UX CASE STUDY

Global Brand Journey

Year: Oct 2023 - May 2024
My Role: Global UI/UX Lead
Client: Crowe Global, LLP and member firms

I led the integration of two distinct design refresh initiatives into a unified and cohesive vision, significantly enhancing user engagement and boosting conversion rates across both US and global firm websites.

The Global Brand Journey focused on introducing an updated brand direction, including a new color palette, font, refreshed photography, and a conical gradient design element. The goal was to align the visual identity across various digital channels, including social media, digital marketing formats, and web properties, and to do it on a global scale. Our primary challenge was to eliminate visual inconsistencies between social and web platforms, ensuring a seamless and coherent online presence for the brand.

Our "quick win" objective was to enable Global firms to seamlessly update their sites in sync with the November 2023 social brand rollout, ensuring a consistent and cohesive user experience.

Process

Research

  • Interviewed the Global Support Specialist team to understand their needs and pain points in maintaining web pages.

  • Performed an audit of Global and LLP page templates and modules, providing recommendations for the swift implementation of new brand elements to align with the social rollout of the refreshed brand.

Design

  • Applied new brand elements to a collection of images available for all firms, including left and right versions, creating visual cohesion as a “quick win.”

  • Developed a responsive page Hero that supports the new brand elements, ensuring legible text and maintaining alignment across different devices and screen sizes.

  • Meticulously adjusted Roboto Flex attributes to mimic Helvetica Now, providing greater flexibility and control across breakpoints, improving readability and accessibility.

  • Worked with the development team to build new design elements as selectable options within Sitecore Experience Editor, streamlining the implementation process for firms and allowing for easy future updates to the color palette.

Testing

  • Explored, tested, and iterated the incorporation of the new brand color palette, updated font, and new design elements into the design system.

  • Evaluated brand updates for accessibility and legibility across various breakpoints.

  • Assessed the functionality and intuitiveness of rebranded modules within the Sitecore Experience Editor to ensure ease of use for content authors.

Outcomes

Results

  • Achieved visual alignment across digital channels, minimizing visual disconnect between social and web platforms.

  • Implemented updated top bar, header styles, and universal footer, enhancing the visual coherence of Crowe's web properties.

  • Replaced default image blocks infusing new global design elements, adding visual appeal and consistency to web content.

Reflections

  • The project successfully addressed the initial phase objectives of achieving visual alignment across digital channels.

  • Stakeholder collaboration and feedback were instrumental in refining and implementing design elements.

  • Future revisions to focus on further incorporating digital design toolkit components into the design system.