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what kind of portfolio projects?
Hi!
I've already picked up basic skills in Python, HTML/CSS, and Figma. Looking ahead to college, I'm torn between majoring in Computer Science or Interactive Media/UI-UX Design because I want a career that combines coding with creative visual design.
Could you recommend specific college majors or interdisciplinary career paths (like slope) that bridge these two areas? Also, what kind of portfolio projects should I focus on building this year to prepare?
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8 answers
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Joy’s Answer
UX/UI engineer/ front end developer
Product designer
Creative technologist
Multimedia graphics/ interactive designer
Medical coding and billing
Computer programming
Software engineer
You can prepare by using your creativity to design products and you could get a gig for big companies like Amazon and Target design clothing and other merchandise.
Product designer
Creative technologist
Multimedia graphics/ interactive designer
Medical coding and billing
Computer programming
Software engineer
You can prepare by using your creativity to design products and you could get a gig for big companies like Amazon and Target design clothing and other merchandise.
Updated
Lara’s Answer
If you want to combine coding with creative design, Computer Science may give you a stronger technical foundation while allowing you to develop UI/UX skills through projects and electives. Since you already know Python, HTML/CSS, and Figma, you’re in a great position to explore both before deciding.
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Natalie’s Answer
You have a great head start! Python, HTML/CSS, Figma are a good combination of skillsets to have if you're looking for a hybrid role across coding and design. Having knowledge in both creativity and technical feasibility will help you come up with better designs and code.
Human-computer interaction is probably the closest major that bridges these two areas. But courses may vary across colleges, so I would advise researching the course catalog for each relevant major and see if the courses cover the areas you are interested in. You can usually find that information on the college's website, or you could reach out to the administrative/registrar's office.
Human-computer interaction is probably the closest major that bridges these two areas. But courses may vary across colleges, so I would advise researching the course catalog for each relevant major and see if the courses cover the areas you are interested in. You can usually find that information on the college's website, or you could reach out to the administrative/registrar's office.
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Grandon’s Answer
I'm biased, as I'm coming at this from a developer perspective, but I think if you are trying to be a combined designer and developer, you'll want to really show off your front end and design skills.
Make a few mock websites for a non-existent business, or even for a local business around you (even if they don't use the site). You really want to try to get adventurous with the design and the styling though, as that's what you're trying to demonstrate competence with. Personally, there are some great YouTube channels covering advanced CSS topics and designs that would give you a head start on getting some sleek looking components. Check out Kevin Powell on YouTube for great tips on what I mentioned.
Also AI is here to stay in the tech world, so start trying to get comfortable with it where possible with tools like "Figma Make" for a starting point of the mock up, and Claude Code for the developer side. Get used to using Git and Github as well, as basically every dev job will use version controlling in some way. Best of luck!
Visit Kevin Powell on Youtube
Make some fake websites and figma mockups for them
Practice with Git and Github or similar technologies
Start using AI tools and integrating them into your workflow.
Make a few mock websites for a non-existent business, or even for a local business around you (even if they don't use the site). You really want to try to get adventurous with the design and the styling though, as that's what you're trying to demonstrate competence with. Personally, there are some great YouTube channels covering advanced CSS topics and designs that would give you a head start on getting some sleek looking components. Check out Kevin Powell on YouTube for great tips on what I mentioned.
Also AI is here to stay in the tech world, so start trying to get comfortable with it where possible with tools like "Figma Make" for a starting point of the mock up, and Claude Code for the developer side. Get used to using Git and Github as well, as basically every dev job will use version controlling in some way. Best of luck!
Grandon recommends the following next steps:
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Jezlea’s Answer
For majors, look specifically for Human Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, or Computational Design programs at schools that offer them. If those are not available a Computer Science major with a design minor or vice versa covers the same ground at most universities.
For portfolio projects specifically, the ones that land best for this intersection are ones that demonstrate both your technical execution and your design thinking process together rather than separately. Build a fully designed and coded personal website that itself serves as a showcase of both skills. Create a mobile app prototype in Figma and then actually build a working version of it in code, documenting the design decisions you made along the way. Redesign an existing app or website you find frustrating, show your research and wireframing process in Figma, and then build the improved version. A data visualization project that takes a dataset you find interesting and presents it in a visually compelling interactive way demonstrates both coding and design sensibility simultaneously and tends to stand out strongly in portfolios for this exact career path.
The thread connecting all strong portfolio projects for UI UX engineering is showing your thinking not just your output. Admissions committees and eventually employers want to see that you understand why you made the design choices you made, how you considered the user experience, and how your technical implementation served that vision. Document your process alongside your finished work and that combination will make your portfolio genuinely memorable rather than just technically competent.
For portfolio projects specifically, the ones that land best for this intersection are ones that demonstrate both your technical execution and your design thinking process together rather than separately. Build a fully designed and coded personal website that itself serves as a showcase of both skills. Create a mobile app prototype in Figma and then actually build a working version of it in code, documenting the design decisions you made along the way. Redesign an existing app or website you find frustrating, show your research and wireframing process in Figma, and then build the improved version. A data visualization project that takes a dataset you find interesting and presents it in a visually compelling interactive way demonstrates both coding and design sensibility simultaneously and tends to stand out strongly in portfolios for this exact career path.
The thread connecting all strong portfolio projects for UI UX engineering is showing your thinking not just your output. Admissions committees and eventually employers want to see that you understand why you made the design choices you made, how you considered the user experience, and how your technical implementation served that vision. Document your process alongside your finished work and that combination will make your portfolio genuinely memorable rather than just technically competent.
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Sandeep’s Answer
Hi Beatrice! Consider *HCI, UX Engineering, Interaction Design, or CS with a UX/design minor.
For your portfolio, build 3–4 projects combining Figma and coding, such as an interactive website/app, a Python visualization, and a UX case study showing your design process.
For your portfolio, build 3–4 projects combining Figma and coding, such as an interactive website/app, a Python visualization, and a UX case study showing your design process.
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Laura’s Answer
Hi!
Look for majors like Human Computer Interaction, Interactive Media, UX/UI Design, Information Science, or Computer Science with a design/HCI minor.
For your portfolio, build projects that show both coding and design, such as a responsive website you designed in Figma and coded yourself, an app prototype with user research and testing, a redesign of an existing digital product, or a small interactive web experience using Python or JavaScript. Include your process, not just the final result, so colleges can see how you think and solve problems.
Look for majors like Human Computer Interaction, Interactive Media, UX/UI Design, Information Science, or Computer Science with a design/HCI minor.
For your portfolio, build projects that show both coding and design, such as a responsive website you designed in Figma and coded yourself, an app prototype with user research and testing, a redesign of an existing digital product, or a small interactive web experience using Python or JavaScript. Include your process, not just the final result, so colleges can see how you think and solve problems.
Updated
Sabarinath’s Answer
You’re already building a great foundation. Python gives you programming logic, HTML/CSS gives you a way to build for the web and Figma helps you think visually and prototype ideas.
If you enjoy coding enough to want to build the real product, I’d lean toward Computer Science plus a minor or elective sequence in UX, HCI, interaction design, graphic design or digital media.
On portfolio projects for this year, identify a real problem and build end to end solution. A small project that is researched, designed, coded and tested will add more value to the portfolio.
If you enjoy coding enough to want to build the real product, I’d lean toward Computer Science plus a minor or elective sequence in UX, HCI, interaction design, graphic design or digital media.
On portfolio projects for this year, identify a real problem and build end to end solution. A small project that is researched, designed, coded and tested will add more value to the portfolio.