Week 22 Guide: Writing Your Design Story
24-week programme, Portfolio & Career Phase.
The Real Problem This Solves
Images show what you made. Words explain why it is good. Weak portfolio writing hides behind vague design language; strong writing makes the problem, the decisions, the evidence, and the outcome clear to anyone. This week you write your work so it speaks for itself.
Key Ideas You Need First
1. Problem, decisions, evidence, outcome
Every project story answers four things: what the problem was, what you decided, what evidence backed it, and what resulted. Keep that order.
2. Plain words beat jargon
Say "I cut the reset time to under a minute", not "I optimised the user journey". Concrete beats vague.
3. A CV line is action plus result
Turn each story into one line that names what you did and the measurable result.
Step-By-Step Walkthrough
- Write a one-line designer statement from the strengths your work proves.
- Write each project story in the order problem, decisions, evidence, outcome.
- Cut the jargon. Replace vague phrases with concrete facts.
- Turn each story into a CV line, action plus result.
- Read it aloud to check it is clear to someone outside design.
Demonstrated Example
Story: "Two housemates shared one desk and lost time resetting it between them. I researched both users, found the reset was slower than they realised, and designed a split roll-up mat with a fast partial reset. Testing with both users cut the reset to under 40 seconds."
CV line: "Designed a shared-desk toolkit tested with two user groups, cutting reset time from over a minute to under 40 seconds."
Why this is strong: plain words, the four-part order, and a measurable outcome.
Submission Checklist
| Upload item | Pass standard |
|---|---|
| Project stories | Problem, decisions, evidence, outcome, in plain words. |
| CV lines | Action plus a measurable result. |
Assessment And Pass Criteria
- Each story follows problem, decisions, evidence, outcome.
- The writing is plain and concrete, not jargon.
- CV lines pair an action with a result.
Common Mistakes
- Vague design language. Say what actually happened.
- Describing images. Explain the thinking, do not narrate the picture.
- Empty CV phrases. Replace "passionate" with evidence.
Extension Challenge
Cut your best project story to fifty words without losing the problem or the outcome.