graphic design case study description

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How To Write A Case Study For Your Design Portfolio

Case studies are an important part of any designer’s portfolio. Read this article to learn everything you need to know to start writing the perfect case study.

When you’re putting together your online design portfolio , design case studies are a great way to showcase your experience and skills. They also give potential clients a window into how you work.

By showing off what you can do and your design process, case studies can help you land more clients and freelance design jobs —so it can be smart to dedicate an entire section of your online portfolio website to case studies.

Getting Started

So—what is a design case study and how do they fit in your portfolio.

Let’s get some definitions out of the way first, shall we? A design case study is an example of a successful project you’ve completed. The exact case study format can vary greatly depending on your style and preferences, but typically it should outline the problem or assignment, show off your solution, and explain your approach.

One of the best ways to do that is to use a case study design that’s similar to a magazine article or long-form web article with lots of images throughout. When building your case study portfolio, create a new page for each case study. Then create a listing of all your case studies with an image and link to each of them. Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of creating these case studies.

Choose Your Best Projects

To make your online portfolio the best it can be , it’s good to be picky when choosing projects for case studies. Since your portfolio will often act as your first impression with potential clients, you only want it to showcase your best work.

If you have a large collection of completed projects, you may have an urge to do a ton of case studies. There’s an argument to be made in favor of that, since it’s a way to show off your extensive experience. In addition, by including a wide variety of case studies, it’s more likely that potential clients will be able to find one that closely relates to their business or upcoming project.

But don’t let your desire to have many case studies on your portfolio lead you to include projects you’re not as proud of. Keep in mind that your potential clients are probably busy people, so you shouldn’t expect them to wade through a massive list of case studies. If you include too many, you can never be sure which ones potential clients will take a look at. As a result, they may miss out on seeing some of your best work.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule for how many case studies to include. It’ll depend on the amount of experience you have, and how many of your completed projects you consider to be among your best work.

Use Your Design Expertise

When creating the case study section of your portfolio, use your designer’s eye to make everything attractive and easily digestible. One important guideline is to choose a layout that will enable you to include copy and image captions throughout.

Don’t have your portfolio up and running yet and not sure which portfolio platform is best for you? Try one that offers a free trial and a variety of cool templates that you can play around with to best showcase your design case studies.

If you don’t provide context for every image you include, it can end up looking like just a (somewhat confusing) image gallery. Case studies are more than that—they should explain everything that went into what you see in the images.

Check Out Other Case Study Examples for Inspiration

Looking at case study examples from successful designers is a great way to get ideas for making your case study portfolio more effective. Pay special attention to the case study design elements, including the layout, the number of images, and amount of copy. This will give you a better idea of how the designer keeps visitors interested in the story behind their projects.

To see some great case study examples, check out these UX designer portfolios .

Try a Case Study Template

There are plenty of resources online that offer free case study templates . These templates can be helpful, as they include questions that’ll help you ensure you’ve included all the important information.

However, most of them are not tailored to designers. These general case study templates don’t have the formatting you’ll want (i.e. the ability to include lots of images). Even the ones that are aimed at designers aren’t as effective as creating your own design. That’s why case study templates are best used as a starting point to get you thinking, or as a checklist to ensure you’ve included everything.

How to Write Case Studies

Maintain your usual tone.

You should write your case studies in the same personal, authentic (yet still professional!) tone of voice as you would when creating the About Me section of your portfolio . Don’t get bogged down in too much technical detail and jargon—that will make your case studies harder to read.

Since your case studies are part of your online portfolio, changing your usual tone can be jarring to the reader.

Instead, everything on your portfolio should have a consistent style. This will help you with creating brand identity . The result will be potential clients will be more connected to your writing and get the feeling that they’re learning what makes you unique.

Provide Some Context

Case studies are more effective when you include some information at the beginning to set the stage. This can include things like the date of the project, name of the client, and what the client does. Providing some context will make the case study more relatable to potential clients.

Also, by including the date of the project, you can highlight how your work has progressed over time. However, you don’t want to bog down this part of the case study with too much information. So it only really needs to be a sentence or two.

Explain the Client’s Expectations

Another important piece of information to include near the beginning of your case study is what the client wanted to accomplish with the project. Consider the guidelines the client provided, and what they would consider a successful outcome.

Did this project involve unique requirements? Did you tailor the design to suit the client’s brand or target audience? Did you have to balance some conflicting requirements?

Establishing the client’s expectations early on in the case study will help you later when you want to explain how you made the project a success.

Document Your Design Process

As you write your case study, you should take a look at your process from an outsider’s point of view. You already know why you made the decisions you did, so it may feel like you’re explaining the obvious. But by explaining your thought process, the case study will highlight all the consideration you put into the design project.

This can include everything from your initial plan to your inspiration, and the changes you made along the way. Basically, you should think about why you took the approach you did, and then explain it.

At this point, consider mentioning any tricks you use to make your design process more efficient . That can include how you managed your time, how you communicated with clients, and how you kept things on track.

Don’t Be Afraid to Mention Challenges

When writing a case study, it can be tempting to only explain the parts that went flawlessly. But you should consider mentioning any challenges that popped up along the way.

Was this project assigned with an extremely tight deadline? Did you have to ask the client to clarify their desired outcome? Were there revisions requested?

If you have any early drafts or drawings from the project saved, it can be a good idea to include them in the case study as well—even if they show that you initially had a very different design in mind than you ended up with. This can show your flexibility and willingness to go in new directions in order to achieve the best results.

Mentioning these challenges is another opportunity to highlight your value as a designer to potential clients. It will give you a chance to explain how you overcame those challenges and made the project a success.

Show How the Project’s Success Was Measured

Case studies are most engaging when they’re written like stories. If you followed the guidelines in this article, you started by explaining the assignment. Next, you described the process you went through when working on it. Now, conclude by going over how you know the project was a success.

This can include mentioning that all of the client’s guidelines were met, and explaining how the design ended up being used.

Check if you still have any emails or communications with the client about their satisfaction with the completed project. This can help put you in the right mindset for hyping up the results. You may even want to include a quote from the client praising your work.

Start Writing Your Case Studies ASAP

Since case studies involve explaining your process, it’s best to do them while the project is still fresh in your mind. That may sound like a pain; once you put a project to bed, you’re probably not looking forward to doing more work on it. But if you get started on your case study right away, it’s easier to remember everything that went into the design project, and why you made the choices you did.

If you’re just starting writing your case studies for projects you’ve completed in the past, don’t worry. It will just require a couple more steps, as you may need to refresh your memory a bit.

Start by taking a look at any emails or assignment documents that show what the client requested. Reviewing those guidelines will make it easier to know what to include in your case study about how you met all of the client’s expectations.

Another helpful resource is preliminary drafts, drawings, or notes you may have saved. Next, go through the completed project and remind yourself of all the work that went into achieving that final design.

Draw Potential Clients to See Your Case Studies

Having a great portfolio is the key to getting hired . By adding some case studies to your design portfolio, you’ll give potential clients insight into how you work, and the value you can offer them.

But it won’t do you any good if they don’t visit your portfolio in the first place! Luckily, there are many ways you can increase your chances. One way is to add a blog to your portfolio , as that will improve your site’s SEO and draw in visitors from search results. Another is to promote your design business using social media . If you’re looking to extend your reach further, consider investing in a Facebook ad campaign , as its likely easier and less expensive than you think.

Once clients lay eyes on all your well-written, beautifully designed case studies, the work will come roaring in!

Want to learn more about creating the perfect design portfolio? 5 Designers Reveal How to Get Clients With Your Portfolio 20 Design Portfolios You Need to See for Inspiration Study: How Does the Quality of Your Portfolio Site Influence Getting Hired?

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10 Exceptional Product Design Portfolios with Case Study Breakdowns

After working with many designers throughout my own career and helping many more build their job-ready portfolios, there are a few designers that I keep coming back to for inspiration and some that are inspiring a new generation of UI/UX and Product Designers to enter the field.

I've chosen 10 of our favorite UI/UX and Product Designers—a colorful tapestry of digital product architects that have evolved from graphic designers, marketers, architects, engineers and everything in-between. Their unique backgrounds and journey bring something special to our industry and illustrate how we can all do more meaningful, interesting and impactful work:

There are 10 things in particular that make these 10 designers really stand out:

• They have each honed their craft from the bottom up (whether having gone through a traditional academic program, an online course like DesignerUp , or being self-taught).
• They are all at different stages of their careers (some newly minted and others seasoned veterans).
• They continue to learn, grow, push the envelope, document and share their genuine experiences.
• They each hail from a different background (and sometimes non-design industry) that informs who they are and what they work on as a designer.
• Their evolution is apparent in their work.
• They are passionate about the problems they solve and find joy in connecting with the users they serve.
• They are transparent about their processes, thoughtful in their communication about it and not afraid to show what worked and what didn't.
• They have focused portfolios that reveal their unique point of view as a designer.
• They are a diverse group of designers from different cultural, gender and socio-economic backgrounds.
• They have so much to teach us all about design and how to use it to express authenticity and to understand and help others do the same.

Case Study Format:   http://simonpan.com/work/uber/

• The Challenge
• Early Insights
• Reframing the Problem
• The Redesign
• Design Strategy

“In a city as busy as San Francisco, over $1 million was wasted per week because of problematic pickups.”

Madeline Wukusick

Madeline is a graduate of our DesignerUp Product Design course. She was able to create an incredible portfolio working through our curriculum, blended with her background in graphic and data design that set her up for immediate success landing professional design roles.

Case Study Format:

• The Observed Problem
• The Research
• In the Insights
• The proposed How Might We Statements
• Lean Canvas and Product Strategy
• Business Requirements
• The Solutions and MVP Features
• Things that could be improved

"Thanks for helping me work through these iterations—it's been tremendously helpful! You have such a knack for fine-tuning and teasing out subtle themes that I hadn't noticed before. From these comments, I have a better sense of some of my growth areas to work on and ways in which to push myself. It also helped me realize that I am most interested in hybrid roles, or at least roles with a strong visual component. Really grateful to have discovered this course :-)" - Madeline

Not an Italian mobster; Johny Vino is an engineers' designer. I've been a long time admirer of his work every since his mind-blowing animations and micro-interactions arrested me mid Dribbble scroll many years ago. He is a thoughtful, meticulous designer that understands how to align user and business goals all while transmuting conventional interaction patterns into something that is altogether transcendent yet familiar.

Case Study Format: https://johnyvino.com/

Process, Goal and Task Oriented that varies with each project

• What he worked on
• What he aim to accomplish
• Business Goals
• Representation of complex data
• Integration

Humans are not perfect. I like to apply 3 principles to ever product I design to help me focus on that. Fitt's Law, Mimicry, Aesthetic Usability Effect

Steph Parrott

Steph is a product designer based in Toronto. Currently working on Plantd and most recently at Square in San Francisco.

Case Study Format: https://www.stephparrott.com/plantd/

• Roles and Process
• App Overview
• Feature proposal
• Design to Development
• Looking to the future and what's next

"As someone who hasn’t eaten meat in almost 20 years, I’m highly motivated to put in the work to find plant-based options, but for those starting to dabble, how can we except them to do the same?" - Steph

Tom is the co-founder of the community and event series Design Club , and an investor & advisor to Bricklane . He currently works  own clients, helping invent, design, and launch new ventures. Before that he held design leadership roles at fashion and fintech startups, and was as a senior designer at a global agency. Case Study Format: http://tom.pe/gc-dashboard.html

• Summary of the problem space, challenges, project and contribution
• Goal and Problem
• Design Principles applied
• Proposed solution and representation of dashboard and data
• Design frameworks used
• Future considerations

"The problem here is that by trying to create something for everyone, we risked helping no one. Avoiding the design equivelant of an identity crisis became a big focus of mine. I'd do this by finding ways to inject a point of view into the product. By knowing what it wasn't, as well as what it was." - Tom Petty

Want to create an incredible portfolio like these full of amazing case studies to get you hired? Enroll in our Product Design Course today!

Garett MacGillivray

Much like myself and other designers of a particular generation, Aussie/Canadian Garett MacGillivray has been around the block and through the evolution of graphic designer, web design, UI/UX Designers and now landed squarely as a full stack Product Designer.

Case Study Format: https://aucadian.com.au/project/goloop

• Exploration and Ideation
• Component Library
• B2B product interface

I've had many labels throughout my career in the digital industry. It's safe to say that I enjoy crafting digital experiences.

Elise is a Bay Area designer that jumped to the bay from NYU. She comes from an advertising and marketing background and has fine tuned her communication skills and processes vast knowledge of the tech and digital product industry has a whole having been on the broadcasting and marketing side of things.

Case Study Format: http://www.elisefu.com/work-komeeda/

• Impact/Metrics
• User testing
• User research
• Information Architecture
• Implementation
• Major Findings
• Formal User Testing

I was driven to design because I felt excited and rewarding to learn about people’s goals and desires, help them solve problems and make their lives easier.

Latiesha Caston

Latisha is a User Experience Designer passionate about holistic, accessible, and inclusive design, based in Seattle.

Case Study Format: https://www.latieshacaston.com/veggie-grill-online-ordering-experience

• The Problem
• The High-level Goal
• The approach
• Pain Points
• Optimizing flow and improving architecture
• Interaction model breakdown
• Looking to the future

"Our high level goal was to design a holistic order-ahead experience that keeps the core of what we've built, while delivering on opportunities, addressing pain points, and setting the stage for the future." - Latisha

Karolis Kosas

Having recently joined the amazing design team at Stripe as a Product designer, Karolis's portfolio is clean and minimal and his case studies really understand the mental model of the user, getting into their heads and revealing the friction points they are feeling and how he can insert a solution that improves on the experience with compromising the soul of the designer.

Case Study Format: http://karoliskosas.com/cinemaclub/

• prototyping
• Built the product from zero

Visual communication is a self-sufficient organism capable of adapting and evolving based on the input of multiple sources.Acting in such context, the designer is an initiator, establishing methods and boundaries for the system to establish itself as an independent entity.

Rohit Singh

One of o ur very own graduates ! Rohit Singh is an up and coming product designer with a focus on helping early-stage startups and new businesses blossom.

Rohit outlines his process for creating an MVP for his digital product from scratch, which serves as a sort of physical and virtual library for the poorest class of India.

Case Study Format: https://work.khadush.in/booksite-an-online-physical-book-sharing-platform/

• Inspiration
• User Interviews
• Lean Canvas
• Visual Design
• Final Words

I specialize in helping early stage startups validate their riskiest assumptions using leading design methods

After analyzing all of these case studies and working with 100s of designers in our product design course to get them ready for the job application process, we've created our own tried-and-true templates to make it easy for designers to replicate the successful format and structure of these top portfolios using Notion .

Each of these amazing portfolios tells the story of the product designer, their evolution, their process and shows what they bring to the world. But it's not easy doing what they do or knowing exactly how to show and tell who you are as designer. Having a solid design education and getting feedback from the design community is the best way to ensure that your work is up to par and being presented in a way the shows your skills and your worth.

Have a look at our partners' advice over at Pathrise on building a strong UX design portfolio .

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How to Design Case Studies for Your Clients

Why Case Study Design Matters

Case studies are more than just feel-good success stories for your client’s audience to read.

They’re powerful tools for showcasing your client’s products and services in the very best possible light.

That’s why every aspect of your client’s case study has to count. Not just the information and the statistics and the positive experience of the case study’s subject, but everything that goes into creating the experience of an individual who is reading this case study and thinking hard about whether they should invest in your client’s products or services.

We’re talking about the copywriting, the illustrations and icons, the infographics, everything!

And that’s where you, as a designer, come into play! 

Because if your client’s reader isn’t engaged and captivated by the information they’re seeing, they’re not likely to stick around. The layout and design have got to hit their mark every time for your client’s case studies to have the impact they want them to have.

So, what makes for a great case study or report design?

If you’re scratching your head, then this blog is here to help shine some light. Consider today’s blog your handy guide for creating captivating and strategic case study design that showcases your client’s offerings in the best possible way!

How Does a Case Study Tell a Story?

A case study can be an extremely effective marketing tool, even more so than ads, websites, or product demos.

Why? Because a case study isn’t an ad, a case study involves a real-world situation or problem that a real-world business faced and the journey they went through to resolve it, which naturally makes for a great story.

A good case study first introduces the subject, whether it's a business or an individual, and sets the stage for the story by outlining their challenges. It then describes the solution that alleviated this problem (your client’s products and services), the steps it took to implement that solution, and the obstacles it overcame to get there.

The results should show, through the use of data collection, statistics, etc., how your client’s brand was able to help the subject of the case study in whatever way they needed that help. Depending on the type of case study, the results could be increased brand awareness, increased conversions on an ecommerce site , or a boost in revenue due to optimized marketing strategies.

If presented right, this can be huge for a business! It gives real-life context to the pain points their potential customers have and the data analysis to prove that their products or services can get the job done!

And, as a designer, your role in all this is to make sure that the reader of this case study is getting the full effect of this real-life success story. Sure, the copywriter will handle writing a case study, but your job to take those words and enhance them through images, illustrations, layout, and more to present the narrative in the best way possible and guide the reader from beginning to end.

Designing Case Studies: What You Need to Know

Now that you know why case studies are so important, here is what you need to know to design a top-notch case study for your next client!

1. Understand Your Client’s Needs

It’s always a good idea to make sure that you really understand the message your client is looking to display with their case study.

Look through their other content and familiarize yourself with their brand guide so you can be sure that your design aligns with their messaging and their brand. It’s also good to familiarize yourself with the industry your client is in as well as their audience so that you can be sure your design is keeping them engaged.

2. The Right Graphics for the Story

A successful case study is going to need a good number of images and photos to break up all of that text into manageable bites and better explain complex information.

Roll up your sleeves and crank up Adobe Illustrator, because custom graphics is the way to go here. The style will be up to your client and their brand, but common needs for case studies include:

• Illustrations
• Photo treatments

These graphics are extremely handy for not only breaking up big blocks of text but also highlighting important information and making the content easy to navigate and understand.

Refer to your client’s brand guide to get the style right for the custom illustrations and icons you’ll need for their case study. If they don’t have any guidelines for illustrations and icons, then be a pal and kindly refer them here .

3. The Best Way to Visualize Data

Showcasing data effectively in a case study is absolutely crucial to its success. It doesn’t matter how impressive the numbers are if the reader can’t understand them or get a good grasp on their impact.

So, the data you’re working with, whether it's in the form of charts and graphs, statistics, or whatever else your client asks for must be presented in a way that is clear and straightforward. Use colors, type hierarchy, callouts, or whatever you need to best present your information.

Compelling infographics are a great way to do this. Using your client’s brand guide, you can whip up some infographic design templates to use throughout the case study to effectively show the collected data and what it means.

4. A Compelling Color Palette

The right colors not only make a case study visually appealing as readers navigate through the information but can ensure that your client’s case study is on brand, consistent, and a step above the rest of the competition.

Consider also using your colors to strategically highlight key information, such as numbers or data, and to invoke the right emotions as your reader moves through the narrative.

With so much data and information to present, be sure to also use a color palette that works well with your graphics and font. Your headers, captions, and text should be easy to read against whatever color background you’ve chosen.

5. Strategic Layout

The way your case study is laid out is also a crucial component in how readable and user-friendly the final result will be.

Collaborate with the copywriter, if possible, and make sure that the case study has a clear structure. The copy, the data, and your infographics, photos, and images should tell a story: a beginning (before the brand’s product and service), a middle (introducing the product or service), and an end (how the product or service improved the subject’s operations).

Use the power of type hierarchy as well to call out key information, keep text organized, and make the content easier to read.

Conducting a case study involves collecting tons of information, but no matter how much info is presented, you don’t want any portions of your case study to look crowded or busy. Be sure to have enough white space on each page to keep your design looking clean.

Some ways to lay images or photos out neatly are by the use of grids, columns, icons, and by teaming up with the copywriter to insert navigation aids, like clear page numbers, a table of contents, clearly defined sections, an index, or whatever else you think the reader would need to be able to easily follow along.

6. Spotlight Key Information

In addition to using type hierarchy and color scheme to call out the juiciest bits of information, consider also using bullets, lists, quotations, callouts, and even arrows to guide the reader’s eyes to what’s most crucial.

If the specific case study you’re designing for is about complex machinery or products a potential customer might not be familiar with, things might get confusing fast.

Clear it up by adding labels and captions to photos and illustrations to help the reader better understand important technical information and not feel overwhelmed or lost by the data being presented.

Looking for an Outlet for Those Design Skills?

If all of this has you nodding along, then, great! You may already have the design know-how to create visually stunning and easy-to-navigate case studies, reports, or whitepapers.

So, if you’re looking for an outlet for those skills, why not consider joining the Designity community?

Designity is a 100% remote CaaS (creative as a service) platform that is made up of experienced Creative Directors and the top 3% of US-based creative talent, including graphic designers , illustrators, copywriters, video editors, animators, and more.

As part of the Designity community, you’d enjoy competitive pay, a remote work environment, and the freedom to work on your own schedule from wherever you have a good WiFi connection!

