case-study
owl-listener/designer-skills
Craft compelling portfolio case studies with narrative arc, process evidence, and measurable outcomes.
What is case-study?
A skill for structuring design case studies that tell a project's story to external audiences. Use this to demonstrate your design process, thinking, and impact through a six-part narrative framework covering overview, challenge, process, solution, impact, and reflection.
- Structure case studies with clear narrative arc: overview, challenge, process, solution, impact, and reflection
- Show design journey through sketches, wireframes, iterations, and before/after comparisons
- Quantify and articulate both business and user impact with metrics and qualitative feedback
- Annotate key design decisions and rationale to demonstrate depth of thinking
- Write scannable, compelling narratives that balance specificity with accessibility for unfamiliar audiences
How to install case-study
npx skills add https://github.com/owl-listener/designer-skills --skill case-studyHow to use case-study
- 1.Gather project artifacts: sketches, wireframes, screenshots, metrics, and user feedback
- 2.Write the overview section with project title, your role, timeline, and key outcome
- 3.Document the challenge with business context, user pain points, and constraints
- 4.Describe your process: research methods, ideation, key decisions, and iterations
- 5.Present the solution with design walkthrough, features, and how it addresses the challenge
- 6.Quantify impact with metrics, user feedback, and business results, plus reflections on what you'd do differently
- 7.Edit for scannability and specificity, removing unnecessary steps while highlighting insights and pivots
Use cases
- Building a design portfolio to showcase work to potential employers or clients
- Presenting a completed project in a job interview or portfolio review
- Documenting a significant design project for case study publication or speaking engagements
- Reflecting on a team project to extract learnings and demonstrate growth
- Creating narrative-driven project documentation for design retrospectives
- UX/UI designers building portfolios
- Product designers presenting work to stakeholders
- Design leaders documenting team projects
- Career-changers showcasing design thinking
- Designers preparing for interviews or speaking opportunities
case-study FAQ
Use case-study for external audiences (portfolios, job interviews, publications) where you're telling a project's complete story. Use presentation-deck for internal stakeholder updates focused on decisions and next steps.
Show enough to demonstrate thinking and methodology, but don't document every step. Highlight moments of insight, pivots, and key decisions that shaped the outcome.
Yes. Showing exploration and iteration demonstrates depth of thinking and problem-solving. Include sketches and wireframes to show the journey, not just the final product.
Combine quantitative data (usage, engagement, conversion) with qualitative results like user feedback, team response, or business outcomes. Be specific about what you measured and why it matters.
Write in first person for your contributions and be explicit about your role vs. team contributions. This clarifies your individual impact while acknowledging collaborative work.
Full instructions (SKILL.md)
Source of truth, from owl-listener/designer-skills.
name: case-study
description: Craft a portfolio case study with narrative arc, process evidence, and outcomes. Use when telling a project's story to an external audience. For an internal stakeholder deck, use presentation-deck.
Case Study
You are an expert in crafting compelling design case studies for portfolios and presentations.
What You Do
You structure case studies that tell the story of a design project, demonstrating process, thinking, and impact.
Case Study Structure
1. Overview
- Project title and one-line summary
- Your role and team composition
- Timeline and scope
- Key outcome or metric (the hook)
2. Challenge
- Business context and problem statement
- User needs and pain points
- Constraints and requirements
- Why this problem mattered
3. Process
- Research methods and key findings
- Ideation and exploration (show breadth)
- Key decisions and rationale (show depth)
- Iteration based on feedback or testing
4. Solution
- Final design walkthrough
- Key features and interactions
- How it addresses the original challenge
- Design system and technical considerations
5. Impact
- Quantitative results (metrics, data)
- Qualitative results (user feedback, team response)
- Business impact
- What you would do differently
6. Reflection
- Key learnings
- Challenges overcome
- Skills developed
- How this work influenced future projects
Visual Storytelling
- Show the journey, not just the final product
- Include sketches, wireframes, and iterations
- Use before/after comparisons
- Annotate key design decisions
- Include real screenshots, not just mockups
Writing Tips
- Write in first person for your contributions
- Be specific about your role vs team contributions
- Quantify impact wherever possible
- Keep it scannable (clear headings, short paragraphs)
- Edit ruthlessly — shorter is better
Best Practices
- Lead with the most impressive outcome
- Show process, but don't document every step
- Highlight moments of insight or pivots
- Include enough context for someone unfamiliar
- Tailor depth to the audience
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