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At a glance
Built a consistent, accessible email system for a security product
Unified disconnected lifecycle comms into reusable patterns that work across devices and assistive tech
- 41% engagement lift on key lifecycle campaigns
- Templates that ship faster and with fewer errors
- Role: lifecycle email and UX lead (journey mapping, content, templates, build)
- Tools: Figma, Salesforce, Visual Studio Code, HTML5, CSS, After Effects, AMPScript, Inbox Monster, Moveable Ink
Making every message clearer and more consistent
Role
Lifecycle email and ux lead (journey mapping, content, templates, build)
Merged strategy, storytelling and technical craft to deliver measurable impact in a fast feedback loop
Brief
- Five-month secondment with a US B2C brand
- Full-cycle ownership: strategy → design → code → deployment
Problem
- Email templates were creaking
- 12 broken journeys → users dropping mid-flow
- Brittle templates → broke across devices
- Trust eroding → engagement slipping away
Process
- Audits + prototypes aligned 12 journeys → gave stakeholders their first shared view of the ecosystem
- GenAI copy + user testing to validate fast
- Scalable Figma + code system that held up in Outlook
Path
Map
Audits + workshops to map and align 12 journeys
Prototype
Prototyped fast, tested early, validated ideas with real users
Spark
Used GenAI to spark new copy + concepts
Build
Built unified design system in Figma + SFMC patterns
Refine
Each sprint layered automation + A/B testing for continuous improvement
Breakthrough
Clicks were low, but why? I joined the journeys myself. The verdict: broken rendering, timid CTAs, and benefits buried. Painful for users, but definitely fixable
"Ian brought true design leadership — raising the quality of our work, guiding the team with clarity, and pushing us to think more strategically about the user experience"
Deliverables: mapped cross-team content flows to support personalisation and faster delivery
Scalable system
Streamlined 45 monthly emails across 12 journeys with a unified approach
Design consistency
Aligned Figma and SFMC patterns to reduce dev time and errors
Smart automation
Dynamic link generator and real-time basket tracking streamlined ops
Continuous optimisation
A/B testing revealed what worked, from motion to message and offer
Results
Templates became scalable, accessible, and faster to ship
+28% CTR
Clearer calls-to-action above the fold → boosted engagement on mobile
+11% CTR
Concise, snappier headlines → more clicks across campaigns
41% CTOR
Smarter personalisation → significantly higher click-to-open rates
Learnings
Clarity, placement, and personalisation weren’t just design moves: they shifted behaviour
Quirks
Outlook continues to work in mysterious ways, but there’s (usually) a fix
Content
Personalisation and real-time content don’t just inform, they charm
Formats
Animated GIFs still earn their place, sparingly used, they delight
Process
A healthy backlog isn’t admin, it’s momentum
Tools
