Standing Out in a Sea of Case Studies
By: Jack Shugrue
Tags: UX Design, Case Study, Product Design, UX, Portfolio

There are a million resources on product design case studies and portfolio advice, from our peers’ case studies, to Youtube videos, to Instagram posts and so on. OK… a million is a bit of an exaggeration but you get the point- this topic has been covered.

Still, as a new product design applicant with a non-traditional design background working on creating a strong portfolio of case studies myself, I’ve discovered that a lot of these resources more or less relay the same ideas.

Of course, there is a reason these same ideas are brought up again and again: they are significant factors in great case studies/portfolios:

A demonstration of both understanding UX principles, and how these principles help solve the problem presented in your case studies

An emphasis on storytelling

Intent

Leaning into your strengths

Self-awareness

Strong visual language

Understanding case study structure

Yet, throughout this research process, I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing something.

When looking at various case studies I noticed that most felt too similar, even when the projects themselves were vastly different, and that a lot felt too long, especially when considering the constraints hiring managers and recruiters have when viewing our work.

So, I took a step back and asked myself was all this research helping me stand out as a new applicant? Well, it certainly helps, but not necessarily to stand out. These points help set the stage to present our work in case study format more successfully, but to stand out, we need to go beyond checking boxes off a “successful case study list” especially when hiring managers and agencies have such limited time to view our work.

Our portfolios are a showcase. Importantly, they should be designed for those who will actually be viewing them(they have a job to do). They illustrate our design knowledge and skills, and how these translate to some measurable impact. As such, they should be designed for hiring managers, which is a point that is sometimes lost as we put together or refine our case studies.

So the question that was once, “How can I create the strongest portfolio?”, becomes slightly more nuanced: “How can I create the most meaningful portfolio experience for hiring managers?”

Hiring managers are looking at potentially hundreds of case studies per session, so what makes viewing one case study more meaningful an experience than another?

Hiring manager sifting through hundreds of case studies and finding yours

Understanding the constraints of hiring managers will help us better craft more memorable case studies.

Hiring Managers have very limited time to view our portfolios. They are quickly looking to identify how well we communicate particular patterns in our work: our design process and our impact for users and businesses. Beyond this, we need to communicate our work creatively and concisely in an effort to stand out.

So, how can we address these issues?

Keeping the importance of the topics (found at the top) that are commonly talked about in relation to case studies in mind, let’s go over these issues…

Although I had a few ideas on what could effectively make our case studies stand out to hiring managers, being a new applicant, I wanted to be sure these ideas were sound. So, I reached out to several talented design professionals who were kind enough to share their insight on creating meaningful case studies for hiring managers.

“It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale.”

Uncle Iroh, Avatar: The Last Airbender

1) Streamlining our case studies: Show contributions and impact rather than to show off

The more clearly and concisely we can communicate our work and impact to hiring managers, the better. As such, organization and identification of key points of your work is paramount.

“One piece of advice I give all designers because this is a side of their brain that they don’t necessarily flex a lot, is about the consistency and organization of materials. People viewing your portfolio will likely only see it once and for a very short period of time so showcasing your work using a consistent, appropriately weighted, and intuitive template is key. This means that under each case study, you want to: 1) Describe the problem (but not with so much emphasis that it overshadows the work) 2) Articulate the approach to the work 3) Show your skills in developing solutions, concepting/iterating, and 4) Highlight the final solution (hero images). Use consistent title blocks and assess the hierarchy of information not just in the case studies but your portfolio in its entirety.”

Harriet Tzou, Marketing & Communications Manager, FuseProject

Hiring managers want to quickly see what problem we are solving, product goals, and the measurable impact the product had along with our design process and final solution. This means that not every part of your design process needs to be included in your case study. Sometimes it can be hard to divorce oneself from their work, but the more compact and organized one can make their case study, the better.

“As designers we often think high quality visuals are what makes us stand out (and trust me they do!) but we often forget that at the end of the day we are being hired to improve the bottom line of a company. Data is key, highlight this when showcasing the impact and key findings of your work.”

Ruth Shaffer, Product Designer, Skillz

Try to trim down visual sections or text that doesn’t directly communicate how the design solves the problem. As you streamline your portfolio, highlight how research drove your design process and lead to your final design solution.

