Modernizing National Air Cargo's Internal Platform

Our client tasked us with a heavy ask: migrating their legacy internal desktop platform to a modern, cloud-based browser application. This initiative also presented the opportunity to refresh its design and enhance its functionality, all within the constraints of an existing component library.

As the fill-in Creative Director for this project (the previous CD was on PTO), I only had a short 4 weeks to get up to speed and make big waves. My role bridged the critical areas of design, frontend development, and business strategy. My responsibilities included mentoring and guiding Sarina (our talented UX designer), centralizing the client's previously fragmented design system to ensure a cohesive refresh of all components with proper variations accounted for, facilitating client and design team collaboration and communication, and strategically overseeing the design roadmap for both current and future sprints to maintain team momentum and alignment.

ESTABLISHING DESIGN COHESION AND EFFICIENCY

One of the glaring issues I saw when I joined was the design system needing a major refresh. Tables were being built manually, making each iteration very difficult to track across so many screens. Centralizing a disjointed existing design system involved a comprehensive refresh of all components, ensuring consistent variations and a more unified user experience within the limitations of the established library. I created a table component structure that was both reusable yet also very flexible for the specific needs we had in the design. No two tables were exactly the same, so the components we created had to be friendly to change while keeping a consistent base structure.

"It has been amazing having you lead and mentor me through this period of time. I got to learn so much from you and your way of working.

It's encouraging to me to keep growing as a designer from the things I have learned from you: from collaborating through brainstorming sessions to ideating solutions, to sharing with me new technical skills."

— Sarina Perli, UX Designer

FACILITATING CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION

One of the trickiest parts of this project were the number of people involved at all different times. I was stepping in as a fill-in CD while project manager were just joining the project fresh with no background knowledge, and the communication was seriously messy at the start. We had issues where the product team would attach images of the existing application to the stories for the development team - leading in a lot of rework for the developers. It took several back-and-forths from myself to the other teams working on the project to establish better ways of working.

Serving as that central point of communication and collaboration between the client, design team, and frontend development allowed me to ensure clear understanding and alignment throughout the project's roadmap.

STRATEGIC DESIGN LEADERSHIP FOR PLATFORM EVOLUTION

The hardest thing I had to learn in my career has been how to say no—respectfully. Knowing where my team excels, when to push back, and when to ramp up have been crucial lessons as I’ve shifted from an individual contributor mindset to leading a team. Staying close to the design roadmap helped me prioritize effectively, guide our focus for each sprint, and ensure timely, high-quality handoffs. At times, I faced unrealistic deadlines, and it became clear—especially working alongside Sarina—that stepping up as the voice of reason was part of my role. I had to clearly communicate what was feasible, not just for the sake of the timeline, but to protect the integrity of the work.

Although my time on the project was short, it was incredibly formative. I found myself not just designing, but teaching—helping other teams understand how to work with design. From walking our PM through Figma files to ensuring we were aligned in client calls, I saw how strategic leadership goes beyond craft. It’s about building trust, advocating for your team, and shaping the conditions that allow great design to happen. In that sense, this experience wasn’t just a project milestone—it was a turning point in how I lead.

TALK TO ME

→ helveticathy@gmail.com

→ LinkedIn