Scaling Design Consistency Across 3 Brands and 4 Platforms
A bold cross-team initiative to reduce design/tech debt, accelerating team velocity and improving accessibility standards
I led the design system transformation across ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access—unifying 3 brands and 4 platforms while achieving 100% AA accessibility compliance.
Senior Product Designer
2023
Privacy & Security
Challenge
Design inconsistencies across ExpressVPN, PIA, and CyberGhost were causing unnecessary rework, slowing new feature development, and creating accessibility compliance risks.
Role
As Lead Product Designer, I orchestrated the largest cross-platform design initiative in company history—unifying three brands across four platforms (Android, iOS, MacOS, and Windows) while maintaining feature development velocity.
Strategic Leadership (60%)
Designed organisational structure for unprecedented scale: assigned platform ownership to 3 designers while maintaining system coherence through centralised coordination
Established "Design Control Tower with weekly alignment sessions to manage bandwidth, resolve conflicts, and maintain quality standards across all teams
Led stakeholder alignment with PMs and engineering leads, consistently advocating for best-in-class solutions
Tactical Execution (40%)
Built comprehensive component library with embedded accessibility standards and cross-platform variations
Established design token architecture and documentation standards that reduced handoff time
Created governance framework and review processes adopted across all product teams
Mentored 3 junior designers in system thinking, stakeholder management, and platform-specific design considerations
Key Innovation
When no established methodology existed for multi-brand design system consolidation, I led through rapid experimentation—building prototype components and testing approaches with teams rather than relying on theoretical planning.
Impact
100% AA accessibility compliance across all components
Unified design language across 3 brands serving multi-million users
Design libraries optimised for speed and consistency
3
Designers mentored and developed in system thinking
3
Brands consolidated with distinct design language
4
Platforms unified under a scalable design language
Component snapshot.
Flow-first approach.
Embedded states in components.
Embedded complex animation in component.
Detailed documentation.
Behind Closed Doors: Leading Through Uncharted Territory
This was genuinely first-of-its-kind territory. No one in the company had attempted design system consolidation across three distinct brands and four platforms simultaneously. We were writing the methodology while executing it, with the entire organisation watching.
The pressure was immense, but the uncertainty was the real challenge. While leadership debated high-level strategies and pivoted approaches in real-time, I realised that waiting for perfect clarity would mean never starting.
What I did to drive change:
Bias towards action - When faced with questions no one could answer theoretically, I built answers practically. I researched and experimented with the best ways to develop and document a component, and tested it with designers/ developers.
Designed for Distributed Leadership - Recognising that centralised control would create bottlenecks at this scale, I implemented a "hub and spoke" model. Each designer became a platform owner with real decision-making authority, while I maintained system coherence through weekly "Design Control Tower" sessions that became the heartbeat of the project.
Colour theming.
Learning
This project taught me that design leadership is about creating the conditions for teams to succeed in unprecedented situations. The most impactful design work often happens in organisational structure and process design, not just interface design.