About
My Role
Challenges
Inherited State of the Product
When I joined the Emerald Cloud Configuration Manager (CCM) project, the redesign was already in progress but lacked a clear direction. The product had passed through multiple designers, resulting in a dated and disorganized interface with inconsistent layouts and confusing component usage. Without a reliable design system or brand standards to guide the work, the experience felt fragmented and difficult to scale. Stepping into this midstream presented the challenge of not only continuing the redesign but also re-establishing structure and consistency across the product.
Creating a Design System for CCM
To address these gaps, I began developing a tailored design system for CCM. While the NCR design system team was transitioning between systems, I used their early foundations as a starting point, then extended and adapted them to meet the product’s specific needs. This included defining a cleaner visual language, introducing a formal grid system, and building missing components and styles to ensure the work could move forward. The result was a modernized, scalable design system that balanced alignment with NCR’s evolving standards while delivering practical tools for the immediate project.
Applying the Design System and Driving Alignment
With the design system in place, I applied it across CCM to bring clarity and cohesion to the product. I worked closely with stakeholders to advocate for improvements to the ongoing redesign, positioning the updates as essential for long-term usability and maintainability rather than radical framework changes. This collaborative approach allowed us to compromise where needed, focusing on lighter, achievable improvements—such as restructuring the navigation, applying cleaner information architecture, and introducing a lighter, more modern aesthetic. I also created repeatable patterns that could be applied consistently across multiple pages, enabling greater efficiency and alignment across the product. These learnings later became foundational when I worked on the Lottery Operations Portal, where I applied the same principles of systematization and scalability.
