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Figure out your why and what

Last updated: December 15, 2024

When you think about the kind of company you’d like to work for, what comes to mind? Not just any job that pays the bills, but one you’d genuinely be excited about—a company in an industry or field you’re passionate about, where you can make a real impact.

Finding that clarity takes work. It means getting specific: narrowing down industries, identifying roles you’d thrive in, and even pinpointing specific companies where you’d like to apply. Once you know what’s possible for you, the next step is figuring out what they need to see to hire you.

We’ve laid out a default set of projects to guide you, but not everyone follows it exactly—and that’s okay. If you choose to go your own way, though, you’ll need a plan. What jobs do you want to pursue? What skills and projects will prove you’re ready? Without a clear path, it’s easy to fall into the trap of “just doing stuff,” without knowing what it will amount to.

Identify what’s possible for you and get clear on the skills and evidence you’ll need to stand out to the companies you admire. Outline a concrete plan to align your efforts with their expectations. This video will show you how to document your plan effectively and provide examples to follow, so you can stay focused and intentional about your path forward.

Here’s a quick list of general areas to consider

But it doesn’t have to be a business category like this. Maybe you just really like fly fishing. Maybe you like plants or toy cars. There’s always a way to tie your interests into this.

  • Interactive e-learning
  • E-commerce
  • Marketing agencies
  • Publishing
  • SaaS and FAANG
  • Gaming
  • Higher education
  • Small development agencies
  • Healthcare
  • Finance
  • Nonprofits and advocacy
  • Entertainment & media
  • Real estate
  • Logistics and supply chain
  • Startups
  • Freelancing & personal branding
  • Government and civic tech
  • Travel and hospitality
  • Energy and sustainability
  • Automotive and transportation
  • Sports and fitness
  • AI and machine learning
  • Arts and creative industries

Sparking project ideas

If you’re truly unable to think of ANY project ideas to just make for the sake of learning, or out of real practical need or internet – well, you might have a deeper issue to address.

Many times, we find people also have too many ideas and can’t get them to a level of completion to show. So, in these cases you might need to get someone else to help manage you.

We suggest you just sit down and get out some paper and pens and think* about it for as many hours as it takes. But we’ll also offer this list of ideas (we wrote out a bunch and had ChatGPT expand on them / so, take that what what it is).

Keep in mind that there are roles of all experience levels in these places. The goal isn’t to first become an expert and then go apply. Start where you are and explore and build things and learn more as you go. But document it!

Freelancing & Personal Branding

  • Examples: Yourself!
  • Potential Projects:
    • Personal website with a blog and portfolio.
    • Tools that solve real-world problems for small businesses.
    • Freelance-ready reusable components (e.g., themes, plugins).
  • Focus Areas: Communication, versatility, showcasing expertise.

Small Development Agencies

  • Examples: Niche development shops, freelance collectives, boutique agencies.
  • Potential Projects:
    • Shopify themes or WordPress plugins.
    • Lightweight CMS implementations.
    • Small business websites optimized for speed and SEO.
  • Focus Areas: Adaptability, speed, versatile technical skills.

E-commerce

  • Examples: Online marketplaces (Amazon, Etsy), DTC brands (Warby Parker, Casper).
  • Potential Projects:
    • Product filtering and search tools.
    • Mobile-optimized checkout processes.
    • Figma prototypes of product detail pages or promotional campaigns.
  • Focus Areas: Performance optimization, payment gateway integrations, A/B testing.

Marketing Agencies

  • Examples: Digital marketing firms, boutique creative agencies.
  • Potential Projects:
    • Animated landing pages or interactive storytelling.
    • Scroll-based animations and creative transitions.
    • Campaign management dashboards or tools.
  • Focus Areas: Typography, interaction design, brand consistency, performance tuning.

Publishing

  • Examples: Media outlets (The New York Times), blog platforms (WordPress).
  • Potential Projects:
    • Modular content systems for articles.
    • Interactive charts, graphs, and data visualizations.
    • Responsive, accessible layouts for long-form content.
  • Focus Areas: Accessibility, scalable design systems, dynamic content delivery.

Real Estate

  • Examples: PropTech startups (Zillow, Redfin), local real estate firms.
  • Potential Projects:
    • Dynamic property listing sites.
    • Interactive mortgage calculators.
    • Virtual tours and map-based tools.
  • Focus Areas: Geolocation, dynamic content delivery, API integration.

Interactive E-learning

  • Examples: EdTech startups (Coursera, Duolingo), corporate training solutions.
  • Potential Projects:
    • Interactive quizzes and games.
    • Drag-and-drop UI for lessons or exercises.
    • Adaptive learning modules based on user performance.
  • Focus Areas: Accessibility, gamification, instructional design, user retention.

Government and Civic Tech

  • Examples: Local government websites, voter information tools.
  • Potential Projects:
    • Accessible civic portals for services (e.g., applying for permits).
    • Tools for data transparency (e.g., budgets, public project updates).
    • Real-time mapping for public transport or community resources.
  • Focus Areas: Accessibility, security, open data, public usability.

Healthcare

  • Examples: Healthcare startups (Zocdoc), patient-facing apps and portals.
  • Potential Projects:
    • Patient booking or prescription refill systems.
    • Accessibility-focused portals for diverse patient needs.
    • Secure forms and data visualization for health metrics.
  • Focus Areas: Security, HIPAA compliance, accessibility.

SaaS or FAANG

  • Examples: Productivity tools (Notion, Slack), FAANG companies.
  • Potential Projects:
    • Admin dashboards or analytics tools.
    • Modular component libraries (design systems).
    • Performance-focused web apps with real-time features.
  • Focus Areas: Scalability, maintainability, API integration.

Gaming

  • Examples: Game studios (Blizzard, Epic Games), esports platforms.
  • Potential Projects:
    • Lightweight game landing pages or promo sites.
    • Interactive leaderboards or player stats pages.
    • Mini-games or fun web-based interactions.
  • Focus Areas: Performance, animation, creative design.

AI and Machine Learning

  • Examples: AI startups, data science tools, ML-driven platforms.
  • Potential Projects:
    • Interactive demos of ML models (e.g., image recognition, chatbots).
    • Visualization tools for AI-generated data.
    • Explainable AI interfaces for non-technical users.
  • Focus Areas: Data visualization, technical communication, interactivity.

Entertainment & Media

  • Examples: Streaming platforms (Netflix, Spotify), news sites.
  • Potential Projects:
    • Interactive episode guides or timelines.
    • Real-time voting or polling interfaces for events.
    • Custom players with unique design features.
  • Focus Areas: Performance, user experience, interactivity.

(got more? tell us what we should add)

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