• The Power of Researching New Markets: A Guide to Expanding Your Business Globally
  • How to Overcome Obstacles and Setbacks: A Comprehensive Guide
  • Creating a Vision and Mission Statement: A Guide for Strategic Planning and Setting Business Goals
  • The Power of SMART Goal Setting
  • International expansion
  • Adapting to cultural differences
  • Navigating legal requirements
  • Researching new markets
  • Franchising and licensing
  • Managing franchisees and licensees
  • Understanding licensing agreements
  • Exploring franchising opportunities
  • E-commerce strategies
  • Creating an online presence
  • Utilizing e-commerce platforms
  • Implementing digital marketing
  • Market analysis
  • Identifying target market
  • Competitor analysis
  • SWOT analysis
  • Developing a business plan
  • Executive summary
  • Marketing and sales plan
  • Company overview
  • Setting business goals
  • Prioritizing business objectives
  • Creating a vision and mission statement
  • SMART goal setting
  • Customer acquisition strategies
  • Customer loyalty programs
  • Targeted marketing campaigns
  • Referral programs
  • Product and service expansion
  • Introducing new products/services
  • Expanding current offerings
  • Diversifying revenue streams
  • Networking and partnerships
  • Building professional relationships
  • Collaborating with other businesses
  • Utilizing social media for networking
  • Market trends and analysis
  • Identifying industry trends
  • Analyzing customer behavior
  • Adjusting business strategies accordingly
  • New technology and innovation
  • Researching emerging technologies
  • Staying ahead of the competition
  • Implementing new tools and processes
  • Partnerships and collaborations
  • Team up with complementary businesses
  • Expand reach through joint ventures
  • Collaborate on new products/services
  • Diversification
  • Expanding into new markets
  • Adding new product lines/services
  • Investing in different industries
  • Vertical integration
  • Controlling production process
  • Acquiring suppliers or distributors
  • Increasing efficiency and profitability
  • Horizontal expansion
  • Acquiring or merging with competitors
  • Expanding into new regions/territories
  • Scaling up operations
  • Real-life examples
  • Inspiration and motivation for growth
  • Analyzing real companies and scenarios
  • Applying strategies to own business
  • Challenges and solutions
  • Overcoming obstacles and setbacks
  • Identifying roadblocks to growth
  • Developing effective solutions
  • Success stories
  • Sharing growth and expansion results
  • Lessons learned from case studies
  • Highlighting successful strategies
  • Case studies
  • Lessons Learned from Case Studies: How to Succeed in Any Situation

Discover the main takeaways from case studies and how they can help you succeed in any situation. This article will cover all the important lessons learned from successful case studies.

Lessons Learned from Case Studies: How to Succeed in Any Situation

Welcome to our article on the valuable lessons learned from case studies. In today's fast-paced world, it is essential to constantly learn and adapt in order to succeed in any situation. That's where case studies come in - real-life stories that provide us with insights and strategies for navigating through challenges and achieving success. In this article, we will delve into the world of case studies and explore the key takeaways that can help us thrive in any situation. Whether you're a business owner, a student, or simply looking for inspiration, these lessons learned from real-life experiences are sure to provide you with valuable insights and tips for success. So, sit back, relax, and get ready to learn from some of the most inspiring and enlightening case studies out there.

Whether you're facing a personal or professional challenge, these lessons will equip you with the tools and mindset needed to overcome any obstacle and achieve your goals. Let's dive into the world of case studies and discover how they can help us succeed in any situation. In today's fast-paced world, we are constantly faced with challenges and obstacles that can hinder our success. However, by learning from the experiences of others through case studies, we can gain valuable insights and strategies to overcome these challenges and achieve success. Firstly, it is important to understand the purpose of a case study. A case study is a detailed analysis of a specific situation or problem, highlighting the actions taken and the outcomes achieved. By studying successful case studies, we can identify common patterns and strategies that have led to success. One common lesson learned from case studies is the importance of adaptability and flexibility.

Many successful businesses and individuals have had to pivot and adapt their strategies in order to overcome unexpected challenges and achieve their goals. This shows the importance of being open to change and willing to adjust plans when necessary. Additionally, case studies often showcase the importance of perseverance and determination. Success rarely comes without setbacks and failures, but by staying focused and pushing through these obstacles, success can be achieved. This highlights the importance of having a strong mindset and not giving up when faced with difficulties. Another important lesson learned from case studies is the power of collaboration and teamwork.

Many successful projects and businesses have been built on strong partnerships and collaborations. By studying these case studies, we can learn how to effectively communicate and work with others to achieve a common goal. One key aspect of case studies is that they often highlight mistakes and failures along with successes. This allows us to learn from these mistakes and avoid making them ourselves. By studying past failures, we can also gain a better understanding of potential risks and challenges that may arise, and how to navigate them successfully. Subsequently, case studies can also provide valuable insights into effective problem-solving and decision-making.

By analyzing the actions taken by successful individuals and businesses in different scenarios, we can learn how to make informed and strategic decisions in our own situations. Lastly, case studies often showcase the importance of continuous learning and improvement. Successful individuals and businesses are constantly adapting and evolving to stay ahead of the curve. By studying their experiences, we can learn how to continuously improve and innovate in order to achieve long-term success. Overall, the lessons learned from case studies are invaluable in helping us navigate various challenges and achieve success in our personal and professional lives. By analyzing successful case studies, we can gain valuable insights and strategies that can be applied in any situation.

Learning from Mistakes

Collaboration is key.

By working with individuals who have different backgrounds and experiences, we can tap into a diverse pool of knowledge and resources. This can be especially useful when facing complex problems or entering new markets. Moreover, collaboration fosters a sense of accountability. When we work with others towards a common goal, we are more likely to stay motivated and on track. This can also help us stay focused and committed, even when faced with challenges or setbacks. Lastly, collaboration can lead to valuable connections and partnerships.

Continuous Learning

It helps us to stay ahead of our competition and constantly improve our strategies and approaches. By continuously learning, we can also avoid making the same mistakes that others have made in the past, which can save us time and resources. Moreover, continuous learning also allows us to innovate and come up with new ideas and solutions. By studying successful case studies, we can see how others have approached problems and how they have found unique and innovative solutions. This can inspire us to think outside the box and come up with our own creative solutions. In order to incorporate continuous learning into our own lives, it is important to have a growth mindset.

The Power of Adaptability

This ability to adjust and pivot can make all the difference in achieving our goals. So, how can we learn to be more adaptable? The key is to always be open to new ideas and perspectives. Instead of being rigid and sticking to one set plan, be willing to consider alternative solutions and approaches. This flexibility will allow you to pivot when necessary and find new ways to overcome challenges. Another important aspect of adaptability is being able to learn from our mistakes. Case studies often highlight failures and setbacks, but they also show how individuals were able to learn from these experiences and use them to improve their strategies.

Effective Problem-Solving

By examining case studies, we can gain valuable insights into how successful individuals and organizations have approached and solved complex problems. One of the main lessons learned from case studies is the importance of thorough analysis and evaluation before making any decisions. This involves gathering all relevant information, considering different perspectives, and weighing potential risks and benefits. By doing so, we can make informed and strategic decisions that have a higher chance of leading to success.

Another key aspect of effective problem-solving is being open to new ideas and approaches. Case studies often highlight creative and unconventional solutions that have led to success. By being open-minded and thinking outside the box, we can find innovative solutions to challenges that may seem insurmountable. Lastly, effective problem-solving also requires a certain level of adaptability and flexibility.

In today's constantly changing world, it's important to be able to adjust our strategies and plans as needed. Case studies can provide valuable examples of how individuals and organizations have adapted to unexpected obstacles and found ways to still achieve their goals. In conclusion, by studying case studies and learning from the experiences of others, we can gain valuable insights into making strategic decisions in challenging situations. Whether it's through thorough analysis, open-mindedness, or adaptability, the lessons learned from case studies can help us overcome obstacles and succeed in any situation. In conclusion, case studies are a valuable tool for learning from the experiences of others and gaining insights into strategies that lead to success.

So take the time to study case studies and incorporate these lessons into your own life to succeed in any situation.

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How to Write a Case Study Blog Banner

How to Write a Case Study: A Complete Guide with Templates

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Writing compelling and insightful case studies is a marketer’s biggest job, yet most get frustrated with this content. The challenge? Figuring out how to write a case study that not only highlights the company’s strongest suit but engages new clients with strategic information. If you often struggle with making case studies as more than just dry facts and figures, you’re leading your efforts to missed opportunities.

How to Write a Case Study Step-by-Step 

  • Craft a Compelling Headline: Highlight the main success with a clear, direct title.
  • Start with a Strong Introduction: Provide a broad overview and hook the reader.
  • Discuss Unique Client Challenges: Highlight specific industry-related challenges.
  • Highlight the Solution: Showcase your strategies and key results.
  • Present Quantifiable Results: Use data and visuals to demonstrate impact.
  • Be Clear and Concise: Stick to the point and support claims with data.
  • Treat Your Case Study Like a Story: Focus on the customer’s journey and success.
  • Use Direct Quotes from the Client: Add authenticity with client testimonials.
  • Make the Key Takeaway Clear: Reinforce your expertise and the solution’s value.
  • Include a Call to Action (CTA): Guide the reader on what to do next.
  • Make It Readable: Use simple language, short paragraphs, and bullet points.
  • Finalize and Proofread: Review for errors and ensure a smooth flow.

In this blog, you’ll discover a step-by-step guide that simplifies the process, making it easier to create interesting case studies. From planning to writing, I’ve got you covered. So, let’s start with some basics. 

Table of Contents

What is the format of a case study.

  • How to Plan a Case Study 

How to Write a Case Study

How to summarize a case study, how to cite a case study.

A well-structured case study isn’t just a collection of facts—it’s a powerful marketing tool that tells a compelling story. Using the right format for a case study ensures that your message is clear, engaging, and impactful. 

The proper format guides readers through the narrative with hierarchy and scannability, helping them connect with your brand on a deeper level. Most importantly, it empowers you as a marketer to set clear goals for presenting your case studies and ensures you deliver the correct information effectively!

Format of a case study

Case studies format helps you to plan and write the case study for your clients. With this outline in mind, you can create steps to complete the process of writing and publishing your case study research. There are eight components of a case study that are essential for building a layout of information in the correct order that makes sense to the viewers. 

Start with a catchy “Title” that grabs attention and an “Overview” that sets the stage. Clearly define the “Problem” your client faced, and then showcase your “Solution” in detail. Highlight the success with “Results” that are measurable and impactful. Add authenticity with “Testimonials and Quotes” from satisfied clients. Wrap it up with a firm “Conclusion” and a compelling “Call to Action” in the “About Us” section that guides the reader on what to do next. 

By following this format, you create a case study design that resonates with your audience and effectively showcases your brand’s value.

Check out the marketing case study template I’ve included below—it has a clear outline that makes it easy to see how sticking to a format can help you plan and write the entire thing.

Case-Study-Advertising-case-study-in-marketing

How to Plan a Case Study 

Now comes the big part! Understanding what to include in a case study outline is just the starting point for beginners. The real challenge lies in creating a step-by-step plan to craft that outline and filling it in with the right information!

How to Plan a Case Study in 7 Steps

1. Set Clear Goals for Your Case Study

Before diving into how to write a case study, defining your ultimate objective is essential. Think about it—what do you want your audience to take away from this case study? For example, your goal is to showcase how your SEO strategies boosted a client’s organic traffic by 150% in just six months. This clear goal will shape your entire narrative and ensure that your case study is laser-focused on demonstrating your expertise and the value you bring.

2. Select a Client that Highlights Your Strongest Suit

Choosing the right client or subject is vital while creating case studies. Imagine you’ve worked with a small e-commerce brand struggling to rank for competitive keywords. Your strategies helped them rank on the first page and increase conversions. This is the perfect client for your case study because their success story directly showcases your SEO prowess. 

By picking a client whose experience aligns with your goals, you’ll create a case study that resonates with your target audience.

3. Reach Out to Your Client for Collaboration

Now that you’ve identified the ideal client, it’s time to reach out. Let’s say you contact your client and explain how a case study can highlight their remarkable success story. It’s a great way to spotlight a mutual collaboration based on credibility. Their buy-in is crucial; their insights and data will authenticate your case study.

4. Gather Comprehensive Data and Insights

Data is the lifeblood of any compelling case study. For instance, in your SEO case study, you’ll need to gather data on key metrics like keyword rankings, organic traffic, and conversion rates before and after implementing your strategies. Let’s say your client saw a 50% increase in organic traffic within three months of optimizing their website. Collecting this data will help you build a robust, evidence-based narrative highlighting your impact.

It’s essential to monitor the before-and-after data to track the effectiveness of implementing your strategies. 

5. Prepare Insightful Questions and Conduct Interviews

It would be best to ask the right questions to get the most out of your client interviews. Imagine asking your client, “What specific challenges were you facing with your organic search rankings before we started working together?” or “How did our SEO strategies help you achieve your business goals?” These questions will lead to detailed responses that add depth to your case study, making it more than just numbers on a page.

Always ask questions that uncover the key challenges your clients face. This way, your prospects will know when to turn to you to navigate or overcome similar obstacles in their business.

Since I’m giving an example of an SEO case study in marketing, you can try these questions to interview your existing client. Obviously, you can modify the sentences according to your industry basics, but these types of questions are fundamental for collecting structured data from your clients. 

  • What were your business’s main SEO challenges before we started working together?
  • Can you describe your initial expectations for implementing our SEO strategies?
  • What specific SEO tactics did we implement that you found most effective?
  • How did you monitor and measure the impact of these strategies on your organic traffic?
  • What were the key metrics or results that stood out to you after the first three months?

6. Ask Questions That Drive the Story Forward

Impactful questions are the backbone of a strong case study. They allow you to highlight the unique value you delivered to your clients. You can effortlessly showcase your USPs within the case study by asking the right questions. 

Focus on inquiring about the effectiveness of your services and strategies, their impact, and which aspects of the solution were most beneficial. This insight will be your key to demonstrating the tangible benefits you offer your clients. 

Consider asking questions like:

  • Can you share a moment when you first noticed a significant improvement in your website’s organic traffic?
  • How did the increase in organic traffic impact other business areas, such as lead generation or sales?
  • What feedback did your team or customers receive regarding the changes in your site’s performance?
  • Looking back, what do you believe was the most critical factor in achieving these results?
  • How has this success with SEO influenced your overall marketing strategy moving forward?

These types of questions encourage clients to share their experiences in a way that paints a vivid picture for your readers, making the case study more relatable and engaging.

7. Draft a Clear and Organized Outline

With all the data and insights gathered, it’s time to create a well-structured case study outline. Let’s say you start with a brief overview of your client’s business and its challenges, followed by a detailed account of the SEO strategies you implemented. Then, you showcase the results with hard data and close with client testimonials and a solid call to action. 

As mentioned above, organizing your content in a logical, easy-to-follow format will help you write a case study that not only informs but also captivates your audience.

These steps are the cornerstones of designing a case study. Once you complete this checklist, you can proceed to the next step, which is writing a case study. Since I discussed planning an SEO case study extensively, here is a case study template that perfectly illustrates the process. 

SEO Case Study in Marketing

You want to create an informative case study for your prospects. But how do you make sure it’s done right? Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write a case study that drives results.

1. Craft a Compelling Headline  

Your headline is the first thing readers see, so make it count! It should grab attention and hint at the success story you’re about to share.

How to Write a Case Study Title:

1. Highlight the Result: Showcase the critical success, like “Increased Sales by 200%.”

2. Be Clear and Direct: Make sure the headline is straightforward to grasp.

3. Use Action Words: Start with strong verbs like “How We” or “Achieved.”

4. Mention Client or Industry: Include relevant details for specificity.

5. Keep It Short: Make it concise and attention-grabbing.

2. Start with a Strong Introduction  

Kick off your case study with a broad overview that sets the stage. Provide the big picture and construct a clear narrative that draws readers in, making them eager to learn more about how you solved a significant challenge.

Look at the consulting case study template , which includes a stunning overview description and precise instructions for writing a short and compelling introduction. You can add every little detail to hook the reader.

Consulting Case Study  introduction

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3. Discuss Specific Challenges of Your Client

This is where your prospect can truly connect. By highlighting unique yet specific challenges to their industry, you give them insight into issues they might not have encountered yet—or ones they’ve already faced. This way, they’ll know exactly who to turn to when similar challenges arise.

The following financial case study template provides a brief flow of the company’s common challenges in the financial analysis process. The template is almost ready to use with this domain-specific content, requiring minimal adjustments to design your case study.

Case Study  Accounting Financial Analysis Challenges

4. Highlight the Solution  

Now, dive into the heart of the story. Highlight the solution you provided, and make sure to include a notable achievement or key result. This is your chance to shine!

Check out the format for presenting the implications of your service on your client’s business. The benefits should be well-written and data-driven to convince your upcoming clients. This graphic design case study format helps you understand the specific impacts a company seeks from a reputable graphic design firm.

Design Case Study  Benefits of Your Service

5. Present Quantifiable Results  

When sharing the outcome, numbers speak louder than words. Present quantifiable results that clearly demonstrate the impact of your solution. Use graphs or charts to make the data easy to digest and visually appealing.

6. Be Clear and Concise  

Less is more. Stick to the point and offer just the right amount of detail to keep your readers engaged. Include data that supports your claims, but avoid overwhelming them with too much information.

Here’s a stunning sales consulting case study that uses a simple case study layout and details written in readable, plain language to gauge more utility. 

Sales consulting case study with clear and concise information

7. Treat Your Case Study Like a Story  

Focus on your customer’s journey. Think of your case study as a story in which your client is the hero, and your solution is the tool that helped them succeed. This approach will make your case study relatable and compelling.

8. Be as Specific as Possible  

Don’t be vague—details matter. Mention the specific company and its industry to let your audience know that the challenge and solution are relevant to them. The more precise you are, the more credible and trustworthy your case study will be.

Check out the sample case study below for payroll accounting. The details are clearly organized and grouped to emphasize the type of case study.

Payroll accounting case study with specific client information

Also, the next case study template displays very specific problems that a company faces when it lacks digital marketing expertise. 

Specific challenges in digital marketing Case Study sample

These templates make it a breeze to craft a case study that’s perfect for your niche.

9. Use Direct Quotes from the Client  

Quotes from your client add authenticity and credibility. They give readers insight into the client’s perspective and make your case study more relatable. Plus, a glowing testimonial is always a nice touch!

The following inbound marketing case study has a prominent client testimonial. With the brief instructions on this template, it’s easier for you to understand how to capture the golden words of your client and use them as a word-of-mouth strategy within the case study. 

Inbound marketing case study  testimonial instructions

10. Pick an Interesting Angle  

Find a unique angle that makes your case study stand out. Maybe it’s an unexpected challenge you overcame, or perhaps it’s a particularly innovative solution. Whatever it is, make it intriguing.

11. Make the Key Takeaway Crystal Clear  

Your readers should walk away with a clear understanding of the main point of your case study. This takeaway should reinforce your expertise and the value of your solution.

12. Include a Call to Action (CTA)  

Don’t leave your readers hanging—tell them what to do next! Include a compelling summary about your company, showcase your happy client base, and conclude the journey with a strong CTA, whether to contact you for a consultation, download a related resource, or learn more about your services on social media, like the following case study template design.

ERP Implementation Case Study  IT Services About Us and CTA

12. Format Professionally  

The design of the case study is just as important as the content. A well-formatted, visually appealing document makes a great impression and enhances readability. With ready-to-use niche-oriented templates, you can easily create a professional-looking case study that impresses and converts. Here is an eye-catching template for an AI assistant software case study that displays a sleek and well-navigated format.

AI assistant software case study template

13. Make It Readable  

Easy readability is key. Use simple language, short paragraphs, and bullet points where appropriate. Your case study should be easy to scan and digest. Follow the thirteen design principles to create a standout piece that enhances your marketing efforts.

To understand this, take a look at the following consulting case study template. 

Leadership consulting case study with high readability

14. Finalize and Proofread Your Case Study  

In order to excel in how to write case studies, give your case study a final review before you hit publish. Proofread carefully to catch any typos or errors, and make sure everything flows smoothly. A polished case study reflects your attention to detail and professionalism.

To effectively summarize a case study, start by completing all sections, including the introduction, challenges, solutions, and results. This approach helps marketers identify key points to highlight, making it easier to craft a succinct and engaging summary. 

One tricky thing is the length of the case study summary. So, how long should a case study summary be? 

The length of a case study summary can vary depending on the details you’re covering. Generally, it should be kept concise, usually spanning a couple of lines or up to a single page with several paragraphs. If you’re crafting a customer case study and want to flex your storytelling muscles, it’s perfectly fine for the summary to stretch to a full page.

If summarizing a case study seems daunting, try DocHipo’s advanced AI Writer tool, which effortlessly creates a crisp and concise summary.

Watch this short video to use it.

This is the last step in writing a case study analysis. Citation in a case study is the practice of giving proper credit to the sources you reference or use in your research. It helps validate your work, shows the depth of your research, and avoids plagiarism. Follow the below steps to cite a case study:

  • Identify the Source: Gather details like the author, title, publication year, and where the case study was published.
  • Choose a Citation Style: Follow the specific formatting style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) required for your work.
  • Format the Citation: Arrange the details according to the chosen citation style.
  • Include In-Text Citations: Place citations within the text or paragraphs for the case study.
  • Create a References List: At the end of your case study, compile all your sources in a bibliography or reference list.

For case studies, citations in APA and MLA styles are very common. If you are just beginning, then you might be confused about these case study citation formats.

Hence, take a look at the picture below, which easily comprehends the APA vs MLA citation features. 

MLA vs APA Citation Style

Still feeling overwhelmed about case studies? Be stress-free with the most convenient case study maker, which saves time and allows you to present data in the most attention-grabbing way. 

Watch the video to create case studies in minutes with DocHipo’s case study maker. 

Conclusion 

To summarize, if you want to write a case study, start with a proper case study format, plan the case study, and finally write it with all the information in hand. Then, write a summary to provide an overview of your case study, and finally, add citations for reference. 

Meanwhile, if you want to design a case study, Try DocHipo templates. Sign up to explore all the case study templates. 

What is the structure of a case study?

A case study typically includes the following sections: Title, Introduction, Background, Problem Statement, Solutions, Results, and Conclusion. Each section serves to tell a comprehensive story of the business, from the issue at hand to the resolution and outcomes.

What are the 5 essential elements of a great case study?

The 5 essential elements are: 1) Clear Objective, 2) Detailed Background, 3) Specific Challenges, 4) Effective Solutions, and 5) Measurable Results. These components provide a compelling narrative that highlights the value delivered.

How to begin a case study?

Start a case study by defining the purpose and scope of the study. Introduce the subject, outline the problem, and provide background information to give readers context. This sets the stage for the detailed analysis that follows.

How to make an introduction in case study?

To craft a compelling introduction, briefly describe the subject, outline the problem they faced, and explain why the study is relevant. This section should grab the reader’s attention and make them interested in the rest of the study.

