Seeking feedback on my portfolio, recently completed UX Certification

#1

Hi all,

I’ve finally complied all the elements of my course and project onto a site. Been continually doing revisions since it launched about a month ago.

I would like to ask for feedback on my site, mainly the portfolio side. It’s my first time ever making a portfolio since I’m transitioning into tech. I’m trying to learn all I can about the process.

Any corrections and constructive feedback would be helpful and appreciated! Thank you.

https://mleang424.wixsite.com/mysite

#2

Hey Madi,
No worries, happy to help.

  • The paragraph on your homepage needs a greater line height – it’s hard to read. You could also consider making it light grey as white on black isn’t ideal
  • Your case study is well documented and I like the balance of imagery to text.
  • I love the short/long version choice
  • The paragraphs on your About page could do with an edit for grammar
  • Your resume page wants me to download a pdf viewer app which I don’t want to do. I’d find a way around that :slight_smile:

Great work! Best of luck with the job hunt.

#3

Hey Madi,

If Wix’s functionality would allow for it, I would strongly suggest featuring links to your case studies on the home page – It’s the number 1 thing that visitors are coming to the site for.

Whether the above is possible via Wix or not, I would also, for the same purposes, rearrange your main navigation so that “Portfolio” is given more emphasis…so:
“Home - Portfolio - Resume - Blog - About Me”.

That reminds me…I have a dirty secret that will probably grose everyone out:
I like not having a “Home” link, and just making the logo a link to the home page instead – IF my audience is likely to consist of Design Agencies and recruiters.
Either way, this would probably depend, again, on Wix’s functionality.

Following on from that, likely the 2nd biggest Call to Action: “Contact Me”…My inclination would be to have “Contact Me” in the main navigation, after “About Me” ( And feel free to keep a copy of “Contact Me” in the footer, as is).

My final tip:
I mentioned “Design agencies and recruiters”…Run your site past them…Contact a recruiter, at least pretend that you’re coming to them to get your name on their records, and at the end of the conversation, ask them: “Any thoughts on my website?”.

Hope that helps. Good job so far :+1:

EDIT: I just remembered, you did mention you were only after feedback on the portfolio section…My bad :sweat_smile:

Just as well because Sarah Hawk actually said everything that I was gonna say about the case studies.

#4

Thanks! I appreciate your feedback.

  • I’ll look into changing up the font and/or it’s proprieties.
  • I was SO worried about the case study. What’s enough or too much information? What do I showcase when I legit want to put everything up?? haha I struggled with that. I’m glad it works out.
  • Whoops! I’ll take another read over it again!
  • I had no idea about the PDF viewer, so I’ll go ahead and get a workaround for that.
#5

Hi!

Wix is honestly so unfamiliar to me, but my mentor recommended it as a site. I’ve only had experience with Wordpress, but even then I wasn’t doing anything fancy with it. But I’ll see about doing some playing around with it and see how far I can push it. There’s definitely elements within the builder that I don’t care for and I do think the domain per month is a little pricey (since I do want to personalize it and they grabbed whatever my email was for the domain which was kinda lame).

Hmm, there’s a small logo with my initials, I could always link the Home there. But if it’s meant to de-clutter the space, I don’t think it’s a bad secret at all haha.

The contact was actually in the main navi, but I forgot to link it else where that wasn’t just on the footer. So there’s some more linking I have to do with that.

Thank you! I do appreciate the functionality feedback!

#6

Hey, no worries.

I wish I could give more/more detailed recommendations about Wix-usage, but I have admittedly never used it.

I don’t want to throw a spanner in the works, but it doesn’t sound like you’re pleased with Wix. Without taking anything away from your mentor’s recommendation on using Wix, all I’ve ever heard people recommending for these (your) purposes, is Squarespace…But I’ll let you research that a bit more.

From what you’ve told my so far, I would move forward by seeing what Wix’s builder is capable of.

Bummer about the URL, if Wix can’t offer me with options to get what I want, then that alone would prompt me to seek out another service or solution…like Squarespace.

I’ve been where you are, and I basically still am, but whatever you do, just keep pushin’ on :muscle:

Good luck, keep us posted!

#7

I think at the beginning because it was new and recommended to me, I was okay with it, but as I discover items about it (like if you click on an image, it hijacks the scrolling and brings anyone to clicks on the image to the top of the page), that frustrate me.

I’ll definitely look into Squarespace. In seaching for portfolio examples, I came across https://www.uxfol.io/ which I’m curious about. Also was intrigued by someone who used carrd as their portfolio as well! I’ve used the latter as like a quick “hey here’s how to get in contact with me while I set up things”. I think at the moment, until I figure out the site and if I want to move it, I may consider that so if the link changes, it’ll always be linked there.

Yeah, they want me to purchase the domain and then I can’t use it unless I upgrade to premium with them which is about 20 bucks a month? Something like that, which I’m like uhhhhhhh???

But yeah I’ll be checking out all my options. Thanks for mentioning Squarespace.

Will do! And thank you again!

#8

Hey there,

I haven’t dug in too deeply because it sounds like you’re going to be changing away from your current site, but here are some overview type observations. Even as I give this feedback, I wonder if it’s going to be specifically relevant, but maybe it will help give you an idea of things to be on the lookout for as you build the next one.

Much of my feedback is on the visual aspect.

  • Your content feels cramped because the header and footer are so big.
  • Like Hawk, I really like how you have an expanded and a shorter version for your audience to choose from.
  • For your competitor analysis, I’d recommend against scrolling horizontally. I was confused at first because all I could see was the first company; I had to scroll through several screens before it became clear that the second company was in there somewhere. I have the same recommendation for the interview results. In fact, (thinking out loud) for the interviews, how about a document that your audience can expand? The horizontal scroll goes on for a long way.
  • I like the amount of white space you use. It doesn’t feel cluttered.
  • I’d consider adding a background color to your style guide, or maybe a stronger border color, something to make them stand out.
  • The affinity map and rainbow sheet confused me. Maybe that’s because my background isn’t in UX. However, the people who view your portfolio won’t necessarily know as much about UX as you do, so simplifying things could be something to do. We’ll have to get someone with more experience to chime in on that one.
  • I have mixed feelings about including the Vocab app since it’s coming soon. On the one hand, it shows that you’ve got more than one thing in the works, but on the other hand, it makes the portfolio feel incomplete. If you choose to leave it, consider changing the white font to black. I think the white on the bright blue is hard to read and it would be consistent with the “Coming Soon.”
  • In your blog, I recommend removing the links to Google Plus, since that’s going away. I also recommend removing the headings where you don’t have blog posts for yet.
  • I like the fact that you have a blog. It makes it possible for people to see how you think. My advice, and of course I have some :wink: , is to make sure you keep adding to it. If you find that becomes too difficult, go ahead and delete it.
  • Your About Me says you’re a “voice over.” I think there’s something missing there?
  • Is including a phone number in a contact form standard practice? My inner security “Mom” is cringing at having that information out there like that.
  • As @HAWK and @leonthedesigner123 mentioned, your case studies are fantastic!

Let me know if you have any questions.

#9

Especially on my 15" laptop. Now that “Contact” is in the main navigation, there’s much less need to have the footer sticking to the bottom of the viewport…But again, dunno if Wix’ll let you do anything about this.