For the final stage of my CV project, my goal is to bring together all the stages I’ve completed, from research and content planning to layout design and visual formatting, and create a finished CV that fully represents me as a designer. This final design will showcase my skills, experience, and personality in a professional and visually engaging way, tailored specifically to the UX industry I aim to enter. I want to ensure the outcome not only reflects my capabilities but also leaves a strong and lasting impression on potential employers.
During this stage, I had an initial critique session with Daniel to review the current state of my CV design. Each of us had the opportunity to share our progress in a one-to-one session, allowing for direct and personalised feedback. Overall, Daniel was quite positive about my CV and mentioned that he really liked the modern and clean approach I had taken, noting that it provided a clear and simple structure for presenting my content. Some constructive points he suggested included adjusting the boldness of certain heading categories to ensure consistency throughout and clarifying that I am a UX Design student rather than simply applying for UX Design roles, as this would help communicate my position and intent more effectively. I found his feedback to be really helpful and reassuring; it gave me a better understanding of how to refine my design and strengthen the overall presentation of my CV.
I also had the chance to meet with a careers advisor, Bryan, who provided me with some really positive and constructive feedback on my CV. The session was fairly quick but incredibly supportive and insightful. From the start, Bryan praised the overall presentation of my CV and the professional yet personable tone I used when describing myself, which was great to hear and gave me a real confidence boost. He also highlighted a few small but valuable areas for improvement, for instance, including the duration of time I worked in each role within my experience section, as this gives employers a clearer understanding of my background. Additionally, he suggested that I include my current average performance grade under my education section, noting that it would strengthen my CV further and show my commitment and capability as a student. Overall, the meeting was very beneficial and gave me a clear direction on how to refine and improve my CV moving forward.
For the final stage of my CV design process, I began bringing together all the critique notes and refinement suggestions I had received from both Daniel and Bryan. To organise my thoughts clearly, I decided to create a mind map outlining the key areas that needed improvement, potential design adjustments, and ways to enhance my overall presentation. This method allowed me to visually map out what needed to be done and prioritise the most impactful changes. One of my main focuses at this stage was gathering further feedback from others to see how they perceived my CV design, as this is often the first impression an employer will have. By combining these insights and refinements, I could confidently move forward in creating my final CV, ensuring it was both visually engaging and professionally representative of me as a junior designer.
My final CV design brings together all the feedback, ideas, and refinements I gathered throughout this process, resulting in a visually appealing and engaging layout that truly represents me as a designer. I feel the outcome reflects my personality, creativity, and design thinking in a way that aligns perfectly with the UX roles I aim to apply for. Looking back, I’m especially glad I took the time to review and consider the critiques from Daniel and others, as without their insights, certain flaws in my original design might have gone unnoticed. By refining and iterating my work, I’ve been able to create a CV that feels polished, professional, and uniquely my own, and I’m really proud of the final result.
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Overall, this project of designing and creating my CV has been an incredibly valuable and reflective experience that has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. It allowed me to not only showcase my skills, experience, and interests but also explore how design thinking can be used to communicate who I am as a creative individual. From the very beginning, I wanted to ensure my CV stood out visually while still maintaining clarity, professionalism, and balance, and through this process, I’ve learned just how important that harmony is. Each stage of development, from researching and gathering content to sketching layouts, designing digitally, and receiving critiques, has helped shape my understanding of what makes an effective CV. The feedback I received from Daniel, Bryan, and others was particularly beneficial, as it allowed me to identify areas for improvement I might not have noticed myself. It also reinforced the importance of refining my design choices and maintaining consistency between my visual identity and the message I want to convey. Seeing my initial concept evolve into a final, polished design has been incredibly rewarding. I feel that my final CV not only captures my personality and creativity but also represents my thought process as a UX designer, focusing on usability, structure, and experience, even in a professional document. This project has strengthened my confidence in both my design skills and my ability to present myself to future employers. Moving forward, I plan to use what I’ve learned here to guide the design of my portfolio and other professional materials, ensuring everything I create reflects a cohesive and engaging visual identity.
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