Portfolio cases are not just pictures of work, but an opportunity to demonstrate professionalism and approach to solving problems. With their help, a potential client evaluates the level of skills. In order for everything to look convincing, it is important to know how to design portfolio cases correctly. We will provide a clear algorithm that will allow you to correctly present experience and achievements.

Selection of projects

Select 3-5 best projects. Don’t add too many – focus on the strongest ones. These can be both commercial works and personal projects , as long as they reflect real results. 

In the first case, you will show how you solve your clients’ problems. For example, you worked on updating the website of a large online store. In this case, it is important to note which actions helped increase conversion, improve user experience or speed up page loading. 

While personal works can tell about your approach to self-realization. Usually these are educational projects. A well-promoted blog or material made with an expert would be a good example. This way you will show initiative, creativity and desire to develop in the field.

Case structure

The correct structure is the basis that helps not only to clearly convey information, but also to make the work as understandable as possible. Each block should be logically structured so that the reader can easily follow the approach to solving the problem, what tools were used and what result was obtained. It is important not just to show, but to explain why your approach is effective.

Try to use headings for each section. This way, the reader will be able to quickly navigate the story. Provide data and metrics – conversion growth, time savings, or cost reduction. This helps to see the real value of your product. Putting numbers in the headings also works well. For example: “How this approach increased conversion by N%.”

Project name

The name is the first thing a person looks at when viewing a portfolio, so it should be short, clear and memorable. Good naming helps create a first impression of the project and attracts attention without overloading with information.

If you were designing a website for an online clothing store, a name like Redesign FashionShop would immediately make it clear that this was a redesign project. Or if you were creating a budgeting app, a name like MyFinance Tracker would be easy to understand and would convey the essence of the work.

Client Description

In this section, it is important to clearly indicate who your client was, what they did, and what field they worked in. For example, if the client is a large company, this emphasizes experience working with large projects. If it is a startup or a non-profit organization, it demonstrates your ability to adapt and work in different conditions.

Example:

“I worked with FashionShop, an online store that specializes in selling fashionable clothing and accessories for women. The company is popular in the e-commerce sector and is focused on a youth audience, offering stylish and affordable products. FashionShop planned to expand the range and improve the user experience on the site to increase conversion and customer retention.”

Problem

The task is to clearly and understandably explain what the customer encountered and why help was needed. Maybe his site was loading poorly, or maybe the whole problem was in incorrectly configured advertising. 

This is not necessarily a problem in the usual sense. Sometimes it is formulated as a request: “Create a convenient and attractive website design”, “Develop strategies to increase audience trust”. It is important to show that the client would not have coped without your participation, and explain how you approached the solution.

Example:

“The site was difficult to use, which caused conversion to drop. The mobile version of the service was inconvenient, navigation was difficult, and pages loaded slowly. The client noticed a drop in repeat purchases and high bounce rates, which required urgent intervention. The task was to redesign the site, improve functionality and increase its performance.”

Solution

To solve a problem, it is important to describe the work process in detail to demonstrate a professional approach. Tell us what stages were completed: from analyzing the problem and drawing up a plan to implementing solutions. 

Specify what methods and tools were used to achieve the set goals. Such a detailed analysis will show that your approach is systematic and results-oriented.

Were there any difficulties during the work? Write about them too. What was the hitch? What methods of elimination were considered? How did this affect the overall dynamics of the project? There is no need to describe the solution to all the problems in too much detail – focus only on the most significant ones. It is better to do it in a story format, that is, tell the client a story.

Results

Show what you have achieved during the work. For example, you changed the text on the main page, and this increased the number of clicks to other sections of the site. You can show a new design that looks better than the old one.

Note that after implementing the solutions, the metrics improved by a certain percentage, the project began to function more efficiently, or caused a positive resonance with the audience. Using specific numbers and facts helps make the portfolio more convincing and professional. You can request data from the client you worked with.

Conclusions

It is important to highlight what lessons were learned from the completed project and how the experience affected it. Tell us what skills you managed to improve: working with new tools, the ability to solve non-standard problems, or communication with clients.

This section demonstrates the ability to not only successfully complete tasks, but also to learn at every stage of the work. This approach emphasizes openness to development and attention to detail.

Visual elements

Work on the appearance. Even if it is a dry marketing analysis, it can be presented as infographics. If there is no opportunity or desire to work on the design, then simply good design will be enough – readable text, highlighting important points in bold, correctly placed indents.

It is very important for designers, editors and other representatives of creative professions to work on visuals. But you shouldn’t forget about the content either. On Behance, a successful case design always includes visualization and analytics. Beautifully designed layouts, process images “before and after”, animations or short videos significantly increase audience engagement.

It is important to use convenient tools to work with visual materials. If you want to create high-quality presentations, you can download VideoMONTAZH . This program allows you to easily process content, add effects and prepare memorable videos for your portfolio.

Format

It should correspond to the target audience and the task. It can be a text document, presentation or web page. For platforms like Behance or Dribbble, projects in graphic and video formats are suitable, and for sending to the client – a compact presentation in PDF with a clear structure and bright visual elements. The case can be designed as a small interactive site.

Feedback

Write the company name, the person’s name, their contacts and the text of the review. It would be great if the client tells how they worked with you at each stage, accompanying the case with comments.

If there is feedback on this project on publicly accessible platforms, then provide a link to it. This will increase trust, since the reviews will be genuine.

Relevance

Regularly updating your portfolio is the key to its effectiveness. Add new cases that reflect your current skills and achievements, and delete outdated work. There is no need to tell how you developed a website 10 years ago – technologies and approaches have already completely changed. But something new using non-standard solutions and popular technologies is definitely worth adding.

Results

Now you know how to create a portfolio case. Display only the best projects, structure them correctly and indicate what result the customer received. Regular updating is also necessary to maintain relevance and attractiveness.