The Trackimo Project

In the final quarter of 2018, I stepped into the role of Creative Director at Universaltech, the company responsible for Trackimo, an innovative IoT tracking product. This marked my first experience in a formal corporate leadership position, and I immediately recognized the opportunity to cultivate a robust and dynamic creative department. The challenge was significant: how to lay the groundwork for a cohesive creative strategy within a company that, while operational, lacked a unified vision?

How it used to be…

During my initial days, I immersed myself in the company's culture and operational dynamics. I quickly observed a prevalent lack of motivation among employees, with a tendency for individuals to operate in silos, focusing primarily on their paychecks. This apathy extended to the brand's representation across various departments, including Leads & Research, SEO, Social Media, Marketing & Sales, and Content. A thorough audit of their digital marketing materials revealed a severe lack of brand consistency. The Trackimo logo was being misused, inconsistent fonts were employed, photo editing standards were subpar, and grammatical errors were rampant. It was clear that a fundamental overhaul of their creative approach was necessary.

Collecting Data & Building Solutions

Following a period of careful analysis, I presented a proposal to senior management outlining the creation of a comprehensive design system. This system would serve as a centralized resource for all creative, development, social media, research, marketing, and sales teams, eliminating the subjective content decisions that had plagued the company. I emphasized that without a consistent brand identity, Universaltech risked losing credibility with customers and clients, potentially giving the impression of unprofessionalism or even dishonesty. A structured design system was crucial to establishing a reputable and trustworthy brand image

With management's approval, I assembled a focused team, carefully selecting individuals with diverse skills and personalities. This included a talented front-end web developer who had experienced years of stagnation (INFJ), a researcher seeking a more fulfilling creative path (ENFP), and a social media manager eager to contribute meaningfully as a copywriter (INFP). I initiated a Trello project board to manage the process and led a concentrated 1.5-week effort to establish the core elements of the design system. I provided clear direction on design and character style to the graphic designer, while also introducing the concept of a 'tone of voice' and UX writing principles to the copywriter. Daily stand-up meetings over coffee fostered collaboration and ensured progress. By providing a checklist with clear deadlines within Trello, I kept the team on track. The final design system, reflecting a unified creative vision, was presented to and approved by senior management.

The team successfully delivered the Trackimo Design System Language, a comprehensive style guide designed to provide a unified creative framework for all brand-related activities. This document established clear guidelines for everything from color palettes for print and digital media to the brand's tone of voice in written communications. The goal was to cultivate a distinct brand personality and establish Trackimo as a reputable and authoritative technology company specializing in proactive security solutions through IoT. This guide served as a foundational tool to ensure that every piece of content reflected the brand's core values and professional standards.

Web & Mobile Conception

The successful implementation of the design system laid the groundwork for a comprehensive website redesign. We established a new Trello board to manage this project, setting a timeline of three weeks for development and one week for revisions. In the initial phase, we collaborated closely with senior management, presenting detailed user flow maps, defined user personas, and initial design sketches.

We also introduced new tools to enhance our design and UX capabilities, including Adobe XD, Affinity Designer, and Flowmapp. While our initial presentations faced some criticism from management, we engaged in constructive dialogue, addressed their concerns, and ultimately delivered a website that aligned with both our design vision and their business objectives.

Reflections

While the website redesign presented a prime opportunity to showcase the power of UX collaboration, the implementation of new concepts was met with resistance, highlighting the challenges of introducing innovative practices in established corporate environments. However, the experience proved invaluable in fostering a culture of growth within the team. By empowering them to embrace new methodologies, I inspired them to think critically about their career trajectories and the importance of continuous learning. Even with the difficulties encountered, I consider this project a significant step in validating my commitment to modern UX standards. Despite any perceived failures, the entire process served as a powerful learning experience, reaffirming my dedication to professional development and the pursuit of excellence in the field of design and user experience.

Testimonials

“A true leader that I have been looking for on my 5 years of working career, Mark Sy thought me well, enhanced my abilities and opened up my true self from the time he came to the company that I have been working on the past, he is the one who made my life better professionally and personally. This guy is definitely who I want to be working with, in times of personal life outside work he is the buddy you can talk and drink with. On professional way he is outstanding especially on the field of his mastery the design and illustrator works. Thank you Mark Sy for being a good leader and a true friend, God bless and more power.”

- James Harold Canque
Front End Developer - Designer
jamesharoldcanque@gmail.com

“Yow Good day Mark Sy, Just passing by to say Thank You for everything, I've learn so much from you in just a couple of months, just want to let you know that you are the only person that I aspire to become ever since you picked me up from researchers dept; coz before that, I was a lost person, I don't know which path to choose, coz you know that I'm not good at anything.. I will keep my promise that if someday, we'll be given a chance to get reunited with both of you (James), by that time, I'm already as good as you are, or even better, I know u are thinking "talk is cheap" that's why I will do my very best from now on to take actions of my dreams,

It's been fun being part of The Creatives under your supervision, even today, I always apply your teachings and principles on my work and life, Again Thank you and See you in the near future , God bless on your new journey ..

MMmmmoorrttaaalll CCooommbbBaattt!!! tinnnenn tinneennnn ten tenniinn tennenn...”

- Oscar Uycoque
Graphic Designer