Clarity / Portfolio practice
Writing captions that explain your design decisions
A useful caption gives a reader the context to understand the drawing, your role and the decision it records.
Start with the reader’s question
A drawing rarely explains itself. Give it a title that identifies what it shows, then add only the context a reader needs to interpret it: the brief, location, stage of development or relevant scale.
State your contribution
For group projects, identify what you did and what was shared. A precise statement of authorship helps a reviewer assess your work fairly.
Explain the decision
Use a short caption to connect evidence to intent. Say what changed, why it changed, or what the drawing demonstrates. Avoid repeating the project title or describing details that are already visible.
Check readability
Read captions at the size an admissions reader or recruiter is likely to view them. If the type is hard to read, shorten the text and increase its size.