SELL YOURSELF BETTER

Jason Mesut - Head of User Experience, RMA

@jasonmesut
10 years ago
2001
At one of the early UPA events
Who are the
gurus in UK?
Who should
they be

Giles Colborne asked

I responded with.
Someone who isnt...
Fat
Ugly
Lacks interpersonal
skills
Negative

At one of the early UPA events

At one of the geeky events
Not a good framework
But a good start
6 years ago
2005
Euro IA submission

Input from peers, developers, clients,

designers, project managers, CEOs

Asked what makes a great user

experience professional?
2005 - 1st Euro IA
18 key
attributes
9 useful
for selling
Worked with nearly 200 UX
1
5
1
1
3
0
Yell
PA
Flow
8
5
9
4
1
Oyster/
Fram
fab/
LBI
The Team
RM
A
98 - 00
01 - 04
04 - 05
05 - 08
08 - 10
10 - Present
Online
business
directory
Management
consultancy
User-Centred
Design
consultancy
Digital agency
Comms
agency
Applications
consultancy
Perfect EA

Soft skill focused

Too unwieldy for an interview

or review
Needed something different
4 key disciplines of User Experience
ExS
Experience
Strategy
IxD
Interaction
Design
UR
User
Research
IA
Information
Architecture
ExS IxD
UR IA
Industrial design
Marketing,
consulting
HCI
Psychology
Business
strategy
Design
strategy
Device
interface
design
Software
design
Market
research
Design
research
Library
science
Web
design
ExS IxD
UR IA
Industrial design
Business
consulting,
Marketing
HCI
Psychology
Business
strategy
Design
strategy
Device
interface
design
Software
design
Market
research
Design
research
Library
science
Web
design
Insight and big picture
ExS
Experience
Strategy
IxD
Interaction
Design
UR
User
Research
IA
Information
Architecture
User Interface Craft
ExS
Experience
Strategy
IxD
Interaction
Design
UR
User
Research
IA
Information
Architecture
Conceptual, design, feel
ExS
Experience
Strategy
IxD
Interaction
Design
UR
User
Research
IA
Information
Architecture
Analysis, rigour, logic
ExS
Experience
Strategy
IxD
Interaction
Design
UR
User
Research
IA
Information
Architecture
4 key disciplines of User Experience
ExS
Experience
Strategy
IxD
Interaction
Design
UR
User
Research
IA
Information
Architecture
Why dont you have a go
ExS IxD
UR IA
Industrial design
Business
consulting,
Marketing
HCI
Psychology
Business
strategy
Design
strategy
Device
interface
design
Software
design
Market
research
Design
research
Library
science
Web
design
1. Know yourself
Why sell ourselves better?
Better job?
Better job?
Same company
New company
Make our lives
better or easier
Create a better
product or service
2. Dene your goal
Who are you selling to?
Boss
Colleague
Peer
Client
Read what they read
Read what they read
Use their language
Read what they read
Use their language
Research them
Simon Doggett
Empathise
with your
audience
Senior UX recruiters
- Busy in day
- See lots of cvs & portfolios
- Often review on move
We have limited time to work
out why you are different and
if you t with our team
3. Target your audience
Blog
Speaking
Books / websites
CV
Portfolio
LinkedIn
Ways to sell yourself
Blog
Speaker
Books / websites
CV
Portfolio
LinkedIn
Thinker
Thought leader
Consultant
Experienced
Designer
Job hunter
Depends on how you want
to be perceived and who
you are talking to
450+
Ive seen a lot of portfolios
80+ 24
CVs and
portfolios
Interviews Hires
Since October 2010 - past 7 months
UX Portfolios are 80% bad*
*The above is a guesstimate. Dont crucify me
UX Portfolios are 80% bad

