Vol. 005 - How to make your portfolio website stand out?

Hi designers,

Welcome to Vol. 005 of the UX Jetpack Newsletter, where I share job searching tips weekly. This week we are talking about:

1. How to make your portfolio website stand out?
2. 7 Free Newsletters to Help You Learn the World of UX
3. 8 Open Source Product Design Level Frameworks
4. How they made MuseScore 4?

If you enjoy those tips, please consider sharing them with your friends. They can sign up at https://uxjetpack.com/newsletter

How to make your portfolio website stand out?

Always make your portfolio skimmable. Hiring managers only have 30 seconds to review your case studies, so don't make them read long essays.

Here are some tips to help you make your portfolio more skimmable:

• Don’t label sections as "Problem" and "Competitive Analysis," use headings that clearly convey the main point.
• Avoid using long paragraphs. Opt for bullet points or graphs instead.
• Don’t create a manual for your app, explain your thought process in reaching your design decision.

7 Free Newsletters to Help You Learn the World of UX

Here are 7 free newsletters to help you become a better designer.

• The Ambitious Designer: https://ambitiousdesigner.substack.com/
• Dense Discovery: https://www.densediscovery.com/
• The Desk Club: https://vanschneider.com/blog/
• HeyDesigner: https://heydesigner.com/
• Figmalion: https://figmalion.com/
• Sidebar: https://sidebar.io/
• UX Jetpack: https://uxjetpack.com/newsletter

8 Open Source Product Design Level Frameworks

Thanks to all the companies and individuals who open source their framework. You can use those resources to evaluate which level you are at and what you need to improve on. Remember, being a great designer isn't about ticking off every single metric. Every company is unique, so focus on what matters most to you.

🌟 Figma Product Design & Writing Career Levels https://www.figma.com/community/file/1220482745322443565

🌟 Product Design levels at Mattermost https://handbook.mattermost.com/operations/research-and-development/product/product-design-team-handbook/product-design-levels

🌟 BuzzFeed Product Design Levels https://github.com/buzzfeed/design/blob/master/product-design-roles.md

🌟 GitLab Product Design Levels https://handbook.gitlab.com/job-families/product/product-designer/

🌟 Product designer job levels at Intercom https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YloFi80QoXPk5-U9ga1Ivxojamy7dU4MsaUNnQs8Rig/edit#heading=h.wra0isubf3sg

🌟 Design framework at iwoca https://iwoca.notion.site/af67b131c19840d5b0b789d2207edf36?v=49bda62a9ecb4b058292f8820a68c708

🌟 Monzo Progression Framework https://github.com/monzo/progression-framework/blob/master/frameworks/design/product-design.md

🌟 Product Design Level Expectations Rubric by Aaron James https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cNkL4nY3Z8vTyIpIsvqpaFortYZfF-VIoUE0mkbkRMo/edit#gid=0

How they made MuseScore 4?

If you haven't watched this video already, please go watch it now. Tantacrul shared tons of details about how they overhauled a complex music app. Product design is not an easy job, but when you get it right, it's an incredible experience.