How designers can build a visually engaging case study

As a recruiter, I review design-related case studies every single day. One thing I notice repeatedly is a case study that consists of scrolling pages of text.

And while the content might be great, exceptional even, you have to remember that we are all (mostly) visual people. Even if you have a lot to say, you need to find a way to break your case study up with visuals so it is easy for the reader to consume.

I see many case studies with no visuals. No artefacts. No real sense of the designer’s process because maybe the work never went live, the project was paused, or your role focused on UX or research rather than final screens.

However, here is the thing: that doesn't mean your contribution is not valuable. It means you need to tell the story in a way that is easy to consume and makes people want to read it.

So, I took this question to my LinkedIn network to ask how to solve this problem, and wow, what a response! Thank you to everyone who chimed in.

The Golden Nugget: A Conversation That Stood Out

One conversation in particular really made me stop and think that this could be the answer to the problem!

02 August, 2021

How To Make Your UX Case Study Stand Out

Design

By Kate Verran

Wallace Beeson (Senior UX Designer) shared: “Sometimes I have taken to creating portfolio-specific artefacts during a project, just so I will have something to showcase what cannot be seen in pretty pictures. UX is like backend development, and VD is like frontend. One is harder to show off, especially for an unfinished or unpublished project. The best advice? Make your portfolio part of your project as it happens and do not wait until it is over.“

Joe Ortenzi (Principal Design Consultant) added: “Excellent strategy, Wallace. But I also recommend writing the full case study as soon as you can, at the end of a project. You may forget interesting points or miss collecting resources that would illustrate your story if you wait too long. Writing while it is fresh means you will capture the real value.“

And honestly, I think this is the golden nugget.

Here is why: 

• By creating artefacts along the way, you are never stuck with “nothing to show.” 
• By writing it up while it is fresh, you keep the details and the impact intact.

If you can do both, you have everything you need to build a compelling case study, even if there are no polished final screens.

There was also a wealth of other great advice that came from this discussion. Here are seven practical tips to make your text-heavy case studies engaging and easy to read:

7 Tips to make a text-heavy case study work

1. Visualise your thinking: Add journey maps, diagrams, or flowcharts, even rough ones. They show how you solved the problem.
2. Include early artefacts: Wireframes, sticky notes, or even a whiteboard photo. It makes your process tangible.
3. Anonymise if needed: Cannot share real screens? Blur details or recreate simplified mockups to illustrate the point.
4. Focus on impact, not output: Call out measurable results. “Reduced onboarding time by 30%” tells a better story than a screenshot ever could.
5. Write for skimmers: Break up the text with bullet points, section headings, and key callouts so readers can scan and still understand the content.
6. Frame your role clearly: “I led user research with 12 participants…” helps people see your contribution at a glance.
7. Tell the story, not just the steps: Instead of “We did user testing,” explain what you learned and how it changed the outcome. That is the real value.

My takeaway about making your case study more visual

28 June, 2023

How To Navigate NDAs When Showcasing Design And Research

Job Seeker, Design, Ask Aquent

By Kate Verran

This is something almost no one thinks to do during a project, and then when it is time to create the case study, it feels like an impossible task.

If you start building your case study as you work and write it up while it is still fresh, you will never be left with a wall of text that no one wants to read.

You will have a clear, compelling story that shows your value, even if there are no glossy final screens.

That is what will make your case studies stand out.

PS. If you'd like to see the original post that led to me writing this article, you can check it out here. Feel free to comment and let me know your best tip for creating case studies when you do not have final visuals to show.  

In summary, how to make your case study more visually appealing?

1. Start building it as you work on a project and write it up while the details are still fresh in your mind.
2. If you don't have final screens or visuals, you can make your case study more engaging by including other artefacts like wireframes, diagrams, or even photos of sticky notes.
3. It's essential to focus on the impact and results of your work, such as “reduced onboarding time by 30%,” rather than just showing the final output.
4. Make your text easy to read by using headings, bullet points, and key callouts so that readers can quickly skim and still understand your story.
5. Clearly framing your role and explaining what you learned from a process, such as user testing, adds more value than simply stating the steps you took.

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