No project context

Lack of process demonstrated

Excuses about condentiality

Packaging & medium gets in the way

I had to do something

Ranted on London IA forum

Set up a closed group session to

show and tell example portfolios

Shared output back on London IA

Lee McIvor
1. Introduce
yourself
Lee McIvor
Ive been a user experience consultant for over 5 years, and have
been freelance for around 3 years. Prior to that I worked variously as
a software and web developer for another 6 years, after leaving
university in 1998.
Originally from Liverpool, I studied Economics at Northumbria
University, which taught me what I didnt want to do with the rest of
my life. After that I found myself studying an evening course in
Interaction Design at Sunderland University, which showed me how
interesting a day at work could be.
who am I?
Over the course of my career so far I have gained a range of
experience, including interaction design, usability evaluation,
qualitative and quantitative research, and web accessibility.
In many of my recent engagements I have oered the full spectrum
of services to my clients to enable them to fulll a project, and often
to help them begin to build these competencies within their own
organisations.
Im a great believer in not only developing my own knowledge, but
sharing it with others too.
what do I do?
Lee McIvor
Ive been a user experience consultant for over 5 years, and have
been freelance for around 3 years. Prior to that I worked variously as
a software and web developer for another 6 years, after leaving
university in 1998.
Originally from Liverpool, I studied Economics at Northumbria
University, which taught me what I didnt want to do with the rest of
my life. After that I found myself studying an evening course in
Interaction Design at Sunderland University, which showed me how
interesting a day at work could be.
who am I?
Over the course of my career so far I have gained a range of
experience, including interaction design, usability evaluation,
qualitative and quantitative research, and web accessibility.
In many of my recent engagements I have oered the full spectrum
of services to my clients to enable them to fulll a project, and often
to help them begin to build these competencies within their own
organisations.
Im a great believer in not only developing my own knowledge, but
sharing it with others too.
what do I do?
Georgette Sullivan
2. Demonstrate
your working
Its like Math(s)
The act is
as important
as the artefact
Lee McIvor
The best experiences are designed when you have
a deep understanding of the users of a given
service, product or system. For this reason a good
research phase combined with eective, detailed
analysis are vital.
I have been involved in a range of research
projects, within a range of industries including
investment fund management, travel, grocery and
social housing services.
research & analysis
Lee McIvor
I really enjoy sketching and collaborating with
clients and colleagues when beginning the design
phase. These early stages provide a space for
creative thinking, discussion of research ndings
and how they might impact design, and most of all
for considering the widest range of ideas as
possible with few inhibitions.
design
Jason Mesut
Jason Mesut
Simon Doggett
Concepts
Collaborative ideation
Importance vs. feasibility
Tangible futures
Business goals vs. requirements
Ive helped identify key performance indicators that really matter, and attach them to
functionality while gaining assessment from developers and managers.
Ive helped business teams and clients see what the long term product vision looks like
by prototyping and signing o tangible future documents. Phase 2 isnt always a myth.
Ive been passionate in separating business and design strategy when necessary, to help
the product grow and to make sure the experts are looking after their respective
domains.
Ive facilitated many sketching and brainstorming sessions, collecting the best ideas with
fellow designers and non creatives too.
8
Simon Doggett
Sketches & Scamps
The original project wall for the xxxx Video project. We used magic
whiteboards to sketch through all the main concHSWVDQGWKHQQDOLVHGWKHP
on paper. This work belongs to me and one other graphic designer.
Video browser page
Early homepage concept
10
3. Share your project
experience
!"#$%&'()*
THE TELEGRAPH
lA | lxu | uxu | ul
PROJECT
1elegraph lanLasy looLball
DATE
AugusL 2010
PLATFORMS
lhone
DELIVERABLES
user [ourneys
Wlreframes
SlLemaps
vlsual deslgns
CHALLENGE
1he 1elegraph approached us ln !uly
2010 enqulrlng wheLher we could
bulld Lhem an accounL managemenL
app for Lhelr lanLasy looLball game,
by Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe comlng
fooLball season.
lL would only be avallable Lo exls
users who have already chosen Lhelr
Leam, allowlng Lhem Lo check how
Lhelr Leam ls performlng each week,
L lmporLanLly
make Lransfers.
WhllsL Lhe ma[orlLy of Lhe app was
an exerclse ln dlsplaylng llsLs of
lnforma ansf
allowed users Lo change forma
w yers aL
an
l saw Lhls as Lhe blggesL obsLacle ln
maklng Lhe app a success.
ACTION
As we were up agalnsL lL f e wasn'L a grea vallable Lo