How to make a business case study?

A business case study should begin with a clear objective and background information. Identify the problem, explain the solutions implemented, and conclude with the results achieved. Use real data and quotes from stakeholders to enhance credibility.

How to write a case study step by step?

To write a case study step by step, start by identifying the case you want to explore and gathering relevant data on the subject. Outline the structure of your case study, then craft an engaging Introduction to set the context. Next, detail the Background and Challenges faced, followed by the Solutions applied. Share the Results and Conclusion to highlight the impact. Finally, edit and proofread your case study to ensure clarity and accuracy.

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what can we learn from a case study

what can we learn from a case study

How to produce multimedia customer case studies from A to Z

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what can we learn from a case study

A good case study helps prospective buyers see their own potential in your customers’ success through real stories about how problems were solved or ideas were brought to life using your products or services.

Yet most case studies only scratch the surface of what happened instead of exploring how , holding them back from being valuable assets that simultaneously teach, inspire, and sell.

Concrete results like “5x more sales generated” or “40% less time spent” look nice on paper, but no one’s buying those without the story and proof to back it up.

After producing case studies for a variety of companies over the years, what’s made the biggest difference for me is developing a case study production process with all the right steps and tech in place.

What makes a compelling case study?

A case study should feel like a win to everyone invested in their creation:

  • Positive press for the customer you’re featuring
  • Demand generation content your marketing team can promote through ads, email, etc.
  • Conversation starters your sales reps can use to warm up cold leads
  • Inspiring stories your prospective customers can relate to

Case studies go a long way in B2B marketing, where trust is earned gradually over a longer buying process that involves multiple decision makers.

Superside , for example, uses customer case studies to showcase the value props of its unique creative subscription service and the different projects clients have produced through the platform.

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Then there’s Mutiny , which positions many of its case studies as “playbooks” that chronicle different marketing experiments that have been run using its conversion optimization platform.

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Producing your own library of case studies like this comes with its inherent challenges:

  • Finding the right customers to feature and stories to tell
  • Incorporating video to make it more engaging
  • Avoiding sensitive info or competitive intel without sacrificing value
  • Navigating multiple levels of approval before publishing
  • Distributing the case study once it's published

Luckily, these challenges can be overcome with the right process in place.

How to produce case studies: A step-by-step framework

1. find happy customers to feature.

Naturally, the first thing you’ll need to start producing customer stories is willing customers with stories worth sharing.

Some great sources for potential case-study candidates can include: 

  • Customer databases like Salesforce or HubSpot where all your customers are listed out with details like contact info, industry, company size, sign up date, and more
  • Nominations from customer success reps, who likely have the most context on who your happiest customers are and potential angles you can explore
  • Discounts and other incentives introduced by sales reps when a new customer signs on in exchange for participation in a case study

I recommend tracking your case study candidates in a spreadsheet that includes the following fields:

CustomerWebsiteContactEmailIndustryUse caseResultsStatus
Name of companyLink to websiteName and jobt titles of intervieweesContact info to schedule interviewEducation, Tech, Agency, etc.Products, features, services usedKey outcomes worth sharingPotential, contacted, scheduled, interviewed, etc.

2. Schedule interviews

When you reach out to customers for an interview, remember that they’re already paying to use your products or services on top of making time for you in their busy schedules.

While some customers might be excited about the chance to be featured, others might appreciate a tangible incentive that can range from:

  • Exposure to your email list and social media followers if there’s an overlap in target audiences between your brand and the customer’s
  • An Amazon gift card
  • A donation to the charity of the customer’s choice
  • A discount or credit for your product or service

When you reach out, try to send the request from someone the customer already knows and trusts, like a coworker or the customer success manager assigned to their account.

I recommend using a scheduling tool like Calendly or Cal.com to avoid back-and-forth emails to find a time that works for both of you. For the meeting location, you can include a link to a Zoom call, Descript Rooms , or wherever you plan to host the interview. 

You can adapt the following email template to reach out to customers for an interview:

Subject: [Your Company] would love to feature your success story! Hi [Customer's Name] , I hope you’re doing well. My name is [Your Name] , and I’m [Your Position] at [Your Company] . I’m reaching out because we’ve been incredibly impressed with how you’ve been using our [product/service] to achieve [specific result or success] . We believe your story could inspire others and demonstrate the real-world benefits of our [product/service] . We would love to feature your experience in a case study on our website and marketing materials. Would you be open to a 30-minute interview to discuss your journey and the impact [product/service] has had on your business? As a token of our appreciation, we’d be happy to [incentive] , and of course, we will share the final case study with you for approval before it goes live. If you’re interested, let me know your availability or you can pick a time that works for you here: [scheduling link] .  Thanks for considering this, and we look forward to the possibility of showcasing your success! [Your Full Name, Position at Company]

3. Prepare your case study interview questions

Once you’ve scheduled your customer interview, it’s often a good practice to send over an interview outline in advance so they can prepare answers if needed.

Case study interviews typically last 45 minutes, so you don’t want them to waste time hunting for numbers or examples on the spot.

Here are some good questions to keep in mind:

  • Briefly describe your company and your role within it.
  • What was the biggest challenge you were facing as a [job title]? What was the impact of it on the business at large?  
  • What solutions did you try before discovering our product/service and why did you ultimately choose us?
  • How has our product/service addressed these challenges, changed your day-to-day work, or affected the overall business?
  • Can you share any measurable results or wins since implementing our product/service?
  • What are your favorite features of our product/service?
  • Have you received any feedback from your team or customers about our product/service?

“Who would you recommend our product/service to without any hesitation?” is a personal favorite of mine. It almost always gets an insightful and honest answer that doubles as a relatable testimonial.

During the actual interview, you don’t need to stick to the script. Sometimes the conversation reveals a better story than the one you went in expecting to tell. Let your curiosity take the lead and ask those unscripted follow-up questions to see where they take you.

In his book Stop Asking Questions , Andrew Warner, host of the popular business podcast Mixergy, says,  “The best interviews are conversations, not interrogations.”

Warner recommends getting aligned on the “Why” for both sides before you hit record—sharing what you hope to get out of the interview and also asking what your guest hopes to get out of it as well.

Sometimes your guests want to celebrate a recent win they’re proud of, promote an upcoming launch, or tell a specific story about their brand. If you can accommodate them, they’re more likely to get excited about the interview.

4. Record the interview using multitrack recording

While in-person customer interviews allow for higher quality video content, they can quickly introduce costs and complexity—especially when you can still create engaging videos from remote recordings with a bit of planning.

But even with remote interviews, a lot can go wrong depending on how you record them. 

In one of my first case study interviews, my recording software failed to capture my guest’s side of the conversation. With no audio or transcript, I had to go off my memory and notes (and a bit of lip reading) to salvage it.

But choosing the right recording method isn’t just about peace of mind—it's also about quality and flexibility.

I recommend using multitrack remote recording software like Descript that captures separate audio, video, and screen-sharing tracks locally for you and each of your guests.

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Doing so, you can:

  • Guarantee the highest quality audio and video capture
  • Ensure local backup on the off-chance something goes wrong, like you lose your internet connection during the interview. 
  • Record multiple guests simultaneously while making it easier to manage cross-talk and interruptions during editing
  • Generate transcripts and label speaker with greater accuracy
  • Edit with more control, adjusting volume levels or removing background noise for individual speaker tracks

The biggest benefit: Repurposing the interview into other formats with more flexibility, speed, and polish (more on that later).

4. Generate a transcript to annotate

With your interview recorded, the next thing you’ll want to do is transcribe it to make it easier to sift through the interview to find your story.

These days, you don’t need to waste time or money on manual transcription services or suffer through DIY transcription. You can get an accurate transcript, including time codes and speaker labels, almost instantly using AI. 

If you use Descript for transcription like I do, your transcript will be synced to your audio and video file during playback and editing.

There are several benefits to this, like:

  • Leaving highlights and comments on the transcript as you go over the interview recording to make notes
  • Instantly removing filler words and repetition from the transcript and video at once
  • Using AI to find the best moments in the interview, generate a summary, even brainstorm headlines all within the transcript
  • Highlighting excerpts within the transcript to turn into clips  

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5. Draft your case study article

Now it's time to turn your 45-minute customer interview into a cohesive story designed for both busy skimmers and curious readers.

Most case study articles follow a similar structure:

  • TL;DR. Hook readers with a summary of success metrics and/or a compelling quote upfront.
  • Background. Quickly introduce the main characters and any essential company context.
  • Challenge. Frame the biggest problems facing the customer and identify their goals. Establish why the status quo wasn’t working and how other solutions fell short. 
  • Solution. Walk through the process of solving the problem using your product/service. Include specific tips, features used, and examples.
  • Results. Summarize the most significant outcomes from using your product. This can include both hard numbers as well as qualitative feedback.

It’s worth creating a custom page template just for customer stories, like in this example from Superside , so you can surface the bottom line up-front for busy prospects. 

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With a transcript of your interview and a multitrack recording, writing your case study becomes a lot easier since you can now:

  • Generate a rough draft or specific sections from the transcript with AI.
  • Turn examples or visuals your customers screenshared during the interview into screenshots or GIFs you can embed into the article.
  • Brainstorm supporting copy like headlines, meta descriptions, and more.

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6. Incorporate video and other visual elements

If you captured your customer interview as a multitrack recording, you’ll have an easier time editing it into polished visual content, such as:

  • Long-form video of an edited version of the interview
  • Screenshots and GIFs illustrating how the customer uses your product 
  • Short clips sharing your customer’s expertise or endorsement, with landscape, square, or portrait variations for different channels and placements 
  • Video testimonials you can run as ads or embed on your website
  • Highlight reels that showcase multiple customer testimonials

Voice-only audiogram video can be a great way to accommodate customers who may not be comfortable on camera. 

You can create these videos in Descript from start to finish or quickly produce a rough cut you can hand off to a professional video editor. 

There are plenty of creative ways to use video to tell customer stories besides the standard talking head format, like combining animated text with screen sharing to showcase a specific feature.

6. Ask for feedback and get approval to publish

Unlock most articles on your blog, you’ll need explicit permission from the customer before you can publish.

Depending on the company’s size and industry that might include approval from its legal team or senior leadership to make sure the brand is reflected well and no sensitive information is shared.

Generally, larger enterprises or public corporations will have more layers of approval to navigate than small businesses and private companies.

To be mindful of the customer’s time and avoid unnecessary back and forth:

  • Leave comments on specific sections in the draft where you’d like their input
  • Be upfront about exactly how you plan to use the interview early on in the process—you don’t want to waste time creating video ads if the customer isn’t comfortable with it
  • Avoid details that may damage the brand reputation or give away sensitive info
  • Don’t be afraid to lightly edit quotes to keep them coherent
  • Invite the customer to suggest changes and make comments directly in the draft

7. Publish and promote your case study

Once you’ve secured permission and finally published your case study, you might be inclined to move on to the next one in your pipeline. But you’re not done with it yet. 

What’s the point of a shiny new case study if no one sees it?

Here’s how you can help your new case study get in front of the right people:

  • Send a link to the customer you interviewed in case they want to share it with their personal network
  • Let your sales team know that a new case study is up, and add it to a sales enablement library to arm sales reps if you have one
  • Share any video clips with your audience on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Make sure to include a link to the full case study in the caption.
  • Embed video clips with a link to the full case study on relevant pages on your website or blog.
  • Design carousel posts that summarize the customer story, which can include a mix of images and videos depending on the platform.  

Since case studies are often shared through direct messages and social media feeds, I recommend optimizing the Open Graph image and text (i.e. the preview that renders when a link is shared) to sell the story before the click.

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The final product is only as good as your process

Case studies can be one of the most powerful forms of social proof in your B2B marketing mix—but only when they prioritize telling a good story that teaches and inspires just as well as it sells.

It starts with an intentional process, from sourcing customers to recording interviews to creating content, that doesn’t just make case studies easier to produce; it makes them more interesting to consume.

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10 Successful Design Thinking Case Study

Dive into the realm of Successful Design Thinking Case Studies to explore the power of this innovative problem-solving approach. Begin by understanding What is Design Thinking? and then embark on a journey through real-world success stories. Discover valuable lessons learned from these case studies and gain insights into how Design Thinking can transform your approach.

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Design Thinking has emerged as a powerful problem-solving approach that places empathy, creativity, and innovation at the forefront. However, if you are not aware of the power that this approach holds, a Design Thinking Case Study is often used to help people address the complex challenges of this approach with a human-centred perspective. It allows organisations to unlock new opportunities and drive meaningful change. Read this blog on Design Thinking Case Study to learn how it enhances organisation’s growth and gain valuable insights on creative problem-solving.

Table of Contents   

1) What is Design Thinking?

2) Design Thinking process   

3) Successful Design Thinking Case Studies

      a) Airbnb

      b) Apple

      c) Netflix

      d) UberEats

      e) IBM

       f) OralB’s electric toothbrush

      g) IDEO

      h) Tesla

       i) GE Healthcare

       j) Nike

3) Lessons learned from Design Thinking Case Studies

4) Conclusion    

What is Design Thinking ?

Before jumping on Design Thinking Case Study, let’s first understand what it is. Design Thinking is a methodology for problem-solving that prioritises the understanding and addressing of individuals' unique needs.

This human-centric approach is creative and iterative, aiming to find innovative solutions to complex challenges. At its core, Design Thinking fosters empathy, encourages collaboration, and embraces experimentation.

This process revolves around comprehending the world from the user's perspective, identifying problems through this lens, and then generating and refining solutions that cater to these specific needs. Design Thinking places great importance on creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, seeking to break away from conventional problem-solving methods.

It is not confined to the realm of design but can be applied to various domains, from business and technology to healthcare and education. By putting the user or customer at the centre of the problem-solving journey, Design Thinking helps create products, services, and experiences that are more effective, user-friendly, and aligned with the genuine needs of the people they serve.  

Design Thinking Training

Design Thinking process

Design Thinking is a problem-solving and innovation framework that helps individuals and teams create user-centred solutions. This process consists of five key phases that are as follows:  

Design Thinking Process

To initiate the Design Thinking process, the first step is to practice empathy. In order to create products and services that are appealing, it is essential to comprehend the users and their requirements. What are their anticipations regarding the product you are designing? What issues and difficulties are they encountering within this particular context?

During the empathise phase, you spend time observing and engaging with real users. This might involve conducting interviews and seeing how they interact with an existing product. You should pay attention to facial expressions and body language. During the empathise phase in the Design Thinking Process , it's crucial to set aside assumptions and gain first-hand insights to design with real users in mind. That's the essence of Design Thinking.

During the second stage of the Design Thinking process, the goal is to identify the user’s problem. To accomplish this, collect all your observations from the empathise phase and begin to connect the dots.

Ask yourself: What consistent patterns or themes did you notice? What recurring user needs or challenges were identified? After synthesising your findings, you must create a problem statement, also known as a Point Of View (POV) statement, which outlines the issue or challenge you aim to address. By the end of the define stage, you will be able to craft a clear problem statement that will guide you throughout the design process, forming the basis of your ideas and potential solutions.

After completing the first two stages of the Design Thinking process, which involve defining the target users and identifying the problem statement, it is now time to move on to the third stage - ideation. This stage is all about brainstorming and coming up with various ideas and solutions to solve the problem statement. Through ideation, the team can explore different perspectives and possibilities and select the best ideas to move forward with.

During the ideation phase, it is important to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas without fear of judgment. This phase is all about generating a large quantity of ideas, regardless of feasibility. This is done by encouraging the team to think outside the box and explore new angles. To maximise creativity, ideation sessions are often held in unconventional locations.

It’s time to transform the ideas from stage three into physical or digital prototypes. A prototype is a miniature model of a product or feature, which can be as simple as a paper model or as complex as an interactive digital representation.

During the Prototyping Stage , the primary objective is to transform your ideas into a tangible product that can be tested by actual users. This is crucial in maintaining a user-centric approach, as it enables you to obtain feedback before proceeding to develop the entire product. By doing so, you can ensure that the final design adequately addresses the user's problem and delivers an enjoyable user experience.

During the Design Thinking process, the fifth step involves testing your prototypes by exposing them to real users and evaluating their performance. Throughout this testing phase, you can observe how your target or prospective users engage with your prototype. Additionally, you can gather valuable feedback from your users about their experiences throughout the process.

Based on the feedback received during user testing, you can go back and make improvements to the design. It is important to remember that the Design Thinking process is iterative and non-linear. After the testing phase, it may be necessary to revisit the empathise stage or conduct additional ideation sessions before creating a successful prototype.

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Successful Design Thinking Case Studies  

Now that you have a foundational understanding of Design Thinking, let's explore how some of the world's most successful companies have leveraged this methodology to drive innovation and success:

Case Study 1: Airbnb  

Airbnb’s one of the popular Design Thinking Case Studies that you can aspire from. Airbnb disrupted the traditional hotel industry by applying Design Thinking principles to create a platform that connects travellers with unique accommodations worldwide. The founders of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk, started by identifying a problem: the cost and lack of personalisation in traditional lodging.

They conducted in-depth user research by staying in their own listings and collecting feedback from both hosts and guests. This empathetic approach allowed them to design a platform that not only met the needs of travellers but also empowered hosts to provide personalised experiences. 

Airbnb's intuitive website and mobile app interface, along with its robust review and rating system, instil trust and transparency, making users feel comfortable choosing from a vast array of properties. Furthermore, the "Experiences" feature reflects Airbnb's commitment to immersive travel, allowing users to book unique activities hosted by locals. 

Case Study 2.  Apple    

Apple Inc. has consistently been a pioneer in  Design Thinking, which is evident in its products, such as the iPhone. One of the best Design Thinking Examples from Apple is the development of the iPhone's User Interface (UI). The team at Apple identified the need for a more intuitive and user-friendly smartphone experience. They conducted extensive research and usability testing to understand user behaviours, pain points, and desires.   

The result? A revolutionary touch interface that forever changed the smartphone industry. Apple's relentless focus on the user experience, combined with iterative prototyping and user feedback, exemplifies the power of  Design Thinking in creating groundbreaking products.    

Apple invests heavily in user research to  anticipate what customers want before they even realise it themselves. This empathetic approach to design has led to groundbreaking innovations like the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, which have redefined the entire industry.  

Case Study 3. Netflix  

Netflix : Design Thinking Case Study

Netflix, the global streaming giant, has revolutionised the way people consume entertainment content. A major part of their success can be attributed to their effective use of Design Thinking principles.

What sets Netflix apart is its commitment to understanding its audience on a profound level. Netflix recognised that its success hinged on offering a personalised, enjoyable viewing experience. Through meticulous user research, data analysis, and a culture of innovation, Netflix constantly evolves its platform. Moreover, by gathering insights on viewing habits, content preferences, and even UI, the company tailors its recommendations, search algorithms, and original content to captivate viewers worldwide.

Furthermore, Netflix's iterative approach to Design Thinking allows it to adapt quickly to shifting market dynamics. This agility proved crucial when transitioning from a DVD rental service to a streaming platform. Netflix didn't just lead this revolution; it shaped it by keeping users' desires and behaviours front and centre. Netflix's commitment to Design Thinking has resulted in a highly user-centric platform that keeps subscribers engaged and satisfied, ultimately contributing to its global success.  

Case Study 4. Uber Eats     

Uber Eats, a subsidiary of Uber, has disrupted the food delivery industry by applying Design Thinking principles to enhance user experiences and create a seamless platform for food lovers and restaurants alike.  

One of  UberEats' key innovations lies in its user-centric approach. By conducting in-depth research and understanding the pain points of both consumers and restaurant partners, they crafted a solution that addresses real-world challenges. The user-friendly app offers a wide variety of cuisines, personalised recommendations, and real-time tracking, catering to the diverse preferences of customers.  

Moreover,  UberEats leverages technology and data-driven insights to optimise delivery routes and times, ensuring that hot and fresh food reaches customers promptly. The platform also empowers restaurant owners with tools to efficiently manage orders, track performance, and expand their customer base. 

Case Study  5 . IBM    

IBM is a prime example of a large corporation successfully adopting Design Thinking to drive innovation and transform its business. Historically known for its hardware and software innovations, IBM recognised the need to evolve its approach to remain competitive in the fast-paced technology landscape.   

IBM's Design Thinking journey began with a mission to reinvent its enterprise software solutions. The company transitioned from a product-centric focus to a user-centric one. Instead of solely relying on technical specifications, IBM started by empathising with its customers. They started to understand customer’s pain points, and envisioning solutions that genuinely addressed their needs. 

One of the key elements of IBM's Design Thinking success is its multidisciplinary teams. The company brought together designers, engineers, marketers, and end-users to collaborate throughout the product development cycle. This cross-functional approach encouraged diverse perspectives, fostering creativity and innovation. 

IBM's commitment to Design Thinking is evident in its flagship projects such as Watson, a cognitive computing system, and IBM Design Studios, where Design Thinking principles are deeply embedded into the company's culture. 

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Case Study 6. Oral-B’s electric toothbrush

Oral-B, a prominent brand under the Procter & Gamble umbrella, stands out as a remarkable example of how Design Thinking can be executed in a seemingly everyday product—Electric toothbrushes. By applying the Design Thinking approach, Oral-B has transformed the world of oral hygiene with its electric toothbrushes.  

Oral-B's journey with Design Thinking began by placing the user firmly at the centre of their Product Development process. Through extensive research and user feedback, the company gained invaluable insights into oral care habits, preferences, and pain points. This user-centric approach guided Oral-B in designing electric toothbrushes that not only cleaned teeth more effectively but also made the entire oral care routine more engaging and enjoyable.  

Another of Oral-B's crucial innovations is the integration of innovative technology into their toothbrushes. These devices now come equipped with features like real-time feedback, brushing timers, and even Bluetooth connectivity to sync with mobile apps. By embracing technology and user-centric design, Oral-B effectively transformed the act of brushing teeth into an interactive and informative experience. This has helped users maintain better oral hygiene.  

Oral-B's success story showcases how Design Thinking, combined with a deep understanding of user needs, can lead to significant advancements, ultimately improving both the product and user satisfaction.

Case Study 7. IDEO  

IDEO, a Global Design Consultancy, has been at the forefront of Design Thinking for decades. They have worked on diverse projects, from creating innovative medical devices to redesigning public services.

One of their most notable Design Thinking examples is the development of the "DeepDive" shopping cart for a major retailer. IDEO's team spent weeks observing shoppers, talking to store employees, and prototyping various cart designs. The result was a cart that not only improved the shopping experience but also increased sales. IDEO's human-centred approach, emphasis on empathy, and rapid prototyping techniques demonstrate how Design Thinking can drive innovation and solve real-world problems.   

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Case Study  8 .  Tesla  

Tesla: Design Thinking Case Study

Tesla, led by Elon Musk, has redefined the automotive industry by applying Design Thinking to Electric Vehicles (EVs). Musk and his team identified the need for EVs to be not just eco-friendly but also desirable. They focused on designing EVs that are stylish, high-performing, and technologically advanced. Tesla's iterative approach, rapid prototyping, and constant refinement have resulted in groundbreaking EVs like the Model S, Model 3, and Model X.    

