A visual guide to writing portfolio case studies

Case studies are the foundation of a designer’s portfolio. They are also the main reason we procrastinate on our portfolio. Laying out a nice homepage is easy. Writing about our projects, on the other hand, feels like a daunting task:

Where do we begin?
What details do we include?
How long is too long, how short is too short?
What structure should it follow?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in talking with almost 30 companies in our How to Get a Job at X series, it’s that they want to see context in your portfolio. A recruiter can see dozens of beautiful designs you created, but without understanding your process and personality, they won’t mean much.

Semplice, our portfolio system for creatives, is built on case studies. My team has reviewed countless online portfolios and learned what makes a compelling case study, and what makes us yawn and exit fast. So we thought we’d make a fun little guide for you:

→ Read the Semplice guide to writing great case studies

We hope these simple steps make case studies less intimidating and more enjoyable — for the designers writing them and the potential employers reading them.

Happy writing,
Tobias and the team at Semplice