Maestro
Maestro was a rebrand of a government platform previously known by a hard-to-pronounce acronym. Users often confused it with the tools it supported or struggled to access help content buried deep in the system. The project called for a clearer identity, stronger messaging, and a simplified user experience that would resonate with both end users and internal stakeholders.
The Story
I co-led the brand and UX redesign from workshops through rollout. I facilitated naming sessions that led to the name “Maestro,” created the visual identity, and directed creative strategy across naming, design, and experience. I also led the Help Center redesign and collaborated with engineering, comms, and transformation teams to improve user access and workflow clarity.
We aligned early with stakeholders through collaborative naming workshops, arriving at “Maestro” to represent clarity and orchestration. Our UX team prioritized access pain points, restructuring the Help Center around real user needs and simplifying the login process — reducing steps from six to four and cutting the number of clicks required to complete the flow in half. Homepage content was also improved to better guide users from the start.
The Result
- Requests to join the platform increased from 1–2 per week to 12+ per week post-launch
- Users reported a more intuitive experience, with easier access to help and system entry
- The new name and identity received department-wide praise, and eliminated longstanding brand confusion
- The updated support flow reduced time and effort for users while lowering load on internal support teams
- The co-created brand strategy helped reinforce trust and collaboration with key stakeholders
Maestro was a rare opportunity to lead both brand and UX strategy in tandem. The success of the platform wasn’t just about a better logo or simpler login — it was about creating a unified system that users and stakeholders could immediately understand and trust. By bringing the right voices to the table early and building clarity into every step, we helped the platform become what it was always meant to be: a tool that makes things easier.