You’ll also get to work on a variety of different projects with an even larger variety of clients and industries. And, best of all, you’ll get to team up with that creative talent described earlier and be part of a one-stop shop dream team that creates multiple case studies, whitepapers, brochures, and whatever marketing collateral you want to work on!

Think you have what it takes? 

Why not apply today and put your skills to the test?

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An Expert’s Guide to Creating Graphic Design Case Studies

Case studies are a powerful tool in the creative industry. Being able to review your work, look at what you’ve accomplished, and learn from it is incredibly useful. But beyond being a tool to sharpen your skills, a case study is an invaluable marketing asset to have at your disposal. In an industry as competitive as design, a graphic design case study could become the driving force of your portfolio.

Since case studies are so powerful — going beyond simple testimonials and work screenshots — spending the time and effort to create an effective, well-done study pays for itself many times over. So how do you get the most out of your graphic design case study?

This quick guide will cover how to make an effective case study for your portfolio. Here are the key components:

• Targeting : Focus on a past client that represents your ideal future client.
• Perspective : Write in the client’s perspective so potential clients can easily relate.
• Narrative : Don’t be dry – tell a story about the client’s needs and your design process.
• Data : Show the success of your work through cold hard facts and numbers.

Read on for more case study insights from Wes McDowell of The Deep End Design .

Write for your ideal client

The first step in any case study is figuring out who to write about. Most likely, you have dozens — if not hundreds (if you’re doing your job right) — of happy clients to choose from. So how do you choose the best of the bunch?

The easiest and most effective way to figure out which client to focus on is by figuring out who you want to appeal to. Take a moment and try to visualize your ideal client. Maybe it’s someone in the music industry because of all those record-label internships you had in college. Or maybe you want to attract people in the healthcare industry. Whoever your ideal client is, and whatever the reasons, start there.

Once you’ve got your ideal client in mind, think about similar clients you’ve already helped. Maybe you designed a website for a new band last week. Or maybe you created a logo for your favorite doctor’s group practice. Starting with related case studies helps you to attract more of the same.

Write about the client, not about yourself

Writing a case study from the perspective of the client is another effective method. Writing about the specific issues that made them come to you in the first place is a great place to start.

If a potential new client can read the study and easily put themselves in the shoes of someone you’ve already helped, then congratulations — you’re on your way to a study done right. Prospects who can read it and think, “That’s my problem too!” will immediately feel that you can really help them. And that leads to more inquiries and even more clients.

Tell a story

Everyone loves to hear a good story, whether it’s what your friend saw her neighbor doing on her lawn, or how that crazy SUV driver cut off your brother in traffic today. Case studies might sound boring, but a well-crafted one isn’t.

Take your potential client on a journey from start to finish. Begin with who the original client was, what they do, and why they contacted you. Take the reader through your process: how you identified ways to help, how you met with the client, and what changes you implemented. Then reveal what the work looked like when it was done, how the client felt, and the end results.

Here’s a good example from the folks at Erskine Design. They draw you in from the first line, explaining why they were contacted, and walking you through the process from start to finish. There are also plenty of visuals to show you what work was being done and how.

Share the results

Last, and most certainly not least, be sure to use real, hard data. Some clients will scan your case studies just for that data. Maybe they aren’t interested in the journey, or how your old client is now your best friend who brings you apple pie on Sundays. That doesn’t make the story less important, but prospects need also to be assured that if they hire you, you’ll get results.

By all means, give them what they’re looking for. Show how your client’s traffic jumped from 100 people a day to 300. Show how sales increased by 20% because they hired you. Use real, hard, and authentic data.

This is incredibly important for those of us who handle a lot of SEO, SEM, or writing work. SEO MOZ has a very well-done case study that drives the point home. Here, they show us all the before-mentioned tactics — plus plenty of data, showing off exactly what they were able to accomplish and how.

Final thoughts

While the thought of writing a full case study may sound daunting (and a bit like homework), it doesn’t have to be. Prospective clients don’t want to read inside jargon any more than you want to write it, so feel free to write the way you would speak. Just tell a good story about how you took a client with a problem and effectively solved that problem for them, along with why you made some of the choices you did. It’s really just that simple.

Wes McDowell is the lead designer, blogger, and podcast host at The Deep End Design in Los Angeles.

Top image by Dmitriy Domino

All other images by  Darko 1981

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All About Process: Dissecting Case Study Portfolios

A portfolio is more than a cache of images, it’s a way to demonstrate design skills and problem solving to clients. We show how to elevate portfolios by explaining the inner workings of a case study.

By Adnan Puzic

Adnan is a UI/UX expert with a bold aesthetic and a passion for designing digital products for startups and corporations.

PREVIOUSLY AT

Designers have portfolios. It’s a precondition of our profession. We all know we need one, so we get to work assembling images and writing project descriptions. Then, we put our work on the web for all to see, tiny shrines to individual talent and creativity.

It’s a familiar process, a rite of passage, but why do we need portfolios in the first place?

If we’re honest, we must admit that most of our portfolio design decisions are influenced by what other designers are doing. That’s not necessarily bad, but if we don’t understand why portfolios look the way they do, we’re merely imitating.

We may produce dazzling imagery, but we also risk a portfolio experience that’s like strolling through an art gallery. “Look at the pretty pictures…”

The number one audience that design portfolios must please? Non-designers.

These are the people who seek our services, the ones working for the businesses and organizations that invest in our problem solving abilities.

Non-designers need more than beauty from a design portfolio; they need clarity and assurance. They need to come away believing in a designer’s expertise, their design process, and ability to solve problems in an efficient manner.

Luckily, it’s not difficult to design a portfolio to meet those needs.

The Advantages of a Case Study

What is a case study?

A case study is a tool that a designer may use to explain his involvement in a design project, whether as a solo designer or part of a team. It is a detailed account, written in the designer’s own voice (first person), that examines the client’s problem, the designer’s role, the problem solving process, and the project’s outcome.

Who can use a case study?

The beauty of the case study framework is that it’s adaptable to multiple design disciplines. It organizes need-to-know information around common categories and questions that are applicable to all kinds of design projects—from UX research to visual identities .

At its core, a case study is a presentation format for communicating the journey from problem to solution. Details within the framework may change, but the momentum is always moving towards clarity and uncovering a project’s most important whats , whys , and hows .

How do case studies benefit designers?

Many clients don’t understand all that goes into the design process. And while they certainly don’t need to know everything , a case study provides a big-picture overview and sets up realistic expectations about what it takes to design an elegant solution.

A case study can also be a handy presentation aide that a designer may use when interviewing a potential client. The format allows a designer to talk about their work and demonstrate their expertise in a natural and logical progression. “Here’s what I did, how it helped, and how I might apply a similar approach with you.”

Are there any drawbacks to using case studies?

Don’t let a case study turn into a ca-a-a-a-a-se study. The whole project should be digestible within 1-2 minutes max. If necessary, provide links to more detailed documents so that interested visitors may explore further.

A lot of design work, especially digital, is created within multidisciplinary teams, so designers need to be clear about their role in a project. Blurring the lines of participation gives clients false expectations.

Many make the mistake of treating portfolios as repositories of all of their past projects, but three to five case studies documenting a designer’s most outstanding work is enough to satisfy the curiosity of most potential clients (who simply don’t have time to mine through everything a designer ever did).

Case studies are professional documents, not tell-all manuscripts, and there are some things that simply shouldn’t be included. Descriptions of difficult working relationships, revelations of company-specific information (i.e., intellectual property), and contentious explanations of rejected ideas ought to be left out.

Crafting a Customer-centric Case Study

It’s one thing to know what a case study is and why it’s valuable. It’s an entirely different and more important thing to know how to craft a customer-centric case study. There are essentials that every case study must include if clients are to make sense of what they’re seeing.

What are the core elements of a case study?

Introduce the client.

Present the design problem.

Recap your role.

Share the solution you designed.

Walk through the steps of your design process.

Describe the results.

Note any key learnings.

Wrap it all up with a short conclusion.

Happily, the core elements also outline a case study presentation format that’s simple, repeatable, and applicable to multiple disciplines. Let’s look closer:

• Who was the client?
• What industry are they in?
• What goods or services do they provide?
• Keep this section brief.
• What was the client’s problem?
• Why was it important that the problem be solved?
• Are there any additional background tidbits that might be helpful or interesting?

• What, specifically, were you hired to do?
• What were the constraints? Time. Budgetary. Technological. Etc.
• Before diving into your process, summarize the solution you designed.
• Make the summary short but powerful.
• Don’t give all the good parts away, and don’t be afraid to use language that makes your audience curious about the rest of the project.
• Go through the various steps of your discipline specific process.
• Again, summarize what you did, but don’t overload. Find a balance between informational and interesting.
• If you can, try to make each step introduce a question that only the following step can answer.

• Use this section to share a more robust description of the results of your design process.
• Be direct, avoid jargon, and don’t get too carried away with the amount of text you include.
• Don’t go overboard here, but if there are interesting things that you learned during the process, include them.
• If they won’t be helpful for the client, leave them out.
• Quickly summarize the project, and invite potential customers to contact you.
• It doesn’t hurt to provide a call to action and a contact link.

*Note: This isn’t the only case study format, just one that works. It’s helpful for people to encounter a predictable framework so they can focus on what they’re looking at as opposed to interpreting an inventive presentation structure.

The Value of Overlooked Details

Want to create a case study with a top notch user experience? Don’t underestimate the value of design details. Design projects are more than problem-meets-solution. They’re deeply human endeavors, and it makes a difference to clients when they see that a designer goes above and beyond in their work.

Share client feedback.

How did the client feel about your working relationship and the solution you provided? When you deliver top-notch work and nurture trust, get client feedback and include it in the case study as a testimonial.

If something you designed blew your client away, weave a testimonial into the case study (along with an image of what you made). This combo is proof positive to potential customers that you can deliver.

Explain positive metrics.

Not all design work has direct metrics that prove its success, but if your work does, and the results are impressive, include them. Just make sure that you don’t mislead (easy to do with statistics), and be careful that the metrics make sense to your audience.

Show unselected work.

Sometimes, amazing work from the design process doesn’t make it through to the finished product. These unused artifacts are helpful because they show an ability to explore a range of concepts.

Highlight unglamorous design features.

Not every aspect of design is glamorous. Like a pinky finger, small details may seem insignificant but they’re actually indispensable. Highlight these and recap why they matter.

Link to live projects.

It can be highly persuasive for a client to experience your work doing it’s thing out in the real world. Don’t hesitate to include links to live projects. Just make sure that your role in the project is clear, especially when you didn’t design everything you’re linking to.

Win Clients and Advance Careers with Case Study Portfolios

Designers need clients. We need their problems, their insights, their feedback, and their investments in the solutions we provide.

Since clients are so important, we ought to think about them often and strive to make entering into partnership with us as easy and painless as possible. Design portfolios are a first impression, an opportunity to put potential clients at ease and show that we understand their needs.

Case studies push our design portfolios past aesthetic allure to a level where our skills, communication abilities, and creativity instill trust and inspire confidence. Even better, they take clients out of a passive, browsing mindset to a place where “That looks cool,” becomes “That’s someone I’d like to work with.”

Further Reading on the Toptal Blog:

• UX Portfolio Tips and Best Practices
• Ditch MVPs, Adopt Minimum Viable Prototypes (MVPrs)
• Breaking Down the Design Thinking Process
• The Best UX Designer Portfolios: Inspiring Case Studies and Examples
• Influence with Design: A Guide to Color and Emotions

Understanding the basics

How do i create a design portfolio.

Nowadays, it’s best to create a design portfolio online. Options vary: Some designers use a service like Behance or a WYSIWYG website builder like Squarespace, while others build custom sites with CSS. It’s also important that online design portfolios be responsive for multiple screen sizes.

How do I create an online portfolio for free?

Websites like Behance and Dribbble (among others) are free options for designers to publish online portfolios. Some designers have opted to forgo traditional web portfolios and instead document their work on social platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Free sites also take care of design portfolio layout.

How do you organize a design portfolio?

A designer ought to organize his portfolio according to his strengths. This means highlighting his best and most relevant work. Remember that design portfolios should be made with potential clients in mind. Avoid overly technical project descriptions, images without context, and excessively long case studies.

What is the purpose of a case study?

Many design portfolios consist of short project summaries and process images, but case studies are a way for designers to show their problem-solving skills to clients in greater detail. This is achieved by defining the client’s problem and the designer’s role, along with an overview of the designer’s process.

What are the advantages of a case study?

Case studies combine descriptive text and images and allow designers to demonstrate the details of their design processes to potential clients. They are also a great way for designers to highlight problem solving and small, but powerful, design features that may otherwise be overlooked.

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Adnan Puzic

Sarajevo, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Member since September 28, 2015

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How to write project case studies for your portfolio

Writing case studies might be the most dreaded part of building a design portfolio. After all the work and time it takes curating projects, designing pages, saving out images, etc., who wants to actually sit down and EXPLAIN it all? But next to your About page, case studies are the most important pa

Aside from showing your experience and skill, case studies give your potential client or employer an idea of how you work and think. Case studies are basically the whole point of building a portfolio — which is why Semplice and Carbonmade, our portfolio tools, were built around just that. Especially with more complex work such as UX design, a case study is a must to explain your work. Of course, your case study approach depends on your personal style and goals, but I generally recommend these rules when creating your project pages.

1. Write down your case studies before you do almost anything else

I know this is not as fun as designing your website but like most things in life, it helps to get the hardest task out of the way first. Near the end of the project you will just want to press that launch button, so anything you write at that time will be rushed and lazy. Or even worse, you will hit a wall and procrastinate launching the whole thing.

Write about your projects as early as you can, even if you have to adjust the copy slightly later to fit your final page layout. I usually just put all my thoughts in Evernote or a Google Doc. Think of your project in phases and start with Phase 1, which is usually the ideation or exploration phase. Write down your thoughts, and then continue to Phase 2. Don't bother with images just yet, this is just for you to help you get it all down.

If inspiration strikes otherwise, so be it. But in most cases you will thank yourself later by doing this first.

2. Keep it brief & caption everything

People are usually scanning your projects to get a general idea of your skills and the way you work. Don't write a novel, just share a short paragraph or two that makes your project interesting and relatable to your reader.

I've read research that says one of the first things people read in a newspaper are the little captions underneath the images. Think of your case study the same way. If someone scrolls through your case study and only reads the little 1-2 sentence captions, they should still understand your project. Focus on the captions first, and then fill in any lengthier content.

3. Include the right details

It all depends on your personal style and you don’t need to literally copy/paste this format, but your case study should loosely follow this outline or provide this information:

Name of client, what they do & their location: Give your reader context and write a quick sentence about what this project or product is all about. This will show your experience and interest in specific types of clients or design work. Naming the location will also help if you want to make it clear you work with clients all over, as opposed to just your hometown.

Goal for the project: What did the client ask you to do?  What was the briefing? What was the main challenge and measure of success? Did you have a certain idea or expectation for the project when you began?

Your experience: Anything interesting to share about your process for this project? Did you take a unique angle or notice some surprising insight? Do you have some early sketches we can see? Why did you choose that approach? Ask yourself WHY WHY WHY a thousand times, and then answer those questions.

The outcome: Did you feel proud of the result? Did it exceed your expectations? Did it increase the client’s sales by 2000%? Don’t get too technical or share some crazy analytics report (and definitely do not make anything up), just include a brief sentence or two that shares how the project was successful. A case study should ideally be a success story. If it's not, tell us why the project is still valuable or meaningful (maybe the client didn't choose your favorite concept for example, but you still love the work you did) and what you learned from it.

Again, it doesn’t need to be some stiff, clinical report. Just set everything up for the reader so they can fully appreciate what went into the project and how you approach your work.

4. Give credit & explain your role

This is especially important if it was a team project. If I just see a list of names without their roles, I might be a little suspicious about what you actually did on this project. But whether or not this was a team project, it’s helpful for us to understand what role you played. This could be as simple as listing “art direction & design” beside the project summary. Forgetting this detail is crucial and can mean the difference between getting hired or not.

"We should finish reading with a sense of your personality and design process."

5. Write in your voice

You and your client might know what they mean, but acronyms and buzzwords only distance your reader. Don’t try to impress with lofty language, just share your work in your own voice and be as clear as possible. We should finish reading with a sense of your personality and design process.

Whatever you do, don’t just copy/paste words about your client’s product from their website. The shift in voice will be obvious and will only make you seem lazy.

6. Don’t image dump

I’ve seen countless portfolios that either don’t include a case study at all or just have one sentence with a bunch of photos below for the reader to sort out on their own. That doesn’t sell your work the way it deserves. (Plus no copy = bad SEO, if you care about that.)

Consider a layout that lets you include a sentence or two beside each image, so you can explain your process and give us insight into what we’re seeing. A bunch of photos on a page might look pretty, but as almost every company in our "How to Get a Job at X" series has voiced, it's not enough. Your potential employer or client needs context. We need to understand who you are, how you work and how you might contribute to our team/culture.

7. Think of each case study like a magazine feature

This goes for your content and layout. Using a similar page template for your case studies is fine, but you should at least adjust it to fit the project and look of the work.

Think of the way magazine articles are laid out. They’re designed to fully immerse you in the piece and create an experience. They include photos at specific places to illustrate a point or bring a scene to life. They use pull quotes to pique your interest or point out an especially memorable part of the story. They break up paragraphs with photos, but take care to not disrupt your reading experience.

This is why Semplice allows designers to create fully branded case studies — meaning you can design every piece of your page to fit the project’s look and feel, from the navigation down to the footer. Every project is different and your case studies should be too.

I could go on and on, but when it comes down to it, no one-size-fits-all solution works for case studies. It all depends on you, your project, style and the kind of work you do. As we say in this article about writing as a designer (good tips in there as well), just remember to write for that one person on the other side of the screen. It's one person hiring you for the job after all – and often that person is a recruiter or someone who's not necessarily a designer like you. Design your portfolio and write your case studies with your reader in mind, and you'll be one step closer to doing the work you want to do.

Read more portfolio tips here and be sure to check out the Semplice Showcase for design portfolio inspiration.

Featured article image by Liz Wells

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5 Key Parts of a Great Design Case Study

• UX / UI Product Design

When done right, case studies are seriously complex and represent hundreds of hours of design work. At their start, they can feel like a disorganized, overwhelming mess.

Step by step, they transform into a piece of work a designer can truly be proud of because it tells the story of their growth over the project. Being able to effectively communicate and illustrate that unique story is key to a designer’s success in the interview process, and a way for them to stand out from competitors.

I’ve lost track of how many case studies I’ve reviewed in my time at Designation — it’s probably somewhere close to 1,000 by now — and in all that time, I’ve seen many important parts of case study writing come into focus.

Below are five of the most important areas that go beyond the basics of case study writing and get into the more challenging parts that can provide a far greater reward. Together, they can turn good designers into great design storytellers—and set them up for greater success later on as professionals.

Show your process assets purposefully.

Assets are your opportunity to show rather than tell—explain a big chunk of the process in a visual form. Assets can take many forms, and the more diversity in them, the more engaging for readers.

They include photographs, which can backup descriptions of on-site research, interviews, and teamwork; screenshots of in-progress work and art boards; sketches showing rough ideas that were fleshed out later; Post-it notes and affinity diagrams; wireframes, sometimes with color added for extra clarity for the reader; animated gifs showing microinteractions and user flows through the product; charts and tables; and so many others.

When focusing on a design or visual case study image like this shows a surprising amount of information and process—how creatively messy it can be to sketch, sorting to find ideas worthy of development, fleshing the strong ones out, and applying design elements and patterns to them.

A case study without showing assets is incomplete, but one that shows assets without explaining them is almost worse, because a designer always needs to explain their importance to the process.

The best way to do that is to use  captions  for each asset. But captions must always be a part of the overall story; they shouldn’t only repeat information that the asset already shows. They must provide a unique insight, and further the story for the reader. By doing this, it activates the caption and justifies its existence and the work it takes to write them by the designer.

This designer used two forms of captions to illustrate their screens: Annotations that point out specific areas of concern from testers who looked at them, and a caption below that collected and synthesized them for easier comprehension.

Provide a  competitive benchmark for the study.

Designers often like to downplay the research and analysis of competitors that happens near the beginning of a project because it doesn’t directly focus on the work they created. This is an unfortunate mistake because it’s a huge part of the story and it often leads directly to designers making research or design decisions later in the process.

Furthermore, designers should show off that they have a deep understanding of the competition whenever they work on a product; that they know what’s happening in the landscape and how their product fits in. Showing logos or only mentioning names of competitors isn’t anywhere near enough; designers need to discuss in detail what competitors do well, and analyze the areas in which they need improvement. Designers can provide screenshots of competitors’ products, but they need to go further and  annotate or comment on them, to show a more detailed analysis.

They can’t ignore out-of-category competitors too, because that research often leads to innovative ideas that can catapult their product over in-category competitors’.

This designer looked at three competitors and called out unique areas of strength and weakness from each one, especially as they led the designer to make design decisions later in the process.

Finally, all that analysis requires synthesis, which means explaining the opportunities the designer saw for their own product after looking at the competition. This helps the designer more formally describe the end of the competitive research phase of a project and how that helped them refocus on their own product.

