The Kickoff
Eight separate executive speeches into one story, from brief to main stage in two weeks.
- Executive narrative
- Keynote & slide system
- Event & stage creative
Couchbase Dec 2025 – present
Creative direction for a company in transition.
I joined mid-transition to turn a reactive design team into a creative function, a consistent brand, a clearer executive story, and the operations to produce at pace. The company kickoff was the first real test.
The challenge
What I walked into
A capable team with no system underneath, and a big event already booked.
C.01
Brand in flux
An evolving identity with no single point of reference.
C.02
Requests everywhere
Work arrived from every direction with no real intake.
C.03
No process
A capable team, constantly interrupted and context-switching.
C.04
Scattered assets
It was hard to find the latest, approved files.
C.05
Short clock
The company kickoff was already on the calendar.
Strategy
Where I started
Trust had to come first. The shared story and the systems followed.
S.01
Build relationships
Earn exec trust through clear, honest communication.
S.02
One story
A shared messaging framework tied to a single visual language.
S.03
Build systems
One component library, from product UI to a full event.
S.04
Automate the busywork
AI and automation carry intake, tracking, and file upkeep.
S.05
Grow a design culture
Stay curious; understand the goal before the brief.
The work
What went out the door
I focused where it mattered most: one executive story for the company kickoff, and an AI-first operations system so a lean team could produce at pace.
AI-First Operations
Three systems did the work: an AI creative brief generator, automated Jira routing, and a Canva self-serve toolbox.
- AI creative brief generator
- Automated Jira routing & notifications
- Canva self-serve toolbox
Leadership & impact
Who I worked with, and what changed
From the exec team to the tools that keep the work moving.
Leadership
- Partnered with the VP of Brand & Communications
- Worked with the CEO, CTO, and CPO to land one story
- Directed outside vendors against shared guidelines
Operational innovation
- Built a Gemini-based AI brief builder that turns vague requests into clear briefs
- Automated intake, review, and approvals end to end
- Unified the design portal, Canva, Adobe libraries, and Figma into one system
- Ran Canva self-serve training and onboarding
Business impact
BeforeAfter
Executive storyEight speechesOne narrative
Design opsNoneIntake → archive
Vendor churnHighDown ~80%
Self-serveNoneCanva + training
Kickoff·Shipped in 2 wks
In their words
One story, delivered with confidence, in two weeks.Couchbase CKO · Feb 2026
Reflection
What I would do differently
Two weeks proved the team could deliver under pressure. The bigger win is the system underneath it, the part that makes good work routine instead of heroic. The brand it runs on is still interim, though, and I will not know whether the system really holds until the full refresh lands on top of it.
Next case study
SustainableIT
View next case study →
