Ace Hardware
Social Design System | Visual Design
I improved social media consistency by creating new template components and patterns aligned with brand guidelines, collaborating with the visual designer and leadership to develop creative strategies and advocate for ADA-compliant, inclusive designs.
Duration
3 months
Tools
Figma
Team
Creative Team
Business Goal
To evolve the inclusive design of the social space, target a younger audience, and educate peers about digital accessibility principles
Stakeholders:
Creative Manager & Director, Concept and Production teams, Ace designers
My Contributions:
• Informed peers of accessibility training tools with more actionable digital accessibility principles for education and advising
• Created custom social templates, components, and branding elements for org-wide inclusive design
• Successfully led a 60-minute accessibility presentation in the digital space for leadership
Ace’s Social Design System (SDS) uses the Atomic Design Method
• PRIMITIVES: high-level system patterns, i.e. color, typography, shapes, etc.
• COMPONENTS: containers of system patterns, i.e. components, auto-layout, hero modules, socials
• ELEMENTS: parts of the system that cannot be further broken down, i.e. pairings of icons + text, constraints, logos
What I did
Inclusive Design & Accessibility Presentation
• Created a new inclusive design & digital accessibility training presentation for my direct managers and peers
Social Template Documentation
• Developed documentation template and content for accessibility considerations to be distributed to the print, production, and digital teams
ADA Compliant Designs
• Generated 3 new best use cases for typography in social designs that are ADA compliant and give a fresh feel for various Ace categories that help elevate the brand
My Learnings
• Design with a “people-first” mentality, catering to different user preferences with an emphasis on accessibility — permanent, temporary, or situational. We want to ensure that all users of diverse abilities can have the same experience with equal access
• Manage ambiguity through independent research and connecting with cross-functional stakeholders and design leadership, especially when formulating a project brief from scratch
• Be in service to other designers and form relationships through communication in delivering consultancy and education
• Equip a growth mindset by challenging my comfort zones and proactively learning to build on my existing knowledge
Ace Hardware (additional projects)
Email Templates | Visual Design
Working with my team, I also developed a standard email template for various Ace product categories in Figma based on Ace’s brand guidelines, our user’s needs, and stakeholder approval.
We used email best practices in creating responsive designs using auto layout in Figma for developer handoff.
Email Template
Milwaukee Email
I designed 2-4 emails per day for Ace’s Best Brands in Grills, Power Tools, Accessories and more
YETI Outdoor Campaign
My Learnings
• Branding: logos and colors often lend to a message’s credibility. The more comfortable someone is with a piece of content, the more likely users will interact.
• Personalize the Message: Personalization is also important to improve click-through rates and conversions. People are simply more likely to trust content that is focused on them.
• Make it Mobile-Friendly: take into consideration bandwidth and processing power when developing content. Not everyone is on a fast network or has a mobile device capable of rendering graphics quickly.
• Integrate Social Media: Consumers spend more money with companies who engage with them on social media.
• Optimize Image Use: Take the time and find a good way to design emails when placing images. If the email is too photo-heavy, the text may be shifted down and improperly displayed for those who deny image downloads. While some may improve engagement, too many may drive customers away.