The designer analyzed competitors’ images in the center of this screen, but the text at the bottom presents what they did with that analysis: They derived an important design principle from it, which heavily impacted the next phase of their work.

Be team-centered in user experience design.

Almost every project done at Designation is done as part of a team because almost every project done as a professional designer is done as part of a team. It’s crucial for designers to reflect that in their case studies. Designers must write  “we”  when talking about group actions, and  “I”  when talking about personal design decisions or insights. In other words, we encourage designers to use “I” when they talk about where they led their team, and “we” when they supported another team member leading their team.

This is a great example of team-centered writing, where the designer discusses how the team worked together to generate concepts. She then switches to individual writing to indicate which concept she took charge of. Both extremes of this spectrum are bad in a case study—ones that only say “we” look like the designer didn’t think for themselves, and ones that only say “I” look like the designer isn’t a team player. So that balance has to always be found. Employers look for teamwork skills as much as they look for hard design skills, and a case study can be an excellent place to find records of them.

Don’t designsplain.

This is a big one. A lot of designers fall into the trap of explaining a basic element of the design process or design deliverables to the reader. You might be asking yourself: Why is this problematic? It’s because the intended readership of a designer’s case study is a hiring manager, design director, or someone else looking for evidence the designer will make a good fit for their team.

That means the designer needs to make an educated assumption that the reader is already familiar with design—and write their case study with that in mind. Unless it’s a part of their design process that was extremely unusual or the designer came up with it themselves, a designer has to assume the reader’s already familiar with it. If they don’t, they risk looking like the case study condescends to the reader, and that’s not purposeful writing.

One easy way to avoid this is for a designer to always  avoid second-person writing —using “you” and “your”—which is a little too conversational for a case study anyway. They keep the focus on themselves and their work, and tell a stronger story in doing so.

Get the details right.

It might be cheating a little to clump a bunch of little steps together like this, but it’s important at the end of the case study writing process to  micro-edit and make sure every detail is taken care of.

That’s why designers utilize tools like Figma to to tell their story in a professional way.

That’s making sure every word is spelled right, every publication title is italicized, and every piece of software is properly capitalized. But it’s also doing tasks like using contractions as often as possible throughout the text, removing extra spaces from between words or in front of paragraphs, knowing when to use a semicolon or an em dash, and making sure all dumb quotes are taken care of. And using writing tools like Hemingway, Grammarly, and GradeProof are a huge gift to anyone who needs a little help to take care of tricky grammar and get rid of run-on sentences.

Though tedious and time-consuming, the best way to take care of these details is to go through the complete draft and look to make one editing change at a time. Trying to edit for multiple needs causes the designer’s attention to be split in many directions—and makes them much less effective as self-editors.

Digital Designer Case Studies Conclusion

Writing effective, powerful case studies is a craft, and like all crafts, it rarely comes naturally to people. It takes skill and work, and staying in practice. The tools, resources, feedback, and processes we give every designer at Designation are able to be used for years and decades to come, so a designer can turn any work they produce into a case study anytime during their long career.

Remember:  Hiring managers don’t look for designers with superpowers; they look for designers who are committed to designing better and better for as long as they practice design. And case studies are the absolute best metric for a designer to see how far they’ve come and how much they’ve learned, from tool to tool, project to project, and job to job.

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• Jul 19, 2013

75 Instructive Design Case Studies

• 20 min read
• Inspiration , Web Design , Graphic Design , Case Studies
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About The Author

Former Smashing Editor Melanie completed her degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Otago University, and is now freelancer and part-time politician. … More about Melanie ↬

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Not only are case studies a great way to explain the design process of an agency, but they also help designers and developers to learn from each other. Seeing how designers work, create, build and play is great, and furthermore, you can learn how to write a great case study yourself and how to use one to spice up your portfolio .

In this overview of useful case studies, we’ve featured studies that have recounted decisions made about particular design elements, as well as studies of full overhauls and their accompanying technical challenges. Most of them provide interesting insights into failures and successes , stories, workflows and design decisions made and rejected.

We must admit that this post is quite a long one, so we’ve decided to divide it into two parts to make it easier for you to navigate. Now you should be well prepared for a couple of late reading sessions over the next weekends!

Illustration, Graphics And Logo Design

“ Illustrator Full Spectrum Spirograph ,” Veerle Pieters Pieters talks about her experimentation process with spirographs, inspired by the work of Andy Gilmore.

“ The Design Process of my Infographic About Women Cycling for Grinta! ,” Veerle Pieters Pieters shares her experience of the design process behind the infographic on women’s cycling that she produced for Grinta magazine.

“ A Systematic Approach to Logo Design ,” Adham Dannaway Icon design can be time-consuming. Dannaway shows how to systematically approach a new logo design.

“ (Re)building a Simplified Firefox Logo ,” Sean Martell Learn how Firefox’s logo was simplified to better fit its extended usage beyond a desktop web browser.

“ Five Details ,” Jon Hicks Jon Hicks shares the design process behind the Five Details Logo, including the design and choice of typography.

“ Iconfinder Logo ,” SoftFacade SoftFacade completely reimagined Iconfinder’s existing identity and came up with a shiny and modern robot character. View the detailed design process.

“The Great Gatsby” Like Minded Studio collaborated on the branding of “The Great Gatsby“. The aim was to develop a bespoke Deco styled logo reflective of the roaring 20s and Fitzgerald’s masterpiece. They also created a display typeface to acompany the main branding. Additionally read more about it following this link.

“ Whitney Graphic Identity ,” Experimental Jetset In this case study of the Whitney Museum of Art’s logo, Experimental Jetset discusses the impact that a responsive logo can have on branding.

“My ‘Tour de France’ posters,” Veerle Pieters Pieters created posters for the 100th edition of the Tour of France. She mainly used the French landscape which she had used for the ‘Tour de France Infographic’ as a starting point.

“ Designing Type Systems ,” Peter Bil’ak To create truly useful designs, typographers need to examine not only how characters relate to each other within a style, but also how different styles relate to each other within a family. Peter Bil’ak discusses how to achieve this.

“ Novel Constructions: The Making of a Typeface ,” Christopher Dunst Dunst shares the process behind the creation of the “Novel” typeface.

“ The Development of the Signage Typeface Wayfinding Sans Pro ,” Ralf Herrmann Herrmann describes the development of the Wayfinding Sans Pro, a signage typeface that can be read from a long distance.

“ The Making of FF Tundra ,” Ludwig Übele Übele shares the process behing making the FF Tundra typeface, which was highly inspired by nature.

“ The Making of Magasin ,” Laura Meseguer Meseguer writes how she created Magasin, a typefaces inspired by fluid handwriting.

“Type Study” series, Adobe Typekit Typekit features a whole series of case studies of typography:

• “ Hi-DPI Web Typography ,” David Demaree
• “ Typographic Hierarchy ,” Frank Chimero
• “ Pairing Typefaces ,” Aura Seltzer
• “ Sizing the Legible Letter ,” Ethan Marcotte
• “ Stereo-Typography ,” Dan Mall
• “ Choosing Fallback Fonts ,” Josh Brewer
• “ Techniques for Using Novelty Fonts ,” Meagan Fisher

“ Social Login Buttons Aren’t Worth It ,” MailChimp Social login buttons are used by many apps today. MailChimp shares its own experience and considerations in using social login buttons.

“Usability in Icons,” Peter Steen Høgenhaug Icons are used to illustrate a particular function, anything from information to actions. This article explains what needs to be considered when designing them.

“iOS Icon Design: A Designer’s Exploration,” iOS icon design is not only difficult, but requires a lot of experimentation. David Killoy shares his experience of designing the icon for his note-taking app Notorious.

“ The Making of Octicons ,” GitHub Octicons is a icon font made by GitHub. Five designers collaborated on the project, and they share how they built Octicons and what they learned along the way.

“ Designing Facebook Home ,” Julie Zhuo On May 8th, the designers behind Facebook Home (Justin Stahl, Francis Luu, Joey Flynn and Mac Tyler) presented a behind-the-scenes look at their work at the Bluxome Street Winery for a small crowd.

Advertising, Promotion And E-Commerce

“ How to Make Your Own App Promo Cards ,” Mike Swanson Swanson was inspired by Starbuck’s promo cards for giving away free apps and decided to make his own for an upcoming event. Learn how you can do one, too!

“ The Art of Launching an App ,” John Casey You’ve made your first app! Now what? This study covers some tactics and lessons learned during one process of launching an app.

“ How to Launch Anything ,” Nathan Barry Barry has launched five products in fewer than nine months. Read about the strategy that helped him generate over $200,000 in revenue from online products, starting from scratch.

“ Selling My E-Book on Amazon ,” Jonathan Snook Several people predicted that 2013 would be the year of self-publishing. Snook shares insight into his eBook sales on Amazon.

“ Increase Online Sales on Your Ecommerce Website ,” Headscape increased sales on Wiltshire Farmfoods’ e-commerce website by over 10,000% in only five years. What makes it even more special, the target audience is over 50 years old. Paul Boag shares his experience.

“ Twitter Promoted Tweets ,” MailChimp MailChimp has made use of Twitter’s promoted tweets and shares insight into this experience.

Redesigning Elements And Features

“ Visual Exploration Behind Signal vs. Noise ,” Mig Reyes 37signals share the process behind making its blog special. This study is about how the company visualized noise and styled its blog categories in a unique way.

“ Reinventing Our Default Profile Pictures ,” Jamie Jamie talks about the process of finding the right default profile pictures for the 37signals website. It’s a great new approach to a very basic element.

“ Login Screen Design: Behind the Scenes ,” Simon Tabor Good UX is not just about the main content, but also about little details such as log-in (and error) pages. GoSquared shares how it made its log-in experience exceptional.

“ Save for Later ,” Brian Groudan All browsers support two functions: searching and revisiting. Groudan worked closely with Mozilla’s user experience researchers and designers to rethink how Firefox could better offer “saving for later” functionality in the browser.

“A Closer Look at Zoom,” FiftyThree FiftyThree shares the design process behind the new zoom feature in its Paper app.

“Reinventing the Investment Calculator ,” Alex Bendiken Drawing from the book Money for Something , Alex Bendiken built a tool that lets users experiment and create a unique investment plan. It’s a UX study in turning a boring financial calculator into something you’d actually want to use.

“ Getting Down to Business ,” Teenhan+Lax The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper of record. It serves millions of readers everyday with in-depth journalism and informed comment. Learn how Teenhan+Lax helped refresh and enrich the way users experience and engage with the news today.

“ Olympics: User Experience and Design ,” Nick Haley Nick Haley shares the BBC’s design process of delivering the Olympics across desktop, tablet, mobile and connected TV.

“ How We Built the Responsive Olympics Site ,” Matt Clark Matt Clark writes about MSN UK’s approach to delivering the Olympics digitally, from the brief to the finished design.

“ The Anatomy Of A Successful Logo Redesign ,” Belinda Lanks Lanks summarizes how Jessica Hische had freshened up the new logo for MailChimp with a slight facelift. The new logo now looks new and fresh — more refined but just as playful.

“ What I Want Out of Facebook ,” Keenan Cummings Cummings explains why Facebook fails him and what he wants to get out of it that would make it useful for his personal life.

“ In Praise of Lost Time ,” Dan Hill Dan Hill talks about Facebook’s Timeline as an exemplary bit of interaction design that does little to advance the timeline formally. Yet it might alter the nature of human memory itself.

“Designing the new, fully responsive Wired.co.uk article pages,” Javier Ghaemi This article is about redesigning the Wired.co.uk article website to provide a more content-first and immersive experience.

Complete (Re)branding And (Re)design

“How to Approach a Responsive Design,” Tito Bottitta This article shows the design process behind The Boston Globe’s website, one of the most famous examples of responsive designs. Read about how Upstatement approached its first responsive design.

“Responsive Design Case Study,” Matt Berridge This case study outlines the entire process of constructing the South Tees Hospitals’ website, a large responsive design containing over a thousand pages.

“ Rebuilding a University Homepage to Be Responsive. Twice. In Less Than a Year ,” Erik Runyon This slideshow discusses how and why Notre Dame University’s home page was rebuilt twice in less than a year. You will find a recording of the talk below the slides.

“Yes, You Really Can Make Complex Web Apps Responsive,” Daniel Wearne Wearne shares his experience in creating Adioso’s web app, a complex yet accessible project. He covers the framework, responsive mixins, tables and future challenges.

“Designing a New Playground Brand,” Ryan Bannon This case study shows the design process of Playground’s new brand. It covers the logo, overall website and vector animation process, as well as the core values and personality of the company. The extensive study comes in three parts.

“ How House Parties Helped Us Design Potluck ,” Cemre Güngör The team at Potluck describes how it took inspiration from reality to design a “house party on the Internet.”

“ Colorado Identity ,” Berger & Föhr Imagine someone hiring you to define your own identity. Berger & Föhr was hired to help create the new identity and visual brand of Colorado, the place they call home. Have a look at the work and logo they came up with.

“ Building the New Financial Times Web App ,” Wilson Page Page talks about building the Financial Times’ new app, a challenge that many on his team believed to be impossible. He covers device support, fixed-height layouts, truncation, modularization, reusable components, Retina support, native-like scrolling, offline support and the topic of ever-evolving apps.

“ Google Treasure Maps ,” Alex Griendling Griendling writes about the design process behind Google Maps’ treasure mode.

“ Find Your Way to Oz ,” HTML5 Rocks This very detailed case study looks at the “Find Your Way to Oz” demo, a Google Chrome experiment by Disney. It covers sprite sheets, Retina support, 3-D content and more.

“ The Making of the Moscow Metro Map 2.0 ,” Art Lebedev Studio This study is about the design process behind the Moscow Metro map, a complex project that needed to meet the requirements of both Web and print.

“ Skinny Ties and Responsive eCommerce ,” Brendan Falkowski Read and learn how GravDept redesigned Skinny Ties’ creative and technical direction to propel shopping on every device.

“ The Design Thinking Behind the New Disney.com ,” Bobby Solomon Solomon shares the process of creating a Disney website that is flexible enough to showcase the widest range of offerings imaginable — in other words, a website that can do everything.

“Say Hello to the New ISO,” Andy Clarke Clarke and David Roessli redesigned the website of the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and share their experience.

“ A Responsive Design Case Study ,” David Bushell The redesign of Passenger Focus takes advantage of the Web as an unique medium.

“ BBC News: Responsive Web Design and Mustard ,” Kaelig Deloumeau-Prigent These slides address the core principles and the “cutting the mustard” technique behind the BBC News’ responsive website.

“The Trello Tech Stack,” Brett Kiefer Read the process behind the Trello app, from initial mockup to a solid server and maintainable client.

“ Responsibly Responsive: Developing the Greenbelt Website ,” Rachel Andrew Andrew writes about her front-end design decisions in rebuilding the Greenbelt Festival’s website.

“ The Digital-Physical: On Building Flipboard for iPhone and Finding the Edges of Our Digital Narratives ,” Craig Mod Mod walks through the process of building the Flipboard app for iPhone and of finding the edges of its digital narratives.

“ Page-Flip Effect From 20 Things I Learned ,” Hakim El Hattab This study shows how this team found the best way to achieve the feeling of a real-world book, while leveraging the benefits of the digital realm in areas such as navigation.

“ Six Key Lessons From a Design Legend ,” Kapil Kale The GiftRocket team eventually recruited Mike Kus as a designer. This article shows why that decision took their website to the next level.

“ Breaking The Rules: A UX Case Study ,” Laura Klein Klein shows how she broke all rules to create the great UX for Outright.

“ 7 UX Considerations When Designing Lens Hawk ,” Christian Holst Lens Hawk is a massive DSLR lens database. This article shares seven UX considerations that were made in its design process.

“ The Story of the New Microsoft.com ,” Nishant Kothary Kothary shares his insight into making Microsoft’s new website. Also, check out Trent Walton’s perspective on the redesign .

“Behind the Scenes of the New Kippt,” Gannon Burgett This interview about the work behind the new Kippt app covers the redesign process, the design principles and problems that the team faced, insights into the new era of web app design, and where Kippt will head in the future.

“ Crayola: Free the ‘What If’ ,” Daniel Mall Dan Mall has put together a case study of the creation of the new Crayola application for kids.

“Campus Quad iPhone App,” Soft Facade Soft Facade covers every aspects of the design process behind its Campus Quad app.

“How to Make a Vesper: Design,” Vesper Learn how the Vesper app was designed and made.

“ Betting on a Fully Responsive Web Application ,” 14islands Read about how 14islands took the web app for Kambi, a sports-betting service, to the next level.

“AMMO Rack App Design Critique,” Alexander Komarov An interesting study of the feedback process that improved the AMMO Rack app.

“ Walking Through the Design Process ,” Ian Storm Taylor Taylor walks you through the design process of Segment.io, including the progression of mockups in Photoshop.

“ Music Video ‘Lights’: The Latest WebGL Sensation ,” Carlos Ulloa Interactive studio HelloEnjoy built a mind-blowing 3-D music video for Ellie Goulding’s song “Lights.” Creative director Carlos Ulloa explains why the team chose WebGL and how it created various immersive graphic effects.

“Designing for Designers,” Kyle Meyer Designing for other designers is different than working for regular clients. Kyle Meyer shares his experience.

“ Adapting to a Responsive Design ,” Matt Gibson Cyber-Duck abandoned its separate mobile website and created a new responsive design.

“ Grids, Flexibility and Responsiveness ,” Laura Kalbag Kalbag shares her thoughts on the redesign of her own website, including her choice of typefaces.

“ Making of Typespiration ,” Rafal Tomal Rafal Tomal built Typespiration as a side project. Learn about the process from initial idea to finished WordPress website.

“ Case Studies ,” Fi Design firm Fi has integrated case studies into its portfolio. The studies are very interactive and beautifully designed. Here are four of them:

• “Is This The Future of The Airline Website?”
• “The Story of Ramayana: Brought to Life by Google Chrome”
• “Sony: Connected World”
• “USAToday.com: Redesigning One of America’s Most Popular News Sites”

Content And Storytelling

“ Step-By-Step Landing Page Copywriting ,” Nathan Barry The process of writing great copy for a landing page is covered step by step.

“ The Art Of Storytelling Around An App ,” John Casey This case study is about the art of storytelling in the app “The House That Went on Strike.”

“Rethinking the Case Study,” Christopher Butler Butler explains what case studies are for and what a great one looks like, and he lays out a practical plan for writing one.

“ Retiring The Portfolio Screenshot ,” James Young You’ve probably noticed that portfolios nowadays are packed with detailed analysis, rather than screenshots. Take yours to the next level and learn how to create an amazing portfolio (such as the ones featured in this post).

“Responsibly Leveraging Advanced Web Features,” Ryan Heap Heap tells us about his full responsive redesign of Travois, a consulting firm focused on housing and economic development. The study includes topics such as progressive enhancement, responsive and responsible Web design, SVG, and the HTML5 History API.

“ My Notes on Writing an E-Book ,” Jonathan Snook Several people have suggested that 2013 is the year of self-publishing. Jonathan Snook shares his process of writing and digital publishing.

Technical Challenges And Solutions

“ Beating Borders: The Bane of Responsive Layout ,” Joshua Johnson Responsive design often requires setting widths in percentages. This is easy enough, until borders are thrown into the mix.

“ How We Improved Page Speed by Cleaning CSS, HTML and Images ,” Lara Swanson Page-loading time is a big part of the user experience. Dyn shows how it improved it simply by cleaning up the CSS, HTML and images.

“ Mein Honig – Brand Identity ,” Thomas Lichtblau “My Honey makes people and bees happy. And if they are happy, nature is happy too.” This simple yet beautiful statement belongs to Mein Honig (My Honey), a personal project of Thomas Lichtblau from Austria. Thomas shares fascinating insights about a production, banding and packaging process in which he only used colorless, organic and traditional tools and materials.

“Front-End Performance Case Study: GitHub,” JP Castro Castro analyzes the front-end performance of GitHub and shares his findings.

“ iPad to Windows Store App ,” Bart Claeys and Qixing Zheng This case study helps designers and developers who are familiar with iOS to reimagine their apps using design principles for Windows Store apps. Translate common UI and UX patterns found in iPad apps to Windows 8 apps.

“ Behind the Scenes of Mad Manimation ,” Anthony Calzadilla Here is the process behing the Mad Manimation, an HTML- and CSS-based animation of the introduction to the Mad Men TV show.

“ Embedding Canvas and SVG Charts in Emails ,” Thomas Fuchs Learn how to use embedded canvas and SVG charts in email.

“ Scaling Pinterest From 0 to 10s of Billions of Page Views a Month in Two Years ,” Todd Hoff This case study traces the evolution of Pinterest’s architecture, which was scaling fast, with a lot of incorrect choices made along the way

“ How We Built a Photoshop Extension With HTML, CSS and JS ,” Brian Reavis Creative Market’s extension is a Backbone.js Web app that lives inside of Photoshop. The team can update it without the user having to install an update. How does that work? Read up on it!

“ Batch Processing Millions and Millions of Images ,” Mike Brittain Etsy wanted to redesign a few of its major sections and had to rescale over 135 million images in order to do it.

