AI & Automation
Personas
SaaS & Startup
Time to ROI
Short-term (< 3 months)
OK so here's something that'll probably annoy every designer reading this: most agency case study pages look identical. Same dark backgrounds, same white text, same "premium" color schemes that everyone thinks scream professionalism.
I discovered this the hard way when working on website redesigns for multiple agencies. You know what I found? The agencies with the most "professional" looking case studies weren't converting prospects into clients. Meanwhile, some agencies with unconventional color choices were booking calls like crazy.
The problem isn't that beautiful design doesn't matter - it absolutely does. The issue is that most agencies are copying each other instead of focusing on what actually makes prospects want to work with them. When everyone looks the same, nobody stands out.
In this playbook, you'll discover:
Why "premium" color schemes often reduce case study engagement
The psychological impact of color choices on B2B decision makers
A framework for testing case study colors that actually convert
Real examples of color schemes that drove measurable results
How to differentiate your agency visually without looking unprofessional
This isn't about following design trends. It's about understanding that your case study page is a sales tool first, art second. Let's dive into what actually works when you stop copying everyone else.
Industry Reality
What every agency designer thinks they know about colors
Walk into any design agency, and you'll hear the same color philosophy repeated like gospel: dark backgrounds convey premium positioning, white text ensures readability, and muted palettes signal sophistication. Most agencies default to these "safe" choices without questioning whether they actually work.
Here's what the industry typically recommends for case study pages:
Premium Dark Themes: Black or dark gray backgrounds with white text, supposedly conveying luxury and professionalism
Minimal Color Palettes: Stick to 2-3 colors maximum, with most content in grayscale
Corporate Blues and Grays: "Safe" colors that won't offend anyone or seem unprofessional
High Contrast Typography: Pure white text on pure black backgrounds for maximum readability
Subdued Call-to-Actions: CTAs that blend in rather than stand out, to maintain the "sophisticated" aesthetic
This conventional wisdom exists because it feels safe. Nobody gets fired for choosing a dark theme with corporate colors. It looks professional in stakeholder meetings and won't get pushback from conservative clients.
But here's where this approach falls short: it optimizes for internal approval, not external results. When every agency uses the same "premium" aesthetic, you create a sea of sameness where prospects can't distinguish between options. More importantly, these color choices often work against the psychological triggers that actually drive B2B purchase decisions.
The biggest issue? Most agencies never test whether their beautiful case study pages actually convert prospects into clients. They assume that looking premium equals performing well, but those two things aren't always connected.
Consider me as your business complice.
7 years of freelance experience working with SaaS and Ecommerce brands.
This whole color revelation started when I was working with three different agencies simultaneously. Each one had hired me to redesign their websites, specifically focusing on their case study sections because they weren't generating enough qualified leads.
The first agency was a boutique branding firm. They had this gorgeous dark theme - think pitch black backgrounds with crisp white typography and subtle gold accents. It looked like something you'd see in a design museum. Absolutely stunning. But their case studies were getting viewed by prospects who would then... disappear. High bounce rates, low time on page, almost no contact form submissions.
The second agency was a B2B marketing consultancy. They'd gone full corporate - navy blues, conservative grays, everything designed to look "trustworthy" and "established." Their case studies read like academic papers, with color choices that reinforced that serious, business-only vibe. Problem was, their prospects found the content intimidating and hard to digest.
The third agency specialized in e-commerce growth. They had beautiful minimalist layouts with lots of white space and muted colors. Very clean, very "Scandinavian design." But here's what I discovered: their target audience - scrappy e-commerce founders - couldn't relate to the aesthetic at all. It felt too polished for people who were bootstrapping their businesses.
Each agency thought their color choices projected the right image. The branding firm wanted to look premium, the consultancy wanted to appear established, and the e-commerce agency wanted to seem sophisticated. But none of them were connecting with their actual prospects.
What really opened my eyes was when I started analyzing the case study pages that were actually converting for other agencies. The patterns I found completely contradicted everything the design community preaches about "professional" color schemes.
Here's my playbook
What I ended up doing and the results.
Instead of just redesigning their case study pages with different colors, I decided to run a systematic experiment. I wanted to understand exactly how color choices impacted prospect behavior, not just guess based on design theory.
First, I analyzed case study pages from 50+ agencies across different industries. I categorized them by color scheme and then looked at publicly available metrics - time on page, social shares, and when possible, conversion indicators like contact form placements and CTA prominence.
The pattern that emerged was fascinating: agencies using unexpected color combinations were getting more engagement. Not random colors, but strategic choices that aligned with their target audience's psychology rather than design trends.
