ROLE
Design Direction
Project Management
CFX Collaboration
UX Research
UI Design
As part of Mailchimp’s global brand evolution, this project focused on redefining and scaling up the email creation process to meet the needs of a growing, cross-functional marketing team. The goal was to develop a flexible, modular system that empowered creativity, ensured brand consistency, and improved efficiency across teams and touchpoints.
Through close collaboration with stakeholders—including product managers, data analysts, executives, and a 15-person Lifecycle Marketing creative team consisting of writers and designers—we delivered a system that not only elevated design quality but also drove measurable business results.
System Flexibility & Impact
The project began by assessing the limitations of existing templates and processes. From this foundation, I led the global redesign of Mailchimp’s email design system—establishing a modular design system that improved scalability and maintained brand integrity across all campaigns.
→ Discovery & Brainstorming
We analyzed template performance and stakeholder feedback to uncover bottlenecks in production and creative expression. The new system prioritized modularity, allowing for easy customization while preserving a unified look and feel.
→ User Testing & Validation
Leveraging Usertesting.com and Neurons, we gathered actionable insights to inform design refinements. Iterative user testing ensured the system aligned with both customer expectations and business goals.
→ Internal Stress Testing & Team Integration
Working closely with the design team, I guided stress-testing sessions to validate flexibility and usability. The outcome: a set of rigorously vetted components that reduced production confusion, eliminated gaps in layout options, and ensured visual harmony.
As a result of this redesign, email click-through rates increased by 15% in the first quarter, and production time was reduced by an estimated 30 hours per week across the Lifecycle Marketing team.
Cross-functional Collaboration & Process Optimization
Throughout the project, I drove partnership with product managers, data analysts, and leadership stakeholders to refine email campaign workflows and ensure we were aligned on the goals of the project. By addressing inefficiencies and aligning on shared objectives, we reduced time-to-market and enhanced cross-functional clarity.
In parallel, I led the development of a comprehensive Email Template Style Guide that included copy guidance, streamlining processes for both internal designers, writers and external partners—ensuring consistent execution across global campaigns.
Additionally, I optimized Figma project review templates, which shortened production timelines by 18% and improved collaboration between design, marketing, and development teams.
Visual Direction & Brand Alignment
A carefully curated moodboard informed the system’s visual language, ensuring alignment with Mailchimp’s updated brand principles.
User testing
Several rounds of UserTesting and Neurons tests provided our designers with more understanding of which compositions and characteristics worked and which ones didn’t, improving clarity, use, and overall content flow.
Consistent Structure & Spacing
All components were built on a precise spacing system based on multiples of four—promoting visual harmony, design clarity, and ease of developer handoff.
Typography & Component Standards
A unified set of typographic styles and button components was defined to maintain consistency, accessibility, and ease of implementation across all emails.
The result
A flexible,composable component library that allows teams to rapidly build customized campaigns while safeguarding design consistency. This system simplifies production, empowers creative and writing teams, and ensures every campaign feels distinctly Mailchimp. It has also expanded beyond Lifecycle Marketing, being adopted by adjacent customer-facing teams outside of Marketing, further demonstrating its value and utility.
