LESSON 2
Write Your Case Study Content Quickly and Easily
Welcome to ✨ Lesson 2: Write Your Case Study Content Quickly and Easily ✨
In lesson 1, we reviewed CLARIFY and LINK from the Clear Framework.
Today, we will be going through ESTABLISH and ARTICULATE.
After completing the activity from Lesson 1, you will have your process clarified with your design tasks and activities linked to different stages of a design process.
The next step is to create the outline for writing your case study.
Step 3: ESTABLISH an order for your activities
This is where you need an outline template to make it easier to order your activities.
I recommend starting using my template below. I’ll send you the Notion link for this template at the end of this email.
This is the exact outline template I use for every case study I write.
📝 Task: Order your activities
⏰ Spend 10 minutes on this
Take all the activities you added to your Double Diamond and place them into the outline template where it says [Activity/framework/methodology] in the order you completed them.
Download outline template here
📝 Task: Add supporting visuals
⏰ Spend 10 minutes on this
Next, look over your project work and documentation to pick an image that shows each activity.
By the end of this task, you’ll have your entire project structured according to your design process with supporting visuals. It will look something like this:
Step 3: Articulate what you did for each activity
Now comes the best part!
With your case study outline ready, it’s time to write about what you did for each activity. Your main goal here is to communicate the value of your contributions in solving the design problem.
A common mistake I see many designers make is that they fail to showcase their skills and expertise; they simply describe what they did.
You might be wondering, "How do I communicate the value of my work?".
The answer lies in a foundational writing framework I teach in my program, Case Study Craft: the Value-Based Writing Structure (VBWS). This framework will guide you on what to write and how to write it:
What I did
This is all about articulating what you did for your project. This is a simple one.
Describe the tasks, activities, methodologies, and frameworks you used. This is straightforward—you’ve already done this in Lesson 1! ✅
Why I did it
Reflect on the value this activity brought to the project, business, or users. Ask yourself: Why did I choose to do this task? What were my goals?
How I did it
Use this section to highlight your soft and hard skills.
Explain how you approached the activity and showcase your expertise in different design methodologies.
The decision I made
Share what you learned from this activity and how it influenced your next steps in the project.
What information did you learn that helped you make a specific decision in your project?
Additional details
Include any relevant nuances that can further sell your skills. Consider these questions:
Did I overcome any challenges?
Were there any constraints that made this task more challenging?
Was there anything interesting that happened during this activity?
Examples
📝 Task: Answer the questions from the Value-Based Writing Structure for your activities
⏰ Spend 20 minutes - 60 minutes on this
Try to answer as many questions from the Value-Based Writing Structure as possible for each of your design activities.
If you’re short on time, I suggest focusing on questions 1, 2, and 4!
By the end of the hour, you’ll have a solid chunk of your case study written, and you can keep building on it in hour-long sessions whenever you have time.
Good luck and I’ll see you in tomorrow’s lesson!