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The UX design industry, like many others, experienced dramatic swings peak-pandemic. Big tech companies saw a 296% hiring spike as digital products and services became essential—followed by hiring freezes and layoffs as the economy stabilized.
But here’s the good news: the demand for UX designers is far from declining.
While well-known tech giants may not have as many available slots as they did a few years ago, other industries have stepped up. Healthcare, finance, education, retail, and even government agencies are bolstering their UX investment, recognizing the increasing importance of intuitive digital interactions. In fact, the global UX services market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 37.8%—from $3.5 billion in 2023 to $32.95 billion by 2030.
If you’re wondering how to stand out in a bustling UX design job market, the answer lies in building the right skill set, gaining hands-on experience, and showcasing your work with a strong UX design portfolio.
This is where programs like General Assembly’s UX Design Bootcamp shine. With hands-on, project-based learning, students collaborate with mentors to hone the in-demand skills employers seek while crafting compelling portfolios that empower them to confidently step into UX design roles across diverse industries.
Although the landscape may have shifted, the outlook for UX designers remains bright—and this guide explores just how—with the right preparation—you can be a part of that future.
What’s included on a typical UX design resume?
A strong UX design resume gets your foot in the door—which is probably why 60% of UX design job seekers tend to cast a wide net, applying to 25+ organizations in an overzealous rush. But data shows that, especially for those with less experience, focusing on quality over quantity pays off. Selectively applying, leveraging connections, and tailoring your resume and portfolio to each employer’s needs are far more effective strategies for landing that coveted interview.
Resume structure
The basic UX design resume format contains:
- Contact info: Start with your name, email, cell number, LinkedIn URL, and portfolio link.
- Professional summary: Briefly describe your UX experience and career goals.
- Key skills: List relevant UX design skills (like prototyping or usability testing)
- Tools and tech: Mention proficiency with Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or InVision.
- Work experience: Detail prior UX design projects, responsibilities, and outcomes.
- Education: Include all degrees, certifications, or UX bootcamp enrollments.
- Portfolio: Link to an organized showcase of your best UX projects and case studies.
Resume tailoring
Customize your resume by focusing on:
- Professional summary: Match your career goals to language in the job description.
- Key skills: Emphasize skills that the employer prioritizes in their job posting.
- Work experience: Spotlight projects that are relevant to the industry or company values.
- Cover letter: While not part of the resume, a strong cover letter can also be impactful.
Beyond the essentials, you’ll need to be strategic about what to include on your resume, as you only have one or two pages to tell your story—whether you’ve been in the field for two months or two decades.
Tips for writing entry-level UX designer resumes
Just starting your UX design journey? You’re in luck—skills-based hiring is the standard. While you might occasionally encounter job listings asking for “three to five years of experience,” most UX design roles prioritize specific competencies, such as “proficiency in Figma” or “experience with wireframing.” To stand out to recruiters, emphasize your education, methodology, and skills.
Need a standout entry-level UX design resume? Start here:
1. Highlight relevant bootcamp projects.
General Assembly UX Design Bootcamp projects are carefully selected to allow you to flex in-demand skills, solve common challenges, and demonstrate proficiency in design principles.
Include specific details about your roles and goals for each project, the design processes you followed (research, wireframing, prototyping, testing), and tools you used (like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD).
2. Quantify your results.
Be sure to quantify your impact where possible—showcasing improvements in task success rates, reduced time on task, and lower error rates. Highlight user satisfaction through scores like the System Usability Scale (SUS) or Net Promoter Score (NPS). Don’t forget to mention user retention, active user counts, and conversion rates. Concrete metrics will make your contributions pop and grab the attention of potential employers.
3. Showcase your skills and portfolio.
Highlight technical skills relevant to UX design, such as user research, interaction design, empathy, and collaboration. Create an online portfolio that showcases your bootcamp projects, demonstrating soft skills like design thinking, problem-solving abilities, and creativity. Make sure to include a link to your portfolio prominently on your resume, along with a brief description of what employers can expect to find. For example, you might prompt recruiters to: “View my UX design portfolio, highlighting my design process, research methodologies, wireframes, usability testing outcomes, and my commitment to user-centered solutions.”
Tips for writing senior UX designer resumes
Ready to elevate your career as a senior UX designer? In this competitive landscape, your resume will reflect your deep experience as well as your leadership capabilities and strategic thinking. Employers are looking for candidates who can drive meaningful change and enhance user experiences across products. To make your resume pop, focus on your versatility and growth, specific skills, and impactful contributions.
Here are some tailored tips for crafting an exceptional senior UX design resume:
1. Highlight your career progression and leadership.
Create a career narrative by highlighting your evolution across various roles. Use compelling bullet points to illustrate your promotions and expanding responsibilities. Showcase what you’ve done—and how you’ve led teams and projects to success.
