MakersPlace needed to strengthen its brand presence and align with a new business strategy. The legacy design system had way too many font styles and colors, duplicated components, and no sync between design and engineering libraries, making it impossible to maintain consistency or scale efficiently.

The goal was to build a scalable design system that elevated the brand, improved design velocity, and brought consistency across all product surfaces.

I led the rebuild from scratch, working with product and engineering to streamline the system — cutting hundreds of font styles and colors down to a flexible foundation with clear standards both teams could rely on. I created and managed a component library that synced design and engineering for the first time.

The new system was a modular card framework with hero and standard cards for each entity type (artist, artworks, exhibitions, editorial). The legacy homepage had stacked carousels with no visual distinction. The new system gave each entity a distinct identity, making pages scannable and intentional, while giving the business and marketing teams flexibility to spotlight priorities without needing design support every time.

The new system brought immediate impact. Faster design iteration, fewer developer questions during handoff, and a more premium, cohesive experience that aligned with the brand’s evolution. The modular foundation made it easier to scale and maintain as the product grew.