Design Operations
I helped audit and rebuild our design process from the ground up, cutting project timelines by 60%.
The connected template system: one set of master image components powering ~25 placements per campaign.
The Problem
Our 12-person campaign design team had no reusable templates, no connected assets, and a review process that required building separate files before anything reached a stakeholder. Designers spent most of their time on repetitive production work, limiting how much they could take on and how fast they could deliver.
The Approach
Working with a colleague, I helped build a connected Figma template system covering six channels: site, email, app push, social, paid media, and mall assets. Swap the image once in a master component and every placement updates automatically. The system scales infinitely: one template, as many assets as the campaign needs. Rollout was gradual: live project testing first, then informal category-by-category introductions, then org-wide training as adoption grew.
The connected template system in action: one image update cascading across every placement.
The Results
Designers complete campaigns dramatically faster with all templates and connected imagery in one place. Pre-built templates for recurring projects like loyalty campaigns eliminate setup entirely. Writers use the CopyDoc Text Kit plugin to populate copy from a spreadsheet automatically. Reviews happen in Figma comments, visible to designers, writers, proofers, creative leads, and stakeholders in one place. No separate files. No email chains.
The most consistent feedback across the org: everyone appreciates having one source of truth.
Reflections
I was resistant to leaving Photoshop. One email template on a simple project changed that. The speed alone won me over. The templates didn't require the constant resizing and adjusting that Photoshop did. I haven't gone back for any major design work since. Sometimes the best way to get people to change isn't a mandate. It's simply getting them into the work.