2. Showcase the full UX design process with metrics.
Employers are eager to see your mastery of the entire UX design lifecycle—from insightful research to polished implementation. Bring your projects to life: mention instances where you took the reins and guided the process from start to finish. Back your story with metrics that demonstrate how your designs drove improvements in user satisfaction, engagement, or business results.
3. Align your resume to recruiter requirements.
Although employer job descriptions prioritize skills like innovation, user-centered design, collaboration, UX design, prototyping, and information architecture, candidates often underuse these terms on their resumes, according to ZipRecruiter. On the other hand, candidates often include skills like Adobe Photoshop and web design, which are less valued by employers. Including the right keywords—like UI design, Adobe products, and interaction design—can improve a senior UX designer’s visibility to hiring managers and demonstrate an understanding of modern UX design needs.
UX design resume examples and templates
Wondering how you’ll translate your experience into concise, impactful bullets? Refer to these entry and senior-level software engineer resume examples and templates for inspiration.
Example resumes
Entry-level UX design resume example:
Jane Doe
123 Main Street | janedoe@gmail.com | (123) 456-7890
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/janedoe | Portfolio: dribbble.com/janedoe
Professional Summary:
Passionate and creative UX Designer with hands-on experience in user-centered design, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing. A recent graduate of General Assembly’s UX Design Bootcamp, I offer a strong foundation in design thinking, a passion for collaboration, and a drive to tackle complex user challenges with innovative solutions.
SKILLS
- UX Design: User Research, Personas, User Flows, Journey Mapping, Wireframing, Prototyping, Usability Testing
- Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Miro, Balsamiq
- Research: Surveys, Interviews, Affinity Mapping, Competitive Analysis, Heuristic Evaluation
- Technical: HTML, CSS, Basic JavaScript
- Soft Skills: Collaboration, Empathy, Problem Solving, Design Thinking
PROJECTS
Mobile App Redesign: TravelMate
General Assembly UX Design Bootcamp, 2024
- Overview: Redesigned a travel planning app to improve user retention and simplify the user journey.
- Process: Conducted user research via interviews and surveys to uncover pain points. Created user personas, wireframes, and high-fidelity prototypes.
- Impact: Usability testing revealed a 30% improvement in task completion rates and a 25% increase in user satisfaction scores.
- Tools: Figma, InVision, Adobe XD
- Key skills: User Research, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Design Iteration
E-Commerce Website Design: EcoBuy
General Assembly UX Design Bootcamp, 2024
- Overview: Designed an eco-friendly e-commerce website focused on sustainability-conscious consumers.
- Process: Conducted competitive analysis and user research to inform wireframes and user flows. Developed low and high-fidelity prototypes and tested them with target users.
- Impact: Usability testing showed an increase in customer satisfaction and a 20% reduction in checkout time.
- Tools: Sketch, Figma, Miro
- Key skills: Wireframing, User Flows, Prototyping, Usability Testing
Desktop app design: HealthTracker
General Assembly UX Design Bootcamp, 2024
- Overview: Developed a health tracking app for individuals managing chronic illnesses.
- Process: Worked through the entire UX process, from research and personas to prototyping and usability testing. Created a clean, accessible design and integrated it into user flows and wireframes.
- Impact: Post-launch testing showed a 15% increase in user engagement and higher retention among long-term users.
- Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD
- Key skills: User Research, Accessibility Design, High-Fidelity Prototypes, Usability Testing
EDUCATION
General Assembly | UX Design Bootcamp
April 2024 – June 2024
- Completed immersive 12-week program focused on UX design principles, methodologies, and tools.
- Collaborated on multiple real-world projects, including mobile app design, e-commerce, and healthcare UX challenges.
- Key competencies: Design thinking, research methodologies, rapid prototyping, user testing, and iterative design.
CERTIFICATIONS
- UX Design Bootcamp Certificate, General Assembly (2024)
- Google UX Design Professional Certificate (2023)
ACTIVITIES & INTERESTS
- Volunteer UX Designer for non-profits
- Member of UX Design Meetups and Figma Community
- Interest in exploring the intersection of design and accessibility
Senior UX design resume example:
Jane Doe
123 Main Street | janedoe@gmail.com | (123) 456-7890
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/janedoe | Portfolio: www.janedoeux.com
Professional Summary:
Versatile Senior UX Designer with over 10 years of experience in driving innovation through user-centered designs for leading tech companies. Proven track record in collaborative design solutions, leading cross-functional teams, mentoring junior designers, and enhancing user experiences across various digital platforms. Passionate about prototyping, interaction design, and leveraging design thinking methodologies to solve complex user problems.
