I design products people trust

The Problem

532 Group is a digital solutions provider serving federal agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs and Medicaid. While they were already delivering essential services—Digital Services, Data Science, Cybersecurity, and Operations Management—their digital presence fell short of communicating their brand identity and value.

The challenge was steep: they needed a website that could inspire confidence in prime contractors, strengthen relationships with government agencies, and attract top talent. To achieve their next major milestone—winning their first prime government contract—they needed a digital presence that reflected their scale and professionalism.

Research & Insights

I conducted in-depth user research with three key stakeholder groups: prime contractors evaluating subcontractors, government agencies seeking digital solutions, and potential employees considering job opportunities.

• Government agencies wanted to see certifications, socioeconomic status, and contract vehicles prominently displayed above the fold—this information was critical for evaluating 532 Group's credibility and qualifications.
• Prime contractors expressed interest in testimonials and customer reviews to gauge the company's track record and expertise.
• Job seekers valued information on career growth opportunities, success stories of past projects, and a flexible work environment to assess cultural fit.

Design Solution

Armed with research insights, I worked closely with our visual designer and copywriter to craft low and high-fidelity wireframes that balanced modern, professional aesthetics with user-friendly functionality. The wireframes served as the blueprint for design iterations informed by client feedback.

The new structure prioritized user needs: government certifications and contract vehicles prominently featured, client testimonials building credibility, and a dedicated careers section highlighting growth opportunities and company culture.

Before & After

Key Learnings

• User Advocacy is Critical, but Balance is Key: Our research showed users wanted government certifications and career growth information prioritized. The client chose a different direction. This taught me how to advocate for user needs while remaining flexible and responsive to business goals.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Working with a visual designer and copywriter reinforced that great design comes from diverse perspectives. Each team member brought unique insights that strengthened the final product.
• Adapting to Client Decisions: Even when final outcomes shift from original proposals, it's crucial to keep communication open and ensure the design process remains positive and productive.

The Problem

At WeUp, people don't just set goals; they dare themselves to achieve them. The platform is rooted in social good, parody, and gamified accountability—helping individuals and organizations transform personal and ESG goals into real-world impact.

While the player-facing platform was vibrant and engaging, the internal staff lacked a streamlined, user-friendly system to manage growing operations and content. The challenge: design a Content Management System (CMS) that is both intuitive for first-time users and powerful enough to support multiple departments. And critically, it couldn't be just another admin dashboard—it needed to carry WeUp's bold, playful energy while remaining practical and secure.

Research & Insights

I led the synthesis of survey and interview findings, organizing responses into an affinity map to identify patterns across departments.

• Collaboration was paramount: Teams emphasized seamless communication across departments. They wanted a CMS that didn't just store content but fostered cross-functional alignment.
• Cybersecurity concerns were universal: Beyond the cybersecurity team, all departments prioritized platform security, especially around content permissions and user roles.
• Simplicity was crucial: Employees wanted intuitive, minimal-training platforms. Many noted that current internal systems felt outdated or overly complex.
• Personality matters: In true WeUp fashion, employees expressed excitement about gamified and fun design elements. They wanted a tool reflecting the company's playful, purpose-driven energy.

Design Solution

Grounded in employee workflows and research insights, I led the design of a custom internal CMS that transformed fragmented processes into a cohesive tool. Key features included:

• Secure login experience aligned with cybersecurity best practices
• Streamlined payment history interface for viewing transactions and downloading records
• Cross-team visibility tools strengthening departmental communication
• Playful, gamified design elements reflecting WeUp's brand identity
• Role-based access control maintaining security protocols

Before & After

Key Learnings

• Feedback Shapes Better Outcomes: Early and frequent feedback from stakeholders built trust and shaped solutions that actually worked for users.
• Deadline Pressure Teaches Prioritization: Under tight deadlines, I learned to stay composed, ruthlessly prioritize, and focus on progress over perfection.
• Real-World Design is Flexible: The design process rarely follows an idealized path. Being open to iteration and willing to pivot was key to moving projects forward successfully.

