Not so long ago, UX writers (also known as content designers) represented a niche minority. They were the unicorns of the design world, possessing a unique ability to craft content specifically for digital products.
Things are different now. UX writing (or content design) has evolved into a well-established design discipline. The UX writer job title is much better understood, and UX writers and content designers are increasingly hired as core members of the product team.
Demand for UX writers has increased—and, at the same time, a growing number of professionals are honing their UX writing skills and pursuing this exciting career path. Now more than ever, UX writers must strive to set themselves apart and effectively demonstrate their expertise to hiring managers.
This is where your UX writing portfolio comes in. Every UX writer needs one, and we’re going to show you exactly what yours should include.
Ready to create a standout UX writing portfolio? Let’s jump in.
What is a UX writing portfolio and why do you need one?
A UX writing (or content design) portfolio is a website that showcases your best work, demonstrates your skills, and shows hiring managers what you’re capable of. Just like a conventional UX design portfolio, it includes a summary of your professional experience, project case studies, links to your online profiles and, where possible, testimonials.
However, a UX writing portfolio has a very specific focus. It highlights the skills, processes, and deliverables that are unique to UX writing—setting you apart as an expert in this particular domain.
Your UX writing portfolio is a crucial pillar of your personal brand; that is, how you present and market yourself within your professional network. It’s also an essential part of your job application package. While your resumé lists out your skills and expertise, your portfolio provides the proof.
Every UX writer needs a standout portfolio, whether you’re a senior in the field or just starting out. With that, let’s explore the most important components of a UX writing portfolio—starting with the top skills you’ll want to showcase.
What are the most important skills to highlight in your UX writing portfolio?
When creating your UX writing (or content design) portfolio, think about how you want to position yourself and the kinds of jobs you want to apply for. What skills do those jobs require? And what additional strengths do you bring to the table? That’s what you want to highlight in your UX writing portfolio.
Generally speaking, a UX writing portfolio should showcase:
- UX writing skills: Your ability to craft copy specifically for digital product interfaces. This includes writing with clarity and conciseness, creating content that’s accessible and inclusive, and adapting your voice, tone, and style for different contexts.
- Knowledge and understanding of UX principles and the UX design process: As a UX writer, you’re a core member of the design team and play an active role in the product design process. As such, it’s important to demonstrate strong knowledge of and/or proficiency in things like user research, interaction design, usability and accessibility, and user testing.
- Data analysis skills—or, at the very least, a data-driven approach: You don’t need to be a data whiz to work as a UX writer, but you must be able to use data and insights to inform your work. Your UX writing portfolio should demonstrate your ability to either analyse research data directly, or to leverage insights provided by UX researchers and designers.
- Soft skills: To excel as a UX writer, you must collaborate closely with designers, developers, and other cross-functional stakeholders. Your UX writing portfolio should showcase key soft skills such as communication, project management, problem-solving, and your ability to give and receive feedback.
- Content strategy: If you’re applying for strategic content design roles or senior UX writing positions, highlight your ability to devise and execute a strong content design strategy. For less strategic roles, it’s enough to showcase an understanding of content strategy and how your work contributes.
- An impact-driven approach: The best UX writers are dedicated to shaping and improving the user experience, and this goes hand-in-hand with delivering business value. As you create your UX writing portfolio, demonstrate a clear link between the work that you do and the resulting impact.
What should be in a UX writing portfolio?
Here are the foundational building blocks that make up a UX writing portfolio:
1. A homepage with a powerful headline
This is usually the first page the viewer will land on, so it’s your chance to make a strong impression. However you choose to structure your UX writing portfolio homepage, be sure to include a high-impact headline at the very top.
Your headline should provide a concise yet meaningful summary of who you are and what you do. Here’s an example from Diego Cagara’s UX writing portfolio:
2. A bio section or separate ‘About’ page
This is where you expand on your initial headline and provide more detail about your skills, experience, and passions. You can include a biographical summary underneath your headline (on the homepage) or build out a separate ‘About’ page—or both.
The goal is to elaborate on what you do, highlight your professional skills and background in more depth, and convey what motivates and drives you in your career. Your professional bio is also a great place to mention any special awards or unique accomplishments.