Technical Skills
- Design tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Axure
- Web technologies: HTML, CSS, Basic JavaScript
- Research methods: User Interviews, Usability Testing, A/B Testing, Surveys
- Prototyping: Low and High-Fidelity Prototyping, Wireframing
- Information architecture: User Flows, Site Mapping, Card Sorting
- Accessibility standards: WCAG Compliance, ADA Guidelines
- Design systems: Creation and Management of UI Libraries
- Version control: Git, GitHub
Professional Experience
Senior UX Designer
Tech Innovations Inc. — San Francisco, CA
June 2020 – Present
- Led design projects that prioritize user-centered design principles, enhancing user engagement by 40% through innovative, iterative design processes.
- Collaborated with product managers and engineers to define product strategy and roadmap, ensuring alignment with user needs and business goals.
- Conducted usability testing and gathered user feedback, resulting in a 25% increase in task completion rates by implementing feedback-driven design changes.
- Mentored junior designers and facilitated design thinking workshops, promoting collaboration and a user-centric approach within the organization.
UX Designer
Creative Solutions Agency — New York, NY
March 2016 – May 2020
- Spearheaded the redesign of the e-commerce platform, leveraging UI design and interaction design principles to achieve a 15% increase in conversion rates and a 30% reduction in cart abandonment.
- Developed and maintained a design system that streamlined the design process across multiple teams, improving consistency and efficiency through effective collaboration.
- Conducted user research and usability studies to inform design decisions, translating user insights into actionable design strategies that reflect innovation in UX design.
- Collaborated closely with marketing and development teams to ensure cohesive branding and seamless implementation of designs.
Junior UX Designer
Digital Experiences LLC — Austin, TX
August 2011 – February 2016
- Assisted in creating wireframes and prototypes for various web and mobile applications, applying principles of user-centered design and interaction design.
- Participated in user research sessions, gathering qualitative data to inform design iterations and enhance user satisfaction through effective information architecture.
- Supported senior designers in creating user personas and journey maps to better understand user needs and behaviors, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in the design process.
Education
- UX Design Bootcamp, General Assembly, 2011
Certifications
- Certified Usability Analyst (CUA), March 2023
- Nielsen Norman Group UX Certification, January 2022
- Google UX Design Certificate, December 2021
Awards and Recognitions
- Innovative Design Award, UX Design Conference, 2022
Recognized for outstanding contributions to user experience in a significant project. - Best in Class, App Design Challenge, 2020
Awarded for innovative design solutions that improved engagement metrics by 30%.
Publications and Speaking Engagements
- UX Insights Journal, April 2023: “Designing for Accessibility: Enhancing User Experience for All”
- Speaker at UX Design Summit 2023: “Empathy in Design: Understanding User Needs”
- Co-Author, UX Best Practices Guide, January 2022: Contributed insights on user research methodologies and prototyping techniques.
Volunteer Experience
- Mentor, Women Who Design, January 2021 – Present
Guide aspiring female designers through career development, portfolio building, and design processes.
Portfolio
Explore my portfolio, showcasing my design process, case studies, and impact metrics on user engagement and satisfaction: www.JaneDoeux.com.
Downloadable resume templates
Looking for a simpler process? Find downloadable UX designer resume templates at:
Now that you’re off to the races with best practice tips for crafting an attention-grabbing resume, it’s time to shift gears and create a visually-stunning portfolio that showcases your full range of skills and capabilities.
What to include in a UX design portfolio
While a resume provides an overview of your experience and skills, a UX design portfolio delves deeper into case studies that highlight your design methodologies and creative problem-solving abilities.
Key components of a UX design portfolio
Creating a compelling UX design portfolio involves more than just showcasing your final designs; it’s about telling a story that illustrates your design process and thinking.
Portfolio Structure
Here’s what your UX design portfolio needs:
- Case studies: Present each project as a case study that includes a clear problem statement, your research methodology, design iterations, and the final solution. Discuss the challenges faced, how you approached them, and the impact of your work. Demonstrate your user-centered design process and the reasoning behind your choices.
- Process documentation: Show your design journey from start to finish, reflecting your thought process and ability to iterate based on feedback. Include sketches, wireframes, user flows, and prototypes to illustrate how your ideas evolved.
- User research insights: Highlight the research conducted for each project—user interviews, surveys, usability testing. Share key findings and how these insights informed your design decisions.
- Visual design samples: Include high-fidelity mockups and finished designs that showcase your UI design skills. Display a variety of projects to highlight your versatility across different styles and industries.
- Metrics and outcomes: Whenever possible, quantify the impact of your designs. Include metrics like improved user engagement, reduced bounce rates, or increased conversion rates.
- Testimonials, kudos, and recommendations: If you have received feedback from clients, colleagues, or users, consider including social proof of your skills and impact.