spend maklng sure we had Lhe corr L sLarLed skeLchlng - when
en work aL a very small scale, Lhls helps me concenLraLe on [usL Lhe
crux of Lhe ldea, whllsL allowlng me Lo generaLe loLs of ldeas ln a small amounL of
l developed a 3 sLep pr erlng feedback LhroughouL Lhe process Lo ensure
a user always knows whaL Lo do nexL:
!"#$$%&'(")selecL whlch players you wanL Lo drop whllsL also changlng
forma fo bar provldes hlnLs as Lo whaL Lhe user musL do - chooslng
cerLaln forma equlre players ln cerL o be dropped.
*+,-$%&'(") om Lab bar allows you Lo swlLch beLween avallable
a w many player ou s o
plck. Avallable budgeL ls dlsplayed and Lhe op o sorL players b
ers.
.(/+(0,1&23()con y or go back Lo change.
OUTCOME
1o daLe Lhe appllca wnloads, of whlch 93 s
every week. Cn average lL ls genera e vlews a monLh. users of
Lhe app mak L of Lransfers Lhen Lhose playlng vla Lhe webslLe.
2 8oberL Craham
O2-UK
12:00 PM
Drop players
Cancel
Pick new
players
Tap players to drop them from your team.
Budget 2.2m
Value
Position
Team
Points
Transfers 22
3-5-2
4-4-2
4-5-1
4-3-3
Defenders
Midelders
Player 2
Player 3
Player 4
Player 5
Player 6
TM1
Xpts
X.Xm
TM2
Xpts
X.Xm
TM3
Xpts
X.Xm
TM4
Xpts
X.Xm
TM3
Xpts
X.Xm
O2-UK
12:00 PM
Drop players
Cancel
You need to drop 1 defender to use 3-5-2
Budget 2.2m
Value
Position
Team
Points
Transfers 22
3-5-2
4-4-2
4-5-1
4-3-3
Defenders
Midelders
Player 2
Player 3
Player 4
Player 5
Player 6
TM1
Xpts
X.Xm
TM2
Xpts
X.Xm
TM3
Xpts
X.Xm
TM4
Xpts
X.Xm
TM3
Xpts
X.Xm
Transfers
O2-UK
12:00 PM
Pick players
You need to pick 1 midelders
Budget 8.7m
Value
Name Team Points
Transfers 22
STR
GK
DEF MID
Defenders - You need to drop 1 defender to use 3-5-2
Midelders
Player 2
Player 3
Player 4
Player 5
Player 6
TM1 Xpts X.Xm
TM2 Xpts X.Xm
TM3 Xpts X.Xm
TM4 Xpts X.Xm
TM3 Xpts X.Xm
Drop
1
Transfers
O2-UK
12:00 PM
Review changes
You will have 6 transfers remaining after this change
Budget 0.1m (-4.5m) Transfers 24 (+2)
Players In
Player 2
Player 3
TM1
Xpts
X.Xm
TM2
Xpts
X.Xm
Players Out
Player 5
Player 6
TM4
Xpts
X.Xm
TM3
Xpts
X.Xm
Pick
What he did
Roles he played
Core
aspects of
solution
Outcome
!"#$%&'()*
THE TELEGRAPH
lA | lxu | uxu | ul
PROJECT
1elegraph lanLasy looLball
DATE
AugusL 2010
PLATFORMS
lhone
DELIVERABLES
user [ourneys
Wlreframes
SlLemaps
vlsual deslgns
CHALLENGE
1he 1elegraph approached us ln !uly
2010 enqulrlng wheLher we could
bulld Lhem an accounL managemenL
app for Lhelr lanLasy looLball game,
by Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe comlng
fooLball season.
lL would only be avallable Lo exls
users who have already chosen Lhelr
Leam, allowlng Lhem Lo check how
Lhelr Leam ls performlng each week,
L lmporLanLly
make Lransfers.
WhllsL Lhe ma[orlLy of Lhe app was
an exerclse ln dlsplaylng llsLs of
lnforma ansf
allowed users Lo change forma
w yers aL
an
l saw Lhls as Lhe blggesL obsLacle ln
maklng Lhe app a success.
ACTION
As we were up agalnsL lL f e wasn'L a grea vallable Lo
spend maklng sure we had Lhe corr L sLarLed skeLchlng - when
en work aL a very small scale, Lhls helps me concenLraLe on [usL Lhe
crux of Lhe ldea, whllsL allowlng me Lo generaLe loLs of ldeas ln a small amounL of
l developed a 3 sLep pr erlng feedback LhroughouL Lhe process Lo ensure
a user always knows whaL Lo do nexL:
!"#$$%&'(")selecL whlch players you wanL Lo drop whllsL also changlng
forma fo bar provldes hlnLs as Lo whaL Lhe user musL do - chooslng
cerLaln forma equlre players ln cerL o be dropped.
*+,-$%&'(") om Lab bar allows you Lo swlLch beLween avallable
a w many player ou s o
plck. Avallable budgeL ls dlsplayed and Lhe op o sorL players b
ers.
.(/+(0,1&23()con y or go back Lo change.
OUTCOME
1o daLe Lhe appllca wnloads, of whlch 93 s
every week. Cn average lL ls genera e vlews a monLh. users of
Lhe app mak L of Lransfers Lhen Lhose playlng vla Lhe webslLe.
2 8oberL Craham
O2-UK
12:00 PM
Drop players
Cancel
Pick new
players
Tap players to drop them from your team.
Budget 2.2m
Value
Position
Team
Points
Transfers 22
3-5-2
4-4-2
4-5-1
4-3-3
Defenders
Midelders
Player 2
Player 3
Player 4
Player 5
Player 6
TM1
Xpts
X.Xm
TM2
Xpts
X.Xm
TM3
Xpts
X.Xm
TM4
Xpts
X.Xm
TM3
Xpts
X.Xm
O2-UK
12:00 PM
Drop players
Cancel
Pick
You need to drop 1 defender to use 3-5-2
Budget 2.2m
Value
Position
Team
Points
Transfers 22
3-5-2
4-4-2
4-5-1
4-3-3
Defenders
Midelders
Player 2
Player 3
Player 4
Player 5
Player 6
TM1
Xpts
X.Xm
TM2
Xpts
X.Xm
TM3
Xpts
X.Xm
TM4
Xpts
X.Xm
TM3
Xpts
X.Xm
Transfers
O2-UK
12:00 PM
Pick players Review
You need to pick 1 midelders
Budget 8.7m
Value
Name Team Points
Transfers 22
STR
GK
DEF MID
Defenders - You need to drop 1 defender to use 3-5-2
Midelders
Player 2
Player 3
Player 4
Player 5
Player 6
TM1 Xpts X.Xm
TM2 Xpts X.Xm
TM3 Xpts X.Xm
TM4 Xpts X.Xm
TM3 Xpts X.Xm
Drop
1
Transfers
O2-UK
12:00 PM
Review changes
&RQrm
You will have 6 transfers remaining after this change
Budget 0.1m (-4.5m) Transfers 24 (+2)
Players In
Player 2
Player 3
TM1
Xpts
X.Xm
TM2
Xpts
X.Xm
Players Out
Player 5
Player 6
TM4
Xpts
X.Xm
TM3
Xpts
X.Xm
Pick
Outcome
We still want to see
deliverables as well
Content tips
1. Introduce yourself
2. Demonstrate your working
3. Share project experience
Packaging tips