From the minimalist interior of their Model S to the autopilot self-driving system, every aspect is meticulously crafted with the end user in mind. The company actively seeks feedback from its user community, often implementing software updates based on customer suggestions. This iterative approach ensures that Tesla vehicles continually evolve to meet and exceed customer expectations .   

Moreover, Tesla's bold vision extends to sustainable energy solutions, exemplified by products like the Powerwall and solar roof tiles. These innovations  showcase Tesla's holistic approach to Design Thinking, addressing not only the automotive industry's challenges but also contributing to a greener, more sustainable future.   

Case Study 9. GE Healthcare 

GE Healthcare is a prominent player in the Healthcare industry, renowned for its relentless commitment to innovation and design excellence. Leveraging Design Thinking principles, GE Healthcare has consistently pushed the boundaries of medical technology, making a significant impact on patient care worldwide.  

One of the key areas where GE Healthcare has excelled is in the development of cutting-edge medical devices and diagnostic solutions. Their dedication to user-centred design has resulted in devices that are not only highly functional but also incredibly intuitive for healthcare professionals to operate. For example, their advanced Medical Imaging equipment, such as MRI and CT scanners, are designed with a focus on patient comfort, safety, and accurate diagnostics. This device reflects the company's dedication to improving healthcare outcomes.  

Moreover, GE Healthcare's commitment to design extends beyond the physical product. They have also ventured into software solutions that facilitate data analysis and Patient Management. Their user-friendly software interfaces and data visualisation tools have empowered healthcare providers to make more informed decisions, enhancing overall patient care and treatment planning.

Case Study 10. Nike 

Nike is a global powerhouse in the athletic apparel and Footwear industry. Nike's journey began with a simple running shoe, but its design-thinking approach transformed it into an iconic brand.

Nike's Design Thinking journey started with a deep understanding of athletes' needs and desires. They engaged in extensive user research, often collaborating with top athletes to gain insights that inform their product innovations. This customer-centric approach allowed Nike to develop ground breaking technologies, such as Nike Air and Flyknit, setting new standards in comfort, performance, and style.

Beyond product innovation, Nike's brand identity itself is a testament to Design Thinking. The iconic Swoosh logo, created by Graphic Designer Carolyn Davidson, epitomises simplicity and timelessness, reflecting the brand's ethos.  

Nike also excels in creating immersive retail experiences, using Design Thinking to craft spaces that engage and inspire customers. Their flagship stores around the world are showcases of innovative design, enhancing the overall brand perception.

Lessons learned from Design Thinking Case Studies

The Design Thinking process, as exemplified by the success stories of IBM, Netflix, Apple, and Nike, offers valuable takeaways for businesses of all sizes and industries. Here are three key lessons to learn from these Case Studies:  

Key takeaways from Design Thinking Case Studies

1)   Consider the b ig p icture   

Design Thinking encourages organisations to zoom out and view the big picture. It's not just about solving a specific problem but understanding how that problem fits into the broader context of user needs and market dynamics. By taking a holistic approach, you can identify opportunities for innovation that extend beyond immediate challenges. IBM's example, for instance, involved a comprehensive evaluation of their clients' journeys, leading to more impactful solutions.  

2)  Think t hrough a lternative s olutions   

One of the basic principles of Design Thinking is ideation, which emphasises generating a wide range of creative solutions. Netflix's success in content recommendation, for instance, came from exploring multiple strategies to enhance user experience. When brainstorming ideas and solutions, don't limit yourself to the obvious choices. Encourage diverse perspectives and consider unconventional approaches that may lead to breakthrough innovations.  

3)  Research e ach c ompany’s c ompetitors   

Lastly, researching competitors is essential for staying competitive. Analyse what other companies in your industry are doing, both inside and outside the realm of Design Thinking. Learn from their successes and failures. GE Healthcare, for example, leveraged Design Thinking to improve medical equipment usability, giving them a competitive edge. By researching competitors, you can gain insights that inform your own Design Thinking initiatives and help you stand out in the market.  

Incorporating these takeaways into your approach to Design Thinking can enhance your problem-solving capabilities, foster innovation, and ultimately lead to more successful results.  

Conclusion    

Design Thinking is not limited to a specific industry or problem domain; it is a versatile approach that promotes innovation and problem-solving in various contexts. In this blog, we've examined successful Design Thinking Case Studies from industry giants like IBM, Netflix, Apple, Airbnb, Uber Eats, and Nike. These companies have demonstrated that Design Thinking is a powerful methodology that can drive innovation, enhance user experiences, and lead to exceptional business success.   

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Frequently Asked Questions

Design Thinking Case Studies align with current market demands and user expectations by showcasing practical applications of user-centric problem-solving. These Studies highlight the success of empathetic approaches in meeting evolving customer needs.

By analysing various real-world examples, businesses can derive vital insights into dynamic market trends, creating innovative solutions, and enhancing user experiences. Design Thinking's emphasis on iterative prototyping and collaboration resonates with the contemporary demand for agility and adaptability.

Real-world examples of successful Design Thinking implementations can be found in various sources. For instance, you can explore several Case Study repositories on Design Thinking platforms like IDEO and Design Thinking Institute. Furthermore, you can also look for business publications, such as the Harvard Business Review as well as Fast Company, which often feature articles on successful Design Thinking applications.

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Our Leadership Training blogs covers a range of topics related to Design Thinking, offering valuable resources, best practices, and industry insights. Whether you are a beginner or looking to advance your Design Thinking skills, The Knowledge Academy's diverse courses and informative blogs have you covered.

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18 min read

Understanding the power of case studies.

By: Rob Croll on August 27, 2024

Featured Image

Consumers are tired of empty promises. In a world flooded with exaggerated claims, skepticism has become the default setting. People yearn for authenticity and proof that a product or service can truly deliver.

Case studies can offer this much-needed proof . By showcasing real-world successes and challenges, they transform promises into tangible realities, making them a compelling force in consumers' minds.

In short, case studies allow brands to "show, not tell," that they deliver on their promises.

What is a Marketing Case Study?

A marketing case study is a narrative that illustrates how a company's products or services resolve a challenge faced by a customer or client . It tells a  compelling story that typically begins with a clearly defined problem, outlining the context and obstacles encountered, and then introduces the company's product or service as a viable solution.

Case studies typically rely on data and measurable outcomes to show how the solution brought about positive results. By intertwining storytelling with empirical evidence, marketing case studies engage the audience and build trust, showcasing the brand's credibility and expertise.

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What Makes Case Studies Appealing?

Case studies are particularly appealing because they offer a glimpse into real-world scenarios and provide concrete evidence of success. Well-crafted case studies use the power of a good story to take the reader on a journey from a problem state to a resolution.

Case studies can appeal to readers at different stages of the buyer's journey . Decision-makers in the consideration stage value seeing high-level outcomes and strategic impacts. Technical professionals delve into implementation details, which are crucial for their evaluation process. Procurement teams use case studies to assess potential vendors' track records.

Meanwhile, those in the final decision stage appreciate in-depth analyses with concrete metrics and ROI information. DemandGen reported that case studies were the most valuable source of content for buyers in the late stage of the buying process .

DemandGen

Source: DemandGen

The Benefits of Case Studies

Case studies are uniquely appealing because they incorporate empirical evidence into good storytelling. When potential customers see how a company has effectively solved similar problems, they are likelier to engage with the brand.

Enhanced Credibility and Trust

Well-crafted, authentic case studies showcasing real-world customer success stories serve as powerful testaments to a company's expertise and capabilities. By sharing these narratives, businesses can establish themselves as trusted authorities within their industry, fostering stronger relationships with potential clients.

Lead Generation and Sales Support

Compelling case studies act as magnets, attracting potential customers by demonstrating the tangible benefits a product or service can deliver. They equip sales teams with persuasive evidence to close deals, providing a clear roadmap for how the company's offerings can address specific customer challenges.

Improved Brand Reputation

Companies can cultivate a positive brand image by highlighting customer success stories. Case studies showcasing how a company has helped clients overcome challenges and achieve their goals can significantly enhance brand perception .

Demonstrated Return on Investment (ROI)

Producing and sharing case studies can deliver a strong return on investment, as highlighted in the HubSpot State of Marketing 2024 report . Case studies were ranked third among formats yielding the best ROI.

Hubspot-3

Source: Hubspot

These studies' quantifiable results effectively demonstrate the benefits customers can anticipate from a product or service, making them a powerful tool for persuading potential clients to invest.

Content Marketing Amplification

Case studies can be repurposed into various content formats ( blog posts , infographics , videos , etc.), extending their reach and providing valuable content for ongoing marketing efforts.

Types of Case Studies

Case studies can take on various forms and serve different purposes. Venngage identifies six distinct types of case studies that organizations can leverage:

Venngage

Source: Venngage

Exploratory Case Studies

These dig deep into a specific problem or opportunity, providing a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. They are often used as a foundation for further research or identifying potential solutions.

Example: A company might conduct an exploratory case study to understand small businesses' challenges in a particular industry and identify potential opportunities for their product or service.

Explanatory Case Studies

These focus on explaining the processes and outcomes of a specific situation, providing detailed insights into how a solution was implemented and what results were achieved. They are often used to demonstrate the effectiveness of a product or service.

Example: A company might use an explanatory case study to demonstrate how their new software platform was integrated into a client's existing systems and its positive impact on their operations.

Descriptive Case Studies

These provide a detailed account of a particular case, often focusing on the narrative and human element of the story. They are frequently used to build emotional connections with potential customers.

Example: A company might use a descriptive case study to tell the story of a customer's journey and how their product or service helped them overcome a significant challenge.

Intrinsic Case Studies

These highlight a unique or interesting case for its own sake, often showcasing exceptional or noteworthy scenarios. They are often used to generate buzz and attention.

Example: A company might use an intrinsic case study to showcase a particularly inspiring success story, such as a customer who overcame a personal challenge with the help of their product or service.

Instrumental Case Studies

These focus on the practical application of a product or service, highlighting its effectiveness in achieving specific goals or objectives. They are often used to demonstrate the value of a product or service.

Example: A company might use an instrumental case study to demonstrate how their new marketing tool helped a client increase their website traffic and generate more leads .

Collective Case Studies

These group multiple case studies together to illustrate a broader trend or theme, providing a more comprehensive understanding of a particular topic. They are often used to showcase a product's or service's versatility or scalability.

Example: A company might use a collective case study to showcase the versatility of its cloud-based software by highlighting how it has been successfully implemented in various industries and regions.

10 Tips for Successful Case Studies

HubSpot notes, "Putting together a compelling case study is one of the most powerful strategies for showcasing your product and attracting future customers. But it's not easy to create case studies that your audience can't wait to read."

Here are some tips for ensuring your case studies deliver the desired results.

Tip #1: Know Your Objective

Before creating a case study, consider what you want to accomplish. Will it be used for lead generation , conversion , or brand building? Knowing your goal will help you craft a more focused and effective case study.

Tip #2: Be Clear About Your Target Audience

Understanding who you are trying to reach will help you tailor your case study's messaging and format. Consider what information would resonate most with this target audience and how they prefer to consume content and ensure the case study focuses on their perspective and challenges.

Tip #3: Highlight Your Customer's Success

While it may be tempting to focus on your product or service's features, remember that your customer is the star of the show. Showcase their success and how they have benefitted from your solution.

Tip #4: Use Real Data an d Quotes

Quantifiable results and direct quotes from customers add credibility to your case study. Be sure to include specific numbers, metrics , and outcomes to demonstrate the impact of your product or service.

Tip #5: Engaging Headlines

A compelling headline should be informative yet captivating, summarizing the key takeaway from the case study. Incorporating action verbs and specific results can draw in potential readers, making them eager to learn more about how your product or service drove success for a customer.

Tip #6: Use Storytelling Principles

Incorporating storytelling principles into your case studies makes them more relatable and engaging. Begin with a captivating introduction that sets the stage, highlights the challenges faced by your customer, and builds emotional resonance. Develop the narrative with a clear structure—establish the problem, introduce your solution, and present the outcome.

Tip #7: Leverage Visuals

Visuals can help break up text-heavy content and provide a more engaging reading experience. Consider using graphs, charts, images, or infographics to support key points in your case study.

Tip #8: Keep It Simple

Avoid using technical jargon or complex terminology in your case study. Instead, keep it simple and straightforward so anyone can easily understand the benefits of your product or service.

Tip #9: Include Calls-to-Action

A well-crafted call to action (CTA) is essential in guiding your readers through the next steps after they've engaged with your case study. Whether it's encouraging them to contact your sales team, sign up for a newsletter , or download additional resources, a clear and compelling CTA prompts further interaction.

Tip #10: Promote on Multiple Channels

Don't limit your case study to just one platform. Share it across different channels, such as social media , email marketing , and your website , to reach a wider audience and increase its impact.

3 Case Study Examples

Many brands have successfully utilized case studies in their marketing strategies, as demonstrated by these three examples from Hearst Bay Area.

Example #1: Liberty Cannabis Company

The Liberty Cannabis Company case study describes the inherent challenges of marketing in the cannabis market and the company's need to promote its new location in San Francisco. It outlines in detail how Liberty Cannabis worked with Hearst Bay Area and Junction 37 to develop a successful strategy to raise awareness of the new store.

The case study shares real examples of display ads , emails , custom content , and results (impressions, clicks, and CTRs) demonstrating the campaign's success. This allows readers to understand the effectiveness of the strategies employed and see how similar tactics might be leveraged in their marketing efforts.

Example #2: Social Media for the Finance Industry

Another excellent example is a financial firm's private label case study . It details how a community financial institution collaborated with Hearst to enhance brand awareness, increase website traffic, and grow engagement.

The case study describes the specific social media tactics employed, such as using certified Facebook tools for audience targeting and creating engaging content formats like Instagram Stories and Guides. By providing both real examples of the strategies and tools used and real results, the case study allows readers to appreciate the effectiveness of these approaches.

Example #3: Tutu School of Burlingame

The Tutu School of Burlingame case study explains how the school increased brand awareness and found new clients for its existing location while opening another. The Tutu School also needed to build trust with parents and the community.

This case study highlights the strategic decisions and actions, offering readers a clear understanding of the methods that contributed to its success and valuable lessons for other educational institutions .

Marketing Case Studies: Key Takeaways

Case studies can be powerful tools for showcasing businesses' tangible successes and strategies. By examining real-world applications and outcomes, they not only highlight the effectiveness of products or services but also inspire confidence in potential customers looking for proven solutions.

  • Case studies effectively build credibility and trust with potential customers by showcasing real-world success.
  • They serve as a powerful tool for differentiating from competitors and generating leads.
  • Successful case studies require a clear structure, engaging content, and strategic distribution.

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How hearst bay area can help.

Want to show how your products or service helps clients? Work with Hearst Bay Area to create compelling case studies highlighting your business's strengths and real-world impact.

From showcasing customer success stories to managing online reputation , we know how to build trust and differentiate your brand. Through our creative and content marketing services , we craft engaging narratives that resonate with your audience.

Elevate your brand and achieve your business goals by partnering with Hearst Bay Area.

Contact us below to learn more.

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7 Superb SaaS Case Study Examples (and Why They’re So Effective)

saas case study example hero image

It’s no secret that the SaaS space is crowded.

Heck, the average business is juggling hundreds of apps at any given time.

And so anything software companies can do to prove their value is a plus.

That’s why SaaS case studies are so important.

Fact: case studies are cited as the most effective type of content for influencing B2B buying decisions. Case studies are crucial for not only helping SaaS companies stand out from the crowd but also answer their potential customers’ most pressing questions.

Want to see what compelling customer stories look like in the wild? Check out the seven SaaS case study examples below.

gong case study example

“What does this case study do well?”

  • Immediately highlights the client’s key challenge and how Gong’s product managed to solve it. The specific, positive outcomes (“more closed deals,” “increased sales productivity” and “more cross-department collaboration”) speak for themselves.
  • The format is scannable and flows seamlessly, broken up by colorful visuals, client quotes and a product screenshot.
  • The case study reads like an actual narrative, brimming with conversational copy and client quotes to keep the report from feeling too “matter of fact.”

Much like SaaS blog writing doesn’t have to be boring, case studies shouldn’t be a total snooze-fest. This report proves exactly that.

zylo saas case study

  • Incorporates a brief video to summarize the study’s key points and provide real-world context to the client’s challenges. This is especially important for more “technical” or complicated SaaS products.
  • It’s brief! In addition to the provided video, the tried-and-tested “Challenge, Solution, Results” format helps keep this study short and sweet.
  • The study’s headline is compelling. From its title alone, the study highlights how a specific feature (Zylo’s SaaS renewal calendar) addressed a specific pain point (unwanted auto-renewals) and resulted in a major benefit ($50,000+ saved) for the client.

Clocking in at under 500 words, this is among the shortest of our SaaS study examples. That said, the study’s brevity is one of its key strengths.

heap case study

  • The study’s format gives you pretty much everything you need above-the-fold, including the client’s results and a well-produced video.
  • Highlights impressive data points and outcomes immediately (“5xd conversion” and “90% retention rate”).
  • Includes quotes from multiple employees to showcase how Heap’s service helps clients organization-wide (rather than just a single department).

databox case study example

  • The case study’s title is striking, putting a massively positive client outcome (saving 40 hours per week) front-and-center.
  • It feels human! The fact that the study comes from a back-and-forth client conversation not only humanizes Databox as a brand but also makes their product seem more tangible.
  • The study’s unique format (a blog post that provides both a video and transcript) is fair game for prospects whether they prefer to consume content via viewing or reading. This likewise highlights how you might integrate case studies into your SaaS content strategy.

5. FunnelCake

funnelcake case study example

  • The study’s headline does double-duty of showcasing awesome results (1.5x conversion rates) and how quickly those results came (“Within a quarter of launching”).
  • Provides multiple hard-hitting client quotes to drive home the product’s effectiveness (“finding value in the first week”).
  • Couples its bold claims with specific data points (“100% adoption in the first 30 days”).

6. Chili Piper

chili piper case study example

  • Major outcomes are highlighted throughout the case study (including a “5x increase in inbound meeting booked” and the “300% revenue increase” referenced in the title).
  • The study uses the numbers above to hook the reader and then provide a brief breakdown of how those results came to be, moving us from Point A to Point B.
  • Candid client video and quotes provide additional context and a personal touch to Chili Piper’s product.

7. Typeform

typeform case study example

  • The study is presented as a hybrid between a customer success story and a how-to blog post for new users and existing clients. Again, case studies are a valuable part of your SaaS content marketing strategy.
  • Incorporates actual client screenshots and highlights the specific steps to replicate their positive results, making Typeform’s product seem super actionable.
  • Integrates glowing quotes from the client to showcase benefits.

“What do the best SaaS case study examples have in common?”

As proven by the examples above, there is no “right” or singular way to put together a SaaS case study.

That said, there are a few common threads between the reports above that companies should strive to stick to.

If you’re trying to figure out how to write a SaaS case study yourself, keep the principles below in mind.

Grab readers’ attention with specific numbers, figures and data points

Sure, phrases like “increased revenue” or “saved time” are enticing.

But coupling those phrases with actual numbers can help your case study pack a much-needed punch.

For example, “increased revenue” versus “increased MRR by $10,000” or “saved time” versus “saved 15 hours per week.”

See how that works? Using actual client numbers does double duty of grabbing your target audience’s attention while also proving to prospects that your service produces meaningful results.

Integrate visuals to illustrate your points and keep readers engaged

Fact: recent visual content statistics note that both videos and graphics help push people toward making purchasing decisions.

It’s telling that five of our seven SaaS case study examples include video, right?

From stylized quotes to product screenshots and client headshots, it’s crucial that your reports are more than just walls of text. Written case studies can definitely be effective, granted you stick to the principle of “show, don’t tell.”

Let your clients do the talking

Again, most SaaS case studies are basically client stories.

So don’t be shy about letting your clients sing your praises. You’d be surprised at what gems of social proof they’ll say totally unprompted.

The correlation between customer testimonials and higher conversions is well-documented. Note that many of the SaaS case study examples below draw heavily on direct client quotes or interview segments.

If nothing else, making your case studies client-centric makes sense and likewise means less work on your part.

Make your case study shareable

Fact: the typical B2B buying process involves between six and ten people.

And so anything you can do to make your case study shareable to multiple stakeholders is a smart move.

This again speaks to why so many SaaS case studies incorporate video or are formatted as succinct, scroll-friendly PDFs.

Beyond that, conversational language and a summary of key points can also make a report more shareable. In short, your case study should be accessible even to people who don’t have a deep knowledge of your product.

Which SaaS case study examples stand out to you?

SaaS providers have a ton of freedom when it comes to how they put together their case studies.

Want to keep it brief? Looking to take a deep dive into your product and its specific features? Go for it.

Hopefully these examples and best practices provided some insight into what makes a “good” case study in the software space.

Got any other SaaS case study examples I should totally check out? Let me know on  Twitter , comment below or  shoot me an email .

This post was last updated on 1/5/2021.

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January 6, 2021 at 8:26 am

Great piece for me as a marketing analyst who is looking to learn more about the SaaS industry

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11 Inspiring UX Case Studies That Every Designer Should Study

Gene Kamenez

A UX case study is a sort of detailed overview of a designer's work. They are often part of a UX designer's portfolio and showcase the designer's skill in managing tasks and problems. From a recruiter's perspective, such a UX portfolio shows the skill, insights, knowledge, and talent of the designer.

Therefore, UX case studies play an important role in the recruitment and demand for designers.

What Makes a Powerful Case Study

Building a UX case study includes showing the design process through compelling stories. They will use plain language to demonstrate how they handled key design issues, offering a comprehensive view of their process. Well done case studies often include:

  • A  problem statement and solutions with real applications.
  • Relevant numbers, data, or testimonials to demonstrate the work and efforts.
  • A story that directly connects the problem to the solution.

Any competent UX professional will know that creating a stunning UX case study is about the little details.

11 Best UX Case Studies for Designers

The best way to understand what a good case study looks like is to go over other examples. Each of these UX case study examples shows a designer's insights, basic skills, and other designers' lessons learned through their experience.

1. Promo.com web editor

A case study of a video-creation platform

For this video-creation platform , UX designer Sascha was brought on to revamp v2.0, adding new features that could work alongside the existing UX design. The point was to work on interface details that would help create a user friendly platform, and that users could find simple enough to use.

User personas mapped by the UX designer revealed the most common confusion to be the process of inserting particular features into the video, such as subtitles. The designer's goal, therefore, was to create a platform with improved editor controls.

The designer then used a common text-editor layout to include top and side navigation bars that made it easy to access and implement text editing.

Key Learnings from Promo.com

This case study focuses on addressing a particular problem that customers were currently facing. Its main theme is to show a problem, and how the product designer addressed this problem. Its strength points include:

  • clearly highlighting the problem (i.e. inaccessible and limited video-text editor options)
  • conduction research to understand the nature of the problem and the kind of solutions customers want
  • implementing research insights into the redesign to create a platform that actively served customer needs

2. Productivity tracker app

A case study of a productivity tracker app

The main concept behind this UX case study is to address a pre-existing problem through the design of the app. Immediately from the start, the study highlights a common pain point among users: that of a lack of productivity due to device usage.

This UX case study example addressed some of the main problems within existing productivity apps included:a poor UI and UX that made navigation difficult

  • a poorly-built information architecture
  • limited functions on the mobile application

Key Learnings from the Productivity app case study

The case study highlights the simple design process that was then used to build the app. Wireframes were created, a moldboard developed, and finally, individual pages of the app were designed in line with the initial goals.

3. Postmates Unlimited

A case study of a food delivery app

This case study clearly identifies the improvements made to the Postmates app in a simple overview before jumping into greater detail. The redesign goal, which it achieved, was to improve the experience and other interface details of the app.

The problems identified included:

  • usability that led to high support ticket volume.
  • technical app infrastructure issues that prevented scalability.
  • lack of efficient product management, such as batching orders.

A UX research course can help understand the kind of research needed for a case study. The app redesign involved bringing couriers in and running usability testing on improvements. The final model, therefore, had input from real users on what worked and what caused issues.

Key Learnings from Postmates

The Postmates redesign works as a great UX case study for the simple way it approaches problem-solving. Following an overview of the work, it addresses the problems faced by users of the app. It then establishes research processes and highlights how changes were made to reduce these issues.

4. TV Guide

A case study of a video streaming platform

Addressing the fragmentation of content across channels, this case study sought to redesign how people consume media. The key problems identified included:

  • the overabundance of content across various TV and streaming platforms
  • the difficulty in discovering and managing content across all platforms

To deliver on the key goals of content personalization, smart recommendations, and offering cross-platform content search, the design process included conducting interviews, surveys, and checking customer reviews.

The design of TV Guide enables users to get custom recommendations sourced from friends' and family's watchlists.

Key Learnings from TV Guide

Like previous UX design case studies, this one tackled the issue head-on. Describing the research process, it goes into detail regarding the approach used by the UX designers to create the app. It takes readers on a journey, from identifying pain points, to testing solutions, and implementing the final version.

5. The FlexBox Inspector

A case study of a CSS flexbox tool

Designer Victoria discusses how she developed the investigator tool for the Mozilla Firefox browser. Surveys into understanding the problems with the existing CSS Flexbox tool revealed a need for a user-friendly design. Interviews with a senior designer and other designers helped developers understand the features design-focused tools ought to have. A feature analysis revealed what most users look for in such tools.

The final result of the development process was a design that incorporated several new features, including:

  • a new layout
  • color-coded design
  • multiple entry points to make workflow management efficient

Key Learnings from the Flexbox

This UX design case study starts with a clear goal, then addresses multiple user needs. It clearly defines the design process behind each feature developed by the time, and the reasoning for including that feature. To give a complete picture, it also discusses why certain features or processes were excluded.

6. The Current State of Checkouts

A case study of e-commerce checkout pages

This Baymard UX design case study looks into the checkout process in over 70 e-commerce websites. Through competitive analysis, it isolates problem points in the UX design, which, if addressed, could improve the customer's checkout process.

The study found at least 31 common issues that were easily preventable. The study was designed and conducted on a large scale, over 12 years, to incorporate changing design patterns into the review.

Recommendations based on findings include:

  • prominent guest checkout option
  • simple password requirements
  • specific delivery period
  • price comparison tool for shipping vs store pickup

Key Learnings from Checkout Case Study

Each identified issue is backed up by data and research to highlight its importance. Further research backs up each recommendation made within the case study, with usability testing to support the idea. As far as UX case studies go, this one provides practical insight into an existing, widely used e-commerce feature, and offers practical solutions.

7. New York Times App

A case study of a New York Times app

Using a creative illustration website, the designers proposed a landing page feature "Timely" that could counter the problems faced by the NYT app . Its major issues included too much irrelevant content, low usage, and undesirable coverage of content.

The goal behind Timely was to improve user incentives, build long-term loyalty, and encourage reading. Design mapping for the app covered:

  • identifying the problem
  • understanding audience needs
  • creating wireframes
  • designing and prototyping

The end result was an app that could help readers get notifications regarding news of interest at convenient moments (at breakfast, before bed). This encouraged interaction and improved readability with short-form articles.

Key Learnings from NYT App

The UX case study proposes a problem solution that works with an existing information architecture, instead adding custom graphics to the mobile app. It leads from a simple problem statement to discuss the project that could address these issues without changing was customers already loved.

A case study of the body activity monitoring app

UX case studies focused on redesign include the FitBit redesign, which started off by understanding personas and what users expect from a fitness tracker. Developing use cases and personas, Guerilla usability testing was employed to assess pain points.

These pain points were then ranked based on their importance to users and to app performance. They were addressed through:

  • Highlighting essential parts and features of the app
  • Changing easily missed icons to more recognizable icons
  • relabelling tracking options to guide users better to its usage

Key Learnings from Fitbit

While the case study maps user experiences and offers solutions, it does not begin with an intensive research-based approach. The prototype is successful in testing, but problem factors are not identified with research-based statistics, meaning key factors could have been ignored.

9. Rating System UX

a case study of a rating system

The designer behind the rating system UX redesign sought to solve issues with the 5-star rating system. Highlighted issues included:

  • the lack of subjective accuracy of a 5-point rating system
  • the issue of calculating the average of a zero-star rating
  • average ratings are misleading

Better alternatives include:

  • 5-star emoticon rating that relates the user experience
  • Like/dislike buttons that make approval/disapproval simple

The final design incorporated both these styles to make full use of the rating system.

Key Learnings from Rating System UX

The UX case study stemmed from insight into the limitations of the existing rating system. The new design addressed old issues and incorporated better efficiencies.

A case study for a content design system

The Intuit redesign was focused on making content readable, more engaging, and accessible. Looking into product personalization, the content was found to be lacking aesthetic value, as well as being hard to find. The goal was to create content that was easy to find, clear, and consistent.

The implemented solutions included:

  • increased readability with increased body text and header spacing
  • table of contents on the sidebar for easier navigation
  • visible and prominent search bar
  • illustrations and designs for pretty visuals

Key Learnings from Intuit

The Intuit case study approaches the problem from a practical point of view. It begins with isolating problems with the interface, in particular with the content. This is an example of a case study that breaks down problems into broader categories, and solves each problem with a practical solution.

A case study for a social plaform

This UX case study about a social platform tackles a commonly-faced problem from existing platforms. It addresses the issue of recognizing non-monetary user engagement, to help creators identify their user base.

The case study addresses the problem statement and establishes the design process (building wireframes and prototypes) as well as conducting user testing. The final result is to develop "Discover" pages, engaging layouts, and animated interactions to increase usability.

Key Learnings from Jambb

The study goes into detail regarding problem identification, then moves on to propose solutions that take into account the perspective of all stakeholders involved. It then explains why each design decision was made, and proves its efficacy through testing and prototyping.

Key Takeaways

Developing good UX case studies examples is as much about the details you include as the ones you leave out. Going over UX courses can give you a better understanding of what your case study should look like. A good case study should provide an overview of the problem, include numbers and statistics, and offer practical solutions that directly address the problem. The above-discussed UX case studies provide a good example of the dos and don'ts of a well-structured UX design case study that should be part of every UX portfolio .

Additional Resources

Check out these resources to learn more about UX case studies:

8 UX Case Studies to Read

UX Design Case Study

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3 real-world UX research case studies from Airbnb, Google, and Spotify—and what we can learn from them

All successful products have at least one thing in common: they’re driven by thorough and ongoing UX research. Learn how the biggest brands conduct user research with these real-world case studies from Airbnb, Google, and Spotify.

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User research is the foundation of good design. Any successful product you can think of is driven by user insights. And, while all UX designers tap into the same pool of tools and techniques, you’ll find that every team has their own unique approach to user research.

Are you curious about how some of the biggest brands conduct UX research? Then keep reading. In this post, we take a deep dive into three real-world UX research case studies:

  • Airbnb: The power of observing behaviour to uncover design opportunities
  • Google for Education: The importance of user feedback for rapid product adaptation
  • Spotify: The value of human perspectives in a data-driven world

Each of these case studies teaches us a valuable lesson about UX research—lessons you can apply to your own design projects. So let’s jump in!

[GET CERTIFIED IN USER RESEARCH]

UX research case study #1: Airbnb and the power of observing user behaviour to uncover design opportunities

Oftentimes, user research is planned in advance and conducted within a controlled setting—think user interviews , or analysing how people interact with your website over a specific period of time. 

But sometimes, user research occurs organically—like an accidental light shining on a major design opportunity. That’s exactly what happened at Airbnb, leading to the design and launch of a new global check-in tool. 

Vibha Bamba, Design Lead on Airbnb’s Host Success Team, writes: 

“The decision to design the tool was informed by an intriguing host behaviour. We noticed that about 1.5 million photo messages were being sent from host to guest each week—the majority of them to explain location and entry details. Photos of the home were juxtaposed with maps, lockbox locations were described, and landmarks were called out.” 

Observing these behaviours over time, the Airbnb team realised that there was a huge opportunity to make the exchange between hosts and guests much more seamless and consistent. This kicked off a year-long project to design a global check-in tool for the Airbnb platform. 

The result? An integrated check-in tool that enables hosts to create visual check-in guides for their guests. They can upload photos and instructions which the tool will translate depending on the guests’ preferred language, and the guides can be accessed both on and offline. 

And, after launching the tool, the team continued to observe how hosts used it. They were able to flag issues and further design opportunities, adapting and evolving the check-in tool to better meet hosts’ needs. That’s the power of observing user behaviour! 

The takeaway

User behaviour provides us with incredibly rich insights. Don’t rely solely on planned or periodic user research—continuously observe how people interact with your product in the wild, too. You don’t know what you don’t know, and this approach will help you to uncover design opportunities you may not have even thought to look for otherwise.

Read the full UX research case study here: Leveraging Creative Hacks: How the Airbnb Community Inspired a Global Check-in Tool . 

[GET CERTIFIED IN UX]

UX research case study #2: Google for Education and the importance of user feedback for rapid product adaptation  

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, our lives changed almost overnight. Many of us were suddenly working from home, navigating new challenges of communicating and collaborating remotely. 

Teachers were no exception. They had to quickly adapt to teaching online, relying on tools like Google Meet to conduct lessons virtually. But Google Meet was originally designed as a conferencing tool for businesses, so the user experience for teachers and students wasn’t ideal. 

In the words of one tech admin speaking to the Google Meet team: 

“Students are using the tools in a way that makes it hard for teachers to do their job. Teachers can’t mute students, or put them in groups, they can’t ask questions easily to take the temperature of the class. Students are also jumping on the video without supervision—and that’s an issue. I wish there was more control.” 

The Google Meet team needed to act fast to figure out how the software could better meet teachers’ needs. To do this, they went straight to the source, gathering user feedback directly from teachers.

Based on this feedback, they added a range of new features such as attendance taking, hand raising, waiting rooms, and polls. 

The result? A rapidly improved user experience for teachers and students which ultimately benefited all Google Meet users. 

Sometimes, UX designers must think and act fast; there’s not always time for lengthy user research and cautious feature rollouts. When you need to adapt and evolve a product to quickly improve the user experience, it pays to go straight to your users for their feedback. 

Read the full UX research case study here: Adapting Products to Meet Teachers’ Changing Needs . 

UX research case study #3: Spotify and the value of human perspectives in a data-driven world 

Data is a powerful research tool. It enables you to gather and analyse broad and vast user insights, to make evidence-backed decisions, and to track and measure important UX KPIs . 

But, as Nhi Ngo, Insights Manager, User Research & Data Science at Spotify will tell you, it’s important not to become over-reliant on data when conducting UX research. Sometimes, making the best design decision boils down to a human perspective. 

Nhi Ngo came to this realisation when developing and launching a feature called “Shortcuts” on the Spotify Home tab. Powered by machine learning, Shortcuts is a dedicated space that showcases the user’s current favourites, as deduced by Spotify’s algorithms. 

The feature was developed based on data collected through a variety of research methods, including longitudinal user studies and A/B testing . 

So far, so good. But when it came to deciding on a name for the feature, A/B tests came back inconclusive. 

In the end, the name was decided based on the product designer’s instinct to go with the name that would create the most human and personal experience. Nhi Ngo explains:

“A few candidates that were tested were ‘Listen Now’ (the objective that the model optimizes for), ‘Shortcuts’ (the user-facing functionality), ‘Quick Access’ (a UX goal of this space), and last but not least, a daypart greeting, ‘Good morning’ (that would change with the time of day to ‘Good afternoon’ or ‘Good evening’). We were counting on the AB test to help us make this important decision. The test returned neutral. Our designer recommended we go with the daypart name, much to my reservations. 

Indeed, participants were most often positively surprised in our interview sessions whenever they opened their phone and saw the greetings. Convinced by our designer’s humanistic approach and recognising the intangible benefits of providing users with this joy of being ‘greeted by Spotify’, we decided to go with our perspective-taking as humans to humans, and chose the daypart name.” 

The result? A new product feature that evoked delight in Spotify’s users and led to further improvements, such as incorporating more time-based features in the model so that the recommendations changed depending on the time of day (for example, showing sleep music playlists at night). 

Data-driven research is an extremely powerful tool, but it may not always give you the full picture or a conclusive answer. Whenever you conduct and interpret research data, it’s important not to lose sight of your human perspective. 

In the words of Nhi Ngo: “When data can’t give you a definitive answer, it is OK to be human and make a human decision. Prioritise user joy; treat them as you would any human in your life.” 

Read the full UX research case study here: It’s OK to be Human in a Machine-Learned World . 

Learn more about UX research

All of these ux research case studies emphasise the importance of user research in UX design . If you’d like to learn more about UX research, check out the 9 best UX research tools , read about a day in the life of a UX research manager with Google’s Dr. Stephen Hassard , and master the art of analysing your UX research and pulling out useful insights in this guide .

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3 September 2024

what can we learn from a case study

Comments are automatically closed one year after article publication. Archived comments are below.

Excellent and welcome article. In the social sciences, qualitative case studies have a long history. My own work in STS relied on ‘mixed’ research methods, which combine the statistical strengths of survey data with the in-depth analysis of individual cases.

Undark Magazine

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what can we learn from a case study

The Value of One: What Can We Learn from Case Studies?

Despite their size, researchers say studies of one person can uncover results that would be lost in a large-scale trial..

Visual: Christopher Rusev / Unsplash

S ometimes it takes multitudes to reveal scientific truth. Researchers followed more than 7,000 subjects to show that a Mediterranean diet can lower the risk of heart disease . And the Women’s Health Initiative enlisted more than 160,000 women to show, among other findings, that postmenopausal hormone therapy put women at risk of breast cancer and stroke.

But meaningful, scientifically valid insights don’t always have to come from studies of large groups. A growing number of researchers around the world are taking a singular approach to pain, nutrition, psychology and other highly personal health issues. Instead of looking for trends in many people, they’re designing studies for one person at a time.

A study of one person — also called an N of 1 trial — can uncover subtle, important results that would be lost in a large-scale study, says geneticist Nicholas Schork of the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix. The results, he says, can be combined to provide insights for the population at large. But with N of 1 studies, the individual matters above all. “People differ at fundamental levels,” says Schork, who discussed the potential of N of 1 studies in a 2017 issue of the Annual Review of Nutrition. And the only way to understand individuals is to study them.

Case studies of individuals in odd circumstances have a long history in medical literature. But the concept of a clinical medicine N of 1 study gathering the same level of information as a large study goes back to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1986. Hundreds of N of 1 studies have been published since then, and the approach is gaining momentum, says Suzanne McDonald, N of 1 research coordinator at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.

McDonald says that N of 1 trials can seem meager and even trivial, at least at first glance, and especially compared with large, randomized control trials, considered the gold standard of research methods. But when they’re done properly, she says, one-person studies can have all of the statistical power and scientific rigor of studies involving hundreds or thousands of people. She notes that in 2011, the Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, which promotes reliable study methods, determined that N of 1 trials deserved a “level 1” rating — the highest level of evidence possible — for assessing treatments of individual patients.

“There has been a lot of misunderstanding in the research world,” McDonald says. “People think that N of 1 studies aren’t scientifically rigorous or that they’re just anecdotal. But we can measure someone over time repeatedly and very scientifically.”

When they’re done properly, one-person studies can have all of the statistical power and scientific rigor of studies involving hundreds or thousands of people.

As with most research studies, N of 1 studies gain their power through data points. But instead of taking a few measurements from many people, researchers can conduct many measurements from one person over time. A study might compare the results of two different interventions, perhaps two different pain medications or two different diets. Or it might compare an intervention to a placebo to see if a treatment had any real effect beyond wishful thinking. Throughout the process, the subject often has the power to change the approach and goal of the study to meet their own needs.

Combining those results can provide the same sort of insights as a multiple-person clinical trial. In 2018, a team of researchers in the Netherlands, the U.K., and the U.S. aggregated results from placebo-controlled N of 1 trials of 27 patients to show that the drug mexiletine effectively relieved myotonia (prolonged muscle contractions) in patients with a rare muscle disease. To validate the approach, the researchers compared the results to a more typical randomized control trial. The results were similar, adding a layer of confidence in the N of 1 results. The researchers noted that N of 1 studies could be especially helpful for testing treatments for rare conditions that, by definition, don’t lend themselves to large-scale studies involving many patients.

McDonald is the co-chair of the International Collaborative Network for N-of-1 Clinical Trials and Single-Case Experimental Designs , a community of about 200 researchers, clinicians, and members of the public who share study ideas and highlight recent results from around the world. For example, the network’s website recently posted a 2019 study from China, published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer, that combined results of N of 1 trials to provide preliminary evidence that amino acid supplements might boost the immune systems and reduce inflammation in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

what can we learn from a case study

Underscoring the diverse possibilities of N of 1 studies, McDonald is currently involved in investigations of insomnia in Parkinson’s disease and symptom fluctuations in chronic fatigue syndrome, among other things. In 2017, she and colleagues published a study that used a series of N of 1 investigations to see if predictors of physical activity changed after retirement . “For some people, it was tied to how much sleep they got the night before, and for others it was their mood,” she says.

Other potential studies are still under discussion. In the July 2019 issue of Frontiers in Nutrition, Spanish researchers made the case that N of 1 studies could be an effective way to investigate nutritional interventions for improving cognitive function and slowing decline in patients with dementia . As the authors note, creating a classic randomized control trial for this issue would be daunting: Even without the complication of dementia, it’s difficult to get people to adhere to diets they were assigned at random. But by using computer-assisted food diaries or perhaps blood tests to confirm dietary patterns, researchers could conduct cognitive tests and compare results to a baseline.

The authors acknowledge that the N of 1 approach would have limitations — limitations that would arise in just about any study of one person. Importantly, there wouldn’t be any sort of control group; the best researchers can do is track changes in cognitive skills over time. And any variations in diet between subjects would complicate attempts to combine results. Still, as more and more patients participate, the aggregated results would provide a more detailed picture of the link between food and cognitive function, which might not be possible with a more traditional study.

As Schork explains, the N of 1 approach appreciates and embraces the fact that what works for one person may not work for another. Differences in our genes, our habits, and even our microbial communities can influence the impact of all sorts of interventions and treatments. By studying individuals instead of groups, researchers can learn more about which quirks really matter for the big picture. If a large number of N of 1 studies showed, for instance, that people with certain genetic markers responded well to a particular diet, that diet could be recommended to others with that marker. “Finding the differences that matter versus the ones that we can ignore — that’s where all of the action is,” Schork says.

Some patients are using N of 1 studies to get a better understanding of their own conditions. Sara Riggare, a Ph.D. student in health informatics at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, designed a study in which she was the one and only patient . Riggare, who has Parkinson’s disease, tested the effects of nicotine on her levodopa-induced dyskinesia, a common and troubling side effect of Parkinson’s medication. Using an electronic cigarette, she received either a dose of nicotine or a pure water vapor and noted the immediate effects.

“Finding the differences that matter versus the ones that we can ignore — that’s where all of the action is.”

Riggare found that the treatment worked, at least in her case. “As soon as that nicotine reached my brain, I felt a sense of calm,” she says. Still, she doesn’t think every Parkinson’s patient should start using e-cigarettes, especially given the current health concerns about vaping. For her, the real take-home message was the approach, not the specific result. “I wanted to create a model for other patients to find out what works for them,” she says. “You can’t know how something works on an individual until you try it on an individual.”

In a larger example of self-experimentation , nearly 1,600 patients with type 1 diabetes are sharing results of their do-it-yourself “closed-loop” insulin pumps that are modified to allow the pumps to receive commands from their glucose monitors. The so-called OpenAPS systems haven’t been FDA approved, so they can’t be sold commercially. But — ideally with guidance and permission from their doctors — patients can go online for hardware and software checklists and step-by-step instructions. The patients then have the option to collect daily data and post the results for other users to see. A compilation of real-world results from these devices, presented on a poster at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association in 2016, showed that 18 patients who used the device over months were able to keep their blood glucose under control with no incidences of severe hypo- or hyperglycemia.

Not every attempt at N of 1 research has been a complete success. A 2018 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine compared N of 1 trials to standard care for a group of 215 people with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The 108 patients in the N of 1 group essentially ran their own studies. They chose two treatments for comparison — such as acetaminophen and acupuncture — and they also chose the study length. Subjects used smartphones or tablets to track their results. The other 107 subjects received usual care. Both groups reported better control of pain one year later, and the N of 1 group consistently fared better on a wide array of outcomes at different times (for example, pain intensity at six and 12 months). But by the study’s end, there was no significant difference in pain-related interference with daily activities.

Still, the study authors, led by Richard Kravitz, a physician at the University of California, Davis, saw the results as a partial vindication for the potential of N of 1 studies, not a setback. In a letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2019, they wrote that widespread use of N of 1 trials could help people learn to improve their health through a better understanding of their diet, exercise, and medications. As a bonus, they would get a firsthand experience with the rigors of scientific research, which would improve their scientific literacy as well as their self-care.

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Smartphone apps like those used in the JAMA Internal Medicine study should help open up a new world of N of 1 studies, says Christopher Schmid, a biostatistician at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, allowing individuals to do their own studies in collaboration with their physicians. “Advances are being made in the way that people collect their own data,” he says. “It brings research to people who don’t normally think about doing research.” Schmid is currently working with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, a nonprofit that investigates medical treatments, on a project that uses smartphone apps to test different diets on children with inflammatory bowel diseases. “We’re looking to see which diet works best for each kid,” he says.

Individual differences can be especially important when it comes to nutrition. An Israeli study published in the journal Cell in 2015, for example, found “high interpersonal variability” in blood sugar responses to identical foods in 800 nondiabetic people consuming a total of more than 46,000 meals. The average blood sugar reading after eating a piece of bread, for example, was 44 milligrams of sugar per deciliter, but some people had less than 15 milligrams while others scored around 80.

Such wide variation underscores the need to study nutrition on an individual basis, Schork says. In the near term, he hopes to conduct nutritional studies on people with rare, poorly understood conditions that aren’t easily treated through medications — such as syndromes that predispose people to cancer. Roughly speaking, the studies would collect thousands of measurements while the subjects try different diets. All of those data points should add up to a clear picture of which foods would work best for their particular needs. Schork also has plans to investigate people with metabolic diseases that change the way they process nutrients.

Riggare has published one more study on herself — an exploration of self-tracking published in 2018 in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease — since that nicotine experiment, and she continues to keep a close watch on her Parkinson’s and overall health. She uses phone apps and wearable sensors to help track her mood, symptoms, and physical activity. She encourages other patients to learn about themselves too, whether it’s through a formal N of 1 trial or informal experimentation with advice from a doctor. Large randomized studies may be the gold standard of science, but self-knowledge can be the most valuable insight of all.

Chris Woolston is a freelance science writer in Billings, Montana.

This article originally appeared in Knowable Magazine , an independent journalistic endeavor from Annual Reviews.

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6 Web Design Case Studies We Can Learn From

Convey your thought processes and skills - and show future clients who you are as a designer

what can we learn from a case study

Illustration: Oyow

  • Apr 11, 2019

We all know the importance of having a good online design portfolio. It’s your opportunity to show off your masterpieces to the world, while having full control over all aspects, from the layout, to animations, navigation and more. This way, you can have an impact on the way your work is perceived and experienced by potential clients or employers.

That’s all very well, but when it comes to web design projects, why not simply add a link to the website itself and let your visitors browse freely over there? Sure – you should link to any websites you’ve designed, but there are many ways to effectively showcase your web design projects on your portfolio.

Creating a case study that explains your work process and final results can elevate your projects to a whole other level. It can help your site visitors gain a better understanding of who you are, the way you work, your decision-making processes and more. Just like any other design project, a case study should tell a story. It should take your site visitors on a journey through your process, from color palette choices, to icons created specifically for the project, ‘before and after’ pics and more.

We’ve gathered six designers who have chosen diverse ways to expertly showcase their web design projects on their Wix portfolios. Dive in for some inspiration:

1. Brown Owl Creative for Creative House Group

> Showcasing custom-made icons and full-length screenshots

Multidisciplinary design company, Brown Owl Creative, chose to place a fullscreen gif on the top fold of this project page, instantly setting the tone. Directly beneath, a brief sentence introduces the client they were working with, plus the discipline involved and a link to the final result: the website itself. A generous use of white space helps put the focus on the text.

Scrolling down, you’ll find full-length screenshots of their website design, with a simple non-obtrusive gray border. They’ve also chosen to display a section of the client’s website on a laptop, offering an alternative perspective. Another nice touch is the emphasis they’ve put on three animated icons that are featured on the final site. And let’s not forget some basic UX principles they’ve taken care of: a ‘Back to top’ button and a ‘Next project’ button to ensure fluid navigation.

2. Miki Twersky for Nosta Fragrances

> Merging video screenshots with atmospheric photos

There are many subtle additions to NYC-based designer Miki Twersky’s portfolio that make it such a success. The comic footer, delightfully honest ‘ About ’ page and spacious layout make for a browsing experience that is both smooth and entertaining.

It comes as no surprise that her inner project pages are crafted with just as much care and attention to detail. This web design case study starts with a mood-setting image, followed by a brief explanation of the brand and some additional basic details, such as the date, her roles within the project and any other contributors. A slider invites you to scroll through to view the various stages involved in the logo design process.

Further down, Miki has seamlessly integrated video screenshots of the website, enabling her to choose which aspects of her design to put a spotlight on. The page ends with a few product photos that help strengthen the look-and-feel and tie everything together, while presenting more of her branding work.

3. Adelaide Wang for Humm.ly

> Thorough case study incorporating texts, images and videos

San Francisco-based product designer, Adelaide Wang, definitely knows the ins and outs of creating an intriguing and comprehensive case study. Having worked on many aspects of this project for Humm.ly , a music healthcare platform and app, she was able to share her and her team’s full work process.

The long-scrolling page takes you on a journey through some of the major stages of any design project. It starts by presenting their search for a defined visual identity. It then moves on to the details of the app’s various screens and navigation, putting an emphasis on the accessibility of the website’s design . Lastly, Adelaide presents the website itself on various devices, including a video screenshot of the website on mobile.

A consistent layout is used throughout the page, with titles, subtitles and paragraph text all retaining the same style. Two alternating shades of gray make up the website’s background, creating a clear, but subtle, separation between folds, and ultimately contributing to a successful user experience.

Learn more about how to nail your website’s UX design with these professional examples.

4. Studio&more for Din7

> Presenting color choices, logo design and more

Here’s another example of a detailed web design case study, by graphic design studio, Studio&more. In this project for industrial design company, Din7, they worked on both branding and UX. As a result, they had the material necessary to cover everything from color palette and typography choices, to the development of the company’s logo design, illustration style, website and various applications of the visual identity.

Each section of the case study is numbered and presented with a succinct selection of images. They’ve also used the visual language they came up with for the brand in the background, creating a strong and clearly defined tone of voice. Lastly, the studio has picked out a few of their website design’s screens to showcase separately, drawing attention to them.

5. Ariel Sun for her wedding website

> Telling a story through text and images

NYC-based artist and designer, Ariel Sun, created this web design case study for her own wedding website. There are many ways to write copy for your design portfolio – and here, Ariel’s gone for a friendly and personal tone of voice to provide site visitors with an inviting summary of the project. She also clearly explained what she and her partner’s different roles were in the process, giving everyone the credit they deserve.

Two simple, static screenshots of the website design follow, presenting the most prominent pages of the site. These are accompanied by an illustration of the couple and an image of the wedding invitation, helping us get a feel for the vibe they were going for. All of this is presented in a highly aesthetic way, using a clean grid, plus a fixed menu at the top for comfortable navigation.

6. Liron Ashkenazi for The-Artery

> Including mobile and tablet view, process, and more

Multidisciplinary design director, Liron Ashkenazi, worked with a team of 3D artists, designers and developers to come up with the award-winning design for The-Artery ’s website. Liron’s case study of the project is made up of a selection of beautifully designed screenshot videos, short explanatory titles, the 3D model design process and accompanying text. The layout is concise, while including all the relevant details.

A thin column on the left provides us with background information on the client, The-Artery, as well as a breakdown of the various roles and the people involved. It also includes a list of links where the website has been featured.

Scrolling down the page, you see the development of the 3D animated models that appear on the final website. There’s also an image that showcases the website on three different devices. Incorporating elements from the design outside of the screenshots, makes for an intriguing visual representation of the overall project. The text above and on each image clarifies which page you’re looking at and who’s responsible for which elements, while not distracting from the design itself. Finally, Liron has included the design for a 404 page – a welcome addition, especially when it looks this good.

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7 CRM Implementation Case Studies That Every Growing Business Can Learn From

Updated On: 19 Jun, 2024

7 CRM Implementation Case Studies that every Growing Business Can Learn From

“We are surrounded by data, but starved for insights.” ~ Jay Baer, Marketing and Customer Experience Expert

It doesn’t matter how much data is available unless we can derive meaning from it. As per a study, businesses are missing out on $5.2 million in revenue due to untapped data.

Certainly, every business is collecting plenty of data on a regular basis but not every business is using it properly. The difference lies in the fact that not every business is using a CRM that can become a game changer for them.

Also, every customer expects a lot from the chosen brand. So, it requires all businesses, whether growing or established, leverage the power of a CRM and serve their customers better.

CRM may mean different things for different businesses but the ultimate goal is to satisfy their customers through great customer experiences. The many features and functions of a CRM can play a crucial role in this and that’s why 91% of businesses with over 10 employees use a CRM.

However, CRM implementation can be a big task for growing businesses. From finding out what they need from their CRM to making a CRM choice, there’s a lot that needs to be done.  But you are not alone if this seems like a monumental task for you.

1. Omega Financial

2. vk ventures, 3. fitness bell india, 4. moneynotsleep, 5. ajay modi travels, 6. learn digital academy, 7. upanal cnc solutions, want to write your own story, 7 best crm case studies.

To give you the confidence and ideas to get your CRM implementation done right without any hassle, we have put together useful CRM case studies based on our own customers. Every CRM case study here highlights important CRM use cases and vital learnings that can help you in a number of ways.

Take a look at each CRM case study and learn how you can make the most of a CRM and get the implementation done right as per your business needs.

Omega Financial

About the Company

Omega Financial is a renowned name in financial distribution that focuses on investment, particularly in mutual funds, and has been operating since 2010. They combine science, data, and technology with human expertise to deliver top-notch wealth management services.

🚩 Challenges They Were Facing

Being a part of the Fiserv sector, Omega Financial deals daily in bulk transactions and processes. Every transaction follows its distinct path and involves various customer touchpoints. Moreover, these transactions take place on a global scale, spanning both online and offline channels.

The main difficulty lay in overseeing the progress of these numerous operations, ensuring no task was overlooked, and assessing the overall business’s well-being. To address this issue, they required a centralized platform that could centralize all operational aspects and foster improved team collaboration.

How Kylas Helped?

Kylas has proven to be a game-changer for Omega Financial, leading to a remarkable enhancement in its operational efficiency. By implementing this CRM, the company has successfully streamlined its processes, enabling teams to work more efficiently and collaborate seamlessly. As a result, productivity has seen a significant boost across the entire organization.

One tangible outcome of this improvement is a remarkable 45% growth in sales. To effectively track and quantify sales performance , the company has adopted a system of assigning weightage points to each deal closed by salespersons.

Prior to implementing Kylas, sales executives were struggling to reach the target of 1500 points, typically achieving only 500-600 points. However, with Kylas in place, the average executive now consistently surpasses the target, scoring higher than 1500 points.  

Customer Testimonial ⭐

“We have seen a 45% increase in our sales in the past year- all thanks to Kylas. My team’s overall performance and productivity have improved because of the automation in the system. Even though Kylas is a Sales CRM all my departments use it on a daily basis. Kylas has helped us transition from hard work to smart work and I would like to rate it 5/5.” – Yogendra. S, Director of Sales, Omega Financial

Read more →

VK Ventures

VK Ventures holds a significant position in the e-commerce and fintech sectors. The company has created a portal that facilitates merchants all over India to offer a wide range of financial and utility services. These services include account opening, cash deposits, withdrawals, recharge, bill payments, money transfers, micro-FDs, insurance, and more.

Through this portal, merchants can efficiently cater to their customer’s needs while earning a commission on every transaction they facilitate.

VK Ventures is an active player in the e-commerce and fintech sectors. The company has consistently emphasized providing exceptional services to its customers while prioritizing their needs. To support its operations, VK Ventures had an 80-member sales team utilizing a custom-developed CRM.

However, this CRM, developed in Ahmedabad, proved to be outdated and lacked essential features. As a consequence, the company encountered numerous challenges, particularly in effectively managing the large sales team and tracking leads generated from various marketing campaigns.

Thanks to Kylas, VK Ventures achieved a comprehensive customer view consolidated in a single database. This encompassed essential details like customer names, addresses, financial information, and more, readily accessible to the management.

The implementation of Kylas significantly enhanced operational agility for the company. VK Ventures successfully integrated with various external applications and ensured meticulous recording of every process in the CRM, thereby improving transparency.

The positive outcomes of this transformation manifested in increased sales and overall business growth for the company. VK Ventures now enjoys improved client management and better control over ad campaigns while making judicious expenditures across different sources.

“With Kylas, we have been able to track a plethora of fintech-related customer data with ease. Our sales reps can now instantly respond to customer inquiries, which has led to better conversion rates. The industry will witness growth in the times to come, and we are sure that with Kylas by our side, we will meet customer expectations and scale our business positively.” – Vinay Kedia, Director, VK Ventures

Fitness Bell India

Fitness Bell India is a leading Fitness & Nutrition Consultation firm dedicated to helping clients achieve a healthier lifestyle. The company offers expert health advice, personalized diet plans, and tailored workout routines, all delivered through the collaborative efforts of a team of professionals, including dieticians, trainers, and healthcare experts.

With their guidance, Fitness Bell India can help you start your transformative journey towards improved health and a better physique.

Prior to adopting Kylas, Fitness Bell depended on Excel sheets to store customer records. Unfortunately, this manual data entry method was prone to human errors and consumed a significant amount of time.

As a consequence, data often became fragmented across multiple sheets, making it cumbersome to access historical information and past communications with prospects or clients. This disjointed flow of communication resulted in decreased customer experience and satisfaction.

Furthermore, the inflexibility of Excel sheets meant they couldn’t be customized to suit the company’s specific business needs, further hindering their operations. The absence of customized reporting capabilities also made it challenging to make data-driven decisions, adding to their business challenges.

Fitness Bell found the perfect fit for their needs with Kylas CRM, designed specifically for fitness professionals to efficiently engage, follow up with, and sell to clients. This user-friendly CRM empowered Fitness Bell to manage its sales process seamlessly, including contract renewals.

With Kylas, the sales team streamlined day-to-day operations related to data management, securely organizing all customer data for efficient nurturing and personalized touchpoints. Sales representatives tracked interactions with customers, while Kylas’s adaptability accommodated various membership options.

The sales manager easily assigned leads and tasks to specific staff members, ensuring timely follow-ups. The customizable dashboard provided comprehensive oversight for management, and Data Export functionality simplified data transfer.

Fitness Bell gained valuable insights for decision-making through crucial sales metrics and customized reports. Kylas’s multiple integrations fostered better relationships and faster conversions while linking WhatsApp business accounts strengthened customer connections.

Kylas played a vital role in promoting CRM adoption within the sales team, contributing to improved efficiency and success.

“With Kylas, we could scale up sales and improve customer engagement in the past 3 months. Features like Smart Filters helped us to filter data, identify hot and warm leads, and prioritize our leads. We are very happy to say that Kylas not just helped in team collaboration, but improved customer engagement as well.

Kylas does a great job of listening to its customers and keeping up with their feature-related demands. It’s a trustworthy platform that has helped in our path to success.” – Himanshu Kumar, Co-Founder, Fitness Bell India

MoneyNotSleep

MoneyNotSleep stands out as India’s pioneering Financial Media House tailored exclusively for Part-Time Traders. Established on December 8th, 2020, MoneyNotSleep is dedicated to delivering essential financial news updates, highlighting investment and trading opportunities, and providing market predictions for the best-performing stocks, equities, bonds, and companies.

Amidst the Covid challenges, MoneyNotSleep ventured into creating a platform for potential investors to build wealth through trading channels. However, as the business grew, it faced several hurdles. One major challenge was handling fragmented data stored in Excel, making it difficult to track leads and deals, impacting sales performance and growth.

The lack of team collaboration in closing deals was apparent, with internal communications suffering, leading to missed information by sales reps. Transitioning to a remote workforce during the pandemic added complexity in monitoring the sales team’s activities.

Recognizing the need for a comprehensive solution, MoneyNotSleep sought to reevaluate its technology strategy. They needed a scalable, integrated, and efficient platform to cater to bespoke needs while enhancing customer experience. Flexibility and adaptability were vital factors in their search for the right solution.

When the pandemic forced MoneyNotSleep to transition to remote work, coordinating with their dispersed sales teams became a challenge. However, Kylas proved to be a savior, facilitating collaboration among remote sales reps and significantly improving team performance.

Kylas brought about a revolutionary change by providing a comprehensive view of customers through centralized data management. The sales team could now track every interaction with leads, customers, and deals, gaining insights into customer behavior to cater to their needs effectively. This transformation from fragmented processes to a fully-integrated system empowered managers with complete control and visibility.

The multi-metric & multi-dimensional Reporting feature in Kylas enabled the sales team to generate performance and sales forecasting reports efficiently, surpassing the previous manual methods of progress tracking. Even while working from home, the sales manager could closely monitor the team’s activities and productivity.

Kylas streamlined data importing, particularly from external sources like their Leads databases, saving time and reducing manual tasks. With routine tasks automated, the sales team’s productivity surged, resulting in a faster sales process pipeline.

Inter-team communications improved significantly with Kylas, enabling a clear visualization of the entire customer journey and facilitating necessary corrections. The Kylas mobile app made curating client information more convenient, leading to better customer support on the go and enhanced satisfaction.

Reflecting on their journey with Kylas, Nishant appreciated the improved flow of information within the organization, directly impacting the end user’s customer experience positively. Kylas played a crucial role in helping MoneyNotSleep navigate the challenges of remote work during the pandemic and elevating their sales operations to new heights.

“After implementing Kylas, the sales team started leveraging the full potential of Kylas’s automation capabilities to take over a number of activities currently executed manually. Kylas has made our sales team more efficient and effective by automating their daily activities, reducing manual efforts, and saving time. Now our sales team can focus more on selling.

I am excited to say that with Kylas, the sales activity has increased by a whopping 150% in the last 3 months. Not just that, the revenue also went up by 20%. Kylas has allowed us to support clients better in the selling process, in turn, leading to greater customer satisfaction.” – Nishant Mishra, Co-founder, MoneyNotSleep

Ajay Modi Travels

Ajay Modi Travels , based in Ahmedabad, is a well-established travel service company renowned for its diverse range of travel-related offerings across India. With over two decades of experience, the company remains dedicated to delivering top-notch services and tailor-made holiday packages to its valued customers.

The Indian travel and tourism industry took a hit during the pandemic, causing a significant decline in both domestic and international travelers. Ajay Modi Travels also experienced the adverse effects of this situation, leading to an unexpected slowdown in their business.

As the pandemic situation gradually improved, the travel industry began to witness signs of recovery, and Ajay Modi Travels saw a surge in inquiries. Recognizing the opportunity to capitalize on this increased interest and fortify their position in the market, the team decided to take action.

The influx of inquiries brought a diverse range of requests for customization, highlighting the need for a robust system to manage customer data and streamline all processes. Additionally, handling bulk data through manual entry became inefficient, prompting the search for an automated solution that could efficiently manage appointments and booking deadlines, ensuring no opportunities were missed.

Thanks to Kylas CRM, Ajay Modi Travels achieved a comprehensive 360-degree view of their customer database, including crucial details like names, addresses, booking history, and more. This enabled travel agents to efficiently manage customer accounts and handle bookings, saving valuable time.

The streamlined tracking of miscellaneous travel-related data made responding to inquiries easier, improving conversion rates.

Mr. Alaap Modi expressed satisfaction with Kylas’s support and customizable features. The platform seamlessly integrated lead capture forms, prioritized inquiries, and assigned them to the right agents. Workflow automation empowered in-house tour managers to create custom rules based on customer preferences.

With Kylas’s automation, concerns about missed appointments or inquiries vanished, as custom rules ensured prompt communication through emails and reminders. Mr. Alaap Modi also praised Kylas’s receptiveness to new ideas, making the partnership even more valuable for Ajay Modi Travels.

“Currently, we have 20+ users using Kylas, and let us tell you that they have not missed a single lead or call from any prospective traveler. Kylas didn’t just help us boost our sales; it also helped us build strong relationships with our clients. In fact, in the last 6 months, our sales increased to 30% and our customer satisfaction improved by 20%. This CRM is beneficial for businesses looking forward to scaling new heights. I would recommend Kylas CRM to everyone in the travel & tourism industry.” – Aalap Modi, Co-Founder, AjayModi Travels

Learn Digital Academy

Learn Digital Academy is a specialized training institute committed to empowering students with university certifications and on-campus placements. Distinguished as India’s sole awarded agency-based digital education institute, they offer a comprehensive learning journey encompassing training, certification, internships, and placement opportunities.

With a dynamic team of professionals, their mission revolves around upskilling aspiring individuals in cutting-edge disciplines like digital marketing, data science, artificial intelligence, and graphic design. As they continue to grow, Learn Digital Academy remains dedicated to providing a transformative learning experience for all.

As Learn Digital Academy expanded as an Ed-Tech business, its counselors found themselves handling a substantial amount of information daily. Initially, they utilized LeadSquared as their CRM for the sales team. However, when the management made the decision to downsize the sales team, they had to transition to using Excel and Google Sheets for data management.

The counselors at Learn Digital Academy regularly reached out to prospective students to identify suitable candidates and boost enrolments. Managing call logs for each call on Excel became a challenging task, leading to difficulties in following up on inquiries promptly, which ultimately resulted in a decline in the enrolment rate.

Recognizing that Excel sheets were no longer sufficient to meet their needs, Nishant realized it was time to explore alternative solutions for their data and customer management requirements.

Kylas CRM proved to be a game-changer for LearnDigital Academy, streamlining student enrolments and admissions with its comprehensive view of every contact and inquiry. The team seamlessly synchronized inquiries from various sources, efficiently tracked incoming students and stored all their details in one centralized location.

The Bulk Update and Bulk Delete features offered by Kylas CRM significantly reduced manual efforts, enabling the team to manage a large volume of student inquiries effortlessly and save valuable time.

Nishant highlighted the transformative impact of Kylas CRM on their counselors, who can now make one-click calls to candidates through IVR directly from the platform, greatly enhancing their outbound efforts.

Moreover, Nishant commended the seamless onboarding and adoption process for this new platform. The availability and responsiveness of Kylas’s Customer Success team through various communication channels, including Telephony, Chat, WhatsApp, and Email, impressed Nishant.

He further praised the team’s promptness in responding to queries within an hour and resolving issues within 24 hours, always handling their requests with utmost priority.

“Kylas’ notes, task reminders, and meeting updates have helped our counselors organize their daily tasks better. Our productivity has improved with this CRM system and most importantly- now we do not miss out on a single lead.

The productivity dashboard, multi-dimensional reports, and Smart Lists in Kylas helped us track inquiries that needed follow-up by our counselors .

I am delighted to say that due to timely follow-ups through Kylas’s automated messages and emails, our overall enrolment rate has improved significantly by 30%.” ­ – Nishant Jhunjhunwala, Co-Founder, Learn Digital Academy

Upanal CNC Solutions

Established in 2011, Upanal CNC Solutions specializes in offering service and maintenance programs for all CNC machine services. As a prominent wholesaler and dealer, Upanal provides a wide range of products, including Milling Machines, Turning Machines, CNC Machine Spare Parts, and more.

Headquartered in Bengaluru, Upanal is known for its tailor-made service and maintenance programs, catering to various needs, from simple care maintenance of technically challenging CNC machines to handling exceptional masterpieces in the industry.

Upanal CNC Solutions, a thriving business, upholds the belief of delivering top-notch service at competitive rates, all while understanding and catering to the unique requirements of its clients. As its clientele base expanded rapidly, Upanal recognized the importance of having a cohesive system that could provide a clear overview of its sales pipeline.

To meet their evolving needs, Upanal sought a CRM solution that would efficiently organize their sales team’s workflow and minimize errors in data collection. They required software that would enable their sales team to consistently follow up with clients, thereby enhancing the likelihood of lead conversions.

