Storyy - A Portfolio Builder For New UX Designers

In the challenging realm of UX design careers, having a strong portfolio is essential. To tackle this, I joined forces with 9 fellow designers, all grappling with the same struggle. We faced the daunting task of agreeing on a layout and organizing our design system. Leveraging my program management experience, I took on the role of UX program manager, consolidating everyone's opinions and ensuring we stayed on track to meet client expectations. This collaborative journey not only resulted in impactful portfolios but also fostered teamwork and honed our communication and project management skills.

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How might we create a tool/website to eliminate guessing for designers when they build their portfolios?

Our team met with the stakeholder to talk about the scope of the project. I was one of the UI/UX designers in a team of 9 to work on this project.

Following the initial meeting with the stakeholder, the team met and assigned each team member to a sub-team: My focus was UX Research and UX process. We discussed the format of the project and that we would be working in an Agile format with research happening as UX and UI began. The research would then be used to help the designs update and change in an iterative process.

Uxfol.io emerged as our top competitor in the market. So, I took the initiative to conduct a thorough competitive analysis of both direct and indirect competitors. The aim was to delve deep into their approaches, scrutinize their strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately gain valuable insights into the existing landscape of portfolio creation. By undertaking this analysis, we gained a comprehensive understanding of the current models available and how we could differentiate ourselves in this space.

In order to gain a deeper understanding of the problem we were tackling, it was crucial to directly engage with users and gather insights from their experiences with existing platforms. To accomplish this, I designed a screener survey to recruit a diverse range of participants, including current UX bootcamp students, recent UX boot camp graduates, and emerging UX designers currently engaged in projects. By connecting with these individuals, we were able to tap into their firsthand experiences and valuable perspectives, paving the way for informed decision-making in our design process.

As a team, we conducted interviews with 8 participants to gain insights into their experiences using platforms like uxfol.io for building UX portfolios. Taking a hands-on approach, I played a pivotal role in this process by creating the interview script and assisting with scheduling, coordination, and conducting the interviews. This collaborative effort allowed us to gather valuable firsthand feedback and perspectives, enabling us to better understand the pain points and challenges users face in this domain and inform our future design decisions.

Alongside interviews, we conducted usability tests of uxfol.io, engaging users to gather valuable feedback. I organized the testing script and tasks, and actively conducted the usability tests with participants, obtaining insights to inform our design decisions.

User stories facilitated a shared understanding and empathy within the team, enabling us to build a solid mental model of the project. By prioritizing and sorting the stories, we focused our efforts on developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that delivered fundamental value to our users.

• Choose from a pre-made or customizable template when creating a case study

• Showcase UX/UI case studies

• Spell check and grammar feature

• Password protected for specific projects

• Add a resume and an about page to the portfolio

• Change payment method/update service plan

• Knowing all the features the platform has to offer before users sign up

• Portfolio to auto-save once updated

• Access to reset password

• Confirmation when saving a new setting

• Quick access to sign in to a portfolio

• Suggestions of color palettes to use

• An add-and-drop feature on the platform for easy updates

User Flow

With the goal of bringing the design to life, we leveraged the innovative platform Phonic.ai for testing purposes. To facilitate the testing process, I personally crafted a prototype using Figma and conducted multiple rounds of thorough testing, both on the prototype and Phonic.ai itself. These meticulous tests ensured that the platform met our rigorous testing requirements before introducing it to real users.

Uncover any possible usability issues.

Identify any confusion with wording and icons.

Designs are learnable and users can complete tasks.

Signing for a Storyy account

Locating the blog and opening an article

Add an about me section to their portfolio

Create a new case study: Adding a photo, title, and text

Adding a prototype or screen recording to a case study

During the final stages of the project, I meticulously annotated the designs, providing detailed guidance for the developer. Additionally, I crafted a new prototype that effectively showcased the desired flows and design concepts. This prototype served as a valuable resource for the developer, enabling them to refer to it during the subsequent development phase.

This project presented multiple challenges, including team size, building a new product from the ground up, and taking on the role of UX program management lead. Despite these obstacles, I am immensely proud of the work we accomplished, and I personally experienced significant growth in my UXR and UX skills throughout the project. One key lesson I learned as a leader is the critical importance of effective communication.

As we move forward, I eagerly anticipate the future of Storyy and the exciting possibilities that lie ahead. Being a part of the creation of a new product has been an incredibly fulfilling experience for me. Furthermore, I aspire to lead another team in the future, as it will provide me with valuable opportunities to further enhance my leadership skills and continue my personal growth in that area.