A Retrospective: www.dscuxw.xyz

For a glimpse into how I think, here is a look at how I planned, coded and wrote this initial portfolio website.

Project Overview

Objective

After completing my UX writing credential, I needed a website portfolio to apply to jobs. I gave myself a couple weeks to complete it.

Requirements

• User-friendly domain name
• Responsive website with minimalist aesthetic
• Projects Work section/directory for future projects
• Splash page design (homepage, contact page)
• Long-form page design (About, project retrospectives and case studies)
• Content development: Homepage, About page, Portfolio website retrospective

Project Scope

• Minimalist, responsive website (HTML and CSS only--consider only using HTML)
• Splash page design
• Long-form page design
• User-friendly domain name
• Content design
• Informative content: resume, microcredential link
• Descriptive content--bio, Website design case study

Out of current scope

• Headshot
• Initial solution: placeholder selfie
• Art gallery
• Initial solution: use existing piece
• Styleguide
• Initial solution: Assemble rules

In-Depth...

Audience Personas

I jotted down three quick personas representing potential website users: human resources folks tasked with selecting candidates; design folks tasked with reviewing candidates; and fellow UX writers interested in seeing other portfolio websites. I came to a few conclusions:

• Each user is time-crunched
• Solution 1: Styleguide rule addition: Limit paragraphs to two sentences
• Solution 2: Design a scannable Challenge-Meets-Solution component using html lists and css classes to make the work stand out typographically
• Each user is maybe a little stressed out
• Include a javascript art gallery to engage users in play and fun
• Design a fun 404 Error page

Domain Name Design

A user-friendly domain name is the primary objective for this site's initial launch--code can be changed, phrases can be edited, but domain names cost money to change. Basically, I need something reliable that I can verbally spell out over the phone or as someone is looking down at their phone and entering the letters into their browser's address bar instead of torturing people by making them spell my full name.

• My full name is hard to spell
• Solution 1: use acronyms to reduce thinking and eliminate spelling errors
• Solution 2: chunk letters into a repeated pattern, making it easier to say aloud
• Domain name is too long
• Solution: simplify domain name from davidcadiente.com/.ca (16-17 keystrokes) to dscuxw.xyz (10 keystrokes)
• Solution 2: redirect existing domains to new, shorter domain