Template for writing Case Studies...game changer

For the past year I have been working on a UX|UI Bootcamp through Springboard. I came into it with virtually no knowledge of what UX was or about visual design. I come from an academic background. Writing for academic research versus writing for UX in a case study are totally different skill sets and mind sets. In academic writing we tend to be very wordy. There are different audiences for both. Sometimes they align. However usually they are quite different. The purpose for academic writing is usually for publications. In UX it is focused more on the user's experiences and on the product itself and what problem it solves for the user.

I have struggled with writing my case studies. I used the rubric provided by Springboard but still I was wordy. My designs that were shown were not purposeful. I showed everything, where I now realize it is only necessary to display when there is a shift from one stage to another, or that it dramatically impacts the user. I was really wordy. I was writing like I was writing an academic paper, not a UX Case study.

Recently, I found a template after attending workshops, searching for articles on how to write better case studies. The template was found in this Medium article . The template helped me focus my writing to be more focused on the user. It also helped me realize that I didn't have to show EVERYTHING. I only needed to show where there was a change. Keeping in mind the purpose of the case study leads to better writing.

As I am new to UX, it is constant work to refine your skills as a designer, researcher, and writer. I am continuing to work at writing better case studies. They may not be perfect yet, but I am working on it. This template has made a huge impact in writing better case studies.