Internal Newsletter & SharePoint site
Building consistency & function across platforms
Project Overview & Goal
• Role: UI Designer for Newsletter Design
• Company: Cisco
• Tools: Figma, SharePoint, Click Up
• Timeline: Ongoing
The primary goal was to design a consistent and scalable brand identity across email campaigns, newsletters, and internal communication platforms for our target audience.
A one stop shop for marketing team to read recent customer success stories/announcements, stats for leadership, and the overall team for staying informed about upcoming events.
Problem Statement
To streamline communication and consolidate information spread across various channels, leadership made the decision to design a newsletter that would highlight the latest organizational announcements and achievements, directing users to an underwhelming internal SharePoint site.
This presented the perfect challenge for the brand team: why not design both the newsletter and SharePoint site with a consistent, cohesive brand identity? With an audience of over 2,500 employees, the content needed to be both essential and concise, ensuring engagement without overwhelming readers. The goal was to create a sense of familiarity between the two platforms, while strategically managing the flow of information.
Research & Ideation
I conducted comprehensive research on existing design practices and user needs for email consumption, leveraging both internal resources and external insights. My focus was on understanding how to effectively categorize content, applying principles like the theory of proximity to enhance readability. Collaborating closely with stakeholders was crucial in identifying the key elements that needed to be highlighted in the newsletter, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and audience expectations.
Wireframing
While inspiration is abundant, my primary focus was to align with our internal design system, using consistent components and patterns to foster familiarity and brand recognition.
In a large organization, such as Cisco, with varied email templates across teams, my challenge was managing the high volume of marketing content deemed essential. Condensing this information into a visually appealing, digestible newsletter format required in-depth research, both internally and through external design resources, to create a cohesive and effective layout.
Internal Communication Site (SharePoint)
I simultaneously designed the SharePoint team communication site, creating a consistent design template to strengthen brand familiarity.
Through this project, I became proficient in SharePoint design, navigating its limitations while effectively managing user interfaces across various web pages. I continuously applied my design learnings to optimize functionality and maintain a cohesive brand experience throughout the platform.
Learning & Takeaways
Establishing a consistent design vision required defining a clear creative direction.
Collaborating between leadership, design systems, and product teams improves processes, reduces ambiguity and clarifies project roles.