Case Study

Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) is a global network of independently owned grocery stores united under a shared brand. Between January 2019 and April 2021 I worked within the marketing team supporting IGA’s digital presence across regional member sites.

The Challenge

With over 30 regional microsites running on inconsistent templates, the goal was measurable and time-bound: consolidate page designs to a shared design system within 24 months, reducing design production time per campaign asset by at least 40%. The business case was clear — brand inconsistency was costing member trust and lengthening campaign turnaround.

My Role

As Web Designer, I was responsible for crafting page layouts, designing campaign landing pages, and translating brand guidelines into reusable web components. I worked directly with regional marketing coordinators to gather requirements, turning feedback loops that previously ran 2–3 weeks into same-week iterations.

What We Achieved

  • Delivered a shared component library covering 12 core page templates adopted across 18 member sites
  • Reduced average campaign landing-page production time from ~8 hours → 4.5 hours (44% reduction)
  • Improved mobile experience scores on key landing pages from an average of 61 → 83 (Lighthouse)
  • Standardized typography and color application across all regional sites by Q3 2020, 2 months ahead of schedule
  • Supported 4 national promotional campaigns end-to-end with zero missed launch dates
Process

How We Got There

Audit

Inventoried 30+ regional microsites to identify the highest-frequency template types and the most severe inconsistency patterns across typography, color, and layout.

System Design

Designed 12 core page templates covering the full range of member marketing needs — campaign pages, product features, and regional promotions — all from a shared component set.

Rollout

Worked with regional coordinators to migrate sites template-by-template, turning 2–3 week feedback loops into same-week iterations through direct collaboration.

Standardization

Full typography and color standardization complete across all member sites by Q3 2020 — 2 months ahead of schedule.

Campaign Support

Supported 4 national promotional campaigns end-to-end after system launch, with every asset delivered on schedule and within the shared system.

Reflection

Lessons Learned

Consistency compounds: design systems earn their cost over time

The 44% production time reduction only materialized after the upfront investment of building the system. The first campaign was slower; every one after it was faster.

Stakeholder proximity cuts cycles

Working directly with regional marketing coordinators — not through a middle layer — shortened feedback loops from weeks to days and produced better design decisions.

Ship ahead of schedule by reducing scope creep, not quality

Delivering the brand standardization 2 months early came from tight scope discipline: define done clearly, then resist expanding it until done is done.