Dan Harmon is the brain behind multiple beloved shows, such as Rick and Morty and Community (my personal favourite).
He's standing in front of a whiteboard, pen in hand. What follows is a masterclass in storytelling.
He draws a circle and splits it into four quadrants. Then breaks it down:
“You’ve got a character that you can identify with. That has some kind of need, wish, incompletion. That causes them to go across a threshold, where the story changes direction.”
“They go down a road of trials. Searching for something. They find it, whether the like it or not. It kind of kicks their ass. And they come back to the world they started in. Having changed.”
This is the Story Circle
A framework that Dan, and other storytellers use to plan, structure and write better stories.
But it's not just Hollywood writers who benefit from this structure. You can follow the same framework to create more compelling case studies for your business.
Here's how.
You: Introduce your main character
Every good story needs someone we can relate to.
In your case study, that's your client.
Start by establishing who they are, what they do and the world they operate in. Give your reader enough context to recognise something of themselves in the story.
For example:
"Sarah runs a successful manufacturing business in Hampshire. Over the past five years, she's grown the company from a small workshop into a team of 25, supplying specialist components to businesses across the UK."
Need: Establish what they want
What drives them?
Perhaps something is missing. A problem needs solving. Or they have an ambition they can't achieve by continuing as they are.
This is where you introduce the tension.
For example:
"Demand was growing, and Sarah had an opportunity to take on several major contracts. But to deliver them, she needed to invest in new machinery and expand her premises. It would require £500,000 in funding, far more than the business could comfortably finance from its existing cash reserves."
Go: Cross the threshold
Something happens that makes the character decide things need to change.
Maybe a particular event forces their hand, or they've simply reached the point where carrying on as normal is no longer an option.
Explain what prompted your client to seek help, and why they chose to act.
For example:
"When a major customer offered Sarah a three-year supply agreement, she knew now was the moment to invest. The opportunity was too good to ignore, but taking it on without sufficient funding would put serious pressure on cash flow. She approached us to understand what options were available."
Search: The road of trials
Now this is where your character enters unfamiliar territory.
They start exploring solutions. They encounter problems, question assumptions and discover things they hadn't previously considered.
This is where you introduce the work you did together. What did you uncover? What challenges emerged? What needed to change?
For example:
"Working closely with Sarah, we reviewed the company's finances, assessed its borrowing capacity and explored different funding options. The business was profitable, but its existing financial forecasts didn't reflect the investment required or the expected increase in demand. Before approaching lenders, Sarah needed a stronger business case supported by reliable projections."
Find: Discover the answer
This is the breakthrough. Where your client discovers what they've been missing, or finally finds a way to achieve what they set out to do.
Explain the solution you developed together and why it was the right approach.
For example:
"Together, we developed a detailed financial model showing how the investment would affect cash flow, profitability and future growth. We then identified a suitable commercial lending arrangement and helped Sarah prepare a funding application backed by realistic forecasts and evidence of future demand."
Take: The change
In Harmon's framework, getting what you want comes at a cost. Bu that’s not the case here.
Instead, the client has found their answer. Now we show how solution moved from an idea into reality.
What actions did your client take? What did they achieve together with your business? What did the process involve?
For example:
"With a clear financial plan and a compelling business case, Sarah approached several lenders. The application was successful, securing the £500,000 she needed to fund the expansion. With the funding agreed, she could finally begin turning her ambitions into reality."
Return: Back to the familiar world
Your character returns to their everyday world, bringing everything they've learned with them.
For your case study, this is where you describe what happened once the work was completed and the solution became part of the business.
What does their day-to-day situation look like now?
For example:
"With £500,000 in funding secured, Sarah was able to purchase the machinery, expand production capacity and recruit additional staff. The business could now fulfil its new contracts without exhausting its cash reserves. She also had clearer financial reporting and regular forecasts to help manage the next stage of growth."
Change: Show what's different
Finally, we reach the outcome.
Think back to the beginning of the story. What did your client want? What was standing in their way?
Now show what's changed.
Use numbers where you can, but don't overlook the human impact. Confidence, certainty, saved time and reduced pressure can be just as important to the people making the buying decision.
For example:
"Twelve months later, the business had increased turnover by 35%, created eight new jobs and secured two further long-term contracts. Sarah had gone from worrying about how to finance the next stage of growth to running a larger, more resilient business, with the financial confidence to pursue new opportunities."
Your client is the hero of the story
One of the biggest mistakes I see businesses make with case studies is putting themselves at the centre of the story.
Instead of writing about the challenges their customer was facing, or the outcomes they achieved together, they write about their process, their expertise, or the work they delivered.
Which, quite frankly, is not compelling.
The most interesting part of any story is what happened to the protagonist.
The problem they faced. The decisions they made. The challenges they overcame. And the difference it made to their business.
That's what makes a reader stop and think, "That sounds just like me. Perhaps they could help us, too."
And that's what a good case study should do.
You don’t need a dramatic plot twist, villain, or Hollywood ending.
Just a story worth telling.
