Imagine you're two years into your role as Marketing Director
at a mid-sized company
Strategic, articulate, trusted by the CEO.
On paper, you’re thriving. And yet, something’s off.
This morning, your coffee’s gone cold again while you stare at a half-written strategy doc.
You scroll through old decks, sticky notes, and shared boards. They’re full of energy,just not direction.
One team is pushing for product-led growth. Another is calling for brand investment.
You don’t need more ideas.
You need alignment.
A real plan. A shared vision.
A north star that doesn’t just make sense to you, but helps your team move together with purpose.
You wish someone could walk you through it.
From vision, to values, to priorities, roles, and execution.
You found this one consulting agency
That had been doing exactly this for years.
To guide your team through that process with workshops, whiteboards, and real conversation.
Now imagine...
What if we could turn this process into a digital tool -
one that empowers you to do this work on their own?
That’s where I came in.
MKG Strategy
Facilitator
Turning a deeply human process into a self-guided digital experience.
Project Overview
The MKG Strategy Facilitator is a digital tool that turns a consulting agency’s live marketing workshops into a self-guided experience.
It helps companies align around clear goals and build actionable marketing strategies—without needing a human facilitator.
My Contributions
As a freelance UX designer, I worked with a business consultancy agency to digitize their strategy process and workshops.
I led UX research, competitor analysis, and user interviews, then designed the product from concept to high-fidelity wireframes and ran usability tests to mirror their live facilitation process.
MY Client (the agency)
VISION
"We know how powerful our facilitation process is but we need a way to put that power in our clients’ hands, even when we’re not in the room."
Where We Are Starting
The agency’s marketing strategy process was once fully hands-on: expert facilitators guided each client through collaborative, step-by-step strategy planning.
It worked but it didn’t scale.
What We Aim For
A scalable, digital tool that could replicate the personalized marketing strategy facilitation they provided to clients, reducing human intervention while maintaining the value of their hands-on consulting services.
What is the tool supposed to help users do?
Align the marketing team
Around shared goals - from MK strategy to implementation
Turn scattered brainstorming
into a clear strategic plan
Document the plan
In a way they can present to leadership
Decide as a team
What to focus on and how to allocate resources
Work together efficiently without getting stuck in politics or confusion
The Process
The design process followed the Design Thinking methodology. ensuring user-centered development through research, ideation, prototyping, and testing.
Discovery & Alignment
Interviewed stakeholders and past clients
Competitive & Contextual Research
Mapped existing strategy tools & market gaps
User Flow Design
Created end-to-end flows based on real decision-making behavior
Wireframing & Conceptual Design
High-fidelity wireframes rooted
in user logic
Test Round 1 – Concept Validation & Onboarding
Ran unmoderated usability tests
Test Round 2 – Setup & Depth Evaluation
Validated improvements and stress-tested navigation
Iteration Loop
Implemented changes based on user feedback
Final Refinements & Delivery Recommendations
Prepared actionable next steps for product & dev teams
Discovery & Alignment
I interviewed key stockholders and the agency past clients to extract pain points, opportunities, and digital readiness
Uncover User Motivations and Pain Points
Discover what users rely on in human facilitation - And what might be hard for them when switching to a digital tool.
Analyze Adoption Barriers and Trust Factors
Explore user concerns about automation, trust, and losing the human touch.
Evaluate User Expectations for Digital Facilitation
Learn what users expect in guidance, control, and customization.
Define Success Metrics Based on User Needs
Define success from the user’s view (clarity, efficiency, and autonomy).
Competitive & Contextual Research
Strategic Mapping
I analyzed existing strategy tools to identify market gaps and opportunities.
This research ensured our solution would occupy a blue ocean position.
Competitor Analysis
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Which user needs are underserved by existing strategy tools?
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How do current market offerings support (or fail to support) collaborative marketing planning?
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What gaps exist between tool features and actual team decision-making behaviors?
Blue Ocean Positioning
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Most tools focus on documentation,not facilitation.
-
There’s a market opportunity for a tool that guides real-time alignment and strategic decision-making.
-
A structured, step-by-step framework could differentiate the product in a crowded space.
Primary Persona:
The Ambitious CMO
The Ambitious CMO
Female, 38 | 6 years of experience in leadership roles
A strategic thinker and natural storyteller, this user sees the big picture but often feels detached from the daily grind. Her ambition drives her to aim higher toward a C-suite role—while leaving a legacy of impact through her leadership
“Strategy isn’t just planning, it’s leading people through uncertainty toward shared goals that actually get done.”
Primary Persona:
The Pragmatic Marketing operation
The Practical, Pragmatic MK Operation
Female, 43 | 10+ years of experience
An execution-oriented thinker, Penny is the one who keeps things running behind the scenes. She's in charge of tools, systems, and aligning execution with strategy. While not the visionary, she's the one who makes things happen.
“Execution only works when strategy is concrete, owned, and translated into daily decisions across the team.”
Dual Mindsets, One ToolThe product had to support both strategic and operational thinking meaning flexible depth, shared language, and features that support both alignment and execution.
