The existing site had serious structural problems:
Unfocused messaging
6,000+ pages of content chaos, redundant information, inconsistent messaging, no clear hierarchy
Not meeting the user where they lived
The existing site was designed for desktop when 70% of users were on phones
No systematic approach
Every page felt different, no reusable patterns, impossible to scale
Outdated narrative
Needed to showcase diverse careers, specialized training, while focusing on combat imagery when less than 2% of soldiers see combat
The Army needed a design system that could handle massive content reduction, work seamlessly on mobile, and tell a more complete story about what serving actually means.
My Role
I served as Art Director, leading the visual design team responsible for the complete overhaul of the existing site. My responsibilities included:
01
Working with the Creative Director on managing the overall creative vision and design approach
02
Leading the team through brand design system development and component library creation
03
Establishing content structure and interaction patterns across all templates
04
Managing visual design direction and team execution in Figma
05
Collaborating with UX, content strategy, development, account, and Army stakeholders to align vision with execution
06
Managing asset library, photography direction, and visual quality standards across the entire digital experience
My Approach
Mobile-first, always
With 70% mobile traffic, every decision started with the small screen. Designed components that worked beautifully on phones and scaled up, not the other way around.
System over one-offs
Focused on creating reusable patterns rather than custom solutions for every page. This let us handle massive content while maintaining consistency.
Test and validate
Collaborated with the UX team in user research and visual testing throughout to ensure the system actually worked for prospects.
Built for change
Designed the system knowing Army needs would evolve. Created flexible patterns that could adapt without requiring a complete redesign every time priorities shifted.
What I Built
Updated Visual Language
Directed photography and visual storytelling that showed the reality of Army service — diverse soldiers across different specializations, authentic training environments, real career paths. The visual approach balanced aspiration with authenticity. Moved away from combat-heavy imagery (less than 2% of roles) toward showcasing the 150+ career specialties the Army actually offers.
Design Systems Enabled Visual Storytelling
The Army's story needed to shift from combat-focused to career-focused. Every design decision, photography selection, layout choices, content hierarchy all asked the same question: how do we show what Army service actually looks like for the 98% who aren't in combat roles? Systems thinking made it scalable, and visual storytelling made it authentic.
Streamlined Information Architecture
Working closely with content strategy as they consolidated 6,000+ pages down to 90, I created flexible templates and visual patterns that made the streamlined content shine. The system maintained consistency across the massive content reduction while giving each template enough flexibility to handle diverse recruitment messaging.
Flexible Templates
Built a template system that balanced consistency with flexibility. Each template followed the same systematic patterns while allowing unique content moments to shine. Preventing both chaos and monotony across hundreds of pages.
Interaction Patterns & Components
Defined consistent interaction standards across navigation, CTAs, forms, and content modules. Ensured content was absorbed properly while maintaining visual quality throughout the experience.
Outcomes
Massive content reduction
From 6,000+ pages to 90 focused, effective pages — making the site actually maintainable and improving user experience dramatically
True mobile-first experience
Seamless 1:1 experience across all devices, meeting users where they actually were instead of forcing desktop patterns onto mobile
Scalable production
Design system continues to support new products and content without requiring custom work for every launch
Improved recruitment contracts
Improved marketing attributable contracts 104% in first year, with 16% more contact submissions across the site