Lead Designer & Project Manager
10 Months (Full Project Lifecycle)
8
Specialized laminate and print materials that resisted fingerprints and smudges in industrial settings.
The Challenge
Marco, a local industrial equipment company specializing in sandblasting materials and machinery, needed a redesigned product catalog that would differentiate them from competitors and improve usability in harsh industrial environments.
The existing catalog lacked visual hierarchy, was difficult to navigate, and showed fingerprints and smudges easily which posed a significant issue in dusty, industrial settings where workers needed quick access to product information.
My Role
I led this project end to end, taking ownership of strategy, design, production, and team leadership.
Design Leadership
Designed all wireframes and UX, established visual hierarchy, and advocated for design decisions with leadership.
Photography
Personally photographed factory operations and products to ensure authentic, high-quality imagery. Wearing a hard hat was fun as designers rarely get to wear hard hats while working.
Team Management
Assembled and mentored design interns, directing photo placement and copy implementation.
Production Expertise
Advised on laminate and print materials to minimize fingerprints and ensure durability.
The Solution
Color-Coded Navigation System
Introduced a color-coded tab system that allowed workers to quickly locate product categories without fumbling through pages in dusty environments.
Material Innovation
Advised on specialized laminate and print materials that resisted fingerprints and smudges, maintaining readability even after heavy use in industrial settings.
Enhanced Readability
Successfully guided leadership toward a darker, textured design with larger type and higher contrast—critical for readability in low-light factory environments.
Authentic Imagery
Captured on-site photography that showcased real equipment and operations, building trust and helping customers visualize products in actual use cases.
Impact & Results
Significantly improved usability in harsh industrial environments through material selection and design choices optimized for real-world conditions.
Established a new visual standard for the industry, differentiating Marco from competitors with a bold, modern approach.
Enhanced brand perception through cohesive visual identity and professional photography that elevated the company’s market position.
Improved team capability by mentoring design interns, building internal capacity for future design projects.
What I Learned
- Context matters: Understanding the harsh industrial environment was critical to making the right design and material decisions.
- Advocacy drives outcomes: Successfully persuading leadership to embrace a bolder design direction resulted in a stronger final product.
- End-to-end ownership: Taking responsibility from wireframes to photography to team management ensured consistency and quality throughout the project.