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March 31, 2011 by Casey Hibbard in Case study design

Steelcase

It’s easy to get into a rut with design, especially when a marketing piece like a case study contains all the same elements every time…

Headline
Subhead
Text
Photo

Steelcase, known for its office designs and furniture, has brought its design inspiration to the customer success story. Because of the visual nature of what it provides, the company features customers in their actual workplaces, enjoying their Steelcase environments.

But more than that, the company added a simple twist – turning the success story horizontal. The 2-page story runs horizontally across the page, from the cover page (above) featuring a photo to the second page highlighting the story.

Steelcase

The result? A more engaging, attractive story.

While the cover page adds oomph, it isn’t strictly necessary. Drop it and you still have a design that’s more engaging than your average success story layout.

2 Responses to Case Study Design – Turn it Sideways

  1. Mark McClure says:
    April 5, 2011 at 4:28 pm

    That design works well, with the picture being both a visual ‘bridge’ between the before and after stages of the customer’s story.

    Do you think some sub-heads in a larger font would add to the ‘readability’, or it’s fine as is?

    I really like how the key quote and the contact info at the bottom stand out clearly.

  2. Casey Hibbard says:
    April 7, 2011 at 9:01 am

    Hi Mark,

    Thanks for your comments. I definitely think 2-3 subheads would help but it’s still very readable without them. And I agree about the lime green helping those two bottom elements stand out. It’s a good example of how effective design doesn’t have to be complex.

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