How to Build a UX Research Portfolio When You Don’t Have Client Work

Philip Burgess
17 hours ago
3 min read

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader

Starting a career in UX research can feel challenging when you don’t have client projects to showcase. A strong portfolio is essential to demonstrate your skills, thinking process, and impact. But what if you haven’t worked with clients yet? This post offers practical steps to build a compelling UX research portfolio without relying on paid or freelance client work.

Eye-level view of a laptop screen showing a UX research project outline — A UX research project outline displayed on a laptop screen

UX Research Portfolio: Begin with Personal or Hypothetical Projects

You don’t need client work to start building your portfolio. Create your own UX research projects based on problems you observe in everyday life or products you use. For example:

Choose an app or website you find frustrating and conduct usability testing with friends or family.
Redesign a feature by researching user needs and behaviors.
Investigate a common pain point, such as grocery shopping or public transport apps, and propose solutions based on your findings.

Document your process clearly: define the problem, describe your research methods, show data collection and analysis, and explain your conclusions. This approach highlights your ability to think critically and apply UX research techniques.

Use Case Studies from Online Courses or Bootcamps

Many UX research courses include hands-on projects. If you’ve completed any, turn those into portfolio case studies. These projects often have clear goals and deliverables, making them easy to present. Include:

Your role and responsibilities
Research questions you explored
Methods used (interviews, surveys, usability tests)
Key insights and how they informed design decisions
Visuals like journey maps, affinity diagrams, or personas

Even if these projects are simulated, they show your commitment to learning and applying UX research principles.

Volunteer for Nonprofits or Small Businesses

Look for opportunities to volunteer your UX research skills. Nonprofits, local organizations, or small businesses often need help improving their digital products but may not have budgets for professional research. Volunteering can provide real-world experience and valuable portfolio material.

When volunteering:

Set clear expectations about your role and deliverables
Focus on research that leads to actionable insights
Collect testimonials or references to strengthen your credibility

This experience also helps you build a network and gain confidence working with stakeholders.

Conduct Research on Open-Source or Community Projects

Open-source projects and online communities often welcome UX research contributions. You can:

Analyze user feedback on forums or GitHub issues
Conduct surveys or interviews with community members
Suggest improvements based on your findings

Document your work as case studies, emphasizing how your research helped improve user experience. This shows initiative and the ability to work in collaborative environments.

Showcase Your Research Process Clearly

A UX research portfolio should focus on your process, not just final results. Employers want to see how you approach problems and make decisions. For each project, include:

Research goals and questions
Methods and tools used
Recruitment and participant details (if applicable)
Data collection and analysis steps
Insights and recommendations
Reflections on what you learned or would do differently

Use visuals like charts, diagrams, or screenshots to make your case studies engaging and easy to follow.

Build an Online Portfolio Website

Create a simple, clean website to host your portfolio. Use platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or GitHub Pages if you don’t want to code from scratch. Your website should: