Choose a specific reader
Write down the client, project type and constraint you want to work with. A small business commissioning its first website needs different evidence from a product team hiring for an existing design system. Put the closest example first. Remove unrelated work when it makes your offer harder to understand.
Use a repeatable case-study structure
Start with the brief, then explain your role, constraints, approach and final deliverables. Include enough detail to show how you made decisions. A rejected direction can be useful if it explains why the final solution fits the brief. Name collaborators so the reader knows which work is yours.
- Brief: who needed what, and why?
- Responsibility: what did you own and what did others contribute?
- Decision: what trade-off shaped the work?
- Evidence: what was delivered or measured?
Make the evidence honest
If you have measured results, state the source, period and relevant limitations. If you do not, show a verifiable deliverable: a completed component library, a published article or a documented handover. Label self-initiated concepts as concepts. Ask permission before sharing client material; redact private information instead of publishing screenshots from internal systems.
Give the client an appropriate next step
After each case study, explain which similar work you are available for and what you need to estimate it. For example: “For a five-page service website, send your current site, page list and target launch date.” A clear next step is more useful than a claim that you can transform any business.
What a web design brief should include · Carry your portfolio evidence into your profile
Common questions
What if I have no paid projects?
Create a small, relevant concept project and label it clearly. Explain the brief and decisions without inventing a client, testimonial or commercial result.
How many projects should I show?
Start with a few relevant examples that you can explain well. Add another only when it demonstrates a capability your existing work does not.