Thanks to Kylas, Upanal gained invaluable transparency, allowing them to access a comprehensive view of each customer’s activity log in a single place. The need for centralized information concerning clients, leads, and deals, including contacts, calls, past meetings, and opportunities, was fulfilled, significantly enhancing the visibility of their sales pipeline .

When asked about the top three features appreciated by Poonam, she highlighted Kylas’s ability to create custom reports and provide insights into sales performance. The automated workflows were also a standout feature as they allowed for streamlined sales processes. Additionally, the in-app notifications kept the sales representatives updated, ensuring no important updates or tasks were missed.

“Not only that, Kylas’ robust customer service helped us with quick training that helped our team get adapted to new business processes easily. Transitioning from one software to another was effortless.

It has been going great with Kylas and I am glad we made the switch. As a sales CRM, I would rate it 4/5.” – Poonam Anvedkar, Internal Sales Team Leader, Upanal CNC Solutions

With the right CRM in place, you can serve your customers in the best manner possible. If the CRM implementation is done correctly, it doesn’t matter how much your customer expectations evolve. You will always be on top of your sales.

If you want to understand how Kylas can help your business grow, Schedule your Demo with us and we will tell you how.

what can we learn from a case study

Shagun Sharma

Shagun is a content marketer at Kylas, extremely well-versed in all things Marketing. She works closely with the sales team to create best-in-class content for our readers. Her experience combined with her thorough research skills makes all her blogs very in-depth and insightful. In her leisure time, Shagun enjoys hiking, gardening, and immersing herself in music.

  • CRM case study
  • CRM Implementation
  • CRM implementation case studies

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Successful Startups Case Studies: Lessons from High-Profile Companies and Founders

Introduction.

Successful startups are the lifeblood of the modern economy. They are the companies that create jobs, drive innovation, and bring new products and services to the market. But what makes a startup successful? What lessons can be learned from the most successful startups and their founders? This article will explore the case studies of some of the most successful startups and the lessons that can be learned from them. We will examine the strategies, tactics, and mindsets that have enabled these companies to succeed. By reviewing these case studies, we can gain insight into creating a successful startup and how to apply these lessons to our businesses.

Table of Contents

Examining the early days of successful startups: what can we learn from their experiences, how to create a winning business model: insights from successful startups, the role of leadership in building a successful startup: what can we learn from high-profile founders, the power of networking: how connections helped launch successful startups, the impact of technology on startups: what can we learn from high-profile companies.

A combination of hard work, risk-taking, and a bit of luck often characterizes the early days of successful startups. Examining the experiences of these startups can provide valuable insights into the strategies and tactics that can lead to success. This paper will explore the early days of some of the most successful startups, examining the strategies and tactics they employed to achieve success.

One of the essential strategies successful startups employ is the ability to identify and capitalize on opportunities. Many of the most successful startups have placed and capitalized on emerging trends and technologies, allowing them to gain a competitive advantage. For example, Amazon was able to capitalize on the rise of e-commerce and the Internet. At the same time, Uber was able to capitalize on the bank of mobile technology and the sharing economy.

Another important strategy employed by successful startups is the ability to pivot quickly. Many startups have swiftly adapted to changing market conditions and customer needs, allowing them to stay ahead of the competition. For example, Airbnb promptly pivoted from a website for renting out spare rooms to a platform for booking entire homes and apartments.

Finally, successful startups often have a strong focus on customer experience. Many of the most successful startups have been able to create products and services that are tailored to the needs of their customers. For example, Apple has developed intuitive and accessible products, while Netflix has created a streaming service tailored to its customers’ needs.

In conclusion, examining the early days of successful startups can provide valuable insights into the strategies and tactics that can lead to success. Successful startups can often identify and capitalize on opportunities, pivot quickly, and focus on customer experience. By understanding and applying these strategies, entrepreneurs can increase their chances of success.

Creating a successful business model is essential for any startup to succeed. A business model is a plan for how a company will generate revenue and profit. It outlines the products or services the company will offer, how it will market and distribute them, and how it will finance its operations. A well-crafted business model can help a startup attract investors, secure customers, and achieve long-term success.

This article will explore how successful startups have created winning business models. It will discuss the critical elements of a successful business model, the importance of customer feedback, and the role of technology in creating a competitive advantage.

The Key Elements of a Successful Business Model

Creating a successful business model requires clearly understanding the company’s goals and objectives. A successful business model should include a detailed description of the company’s products or services, target market, pricing strategy, and distribution channels. It should also have a plan for how the company finances its operations and generates revenue.

In addition, a successful business model should include a competitive analysis. This analysis should identify the company’s competitors and their strengths and weaknesses. It should also identify potential opportunities for the company to differentiate itself from its competitors.

The Importance of Customer Feedback

Customer feedback is essential for creating a successful business model. Startups should use customer feedback to identify customer needs and preferences and to develop products and services that meet those needs. Customer feedback can also help startups identify potential opportunities for growth and expansion.

The Role of Technology

Technology can be a powerful tool for creating a competitive advantage. Startups should use technology to develop innovative products and services that are difficult for competitors to replicate. Technology can also be used to streamline operations and reduce costs.

Creating a successful business model is essential for any startup to succeed. A well-crafted business model should include a detailed description of the company’s products or services, target market, pricing strategy, and distribution channels. It should also have a competitive analysis and a plan for how the company will finance its operations and generate revenue. Customer feedback is essential for creating a successful business model, and technology can be used to develop innovative products and services and streamline processes. By following these insights, startups can create winning business models that will help them achieve long-term success.

Leadership is a critical factor in the success of any startup. High-profile founders have demonstrated the importance of strong leadership in building a successful startup. By examining the leadership styles of these founders, we can gain valuable insights into how to create a successful startup.

The most successful startups are often led by founders with a clear vision and a solid commitment to their mission. These founders can inspire their teams to work together to achieve their goals. They are also able to make difficult decisions and take risks when necessary. High-profile founders such as Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos have all demonstrated these qualities.

High-profile founders also understand the importance of creating a culture of innovation and collaboration. They recognize that their teams need to be able to work together to solve problems and come up with creative solutions. They also understand the importance of creating an environment where employees feel valued and respected.

Finally, high-profile founders understand the importance of staying focused on the company’s long-term goals. The incisions in the company’s best interest are unpopular in the short term. They also understand the importance of staying flexible and adapting to changing market conditions.

By examining the leadership styles of high-profile founders, we can gain valuable insights into how to create a successful startup. These founders have demonstrated the importance of having a clear vision, creating a culture of innovation and collaboration, and staying focused on the company’s long-term goals. By following their example, entrepreneurs can increase their chances of success.

Networking is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs looking to launch successful startups. By leveraging their connections, entrepreneurs can access resources, advice, and support that can help them get their businesses off the ground. This article will explore how networking has helped launch successful startups and the strategies entrepreneurs can use to maximize the power of their connections.

First, it is essential to understand the value of networking. By connecting with other entrepreneurs, investors, and industry professionals, entrepreneurs can access valuable resources and advice. This can include access to capital, mentorship, and industry knowledge. Additionally, networking can help entrepreneurs build relationships with potential customers, partners, and suppliers. These relationships can be invaluable in assisting entrepreneurs in launching their businesses.

Second, entrepreneurs should focus on building solid relationships with their network. This means getting to know the people in their network and understanding their needs and interests. It also means being willing to help others in their network when they need it. By building solid relationships, entrepreneurs can create a network of people ready to help them launch their businesses.

Third, entrepreneurs should take advantage of networking events. These events provide an excellent opportunity to meet new people and build relationships. Additionally, they can be a great source of information and advice. By attending networking events, entrepreneurs can learn from the experiences of other entrepreneurs and gain valuable insights into the startup process.

Finally, entrepreneurs should be willing to give back to their network. This can include offering advice, mentorship, or even financial support. By giving back to their network, entrepreneurs can create a strong network of people willing to help them launch their businesses.

In conclusion, networking is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs looking to launch successful startups. By leveraging their connections, entrepreneurs can access resources, advice, and support that can help them get their businesses off the ground. By building solid relationships, attending networking events, and giving back to their network, entrepreneurs can maximize the power of their connections and increase their chances of success.

Startups are increasingly leveraging technology to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. High-profile companies such as Uber, Airbnb, and Amazon have all used technology to revolutionize their respective industries. By examining the impact of technology on these companies, we can gain valuable insights into how startups can use technology to their advantage.

First, technology can create a more efficient and streamlined customer experience. Uber, for example, has used technology to create a seamless ride-hailing experience. By leveraging mobile technology, Uber has provided customers with an easy-to-use app to quickly and conveniently book a ride. Similarly, Airbnb has used technology to create an efficient platform for booking short-term rentals. By leveraging technology, both companies have created a more efficient customer experience.

Second, technology can be used to create a more personalized customer experience. Amazon, for example, has used technology to create a customized shopping experience for its customers. By leveraging data and analytics, Amazon has created a personalized shopping experience tailored to customers’ needs and preferences. This has allowed Amazon to create a more engaging and enjoyable shopping experience for its customers.

Finally, technology can be used to create a more cost-effective business model. Uber, for example, has used technology to create a more cost-effective business model by eliminating the need for drivers and vehicles. By leveraging technology, Uber has created a more cost-effective business model that has allowed it to become one of the most successful companies in the world.

In conclusion, technology can be a powerful tool for startups seeking a competitive edge. By examining the impact of technology on high-profile companies such as Uber, Airbnb, and Amazon, we can gain valuable insights into how startups can use technology to their advantage. By leveraging technology, startups can create a more efficient and personalized customer experience and a more cost-effective business model.

In conclusion, successful startup case studies provide valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs. By studying high-profile companies’ and founders’ successes and failures, entrepreneurs can gain insight into the strategies and tactics used to achieve success. By understanding the critical elements of successful startups, entrepreneurs can develop their systems and plan to increase their chances of success. Ultimately, successful startup case studies provide valuable lessons for entrepreneurs to learn from and apply to their businesses.

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what can we learn from a case study

  • 7 August 2023

6 Examples of Great Brand Strategy Case Studies

brand strategy case studies

What is Brand Strategy?

The term brand strategy relates to the methods a brand will use to market its products or services to consumers. It focuses on how they present and position themselves in the market. There are several strategies a brand can use and here are some of the biggest.

Company Name

This is where a brand will focus on marketing their company/brand name as a whole. They don’t focus on any specific element of their brand, services or products. Their goal is to improve brand awareness through marketing their name alone.

Individual Branding

This is where a brand will focus on a specific element of their brand. This could range from an individual product to a service, or even a person. This form of branding moves away from overall brand marketing and narrows its focus towards a specific element.

Attitude Branding

This is where the brand markets the idea or emotion behind their brand rather than the name or product. A brand will align itself with this idea, emotion or feeling and market their association with this factor.

Brand Extension

Brand extension is when a brand markets a sub-brand rather than the overall parent brand. Many big brands are owned by even bigger brands, but they don’t market the larger parent brand.

Private Label

Not all brands or companies create their own products. The term private label refers to products that are produced for multiple brands from one creator. Private labels offer an in-house version of commonly produced products, and a brand can market this as a lower price alternative, for example.

Brand Strategy Case Studies

There are many successful branding case studies we could use to explain each element of a brand strategy. However, we believe these 7 examples help explain the power and benefits of brand strategy well.

Red Bull – Company Brand Name

Red Bull is somewhat of a powerhouse in the world of brand marketing. Their company-based brand marketing strategy is one of the most complete but does require a lot of budget. Running F1 teams and sponsoring extreme sports athletes doesn’t come cheap but it can lead to virality.

What Has Red Bull Done?

Red Bull has always known their target market and have found a way to communicate with them. Their initial brand marketing involved finding out where their target market would hang out and hand out free products: increasing brand awareness and word-of-mouth exposure.

Now, with a much larger budget, they still perform the same style of marketing. They know where their target market will be online or what sports they enjoy and position themselves there. Be it an F1 race or an 18 year old university student looking at skydiving content on YouTube.

What Can We Learn From Red Bull?

Understanding your target market will help you position your brand correctly. Their brand is so well known most will associate it name with their favourite sport before a canned energy drink.

Apple – Individual

Apple has always pushed their products before their brand name. Hosting large expos to launch a new product and advertising their latest phone before looking to raise brand awareness. The ‘Shot on Iphone’ ad campaigns are a great example of their marketing efforts pushing the quality and ability of their products.

What Have Apple Done?

Apple focuses on the consumer within its marketing efforts and aligns this with their product. Their push towards innovation is clear from their slogan ‘Think Different’. They look to expose their product strengths and do this through TV advertising and tech influencers.

What Can We Learn From Apple?

If we’re looking to market an individual part of our brand, like a product, it’s important that we first understand the benefits. By understanding the benefits we can market these and draw attention to the selling factors. Ensuring the individual element embodies the overall brand message.

Air Jordan – Brand Extension

One of the most recognisable brand extensions is Air Jordan. A sub-brand of Nike, Air Jordans have become some of the most successful and sought after shoes in the market. They currently sell somewhere around $5 billion worth of shoes each year.

What Have Air Jordan Done?

Nike aligned their product with an up and coming basketball superstar. They also moved away from the Nike brand name as, at the time, it wasn’t ‘cool’ within the basketball scene. By focusing on the brand extension, Air Jordan, they were able to market it alongside the athlete.

What Can We Learn From Air Jordan?

Brand extensions don’t need to follow the same brand message as the parent brand. They can be unique and move away from what would be expected of the parent brand, giving them freedom to push in other directions to reach a wider potential customer base.

Aldi – Private Label

Aldi is a European supermarket that has found great success with their private label range. In fact, 90% of Aldi’s products are private label and, as the majority of their products are in-house, they’re able to control price and availability. This flexibility gives them an edge over their larger supermarket competitors.

What Have Aldi Done?

Aldi have run a number of brand marketing campaigns, however, their focus on the quality of their private label stands out. The ‘I also like this one’ campaign is a great example of how they compare themselves to others in the industry. Backing it up with consumer data, they are able to stand out as just as good but less expensive.

What Can We Learn From Aldi?

If you’re a private label brand, it’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses. Perform market research to gather relevant data and market using this information. Part of the 4 Ps of marketing is ‘price’, so it’s important to consumers that the price is competitive.

Jeep – Attitude Branding

Jeep brand themselves alongside the idea of adventure. Jeep’s marketing campaigns are all focused around the idea of the car being a tool to achieve adventures. This is a great example of how a brand can align themselves with an idea and brand the idea with the product.

What Have Jeep Done Well?

Jeep have understood their target market and have in some ways built their target market around their products. They have positioned themselves through advertisement and product placements to be recognised alongside an attitude.

What Can We Learn From Jeep?

Marketing and branding doesn’t always have to be about yourself. Branding can be an idea that you and your products envelop. Marketing this idea can associate you with that idea. You are therefore no longer just Jeep, you are the adventure car.

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The latest news and views on education from oxford university press., 5 ways to help students remember those case studies.

Durdle Door

When I ask my students what they particularly struggle with when it comes to exam preparation I frequently hear the exasperated reply: “case studies!”

Some of the geographers I teach, especially in years 10 and 11, feel overwhelmed when they reach the end of a topic (or an entire course) with the realisation that they have detailed notes on a plethora of case studies.

The number of case studies pupils are expected to learn will vary from board to board and topic to topic but there is no denying that they form an integral part of geography courses. So how do we, as teachers, help them learn and remember not only the general information but the all-important detail? Below are five very simple, tried and tested ideas.

  • Choose case studies that are applicable to more than one theme in the specification

Before your students even embark on revision, you can help them remember case study information by carefully selecting those you teach. If a single case study can be used for at least two themes then that can make a real difference to pupil understanding, as well as making the overall number more manageable.

For example, the stretch of the Hampshire/Dorset coastline (from Portland Bill to Milford on Sea) can be used not only to exemplify landforms of erosion (Swanage Bay, Old Harry Rocks etc.) but also those of deposition (Hurst Castle Spit) as well as themes of ecology (salt marsh creation at Keyhaven Marshes) and coastal management (Christchurch Bay and Barton on Sea). Similarly for human geography, the Thai population policy can be used as an example of an anti-natalist approach to bring down birth rates (useful for population change themes) as well as a how the government is tackling the spread of HIV/AIDS (central to topics of health issues and development ).

  • A case study on one side

Condensing information onto one side of A4 or A3 is a really useful way of streamlining the case study and making it easier for a student to memorise. Writing out the notes forces the student to read (and hopefully process) the material which reinforces learning. Furthermore by writing out the case study they can see if there are any gaps in their notes or areas they don’t understand – both of which are vital when they are preparing for examinations.

Constructing mind maps on a sheet has the added advantage of encouraging students to see links between parts of the topic or indeed between topics (thereby identifying synoptic links which is particularly important at A2). Finally, a case study on one sheet is portable (ideal for revision on bus journeys) and is easily stuck on a bedroom wall.

  • Be realistic

Some people are lucky enough to have photographic memories but most of us, unfortunately, do not. Whilst we always encourage students to learn detail (this is crucial to access the higher mark tier for most specifications) it is important to keep things in perspective. A student who tries to cram in too many facts and figures runs the risk of having a meltdown come exam time. I would say to most of my students to choose three to five key dates or figures to memorise for each case study. Obviously this will depend on the topic and level they’re working towards but when faced with panicking pupils I say some is better than none.

Whether or not a particular student is a “visual learner” (a number of academics now think we should move on from the notion of learning styles ), there is a lot to be said for linking visual stimuli with case studies. Whether it’s a geological map of the Dorset coastline to help remember the theory of bay and headland formation or a propaganda poster to reinforce the mechanisms of the Chinese One Child Policy, images can prompt memory and therefore be a strong tool in learning case study material. Some students may find drawing out a story-board helpful, while others may want to write notes around a central photograph or sketch.

  • Mark up the specification

This is one of the most useful things I feel I can do as a teacher to help my students prepare for their exams and it is so simple. Take a copy of the specification and mark on exactly where each case study fits in. You can do this by hand or word process it as a table, but however you do it, your students will thank you for it: putting case studies into context is so helpful and their geographical knowledge will be enhanced by it.

You may want to give them a blank copy of the specification to do it for themselves but you should make sure that each student has a correct copy at the front of their notes when it comes to exam preparation. Choosing the right case study for the right question is absolutely crucial to success; if they don’t they can waste valuable time and marks by barking up the wrong (or less fruitful) tree.

Image: By Saffron Blaze (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Rebecca Veals

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Ace the Interviews: Nailing the Case Study During Consulting Interviews

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It can be intimidating to prepare for the case study interview portion of a consulting role when you’ve never done one before. Which is why on September 12, you will have the chance to be guided through the process by professionals who work as consultants in different industries.

In this workshop, you will have to chance to: 

  • Learn tips about solving case studies
  • Network with UF Alumni work currently as a consultant
  • Have your questions answered about methods to ACE the case study portion of an interview

Join C3 Career Coach, Sarah Blackmon, and our consultant professionals at this event! This event is open to students of ALL majors who want to learn more about preparing for the case study portion of an interview.

We’ll see you there on Thursday, September 12 from 5-6pm on Zoom: https://ufl.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUvfuirpz0qHN2ACL9-JZEKiFs9CHslJ5lr

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More From Forbes

Companies that failed at digital transformation and what we can learn from them.

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Digital transformation technology strategy,

A staggering 70% of digital transformations fail . Although most companies and executives know how crucial it is to evolve with technology and create digital processes and solutions, putting it into action is a different story. Many companies have endeavored on digital transformations, only to hit roadblocks. Understanding what went wrong with the following three companies can provide guidelines of things to avoid and point future digital transformations in the right direction.

  • The majority of digital transformation efforts hit roadblocks and fail
  • GE created a new digital business unit but was focused on size instead of quality
  • Ford started a new digital service that was separate from the rest of the company instead of integrating digital solutions
  • Procter & Gamble didn’t consider the competition or impending economic crash
  • These missteps can spell doom for digital transformation, but all three companies managed to try again with better success

It’s important to note that although these companies failed on their initial digital transformation efforts, they were able to make adjustments to succeed in the future. A failed digital transformation doesn’t spell the ultimate end of a company, but it can be incredibly costly in lost money, resources, time and credibility.

In 2011, GE started a major effort to assert itself in the digital software space by building a huge IoT platform, adding sensors to products and transforming its business models for industrial products. It took the next step in 2015, when it created a new business unit called GE Digital. The goal was to leverage data to turn GE into a technology powerhouse. Despite pouring billions of dollars into GE Digital and its thousands of employees, the company’s stock price continued to drop and other products suffered. GE Digital quickly became stuck in the pattern of having to report earnings to shareholders and was focused more on short-term goals and earnings than long-term innovative goals and returns. The CEO was soon forced out .

Lesson: Focus on quality, not quantity. GE tried to do too much without a real strategic focus in any area. The company was simply too large to transform all at once, especially without a true vision of what it was trying to achieve. Digital transformations are often done best with a handful of passionate people leading the charge instead of thousands of employees.

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In 2014, classic American car company Ford attempted a digital transformation by creating a new segment called Ford Smart Mobility . The goal was to build digitally enabled cars with enhanced mobility. The issues arose when the new segment wasn’t integrated into the rest of Ford. Not only was it headquartered far from the rest of the company, but it was seen as a separate entity with no cohesion to other business units. As Ford dumped huge amounts of money into its new venture, it faced quality concerns in other areas of the company. Ford’s stock price dropped dramatically, and the CEO stepped down a few year later.

Lesson: Integrate digital transformation efforts with the rest of the company. In this case, digital transformation as less of an actual transformation and more of a pivot into a new business area. To be successful, digital transformation needs to be integrated into the company.

Procter & Gamble

In 2012, consumer packaged goods giant Procter & Gamble set out to become “ the most digital company on the planet .” The company was already leading the industry when it decided to take things to the next level with a digital transformation. However, its broad goal led to broad initiatives that lacked purpose. Coupled with a slumping economy, P&G faced problems from the start. The CEO was soon asked to resign by the board.

Lesson: Look at the competition. The return on investment for a widespread and expensive digital transformation was small, especially with signs on an economy on the brink. P&G likely could have seen more success if it had focused on smaller digital efforts that were more targeted to its existing products and processes. It failed to look at what was going on in the industry to see it was already ahead of competitors and what was going on with the economy. A digital transformation for transformation sake only won’t be effective. It must consider all outside factors and be tightly tied to strategy.

A digital transformation is a complicated and risky endeavor. When done correctly, it can lead to amazing, future-proof results, but when done incorrectly it can be extremely costly and embarrassing for the company. These failed transformations show common missteps, but the companies behind them prove that failure isn’t the end of the road and that successful digital transformation is possible.

Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker and the author of two books including The Customer Of The Future. Sign up for her weekly customer experience newsletter here .

