Estimated reading time : 3 min · Published
Choose work you are allowed to show
Start with completed work or a project mature enough to describe accurately. Check which pages, screenshots, photographs, names and quotations may be published and with what attribution. If permission is missing, anonymise the case or describe a general method without presenting it as a named client reference.
Choose examples that differ by the problem addressed and deliverable, rather than building a gallery of similar thumbnails. One page might explain an editorial redesign; another could show a better contact journey. Diversity should come from real work, not invented categories.
- Project, period and permissions recorded.
- Image rights confirmed.
- Distinct problem for each selected case.
Explain the starting point and scope
Describe the organisation and its need at the level of detail it has approved. What was difficult for visitors or the internal team? Which content, tools and constraints already existed? A reader should understand why the work was requested before seeing the solution.
Define your role precisely: advice, copy, design, development, migration, maintenance or coordination. Do not claim work carried out by the client or a partner. Name important dependencies, such as receiving photographs or having copy approved.
- Observable starting situation.
- Exact project scope.
- Client and partner contributions.
Show decisions and their reasons
Pick two or three decisions that demonstrate the work: reorganising navigation, clarifying a service or simplifying a form. For each, explain the alternative considered and why the final option was chosen. A before-and-after image is useful when the two states are dated and comparable.
Explain what was outside scope when that helps readers interpret the result. A faster site may depend on better prepared images; a new form alone does not prove more sales. Connect every illustration to the step being described.
- Two or three explained decisions.
- Contextualised and captioned visuals.
- Project limits visible.
Report outcomes with their measurement method
When publishing a number, give its period, metric and source. Compare reasonably similar situations and mention other changes that prevent you from attributing every effect to the website. Without reliable measurement, describe a verifiable deliverable instead: pages released, a journey tested or a procedure handed over.
Testimonials should come from the named person and be used with permission. Avoid unconfirmed ratings, percentages and client logos. A modest documented result is more useful to a prospective client than a spectacular claim that cannot be checked.
- Metric, period and source for each figure.
- Quotation and identity approved before publication.
- Unmeasured outcomes described honestly.
Connect the case to the next decision
End with what was delivered, what remains the client’s responsibility and which lessons could apply to a similar project. Link to the relevant service and offer a simple way to discuss a comparable need without suggesting that the same result is guaranteed.
Review case studies when the featured site changes, screenshots age or permission is withdrawn. Evidence should remain true over time. The editorial maintenance guide can include this check.
- Deliverables and limitations summarised.
- Link to the relevant service.
- Review date and approver named.
Reference documents
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