Again, we can turn to Diego Cagara’s UX writing portfolio for an example. Here’s Diego’s separate ‘About’ page, accessible via the main menu of his portfolio website:
3. UX writing case studies
Every UX writing portfolio needs a good selection of case studies. Each case study highlights a specific project you’ve worked on, outlining your role on the project, the process you followed, and the impact of your work. Aim to include 3-5 case studies, furnishing each with images and supporting artefacts to illustrate the story you’re trying to tell. We’ll show you how to build an effective UX writing case study later on in this post.
4. Contact details and links
Make it easy for employers, prospective clients, and industry peers to connect with you via your UX writing portfolio. Include contact details such as your email address (or a contact form if you don’t want your email address to be public), as well as links to your LinkedIn profile and any other social media accounts that you’ve created for professional purposes.
5. Optional sections and pages to include in your UX writing portfolio
Once you’ve got the essential building blocks in place, you might choose to add some extra content to your UX writing portfolio—such as testimonials, a blog, or a resumé-style page that lists out your skills and experience. These are all nice-to-haves, and it’s certainly not a deal-breaker if you don’t include them.
That’s the anatomy of a UX writing portfolio. Now let’s explore how to structure and develop your own portfolio website.
How to structure your UX writing portfolio
There’s no one-size-fits-all formula when it comes to building your UX writing portfolio—nor is there a set structure that every portfolio should follow. There’s room for creativity, as long as your portfolio is user-friendly, easy to navigate, and effectively highlights your skills and qualities.
We recommend a simple structure as follows:
- A homepage featuring:
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- Your name, headline, and short biographical summary
- Links to your case studies (featuring case studies directly on the homepage ensures they’re easily accessible)
- Contact details and/or social media links in the footer
- A separate ‘About’ page, accessible via the main menu
- A separate ‘Contact’ page, accessible via the main menu
- An additional page that houses your case studies, accessible via the main menu. You can label this page ‘Work’ or ‘Case studies’ (or something similar). Each case study featured on this page should be clickable, linking out to a separate page focusing exclusively on that case study.
Alternatively, you might opt for a single-page design where all content is featured on one landing page. However, your UX writing case studies will still need their own dedicated pages.
On that note, let’s consider how to structure your case studies.
How to structure your UX writing portfolio case studies
Every case study in your UX writing portfolio should tell a story. And, like every good story, each case study should have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
The specifics of each case study will depend on the nature of the project and the process you followed. However, an effective UX writing case study typically includes the following components:
1. A project overview
This sets out the scope of the project and provides the reader with relevant context. Here you can outline your role, the project goals and the problem or challenge you set out to solve, and the project timeline. You might also allude to the solution you came up with.
2. The process you followed
How did you go about solving the problem and reaching your goals? Share, step by step, how you arrived at the final solution.
Include details of any research you conducted, the ideation phase, and how you developed, tested, and iterated on your solutions. For each step in your process, talk about the methodologies you used, why you chose them, and the key findings you took from each stage. It’s also important to highlight any challenges you came up against and how you overcame them.
3. How your solution was implemented
Showcase the final solution and discuss how it was implemented. For example, if your goal was to come up with new and improved copy for an app onboarding process, show the new copy versus the old copy and how that looks within the product.
4. Results and impact
It’s not enough to simply showcase what you did and why. You must also talk about the impact of your work and why it’s important—both for the end user and for the business.
If possible, quantify your work and tie it to key metrics. For example, you might mention that, three months after the new product copy was implemented, user sign-ups increased by 30%. In the absence of hard data, you can also include anecdotal evidence—for example, quotes from users or stakeholders.
5. Images, artefacts, and supporting documentation
In addition to describing the process you followed, it’s important to provide visual proof. Include wireframes, copy docs, style guides, photos of you holding an ideation session—anything that illustrates your process and supports the story you’re telling.
6. Learnings and takeaways
At the end of each UX writing case study, reflect on what you learned from the project. Did the project highlight any flaws in your usual process? Or uncover any particularly useful techniques and approaches that you’ll use again next time? What went well and what could have gone better? This demonstrates that you’re able to review your own work with a critical eye—and that you’re constantly seeking to learn and improve.
You can adapt this framework as you see fit for each of your case studies. What matters most is that you:
- Provide clear insight into your process and how you approach different UX writing challenges. This includes discussing both the “What?” and the “Why?” behind each step;
- Set out a coherent and logical narrative;
- Showcase your UX writing skills in action, including both hard and soft skills.
If you can tick all those boxes, you’ve successfully created a strong UX writing case study.