The Problem

Culture Creativ had built a strong reputation through community activations and partnerships with athletes and entertainers. However, their digital presence did not reflect the depth of their work.

Two specific issues: Kelli Haywood's personal website no longer represented her evolving professional identity, and the Culture Creativ website was just a single landing page. This severely limited the agency's ability to communicate services, showcase past initiatives, and convert interested visitors into clients.

The challenge was to transform both websites into strategic digital platforms that could communicate the brand story, establish credibility, and support business growth.

Research & Insights

• Services needed clarity: Visitors couldn't easily understand what Culture Creativ offered or how they helped clients launch initiatives.
• Storytelling was central: Community initiatives and athlete partnerships required proper space to showcase projects and impact.
• Brand cohesion mattered: Both websites needed to feel connected while serving different purposes: personal leadership and agency services.

Design Solution

I restructured the information architecture to expand Culture Creativ from a single landing page into a five-page experience that clearly explains services, highlights past initiatives, and guides potential clients toward inquiry.

In parallel, Kelli Haywood's personal website was refreshed to reflect her evolving professional identity. The design balances expressive visual elements with professional tone, creating cohesion between founder and agency.

Before & After

Key Learnings

• Information Architecture Powers Storytelling: Clear IA and intuitive navigation helped communicate the agency's vision and connect with potential collaborators.
• Simplicity Builds Trust: By focusing on strong messaging and avoiding clutter, we created experiences where visitors could quickly understand and engage with the brand.

The Problem

Smallholder farmers in Nigeria often struggle to identify reliable suppliers for essential agricultural inputs—feed, seeds, equipment. Many transactions happen through informal networks or intermediaries, leading to inflated prices, low-quality products, or fraudulent suppliers.

At the same time, legitimate input producers face difficulty reaching new customers and presenting products credibly. Traditional e-commerce marketplaces rely on integrated payment systems, but many agricultural communities operate on trust-based workflows where payments occur after negotiation, delivery, or offline verification.

The challenge: design a platform enabling suppliers and farmers to connect, communicate, and coordinate transactions while respecting existing trust-based business practices.

Research & Insights

Through extensive user research—40+ farmer interviews and 15+ supplier interviews—we discovered a critical insight: many agricultural transactions in Nigeria don't follow formal e-commerce models at all.

• Trust-based workflows are the norm: Farmers and suppliers rely heavily on relationship-driven transactions: requesting quotes, negotiating terms, confirming delivery, and settling payments offline.
• Formal e-commerce doesn't fit: Attempting to replicate traditional online marketplace models with integrated payments would misalign with how producers actually conduct business.
• Transparency and organization improve existing systems: Rather than replacing the trust model, we could enhance it by making supplier discovery and communication more structured and transparent.

Design Solution

I designed the Input Producer Portal—a web-based platform allowing agricultural suppliers to showcase products, receive quote requests from farmers, and coordinate transactions through structured communication workflows.

Rather than functioning as a traditional e-commerce marketplace, the platform supports existing procurement by enabling producers to:

• Create verified product listings with pricing and minimum order quantities
• Receive quote requests from farmers
• Send invoices or purchase orders
• Coordinate delivery and confirm payment outside the platform

This approach maintains the trust-driven nature of agricultural transactions while introducing transparency and organization into the procurement process.

Before & After

Key Learnings

• Competitive Analysis Matters: I would have spent more time identifying and analyzing additional competitors to strengthen strategic positioning.
• Refine Research Questions: I would have validated and iterated on user interview questions to ensure we were extracting the most actionable insights.
• Design for Trust, Not Just Features: This project deepened my understanding of designing for trust, building MVPs with clear focus, and making intentional trade-offs. Success meant understanding cultural context, not just user needs.