“ Making 100,000 Stars ,” Michael Chang Chang writes about 100,000 Stars, an experience for Chrome that was built with Three.js and CSS3D.

“ Mastering the Application Cache Manifest for Offline Web Apps and Performance ,” Julien Nicault Nicault, who work on Cinémur, a new social film app, describes how to use AppCache to improve performance and enable offline usage of Web apps

“ Harvey: A Second Face for Your JavaScript ,” Joschka Kintscher Responsive design often requires drastic UI changes. This study shows how to execute parts of your JavaScript depending on the device’s type and screen size.

“ Our First Node.js App: Backbone on the Client and Server ,” Spike Brehm The team at Airbnb has been curious about Node.js for a long time, but used it only for odds and ends. See how they used it on a production-scale project.

“ Making a 60fps Mobile App ,” Paul Lewis Paul Lewis shows you how to make a mobile app that has 60fps at all times, does one thing really well, has offline support and a flat UI.

“ The Making of the Interactive Treehouse Ad ,” Chris Coyier Treehouse is the primary sponsor of CSS-Tricks, and this case study looks at its interactive ad using jQuery.

“ Improve Mobile Support With Server-Side-Enhanced Responsive Design ,” Jon Arne Sæterås This is an analysis of the process of finding the right mix between server-side and client-side logic for adaptive Web design.

“Designing an Instant Interface,” Luke Wroblewski Wroblewski shows how to design the instant interface used for the real-time views, real-time notifications and real-time comments on Bagcheck’s website.

“ Lessons in Website Security Anti-Patterns by Tesco ,” Troy Hunt Hunt looks closely at the many simple security errors Tesco makes, analyzing how he would apply basic security principles to remedy them.

“ Refactoring >14,000 Lines of CSS Into Sass ,” Eugene Fedorenko Beanstalk is a mature product whose CSS grew accordingly to 5 files, 14,211 lines and 290 KB of code. Learn how the team rebuilt its style sheets into something cleaner and easier to maintain.

“Refinder: Test-Driven Development,” Maciej Pasternacki These slides show how test-driven development enabled Gnowsis to reimplement Refinder’s basic data model.

“Managing JavaScript on Responsive Websites,” Jeremy Fields Jeremy Fields of Viget talks about how to manage JavaScript on a website whose interface and functionality changes at different breakpoints.

“ Trimming the Fat ,” Paul Robert Lloyd Lloyd walks through the performance optimizations he made for his website, trimming the page load from 383 to 100 KB. He also shows graphs.

Workflow And Optimization

“ Visual Design Explorations ,” Paul Lloyd Lloyd of Clearleft talks about how to maintain knowledge-sharing and collaboration on a growing team.

“ The Anatomy of an Experience Map ,” Chris Risdon Experience maps are becoming increasingly useful for gaining insight in order to orchestrate service touch points over time and space. This study explains what they are and how to create them.

“The design process of my infographic for the ‘Tour of France’ for Grinta!,” Veerle Pieters Pieters designed an infographic about the Tour of France, and focused mainly on the question, “What does a pro cycling team take with them to the Tour of France?”

“ Turning Small Projects Into Big Profit ,” Jon Savage and Simon Birky Hartmann Ace of Spade discusses how it overhauled its operations and started making a living off of small projects.

“What We’ve Learned About Responsive Design,” Christopher Butler Butler shares what his agency has learned about responsive design, which is to overcome initial fears and focus on what is important.

“The Modular Canvas: A Pragmatic Workflow for Designing Applications,” by Gabriel O’Flaherty-Chan There are some gaps in the way we work; the bigger the project, the more glaring the gaps become. O’Flaherty-Chan looks at a better workflow for designing apps.

“ How We Reduced Our Cancellation Rate by 87.5% ,” Kareem Mayan Kareem Mayan tackles the issue of user cancellations by using a cohort analysis. Learn how he did it.

“ How I Run a Membership Site ,” Justin Tadlock This study looks at how Theme Hybrid handles memberships after registration and payment.

“Post-Implementation, Pre-Launch: A Crucial Checkpoint,” Mindy Wagner Wagner of Viget discusses how to approach the time of post-implementation and pre-launch, a crucial checkpoint that can create a lot of stress for a team.

“ A New Make Mantra: A Statement of Design Intent ,” Mark Boulton Mark Boulton used the CERN redesign project as an occasion to define a new “make” mantra that would help him tackle projects. This single, actionable sentence would guide him through projects.

“ 100 Conversion Optimization Case Studies ,” KISSmetrics Lots of techniques and tactics to optimize your website for better conversions shared by marketers.

Responsive Design

“ Responsive Design and ROI: Observations From the Coalface ,” Chris Berridge Working on the frontline, Berridge share his insights on responsive design and returns on investment.

“ Making Your Site Responsive: Mastering Real-World Constraints ,” Alex Fedorov Listen to how agency Fresh Tilled Soil addressed real-world constraints, such as resources, time and budget, in its responsive design process.

“ Goals, Constraints, and Concept in a Redesign ,” Steven Bradley Some thoughts on the redesign of Vanseo Design.

“ How a Simple Redesign Increased Customer Feedback by 65% ,” James Santilli Customer feedback is the backbone of many Web services. Campaign Monitor analyzed the process behind a simple redesign that increased customer feedback by 65%.

“ More on Apples: Mobile Optimization in Ecommerce ,” Electric Pulp This study analyzes how both mobile and non-mobile conversions went up when Electric Pulp redesigned a website to be responsive.

“How I’m Implementing Responsive Web Design,” Jeff Croft Croft is finally at the point where responsive design feels worth the extra effort. Read about how he got there.

“ Mentoring: The Evaluation ,” Laura Kalbag Freelancers are often offered projects whose budget is below their rate. Laura Kalbag had a fantastic idea on how to transform these kind of projects into a win-win: She decided to mentor a group of students. Such a project would give the students an opportunity to gain valuable experience and help them transition into freelancing, and the client would get good quality work, despite the modest budget. This series of posts describes her experience, from initial idea to launched project.

Further Reading

• Showcase of Case Studies in Design Portfolios
• 15 Impressive Case Studies from Behance
• Improving Smashing Magazine’s Performance: A Case Study
• Powerful Workflow Tips, Tools And Tricks For Web Designers

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What Should a Graphic Design Case Study Include?

December 1, 2022

thedutchladydesigns

A graphic design case study is a comprehensive document that highlights the creative and technical process of creating a successful project. It provides an in-depth study of the design process, from the initial concept to the finished product.

The case study should include an overview of the project, its objectives, and any challenges that were encountered along the way. It should also include detailed descriptions of each step in the process and any changes made during the course of development. Additionally, it should provide an analysis of how the project achieved its goals.

The case study should begin with a brief introduction to the project. This introduction should provide a summary of what was accomplished and why it was important to do so.

It should also detail what aspects of graphic design were used in order to achieve this end result. This portion can be supplemented with images or diagrams that illustrate key points.

The next section should provide an overview of all stages involved in creating the project. This overview should include details about each step, such as how long it took, any tools or techniques used, and any changes that were implemented during development. Additionally, this section should discuss any challenges encountered along the way and how they were addressed.

Following this overview should be a detailed description of each step in the process. This section should discuss what worked well and what could have been improved upon during each stage. For example, if there was a particular challenge or obstacle that had to be overcome in order to complete a task successfully, this section should discuss how this obstacle was overcome.

Finally, after providing an overview and detailed description of each step involved in creating the project, it is important to analyze how well it achieved its objectives. This analysis will provide insight into what could have been done differently to improve upon certain aspects or enhance overall performance.

7 Related Question Answers Found

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5 Case Study Examples and Design Tips

Businesses can promote their own products and services all they want with every marketing strategy out there, but it’s equally important to hear from the customers and clients themselves—that’s where case studies come in. If you're new to the medium or looking for inspiration, we've dedicated this post to sharing the goods on what case studies are, as well as several strong case study examples.

Case studies are an extremely powerful tool that every business needs to leverage. In fact, only 14% of consumers said they trust advertising to be truly honest about their product or service. Consumers are more inclined to trust outside reviews, data, and testimonials.

Of course a business wants to tout how amazing its offerings are, but to hear from a client and learn how that client achieved their goals? Priceless!

What is a case study?

Case studies are a proven and effective marketing strategy that centers both the business and the client, while providing ways that the business went above and beyond and solved the client’s problems. 

In addition to showcasing client quotes and testimonials, case studies dive deeper into the problem-solving process from start to finish, complete with tangible examples. If you thought product and store reviews were helpful, then case studies will be your new best friend! 

Case studies not only uplift the customer— they also influence other potential customers and allow them to imagine how their goals can be achieved. It’s easier to make a bigger decision when you hear from those who have successfully gone through the process themselves, isn’t it? 

Publishing case studies is a win-win for everyone involved. Here are 5 case study examples to get you inspired to find new ways to leverage your brand and uplift your clients at the same time.

5 case study examples and best practice tips

1. web design case study example.

Digital and creative-based agencies or businesses create case studies to showcase their design processes, ideas from start to finish, and the end result in action. If you’re a creative business, consider visualizing your business’s processes while showcasing how happy your client is with the final product. 

See the full case study here .

Takeaway: highlight key components of project

Balkan Brothers Agency highlighted many key components of their project with DECODE, such as timeline, challenges, solutions, outcomes, and mockups. Not only did they showcase their user-friendly designs, they analyzed the process from pen and paper to web.

2. Software case study example

Many software as a service (SaaS) companies showcase customer stories, or case studies, on their webpages, with an emphasis on encouraging potential clients to contact the business’s sales team and learn more about the business’s offerings.

By highlighting customer studies on your main page or making it easily accessible to find on your site, businesses can create a case study repository within reach.

See the full Slack/Stripe case study .

Takeaway: encourage potential clients

In Slack’s case study, they highlight key testimonials from the client, break down the case study into digestible sections, and promote a call-to-action to reach out to their sales team or try the software for free. 

Catchy, isn’t it? You’re inspired from a client’s story, and now you’re ready to go try it for yourself today.

3. Visual branding case study example

There’s nothing quite like a well-designed and colorful brand . Visually pleasing branding design has a positive effect on consumers and clients.

When a client is truly satisfied with their end result, their verbal proof is best positioned up front and center. In addition to showcasing any quotes from the client, find a way to promote analytics and data from the project.

Read the Metalab and Headspace case study.

If you’re in a hurry to create a stunning case study outside of a website page, we’ve got you covered with our free presentation templates and tools. Select your favorite layout, add any quotes, testimonials, or statistics, and bam! You’re ready to go in just a few steps.

Read the Metalab and Headspace case study .

Takeaway: amplify quotes and analytics

If your case study is content-heavy, it’s best to break down your case study into impactful chunks, such as isolating the testimonial and analytics from other pieces of information. 

Putting your project’s results in the form of numbers not only provides you with stats you can brag about, but it also helps others to see the true results of working with your business. A 69 percent increase in average number of pages per session from working with this company? Count me in!

4. Workflow development case study example

When working with a company, many clients are hoping to overcome their organizational pain points, or challenges.

Read more about Spotify and Figma .

Whether that client is searching for a redesign of an interface, or a new workflow tool that can speed up their organization’s processes, overcoming those challenges and highlighting how your business solved those challenges can have a tremendous impact on potential clients—especially if potential customers have similar challenges.

Takeaway: highlight challenges and ways to overcome them

When in doubt, highlight the challenges that your client faced before working with your product or service and emphasize how your business overcame them. There’s a huge chance others may have similar challenges that they are eager to solve.

5. Restaurant case study example

Many businesses rely on a strong visual brand to differentiate them from their competitors. If your business offers photography to elevate a client’s brands, create a collection of your designs created just for them—and let the images speak for themselves.

See the Shutterstock/Blaze Pizza case study .

Alongside the custom photography , highlight the client’s challenges, the solution your business arrived at, and the results of the collaboration. Who knows, maybe a future client will be eager to elevate their own brands with your creative treatment?

Takeaway: imagery can have a huge impact

If you’re a creative services business, promoting the final design or image is crucial to showcasing your style and also giving others a snippet of what you can do for their business.

Let the images you showcase in your case study speak for themselves. You can also supplement each with brief descriptions on the challenges the client faced, the solutions you brought to the table, and the results of your work.

There are many ways to put your client in the spotlight —but also subtly boost your business as well. Case studies represent a gold mine for businesses; interviewing your clients to gain their perspective on your products, services, and processes goes a long way.

Set your business up for success: Learn how to write a business proposal , get inspiration for your next infographic design , and make next-level marketing materials .

Check out all the things you can make for your business:

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The Ultimate Product Design Case Study Template

Learn how to write a product design case study that tells the story of your work and shows off your skills. Use our case study template to get started!

Written by Dribbble

Published on Oct 26, 2022

Last updated Mar 11, 2024

As a product designer, you might spend most of your time on user research, functionality, and user testing. But if you want to grow a successful product design career, you also need to present your work in a compelling way. This guide explains how to write a product design case study that makes other people want to hire you. It also includes several examples of amazing case studies to inspire you along with tips from senior designers and mentors from the Dribbble community.

What is a product design case study?

A product design case study is an in-depth analysis of a particular product or project, aimed at showcasing your design process, challenges, and outcomes. It usually includes information about who was involved in the project, the goals and objectives, research and ideation processes, design decisions and iterations, and the final product’s impact on the user and the market.

A product design case study is an in-depth analysis of a product or project, aimed at showcasing your design process, challenges, and outcomes.

Case studies provide a comprehensive understanding of the product design process, from the initial ideation to the final launch, highlighting the key factors that led to its success or failure. Product design case studies also showcase your design skills to prospective clients and employers, making it an important part of your product design portfolio .

What is the goal of a product design case study?

If you’re a designer growing your career, the main goal of your product design case studies is to share your design thinking process with hiring managers or prospective clients. Adding at least one case study to your product design portfolio can help you convince someone that you have the creativity and technical skills needed to solve their problems.

It’s one thing to list on your product design resume that you’re capable of designing high-fidelity prototypes, but it’s another to show exactly how you’ve helped other businesses overcome design-related challenges. A well-written case study shows design managers that you have experience with prototyping, animations, wireframes, user testing, and other tasks, making it easier to land a product design interview , or even better, a job offer.

What makes a good product design case study?

To make your case study as appealing as possible, make sure it checks all the right boxes.

A great product design case study:

• Tells a story
• Makes text and visuals come together to show how you added value to the design project
• Shows that you made important decisions
• Gives readers an understanding of your thought process
• Clearly defines the problem and the result
• Shows who you are as a designer

Product design case study template ✏️

Ready to start your next case study? Use our product design case study template created by Lead Product Designer @KPMG Natalia Veretenyk . Natalia is also a design mentor in Dribbble’s Certified Product Design Course helping new and seasoned product designers build their skills!

1. Project overview

Provide some background on the client featured in your case study. If you didn’t actually work with a client and are showcasing a course project, you can still provide context about the product or user you are designing for. Explain the design problem and describe what problem you were trying to solve.

Here’s an example: “ABC Company was selling 10,000 subscriptions per month, but its churn rate was over 35% due to a design flaw that wasn’t discovered during usability testing. The company needed to redesign the product to reduce its churn rate and increase user satisfaction.”

2. User research

Your case study should include some information about the target users for the project. This can help prospective clients or employers feel more comfortable about your ability to design products that appeal to their customers.

To include user research in your case study, start by explaining the methods used to collect data. This could be through surveys, interviews, user testing, or other methods. You should also explain the tools used to analyze and interpret the data, such as persona development or journey mapping .

You can also include information about the target audience itself. This can include demographic information like age, gender, location, education, and income. You should also mention any other relevant information about the user base, such as their interests, habits, or pain points.

3. Ideating, wireframes, & prototyping

In this section, describe how you brainstormed ideas, created wireframes, and built prototypes to develop your product design. Be sure to explain the tools and techniques you used, such as sketching, whiteboarding, or digital software like Figma or Adobe XD. Also, highlight any challenges you faced during this process and how you overcame them.

Include multiple images here to show the evolution of your design, showing the first and second rounds of iterations.

4. Visual design

Next, explain how you translated your wireframes and prototypes into a visually appealing design. Discuss your design choices, such as color schemes, typography, and imagery, and explain how they support the user experience. Include high-quality visuals of your final design and any design system or style guide you created. Lead Product Designer & Design Mentor Natalia Veretenyk recommends showcasing 4-10 main key mockup screens.

5. Usability testing

Write a short introduction to the usability testing you conducted and summarize your usability test findings. Explain the methods you used to conduct user testing, such as remote testing, in-person testing, or A/B testing. Describe the feedback you received from users and any changes you made to the design based on that feedback. If you didn’t have time to make any changes, write notes on what you might try next.

6. Outcomes and results

In this final section, you should summarize the impact of your design on the user and the business. Write up what you learned throughout the project. Insert 1 or 2 sentences summarizing the impact of your design on the user and the business. Include any relevant metrics, such as increased user engagement, higher conversion rates, or improved customer satisfaction.

As a bonus, you can also reflect on the design process and any lessons learned. This shows prospective clients and employers your ability to learn from your experiences and continuously improve your design skills.

Product design case study examples

If you need a little inspiration, check out the product design case study examples below. The designers did a great job explaining their design decisions and showing off their skills.

Instabook App by Tiffany Mackay

Tiffany Mackay’s Instabook case study starts out strong with a concise description of the client. She also includes a clear description of the design challenge: creating a social platform for authors, publishers, and readers. The case study includes wireframes and other visuals to show readers how Mackay developed new features and refined the tool’s overall user experience.

• View the full case study

Crypto App by Brittney Singleton

The Crypto App case study is an excellent example of how to create a case study even if you don’t have much paid experience. Brittney Singleton created the Crypto App as a project for one of Dribbble’s courses, but she managed to identify a problem affecting the crypto marketplace and come up with a solution. Singleton’s case study contains plenty of visuals and explains the decisions she made at each stage of the project.

PoppinsMail by Antonio Vidakovik

Antonio Vidakovik’s case study has some of the best visuals, making it a great example to follow as you work on your portfolio. His user flow charts have a simple design, but they feature bright colors and succinct descriptions of each step. Vidakovik also does a good job explaining his user interface design decisions.

Super Walk by Micah Lanier

Micah Lanier offers a textbook example of an effective UX case study. It starts out with a quick overview of the client and a description of their problem. Micah also provides a detailed overview of the steps he took to identify user pain points, brainstorm solutions, and test several iterations before delivering a finished product. The Super Walk case study also includes plenty of visuals to show readers how the product evolved from the beginning to the end of the design process.

To the Park by Evangelyn

Evangelyn’s case study is another example of how you can show off your skills even if you don’t have years of professional experience. She created the To the Park app as a part of Dribbble’s Certified Product Design Course, so she had plenty of opportunities to create appealing visuals and conduct user testing. Her product design case study explains exactly how her design solves the initial challenge she identified.

How many case studies should I include in my product design portfolio?

If you have minimal experience, aim for two or three case studies. Like many junior product designers, you can use projects from a product design course you’ve completed if you don’t have a lot of professional experience. More experienced product designers should have up to five. Too many case studies can be overwhelming for recruiters, so don’t feel like you need to include dozens of projects.

Grow your product design portfolio 

To get more product design jobs , try adding at least one product design case study to your portfolio website. Case studies include real-world examples of your work, making it easier for prospective clients and employers to assess your abilities. They’re different from resumes because they show people exactly what you can do instead of just listing your skills, making it more likely that you’ll get hired.

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10 Amazing Case Study Design Examples

March 16, 2023

Words by Jeff Cardello

Wondering how to grow your business? Our favorite case study design examples will definitely spark a few lightbulb moments.

For agencies, one of the most effective ways to communicate your technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and professional knowledge is to show how you’ve put this all into action in real-world examples of your work. For SaaS companies, case studies are your chance to share how your product provides value to successful customers and clients.

Case study designs should be as uniquely bold and creative as the services or products you offer. This is where no-code tools like Vev are invaluable. Using pre-coded design components, interactive case studies are easy to build and publish in as little as two hours. Let’s take a look at the basics of case study design and some stunning examples.

Why is Case Study Design Important?

Think of case studies as the chance to tell stories about how valuable your service or product is. It’s an opportunity to lead prospective clients and customers through a relatable use case, culminating in how you can help them meet— or even exceed—their goals. Case studies give freelancers and agencies the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, and SaaS companies the chance to showcase their product for various use cases. Case studies are proof of the value of your work or product.

As a reflection of your expertise and creative prowess, you’ll want to think careful about your case study design. Good design doesn’t only make for a visually engaging piece of content; it enhances the functionality and can help support your authority. You’ll find that the best case study design examples will have a few things in common:

• They are visually captivating . All good case study designs will include a combination of photo, video, and illustrations or charts to tell a story of their clients’ success. Rather than just relying on text, these visual aids back-up any claims being made as well as visually capturing the attention of readers.
• They are laser focused. With case study design, there’s no room for filler. Copy is clear and concise, offering explanations about the customer’s goals, as well as the tools, techniques, and skills used to achieve these. You’ll notice most case studies follow a fool-proof structure: establish the client problem, present the solution, explore the benefits and value delivered.
• They tell a story. Often, a chronology of the work process that takes people through what happened at each stage. Some case studies even use horizontal scrolling timelines to showcase this in a more imaginative way.
• They hammer home ROI. case studies are full of data on how the project or product succeeded in meeting the client’s goals or objectives. From animated charts to number counters , this is another opportunity to make sure your design pops and draws attention to the core impact of your service or product.
• They drive action. good case studies urge website visitors to take further actions, such as book a call or demo, get in touch, purchase your product, or book your services. These are usually included in the case study design as a button , brightly colored and prominent placed to grab attention and make next steps clear.

