Marketing Content Generator

Joining mid-flight — with a mandate to reimagine

When I joined the MCG project at Amex, my first task was to design the UI for early conceptual ideas and wireframes. I used the Amex design system as a foundation and created additional components and patterns tailored to the app's needs — a decision that proved vital as the product evolved well beyond its original scope.

The original concept was overloaded with settings and options. My goal wasn't just to apply a visual layer — it was to reimagine the experience from the ground up, using research as the primary input rather than assumptions baked into the original brief.

F.1 — Early wireframes built from the original requirements, before user research revealed critical workflow gaps

F.2 — High-fidelity mockup of the original concept: settings-heavy, sidebar-first layout that testing later invalidated

Listening first — then designing

I began by identifying core pain points through stakeholder interviews and moderated user testing. Feedback revealed critical issues: excessive scrolling, misaligned settings, and a layout that didn't reflect how 60% of users actually worked. Rather than iterating on the existing design, the evidence called for a structural rethink.

F.3 — Live user testing with stakeholders present, synthesizing behavioral patterns in real time

F.4 — Behavioral personas grounded in user data, used to prioritize which pain points to address first

From sidebar to embedded — the core UX shift

The biggest structural decision was removing the sidebar-based settings panel entirely and embedding controls contextually within the content creation flow. This wasn't aesthetic — it came directly from the research finding that users ignored or misread settings they had to navigate away from the canvas to adjust.

I introduced a modular, step-by-step setup flow that guides users through key decisions without overwhelming them. Each step is purpose-built, with options surfacing conditionally based on selected channel — so a social campaign doesn't surface email-specific settings.

Layout evolution: sidebar model → embedded model

Before — sidebar model

Settings panel detached from the content canvas

After — embedded model

Controls surface inline with the work in progress

F.5 — The modular setup flow: each step purpose-built, conditional on channel selection, reducing cognitive load without sacrificing flexibility

F.6 — Role-aware UI balancing competing user needs within a scalable, component-driven architecture

Generative AI embedded in the workflow — not bolted on

The MCG product used generative AI as its core output engine. My design challenge was making that feel trustworthy and steerable — not like a black box. I designed the AI interaction layer so users could guide generation, review reasoning, and edit outputs inline without ever leaving the creation canvas.

This required inventing new design patterns: streaming output states, confidence indicators, regeneration controls with preserved context, and an edit-in-place model that respected the AI's role while keeping the human clearly in control.

Extending Amex DS — components built to scale

I used the Amex design system as the foundation and extended it with new patterns specific to AI content workflows: a generation panel component, channel-conditional form controls, and an admin role management surface. Each component was architected to accommodate future channel additions without requiring layout rework.

Delivered structured design annotations that clarified component states, interaction logic, and handoff specifications — significantly reducing developer Q&A cycles and keeping the team aligned across a fast-moving build.

Delivered annotations clarifying component states, design decisions, and handoff specifications — streamlining the development workflow

Making past work findable, shareable, and manageable

Beyond the creation flow, I designed a project dashboard aligned to real user mental models — making it easy to locate past campaigns, manage bookmarks and favorites, and support key collaboration tasks like sharing and role-based access.

I also designed a dedicated admin settings surface that kept role management separate from the creation flow — giving admins the control they needed without adding complexity for everyday users.

F.7 — Dashboard structure mapped to user mental models: browse, favorite, share, and manage campaigns from a single surface

F.8 — Admin role management: role creation, user assignment, and permission scoping — a dedicated surface that doesn't leak complexity into the creation flow

Measurable results from research-backed decisions

Post-launch results showed the redesigned experience not only improved usability but delivered measurable impact across every tracked dimension. The modular setup flow, role-aware UI, and embedded AI interaction model each contributed to a fundamentally faster and more confident user experience.