Creating Case Studies: Make them visual

Infographics can be a powerful tool to communicate your data in an engaging, easy-to-understand format. They improve comprehension, increase engagement, boost recall, and increase shareability and awareness of your brand as a result. 

Essentially, infographics combine visuals and text to illustrate information clearly. There are several types you could use: 

• Informational Infographics: These provide an overview of a topic in an easy-to-understand format. They typically break down a complex topic into bite-sized pieces of information, often using bullet points, numbered lists, and small sections.
• Timeline Infographics: These visualise information over a period of time. They are great for showing the history of a topic, a process over time, or events in chronological order.
• Process Infographics: These outline the steps of a process. They can be useful in healthcare settings to illustrate treatment plans, patient journeys, or research methodologies.
• Comparison Infographics: These compare two or more things side-by-side. They’re useful for showing before-and-after scenarios, comparing options, or highlighting the differences and similarities between items.
• Hierarchical Infographics: These show information according to rank or importance. They are often used in healthcare to demonstrate levels of risk or to prioritize actions.
• Geographic Infographics: These use maps to display location-based data. They can be useful in health tech for showing regional differences in health statistics, the reach of a product or service, or epidemiological data.

Each type of infographic serves a different purpose, so it’s important to choose the type that best fits the information you’re trying to convey. Combining different types within one infographic can also be effective. For instance, a process infographic for a health tech startup might also include statistical infographics to show the effectiveness of each step.

Data visualisation is the practice of translating information into a graphical or pictorial format, such as charts, graphs, or maps. This technique is widely used in many sectors, including healthcare and technology, due to its ability to make complex data more understandable and actionable.

Using charts or graphs can greatly improve comprehension, aid in identifying patterns, enhances decision-making, increase engagement and generally simplify communication with all stakeholders.

As for infographics, there are several types of data visualisation you can use in your case study:

• Bar Graphs: These are great for comparing quantities of different categories. For instance, a health tech company might use a bar graph to show the number of patients served by their product in different regions.
• Pie Charts: These are used to show percentage or proportional data. For example, you might use a pie chart to illustrate the proportion of a clinic’s patients that have been diagnosed using your technology.
• Line Graphs: These are often used to represent changes over time. For instance, a health tech startup could use a line graph to show how their product has reduced patient wait times over several months or years.
• Area Charts: Similar to line graphs, area charts can show how values develop over time. They’re useful for showing totals and trends, such as the total number of users of a health app over time.
• Scatter Plots: Scatter plots can demonstrate correlations between two variables. For example, a scatter plot could illustrate the correlation between the use of an AI diagnosis tool and the accuracy of diagnoses.
• Heat Maps: Heat maps use colour intensity to represent quantities. They can be useful in healthcare for showing concentrations of certain conditions across different geographical areas.
• Dashboard: Dashboards combine multiple visualisations into a single display for easy monitoring. A health tech company might have a dashboard that tracks key performance indicators like active users, customer satisfaction, and uptime.

The type you choose depends on the nature of your data and what you want your audience to understand from it. You may also combine different types in a single presentation or report to tell a more comprehensive story.

Including photos and videos adds a layer of authenticity to your case study. You could include pictures of your product in use, screenshots of your software, or even a video testimonial from a satisfied customer.

We go into more detail in our post on making case studies relatable.

Remember to work with professionals to ensure the style used across all materials stays consistent and complements your brand. Also, remember to always seek permission before using personal photos or videos.

Breakout boxes help highlight key points or quotes within the text. This draws attention to important information and breaks up the text flow, making it easier to read.

They are often used in case studies, articles, and reports for various reasons. They highlight critical information, improve readability and emphasise essential data.

In the context of a health tech startup, a breakout box in a case study might highlight a testimonial from a satisfied customer, a significant statistic, or a key outcome of using the product. This can help emphasise the value and impact of the solution being presented.

Just remember that, like all design elements, breakout boxes should be used judiciously. Too many can clutter your layout and diminish its impact. Also, ensure that they align with your document’s overall design and branding to maintain a cohesive look and feel.

Your case study should align with your company’s brand aesthetic and promotes readability and comprehension.

It should reflect your brand identity, thereby enhancing professionalism and trustworthiness. Consistency in design elements – like colour schemes, typography, and layout – provides a cohesive look and feel, helping readers scan through your document but also reminding them of the context.

A clutter-free, well-organized layout retains attention, makes key points stand out, and prevents your content from being overwhelming. Therefore, a clean and consistent design significantly enhances the effectiveness of your case study.

Don’t be afraid of white space to create a clean design (see above).

White space guides the reader’s eye, helping them navigate the content more effectively and focus on key points. It enhances the overall aesthetic appeal, giving your content a clean, modern look. Additionally, strategic use of white space can make certain elements stand out, like call-to-actions, quotes or important statistics. Therefore, white space significantly contributes to a better user experience.

Are you ready to give it a go? Get in touch if you need help designing engaging case studies. Our team of talented graphic designers surely know how to make a case study stand out.

Data Visualization: Use a line graph to depict the reduction in misdiagnosis rates over the six months since MedDiag AI was implemented.

Photos: Include a real photo of Dr. Doe, or a screengrab of MedDiag AI in action.

Breakout Box: Highlight Dr. Doe’s testimonial in a breakout box to draw attention to it.

Design: Ensure the design of the case study aligns with your brand’s color scheme, typography, and overall aesthetic.

White Space: Use white space strategically to break the content into digestible sections and highlight key points.

By combining compelling storytelling with eye-catching visuals, you can create case studies that are not only informative but also engaging. Just remember, the goal of the design should always be to enhance the comprehension of your case study and highlight your key points.