After joining the XTM marketing team, I identified some problems such as difficulty understanding the brand positioning, but also to execute as a designer due to the lack of brand guidelines. Because of this, I started a business case internally to bring awareness about the issues and advocate for the need for a brand refresh.
The XTM brand was inconsistently presented to the world, the brand positioning wasn’t clear.
To prove these main points and to bring attention to the facts I listed all the encountered issues in the brand image using evidence, performing a competitor’s research, and analyzing a communication strategy validation where we asked a set of customers about their opinion about the brand.
Having deeply researched and analyzed the market, competitors, and target audience, I put together a new brand messaging using archetypes to define the tone of voice of the brand.
Once the personality was clear, I translated it into the color palette while solving some of our recurrent problems such as the accessibility and lack of accent colors.
Developed and delivered in cascade mode until we had all the elements to deliver the full Brand book.
Messaging creation, brand archetypes definition and brand tone of voice guidelines.
Second step was the brand core messaging definition as it shapes all subsequent brand marketing messages and assets and it influences the look and feel creation, as the visual identity must reflect the messaging.
Creation and implementation of a logo system. Definition of a new logo system, creation of all needed versions and implementation in all marketing and product assets, together with the coordination of all of it and the UI collaboration and coordination to refresh the products accordingly.
Analysis and development to create a new design framework and all its elements. Creation, implementation and standarization of design elements (fonts, icons, illustration and image styles…) together with usage rules and a library creation for the company to use it.
Creation of a set of templates to consistently operate. Development of a set of templates and processes to improve brand consistency internally and externally in the daily basis of the company (letterheads, document templates, deck templates, business cards, etc.)
Iris is a kind and dedicated team member, offering a keen eye for detail and planning expertise.
Iris led XTM’s post-acquisition Brand integration and design strategy, incorporating complex and varied inputs into a comprehensive and phased approach.
Her organization and documentation skills are unmatched, which give her the ability to deliver reliably meticulous, quality results.
I have had the pleasure of working with Iris twice, at Xplanation (a Language services company) and at XTM International (SAAS platform). She is an exceptional brand and UX expert, whose talent and dedication in the fields of design, branding, and project management (PM) are truly remarkable.
As a Design Manager and Brand Manager, Iris has consistently delivered excellence and always demonstrated a profound understanding of UX/UI principles, coupled with unwavering honesty, clarity and a strong work ethic.
Iris was the key design lead in the successful brand refresh and new website at our company a few years ago, breathing new life into the brand and web assets and ensuring it resonated with our target audiences. She took full ownership of all stages, pre-planning, design and wireframing, validation, deployment and measurement. I still remember how she led the profiling and persona development process for the corporate look and feel, it was a masterclass in how to do this inclusively (polling all stakeholder groups) and to a clear timeline.
I had the privilege of having Iris on my team for multiple years at XTM. During her time, she did far more and was responsible for far more than her job title may have suggested. Not only was she the primary designer for the company, but she led a number of significant projects during her time and acted as design manager, brand manager, and UX/UI lead.
One of these projects was our company’s brand refresh, helping to truly modernize the company brand. This involved thorough research and preparation + delivery of presentations to the executive team to seek alignment and approvals. It also involved managing the entire project from start to finish, which also included launching an entirely new website. She was the person pulling together all the resources, ensuring we kept to our timelines, while also executing all of the design work, wireframe, and more… She also created the brand strategy for M&A, creating a new brand architecture, logo system, and more.
Iris is an incredibly creative individual who can navigate any branch of design, possesses extensive knowledge about branding, and is one of the most well-organized people I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.
She embraces challenges, often taking leaps into uncharted territories. Her ability to build strong relationships with team members and her trustworthy nature stand out. Over two years of collaboration, including more than a year and a half as Iris’s line manager, were a pure pleasure. Every task she undertook was executed flawlessly, showcasing her exceptional planning and execution skills. Add to this her continuously proactive attitude and excellent, direct communication.
Iris was leading the rebranding project. It was a long, challenging process, which she handled exceptionally well. This project demanded not only her excellent knowledge in branding and design but also immense responsibility. It involved extensive planning, project management, and collaboration with individuals from various teams. From my perspective, I wish every project could be as successful as this one.
I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Iris in cross-functional activities at XTM. As a Design Manager and Brand Manager specializing in UX/UI and team leadership, Iris consistently demonstrates an exceptional level of expertise and dedication. One of the most remarkable characteristics of Iris is the great sense of initiative, ownership, and proactiveness. Iris doesn’t just wait for opportunities to improve the product and brand experience; but actively seeks them out. This proactive approach has been invaluable in ensuring our projects are forward-thinking and cutting-edge.
Deep knowledge of branding, brand strategy, and creative management is an understatement when describing Iris. Iris’ understanding of the intricate elements that make up a compelling brand and exceptional UX/UI design is second to none. Iris has a knack for blending creativity with strategic thinking, ensuring every design decision aligns perfectly with our company core values and vision. Iris is also great when it comes to presentation skills. Whether briefing stakeholders, leading team meetings, or presenting to clients, Iris communicates complex ideas with clarity and precision. Iris’ ability to convey the nuances of design and branding strategies to diverse audiences is truly impressive. Furthermore, Iris embodies core values of honesty, clarity, quality, and a strong work ethic. Iris’s work is consistently up to the highest standards, ensuring that everything is of the utmost quality. Iris caring nature and dedication inspire everyone else to strive for excellence.
Publication and implementation of the brand guidelines. The brand guidelines are the summary of all the work put together to define and estandarize the new branding. Its publication internally kicked out the internal enablement with a set of webinars, communications and workshops to explain the new processes put in place.
Creation of the brand story in a compelling way to be presented. Once the brand-refresh was deployed internally, the brand storytelling presentation was the first actionable asset delivered to the comercial team to activate the new messaging internally and externally. After that we continued the effort creating different decks for different funnel stages, to do so, we created one master sales deck as base that included the offering, pain points and solutions and enabled the team to use the new stationary templates and processes put in place.
Launch of the redesigned website. Introducing a consistent look and feel + enhanced UX/UI.
The brand guidelines resulted on the playbook to create a new website truly reflective of the brand offering. I led the coordination of all design aspects, conceptualized and executed the new design system, documented it for development and coordinated the website building within the team.
Brand alignment and UX/UI cross-collaboration with product teams.
Working with the product director and product designers to enhance and align the brand products to the new branding.
