Case Study Narrative Format — Problem/Solution/Testimonial

Overview

Asymmetric uses a standardized narrative structure for client case studies on websites. This format replaced an earlier icon-based approach after the icons were found to be inconsistent across projects and poor at conveying a compelling story — particularly when a single project involved multiple service types.

The core insight: short narrative blurbs in a consistent structure are more readable and persuasive than icon grids, and they scale uniformly across any project type.

Standard Structure

Each case study should follow this three-part flow:

Problem — What challenge or situation did the client face? What prompted the project?
Solution — What did the contractor/service provider do? What was delivered?
Testimonial — A direct quote from the client reflecting the outcome.

Optional supporting fields (included where available, but not required on every entry):

Project scope / size (e.g., square footage)
Duration
Warranty details

Note: Consistency matters more than completeness. If a field isn't available for a given project, omit it rather than leaving it blank or fabricating it.

Rationale

Why narrative over icons?

The icon-based format was originally used to give visitors a quick visual summary of project specs (duration, square footage, roof type, etc.). In practice it created two problems:

Inconsistency: Case studies were added over time with different data available, so icon sets varied between entries.
Multi-service confusion: When a single project involved more than one service type, the icon labeling became ambiguous or redundant.

The narrative format solves both: every entry has the same three sections regardless of project type, and the prose naturally accommodates complexity without requiring a rigid schema.

Why include a testimonial?

The Problem/Solution arc tells the story; the testimonial closes it with social proof. Placing it as the third element — after the reader understands what was done — gives the quote context and makes it more credible than a standalone pull-quote.

Implementation Notes

Melissa Cusumano (Asymmetric) owns the template document and distributes it to clients for population.
The client (or account team) fills in one entry per project; the template should make the required fields explicit.
Graphics or icons can be layered in later if desired — the narrative content is the foundation.
Case studies can be launched as a section of the site before all entries are complete; placeholder entries should not be published.

Client Example

SBS/WI (Seamless Marketing engagement, Feb 2026): The existing case study pages used icon grids that became confusing on projects with multiple coating types. After reviewing the layout in development, the team agreed to drop icons entirely and adopt the Problem/Solution/Testimonial structure. Brandon Aman (SBS/WI) committed to populating the template for one completed winter project plus four additional projects. Melissa Cusumano committed to delivering the template document and a screen-captured mock-up showing the expected content flow.

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