(1) BRANDING REFRESH

Sisense’s visual branding initially centered on a white, black, and yellow palette, but over time expanded to include 16 secondary gradients before regressing to four secondary colors alongside the original three. This evolution left the brand with clashing palettes and inconsistent application. To modernize and streamline the visual system, I partnered with the VP of Marketing and Product to refine the palette to white, yellow, and blue. Retaining the legacy Sisense Yellow preserved brand recognition, while introducing blue balanced its intensity and created a cleaner, more cohesive look.

To ensure the updated guidelines were consistently applied across all digital platforms, I rebuilt the original design system and migrated it from Adobe XD to Figma. As the sole designer on the Marketing team, aligning with the Product Design team’s Figma workflows was critical for cross-functional collaboration and asset sharing. This transition also streamlined handoffs to the development team through Figma’s developer mode. The new system significantly improved efficiency, enabling faster delivery of new web pages and digital assets.

While the former Sisense website offered a decent user experience, I leveraged Hotjar to analyze user behavior and identify opportunities to improve both UX and conversion rates. In parallel, I collaborated with the Product Management team to align layouts and content hierarchy with targeted personas. To validate these insights, we conducted UserTesting sessions that surfaced a recurring pain point: users felt the site relied too heavily on abstract illustrations (‘fluff’) that didn’t accurately represent the product or its value.

To address this, I partnered with product designers, product managers, and technical engineers to integrate authentic product visuals that aligned with the messaging and showcased live features of the Fusion platform. Given the product’s complexity, I selectively simplified visuals to highlight key functionality without overwhelming users. By prioritizing clarity and transparency, the redesign not only created a more intuitive experience but also built user confidence—ultimately increasing the likelihood of lead conversion before direct engagement with sales.

Designing a cohesive visual identity for Sisense has been an invaluable experience. I gained deeper insight into the importance of time management, clear communication, and compromise—especially as the sole designer on a lean Marketing team with just one front-end developer. With limited resources, I learned to prioritize high-traffic conversion pages, large-scale campaigns, and essential design components, even when many initiatives carried equal weight.

The project also underscored the necessity of managing stakeholder expectations by balancing ambitious leadership goals with realistic timelines and bandwidth. Most importantly, it highlighted how critical it is for a brand’s visual identity to not only align with its core values but also remain consistent and resilient through organizational shifts. While the full site conversion is ongoing, the process has been both educational and rewarding.