UX, UX Deliverables and Assets

Create UX Deliverables to Build up your Portfolio

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There are many people trying to figure out how to make the jump in to the UX field. I too, not too long ago, was trying to transition (or to use the buzz word “pivot”) in to the field of UX.  Thankfully, I made the transition and I am now a UI Designer. However, it took a lot of hard work, networking, self discipline, education and pushing myself to learn more about UX every day.

Jennifer Blatz UX design deliverables
Use all levels of fidelity to show your progress through the UX design process.

One way I went about getting experience about UX was to learn as much as I could about the deliverables in the UX field. I would hear a term like “personas” or “wireframes” and decide that I was not only going to learn as much as I could about these topics, but I was also going to put it in to practice.

UX deliverables like performing a competitive analysis can show progress in a project.
UX deliverables like performing a competitive analysis can show steps in a project.

Here’s an example. Say you are a web designer for a flower shop. Sure, you could just design the website per the shop owner’s request. But why not take it a step further? Why not do a bit of discovery and research before starting the design project? You could interview the owners and customers to find out what the business goals and customer goals are. You could do a bit of ethnographic research by observing people shopping for flowers or employees performing a transaction. Sketch our a few concepts before diving in to the code.

Jennifer Blatz design UX deliverables
Creating a mood board helps set the tone of a project and informs you of what designs already exist in the same arena.

If you are trying to get experience in UX, and want to build up your portfolio, use some or many of these methods to show that you are so much more than a visual designer or developer. Show off your analytical skills and how they are applicable to a career in UX.

Here is a brief list of UX deliverables to get you started:

  • User Stories
  • Personas
  • Competitive Audit
  • Sketching
  • Stakeholders Interviews
  • Brainstorming Sessions
  • Moodboard
  • Prototypes
  • Annotated Wireframes
  • Storyboard
  • Information Architecture (Taxonomy)
  • Task Analysis
  • Interviews
  • Ethnographic Observation
  • Heuristic Evaluation
  • Examine Business Goals
  • Examine Customer Goals
  • Content Audit
  • Sitemap Creation
  • User Flow
  • Usability Testing
  • A/B Testing
  • Card Sorting
  • Pattern Libraries
  • Site Map and Architecture
  • Whiteboard and Sticky Notes
  • Functional Specifications
  • Interactive Mockups
  • Style Guide
  • Surveys
  • Market Research
  • SWOT Analysis
  • Use Case Scenario
  • Creative Brief
  • Diary Study
  • Navigation Model
  • Web Analytics
  • Persona Empathy Map
  • Affinity Diagrams
  • Ideation Workshop
  • Task Model
  • Cognitive Walk Through

Now take all of these deliverables and practice creating them. Then,  use the most important UX skill of all: Tell us Your Story.

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