Recently someone asked for Reddit "What is your preferred case study length?" I believe their intention was to understand if it's better to write a detailed case study or a short and scannable one.

I had a few thoughts on the matter.

There are many examples of great case studies both long and short. Fundamentally, I don't think the length matters, only the quality of your storytelling and how well the length accentuates it. In that sense, you may think of case study length as a personal decision rooted in two domains - the ability to maintain a portfolio and to make it usable - that work together to free up time for you to write great stories.

Maintain a portfolio

When thinking about portfolio maintenance and writing new case studies, it's helpful to think about what you enjoy and what you are strengths as a storyteller. Ask yourself the following:

1. How easy or hard is it for me to write a case study? How do I feel about the writing process itself?
2. Do I struggle more with short or long form content?
3. Do I prefer with graphics more than prose?

Make it usable

When considering usability, you want to dig a little deeper into your core audience like recruiters and hiring managers and understand how you can maximize your portfolio's impact on them.

5. How much will the average recruiter read on my portfolio?
6. How can I make sure they see the information they need to make a decision about calling me?

For me, the answers are:

1. Pretty hard. I'd rather show the work than describe it through a case study.
2. Long form content by far. I'm still getting better at long form writing, but I'm currently best at short form.
3. Graphics. It's easier to show process through graphics than it is to describe it.
4. From what data I could gather, most recruiters spend 2-3 minutes on a portfolio. About 400 - 800 words.
5. Highlight the best projects, write short punchy case studies. Maximize the % case study read / min ratio.

And based on those answers I prefer to:

1. Write case studies that are 800 words or less, no exceptions. Shorter case studies force me to choose only the most important parts of a story. It naturally makes my writing more impactful.
2. Choose graphics over prose: people grok images faster than words. And with the limited word count, I can tell more efficient stories with graphics.
3. Write small paragraphs broken up by graphics: creates great visual rhythm and keeps case studies from feeling overwhelming.

Hope this helps you find the right answer for you!