My Role and Contribution
As a pivotal member of the design team, I was responsible for the conception and development of the design system and supporting toolkits.
I identified the lack of a central source of truth as a major bottleneck in the organization’s design processes. Recognizing this gap, I pushed for and recommended an initiative to unify design principles across all products, which became a key business objective and significantly improved design consistency throughout the organization.
The primary objective was to establish a single source of truth for guidance on brand and digital outputs. This system was designed to serve as a comprehensive digital product hub for employees and contractors, providing resources like fonts, logos, templates, and toolkits consistent with Watercare’s brand guidelines and design principles.
Centralized Digital Product Hub
Recognizing the challenges posed by Watercare’s reliance on numerous contractors and external agencies—often working in silos and creating inconsistencies—I spearheaded the creation of a centralized digital product hub. This hub provided employees and contractors with easy access to essential resources like fonts, logos, templates, and toolkits, all meticulously aligned with Watercare’s brand guidelines and design principles. By centralizing these assets, we ensured that everyone working on Watercare’s projects could maintain a consistent and cohesive brand identity across all digital platforms.
Approach & Strategy
Recognizing the inconsistencies caused by Watercare's reliance on numerous contractors and external agencies—often working in silos—I spearheaded the creation of a centralized digital product hub. This hub not only provided designers with essential resources not only for designers but also catered to the broader needs of non-designers across the organization. I noticed that teams frequently required tools for creating journey maps, developing consistent on-brand presentations, and accessing developer toolkits.
To accommodate these diverse needs and encourage wider business usage, I chose ZeroHeight as the platform to house our design system. ZeroHeight’s intuitive interface allowed it to serve as an all-in-one resource, making it easy for anyone involved to access and share the necessary tools, ensuring a consistent and cohesive brand identity across all digital platforms.
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Customizable UI Components
A key feature of the design system was the comprehensive set of customizable UI components, including buttons, forms, and menus. These pre-designed elements could be easily integrated into various digital products and services, ensuring a seamless and consistent user experience across all Watercare platforms.
Guidelines and Resources
To promote consistent application of the design system, I developed detailed guidelines on implementing UI components, ensuring every output adhered to Watercare’s brand standards, accessibility requirements, and good design principles.
Journey mapping toolkit
A standout initiative within this hub was the Journey Mapping Toolkit, designed to streamline the creation of customer journey maps. I led this project, collaborating closely with Watercare’s product managers and engineers to ensure the toolkit addressed practical needs and aligned with strategic goals.
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Streamlined Templates and Resources
This is intended to ensure that all journey maps are comprehensive, accurate and easy to understand. The toolkit also includes pre-designed templates and a library of icons and assets, making it easy for users to quickly create professional looking journey maps.
Guidelines and Resources
This is intended to ensure that all journey maps are comprehensive, accurate and easy to understand. The toolkit also includes pre-designed templates and a library of icons and assets, making it easy for users to quickly create professional looking journey maps.
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To enable users to self serve - The toolkit includes detailed instructions on where to start, what to include, and who to involve, as well as video gifs showing users how to modify design elements all the way to showing them how print the final version of the journey map.
Results and Impact
Enhanced Cross-Functional Collaboration
The centralized digital product hub, including the journey mapping toolkit, fostered greater collaboration across Watercare. Engineers, product managers, and designers were better equipped to work together, leveraging consistent design resources and tools. This alignment improved communication, reduced inconsistencies, and streamlined workflows, ultimately leading to a more cohesive user experience across all digital products.
Improved Design Consistency and Brand Alignment:
The digital hub’s resources, including customizable UI components and design guidelines, ensured that all digital products adhered to Watercare’s brand standards. This consistency in design language across platforms not only reinforced Watercare’s brand identity but also improved the overall user experience by maintaining a cohesive visual and interaction pattern.
Increased Self-Sufficiency and Productivity
The integration of self-service tools and detailed documentation within the hub empowered teams to handle design tasks autonomously. Features such as video GIFs for toolkit usage and comprehensive guides for journey mapping facilitated greater self-sufficiency. This autonomy allowed design and development teams to focus on strategic initiatives, boosting overall productivity and efficiency.
Positive Organizational Impact
The centralized hub and the associated toolkit were met with positive feedback from various departments. Users appreciated the streamlined access to resources and the enhanced clarity provided by standardized tools. This widespread adoption of the hub’s features led to improved internal workflows and a more collaborative work environment, ultimately driving greater business value.
