Crafting an Effective UX Case Study to Land Your Dream Job
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Introduction to UX Case Studies
In my quest to contribute valuable content to the UX and Product Design community, I reached out on Twitter to see what topics were of interest. One designer expressed a desire to learn how to create a standard case study. I, too, faced challenges when starting out, so I felt compelled to share my insights to assist fellow designers eager to break into the UX field. Let’s dive in!
Why Is a Case Study Essential?
While presenting polished final deliverables may suffice for personal projects, sharing your design journey with potential employers or clients is crucial. A well-documented case study illustrates your process and decision-making, enhancing the value of your work. The narrative behind a design is what truly elevates it; anyone can replicate a logo, but only its creator understands the story behind it.
Hero Image — Capture Attention
Select 2-3 key screens that best represent your project and create a visually appealing hero image. This is your chance to make a strong first impression.
Tip: Ensure that the visuals enhance, rather than dictate, your hero image.
Essential Information — What Should Readers Know?
After the title and brief description, provide additional context such as the timeline, team composition, your specific role, platform, tools used, and the industry. This information helps readers grasp the background of your project.
Example:
- Timeline: 8 Weeks (Mid Feb 2022 — Mid March 2022)
- Team: 1 PM, 2 Front-End Developers, 1 Back-End Developer, 1 QA, 1 UX Designer (Myself)
- Platform: Mobile
- Tools Used: Confluence, Miro, FigJam, Figma
- Industry: FinTech
Introduction — Overview of Your Project
Begin your case study with a concise paragraph summarizing the product or company, giving readers context for your design efforts.
Tip: Keep your writing direct and to the point; avoid unnecessary fluff to maintain reader interest. Consider placing a disclaimer upfront to clarify any potential misunderstandings.
Problem Statement — Identifying Challenges
Avoid initiating a project solely to enhance aesthetics. In real-world scenarios, projects begin with the identification of issues that could negatively impact user experience, revenue, or security. Document how you recognized the problem, including any tests, surveys, or interviews conducted, and share the findings. If your results diverged from initial assumptions, discuss how this influenced your approach.
Examples:
- Users struggle with creating their first Reels on Instagram.
- Customers who completed KYC aren't topping up their accounts.
- Unclear refund processes lead to numerous customer service inquiries.
Tip: For personal projects lacking data access, leverage online resources like user comments from app stores or credible forums to showcase your problem discovery skills.
Goals — Defining Your Objectives
Clearly outline your project goals, specifying what you aim to achieve and including measurable objectives.
Examples:
- Encourage users to upload their first Reels — Target a 20% conversion of monthly active users who have posted in the last three months.
- Increase first-time top-up actions — Aim for 50% of KYC-compliant users to complete their first top-up by Q3 2022.
- Minimize customer service inquiries — Strive to reduce refund-related inquiries by 70% by adding a FAQ section in the chatbot.
Design — Presenting Your Solution
Discuss your proposed solutions based on your research, showcasing early ideation, iterations, and usability tests that led to your final design. Include sketches, wireframes, user flows, journey maps, high-fidelity designs, and prototypes. A before-and-after comparison can effectively highlight your improvements.
Tip: For larger projects, establish design principles to ensure consistency in your decisions and double-check that any prototype links are functional.
Conclusion — Reflecting on Impact
Conclude by discussing the impact of your design if it has been launched. If it's a personal project, share what you learned and what you might approach differently in the future.
This video offers a comprehensive walkthrough of a UX case study that led to a job at Google, providing insights into the process and outcomes.
In this video, the creator shares their journey of crafting a UX case study that resulted in a successful hiring experience, detailing the steps and strategies used.
If you found this guide helpful, consider following my Twitter for more insights. Feel free to share your thoughts or questions about UX design in the comments!