10 Case Study Design Examples

There are so many ways to put together a case study — and as a reflection of your brand, you’ll want to get creative with it. We’re going to take you through several case study design examples that manage to capture what went on behind the scenes in ways that is both informative and visually engaging.

Vev - Decimal

Giving real-world examples of how people use your products is a great way to demonstrate their value. We put together this case study on how Decimal uses Vev for interactive prototyping. As a creative agency that utilizes 3D animations and video in their web projects, it’s essential that clients grasp how complex interactivity will work up front. This case study focuses on how important Vev is for Decimal to explore and communicate interactivity internally and with clients in the early stages of a project.

Along with telling the story about how Decimal uses Vev, we also included plenty of action-packed visuals in the form of screen captures, animations, horizontal scrolling, and micro-interactions that make this a lively and engaging case study design.

DFY - Galaxy Z7 FLIP3 5G

Writing a case study lets you go in-depth into the strategy and reasoning that guided your work. In this case study DFY talks about what went into creating a website for the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G phone. It covers the marketing goals and the decisions DFY made for the visuals of this design that would show people why they should buy it.

DFY was tasked with creating a design that showed that the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G wasn’t a throwback to the clunky days of flip phones, but rather a sleek and modern reimagining. Much of this case study goes into the visuals and 360-view animations they created and how they were used to highlight this product’s main features. 

What’s impressive isn’t just the beautiful visuals they created for the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G website, but this case study itself. It echoes the same creative approach with a space full of brilliant effects and interactivity making it one of the most visually compelling case study design examples we’ve come across.

Publicis Norway - Burger King Spicy Whopper

Case study design examples can range from huge and expansive reads covering every bit of minutiae about a project, or they may provide just enough context and background in understanding what was behind it.

The Norwegian arm of international media and tech agency Publicis specializes in PR, marketing, and video production. This case study they made in Vev for the Burger King Spicy Whopper succeeds with minimal text, taking a highly visual approach. They let the video they made speak for itself, demonstrating to potential clients their creative skills with a video that captures the burger’s heat in a way that’s offbeat and ridiculous in just the right ways.

Orizon - LoveTheSales 

When discussing something like a rebrand, you want to explain why it was necessary, show what needed to be changed, and demonstrate how it succeeded. In this case study Orizon gives plenty of background into why the e-commerce website LoveTheSales wanted to change things up. There are numerous examples throughout of problem areas in terms of UI and UX, and what Orizon did to address these issues.

Orizon’s rebranding for LoveTheSales met its objectives, as demonstrated throughout this case study with metrics as well as quantitative insights showing the positive outcomes of Orizon’s work. With fade-in animations and a custom cursor, this colorful case study design example keeps readers scrolling to the end.

Colin Reitz - Marine Data Platform

If you’re a designer, writer, programmer, or in another type of creative field, having a portfolio website is essential in getting your work out there in front of prospective clients and employers. Case studies can be a big part of demonstrating your talents, skills, and knowledge. 

Colin Reitz is a designer with a multidisciplinary skill set that touches UI and UX design, strategy, and technology. In this case study made in Vev, he explains how he created the Marine Data Platform which is a collaborative and interactive web app that collects data gathered from oceanic sensors.

If it sounds like there are a dizzying number of moving parts to this application, you would be right, but Colin doesn’t let the complexities of this project get in the way. With an easy to follow layout and screenshots of the work he completed, it’s immediately easy to see how much work Colin put into the project. The use of image carousels even keeps the page short and relevant visuals grouped together. We love seeing case study design examples like Colin’s that distill a large amount of information in a way that is easy to understand and looks good.

Miracle Next - Prehistoric Chef

We love seeing case study design examples that not only highlight talents and expertise, but capture the creative sensibilities of those behind them. Miracle Next is a game development studio with a focus on 3D modeling. This case study for the game Prehistoric Chef has a nice balance between visuals that demonstrate their skills as artists, as well as text that gives a glimpse into their creative process.

Whether it’s the cast of prehistoric characters or the different types of food you’ll juggle in preparing the dishes that are a part of the gameplay, all of the artwork has a sense of consistency and personality. The rough drawings of the artwork are also a nice touch, showing how they transformed simple renderings into fully fleshed-out three-dimensional characters.

Dragonfly - Natural History Museum

Dragonfly worked with the National History Museum in producing a fun animated short about bugs aimed at kids. This case study showcases the storyboards, illustrations, character designs, and scriptwriting that went into creating it.

Case study design examples like this one aren’t only important in communicating the steps you took in completing a project, but serve an important marketing role. This case study shines due to its navigation. While it could be complicated in some instances to have multiple CTAs, Dragonfly makes sure that each section showcases a service they offer, linking readers directly from that section to the service they are most interested in. When you offer so much, this is a smart way to capture all prospective clients and make it easy for them to learn more about what they want to know, rather than overwhelming them with irrelevant information.

OH Partners - Arizona Lottery

In the advertising industry case studies are essential in showing how an agency’s work helps its clients in meeting their goals. Providing examples from successful marketing campaigns, along with numbers representing their positive results goes far in showing prospective clients the value of what advertising agencies do.

OH Partners , launched a campaign for the Arizona Lottery that went far in building awareness and excitement about it. They hired actor Jon Ennis, known for his work on Better Call Saul and Mr. Show as the bearded old-timey prospector, and produced several hilarious and weird spots.

This case study features images and videos from this marketing campaign, as well as data in the form of big and bold text showing how lottery sales went up, how social media likes increased, the dollar amounts of earned media, as well as numerous awards their work received.

Joy Pepper - Nextdoor

Nextdoor features stylized depictions of people from a diversity of backgrounds that add a sense of warmth and humanity to its website and app. Joy Pepper is the artist responsible for these amazing illustrations, and we love seeing case study design examples like this that go in-depth into the creative process.

Joy Pepper recounts her work in coming up with these illustrations in a case study full of wonderful details and sketches. From finding inspiration in real life, her first drawings, and the concept boards she put together, to the final versions of the icons and other artwork you get a glimpse into every step of her creative process.

Aucadian - GoLoop

It’s no secret that we’re fans of storytelling , and we love seeing case study design examples that take you along a journey from the initial spark of an idea to product launch.

GoLoop is a fleet management app, and this detailed case study begins with scribbles on a whiteboard and ends with screenshots of its sophisticated GPS-based app. From analyzing what problems it should solve and branding ideas to design elements like component libraries, typography style sheets, and color schemes this is a comprehensive look at everything that was involved in building this application.

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Website button design 101: tips, best practices and examples, prototyping in figma to live site: the vev shortcut, create your own compelling case studies with no-code.

Feeling inspired to create your own cutting-edge case study? Vev makes it easy to put one together so that you can broadcast your talents and products with the world. With a host of powerful tools, layout options, immersive effects, and animations all easy to access in Vev’s drag-and-drop interface, creating for the web has never been easier. Publish your creation anywhere when you’re done — including to your existing website.

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Must-see graphic design portfolios: 22 inspiring examples

Get inspired to create your own graphic design portfolio by checking out these stunning examples.

Design and build a custom portfolio website, visually, within 21 days.

In need of some inspiration for your graphic design portfolio? We got you covered. Here’s our list of 22 stunning graphic design portfolio examples.

A graphic design portfolio visually presents your past achievements and future aspirations, essential for freelance designers to exhibit their talents to potential clients.

Having an online portfolio to showcase your design work is absolutely essential if you want to scale your reach and secure new, potential clients as a graphic designer.

You know this. That's why you're here.

However, not just any design portfolio will do in today's online marketplace. 

To stand out from the crowd and, more notably, from the likes of AI-powered graphic design platforms, your portfolio website needs that extra 'oomph' — that oomph being you.  

‍ Me? Yup, you read correctly. 

Not only should your graphic design portfolio website demonstrate your design skills and versatility as a graphic designer, it should also serve as a visual embodiment of your personal brand or ‘ brand identity ,’ showcasing who you are and the kind of work you do.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s discuss what makes up graphic design portfolios. We’ll then explore 22 visually stunning graphic designer websites — each demonstrating the skill and personality of their designers.

What is a graphic design portfolio, and what should it include?

Your graphic design portfolio should include a curation of your best work, the disciplines, brands, sectors, or industries you specialize in, your design process, and a method for contacting you.

‍ Best work — Your portfolio website is an online introduction or first impression to site visitors. To secure the best first impression, quality over quantity is key here.

‍ Specializations & disciplines — Your online portfolio should demonstrate your graphic design style . Highlight the kind of work you do or the brands, sectors, or industries you specialize in. Doing so displays your expertise and affirms you are the go-to graphic designer for that particular niche.

‍ Design process — Showcase your design process by including concept development through sketches, rough drafts, mood boards, and other visual materials. Employ the occasional case study where applicable within your graphic design website.

‍ Contact information — Be it your email, LinkedIn, Behance, or social media, include your contact information so intrigued onlookers can express their interest in working with you.

With the key elements laid out, let’s see them in action with these inspiring graphic design portfolio examples, each beautifully crafted using Webflow.

22 inspiring graphic design portfolios

1. howsem huang.

To kick off our list, take a look at Howsem Huang ’s brilliant portfolio website.

Howsem’s use of bold sans-serif typography placed atop contemporary imagery wonderfully displays their unique yet tastefully stylized design work — truly an eye-catching display of their artistry.

2. damn website

If a name could speak for itself, it is most certainly Nando’s damn website . Nando’s gaudy yet tasteful vaporwave -esque design is a testament to fully showcasing your brand identity and design skills as a graphic designer.

Nando ties in the motif of “damn” by employing choice repetition of the word alongside visual design elements to further support his claim of being a damn good designer — and it works.

His portfolio website is a complete representation of his bold artistic approach to design, competency as a graphic designer, and overall personality as a highly imaginative individual.

3. Rani Vestal

Next on our list is Rani Vestal’s online design portfolio. If you don’t have a flair for the dramatic and want a minimal yet high-quality way to demonstrate your best work online, look no further than Rani’s portfolio website.

Similar to Howsem’s design approach, Rani lets her notable design projects speak for themselves. Brand identity is Rani’s forte. In just a few words, you can define her brand as aesthetic functionality that meets creative professionalism.

4. Stensen design

Oslo-based graphic designer Mailinn Stensen ’s portfolio website wonderfully portrays their innovative and creative take on graphic design.

Their choice of a bold burnt orange alongside a contemporary sans-serif font matching their self-portrait totally encapsulates both their work and themselves — a subtle display of their innovative creativity.

5. Alex Fisher

Alex Fisher’s online portfolio is a breathtaking visual display of a graphic designer’s and illustrator’s artistic prowess.

Visiting Alex’s website is like stepping into a time capsule reminiscent of a classic fairy tale. Its feminine and eloquent elements are perfectly complemented by hints of a whimsical innocence that you’d find in a Disney classic. Her artistry and website alike will leave you in awe, wishing this was your own portfolio.

Alex’s site beautifully and brilliantly functions as a visual testament to her creative and artistic talent. Do yourself a favor and visit this gorgeous website for yourself.

6. Roos Beeldt

Roos Beeldt’s online portfolio evokes a spunky sentiment similar to the American pop art movement of the 1950s and 60s. Roos uses typography, shapes, hover effects, and colors to demonstrate her creative approach as a graphic designer and illustrator throughout the site’s design.

‍ Roos’ approach is seen most notably in her creative take on the services section on her homepage. Roos incorporates the hover effect and shapes to guide visitors to select one of the services she offers. Her attention to detail and unique take on visual cues within web design is made evident by the way she reframes the site’s narrative flow to fit her brand identity and her style as an artist..

7. Be Kind Design

Next on our list is Be Kind Design , a design studio known for turning frowns upside down since 1986, and it shows! While the design is simplistic, its functionality and content design make it stand out.

By featuring a homepage, social media icons, and case studies, Be Kind Design strips down its online portfolio to only the bare necessities — and for good reason. The case studies feature some of their best work. They’re incredibly detailed and stunningly put together, demonstrating their deep knowledge of art direction, graphic design, and product design

8. Sierra Plese

Sierra Plese is an award-winning graphic designer with years of industry experience. What makes Plese’s portfolio most memorable is her employment of textured geographic shapes to serve as a visual design motif, a nod to the principles of graphic design.

The addition of hover effects for these textured shapes breathes life into her portfolio, making it feel fun and playful. These effects transform an already good design into a great one.

9. Annie Szafranski

Immediately upon opening Annie Szafranski’s website portfolio, the typography catches your eye. Her portfolio serves as a perfect example of how to effectively use typography as the central theme for a design.

If you’re at a loss as to how you should design your portfolio website, choosing typography to complement the white space and layout is a great way to infuse personality into your design.

10. Luke Meyer

Luke Meyer ’s graphic design portfolio website is more than meets the eye. At first, we find a minimal off-white color scheme; however, hovering over each work sample unveils a color-changing background of each individual work sample. An added cursor effect reveals a further creative flair.

11. Andreas Gaida

Andreas Gaida is a freelance graphic designer, art director, and web designer with a clean, modern portfolio website that exhibits his expertise.

While his design is more muted in comparison to other graphic design portfolios on the list, the content design within the site is what makes his portfolio worth mentioning. Take a look for yourself, and you’ll come to appreciate his play on layout and content — both of which come together beautifully to create a functional site that maintains the appeal of modern design.

Build completely custom, production-ready websites — or ultra-high-fidelity prototypes — without writing a line of code. Only with Webflow.

12. Cristiaan the Designer

Cristiaan the Designer ’s play with white space, typography, color, and layout should not be overlooked. Her choice of typeface brings her online portfolio together in a unique and playful way.

13. Sylvain de la Porte

Sylvain de la Porte is a French web and graphic designer with over 15 years of industry experience. 

His design is exquisite, combining motion graphics and scrolling effects that both captivate and intrigue viewers. Sylvain tactfully fills the folds of each page’s layout with relevant content that is also pleasant to look at, a feat that takes skill that isn’t acquired overnight.

14. Travis McClure

Travis McClure is an Austin-based graphic designer specializing in brand identity, logo design, package design, and illustration. While his portfolio may appear simplistic, his case studies are the true champion of his site.

The layout for his case studies differs from the homepage, about, and contact pages — a design choice he executes marvelously. His side-by-side layout of an aesthetic, still juxtaposed by a detailed brief on his design process, demonstrates how to effectively deviate from the more traditional page layouts and structures we so often see on sites.

15. Graphic Department

Graphic Department is a German design studio with a simplistic yet effective online portfolio. While the site is only available in German, its minimalist design makes the site’s navigation effortless and easy to comprehend.

Creator Diego Toda de Olivera created the cloneable portfolio template, Bilbao , to showcase Webflow’s blend mode.

The graphic designer website opens with a large photo of a man, filled with video footage of various natural landscapes. Diego continues to highlight the effect with a video of cascading coffee beans filling the shape of a coffee bag.

17. Tony Mayer

Tony Mayer is a New York-based freelance web and graphic designer with a lineup of work that can only be described as impressive. This impressive design translates to his online portfolio, specifically his case studies and the interactive elements within the mockups of his case studies.

While this subtle inclusion of motion may appear insignificant to some, it serves as a visual theme within his portfolio website’s narrative. It’s employed with the arrow at the bottom of his site’s page and, most importantly, immediately upon redirecting to his homepage. This approach is an excellent way to add subtle hints of flair and vigor to your graphic design portfolio site.

18. Mauricio Barreto

(Motion warning)

For another example of exercising subtle accents, check out Mauricio Barreto ’s online portfolio. Though his homepage isn’t exactly subtle, you will find little Easter eggs of personality throughout the rest of his site by hovering over text items or searching in the site’s white space.

What’s particularly fun is how Mauricio guides the visitor on his contact page. Instead of using a traditional form for someone to fill in their contact information, Mauricio facetiously uses pixel arrows that literally point visitors in the direction of his Instagram. Who needs a boring old contact form when you have pixel arrows to guide potential clients to your Insta’s DMs?

19. Rhianna B Dunn

Rhianna B Dunn ’s portfolio website is an aesthetic wonder. Their load screen, static-noise-like background, chosen typography, and work samples beautifully come together to create a cohesive, aesthetic haven — a gorgeous display of themselves and their creative niche.

Never be afraid to put your full personality on display for your website portfolio, as Rhianna beautifully demonstrates their aesthetic expertise.

20. David Klaus

(Motion & photosensitivity warning)

A simple paragraph wouldn’t do justice when it comes to describing this online portfolio. Web designer and digital artist David Klaus ’ portfolio is where profound artistry meets the digital medium, where creativity truly has no bounds when given the means to, well, create — and create is precisely what David did.

21. Harry Moses

Harry Moses ’ portfolio website is reminiscent of high fashion editorial spreads you’d find in magazines such as Vogue or during promos for fashion week in New York and Paris.

Harry makes his skill set as a brand designer, digital designer, and art director evident through his online portfolio. Harry uses text and layout as the primary narrative devices within the site. This strategy is genius. Imagery is appropriately hidden within each project’s case study, found after clicking and scrolling to reveal high-quality visuals relevant to each study.

22. WW Studios portfolio template

Last but certainly not least is this portfolio website template by WW Studios . Not only is the template a wholesome visual treat for the eye, but it also communicates Sandra’s delightful, creative nature.

Your next best graphic design portfolio is a click away

There you have it, our list of 22 inspiring graphic design portfolios designed beautifully with Webflow. Find more inspiration from graphic design blogs or check out our 21-day design portfolio course to learn how to create your own portfolio.

Our comprehensive course teaches you how to build and design your own portfolio website without a single line of code. Enrollment is completely free, and we update the course periodically to ensure the content remains relevant in this ever-changing digital landscape.

Now fly, my friend! We’re excited to see what you create.

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Graphic Design Case Study Description

• 15 May 2023

Table of Contents

Graphic Design Case Study Description – What to Expect in a graphic design course

In a graphic design course, students can expect to learn the fundamentals of design theory and how to apply it in practical applications. This includes learning about colour theory, typography, layout composition, and visual hierarchy. Students will also be introduced to industry-standard software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Apart from technical skills, a graphic design course also emphasizes the development of creativity and critical thinking skills. Students will be challenged to think outside the box when creating designs that are visually appealing while effectively communicating a message or idea. Additionally, they will gain an understanding of the creative process from concept ideation to final execution.

Lastly, most graphic design courses incorporate real-world projects where students work with clients or on mock briefs. These projects allow students to apply their newly acquired skills in real-life scenarios while receiving feedback from instructors and peers. The experience gained through these projects is invaluable for preparing students for careers in the graphic design industry.

Fundamentals:

In a graphic design course, the fundamentals are taught to ensure that students have a solid understanding of design principles. This includes learning about colour theory, typography, layout and composition. Students are also introduced to the basics of software such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

Colour theory is crucial in graphic design as it helps designers understand how colours work together and how they can create different moods or emotions. Typography is another fundamental topic that covers the use of fonts, spacing, alignment and hierarchy. Layout and composition involve arranging elements on a page or screen in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Students also learn about the importance of research in designing for specific audiences and industries. They explore concepts such as branding, marketing strategies, user experience (UX) design and visual communication. Overall, studying these fundamentals sets a strong foundation for students pursuing a career in graphic design.

Colour theory, typography, composition

One of the most fundamental aspects that a graphic design course teaches is colour theory. This is because choosing colours for a design can heavily impact it’s overall aesthetic and message. Moreover, understanding colour combinations and their meaning can help designers create harmonious and effective designs. The colour theory also covers topics such as colour psychology, colour schemes, and colour contrast.

Another crucial area of study in a graphic design course is typography. Typography refers to the art of arranging letters and text in an engaging way that helps deliver the intended message while providing visual interest. A good understanding of typography includes choosing appropriate fonts, font sizes, line spacing, kerning, tracking, and hierarchy, among other elements. Typography also involves working with written content to ensure it’s legible and stands out from other design elements.

Finally, composition is another important aspect taught in graphic design courses. Composition refers to how different elements are arranged within a design space to create harmony or balance – This includes images, text blocks or any other graphic element used in print or digital media platforms. Creating compositions involves using grids or layout techniques that guide the placement of these elements in relation to each other so that they work together seamlessly while delivering an effective message to target audiences.

In a graphic design course, students will typically study a variety of software programs that are commonly used in the industry. Adobe Creative Suite is one of the most important software packages for graphic designers, and students will learn how to use programs like Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign to create stunning visuals for print or digital use. They will also learn about typography and how it can be used effectively in design.

