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A strong case study is not a timeline of tasks or a visual dump of screens. It is a carefully structured design story, one that reveals how you think, how you make decisions under constraint, and how your work creates meaning and impact.

The most effective case studies balance narrative depth with editorial clarity. They are engaging enough to be memorable, yet structured enough to be understood in minutes.

Start With Meaning, Not Layout

Before touching layout, images, or components, begin by writing.

Case studies should be drafted in plain text first, focusing on thinking rather than presentation.

Think of your project as a sequence of phases rather than a polished outcome. Move through them intentionally:

• What problem were you truly trying to solve?
• What assumptions did you start with—and which ones broke?
• What decisions mattered most?
• Where did constraints, uncertainty, or conflict shape the work?

This early writing phase is where your design judgment emerges. It turns the project from “work you did” into a story about how you work.

Frame the Case Study as a Design Story

Approach each case study as a narrative, not documentation.

Stories help hiring managers understand your path to the outcome, which is often more important than the outcome itself.

A strong design story includes:

• Exposition – Context, motivation, and clear goals (preferably measurable).
• Decision-making – Why you chose one direction over another