Building a design system to guide NCX’s growth and pivots
NCX
Design system (2022 - 2024)
Strategy, Web Design, Content, Components
Design Lead
Climate, Finance
The design system increased team velocity, empowered PMs and others to create rapid proof of concepts, and enabled earlier stakeholder buy in on new features. The 50+ components defined supported three products.
The challenge wasn't just creating components, it was building something that felt modern without falling into the 'sea of sameness' that plagued other carbon marketplaces. NCX needed to feel simple and accessible for non-technical users, while sophisticated enough for businesses managing portfolios or programs.
What started as scattered components and design elements transformed into a cohesive system that became an extension of NCX’s core brand — visible across the marketing site, print materials, and every digital touchpoint from the product to emails. I established parity between brand and product that reinforced trust at every interaction.
Accessibility, interaction, and mobile-first thinking drove every decision. Whether a forester was reviewing programs on desktop or a landowner was checking the calculator on their phone, the system had to scale seamlessly. Every border radius, elevation, and breakpoint was intentional, because when people are making financial decisions about their land, every detail shapes how they interact, convert, and ultimately trust the platform.