Other software that may be covered in a graphic design course includes Sketch, Figma, and Canva. These tools are becoming increasingly popular among designers due to their ease of use and versatility. Students will learn how to create wireframes, prototypes, and other design elements using these platforms.

Overall, studying software is an important part of any graphic design course as it gives students the skills they need to succeed in the industry. By mastering these tools, students can create visually appealing designs that effectively communicate their message to audiences.

Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

In a graphic design course, you will learn how to use essential software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. These tools are industry standards and are used by designers worldwide to create visually compelling designs.

Photoshop is primarily used for image editing and manipulation. You will learn how to work with layers, masks, and filters to enhance or alter images. This tool is ideal for creating web graphics or digital art.

Illustrator allows you to create vector-based graphics that can be scaled up or down without losing quality. You will learn how to create logos, icons, and typography designs using this tool.

Lastly, InDesign is used for designing layouts of books, magazines, brochures and other print materials. You’ll learn how to format text and images within the document while keeping consistency in typography styles throughout the project.

By the end of your graphic design course training on these tools, you should have an understanding of their capabilities in order to produce professional-grade designs that meet industry standards as well as client requirements.

Design principles:

One of the most important aspects covered in a graphic design course is design principles. These are the fundamentals that guide the creation of any visual design, whether it’s a website layout or an advertising campaign. Design principles include elements such as balance, contrast, hierarchy, unity, and more. When used correctly, these elements can create a visually stunning and effective design.

Balance refers to how elements are organized within a composition to create stability and harmony. There are three types of balance: symmetrical (where both sides are identical), asymmetrical (where one side is heavier than the other), and radial (where elements radiate from a central point). Contrast involves creating differences between various elements in order to highlight certain areas or bring attention to specific information. Hierarchy refers to organizing content in order of importance; this is typically done through size and placement on the page. Unity brings together all the different design elements so they work cohesively to form one whole piece.

Overall, understanding the principles of graphic design allows designers to effectively communicate their message through visual means while creating aesthetically pleasing designs that engage audiences.

Balance, contrast, alignment

In a graphic design course, one of the fundamental principles that students learn is balance. Balance refers to the distribution of visual weight in a design. It involves placing elements in such a way that they create a sense of equilibrium. Achieving balance can be done through symmetrical or asymmetrical arrangements of shapes, colours, and textures. By mastering this principle, designers can create compositions that are pleasing to the eyes.

Another essential principle taught in graphic design courses is contrast. Contrast involves using opposing elements like light and dark, big and small, or thick and thin to make designs stand out. This creates visual interest and helps emphasize specific details in designs. Contrast can also evoke emotions depending on how it’s used.

Lastly, alignment is another critical principle taught in graphic design courses. Alignment refers to arranging text or other elements on an imaginary line for better readability and organization. Poor alignment makes designs look unprofessional and cluttered, while good alignment enhances legibility and gives a sense of orderliness to any composition or layout.

Practical projects:

Practical projects are an essential component of graphic design courses. These projects allow students to apply the theoretical concepts they learn in class in a real-world setting. One such project involves designing a visual identity for a client, which includes creating a logo, business card, and other branding materials.

Another practical project that students may be tasked with is creating packaging designs for products. This requires them to consider not only the aesthetics of the design but also its functionality in protecting and showcasing the product. In addition, students may work on web design projects, where they create website layouts and user interfaces to improve the user experience.

Overall, practical projects are crucial in helping graphic design students develop their skills and build their portfolios. These experiences prepare them for future employment opportunities by providing them with tangible examples of their work and demonstrating their ability to apply design principles effectively.

Logo design, packaging design, branding

Logo design, packaging design, and branding are three essential areas of study in a graphic design course. Logo designs are the visual representation of a brand’s identity. It plays an important role in creating the first impression of a brand for its customers. Students learn how to create effective logos by studying typography, colour theory, composition, and other design elements.

Packaging design is another key area that students learn about. It involves designing product packaging that looks not only visually appealing but also communicates relevant information about the product to consumers. A good packaging design can help differentiate a brand from its competitors and increase sales.

Finally, branding is an important part of any graphic design course, as it encompasses all aspects of a brand’s visual identity. Students learn how to create cohesive branding guidelines that include logo designs, colour schemes, typography choices, and other visual elements that represent the essence of a brand. By studying branding techniques and strategies, students can help businesses establish themselves in their respective industries while creating loyal customers who identify with their products or services.

Specializations:

One of the most exciting things about studying graphic design is the opportunity to specialize in a particular area. There are many different specializations in graphic design, all of which require different skills and knowledge. One popular specialization is web design, which involves creating websites that are both visually appealing and user-friendly. This requires knowledge of coding languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Another popular specialization is branding and identity design. This involves creating visual identities for companies or organizations, including logos, business cards, letterheads, and other marketing materials. It requires an understanding of typography, colour theory, and brand strategy.

Finally, there is print design. This specialization focuses on designing materials that will be printed on physical media such as brochures, posters, or packaging. It requires a strong understanding of layout principles and printing techniques to ensure that designs look great on paper or other materials.

Whether you choose to specialize in web design or print design, or any other area within graphic design depends on your interests and career goals. The important thing is to find a specialization that you enjoy so that you can build a successful career doing what you love!

Web design, motion graphics, print design

One of the most important aspects of a graphic design course is web design. This involves learning how to create visually appealing and functional websites that cater to the user’s needs. Students learn about website layout, navigation, typography, colour theory, and other essential elements that make up a successful website. They also explore different software tools like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create graphics for websites.

Motion graphics are another crucial skill that students develop in a graphic design course. This involves creating animations and video content for various mediums, such as social media platforms or television ads. Through this aspect of the course, students learn about storytelling techniques using motion graphics and gain an understanding of how movement can enhance visual communication.

Lastly, print design is also covered in graphic design courses. It includes designing brochures, posters, business cards, billboards, and packaging designs- essentially any promotional material printed on paper products or displayed physically. Print media requires an additional set of skills compared to digital media since designers must consider printing technologies such as resolution settings and colour profiles when designing for physical materials. In summary: mastering both digital (web design/motion graphics) and print-based (print/collateral) designs is essential in modern-day graphic design practice.

Graphic design courses offer diverse skillset.

A graphic design course provides a diverse skill set that focuses on visual communication and problem-solving. Students learn about the principles of design, colour theory, typography, and layout techniques. They also develop skills in software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, which are essential tools for modern designers.

In addition to technical skills, graphic design courses emphasize creativity and innovation. Students are encouraged to think outside of the box when approaching design challenges and consider different perspectives. They learn how to analyze the needs of clients or audiences and create visual solutions that effectively communicate messages.

Furthermore, graphic design courses also introduce students to the business side of the industry. This includes topics such as marketing strategies, branding techniques, project management skills, and pricing structures. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of both the creative and business aspects of graphic design, students are well-equipped with valuable knowledge they can apply in their professional careers.

What Will You Study At Our Graphic Design College?

At our graphic design college, you will study a variety of subjects that are essential to becoming a successful graphic designer. In the beginning, you will learn about fundamental art and design principles such as colour theory, typography, composition, and layout. These skills form the foundation for all graphic design work.

As you progress through the course, you will have the opportunity to specialize in specific areas of interest, such as branding and identity design, digital illustration, web design or motion graphics. You will also develop your technical skills by learning how to use industry-standard software such as Adobe Creative Suite.

Throughout your studies at our college, you will work on real-life projects that simulate working environments allowing you to develop practical skills while building up your portfolio. Additionally, we offer internship opportunities with leading advertising agencies or creative studios so that students can gain hands-on experience in their field before graduation.

UX UI Training (User Experience & User Interface)

In a graphic design course, you’ll learn plenty of skills that can apply to UX UI training. These courses teach students the fundamentals of graphic design, including colour theory, typography, and composition. You’ll also learn how to use industry-standard software such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

Understanding the principles of graphic design is essential for designing intuitive user interfaces that are visually appealing. A good user interface should be able to communicate what it does clearly and efficiently through its layout, typography, colours, and imagery. Designers must create interfaces that are easy to navigate and accessible across different devices.

To excel in UX UI training as a graphic designer requires a thorough understanding of the end-user’s needs and expectations from a product or service. You need to be adept at developing wireframes and prototypes while keeping in mind usability testing methodologies to ensure an impeccable customer experience. In summary, studying graphic design lays an excellent foundation for anyone interested in pursuing UX UI training, as it covers most principles necessary for creating exceptional designs with usability in mind.

Adobe Photoshop & Adobe Illustrator & Adobe Indesign

Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign are the three essential tools used by graphic designers. These programs are designed to make it easy for artists to create digital designs that can be used in a variety of settings. In a graphic design course, you will learn how to use each of these programs effectively.

Adobe Photoshop is primarily used for editing and manipulating images. Once you have an image, you can use this program to tweak its brightness or contrast levels, remove unwanted elements from the background or foreground, and add special effects or filters. Meanwhile, Adobe Illustrator is an excellent tool for creating vector graphics like logos and icons that need to be scalable without losing their quality. Lastly, Adobe InDesign is ideal for laying out pages for print materials like magazines and books. It allows designers to create page layouts with text boxes and images while maintaining consistent formatting across multiple pages.

In conclusion, learning how to use Adobe Photoshop & Adobe Illustrator & Adobe Indesign is critical when studying graphic design, as they are fundamental tools that help in creating visual art pieces that are both effective and aesthetically pleasing. Learning the intricacies of each program will enable designers to produce high-quality work efficiently while staying up-to-date with industry standards in digital design software usage.

Build Websites: Figma, WordPress, Elementor.

As a copywriting assistant, I am happy to share some insights on building websites using Figma, WordPress, and Elementor. Figma is a popular design tool used in creating website mockups and designs. With its intuitive interface and collaborative features, it has become the go-to tool for web designers.

WordPress is one of the most commonly used content management systems that allow users to build dynamic websites with ease. It offers various themes and plugins that can be customized to suit your specific needs. Elementor is a drag-and-drop page builder plugin that works seamlessly with WordPress.

If you are studying graphic design, you should consider learning these tools as they will help you create professional-looking websites, which are an essential part of today’s digital landscape. Understanding how to use these tools can also make you more marketable as a designer or developer when looking for job opportunities in the future. In conclusion, learning about web design fundamentals like Figma, WordPress, and Elementor should be an integral part of any graphic design course curriculum today –it’s becoming increasingly important in our technology-driven world!

High Demand

A graphic design course is a creative and dynamic field that offers numerous opportunities. The demand for graphic designers has sharply risen over the past few years due to massive digitization, making everything online. Graphic designers are capable of designing websites, logos, marketing materials, magazines, social media images, and more.

Graphic design courses teach students how to use software like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to create visually appealing artwork. Beyond software training, graphic design courses also teach students to design principles such as typography, colour theory and composition. In this digital age, where businesses need to stand out from their competition in one way or another – there is no shortage of work available for a skilled designer.

Furthermore, with the rise in small business owners looking for ways to market themselves on social media platforms- there is increasing demand for graphic designers who can create attention-grabbing social content campaigns. Also notable is that larger companies may require ongoing support from an in-house designer or through a contracted freelancer or agency, which could be another avenue of opportunity post-graduation.

Motion Graphics & After Effects

Motion graphics is an exciting and dynamic field in graphic design that involves the use of animation, sound, and video to create engaging and informative content. In a graphic design course, students learn how to use motion graphics software such as After Effects to create animations for various applications like advertising, film titles, television shows or online videos.

After Effects is one of the most popular software tools used by motion graphics professionals, students learn advanced techniques in After Effects, such as compositing (combining multiple elements into one scene), keyframing (setting markers to animate specific attributes over time), masks (hiding or revealing parts of a layer) and rendering (exporting your finished composition). These skills are essential in creating eye-catching animations that can communicate complex ideas in a visually appealing way.

Overall, studying motion graphics & After Effects in a graphic design course provides students with invaluable knowledge and skills that prepare them for successful careers. The combination of creativity with technical proficiency allows designers to produce stunning visuals that can capture audiences’ attention across different industries.

Digital Painting

Digital painting is one of the most exciting areas of graphic design. It involves creating artwork using a computer and digital tools such as a graphics tablet and stylus. In a graphic design course, you will learn the fundamentals of digital painting, including colour theory, composition, and brush techniques.

One essential skill that you will develop is how to use software programs like Adobe Photoshop or Corel Painter effectively. These applications offer various features that can help artists create different effects and styles in their work. You will also learn how to manipulate layers, adjust contrast and brightness levels, add textures, and experiment with different brushes.

Moreover, you’ll understand how to express emotions through your artwork by learning about different art movements, such as impressionism or expressionism. Digital painting is an excellent way for aspiring artists to create stunning pieces of art using technology while still maintaining creativity and originality in their designs. Once you master the digital painting skills taught during your graphic design course, there are numerous career opportunities available for you in the field of advertising agencies or game development companies where they require this sort of expertise!

Why Is A Graphic Designer Portfolio Important?

In a graphic design course, students learn about various aspects of visual communication. They study typography, colour theory, layout design, and image manipulation using software like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. The course also teaches them how to create brand identities, design logos and packaging, create posters and billboards, and develop websites and mobile apps.

Once they graduate from the program, graphic designer needs to showcase their skills through a portfolio. A portfolio is an essential tool for every creative professional as it demonstrates their abilities to potential clients or employers. It showcases the designer’s best work in an organized manner that highlights their skills in different areas of graphic design. Having an impressive portfolio can make all the difference in securing a job or landing clients in this highly competitive industry. Without a strong portfolio that showcases your abilities effectively, it can be challenging to establish yourself as a reputable graphic designer and gain new clients or employment opportunities.

One of the core topics covered in a graphic design course is branding. This involves learning how to create and maintain consistent visual and messaging elements that represent a company or product. Students may explore the psychology behind brandings, such as how colours, fonts, and imagery can impact consumer perceptions and emotions.

Additionally, students will learn practical skills for creating brand assets such as logos, taglines, and packaging designs. They may also study case studies of successful brand campaigns to gain insight into what makes them effective.

Overall, a strong understanding of branding is essential for any graphic designer looking to create impactful work that resonates with audiences and effectively communicates a company or product’s values and offerings.

Study Visual Communication

In a graphic design course, visual communication is one of the fundamental concepts that are taught. The study of visual communication involves understanding how images, typography, and other graphical elements can be used to convey a message effectively. This concept is crucial in graphic design because it’s not enough to create something visually appealing; designers must ensure that their design communicates the intended message.

One aspect of studying visual communication in graphic design courses is learning about the principles of design. These principles include balance, contrast, emphasis, and unity. Understanding these principles helps students to create designs that are aesthetically pleasing while also conveying their intended message effectively.

Additionally, students who study visual communication in graphic design courses learn about colour theory and its importance in creating effective designs. They learn how colours can be used to evoke emotions and communicate different messages. Overall, studying visual communication is essential for anyone interested in pursuing a career as a graphic designer, as it forms the foundation for all aspects of effective design work.

Design Apps And Websites

In a graphic design course, students learn about different aspects of designing apps and websites. The curriculum includes learning about user interface (UI) design, which involves designing the layout, icons, buttons, and other visual elements of an app or website. Students also learn about user experience (UX) design – how to create interfaces that are intuitive and easy to navigate.

Apart from this, they also study typography – the art of arranging text in a visually appealing way. They learn how to choose fonts that work well together and enhance the overall look and feel of a website or app. Additionally, colour theory is another crucial aspect of designing apps and websites that are taught in graphic design courses; it helps designers understand how different colours evoke different emotions and how to use them effectively.

Furthermore, students are introduced to various software tools used for designing, such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, among others. They get hands-on experience using these tools to create effective designs with all the skills they have acquired during their studies. Essentially graphic design courses provide students with everything they need to know in order to apply their skills when creating apps or websites that are not only beautiful but functional too!

Website Design

In a graphic design course, you will learn a variety of skills related to website design. You will learn how to create visual elements that communicate a message or idea effectively. This includes colour theory, typography, and layout design. You will also learn how to use software such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create graphics for websites.

In addition, you will study user experience (UX) design principles. UX is the process of creating websites that are easy to use and navigate for users. This involves understanding how users interact with websites and designing interfaces that are intuitive and user-friendly.

Finally, you may also learn about web development in your graphic design course. While this may not be the primary focus of the course, having an understanding of coding languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript can be extremely helpful when designing websites. Overall, a graphic design course can provide you with all the skills necessary to create visually appealing and user-friendly websites that meet your clients’ needs.

Design Apps

When it comes to studying graphic design, students can expect to learn a variety of skills and techniques related to designing apps. One of the most important tools for any graphic designer is Adobe Photoshop, which is used for photo editing, digital painting, and creating graphics from scratch. Students will learn about the different features of Photoshop and how they can be utilized to create stunning designs.

Another design app that students may use during their studies is Adobe Illustrator. This vector-based program is perfect for designing logos, icons, and typography. Students will gain an understanding of how to create complex shapes using Illustrator’s intuitive tools.

Finally, InDesign is another essential tool for graphic designers who need to produce print materials such as brochures or magazines. InDesign allows users to layout text and images in an organized way that can easily be printed or exported as a PDF. Overall, these design apps are just a few examples of what students can expect to learn while studying graphic design.

Graphic Design And Branding

In a graphic design course, students are taught the fundamental principles of design, including colour theory, typography, composition, and layout. These skills are essential in creating effective branding materials that communicate a company’s message visually. Students also learn how to use software programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create digital designs for print and web.

In addition to technical skills, graphic design courses also emphasize the importance of understanding a brand’s identity and target audience. This involves conducting research on market trends and consumer behaviour to inform the design process. Students also learn how to develop brand guidelines that ensure consistency across all visual communication materials.

Overall, studying graphic design provides valuable knowledge and skills for creating successful branding campaigns. The combination of technical proficiency and strategic thinking allows designers to create visually stunning designs that effectively communicate a brand’s message to its intended audience.

Visual Communication And Branding

In a graphic design course, students typically learn about visual communication and branding. Visual communication involves the use of images, symbols, and text to convey a message or idea. This can include designing logos, creating advertising campaigns, developing websites, and more. By learning about different visual communication techniques and tools such as typography, colour theory, layout design etc., students can create effective designs that communicate their intended message.

Branding is another crucial aspect of graphic design education. It involves creating an identity for a company or organization that sets it apart from its competitors. This includes designing logos and other visual elements that represent the brand’s values and personality. In addition to visuals, branding also involves developing a brand voice that communicates the brand’s messaging in written content such as website copy or social media posts.

Overall, understanding visual communication and branding is essential for any successful graphic designer as they work to create visually appealing designs that effectively communicate their clients’ messages while building strong brand identities for businesses or organizations.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, a graphic design course is an excellent opportunity for individuals who want to pursue a career in this creative field. The course content covers both the theoretical and practical aspects of graphic design, including colour theory, typography, layout design, branding, and digital media applications. Students will learn how to use various software programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and other industry-standard tools.

Moreover, the skills acquired during the course can be applied in various industries such as advertising agencies, publishing houses or even self-employment. The program provides students with hands-on experience through projects that involve creating logos and building brand identities. Additionally, it prepares them for real-world scenarios by providing them with networking opportunities through internships or job placements.

In summary, a graphic design course equips individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in their careers and achieve success in the ever-evolving creative industry. It offers an opportunity to hone their creativity while learning new techniques that enable them to create visually appealing designs across different mediums.

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Case Study: The Graphic Design Process Behind Coca-Cola

This case study focuses on the graphic design process behind Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most iconic and recognizable brands. It delves into the various stages involved in creating and evolving the brand’s visual identity, highlighting the key elements and strategies employed by Coca-Cola’s design team. By examining this case study, we can gain insights into the thought process and creative decisions that have contributed to Coca-Cola’s enduring success in the global market.

The Importance of Graphic Design in Branding: A Case Study of Coca-Cola

Graphic design plays a crucial role in branding, and one of the most iconic examples of this is Coca-Cola. The design process behind Coca-Cola’s branding is a fascinating case study that highlights the importance of graphic design in creating a strong and recognizable brand.

When it comes to branding, visual elements are essential in capturing the attention of consumers and conveying the brand’s message. Coca-Cola understands this concept very well and has invested heavily in graphic design to create a brand that is instantly recognizable worldwide.

The first step in the graphic design process for Coca-Cola was the creation of their logo. The famous Coca-Cola logo, with its distinctive red and white lettering, was designed in 1886 and has remained virtually unchanged ever since. This logo has become synonymous with the brand and is instantly recognizable to people of all ages and backgrounds.

In addition to the logo, Coca-Cola has also developed a consistent visual identity through the use of specific colors, fonts, and imagery. The color red, for example, is strongly associated with Coca-Cola and is used consistently across all their marketing materials. This consistency helps to reinforce the brand’s identity and make it easily identifiable to consumers.

Another important aspect of Coca-Cola’s graphic design process is the creation of packaging. Coca-Cola’s iconic glass bottle, with its unique shape and embossed logo, is a testament to the brand’s commitment to design excellence. The bottle design has remained largely unchanged since its introduction in 1915 and has become an integral part of Coca-Cola’s brand identity.

In recent years, Coca-Cola has also embraced digital platforms and incorporated graphic design into their online presence. Their website and social media channels feature visually appealing graphics and videos that engage consumers and reinforce the brand’s image. This integration of graphic design across various platforms helps to create a cohesive brand experience for consumers.

