Avoiding Before-After Snapshot Fail
I love a good Before/After framing.
Don't fall into the trap that it can only be applied to the physical. For the intangible is also ripe for the treatment.
The above case comes from the photogenic. With chilling metaphor for appalling government delivery. It could really be from anywhere around the horseshoe. Although in this case, it was with a local councillor, deputy head no less, more concerned with faraway Gaza than nearby graveyards.
The trumpeted humblebrag backfired. From those pointing out this was neither pothole nor fixed. Or asking when the repair will be finished. With others offering visual edits of their own as satirical take down.
If the outcome escapes you on first glance, this gaping trip-hazard pathway erosion got filled in with merely loose gravel.
As the overwhelming ratio of detractors wondered, who got paid to do this, and how much? The stench from within a spectrum of incompetence to nepotism strong.
As for the presentation above, even the labelling jars.
You really ought be unequivocal with these. Fully side-by-side, or top-over-tail.
And the pics should be as close to the same elevation as possible. Allowing for the simplest spot-the-difference comparison.
We encounter ground maintenance of our own.
There are solution elements that have a visible improvement like this.
Many a tech-orientated solution or service though is less seen than felt.
In which case, I've dealt with entertaining discussions of how to manifest the experienced improvement visually.
One of my favourites, taking a pic of an office full of workers beavering away in their pods. Then another, empty. Signifying that with the provided solution, clients' staff now got home on time.
Other angles include two separate calendar pages, one with troubleshooting blocks, the other alongside, without. Another cheeky one had a customer office meeting in a bog-standard conference setting, set against their later shindig at a beach resort.
In any case, there's plenty to take from the makeover snapshots of before & after our magic. Just ensure it's not full of holes.
— Sartorial Thug 🍸 (@SartorialThug) January 16, 2026