- Personal projects or volunteering: If you’re just starting out or transitioning into UX design, include personal projects, redesigns, or volunteer work that showcases your skills. This can help fill gaps in your professional experience while demonstrating passion and initiative in the field.
- About me section: Share a brief introduction about yourself, your design philosophy, and what drives your passion for UX design. This helps potential employers connect with you on a personal level and understand your motivations as a designer.
- Contact information: Make your contact information easily accessible. Include links to your LinkedIn profile, GitHub, and any other relevant social media or platforms where you share your work. Make it easy for potential employers to reach out to you.
UX design portfolio projects to include
The types of projects you include in your portfolio will vary depending on your experience level.
What to include in an entry-level UX design portfolio:
- Academic projects: Showcase work from your bootcamp or university that demonstrates your understanding of design principles, user research, and wireframing.
- Personal projects: Highlight self-initiated projects where you took the lead on UX research, prototyping, and design, showing your problem-solving skills and creativity.
- Case studies: Detail step-by-step processes from research to final design, even if they are self-study or even hypothetical, to demonstrate how you apply UX methodologies.
- Volunteer, freelance, or internship work: Include projects where you contributed to a professional environment, emphasizing any hands-on UX work in different scenarios.
What to include in a senior UX design portfolio:
- Professional projects: Highlight major contributions from your career that reflect your ability to lead teams, design end-to-end processes, and deliver solutions for clients or large-scale products.
- Innovative solutions: Showcase unique, forward-thinking designs or systems you’ve created, particularly those that improved user experience or solved complex challenges.
- Sandbox/open source contributions: Demonstrate your involvement in significant UX contributions to open-source projects, especially where your creativity shines or where your design influenced the user experience for a broader audience.
- Publications & presentations: Include thought leadership, such as articles or presentations where you’ve shared your expertise, research, or innovations in UX design with the wider community.
UX design portfolio examples and templates
Get started with these six examples of well-crafted UX design portfolios and professional templates—and check out this article for eight more UX design portfolio examples.
Example portfolios
Entry-level portfolio example:
Cristina Gafitescu portfolio – Cristina’s Romania-based portfolio is designed for easy skimming, featuring bold text and vibrant colors that catch the eye. Her bio highlights essential transferable skills, such as out-of-the-box thinking, continuous learning, curiosity, creativity, empathy, and strong collaboration—key traits for a successful UX designer. She also excels at showcasing her design process, including her research, testing, problem-solving, and solution-driven approach.
Valentina Gigli portfolio – Valentina’s love for magenta goes beyond aesthetics; she strategically uses it to emphasize her diverse skill set—from technical expertise in usability testing to collaborative teamwork. Her thorough, step-by-step design process, paired with striking before-and-after visuals, clearly showcases her creative mindset and talent.
Annie Lin portfolio – Annie uses a clean, three-tab layout for “work,” “about,” and “resume.” Through her detailed case studies, we can learn about the importance of thorough research and testing in the design process, as she effectively highlights how user feedback informs her decisions.
Senior-level portfolio examples:
Run Wild portfolio – For over 15 years, senior UX designer Christopher has worked on web design for PlayStation, data visualization for BookScan, and brand design for RAVN Aerospace. The whimsical original illustrations capture the eye and convey artistic talent, while streamlined navigation—through hamburger, horizontal, and footer menus—walks visitors through his projects, process, passion, and purpose.
Marcos Rezende portfolio – It’s easy to see why Microsoft snapped up Marcos Rezende. He leads with a hot-demand skill (Copilot AI), education, awards, and bio, followed by compelling case studies, skills and tools, and social proof. It’s clear he understands what makes a best practice website.
Luca Orio portfolio – Combining splashy headlines with compelling storytelling, Luca brands himself as a UX designer who knows his stuff. Beyond the relaxing color scheme, smooth navigation, and attention-grabbing bolded text, the case study pages clearly describe the goals, challenges, and accomplishments of his work.
Downloadable portfolio templates
To streamline the process of building your portfolio, you can use a UX designer portfolio template, available at sites like:
Need jobseeker support? You’ve come to the right place.
At General Assembly, our success is dependent on the success of our students. From the moment you enroll in our UX Design Bootcamp, you begin working on meaningful projects to use in your portfolio. You’ll work with a career coach who can answer questions about developing a standout resume, cover letter, and portfolio, and network with GA alumni who are happy to offer additional pointers.
Through an exclusive partnership with LHH, you’ll also receive post-graduation career counseling, early job listings, resources, and support for up to six months as you begin your job hunt. With your whole budding career at stake, who has time to fumble around in the dark? Join General Assembly’s community and kickstart your UX design career with confidence.
Sign up for our next info session to get started.