User Journey Map
To design a tool that could effectively replicate live marketing facilitation, we needed to understand the user journey not only as a sequence of screens, but as a series of emotional and cognitive shifts.
The journey helped us uncover where users feel lost, skeptical, overwhelmed, or empowered.
And allowed us to design meaningful interventions at each moment.
Early Stages: Uncertainty & Overload
This is the first encounter with the tool.
The user has just signed in and is expected to start building a marketing strategy
PAIN POINTS
DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES
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No clear process: Doesn’t know how to start or what to prioritize.
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Team misalignment: Everyone in the department has different opinions, goals, and definitions.
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Lack of confidence in the tool: Uncertain whether this platform can truly replace the human facilitator.
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Resistance to change: Not all team members are comfortable with structured or remote work sessions.
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Immediately provide structure without overwhelming them
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Clarify the process flow (what comes next, and why)
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Offer orientation content to reduce friction and uncertainty
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Use plain language and avoid jargon where possible
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Signal psychological safety — “You’re not alone, and you’re doing fine”
“This already feels like something I’ll have to defend internally.”
We Were Ready to Design
Discovery & Alignment
Interviewed stakeholders and past clients
Competitive & Contextual Research Mapped existing strategy tools & market gaps
Users analysis and alignment
Personas and CJM
UX Design
User flow and wireframes
User Flow design
Key Experience Elements Embedded in the Flow
Setting the Foundation
Clear onboarding
Sets expectations and explains how the tool works.
Smart setup
Collects business info to personalize the experience.
Team invites
Add collaborators early and align from the start.
Guidance levels
Choose between standard or step-by-step facilitation.
Designing the Process
Custom milestones
Define goals and phases that match company pace.
Flexible structure
Adjust steps, timelines, and focus areas to fit your reality.
Working as a Team
Solo + group tasks
Combine shared workshops with personal reflection.
Creative workshops
Use whiteboards to stay visual, flexible, and synced.
Built-in communication
Plan collaboration, assign roles, and align on timelines.
Approval flow
Send outputs for review, sign-off, and team alignment.
Team Member User Flow
Team Lead User Flow
User Testing
Designed to validate the concept, sharpen usability, and drive actionable improvements.
Concept Validation Objectives
Plan
Pre-planned test scripts
Test
Screen & face recording
Analyze
Written+verbal post-test questionnaires
Iterate
Improvements between test rounds
Report
Report with clear priorities
Tests Outcomes
35% Improved
Adoption Confidence
After refinements, more users reported they would be “likely” or “very likely” to adopt the tool.
85% Success
Validated Concepts
Core product ideas resonated well with our target users
Differentiation & Focus
Validated Differentiator & Roadmap
Testing confirmed time management as a must-have and identified high-ROI features to prioritize.
Concept Testing
Testing confirmed the tool’s purpose was clear, but onboarding felt overloaded with text. Users valued the personalization options, though a few setup questions caused hesitation. Collaboration features weren’t fully understood, and while participants saw potential, some wanted proof the tool could adapt to their unique processes before committing.
Usability Testing
Milestones and dashboard tours gave users a strong sense of direction, boosting confidence in navigation. However, repeated and lengthy text slowed progress through the flow. The time-management feature stood out as a favorite, though it needed a clearer first-use explanation to unlock its full impact.
Wireframes
Home Dashboard
Acts as the control center, giving users an overview of progress, notifications, and quick access to resources.
Clear current step
Keeps users focused and reduces uncertainty
Plan Map overview
Shows big picture, builds confidence and alignment
Notifications panel
Ensures nothing important gets missed
Support & resources
Provides instant guidance, lowers learning curve
Expert contact CTA
Builds trust by offering human backup
Plan Dashboard
Acts as the control center, giving users an overview of progress, notifications, and quick access to resources.
Process flow steps
Keeps users oriented in the bigger journey, reducing confusion about “where am I now.”
Progress tracker (20%)
Provides motivation and a sense of momentum
Detailed steps list
Breakdown individual vs. team vs. workshop contributions. Clarifies process and timeframes
Calendar integration
Connects planning steps with time, ensuring tasks don’t stay abstract.
Recommendations panel
Gives actionable next steps (suggestions, videos) that reduce hesitation
Main Dashboard -> Plan Dashboard -> Step Overview
Inside each step we will guides the team with tasks, prep, collaboration, and progress tracking.
Summary of the process
1
Discovery
Stakeholder and client interviews
3
Personas
2 types of facilitator users
5
Flow Design
End-to-end process architecture
7
Concept & Usability Testing
Validated value,
navigation and efficiency
2
Research
Competitive and market gap analysis
4
User Journey
Mapped goals, pains, opportunities
6
Wireframing
High-fidelity screens
8
Final Handoff
Recommendations for product roadmap
Curious about specific outcomes?
I deeply respect the privacy of the companies I work with, but I’d love to connect and share more.
I’d be happy to walk you through real examples of the impact, results, and decisions I helped shape.
Curious to dive deeper? I’d be happy to chat one-on-one.