Key takeaways
Lead with the outcome in the first two sentences
Use five parts: context, problem, process, decision, result
Show one key decision in depth instead of every screen
Keep it under 1,000 words and 8 images
Most portfolio case studies lose the reader by the second scroll. Here is the structure our mentors use instead.
Start with the decision
Before you write a word, name the one decision this work helped someone make. Everything else in the piece should support that sentence or be cut.
Show the messy middle
Readers trust work that shows what did not go to plan. One honest dead end does more for your credibility than ten polished screens.
End with what changed
Finish with the result and what you would do next. Keep it short. The reader should leave knowing exactly what you are good at.
Written by
Amara Hale
Leads checkout and payments design. Has reviewed more than four hundred portfolios and still reads every case study to the end.
