Teams across Ulta Beauty were building components inconsistently, recreating patterns, and working from scattered documentation (if any). This slowed progress and created disjointed user experiences. Major digital overhauls demanded a modern, scalable system to unify teams and support future growth.

As the design system lead, and eventually manager, I owned the strategy, architecture, and execution of Palette. My responsibilities included:

• Defining the system’s architecture, token structure, and component standards
• Redesigning core components and patterns for consistency and scalability
• Launching ZeroHeight documentation and governance workflows
• Partnering with engineering to align technical implementation
• Advocating for Palette as a shared service
• Supporting teams through onboarding, office hours, and support

My work helped shift the culture toward collaboration and system-driven design.

We rebuilt Palette’s core to create a scalable foundation:

• Typography, spacing, and color tokens for consistency
• Redesigned components with variant logic and accessibility standards
• Engineering specifications and usage guidance for every pattern

This removed ambiguity and empowered teams to build efficiently.

To build trust, we created clear documentation and governance:

• Component anatomy, behavior rules, and “do/don’t” patterns
• Accessibility checklists and engineering guidance
• Versioning and release notes for transparency

Palette became a standard part of onboarding, ensuring alignment across teams.

I established programs to drive adoption and measure success:

• Weekly office hours and cross-team intake processes
• Shared Figma Dev Mode workflows and alignment sessions
• Reduced repetitive work, shortened handoff, and unified the app/site experience
• Supported major initiatives like the app redesign and checkout overhaul

Palette transformed Ulta Beauty's design process from fragmented to cohesive, enabling faster innovation.

Palette proved that design systems are more than libraries, or just for design, they’re enablers of transformation. By aligning teams around shared patterns and governance, I helped Ulta Beauty deliver better experiences, faster. This was the most strategic work of my career.