The success of Coca-Cola’s graphic design process can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the brand has a clear understanding of its target audience and tailors its design elements to appeal to them. Whether it’s the classic red and white color scheme or the use of nostalgic imagery, Coca-Cola knows how to connect with its consumers on an emotional level.

Secondly, Coca-Cola has consistently invested in high-quality design talent. The brand has worked with some of the best graphic designers in the industry to create visually stunning and impactful designs. This commitment to excellence has helped Coca-Cola maintain its position as a leader in the beverage industry.

Lastly, Coca-Cola understands the importance of consistency in branding. By using the same visual elements across all their marketing materials, Coca-Cola has created a strong and recognizable brand identity. This consistency helps to build trust and loyalty among consumers, who know exactly what to expect from the brand.

In conclusion, the graphic design process behind Coca-Cola is a prime example of the importance of graphic design in branding. From the creation of their iconic logo to the consistent use of colors and imagery, Coca-Cola has successfully used graphic design to create a strong and recognizable brand. By understanding their target audience, investing in design talent, and maintaining consistency, Coca-Cola has built a brand that is loved and recognized worldwide.

Analyzing the Graphic Design Process of Coca-Cola: A Comprehensive Case Study

Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, and its success can be attributed in part to its iconic graphic design. In this case study, we will take a closer look at the graphic design process behind Coca-Cola and analyze the key elements that make it so effective.

The first step in the graphic design process for Coca-Cola is research. The design team conducts extensive market research to understand the target audience and their preferences. They analyze trends in the beverage industry and study the competition to identify opportunities for differentiation.

Once the research is complete, the design team moves on to the concept development phase. They brainstorm ideas and create rough sketches to explore different visual directions. This is a collaborative process, with input from various stakeholders including marketing, branding, and product teams.

After narrowing down the concepts, the design team begins the refinement stage. They start by digitizing the sketches and creating more detailed mock-ups. This is where they experiment with different color palettes, typography, and imagery to find the perfect combination that represents the brand.

Typography plays a crucial role in Coca-Cola’s graphic design. The team carefully selects fonts that convey the brand’s personality and evoke a sense of nostalgia. The iconic Coca-Cola script logo, for example, has remained virtually unchanged since its creation in the late 19th century. This consistency has helped build brand recognition and establish a strong visual identity.

Color is another important element in Coca-Cola’s graphic design. The brand’s signature red color is instantly recognizable and has become synonymous with Coca-Cola. The design team uses this color strategically to create a sense of excitement and energy, while also evoking feelings of happiness and joy.

In addition to typography and color, imagery is also a key component of Coca-Cola’s graphic design. The design team carefully selects images that align with the brand’s values and evoke positive emotions. Whether it’s a refreshing glass of Coca-Cola or a group of friends enjoying a drink, the imagery is always carefully curated to create a connection with the audience.

Once the final design is approved, the design team moves on to the implementation phase. They work closely with printers and production teams to ensure that the design is accurately reproduced across various mediums, including packaging, advertising, and digital platforms. Attention to detail is crucial at this stage to maintain consistency and ensure that the design remains true to the original concept.

The graphic design process behind Coca-Cola is a testament to the power of effective branding. By conducting thorough research, developing strong concepts, and paying attention to every detail, Coca-Cola has created a visual identity that is instantly recognizable and resonates with consumers around the world.

In conclusion, the graphic design process behind Coca-Cola is a comprehensive and meticulous journey. From research and concept development to refinement and implementation, every step is carefully executed to create a visual identity that is both iconic and effective. By understanding the target audience, selecting the right typography and colors, and curating imagery that evokes positive emotions, Coca-Cola has successfully built a brand that stands the test of time.

Key Elements of Coca-Cola’s Graphic Design Strategy: A Case Study

Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, and its success can be attributed in part to its effective graphic design strategy. In this case study, we will explore the key elements of Coca-Cola’s graphic design process and how they contribute to the brand’s overall success.

One of the first things that stands out about Coca-Cola’s graphic design is its consistency. The brand has maintained a consistent visual identity throughout its history, which has helped to establish a strong brand image. From the iconic red and white color scheme to the classic script logo, Coca-Cola’s graphic design elements are instantly recognizable.

Another key element of Coca-Cola’s graphic design strategy is its focus on storytelling. The brand uses its design elements to tell a story and evoke emotions in its consumers. For example, the classic Coca-Cola Christmas advertisements often feature images of Santa Claus enjoying a Coke, which creates a sense of nostalgia and warmth. By using design elements that tap into the emotions of its target audience, Coca-Cola is able to create a strong connection with its consumers.

In addition to consistency and storytelling, Coca-Cola also places a strong emphasis on simplicity in its graphic design. The brand understands that in a world filled with visual clutter, simplicity is key to standing out. Coca-Cola’s design elements are clean, uncluttered, and easy to understand. This simplicity allows the brand’s message to be easily communicated and remembered by consumers.

Coca-Cola also understands the importance of staying relevant in a rapidly changing world. The brand has adapted its graphic design strategy to keep up with evolving trends and consumer preferences. For example, in recent years, Coca-Cola has embraced digital platforms and social media to reach its target audience. The brand’s graphic design elements have been adapted for use on these platforms, ensuring that Coca-Cola remains visible and engaging to its consumers.

Furthermore, Coca-Cola’s graphic design strategy is not limited to just its product packaging and advertisements. The brand extends its design elements to all aspects of its business, including its website, merchandise, and even its physical spaces. This cohesive approach ensures that Coca-Cola’s graphic design is consistently present and reinforces the brand’s identity across all touchpoints.

Lastly, Coca-Cola understands the power of collaboration in its graphic design process. The brand has worked with talented designers and agencies to create memorable and impactful designs. By collaborating with experts in the field, Coca-Cola is able to push the boundaries of its graphic design and stay ahead of the competition.

In conclusion, Coca-Cola’s graphic design strategy is a key element of its overall success as a brand. The consistency, storytelling, simplicity, relevance, and collaboration that are evident in its graphic design process all contribute to creating a strong and recognizable brand image. By understanding the importance of graphic design and investing in it, Coca-Cola has been able to connect with its consumers on a deeper level and maintain its position as one of the world’s most beloved brands.

Case Study: How Coca-Cola’s Graphic Design Evolved Over Time

Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, and its logo is instantly recognizable. But have you ever wondered how the iconic Coca-Cola logo came to be? In this case study, we will take a closer look at the graphic design process behind Coca-Cola and how it has evolved over time.

The story of Coca-Cola’s graphic design begins in the late 19th century when the company was first established. The original logo featured a simple, yet elegant script font that spelled out the name “Coca-Cola.” This logo was used for several decades and became synonymous with the brand.

However, as the company grew and expanded its product line, it became clear that a more versatile logo was needed. In the 1950s, Coca-Cola introduced a new logo that featured a bolder, more modern font. This logo was designed to be easily recognizable and could be used across various marketing materials.

As the years went by, Coca-Cola continued to refine its logo and graphic design. In the 1960s, the company introduced a new logo that featured a wave-like design element, known as the “Dynamic Ribbon.” This design was meant to convey a sense of movement and energy, reflecting the brand’s vibrant and refreshing image.

In the 1980s, Coca-Cola made another significant change to its logo. The company introduced a new font that was more rounded and friendly, giving the logo a softer and more approachable look. This change was made to align with the brand’s focus on building emotional connections with its consumers.

In recent years, Coca-Cola has embraced a more minimalist approach to its graphic design. The current logo features a simplified version of the iconic script font, with a red disc serving as the background. This design is clean, modern, and instantly recognizable, making it perfect for digital platforms and social media.

Throughout its history, Coca-Cola’s graphic design has evolved to reflect the changing times and consumer preferences. The company has always been mindful of the importance of staying relevant and appealing to its target audience. This is why Coca-Cola has been able to maintain its status as one of the world’s most beloved and recognizable brands.

The graphic design process behind Coca-Cola is a testament to the power of effective branding. The company understands that a well-designed logo can create a strong emotional connection with consumers and help build brand loyalty. Coca-Cola’s logo has become a symbol of happiness, joy, and refreshment, and it continues to resonate with people all over the world.

In conclusion, the graphic design process behind Coca-Cola is a fascinating case study in how a brand can evolve and adapt over time. From its humble beginnings to its current iconic status, Coca-Cola’s logo has undergone several transformations to stay relevant and appealing. The company’s commitment to effective branding has made it one of the most successful and recognizable brands in the world.

The Role of Graphic Design in Coca-Cola’s Marketing Success: A Case Study

Graphic design plays a crucial role in the success of any marketing campaign, and Coca-Cola is no exception. In this case study, we will delve into the graphic design process behind Coca-Cola’s marketing success and explore how it has contributed to the brand’s iconic status.

One of the first steps in the graphic design process for Coca-Cola is understanding the brand’s identity and target audience. Coca-Cola has a long-standing reputation as a refreshing and timeless beverage, and its target audience spans across various age groups and demographics. The graphic designers at Coca-Cola must capture this essence and appeal to a wide range of consumers.

Once the brand identity and target audience are established, the graphic designers begin brainstorming and sketching ideas. They explore different concepts and visual elements that can effectively communicate the brand’s message. This stage is crucial as it sets the foundation for the entire design process.

After the initial brainstorming phase, the designers move on to creating digital mock-ups and prototypes. They use design software to bring their ideas to life and experiment with different color schemes, typography, and imagery. This stage allows them to refine their concepts and make necessary adjustments before presenting them to the Coca-Cola team.

Collaboration is a key aspect of the graphic design process at Coca-Cola. The designers work closely with the marketing team to ensure that the designs align with the overall marketing strategy. They take into consideration factors such as the campaign’s objectives, target market, and desired emotional response. This collaborative approach ensures that the graphic designs effectively convey the intended message and resonate with the audience.

Once the designs are finalized, they go through a rigorous review process. The Coca-Cola team meticulously examines every detail, ensuring that the designs meet the brand’s standards of excellence. This attention to detail is what sets Coca-Cola apart and contributes to its marketing success.

The next step in the graphic design process is the production phase. The designs are prepared for print or digital distribution, and the graphic designers work closely with printers and other production specialists to ensure that the final product is of the highest quality. This attention to detail extends to every aspect, from color accuracy to paper selection.

After the designs are produced, they are implemented across various marketing channels. Coca-Cola’s graphic designs can be seen on billboards, packaging, social media, and television advertisements. The consistency and cohesiveness of the designs across these platforms contribute to Coca-Cola’s strong brand recognition.

The graphic design process at Coca-Cola is an ongoing one. The designers continuously monitor the performance of their designs and gather feedback from consumers. This feedback allows them to make necessary adjustments and improvements to ensure that the designs remain relevant and effective.

In conclusion, the graphic design process plays a vital role in Coca-Cola’s marketing success. From understanding the brand’s identity and target audience to collaborating with the marketing team and implementing the designs across various platforms, every step is carefully executed to create visually appealing and impactful designs. The attention to detail and commitment to excellence are what have made Coca-Cola’s graphic designs iconic and contributed to the brand’s enduring success.

Case Study: Unveiling the Creative Process Behind Coca-Cola’s Graphic Design

When it comes to iconic brands, Coca-Cola is undoubtedly at the top of the list. The red and white logo, the distinctive font, and the timeless design have become synonymous with the brand’s identity. But have you ever wondered about the creative process behind Coca-Cola’s graphic design? In this case study, we will delve into the fascinating world of graphic design and explore how Coca-Cola’s design team brings their vision to life.

The first step in the graphic design process for Coca-Cola is research. The design team conducts extensive market research to understand the brand’s target audience, competitors, and current design trends. This research helps them gain insights into what resonates with consumers and what sets Coca-Cola apart from its competitors.

Once the research phase is complete, the design team moves on to brainstorming and ideation. They gather together to generate ideas and concepts that align with Coca-Cola’s brand values and messaging. This collaborative process allows for a diverse range of ideas to be explored, ensuring that the final design is both visually appealing and aligned with the brand’s identity.

After the brainstorming session, the design team begins sketching and prototyping. They experiment with different layouts, color schemes, and typography to find the perfect combination that captures the essence of Coca-Cola. This stage is crucial as it allows the team to visualize their ideas and make necessary adjustments before moving on to the digital design phase.

Once the sketches and prototypes are finalized, the design team transitions to the digital design phase. They use industry-standard software to create high-resolution digital versions of their designs. This phase involves fine-tuning the details, refining the typography, and ensuring that the design is scalable across various mediums.

The next step in the process is feedback and iteration. The design team presents their digital designs to key stakeholders within the company, including marketing executives and brand managers. This feedback loop allows for constructive criticism and ensures that the final design aligns with Coca-Cola’s overall marketing strategy.

After incorporating the feedback, the design team moves on to the finalization phase. They prepare the design files for production, ensuring that they are print-ready and meet all technical specifications. This phase requires attention to detail and precision to ensure that the final design is flawless.

Once the design files are ready, they are sent to production. This could involve printing the design on various marketing materials such as billboards, packaging, or digital assets for online campaigns. The design team works closely with production teams to ensure that the final product matches their vision and meets the highest quality standards.

Finally, the design team evaluates the success of their design. They analyze consumer feedback, sales data, and brand perception to determine the impact of their graphic design on Coca-Cola’s overall marketing efforts. This evaluation helps them understand what worked well and what can be improved in future design iterations.

In conclusion, the graphic design process behind Coca-Cola is a meticulous and collaborative journey. From research and ideation to digital design and production, the design team works tirelessly to create a visual identity that resonates with consumers and represents the essence of the brand. Through their dedication and creativity, Coca-Cola’s graphic design continues to captivate audiences worldwide, solidifying its position as an iconic brand.

Exploring the Impact of Coca-Cola’s Graphic Design on Consumer Perception: A Case Study

Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, and its success can be attributed in part to its iconic graphic design. In this case study, we will explore the impact of Coca-Cola’s graphic design on consumer perception and delve into the process behind creating their visually appealing designs.

The first step in the graphic design process for Coca-Cola is research. The design team conducts extensive market research to understand the target audience and their preferences. They analyze consumer trends, competitor designs, and gather insights to inform their creative decisions. This research helps them identify the key elements that resonate with consumers and ensures that their designs are relevant and appealing.

Once the research is complete, the design team moves on to the concept development phase. They brainstorm ideas and sketch out different design concepts. This is a collaborative process that involves input from various team members, including designers, marketers, and brand strategists. The goal is to create designs that capture the essence of the Coca-Cola brand and evoke positive emotions in consumers.

After the initial concepts are developed, the design team begins the refinement process. They take the best ideas and start working on the details, experimenting with different color palettes, typography, and imagery. This stage is crucial as it allows the team to fine-tune the designs and ensure that they align with Coca-Cola’s brand guidelines. The team pays close attention to every element, making sure that the designs are visually appealing and consistent with the brand’s identity.

Once the designs are finalized, they go through a rigorous testing phase. Coca-Cola conducts focus groups and gathers feedback from consumers to evaluate the impact of the designs. This feedback helps the design team make any necessary adjustments and ensures that the final designs resonate with the target audience. It is important for Coca-Cola to continuously test and refine their designs to stay relevant in a constantly evolving market.

The final step in the graphic design process is implementation. The approved designs are applied across various touchpoints, including packaging, advertising, and digital platforms. Coca-Cola’s design team works closely with production teams to ensure that the designs are executed flawlessly. This attention to detail is crucial as it helps maintain consistency and reinforces the brand’s visual identity.

The impact of Coca-Cola’s graphic design on consumer perception cannot be overstated. The brand’s designs evoke a sense of nostalgia and happiness, which resonates with consumers on an emotional level. The use of vibrant red and white colors, the iconic Coca-Cola logo, and the classic typography all contribute to the brand’s visual appeal. These design elements have become synonymous with Coca-Cola and have helped establish it as a global leader in the beverage industry.

In conclusion, Coca-Cola’s graphic design process is a carefully crafted journey that starts with extensive research and ends with the implementation of visually appealing designs. The brand’s designs have a significant impact on consumer perception, evoking positive emotions and creating a strong connection with the target audience. By continuously refining and testing their designs, Coca-Cola ensures that they stay relevant and maintain their position as one of the most recognizable brands in the world.

Case Study: Lessons Learned from Coca-Cola’s Graphic Design Approach

Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, and its success can be attributed in part to its iconic graphic design. The company’s logo, packaging, and advertising materials have become synonymous with refreshment and enjoyment. In this case study, we will take a closer look at the graphic design process behind Coca-Cola and the lessons we can learn from their approach.

One of the key lessons we can learn from Coca-Cola’s graphic design approach is the importance of consistency. The company has maintained a consistent visual identity throughout its history, with its red and white color scheme and distinctive script logo. This consistency has helped to build brand recognition and establish Coca-Cola as a trusted and familiar presence in the marketplace.

Another lesson we can learn from Coca-Cola’s graphic design approach is the power of simplicity. The company’s logo and packaging designs are clean, uncluttered, and easy to understand. This simplicity allows the brand to communicate its message quickly and effectively, making it more likely to resonate with consumers.

Coca-Cola also understands the importance of staying relevant and evolving with the times. While the company’s logo and color scheme have remained largely unchanged, it has adapted its packaging and advertising materials to reflect changing consumer preferences and trends. For example, Coca-Cola has introduced limited edition packaging designs and collaborated with artists and designers to create unique and eye-catching visuals.

In addition to consistency, simplicity, and relevance, Coca-Cola’s graphic design approach also emphasizes the importance of storytelling. The company’s advertising campaigns often tell a story or evoke a feeling, creating an emotional connection with consumers. This storytelling approach helps to differentiate Coca-Cola from its competitors and build a strong brand identity.

The graphic design process behind Coca-Cola involves a collaborative approach. The company works closely with designers, artists, and advertising agencies to develop its visual identity and create compelling designs. This collaborative approach allows Coca-Cola to tap into the expertise and creativity of others, resulting in fresh and innovative designs.

Coca-Cola also invests in research and testing to ensure that its graphic designs are effective. The company conducts market research and consumer testing to gather feedback and make informed decisions about its designs. This commitment to research and testing helps Coca-Cola to create designs that resonate with its target audience and drive sales.

Overall, the graphic design process behind Coca-Cola is a testament to the power of consistency, simplicity, relevance, storytelling, collaboration, and research. By following these principles, Coca-Cola has been able to create a strong and recognizable visual identity that has stood the test of time.

In conclusion, the graphic design process behind Coca-Cola offers valuable lessons for designers and marketers alike. By prioritizing consistency, simplicity, relevance, storytelling, collaboration, and research, companies can create compelling designs that resonate with consumers and build a strong brand identity. Coca-Cola’s success is a testament to the power of effective graphic design and the impact it can have on a brand’s success.In conclusion, the case study on the graphic design process behind Coca-Cola highlights the meticulous and strategic approach taken by the company in creating visually appealing and iconic designs. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the brand’s values, target audience, and market trends to develop effective graphic designs. Coca-Cola’s consistent use of key elements such as the logo, color palette, and typography has contributed to its strong brand recognition and success in the market. Overall, the case study showcases the significance of a well-executed graphic design process in building a successful and recognizable brand identity.

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How to Create a Case Study + 14 Case Study Templates

Written by: Brian Nuckols

When it comes to high impact marketing content, case studies are at the top of the list for helping show off your brand’s stuff. 

In this post, I’ve put together a few high-level case study design tips as well as 14 professionally designed case study templates that you can use to start designing beautiful case studies today. 

Let’s begin! 

Here’s a short selection of 12 easy-to-edit case study templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:

What is a Case Study?

A case study is a way for you to demonstrate the success you’ve already had with existing clients. When you create a case study, you explore how previous clients have used your product or service to reach their goals. 

In particular, a case study highlights a specific challenge or goal one of your clients was struggling with before they discovered your product. 

It then demonstrates how your work has assisted them on the journey towards overcoming the challenge or accomplishing the goal. 

A case study’s outcome is typically to share the story of a company’s growth or highlight the increase of metrics the company tracks to understand success. 

The case study includes an analysis of a campaign or project that goes through a few steps from identifying the problem to how you implemented the solution. 

How to Write a Case Study

When it comes to adding irresistible design to your content from the start, using a helpful tool is a great start. Sign up for a free Visme account and start highlighting your own client success stories using one of our case study templates today. 

Also, while you’re beginning to transition your case study workflow to include a professional design tool, it’s helpful to review some high level principles you can incorporate into your case study. 

We’ll start by reviewing some of the critical style tips and structural elements to include in your case study before progressing to a more detailed design section. 

Pinpoint Your Main Message

When designing an impactful case study, it’s essential to stay clear on the metrics that you’re highlighting. The process of overcoming business challenges is a dynamic process with many moving parts. 

If you do not stay focused on what matters in your case study, you risk obscuring the big win your client experienced by using your product or service. 

This is why you need to focus on a single message or metric. This is often called the north star metric . 

The north star metric is the single most crucial rate, count or ratio that helped your client move closer towards their goals or overcame an obstacle. 

While north star metrics are context dependent, a useful heuristic you can utilize is to figure out the most predictive metric of your client’s long term success. 

