CASE STUDY: SGBFF DESIGN DIRECTOR VISION

Designing
for Resilience

Transforming Empathy into Action Through the Power of Intentional Design

The Foundation

Architects for Change

A comprehensive design system that transforms fragmented brand experiences into a unified ecosystem—driving 70% higher course completion, 98% facilitator satisfaction, and 4400% email ROI.

Knowledge as Armor

Designing learning experiences that build confidence, clarity, and long-term agency. Reducing cognitive load so learners focus on growth, not deciphering interfaces.

Target: 70% increase in course completion by end of 2026

Empowering Torchbearers

Designing intuitive toolkits that amplify the confidence and voice of every facilitator. Structural systems that enable rapid scaling of program materials.

98% of Lean In Circle members credit their group with positive career change

No One Left Behind

Radical accessibility is the foundation of real inclusion. Adherence to WCAG standards ensures our content reflects true diversity of global communities.

Empowering 1.3 billion people globally living with disabilities

Unignorable Presence

Visual storytelling that earns attention and invites participation. Bold typography and high-contrast visuals that disrupt feeds and drive sign-ups.

1.7 seconds to earn attention on TikTok
 and Reels

Design Creates Measurable Impact

4400%

ROI on email campaigns
for nonprofits

3.5×

More brand visibility with
visual consistency

1200%

More shares from video vs.
static content

91%

Users judge trust by
website design

Translating Insight into Impact

High-stopping-power visuals built for performance

AI-Powered Creative Workflow
Pioneering responsible AI to multiply creative impact while maintaining ethical guidelines

The Innovation: Rather than replacing human creativity, we pioneered responsible AI integration that multiplies creative capacity—using AI for storyboarding, image expansion, pattern generation, and rapid mood boarding while maintaining ethical guidelines for representation and authenticity.

TIME SAVINGS
30-35% reduction in production workflows
FOCUS SHIFT
More time for strategy, empathy, and human connection
DELIVERABLES
Ethical AI guidelines, workflow documentation, storyboard frameworks

Web experiences that heal: Building solace, support, and frictionless access into every digital touchpoint

The Challenge: Option B users often access grief support resources during their most vulnerable moments—sometimes on mobile, in the middle of the night. Lean In users need to quickly find Circles, resources, and community during lunch breaks or commutes.

APPROACH
Mobile-first design, frictionless navigation, calming visual design, performance optimization
OUTCOMES
Users can find support resources within 30 seconds, 40% increase in mobile access
DELIVERABLES
UI/UX design systems, mobile responsive templates, brand guidelines

Social Media That Stops the Scroll
Visual storytelling that earns attention and invites participation

The Challenge: On TikTok and Instagram Reels, you have 1.7 seconds to earn attention. SGBFF’s powerful stories about resilience, leadership, and community needed to break through.

APPROACH
Platform-specific templates, bold typography, high-contrast visuals, A/B tested formats
OUTCOMES
1200% more shares from video content, 3.5× brand visibility increase
DELIVERABLES
Social media templates, content style guide, platform-specific asset libraries
Email Campaign

Email Campaigns That Convert
Delivering value, inspiration, and community directly to the inbox

The Challenge: Email remains one of the highest-converting channels, but only if it looks beautiful across devices and drives action, not just opens.

APPROACH
Modular coded email systems, mobile-optimized templates, accessible design, A/B testing
OUTCOMES
4400% ROI on email campaigns, highest converting channel
DELIVERABLES
Email template library, responsive HTML/CSS code, testing documentation

Common Questions

Understanding the Vision

Insights into how strategic design drives trust, research, and measurable social impact.

Create a shared design language—a foundation of typography, color principles, and composition rules—that allows each initiative to maintain its unique personality while feeling connected to the larger mission. Think of it as a family: shared DNA, distinct individuals.

The Design Director partners upstream with research and strategy teams to visualize concepts before they’re finalized. Prototypes become conversation tools that turn abstract ideas into tangible visions, enabling better decision-making across the organization. This collaborative approach ensures design is informed by real user needs while research benefits from rapid visual iteration.

 

AI serves as a force multiplier for workflows—handling the heavy lifting of image expansion, pattern generation, and rapid mood boarding. This frees the design team to focus on the heart of the work: empathy, strategy, and human connection. All AI use follows rigorous ethical guidelines that ensure representation and authenticity remain core to every output, never replacing human judgment but amplifying creative capacity.

 

Every design pillar connects to measurable outcomes: 70% increase in course completion, 98% facilitator satisfaction with Circle resources, full WCAG accessibility compliance, 1.7-second attention capture rates on social platforms, 3.5x brand visibility improvement through consistency, 1200% higher engagement with video content, and 30-35% time savings through design system implementation. These metrics ensure design efforts drive real-world impact.

 

Radical accessibility is the foundation of real inclusion. With 1.3 billion people globally living with disabilities, accessibility isn’t a feature—it’s a moral imperative. Full WCAG compliance ensures our content reflects the true diversity of global communities and removes barriers that prevent people from accessing life-changing resources. When we design for the margins, everyone benefits from clearer interfaces, better structure, and more thoughtful experiences.