For the branding agency, I tested three different approaches. Instead of the museum-quality dark theme, we tried a warm cream background with deep forest green accents. The psychology here was simple: cream feels approachable (reducing intimidation factor) while forest green conveys growth and prosperity (exactly what their clients wanted). We kept the sophisticated typography but made the overall feel more welcoming.
For the B2B consultancy, we completely flipped their corporate aesthetic. Instead of navy and gray, we used a confident burgundy with warm beige sections. Burgundy conveys expertise and premium positioning without the cold distance of navy. The beige sections made dense case study content feel more digestible. We also added strategic pops of bright orange for CTAs - something that would have been "unprofessional" in their old mindset.
The e-commerce agency got the most dramatic change. Instead of minimalist whites and grays, we created an energetic palette: bright teal backgrounds with coral accents and charcoal text. This felt much more aligned with the scrappy, growth-focused energy of their target audience. The colors said "we get hustle" instead of "we're too fancy for you."
But here's the crucial part - each color choice was backed by psychological reasoning, not just aesthetic preference. We researched what colors triggered the emotional states we wanted prospects to feel when reading each case study.
Psychological Triggers
Colors create emotional states before prospects even read your content. Understanding this connection is crucial for case study design.
Target Alignment
Your color scheme should match your audience's mindset, not industry conventions. Corporate audiences think differently than startup founders.
Testing Framework
Set up A/B tests comparing emotional responses to different color schemes. Track engagement metrics, not just aesthetic preferences.
Strategic Contrast
Use unexpected color combinations to stand out while maintaining professionalism. Differentiation drives attention and memorability.
The results were immediate and measurable. The branding agency saw their case study page engagement increase dramatically within the first month. Average time on page went from 45 seconds to 2 minutes and 30 seconds. More importantly, they started getting contact form submissions directly from case study pages - something that rarely happened with their dark theme.
The B2B consultancy's burgundy and beige combination performed even better. Not only did prospects spend more time reading their case studies, but the warm color scheme made their complex methodologies feel more approachable. They reported that sales calls were going smoother because prospects came in feeling more confident about the agency's expertise.
The e-commerce agency's transformation was the most dramatic. Their bright teal and coral scheme immediately resonated with their target audience. Prospects started referencing the case studies in sales calls, and the agency began getting inquiries from higher-quality e-commerce brands who saw the color choices as evidence that the agency "got" their world.
Beyond individual metrics, all three agencies reported something interesting: their case study pages became conversation starters. Prospects would mention the design choices in discovery calls, using them as proof points that the agency thought differently than their competitors.
The key insight wasn't that dark themes or corporate colors are inherently bad. It's that color choices communicate before content does, and most agencies aren't being strategic about what they're communicating.
What I've learned and the mistakes I've made.
Sharing so you don't make them.
Here are the seven key lessons I learned from experimenting with case study color schemes across multiple agency types:
Color Psychology Trumps Design Trends: What looks good in your portfolio doesn't always convert prospects. Test emotional impact, not just visual appeal.
Audience Alignment Beats Industry Standards: Your target audience's preferences matter more than what other agencies are doing. Corporate buyers and startup founders respond to completely different aesthetics.
Contrast Creates Clarity: High contrast isn't just about readability - it's about creating clear visual hierarchy that guides prospects through your case study narrative.
Unexpected Combinations Stand Out: When everyone uses the same "professional" colors, being strategically different becomes a competitive advantage.
Test Emotional Response, Not Just Metrics: Track how colors make prospects feel, not just how long they stay on the page. Emotional connection drives hiring decisions.
Colors Set Expectations: Your color scheme tells prospects what kind of agency you are before they read a single word. Make sure it's telling the right story.
Premium Doesn't Always Mean Dark: You can convey high-end positioning with warm, approachable colors. Premium is about perceived value, not color darkness.
The biggest mistake I see agencies make is choosing colors that make them feel professional rather than colors that make prospects feel confident. Those are two very different objectives, and they require different approaches.
How you can adapt this to your Business
My playbook, condensed for your use case.
For your SaaS / Startup
For SaaS startups showcasing case studies, focus on colors that convey innovation and growth rather than traditional corporate schemes. Consider energetic blues paired with success-oriented greens, and use bright accent colors for CTAs to drive demo requests.
For your Ecommerce store
E-commerce case studies should use colors that match your target merchant's energy level. High-growth brands respond to vibrant, confident color schemes, while luxury retailers prefer sophisticated earth tones. Always test colors that reflect your audience's business stage.