out a signup form for future marketing campaigns.

3. Email Template

Email templates are quick and practical additions to a portfolio. Designing an email template shows your understanding of a company’s key performance indicators (KPIs) and how you can translate these into an effective design.

For this project, design an email template that tries to convert new subscribers into paying customers. You can also create templates for a drip campaign, a series of four emails that attempt to convert prospective users into actual customers. 

4. SaaS Dashboard

Designing a software as a service (SaaS) dashboard is a great way to add value to your portfolio. The dashboard should give the user a digestible overview of their account, usage, and subscription information. Consider adding these elements:

• An account overview with current subscription status and expiration date
• Usage statistics for the past month, including total visits, unique visitors, and average visit duration
• A list of active features with a brief description of each
• The ability to upgrade or downgrade their account from within the dashboard
• Links to support resources like FAQs and contact forms

5. Internal Ticket System

Creating an internal ticket system is an innovative way to demonstrate your aptitude with user interfaces, workflows, and data structures. Redesigning an existing website’s ticketing system is one way to approach this project. Travel sites that offer airline or concert tickets are great starting points. Consider your user’s needs—the more user-friendly, the better. This will show your UI/UX design skills and demonstrate your ability to solve problems and think critically. 

6. Restaurant Menu

Try adding a restaurant menu to your portfolio. You can do this by converting a favorite restaurant’s menu into a website and app. For this project, focus on the basics. Combine highly readable copy with simple graphics for fast visual perception. 

Keep in mind that a menu can also draw foot traffic to the business. In your portfolio, show how your design changes could increase both the user experience and the company’s bottom line.

7. Desktop Wallpaper Background

Adding a desktop wallpaper can be an effective addition to your portfolio, especially if your projects tend to be complex. It’s important to design this with a specific individual user in mind. Consider presenting this project as a case study, explaining your thinking process, your reasoning, and how your design met the user’s needs.

8. Smart TV App Layout

Creating an interface for a smart television app is another great project to add to your UX portfolio, especially if you want to start designing for apps or mobile devices. For this project, you’ll need to consider things like:

• Screen sizes and overscan 
• Variations in lighting in the room throughout the day
• Living room layouts and typical viewer distance
• Sunlight and reflections
• Navigation using a D-pad

If you’re experienced, add an app prototype to the project. Successful apps should utilize comprehensive testing for all smart TV platforms. 

9. (Re)Design a Feature for Your Favorite App

A redesign project is an excellent addition to your portfolio. Consider modifying your least favorite feature on your favorite app. There are many ways to modify an existing design, such as adding a new feature or changing its user interface.

You should explain why you selected this design for your portfolio. Provide examples of your process, including why your strategy is superior to the original. Your goal is to show employers that you can accomplish complex design challenges and understand your users.

10. Chatbot 

Chatbots are becoming increasingly popular, so you should include at least one chatbot project in your portfolio. This project can showcase your skills in conversational design, information architecture, and visual design. You can also demonstrate your ability to create an engaging user experience that users will want to return to.

When creating your chatbot project, design it for a website, rather than for a standalone app. This will give you a chance to show off your skills in web design and user experience. Include screenshots of the chatbot in action and detailed wireframes and flowcharts that show how the chatbot works.

11. Digital Interface for an Appliance

Think about including at least one project that involves designing an interface for a physical appliance. You can show off your skills in interaction design, information architecture, and visual design by creating a functional and visually appealing interface. A smart refrigerator, airplane entertainment screen, or even a smartwatch would be excellent choices for this project.

How To Promote Your UX Projects

Once you’ve finished a few new portfolio projects, it’s time to showcase your work. Here’s where to promote your projects: 

Portfolio

Your portfolio is the best way to showcase your skills, get hired, and launch a successful career as a UX designer. Make sure your portfolio is easy to navigate and that it includes clear descriptions of your projects. If you don’t have a portfolio yet, check out some of the many online portfolio builders.

Website

If you don’t yet have a website, it’s time to build one. Once you have a website, make sure to add your portfolio. You can also include anything else that showcases your skills and knowledge.

Email Signature

Linking to your portfolio in your email signature is a great way to showcase it. It’ll also help you connect with other designers, clients, and potential employers.

Design Platforms Like Dribbble

Make sure to add your projects to design directories like UXfol.io. You can also submit them to design platforms like Behance and Dribbble. And don’t forget about social media — sharing your work on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn is great for exposure.

Where To Get Inspiration for a UX Project

Seeing how other designers interpret projects can be an excellent source of inspiration. Check out these sites to see more UX design projects:

Dribbble

Dribbble is a great resource for finding UX design projects. The site is searchable, and you can also browse popular projects on the homepage or find collections curated by other designers.

Another way to find inspiration on Dribbble is by following designers you admire. This is a great way to see what new projects they’re working on and get ideas for your own project.

Behance

Another great site for finding UX design projects is Behance—a portfolio platform where designers showcase their work. You can browse through other designers’ portfolios or search for specific types of projects. 

Behance also has a section called Best of Behance. These standout projects are curated by Behance staff, and range from web design to product design. 

Twitter

Twitter is a great place to find UX design projects. You can find inspiration for your portfolio by following people and organizations who share design-related content. You can search for tweets with the general hashtag #uxdesign or, more specific, for a project like #restaurantappux

Pinterest

Pinterest is a great resource for finding UX design projects. The site is searchable, and you can also browse popular boards on the home page or check out collections curated by other designers.

Another way to find inspiration on Pinterest is to search for a specific design trend. For example, suppose you’re interested in designing an interface for a chatbot. In that case, you can type “chatbot interface” into the search bar and browse pins that fit that theme.

UX Project FAQs

Here are answers to a few common UX design portfolio questions:

How Much Time Should You Spend on a UX Project?

There is no set amount of time you should spend on a UX project. However, make sure that the project is representative of your skills and abilities. If it is a smaller project, include all of your work, from UX design research to user testing. If it’s a larger project, focus on highlighting the most critical aspects. Remember, the goal is to show off your skills and abilities, so make sure the project represents your best work.

How Should You Collect Feedback on Your Project?

When you are finished with your UX project, it is important to collect and implement feedback. This will help you improve, and demonstrates that you can implement constructive criticism.

Get some volunteers—a partner, friends, or family—and ask them to look at your portfolio. Then you can tweak your projects based on their feedback.

How Many UX Projects Should You Do as a New Designer?

Your portfolio should be informative but concise. Instead of showing everything you’ve ever worked on, curate your best work. Choose a diverse range of projects that showcase your abilities. This will demonstrate that you can take on a range of design challenges, and that you have a strong understanding of the user’s needs.

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