Structure with a clear journey and narrative

Keep it real

Dont let the medium or design get in the way

Let your work(ing) shine through

Condentiality tips

Trust people

Anonymise / de-brand / re-create

Show personal work

Set passwords on pdfs

Put an NDA in place

Portfolios are not
just for new jobs
Not just for new jobs

Remember what you have done

Communicate what youve done before

Give you license to repeat & improve

Help train and educate others

Sell Process, Solutions, Your company

the act of coming to
conclusions about your own
contribution in the world so
that you can make it
meaningful for someone else

Tim Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D18Jyl-aWIY&feature=player_embedded
[...] an architected
communication of what it
means to be you, and what it
means to others who work
with you

Tim Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D18Jyl-aWIY&feature=player_embedded
The act is
as important
as the artefact
Photograph workshops
Keep your sketches
Save your outputs
Edit video
4. Run a portfolio
But theres one thing that
all of this relies on
Doing great work
Time & energy are the only
things in your way...
dont look for the
next opportunity.
the one you have
in hand IS the
opportunity.
Paul Arden
1. Know yourself
2. Know your goal
3. Target your audience
4. Run a portfolio
5. Do great work
Big thanks to:
Portfolio stars
Simon Doggett
Lee McIvor
Giulia Piu
Georgette Sullivan
Sam Smith
Rob Graham
My past employers
RMA, The Team, LBi, Flow, PA, Yell
Get detail and updates at
betteruxportfolios.com