roles: design | consulting | creative strategy & direction

protiviti brand & operations

Challenge

Solution

Visual cues are this brand's best strategy for combating the multiple obstacles to making its way into consumers' hearts. Common visual approaches to medicinal packaging illuminate the candies' medicinal effects, and irreverent and playful graphics, fonts and colors speak to the candy crowd.

Digital Asset Management system

In addition to designing assets for the DAM, (albeit with many limitations due to the system UI), I leveraged the DAM to increase efficiencies within the design team and between the design and marketing teams.

Dashboard
  • The first ask for the DAM was to sort out what portals we would need as a design team and what marketing would need. I planned a couple phases in collobaration with the rest of leadership team.

Hear from my colleague

Nicole Burgess, former DAM manager, Protiviti & Robert Half

"Samm was my go-to intellectual design partner on DAM projects, leading the charge to bring efficiency and clarity to the employee experience of finding and using marketing assets. From custom curated portals, to eye catching UI, Samm went above and beyond to ensure that the right assets were found and used correctly. I could always count on Samm to think through the implications of an operations decision and follow through not only with the logistical elements but with advocacy. Her initiative to fully utilize the platform and her strategic guidance for direction is what led us to such strong numbers in adoption of the DAM tool and positive feedback. Samm is who I want in my corner for digital transformation projects."

Solutions & industry image library
  • In this self-initiated project, I noticed a need for an image library for Protiviti Creative, marketing as well as for the 6,000+ practice members. With Protiviti's structure organized by solution and industry, I then built a library tied to current trends in each solution and industry, collaborating with the marketing leads.
  • The result is 400+ images and the most-visited portal with the most downloads across both Protiviti and Robert Half!
Creative team portal
  • In this second self-initiated project, I saw a need to organize the Creative team's links, documents and processes into one place, with the DAM being the natural place for hosting such things.

Team leadership & operations

Here are just a few of the ways my leadership and operations skills contributed visually to the team.

Presentation template
  • When I began at Protiviti, I brought to it a stronger sense for pitching and selling creative. With that, we needed a robust deck template. I've continued to add to it over the years as our needs have changed and grown.

Hear from my colleague

George Yui, senior graphic designer, Protiviti

"Over the 5 years I've worked with Samm as my AD, our team, reputation and design philosophy have changed dramatically under her leadership. Samm is extremely skillful in juggling and handling multiple projects and/or partners that require her attention in different ways. Her title is Art Director, but I've witnessed her as a lead designer, project manager, saleswoman, customer relations specialist, and branding strategist. Our team has become a strategic partner instead of a service provider, and that is due in no small part to the incredible results and strong relationships Samm has built with the leadership team."

"Madame Samm" design theory presentations
  • The creative director asked me to develop design theory presentations to give to both the Protiviti and fuller Robert Half design teams.
  • Madame Samm is the result of a concerted effort to be fully tongue-in-cheek and engaging: My alter ego takes the stage and I depart to the background, as instructed by Ms Samm.
  • I took cues from the book "Universal Principles of Design," discussing theories of design outside traditional visual design yet showed how they still applied.

Hear from my colleague

Meuy Browder, production artist, Protiviti

"One of my favorite things about Samm is her consistently thoughtful feedback on design. No matter how last minute it may be, she is patient, yet firm when need be, and always goes the extra mile to make sure questions are answered and support rendered wherever it is needed. Therefore, based on her creativity, communicability, punctuality, leadership, ability to work in a team, and also considering her skills in brand development, she makes a great art director."

/ interjection / scandinavian

1 You’ve just taken in a lot! Some would call it “the end.” I, however, call it “the beginning” — perhaps of something beautiful. Let’s find out together.