In the template I’ll highlight below, cost per lead was the north star metric that The College for Adult Learning needed to optimize. 

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Use Emotionally Rich Language 

Recently researchers at Presado did an interesting study to understand the types of language that help readers take action. They broke the content included in marketing assets into several categories, including functional, emotional and descriptive. 

In the most successful pieces of content, the researchers found that emotionally coded words were present in 61% of the content’s total volume.

This research shows the benefit of using emotionally engaging content in your case study. While it’s essential to focus on the concrete evidence of how you helped your client get from where they started to a successful outcome, do not forget to highlight the emotional journey. 

Use Data For Concrete Evidence 

Once you’ve decided on the north star metric to highlight and you choose the emotional response you want to reinforce in your case study, it’s important to use actual data from the project to share the concrete results your product helped to achieve. 

To make sure your audience can follow your line of thinking, make sure the data in your case study is precise. If you track data across time, your readers must know whether you chose to track by month or years. 

If there are any apparent trends, you can use color to highlight specific areas in a chart. 

If you want to dig deeper into using data to tell compelling stories, check out our video data storytelling tips to improve your charts and graphs. 

In the template below, The College for Adult Learning case study is an excellent example of how these elements can work together. 

Cost per lead was a critical north star metric, so we chose to emphasize the increase in revenue and a decrease in cost per lead. 

Additionally, the background section uses emotionally rich language by highlighting how the school helps students get ahead with their career goals. Also, the factual data is the centerpiece of this page in the case study.

If you’re ready to share how you impacted a client, use the College for Adult Learning case study template right now! 

Include All Necessary Parts of a Case Study

After you’ve interviewed your client and you’re getting ready to start writing, it’s important to remember each piece you need to cover.

All good case studies consist of five parts: Introduction, Challenge, Solution, Benefit and Result.

While you don’t necessarily need to label each section like that, be sure that the flow makes sense and covers each section fully to give your audience the full scope of your case study.

RELATED: 15 Real-Life Case Study Examples & Best Practices

14 Case Study Templates

Now that we have explored some of the high level strategies you can use to create a business case study, we will transition to 14 case study design templates you can use with Visme. 

1. Fuji Xerox Australia Case Study Template

Use the Fuji Xerox case study template to showcase the concrete results you achieved for your clients. It has sections where you can explain the goals you started with and the results you achieved. 

2. College for Adult Learning Case Study Template

As we’ve explored already, the College for Adult Learning template has sections where you can embrace a data driven storytelling approach while also connecting with your audience using emotionally rich language. 

Utilize the professionally designed business case study to connect with your audience. 

3. Intel Case Study Template

The Intel case study has beautiful visual elements and gives you space to share the project’s context and the goals you set out to achieve. It also allows you to get concrete with the results you achieved. 

You can always use the Visme Brand Kit to incorporate your unique brand colors into this stunning design. 

4. Bit.ly Case Study Template

Bit.ly is a marketing product that helps brands track how they are doing with campaign results. The bit.ly business case study template showcases how they drove impressive results for an eCommerce business. 

You can modify the professionally designed case study template to illustrate the key results you drive for your clients. 

5. NVISIONCenters Case Study Template

The NVISIONCenters case study template is an excellent example of how powerful it is to pair beautiful designs with the results you generate for your clients. In this case study, we see how you can transform your past accomplishments into a powerful marketing asset. 

6. Adobe Case Study Template

The Adobe case study is an exciting example of a business case study because it does a great job illustrating how you can use a specific result to create a powerful marketing asset. 

Adobe had a particular goal of branding to position itself as a leader for the future of digital marketing. LinkedIn sponsored messages was an effective tactic to drive the outcome Adobe needed. 

You can use the Adobe case study template to demonstrate the success of your most effective tactics. 

7. Inkjet Wholesale Case Study Template

The Inkjet wholesale case study template is an excellent choice if you want to experiment with your case study’s visual element. The roadmap to objectives diagram is a powerful graphic that illustrates the journey of a successful campaign. 

8. Neutrogena Case Study Template

If you have a strong visual brand to tell your case study’s story with visuals, the Neutrogena template is a great choice. It is already designed with plenty of space to highlight your visuals. 

When it is all said and done, you have the results section to complete a successful client partnership story.

9. Weebly Case Study Template

The Weebly case study template is your choice if you want to add visual flair to your case study. The beautiful layout is a testament to the power of pairing minimal design with an exciting statistic. 

10. Patagonia Case Study Template

The Patagonia case study is a perfect example of how crucial it is to make design choices based on your brand’s unique personality. 

It is a fantastic choice if you have a project to showcase featuring a brand with a distinct brand aesthetic.  

11. Think With Google Case Study Template

The Think With Google case study template tells the story of a mobile game that needed to create more engagement on their app. 

It is a visually impactful case study design template that you can use to tell a compelling story about your results. 

12. Kleenex Case Study Template

This case study template is the perfect way to show off search marketing results for a client or other highly specific KPIs that you managed to accomplish.

Insert the initial challenge followed by your company’s solution and adjust the included data visualization tools to showcase your specific results.

13. Customer Experience Presentation Case Study Template

The presentation case study template is an excellent choice for blending beautiful visual elements with the ability to give detailed information about the results you generated, as well as showcasing that data in a unique format. 

If you are ready to show how the unique features of your product or service drove real world business results then it is a good choice for your case study. 

14. Webinar Presentation Case Study Template

One small business saw incredible results when using Visme to optimize their webinar workflow. They saved 100 hours of their precious time by incorporating our collaborative design tools. 

We designed the small business template using those results as an example. When you have an eye catching effect to showcase to your audience, you can use this template as a starting point. 

Case Study Design Tips

Now that we’ve explored the 14 templates you can use with Visme to create your case study, let’s take a look at some practical design tips that will take your content to the next level. 

Be Brief In Your Case Study 

In discussions about writing with style, brevity is a common topic. However, it’s also an important design principle. 

Brevity in design is when you find the best way to perform your intended objective in as few steps as possible. 

When designing your case study, make sure you do not add extraneous visual elements where they are not needed. Instead, think of the effect you want to have on your reader and try to do it simply. 

Describe Your Vision Clearly

Earlier in this article, I wrote about the north star metric, your case study’s emotional effect and using data to make the case study concrete. Your design choices should serve to reinforce these primary goals. 

Clarity in design is when all of the visual elements add up to a whole. 

A great example of this is in the small business case study template where the shapes, typography and color scheme all emphasize the main idea that Visme helps the reader save time. 

Create A Consistent Style 

Visual consistency is a fundamental design principle that you can not afford to ignore in your case study. It will help you increase readability and make sure your audience does not get frustrated with jarring visual elements. 

In short, a consistent style is when you use a uniform color scheme, typography and the same kinds of visual elements throughout the case study. 

Use A Case Study Template For Readability

Readability is a crucial element of design, especially for case studies that are experienced on mobile devices. Contrast is an impactful readability principle. 

Make sure any contrasting colors you chose are easy on the eye and your reader does not have to strain to read your case study. 

Use Proper Alignment In Your Case Study 

Alignment is one of the principles of design that sets professionally designed business case study templates apart. Great designers have an intuitive eye for the mathematically based ratios of proximity invisible in sound design and an eyesore in lousy design. 

The good news is that you do not have to be a mathematician nor a professional designer to have a perfect alignment for your case study. Visme utilizes an easy to use drag and drop design tool that helps you achieve proper alignment in your case study. 

Let Your Brand Personality Speak

When we make intentional design decisions, we want to create a positive emotional experience for our audience. One of the best ways to do that is to make decisions that showcase your brand’s unique personality .

Is the case study you are creating like a well dressed business person who is serious, trustworthy and capable of doing a great job? Is it more like an extravert at a party bouncing from person to person lighting up the room? 

There is no right answer, but you need to infuse your viewpoint into the case study you create if you want to create a unique design. 

Start Designing Your Case Study Today 

A professionally designed case study template will help you create a stunning case study. While reviewing some high level design strategies is an important step, a tool like Visme will help you make a real impact on your audience.

If you’re ready to create your next case study, get started with Visme today .

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About the Author

Brian Nuckols is a writer working in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He enjoys communicating visionary ideas in clear, action oriented language. When he’s not working on content for a transformative company you can find him analyzing dreams, creating music, and writing poetry.

The 23 Best Graphic Design Portfolios I've Ever Seen, & How to Start Your Own

Published: June 10, 2024

A great graphic design portfolio doesn’t do the work for you, but as an ever-running marketing tool, it can change your life by reeling in new opportunities.

AI-generated design as well as online design platforms like Canva are impacting graphic design hiring, making your portfolio more important than ever before.

So whether you‘re a full-time graphic designer or dabbling in graphic design as a freelancer, it’s critical to create a tailored graphic design portfolio to showcase your work to potential clients.

To that end, I've created a list of over 20 impressive graphic design portfolios, instructions on how you can create your own, and tips to curate the perfect space for your unique work.

Table of Contents

• What is a graphic design portfolio?

Graphic Design Portfolio Website Examples

Where to find inspiration for your design portfolio, how to make a graphic design portfolio, graphic design portfolio ideas, graphic design portfolio tips, what is a graphic design portfolio.

A graphic design portfolio is one of the most important elements a client or employer needs to see when choosing a graphic designer. A portfolio should include a selection of a graphic designer’s best work, as well as professional samples from client projects.

It’s important to note that while there’s definitely still a place for physical portfolios, graphic designer websites can really offer a host of advantages when done well.

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With a decade in the floral design industry, I know from experience how quickly you can share your expertise and create a great impression with an online body of visual work at hand. Mine is simple and has ads on it, but the landing page represents my abilities in pavé design, wedding work, and high style.

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6. Gail Anderson

Chong added, “Mockups are great at showing your visual design skills, but don't necessarily demonstrate your ability to work in a real-world context, so you'll want to take the time to explain how you would have approached it in a true business setting.”

4. Create graphic design materials for a made-up company.

If your designs are impressive enough, potential clients won't care that you created them for a fictitious company. In fact, you could impress them with your innovation and creativity.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Blog Graphic Design 15+ Case Study Examples for Business, Marketing & Sales

15+ Case Study Examples for Business, Marketing & Sales

Written by: Alice Corner Jan 12, 2023

Have you ever bought something — within the last 10 years or so — without reading its reviews or without a recommendation or prior experience of using it?

If the answer is no — or at least, rarely — you get my point.

Positive reviews matter for selling to regular customers, and for B2B or SaaS businesses, detailed case studies are important too.

Wondering how to craft a compelling case study ? No worries—I’ve got you covered with 15 marketing case study templates , helpful tips, and examples to ensure your case study converts effectively.

Click to jump ahead:

What is a case study?

What to include in a professional case study, business case study examples, simple case study examples, marketing case study examples, sales case study examples.

• Case study FAQs

A case study is an in-depth, detailed analysis of a specific real-world situation. For example, a case study can be about an individual, group, event, organization, or phenomenon. The purpose of a case study is to understand its complexities and gain insights into a particular instance or situation.

In the context of a business, however, case studies take customer success stories and explore how they use your product to help them achieve their business goals.

As well as being valuable marketing tools , case studies are a good way to evaluate your product as it allows you to objectively examine how others are using it.

It’s also a good way to interview your customers about why they work with you.

Related: What is a Case Study? [+6 Types of Case Studies]

A professional case study showcases how your product or services helped potential clients achieve their business goals. You can also create case studies of internal, successful marketing projects. A professional case study typically includes:

• Company background and history
• The challenge
• How you helped
• Specific actions taken
• Visuals or Data
• Client testimonials

Here’s an example of a case study template:

Whether you’re a B2B or B2C company, business case studies can be a powerful resource to help with your sales, marketing, and even internal departmental awareness.

Business and business management case studies should encompass strategic insights alongside anecdotal and qualitative findings, like in the business case study examples below.

Conduct a B2B case study by researching the company holistically

When it comes to writing a case study, make sure you approach the company holistically and analyze everything from their social media to their sales.

Think about every avenue your product or service has been of use to your case study company, and ask them about the impact this has had on their wider company goals.

In business case study examples like the one above, we can see that the company has been thought about holistically simply by the use of icons.

By combining social media icons with icons that show in-person communication we know that this is a well-researched and thorough case study.

This case study report example could also be used within an annual or end-of-year report.

Highlight the key takeaway from your marketing case study

To create a compelling case study, identify the key takeaways from your research. Use catchy language to sum up this information in a sentence, and present this sentence at the top of your page.

This is “at a glance” information and it allows people to gain a top-level understanding of the content immediately. 

You can use a large, bold, contrasting font to help this information stand out from the page and provide interest.

Learn  how to choose fonts  effectively with our Venngage guide and once you’ve done that.

Upload your fonts and  brand colors  to Venngage using the  My Brand Kit  tool and see them automatically applied to your designs.

The heading is the ideal place to put the most impactful information, as this is the first thing that people will read.

In this example, the stat of “Increase[d] lead quality by 90%” is used as the header. It makes customers want to read more to find out how exactly lead quality was increased by such a massive amount.

If you’re conducting an in-person interview, you could highlight a direct quote or insight provided by your interview subject.

Pick out a catchy sentence or phrase, or the key piece of information your interview subject provided and use that as a way to draw a potential customer in.

Use charts to visualize data in your business case studies

Charts are an excellent way to visualize data and to bring statistics and information to life. Charts make information easier to understand and to illustrate trends or patterns.

Making charts is even easier with Venngage.

In this consulting case study example, we can see that a chart has been used to demonstrate the difference in lead value within the Lead Elves case study.

Adding a chart here helps break up the information and add visual value to the case study. 

Using charts in your case study can also be useful if you’re creating a project management case study.

You could use a Gantt chart or a project timeline to show how you have managed the project successfully.

Use direct quotes to build trust in your marketing case study

To add an extra layer of authenticity you can include a direct quote from your customer within your case study.

According to research from Nielsen , 92% of people will trust a recommendation from a peer and 70% trust recommendations even if they’re from somebody they don’t know.

So if you have a customer or client who can’t stop singing your praises, make sure you get a direct quote from them and include it in your case study.

You can either lift part of the conversation or interview, or you can specifically request a quote. Make sure to ask for permission before using the quote.

This design uses a bright contrasting speech bubble to show that it includes a direct quote, and helps the quote stand out from the rest of the text.

This will help draw the customer’s attention directly to the quote, in turn influencing them to use your product or service.

Less is often more, and this is especially true when it comes to creating designs. Whilst you want to create a professional-looking, well-written and design case study – there’s no need to overcomplicate things.

These simple case study examples show that smart clean designs and informative content can be an effective way to showcase your successes.

Use colors and fonts to create a professional-looking case study

Business case studies shouldn’t be boring. In fact, they should be beautifully and professionally designed.

This means the normal rules of design apply. Use fonts, colors, and icons to create an interesting and visually appealing case study.

In this case study example, we can see how multiple fonts have been used to help differentiate between the headers and content, as well as complementary colors and eye-catching icons.

Marketing case studies are incredibly useful for showing your marketing successes. Every successful marketing campaign relies on influencing a consumer’s behavior, and a great case study can be a great way to spotlight your biggest wins.

In the marketing case study examples below, a variety of designs and techniques to create impactful and effective case studies.

Show off impressive results with a bold marketing case study

Case studies are meant to show off your successes, so make sure you feature your positive results prominently. Using bold and bright colors as well as contrasting shapes, large bold fonts, and simple icons is a great way to highlight your wins.

In well-written case study examples like the one below, the big wins are highlighted on the second page with a bright orange color and are highlighted in circles.

Making the important data stand out is especially important when attracting a prospective customer with marketing case studies.

Use a simple but clear layout in your case study

Using a simple layout in your case study can be incredibly effective, like in the example of a case study below.

Keeping a clean white background, and using slim lines to help separate the sections is an easy way to format your case study.

Making the information clear helps draw attention to the important results, and it helps improve the  accessibility of the design .

Business case study examples like this would sit nicely within a larger report, with a consistent layout throughout.

Use visuals and icons to create an engaging and branded business case study

Nobody wants to read pages and pages of text — and that’s why Venngage wants to help you communicate your ideas visually.

Using icons, graphics, photos, or patterns helps create a much more engaging design. 

With this Blue Cap case study icons, colors, and impactful pattern designs have been used to create an engaging design that catches your eye.

Use a monochromatic color palette to create a professional and clean case study

Let your research shine by using a monochromatic and minimalistic color palette.

By sticking to one color, and leaving lots of blank space you can ensure your design doesn’t distract a potential customer from your case study content.

In this case study on Polygon Media, the design is simple and professional, and the layout allows the prospective customer to follow the flow of information.

The gradient effect on the left-hand column helps break up the white background and adds an interesting visual effect.

Did you know you can generate an accessible color palette with Venngage? Try our free accessible color palette generator today and create a case study that delivers and looks pleasant to the eye:

Add long term goals in your case study

When creating a case study it’s a great idea to look at both the short term and the long term goals of the company to gain the best understanding possible of the insights they provide.

Short-term goals will be what the company or person hopes to achieve in the next few months, and long-term goals are what the company hopes to achieve in the next few years.

Check out this modern pattern design example of a case study below:

In this case study example, the short and long-term goals are clearly distinguished by light blue boxes and placed side by side so that they are easy to compare.

Use a strong introductory paragraph to outline the overall strategy and goals before outlining the specific short-term and long-term goals to help with clarity.

This strategy can also be handy when creating a consulting case study.

Use data to make concrete points about your sales and successes

When conducting any sort of research stats, facts, and figures are like gold dust (aka, really valuable).

Being able to quantify your findings is important to help understand the information fully. Saying sales increased 10% is much more effective than saying sales increased.

While sales dashboards generally tend it make it all about the numbers and charts, in sales case study examples, like this one, the key data and findings can be presented with icons. This contributes to the potential customer’s better understanding of the report.

They can clearly comprehend the information and it shows that the case study has been well researched.

Use emotive, persuasive, or action based language in your marketing case study

Create a compelling case study by using emotive, persuasive and action-based language when customizing your case study template.

In this well-written case study example, we can see that phrases such as “Results that Speak Volumes” and “Drive Sales” have been used.

Using persuasive language like you would in a blog post. It helps inspire potential customers to take action now.

Keep your potential customers in mind when creating a customer case study for marketing

82% of marketers use case studies in their marketing  because it’s such an effective tool to help quickly gain customers’ trust and to showcase the potential of your product.

Why are case studies such an important tool in content marketing?

By writing a case study you’re telling potential customers that they can trust you because you’re showing them that other people do.

Not only that, but if you have a SaaS product, business case studies are a great way to show how other people are effectively using your product in their company.

In this case study, Network is demonstrating how their product has been used by Vortex Co. with great success; instantly showing other potential customers that their tool works and is worth using.

Related: 10+ Case Study Infographic Templates That Convert

Case studies are particularly effective as a sales technique.

A sales case study is like an extended customer testimonial, not only sharing opinions of your product – but showcasing the results you helped your customer achieve.

Make impactful statistics pop in your sales case study

Writing a case study doesn’t mean using text as the only medium for sharing results.

You should use icons to highlight areas of your research that are particularly interesting or relevant, like in this example of a case study:

Icons are a great way to help summarize information quickly and can act as visual cues to help draw the customer’s attention to certain areas of the page.

In some of the business case study examples above, icons are used to represent the impressive areas of growth and are presented in a way that grabs your attention.

Use high contrast shapes and colors to draw attention to key information in your sales case study

Help the key information stand out within your case study by using high contrast shapes and colors.

Use a complementary or contrasting color, or use a shape such as a rectangle or a circle for maximum impact.

This design has used dark blue rectangles to help separate the information and make it easier to read.

Coupled with icons and strong statistics, this information stands out on the page and is easily digestible and retainable for a potential customer.

Case study examples summary

Once you have created your case study, it’s best practice to update your examples on a regular basis to include up-to-date statistics, data, and information.

You should update your business case study examples often if you are sharing them on your website .

It’s also important that your case study sits within your brand guidelines – find out how Venngage’s My Brand Kit tool can help you create consistently branded case study templates.

Case studies are important marketing tools – but they shouldn’t be the only tool in your toolbox. Content marketing is also a valuable way to earn consumer trust.

Case study FAQ s

Why should you write a case study.

Case studies are an effective marketing technique to engage potential customers and help build trust.

By producing case studies featuring your current clients or customers, you are showcasing how your tool or product can be used. You’re also showing that other people endorse your product.

In addition to being a good way to gather positive testimonials from existing customers, business case studies are good educational resources and can be shared amongst your company or team, and used as a reference for future projects.

How should you write a case study?

To create a great case study, you should think strategically. The first step, before starting your case study research, is to think about what you aim to learn or what you aim to prove.

You might be aiming to learn how a company makes sales or develops a new product. If this is the case, base your questions around this.

You can learn more about writing a case study  from our extensive guide.

Related: How to Present a Case Study like a Pro (With Examples)

Some good questions you could ask would be:

• Why do you use our tool or service?
• How often do you use our tool or service?
• What does the process of using our product look like to you?
• If our product didn’t exist, what would you be doing instead?
• What is the number one benefit you’ve found from using our tool?

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