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Convicting the Innocent

Convicting the Innocent

Where Criminal Prosecutions Go Wrong

Brandon L. Garrett

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ISBN 9780674066113

Publication date: 09/03/2012

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On January 20, 1984, Earl Washington—defended for all of forty minutes by a lawyer who had never tried a death penalty case—was found guilty of rape and murder in the state of Virginia and sentenced to death. After nine years on death row, DNA testing cast doubt on his conviction and saved his life. However, he spent another eight years in prison before more sophisticated DNA technology proved his innocence and convicted the guilty man.

DNA exonerations have shattered confidence in the criminal justice system by exposing how often we have convicted the innocent and let the guilty walk free. In this unsettling in-depth analysis, Brandon Garrett examines what went wrong in the cases of the first 250 wrongfully convicted people to be exonerated by DNA testing.

Based on trial transcripts, Garrett’s investigation into the causes of wrongful convictions reveals larger patterns of incompetence, abuse, and error. Evidence corrupted by suggestive eyewitness procedures, coercive interrogations, unsound and unreliable forensics, shoddy investigative practices, cognitive bias, and poor lawyering illustrates the weaknesses built into our current criminal justice system. Garrett proposes practical reforms that rely more on documented, recorded, and audited evidence, and less on fallible human memory.

Very few crimes committed in the United States involve biological evidence that can be tested using DNA. How many unjust convictions are there that we will never discover? Convicting the Innocent makes a powerful case for systemic reforms to improve the accuracy of all criminal cases.

Garrett’s book is a gripping contribution to the literature of injustice, along with a galvanizing call for reform… It’s the stories in his book that stick in the memory. One can only hope that they will mobilize a broad range of citizens, liberal and conservative, to demand legislative and judicial reforms ensuring that the innocent go free whether or not the constable has blundered. —Jeffrey Rosen, New York Times Book Review
Garrett’s book zooms out the view to give the reader a sense of the scope of the problems in our justice systems. But he does so in a way which I find both earnest and charitable. —Andrew Cohen, The Atlantic
A uniquely valuable part of Garrett’s book is a statistical appendix that provides a quantitative overview of the false convictions, their consequences, and the factors that contributed to them… It is hard to imagine seven pages more damaging to the claims of our system of criminal justice. —Richard C. Lewontin, New York Review of Books
Looking at the 250 people exonerated through DNA as of February 2010, Garrett aimed to determine how often…malignant factors had warped the criminal justice process at the expense of an innocent person (and to the benefit of an actual criminal who went unpursued). Garrett tracked down court transcripts and dug into case files. He then sliced, diced, sifted and collated the data. Some law professors would take a pass on this kind of grunt work. Garrett did not, and our justice system can be the better for it. —Kevin Doyle, America
This book details some of the worst miscarriages of justice in U.S. history and describes how DNA evidence helped to right those wrongs… The book, what must be the most thorough treatment yet of wrongful convictions, is a first-rate examination of the human foibles and conflicts of interest hampering the pursuit of justice. —A. C. Mobley, Choice
While false convictions are a recognized phenomenon, Garrett focuses much needed attention on potential solutions, offering concrete suggestions for reform. —Publishers Weekly
For six years now I have worked diligently within the innocence movement, and I often hear the question: ‘How do wrongful convictions happen?’ Convicting the Innocent gives all the answers. It is a fascinating study of what goes wrong, and it clearly shows that virtually all wrongful convictions could have been avoided. —John Grisham
DNA testing is revolutionizing our system of criminal justice: this book shows why. By digging deep into the case files of exonerees, Brandon Garrett uncovers what went wrong in those cases and probably in many more we simply can’t know about. Garrett makes a powerful case for how to improve criminal justice so that we dramatically reduce the number of wrongly convicted. —Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld, The Innocence Project
This is an invaluable book, a comprehensive, highly readable but well-researched work examining the hows and whys of the law’s ultimate nightmare—convicting the innocent. —Scott Turow, author of Innocent
It’s common to say that DNA exonerations of innocent defendants provide a unique window on the weaknesses in our system of criminal investigation and trial. But what exactly do we see when we look through that window? Until now the answer has been pretty sketchy. Brandon Garrett has produced a far more detailed and complete picture of the lessons of DNA exonerations than anything else to date. This is an indispensable book for anyone wanting to understand or improve American criminal justice. —Samuel R. Gross, Thomas and Mabel Long Professor of Law, University of Michigan
How can we stop sending innocent people to our prisons? As you turn the pages of this important and startling book, you will come to realize that wrongful convictions are not accidents. They are the tragic result of a criminal justice system in deep need of reform. —Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking
  • Brandon L. Garrett is the L. Neil Williams, Jr., Professor of Law at Duke University School of Law.

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Justice Abandoned

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Criminal Justice in Divided America

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Prisoners of Politics

       

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Case studies in nanny state name-calling: what can we learn?

Affiliation.

  • 1 Sydney Law School, University of Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • PMID: 26074167
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2015.04.023

The 'nanny state' has become a popular metaphor in debates about public health regulation. It fulfils a particular role in that debate: to caution government against taking action. This paper presents case studies of nanny state criticisms, using them to identify a series of contextual features that may assist in better understanding, evaluating and where appropriate, resisting the rhetorical force of nanny state criticisms. The case studies presented include Rush Limbaugh's reactions to Michelle Obama's efforts to encourage American food companies to market healthier food to children; Christopher Hitchens' critique of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's public health policies; and the reaction of neoliberal think tanks to Australia's plain tobacco packaging legislation. These case studies do not provide a basis for making generalisations about the practice of 'nanny state name-calling'. Nor do they preclude debate about the appropriate limits of government action. However, in appropriate cases they may assist policy-makers and public health advocates to contest the framing of public health interventions as unwarranted incursions into the private lives of individuals. One important lesson from these case studies is that the principal concern of nanny state critics is not loss of freedom as such, but the role of the state. The nanny state critique is ultimately a call for the state to be agnostic about the health of citizens, allowing market forces to dominate. Although the nanny state critique is not new, it is a significant challenge to government efforts to address lifestyle-influenced risk factors for non-communicable diseases, including tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, and unhealthy diet.

Keywords: Nanny state; Non-communicable diseases (NCDs); Personalresponsibility; Politics; Public health law; Regulation.

Copyright © 2015 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

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Marcopolo Accelerate Manufacturing with 3D Printing

August 28, 2024

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Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

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About Marcopolo

With a history dating back to 1949, Marcopolo is a pioneer and leader in bus body manufacturing in Brazil. Born in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, the company has consistently stood at the forefront of innovation, providing high-quality transportation solutions, and driving the future of mobility.

Among the professionals driving innovation is Tiago Mendes da Silva, Coordinator of Engineering Planning and Application. He leads the implementation of new technologies, project automation using CAD, engineering infrastructure with software and hardware, detailed technical analyses, and the creation of innovative prototypes.

Driver assistance system

Marcopolo and Additive Manufacturing

At the Caxias do Sul facility, where Marcopolo produces bus bodies, electric chassis, and metro-rail products, the company has incorporated the innovative technology of Stratasys FDM® 3D printers for over a decade. Since 2012, with the acquisition of a Dimension, followed by the Fortus 900™, and most recently, the F170™.

These 3D printers are strategically integrated to meet the diverse needs of the company, from product engineering, development and processes, maintenance, quality, to the beginning of mass manufacturing.

According to Tiago Mendes da Silva, in the last year, more than 221 print requests were fulfilled, totaling about 1,000 manufactured parts. These ranged from essential prototypes for engineering project validation to parts for replacement in automated machines, components for bus verification and assembly (such as jigs), and even final parts used in bus bodies. Notable among these are the card reader for the Urbano Attivi Integral product – fully electric, and the ADAS for the Rodoviário Paradiso G8 product.

To ensure excellence and performance, Marcopolo uses high-quality materials such as ABS, known for its robustness, affordable cost, and ease of post-finishing. Additionally, polycarbonate is used to ensure robustness and superior quality in larger parts manufactured on the Fortus 900, ensuring a flawless final finish. This strategic combination of materials ensures that each printed part contributes to the excellence and durability of Marcopolo products.

3D printed driver assistance system

Applications of Additive Manufacturing at Marcopolo

Before adopting Stratasys’ 3D printing technology, Marcopolo had to import these parts from Germany and Italy. These parts were manufactured through injection molding, resulting in significant costs of approximately R$ 150,000.00 per injected mold, or by using thermoformed tooling, costing around R$ 50,000.00. 

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Advantages of Adopting 3D Printing

The daily advances at Marcopolo are driven by robust Stratasys 3D printers operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a dedicated uninterruptible power supply system.

“In the development process of the latest generation of road buses, we printed parts that simulated the final ones to avoid stopping high-speed road tests in product reliability evaluation. This procedure accelerated the launch process by about one year: door finishes, mirror finishes, supports for electronic dashboard items, and even a complete seat structure simulating the final steel one are examples we used in this product,” says Tiago Mendes da Silva.

He further emphasizes, “Recently, the company’s internal intrapreneurship group confirmed that the future of the industry involves additive manufacturing, with scale gains potentiated in an environment with customized and personalized products like Marcopolo’s, data-approved by the use and access of Stratasys 3D printers. We are in the evaluation process to establish an industrial-scale printing center in 2024 for the group.”

The internal maintenance team has implemented inventories of printed materials for items with a high replacement rate, such as finishes, pneumatic screwdriver locks, electric actuation buttons, and supports for fixed elements of the control panel. This strategy ensures immediate replacements, eliminating the wait for the printing of new items.

Even celebratory events have been revolutionized by Stratasys. All trophies and gifts awarded to winners in various awards across different sectors of the company are being produced using 3D printing technology.

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what can we learn from a case study

4 Dyscalculia Case Studies We Can Learn From

4 Dyscalculia Case Studies We Can Learn From

Diagnosis is scary for parents. Having your child’s school tell you that there might be a reason for underachievement that extends beyond simply insufficient effort. And for teachers or administrators, the conversation is intimidating. In addition, there has historically been a lot of stigma associated with having a child in special education classes. While this stigma is less significant than it used to be, and “mainstreaming” more common, it’s important that parents understand the value of intervention .

Getting a diagnosis answers a lot of questions, too. For instance, school psychologists and other practitioners will need to determine whether or not a student has a level of intelligence that’s at least average. In addition, each student has a unique tapestry of strengths and weaknesses. These can be used to teach math facts and concepts. In other words, the educational evaluation tells professionals how to help someone who is struggling.

Let’s look at some dyscalculia case studies and what we can learn from them.

Study 1: Student perpetually struggles (Kay)

Kristin Montis of the University of Minnesota tells us of a fifth-grade girl , named “Kay,” that she tutored. Kay is an intelligent child, and she does what every student is supposed to do: attend school every day, do her homework, and work hard. In addition, Kay is described as an eager learner, even though she struggled at math and reading. However, standard tutoring didn’t make enough of an improvement on her academic performance. This is not unusual with dyscalculia.

After significant experimentation, Montis determined that Kay’s difficulty was with phonetics: she had trouble expressing ideas in words. For instance, she would mis-hear or mis-interpret written works and as a result not understand them completely. In math, concepts such as fractions were difficult to properly articulate. However, Kay was able to interpret symbols and understand the relationships between concrete objects.

Montis was able to leverage Kay’s ability to interpret symbols to teach important concepts. For instance, fractions were reduced to diagrams and taught using manipulative objects such as pieces of paper cut into parts, or different-colored items representing quantities. As a result, she understood the concepts behind math. From there, it was necessary to teach her how to associate mathematical symbols with the concepts, a task that the case study doesn’t discuss.

Study 2: Student learns with manipulatives (Sam)

An unsigned case study tells us of a 6-year-old boy named Sam. While most children his age have relatively uniform achievement across subjects, Sam is brilliant in English and other topics, but struggles in math. Like many children with math or reading differences, Sam was already diagnosed with dyspraxia and some other challenges. However, the evaluator missed the math struggles because this is easy to do in early elementary.

When a new evaluation was done, Sam was shown to have superior verbal intelligence and ability but struggling in math-related measures. He had a slow processing speed and poor perceptual abilities, which are classic signs of dyscalculia. In addition, his mastery of math concepts such as counting were typical of dyscalculia.

To address these weaknesses, Sam was given access to one-on-one math instruction and a computer program that’s intended to help children with dyscalculia. The tutoring employed tactile tools to help teach math concepts, while the computer program used other sensory approaches. 10 weeks later, Sam had made significant progress, nearly catching up to expectations. As a result, he was able to stay in a mainstream school with supports, rather than a specialist classroom.

Study 3: North African school learns to grapple with dyscalculia

Even in international schools, the education of children with learning differences isn’t always as advanced in less developed countries. This case study focuses on one 5 th grade student in an international school in North Africa. Due in part to lower levels of awareness and service availability, the student was identified as having dyscalculia relatively late. Pull out sessions were given to the student in an attempt to improve his math skills. There were other students in the sessions, but they weren’t identified as having dyscalculia.

During pull-out sessions, researcher Anas Lahrichi noticed that the interventions were mainly focused on assigning worksheets to help the student learn. This meant doing more math problems. Meanwhile the resource teacher kept trying to explain math concepts. In addition, the teacher made the overall environment encouraging and empowering for all students in the class. There was no pressure to make certain benchmarks, so students could work at their own pace.

At the end of this study, the student with dyscalculia had made only minor progress in math skills. Lahrichi noted that the reason for this was likely teaching methods. In particular, few manipulatives were used in classes. These are tactile toys that help teach math concepts. Specialized computer programs or math games weren’t being used, either. Finally, assessment tools were poorly designed for these students.

Study 4: Italian researchers find that manipulatives work

Finally, let’s take a brief look at an Italian study. This involves two students, ages 8 and 9, who struggle with math. In one student, the difficulty has been identified as dyscalculia, while the other student simply struggles. Our authors want to know if the use of manipulatives will help either or both students.

Both students were given a specialized type of blocks that are intended to help children learn math by “doing” math. At the end of this brief study, investigators found that the student with dyscalculia experienced significant improvements in math skills such as counting and learning math facts. Meanwhile, the child without dyscalculia only improved a little, which the researchers determined was mainly due to increased confidence.

What do each of these case studies teach us?

In short, these case studies all teach us one thing: traditional math teaching methods are inadequate for students with dyscalculia. This was especially evident in the North Africa study. Despite getting “extra help,” the student experienced minimal improvement in his math skills. In addition, the study suggests that simply drilling a student on math facts and encouraging him or her might not work well if they have dyscalculia. For many students, it takes a specialized kind of instruction to truly break through.

On the other hand, the African school did very well in trying to boost student confidence. Most people don’t like to do things which they don’t enjoy, or which they find discouraging. By attempting to boost the student’s confidence, the school is setting the stage for continued effort. Once the right help is available to the student, there’s a good chance they will be more effective than they would be with a completely discouraged child.

The cases of Kay and Sam demonstrate the efficacy of multisensory teaching methods . For Kay, learning to visualize math concepts was helpful for learning. While the study didn’t indicate how Kay learned to transfer these skills into ordinary math work, she still was able to articulate learning in math. Other interventions or accommodations may have been able to help her transfer that knowledge into schoolwork. For instance, people who are illiterate can often express concepts orally. Either way, Kay benefitted from the teacher leveraging her strengths.

With Sam, we see a classic example of multisensory teaching enabling a student to learn and understand concepts. Sam is given access to manipulatives and computer games, as we see with Kay. Only in this case, Sam was able to transfer this to more traditional, age-appropriate assessments. Even better, it made a huge difference to Sam in allowing him to be mainstreamed with additional help. Sam has lots of potential for academic achievement in the future, whether this is in math or other subjects.

Finally, let’s look at the Italian study. The most significant finding here is that manipulatives provided only minimal help to the “struggling” student, while making a big difference to the one with dyscalculia. This tells us that manipulatives have potential for students with dyscalculia, while it has limited benefit for struggling students without the difference.

Almost anyone can succeed, even with dyscalculia.

The truth is simple: with proper teaching methods and perseverance, anyone with normal intelligence can succeed. While we can’t expect miracles for every child, proper teaching methods and encouragement work wonders in many learning differences. Combined with student diligence, there’s a very good record for timely interventions. Many students with dyscalculia and other learning differences have graduated high school, attended university, and even achieved advanced degrees.

Let’s close by looking at a few professionals who have overcome learning differences to enter a professional field. Rose Lister is a woman who struggled with dyscalculia , but who is now a teacher. Her advice to others with the condition is simple: learn to persevere. Even with the best instruction, determination to succeed is one of the best indicators of success. In fact, perseverance can even help overcome bad teaching to some extent.

Another successful person with dyscalculia is Charles Schwab. Although he struggled in school, Schwab became an important financier and securities broker. He’s also the founder of Charles Schwab brokerage. And, like Lister, he chose to give back. His legacy to the learning differences community is the Schwab Foundation for Learning, which focuses on promoting success for students with differences.

Looking at these case studies shows us one important thing: proper teaching methods work. So does perseverance. In fact, proper interventions have helped many people, like Lister and Schwab, become very successful despite their differences. Having a diagnosis of dyscalculia or any of several other differences is far from a “death sentence” for academic achievement. Instead, it’s an opportunity to receive the help that’s needed to promote success.

For further reading on dysclaculia, please see: How Dyscalculia Can Affect Teenagers

To receive our advice based on your self-assessment of your child, please download our free checklist below:

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IT’s biggest project failures — and what we can learn from them

Think your project's off track and over budget learn a lesson or two from the tech sector's most infamous project flameouts..

Every year, the Improbable Research organization hands out Ig Nobel prizes to research projects that “first make people laugh, and then make them think.”

For example, this year’s Ig Nobel winners , announced last week, include a prize in nutrition to researchers who electronically modified the sound of a potato chip to make it appear crisper and fresher than it really is and a biology prize to researchers who determined that fleas that live on a dog jump higher than fleas that live on a cat. Last year, a team won for studying how sheets become wrinkled.

That got us thinking: Though the Ig Nobels haven’t given many awards to information technology (see No Prize for IT for reasons why), the history of information technology is littered with projects that have made people laugh — if you’re the type to find humor in other people’s expensive failures. But have they made us think? Maybe not so much. “IT projects have terrible track records. I just don’t get why people don’t learn,” says Mark Kozak-Holland, author of Titanic Lessons for IT Projects (that’s Titanic as in the ship, by the way).

When you look at the reasons for project failure, “it’s like a top 10 list that just repeats itself over and over again,” says Holland, who is also a senior business architect and consultant with HP Services . Feature creep? Insufficient training? Overlooking essential stakeholders? They’re all on the list — time and time again.

A popular management concept these days is “failing forward” — the idea that it’s OK to fail so long as you learn from your failures. In the spirit of that motto and of the Ig Nobel awards, Computerworld presents 11 IT projects that may have “failed” — in some cases, failed spectacularly — but from which the people involved were able to draw useful lessons.

You’ll notice that many of them are government projects. That’s not necessarily because government fails more often than the private sector, but because regulations and oversight make it harder for governments to cover up their mistakes. Private enterprise, on the other hand, is a bit better at making sure fewer people know of its failures.

So here, in chronological order, are Computerworld ‘s favorite IT boondoggles, our own Ig Nobels. Feel free to laugh at them — but try and learn something too.

IBM’s Stretch project

In 1956, a group of computer scientists at IBM set out to build the world’s fastest supercomputer. Five years later, they produced the IBM 7030 — a.k.a. Stretch — the company’s first transistorized supercomputer, and delivered the first unit to the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1961. Capable of handling a half-million instructions per second, Stretch was the fastest computer in the world and would remain so through 1964.

Nevertheless, the 7030 was considered a failure. IBM’s original bid to Los Alamos was to develop a computer 100 times faster than the system it was meant to replace, and the Stretch came in only 30 to 40 times faster. Because it failed to meet its goal, IBM had to drop Stretch’s price to $7.8 million from the planned $13.5 million, which meant the system was priced below cost. The company stopped offering the 7030 for sale, and only nine were ever built.

That wasn’t the end of the story, however. “A lot of what went into that effort was later helpful to the rest of the industry,” said Turing Award winner and Stretch team member Fran Allen at a recent event marking the project’s 50th anniversary. Stretch introduced pipelining, memory protection, memory interleaving and other technologies that have shaped the development of computers as we know them.

Lesson learned

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Even if you don’t meet your project’s main goals, you may be able to salvage something of lasting value from the wreckage.

Knight-Ridder’s Viewtron service

The Knight-Ridder media giant was right to think that the future of home information delivery would be via computer. Unfortunately, this insight came in the early 1980s, and the computer they had in mind was an expensive dedicated terminal.

Knight-Ridder launched its Viewtron version of videotex — the in-home information-retrieval service — in Florida in 1983 and extended it to other U.S. cities by 1985. The service offered banking, shopping, news and ads delivered over a custom terminal with color graphics capabilities beyond those of the typical PC of the time. But Viewtron never took off: It was meant to be the the “McDonald’s of videotex” and at the same time cater to upmarket consumers, according to a Knight-Ridder representative at the time who apparently didn’t notice the contradictions in that goal.

A Viewtron terminal cost $900 initially (the price was later dropped to $600 in an attempt to stimulate demand); by the time the company made the service available to anyone with a standard PC, videotex’s moment had passed.

Viewtron only attracted 20,000 subscribers, and by 1986, it had been canceled. But not before it cost Knight-Ridder $50 million. The New York Times business section wrote, with admirable understatement, that Viewtron “tried to offer too much to too many people who were not overly interested.”

Nevertheless, BusinessWeek concluded at the time, “Some of the nation’s largest media, technology and financial services companies … remain convinced that some day, everyday life will center on computer screens in the home.” Can you imagine?

Sometimes you can be so far ahead of the curve that you fall right off the edge.

DMV projects — California and Washington

Two Western states spent the 1990s attempting to computerize their departments of motor vehicles, only to abandon the projects after spending millions of dollars. First was California, which in 1987 embarked on a five-year, $27 million plan to develop a system for keeping track of the state’s 31 million drivers’ licenses and 38 million vehicle registrations. But the state solicited a bid from just one company and awarded the contract to Tandem Computers. With Tandem supplying the software, the state was locked into buying Tandem hardware as well, and in 1990, it purchased six computers at a cost of $11.9 million.

That same year, however, tests showed that the new system was slower than the one it was designed to replace. The state forged ahead, but in 1994, it was finally forced to abandon what the San Francisco Chronicle described as “an unworkable system that could not be fixed without the expenditure of millions more.” In that May 1994 article, the Chronicle described it as a “failed $44 million computer project.” In an August article, it was described as a $49 million project, suggesting that the project continued to cost money even after it was shut down. A state audit later concluded that the DMV had “violated numerous contracting laws and regulations.”

Regulations are there for a reason, especially ones that keep you from doing things like placing your future in the hands of one supplier.

Meanwhile, the state of Washington was going through its own nightmare with its License Application Mitigation Project (LAMP). Begun in 1990, LAMP was supposed to cost $16 million over five years and automate the state’s vehicle registration and license renewal processes. By 1992, the projected cost had grown to $41.8 million; a year later, $51 million; by 1997, $67.5 million. Finally, it became apparent that not only was the cost of installing the system out of control, but it would also cost six times as much to run every year as the system it was replacing. Result: plug pulled, with $40 million spent for nothing.

