Tips for building your Case Studies
Considerations for selecting projects
Submit your highest-level professional work, not your most varied. Evaluators are not looking for a range of project types. They are looking for depth of professional practice. In-house designers, in particular, should feel confident submitting work produced under a single brand; strong, career-defining work within one context is more valuable than submitting weaker freelance pieces.
What Evaluators are looking for in your case studies
Your case studies are your opportunity to present the finest work of your career thus far. More than just evaluating the visual quality of your work, Certification Evaluators are equally focused on evaluating how you think, make decisions and navigate the full complexity of a real project.
Strong case studies go beyond describing deliverables. They explain the decisions made along the way — what was explored, what was discarded, how feedback was incorporated and how your contributions shaped the outcome. Include process artefacts (sketches, iterations, annotations) to lead Evaluators through the development of the work. This is not optional — process work is a key part of what Evaluators are assessing.
Where possible, include evidence of impact: client feedback, analytics or qualitative or quantitative outcomes that demonstrate the work achieved its goals.
Focus on professional practice
A case study that demonstrates complex problem-solving and thoughtful decision-making will always be more compelling than one with a polished result but little process depth. Choose projects that give you the most to say—not necessarily the most varied work, and not necessarily the most polished outcome.
Evaluators want to hear how you operate as a professional. In your write-ups, address:
- The decisions you made — and why
- How you navigated feedback, constraints or unexpected challenges
- The business or strategic rationale behind the work
- Your specific contributions, especially on collaborative projects
Things to keep in mind before you submit
- Carefully review and edit your case studies
- Be concise; remove unnecessary words and phrases
- Check spelling
- Check grammar
- Ask someone else to proofread
Consistency: All case studies should have a consistent writing style.
Collaboration: If one of your projects was a collaborative effort, clearly explain your role and responsibilities.
Assumptions: While the certification reviewers are all designers, they are looking for you to demonstrate your knowledge, approach and workflow of the project. Don't make assumptions about what designers will know about a typical design process.
Design Principles: Ensure design principles are exemplified throughout the case studies (and also referenced in your portfolio presentation).
Solution: If possible, use quantitative and/or qualitative metrics to demonstrate how the project successfully solved the design problem, ultimately meeting the client's goals (i.e. client growth, website analytics, client quotes, and/or any details that help explain)
Business: When possible, demonstrate and discuss how the design solved the business need. For In-House Candidates, if working with brand guidelines, when possible, please include them with your submission and reference how they were used during your presentation.