2) Structure: Pattern breaks, Language strategy, and case studies as curiosity gaps

Pattern Breaks are an incredibly helpful organizational tool when displaying any kind of long-format information. If everything looks the same, scanning for pertinent information becomes difficult, making the job for hiring managers that much harder.

Image pattern breaks should appear naturally as you showcase your design process, (wireframes and prototypes look different) but it is important to use pattern breaks within your text to increase retention and legibility as well. So, by keeping your case study composition fresh with unique headers, bullet points, and concise paragraphs scattered throughout, you can create a more engaging, scan-able body of work.

“When I’m interviewing candidates we look for people who can tell a story that weaves together their process, communication loops with key stakeholders, and the impact their project had on the business.”

Ruth Shaffer, Product Designer, Skillz

Although our text should be a secondary guide to our designs, the language we choose is quite important. Our case studies tell a story of how our designs solve some problem(s), how we collaborated, created a measurable impact, and what we learned through the process. One’s parlance is unique to that story.

As such, your text should be:

On brand: unique to you

Clear: clearly communicates and connects to the corresponding visuals provided

Humble: show your contribution, don’t just show off

Showing off Vs. Communicating your contribution

Contextual: is the right text/tone at the right time? Structure is key to building your story

Multi-Functional: consider each text section individually (for a particular part of your design process), and as a part of a whole (you case study)

Brief & Structured: easy to read, concisely conveys value

3) Making your content fun: Creating engagement through your authentic voice

Everyone enjoys a fun story over a boring one. Similarly, a personal, fun, and engaging case study is more memorable for hiring managers than a cookie-cutter case study. So, how can we create a more fun, yet still professional case study experience?

Professional fun

Strong visual language: Even though our work goes beyond eye-catching visuals, good looking graphics will always be attractive — especially when they clearly communicate some key concept or idea from your design process. Remember, our case studies are typically being viewed only once, and for a short period of time, so we want to do whatever we can to grasp hiring managers’ attention. Once you’ve secured the interview from them, then your product design knowledge/skills will get you the job.

Even though our work goes beyond eye-catching visuals, good looking graphics will always be attractive — especially when they clearly communicate some key concept or idea from your design process. Remember, our case studies are typically being viewed only once, and for a short period of time, so we want to do whatever we can to grasp hiring managers’ attention. Once you’ve secured the interview from them, then your product design knowledge/skills will get you the job. Concise story-telling: Each case study should be thought of as an open loop: a project in which one teases some interesting information at the start, that is answered later on in the body of work. When you present your problem statement at the start of your case study, you are not just presenting a problem, you are creating a cliffhanger. Why is this problem important? Why is your design the solution? Who will this benefit? These are questions posed by your problem statement that will be answered throughout your case study by your research and overall design process. Communicating this story in a concise manner will help retain hiring managers’ attention, and allow for a more enjoyable experience overall.

Each case study should be thought of as an open loop: a project in which one teases some interesting information at the start, that is answered later on in the body of work. When you present your problem statement at the start of your case study, you are not just presenting a problem, you are creating a cliffhanger. Why is this problem important? Why is your design the solution? Who will this benefit? These are questions posed by your problem statement that will be answered throughout your case study by your research and overall design process. Communicating this story in a concise manner will help retain hiring managers’ attention, and allow for a more enjoyable experience overall. Make it personal: We are all unique, and as such we all offer value in different ways. Use your case studies as a platform to express your personality and your value proposition.

“When sharing case studies, be sure to show your process and not only the finished product. Try to use writing and images to give the full story. Share sketches, wireframes, write about things you tried that didn’t work, and how you made the decisions that led you to the final design. Share your portfolio with lots of people (friends and family count too!)and get their feedback. Ask them if your portfolio is clear, concise, interesting, and fun to read.”

Anna London, Product Designer, Workday

One way to see if you have made an engaging case study is to share it with non-design people. This will help you determine if your content is fun, accessible, and easy to understand beyond the eyes of designers. The feedback they provide can prove to be incredibly valuable in pinpointing areas of your case study that need to be made more clear.

Creating a case study is hard work. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to figure out the best way to communicate your design, or feel intimidated when looking at someone else’s great case study. Heck, even just doing research on case studies can be tiring. Throughout this process, remind yourself that your point of view is unique and valuable, and will ultimately help you stand out as a product design applicant.