When a project is obviously doomed to failure, get out sooner rather than later.

FoxMeyer ERP program

In 1993, FoxMeyer Drugs was the fourth largest distributor of pharmaceuticals in the U.S., worth $5 billion. In an attempt to increase efficiency, FoxMeyer purchased an SAP system and a warehouse automation system and hired Andersen Consulting to integrate and implement the two in what was supposed to be a $35 million project. By 1996, the company was bankrupt; it was eventually sold to a competitor for a mere $80 million.

The reasons for the failure are familiar. First, FoxMeyer set up an unrealistically aggressive time line — the entire system was supposed to be implemented in 18 months. Second, the warehouse employees whose jobs were affected — more accurately, threatened — by the automated system were not supportive of the project, to say the least. After three existing warehouses were closed, the first warehouse to be automated was plagued by sabotage, with inventory damaged by workers and orders going unfilled.

Finally, the new system turned out to be less capable than the one it replaced: By 1994, the SAP system was processing only 10,000 orders a night, compared with 420,000 orders under the old mainframe. FoxMeyer also alleged that both Andersen and SAP used the automation project as a training tool for junior employees, rather than assigning their best workers to it.

In 1998, two years after filing for bankruptcy , FoxMeyer sued Andersen and SAP for $500 million each, claiming it had paid twice the estimate to get the system in a quarter of the intended sites. The suits were settled and/or dismissed in 2004.

No one plans to fail, but even so, make sure your operation can survive the failure of a project.

Apple’s Copland operating system

It’s easy to forget these days just how desperate Apple Computer was during the 1990s. When Microsoft Windows 95 came out, it arrived with multitasking and dynamic memory allocation, neither of which was available in the existing Mac System 7. Copland was Apple’s attempt to develop a new operating system in-house; actually begun in 1994, the new OS was intended to be released as System 8 in 1996.

Copland’s development could be the poster child for feature creep. As the new OS came to dominate resource allocation within Apple, project managers began protecting their fiefdoms by pushing for their products to be incorporated into System 8. Apple did manage to get one developers’ release out in late 1996, but it was wildly unstable and did little to increase anyone’s confidence in the company.

Before another developer release could come out, Apple made the decision to cancel Copland and look outside for its new operating system; the outcome, of course, was the purchase of NeXT, which supplied the technology that became OS X.

Copland did not die in vain. Some of the technology seen in demos eventually turned up in OS X. And even before that, some Copland features wound up in System 8 and 9, including a multithreaded Finder that provided something like true preemptive multitasking.

Project creep is a killer. Keep your project’s goals focused.

Sainsbury’s warehouse automation

Sainsbury’s, the British supermarket giant, was determined to install an automated fulfillment system in its Waltham Point distribution center in Essex. Waltham Point was the distribution center for much of London and southeast England, and the barcode-based fulfillment system would increase efficiency and streamline operations. If it worked, that is.

Installed in 2003, the system promptly ran into what were then described as “horrendous” barcode-reading errors. Regardless, in 2005 the company claimed the system was operating as intended. Two years later, the entire project was scrapped, and Sainsbury’s wrote off £150 million in IT costs. (That’s $265,335,000 calculated by today’s exchange rate, enough to buy a lot of groceries.)

A square peg in a round hole won’t fit any better as time goes on. Put another way — problems that go unaddressed at rollout will only get worse, not better, over time.

Canada’s gun registration system

In June 1997, Electronic Data Systems and U.K.-based SHL Systemhouse started work on a Canadian national firearm registration system. The original plan was for a modest IT project that would cost taxpayers only $2 million — $119 million for implementation, offset by $117 million in licensing fees.

But then politics got in the way. Pressure from the gun lobby and other interest groups resulted in more than 1,000 change orders in just the first two years. The changes involved having to interface with the computer systems of more than 50 agencies, and since that integration wasn’t part of the original contract, the government had to pay for all the extra work. By 2001, the costs had ballooned to $688 million, including $300 million for support.

But that wasn’t the worst part. By 2001, the annual maintenance costs alone were running $75 million a year. A 2002 audit estimated that the program would wind up costing more than $1 billion by 2004 while generating revenue of only $140 million, giving rise to its nickname: “the billion-dollar boondoggle.”

The registry is still in operation and still a political football. Both the Canadian Police Association and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police have spoken in favor of it, while opponents argue that the money would be better spent otherwise.

Define your project scope and freeze specifications before the requests for changes get out of hand.

Three current projects in danger

At least Canada managed to get its project up and running. Our final three projects, courtesy of the U.S. government, are still in development — they have failed in many ways already, but can still fail more. Will anyone learn anything from them? After reading these other stories, we know how we’d bet.

FBI Virtual Case File

In 2000, the FBI finally decided to get serious about automating its case management and forms processing, and in September of that year, Congress approved $379.8 million for the Information Technology Upgrade Project. What started as an attempt to upgrade the existing Automated Case Support system became, in 2001, a project to develop an entirely new system, the Virtual Case File (VCS), with a contract awarded to Science Applications International Corp.

That sounds reasonable until you read about the development time allotted (a mere 22 months), the rollout plans (a “flash cutover,” in which the new system would come online and the old one would go offline over a single weekend), and the system requirements (an 800-page document specifying details down to the layout of each page).

By late 2002, the FBI needed another $123.2 million for the project. And change requests started to take a toll: According to SAIC, those totaled about 400 by the end of 2003. In April 2005, SAIC delivered 700,000 lines of code that the FBI considered so bug-ridden and useless that the agency decided to scrap the entire VCS project. A later audit blamed factors such as poorly defined design requirements, an overly ambitious schedule and the lack of an overall plan for purchases and deployment.

The FBI did use some of what it learned from the VCF disaster in its current Sentinel project. Sentinel, now scheduled for completion in 2012, should do what VCF was supposed to do using off-the-shelf, Web-based software.

Homeland Security’s virtual fence

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is bolstering the U.S. Border Patrol with a network of radar, satellites, sensors and communication links — what’s commonly referred to as a “virtual fence.” In September 2006, a contract for this Secure Border Initiative Network (SBInet, not to be confused with Skynet) was awarded to Boeing, which was given $20 million to construct a 28-mile pilot section along the Arizona-Mexico border.

But early this year, Congress learned that the pilot project was being delayed because users had been excluded from the process and the complexity of the project had been underestimated. (Sound familiar?) In February 2008, the Government Accountability Office reported that the radar meant to detect aliens coming across the border could be set off by rain and other weather, and the cameras mean to zoom in on subjects sent back images of uselessly low resolution for objects beyond 3.1 miles. Also, the pilot’s communications system interfered with local residents’ WiFi networks — not good PR.

In April, DHS announced that the surveillance towers of the pilot fence did not meet the Border Patrol’s goals and were being replaced — a story picked up by the Associated Press and widely reported in the mainstream media. But the story behind the story is less clear. The DHS and Boeing maintain the original towers were only temporary installations for demonstration purposes. Even so, the project is already experiencing delays and cost overruns, and in April, SBInet program manager Kirk Evans resigned , citing lack of a system design as just one specific concern. Not an auspicious beginning.

Census Bureau’s handheld units

Back in 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau made a plan to use 500,000 handheld devices — purchased from Harris Corp. under a $600 million contract — to help automate the 2010 census. Now, though, the cost has more than doubled, and their use is going to be curtailed in 2010 — but the Census Bureau is moving ahead with the project anyway.

During a rehearsal for the census conducted in the fall of 2007, according to the GAO, field staff found that the handheld devices froze or failed to retrieve mapping coordinates (see Hard questions needed to save projects for details). Furthermore, multiple devices had the same identification number, which meant they would overwrite one another’s data.

After the rehearsal, a representative of Mitre Corp. , which advises the bureau on IT matters, brought notes to a meeting with the bureau’s representative that read, “It is not clear that the system will meet Census’ operational needs and quality goals. The final cost is unpredictable. Immediate, significant changes are required to rescue the program. However, the risks are so large considering the available time that we recommend immediate development of contingency plans to revert to paper operations.”

There you have it, a true list of IT Ig Nobels: handheld computers that don’t work as well as pencil and paper, new systems that are slower and less capable than the old ones they’re meant to replace. Perhaps the overarching lesson is one that project managers should have learned at their mothers’ knees: Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

San Francisco-based Widman is a frequent contributor to Computerworld .

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jwidman

Jake Widman is a freelance writer in San Francisco and a regular contributor to Computerworld , PCWorld , and TechHive .

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Blog The Education Hub

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/08/20/gcse-results-day-2024-number-grading-system/

GCSE results day 2024: Everything you need to know including the number grading system

what can we learn from a case study

Thousands of students across the country will soon be finding out their GCSE results and thinking about the next steps in their education.   

Here we explain everything you need to know about the big day, from when results day is, to the current 9-1 grading scale, to what your options are if your results aren’t what you’re expecting.  

When is GCSE results day 2024?  

GCSE results day will be taking place on Thursday the 22 August.     

The results will be made available to schools on Wednesday and available to pick up from your school by 8am on Thursday morning.  

Schools will issue their own instructions on how and when to collect your results.   

When did we change to a number grading scale?  

The shift to the numerical grading system was introduced in England in 2017 firstly in English language, English literature, and maths.  

By 2020 all subjects were shifted to number grades. This means anyone with GCSE results from 2017-2020 will have a combination of both letters and numbers.  

The numerical grading system was to signal more challenging GCSEs and to better differentiate between students’ abilities - particularly at higher grades between the A *-C grades. There only used to be 4 grades between A* and C, now with the numerical grading scale there are 6.  

What do the number grades mean?  

The grades are ranked from 1, the lowest, to 9, the highest.  

The grades don’t exactly translate, but the two grading scales meet at three points as illustrated below.  

The image is a comparison chart from the UK Department for Education, showing the new GCSE grades (9 to 1) alongside the old grades (A* to G). Grade 9 aligns with A*, grades 8 and 7 with A, and so on, down to U, which remains unchanged. The "Results 2024" logo is in the bottom-right corner, with colourful stripes at the top and bottom.

The bottom of grade 7 is aligned with the bottom of grade A, while the bottom of grade 4 is aligned to the bottom of grade C.    

Meanwhile, the bottom of grade 1 is aligned to the bottom of grade G.  

What to do if your results weren’t what you were expecting?  

If your results weren’t what you were expecting, firstly don’t panic. You have options.  

First things first, speak to your school or college – they could be flexible on entry requirements if you’ve just missed your grades.   

They’ll also be able to give you the best tailored advice on whether re-sitting while studying for your next qualifications is a possibility.   

If you’re really unhappy with your results you can enter to resit all GCSE subjects in summer 2025. You can also take autumn exams in GCSE English language and maths.  

Speak to your sixth form or college to decide when it’s the best time for you to resit a GCSE exam.  

Look for other courses with different grade requirements     

Entry requirements vary depending on the college and course. Ask your school for advice, and call your college or another one in your area to see if there’s a space on a course you’re interested in.    

Consider an apprenticeship    

Apprenticeships combine a practical training job with study too. They’re open to you if you’re 16 or over, living in England, and not in full time education.  

As an apprentice you’ll be a paid employee, have the opportunity to work alongside experienced staff, gain job-specific skills, and get time set aside for training and study related to your role.   

You can find out more about how to apply here .  

Talk to a National Careers Service (NCS) adviser    

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Demonstrate your expertise in enterprise infrastructure, assurance, security, and more. Configure, troubleshoot, and manage the networks of the largest companies in the world with the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Enterprise certification.

CCNP Enterprise certification

Demonstrate your expertise in enterprise infrastructure, assurance, security, and more. Configure, troubleshoot, and manage the networks of the largest companies in the world with the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Enterprise certification.

Empower the world's biggest networks

CCNP Enterprise certification

CCNP Enterprise

Earning a CCNP Enterprise certification demonstrates your ability to scale and maintain enterprise networks to meet growing demands. Showcase your expertise in enterprise infrastructure, virtualization, assurance, security, and automation to influential employers.

Dual stack architecture

Understand Cisco's solutions for managing networks, including configuring the quality of service settings, and switching between hardware and software.

Virtualization

Demonstrate your understanding of   virtualization software, virtual machines, and virtual switches. Showcase your ability to divide and manage data paths and create virtual networks.

Infrastructure

Set up and troubleshoot communication protocols. Set up wireless networks and configure features like network time protocol and Network Address Translation/Port Address Translation (NAT/PAT).

Network assurance

Be able to diagnose and fix network problems. Configure and verify various networking features for optimal performance.

How it works

No formal prerequisites.

Learners often have three to five years of experience implementing enterprise network solutions.

Common learner profiles

Professional-level certifications expand on the foundations of associate-level certifications. They cover more advanced topics and allow candidates to hone in on a specific focus area of their choice. Many professional-level certification candidates are looking to prove they’re the best of the best in a specialized field.

To earn the CCNP Enterprise certification, you'll need to pass two exams:  A core exam and one of seven CCNP Enterprise concentration exams.

Getting started

To earn this certification, you'll need to pass two exams:

  • A core exam
  • One of seven CCNP Enterprise concentration exams

You'll have access to many resources — from guided learning to self-study and a community forum — that are designed to help you pass your exams.

what can we learn from a case study

Unlock your career potential

Your CCNP Enterprise certification proves you can work with complex IT infrastructures - and that opens doors at some of the world’s largest companies.

Potential roles

Network automation engineer.

Use programming and automation tools to streamline network operations.

Systems engineer

Be the expert behind any project that optimizes systems for an organization.

Network support technician

Resolve connectivity issues, troubleshoot devices, and ensure networks are operating smoothly.

Alumni testimonials

Certifications give olivia credibility with employers.

Certifications give Olivia credibility with employers

"The knowledge that I’ve got from studying for those certifications gave me the confidence that I’ll always be able to get a job if I need to."

Olivia Wolf, Systems engineer

CCNA, CCNP Enterprise, DevNet Associate

Christoph's certifications earned him a salary boost 

Christoph's certifications earned him a salary boost

"Preparing for certification increased my knowledge and confidence, which ultimately translated to better work performance. As a result, I’ve received generous salary increases."

Christoph Neulinger, Senior network engineer

Getting certified has been a game-changer for AJ

Getting certified has been a game-changer for AJ

"Cisco Certifications really helped to advance my career."

AJ Murray, Network engineer

Maintain your certification

Your certification is valid for three years. You can renew with Continuing Education credits or retake exams before they expire.

Professional-level Essentials Event: Enterprise

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Get a quick primer on the CCNP Enterprise certification and exams.

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COMMENTS

  1. Lessons Learned from Case Studies: How to Succeed in Any Situation

    A case study is a detailed analysis of a specific situation or problem, highlighting the actions taken and the outcomes achieved. By studying successful case studies, we can identify common patterns and strategies that have led to success. One common lesson learned from case studies is the importance of adaptability and flexibility.

  2. How to Write a Case Study: A Complete Guide with Templates

    How to Write a Case Study Step-by-Step . Craft a Compelling Headline: Highlight the main success with a clear, direct title. Start with a Strong Introduction: Provide a broad overview and hook the reader. Discuss Unique Client Challenges: Highlight specific industry-related challenges. Highlight the Solution: Showcase your strategies and key results. ...

  3. How to Plan, Produce, and Promote Case Studies From A to Z

    Learn how to create impactful multimedia customer case studies step-by-step, from finding customers to promoting your success stories. ... As a token of our appreciation, we'd be happy to [incentive], and of course, we will share the final case study with you for approval before ... Case studies can be one of the most powerful forms of social ...

  4. Explore 10 Great Design Thinking Case studies

    Case Study 1: Airbnb. Airbnb's one of the popular Design Thinking Case Studies that you can aspire from. Airbnb disrupted the traditional hotel industry by applying Design Thinking principles to create a platform that connects travellers with unique accommodations worldwide. The founders of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan ...

  5. Understanding the Power of Case Studies

    Case studies are particularly appealing because they offer a glimpse into real-world scenarios and provide concrete evidence of success. Well-crafted case studies use the power of a good story to take the reader on a journey from a problem state to a resolution. Case studies can appeal to readers at different stages of the buyer's journey ...

  6. Analyzing and Responding to a Case Study

    The word analyze means, essentially, "to break down.". When you analyze a case study, you are breaking it down into its fundamental parts and asking how each of them functions in the case. When you analyze evidence, you should be asking yourself why it is or isn't working and how it does or doesn't contribute to the central issue of the ...

  7. 7 Superb SaaS Case Study Examples (and Why They're So Effective)

    Make your case study shareable. Fact: the typical B2B buying process involves between six and ten people. And so anything you can do to make your case study shareable to multiple stakeholders is a smart move. This again speaks to why so many SaaS case studies incorporate video or are formatted as succinct, scroll-friendly PDFs.

  8. What can we learn from case studies? More than most psychologists realize

    Stiles (2009) was on target when he argued that theory-building case studies have much more to offer than most psychologists realize. In this analysis of Stiles' position, I focus on comparisons he drew between theory-building case studies and hypothesis-testing investigations with regard to (a) sensitivity to context, and (b) evaluating theories. Stiles' suggestion that case studies are ...

  9. 11 Inspiring UX Case Studies That Every Designer Should Study

    As far as UX case studies go, this one provides practical insight into an existing, widely used e-commerce feature, and offers practical solutions. 7. New York Times App. Using a creative illustration website, the designers proposed a landing page feature "Timely" that could counter the problems faced by the NYT app.

  10. Research: Business Case Studies: Open Access Cases

    Ethics Unwrapped - McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin More than 50 case studies match ethics concepts to real world situations. From journalism to performing arts to foreign policy to scientific research to social work, these cases explore a range of current and historic ethical dilemmas, their motivating biases, and their consequences.

  11. 3 real-world UX research case studies from Airbnb, Google, and Spotify

    UX research case study #1: Airbnb and the power of observing user behaviour to uncover design opportunities. Oftentimes, user research is planned in advance and conducted within a controlled setting—think user interviews, or analysing how people interact with your website over a specific period of time.. But sometimes, user research occurs organically—like an accidental light shining on a ...

  12. (PDF) What Can We Learn from Case Studies? More than ...

    The eight weeks of a MBSR program were the first period of a full year of data acquisition. This study was primarily conceptualized as a hypothesis-testing case study [40].The first aim of the ...

  13. The Value of One: What Can We Learn from Case Studies?

    A study of one person — also called an N of 1 trial — can uncover subtle, important results that would be lost in a large-scale study, says geneticist Nicholas Schork of the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix. The results, he says, can be combined to provide insights for the population at large.

  14. 6 Web Design Case Studies We Can Learn From

    6 Web Design Case Studies We Can Learn From. Convey your thought processes and skills - and show future clients who you are as a designer. Illustration: Oyow. Apr 11, 2019. 5 min read. We all know the importance of having a good online design portfolio. It's your opportunity to show off your masterpieces to the world, while having full ...

  15. 7 CRM Implementation Case Studies you Can Learn From

    Every CRM case study here highlights important CRM use cases and vital learnings that can help you in a number of ways. Take a look at each CRM case study and learn how you can make the most of a CRM and get the implementation done right as per your business needs. 1. Omega Financial.

  16. Successful Startups Case Studies: Lessons from High-Profile ...

    Conclusion. In conclusion, successful startup case studies provide valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs. By studying high-profile companies' and founders' successes and failures, entrepreneurs can gain insight into the strategies and tactics used to achieve success. By understanding the critical elements of successful startups ...

  17. 6 Examples of Great Brand Strategy Case Studies

    Brand Strategy Case Studies. There are many successful branding case studies we could use to explain each element of a brand strategy. However, we believe these 7 examples help explain the power and benefits of brand strategy well. Red Bull - Company Brand Name. Red Bull is somewhat of a powerhouse in the world of brand marketing.

  18. 5 ways to help students remember those case studies

    A case study on one side. Condensing information onto one side of A4 or A3 is a really useful way of streamlining the case study and making it easier for a student to memorise. Writing out the notes forces the student to read (and hopefully process) the material which reinforces learning. Furthermore by writing out the case study they can see ...

  19. Apple Case Study: What can brands learn from Apple?

    Later on, the company expanded its offering products beyond computers so they changed the name to Apple Inc. reducing the number of letters and becoming easier to remember. The company owns over ...

  20. Ace the Interviews: Nailing the Case Study During Consulting Interviews

    It can be intimidating to prepare for the case study interview portion of a consulting role when you've never done one before. Which is why on September 12, you will have the chance to be guided through the process by professionals who work as consultants in different industries. In this workshop, you will have to chance to:

  21. Companies That Failed At Digital Transformation And What We Can Learn

    Ford started a new digital service that was separate from the rest of the company instead of integrating digital solutions. Procter & Gamble didn't consider the competition or impending economic ...

  22. Convicting the Innocent

    On January 20, 1984, Earl Washington—defended for all of forty minutes by a lawyer who had never tried a death penalty case—was found guilty of rape and murder in the state of Virginia and sentenced to death. After nine years on death row, DNA testing cast doubt on his conviction and saved his life. However, he spent another eight years in prison before more sophisticated DNA technology ...

  23. Case studies in nanny state name-calling: what can we learn?

    One important lesson from these case studies is that the principal concern of nanny state critics is not loss of freedom as such, but the role of the state. The nanny state critique is ultimately a call for the state to be agnostic about the health of citizens, allowing market forces to dominate. Although the nanny state critique is not new, it ...

  24. Marcopolo Accelerate Manufacturing with 3D Printing

    We are in the evaluation process to establish an industrial-scale printing center in 2024 for the group." The internal maintenance team has implemented inventories of printed materials for items with a high replacement rate, such as finishes, pneumatic screwdriver locks, electric actuation buttons, and supports for fixed elements of the ...

  25. 4 Dyscalculia Case Studies We Can Learn From

    Let's look at some dyscalculia case studies and what we can learn from them. Study 1: Student perpetually struggles (Kay) Kristin Montis of the University of Minnesota tells us of a fifth-grade girl, named "Kay," that she tutored. Kay is an intelligent child, and she does what every student is supposed to do: attend school every day, do ...

  26. Right to disconnect

    Learn more about good workplace communication practices. Employers and employees are encouraged to discuss out of hours contact and set expectations that suit the workplace and the employee's role. Where possible, there are benefits to having these conversations before out of hours contact happens.

  27. IT's biggest project failures

    The state forged ahead, but in 1994, it was finally forced to abandon what the San Francisco Chronicle described as "an unworkable system that could not be fixed without the expenditure of ...

  28. GCSE results day 2024: Everything you need to know including the number

    When did we change to a number grading scale? ... Q&As, interviews, case studies, and more. Please note that for media enquiries, journalists should call our central Newsdesk on 020 7783 8300. This media-only line operates from Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm. Outside of these hours the number will divert to the duty media officer.

  29. CCNP Enterprise

    You'll have access to many resources — from guided learning to self-study and a community forum — that are designed to help you pass your exams. ... Learn about automation engineers. ... Learn why we created the CCNP certifications, and find out how you can use them to plan, support, and grow your career. ...