Process
The situation
Legacy interface, spaghetti codebase, no design system. Team stuck in feature delivery with no path to meaningful improvement.
The vision
Started with early AI visualizations in 2023 to explore a new direction. Then pulled two designers to develop a full design refresh alongside regular work. Built interactive prototype and presented to stakeholders: 92% internal approval. Proved the product could look and feel modern.
The foundation
Rolling out the design refresh required proper frontend components first. Together with engineering, we decided to build on MUI as foundation. Brought in external consultant to coach the design team. Built the component library in Figma: audited existing components, cataloged current state, rebuilt everything on MUI. Engineering was not able to implement it during my time there.
The outcome
Validated direction and design system foundation in place. Full product rollout blocked by technical debt and dev capacity. The organization had the map; the road wasn't built yet.
My Role
Head of Design, leading the design vision and coordinating with development and product teams. Established the evaluation framework for design system options, managed the external consultant relationship, and facilitated the transition to a sustainable design foundation.