How to build a UX writing portfolio without any experience
If you’re an early-career UX writer, you might be struggling to find material for your portfolio. However, it is still possible (and necessary) to create an impressive UX writing portfolio, even if you don’t have any on-the-job experience.
Here are some effective strategies you can use to get projects for your UX writing portfolio.
1. Complete a UX writing passion project
You don’t need to wait for real clients or project briefs to apply your UX writing skills. Identify an area of UX writing that you’re interested in—for example, content design for mobile apps—and set yourself a task within that area.
For example, you might work on the hypothetical task of creating copy for a brand new dating app. Now go through your UX writing process to complete this project, and feature it in your portfolio as a fully-fledged case study.
2. Do an unsolicited redesign
Another tried-and-tested technique is to take an existing product and redesign it. Perhaps you’ve noticed some awkward UX writing in your mobile banking app—so why not improve it? This is a great way to demonstrate your skills and show hiring managers that you’re proactive and resourceful. Just be sure to state very clearly that the redesign is unsolicited and not actually affiliated with the product in any way.
3. Take a UX writing course that includes project work
If you’re new to UX writing, it’s worth pursuing a formal qualification in the field. A good UX writing course (like the UX Design Institute’s Professional Certificate in Content Design) will not only equip you with the fundamental knowledge and skills you need to work as a UX writer; it will also provide you with an opportunity to complete practical projects that you can add to your portfolio. Note that not all courses include project work, though—do your research before you sign up.
5 UX writing portfolio best practices
Whether you’re creating your portfolio from scratch or updating your existing website, there are some fundamental best practices to bear in mind. Here are 5 golden rules to follow when building or optimising your UX writing portfolio:
1. Focus on quality, not quantity
You might think you need dozens of case studies to create a stellar UX writing portfolio, but that’s simply not true. Rather than including every single project you’ve ever worked on, select just a few that best represent your skills and the value you bring to the field. Focus on quality rather than quantity: three well-written case studies are enough to build a powerful portfolio.
2. Tell a story with each case study
When creating your portfolio case studies, don’t fall into the trap of simply recounting what you did. The goal is to demonstrate your process and your approach—and that requires explaining the rationale behind each step and highlighting the impact of your work. Construct each case study like a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Ensure that each step flows logically into the next, building a coherent narrative that the reader can follow.
Your UX writing portfolio doesn’t need to be a work of art, but it does need to provide a positive user experience. Opt for a clean, clutter-free design with plenty of white space, and make sure that the navigation is clear and user-friendly. Make it easy for the reader to find their way around—and, most importantly, to locate your case studies.
4. Inject personality and passion
While it’s important to project a professional image, don’t shy away from expressing your personality. When crafting your homepage headline and your ‘About’ content, include small details that set you apart and highlight your unique skills, passions, and experience. This will help you to create a memorable personal brand—and gives employers valuable insight into who you are beyond your professional accolades.
5. User-test your UX writing portfolio
Like any UX project, testing and feedback are key when building your portfolio. Once you’re happy with your UX writing portfolio, share it with a few trusted friends, colleagues, or industry peers to hear their thoughts. Is your portfolio easy to use and navigate? Do your project case studies make sense and effectively convey your skills? Is your ‘About’ content clear and unique? Use this feedback to iterate on your portfolio before sharing it with the world.
For more insight into what makes for a great UX writing portfolio, check out these impressive UX writing portfolio examples.
The takeaway
You need a professional UX writing portfolio to impress hiring managers, land clients, and build a strong personal brand as a UX writer. Your portfolio should showcase who you are, where your strengths lie, and the unique value you bring to the industry.
Opt for a clean, user-friendly design, include 3-5 high-quality case studies, and focus on highlighting the most important UX writing skills. Remember: your UX writing portfolio is an ongoing project. Update it regularly as your career evolves, ensuring it accurately reflects your skills, interests, and objectives.
Are you ready to take the next step in your UX writing career? Check out these guides for more advice and industry insights:
- How much do UX writers earn around the world? A global salary guide
- What does the future hold for UX writing? 5 major trends shaping the industry
- The best AI tools for UX writing and content design
For additional tips on crafting case studies for a portfolio, you might also like to watch:
Emily is a professional writer and content strategist with an MSc in Psychology. She has 8+ years of experience in the tech industry, with a focus on UX and design thinking. A regular contributor to top design publications, she also authored a chapter in The UX Careers Handbook. Emily also holds a BA in French and German and is passionate about languages and continuous learning.
