Marq Platform · University of Rochester
Audience | Stakeholders and Embedded Communications Officers
Timeframe | Fall 2025
Role | Project Management, Strategic Roadmapping, System Development, Graphic Design, Stakeholder Support
When the University of Rochester embarked on an enterprise-wide brand refresh in 2025, we needed more than new visual standards. Experience showed us that we really needed a sustainable system that would help hundreds of campus partners create consistent, high-quality marketing and communications materials without relying exclusively on central design resources. I played a key role in establishing and growing Marq as that system.
In just eight weeks, I worked from the ground up to:
- Define the roadmap for Marq phased development, identifying which templates and assets would deliver the greatest immediate value to schools and administrative units. This included prioritizing high-use formats such as flyers, digital letterhead, digital displays, social templates, and event materials, while ensuring alignment with newly refreshed brand standards.
- Develop structured asset libraries and create 17 individual brand kits for schools and units, including logos, color systems, and typography standards
- Design and build 40+ Marq templates with built-in accessibility considerations, content locks, and controls to support brand compliance
- Partner closely with internal stakeholders to anticipate real-world constraints and adjust the roadmap based on user feedback
- Developed and designed a comprehensive Marq user guide to assist with onboarding and reduce individual inquiries
Marq became a powerful enablement tool. The platform reduced one-off design requests, increased brand consistency across decentralized units, and empowered non-designers to produce polished communications.
This work reflects my broader approach to creative leadership: building systems that respect both creative strategy and the realities of the people using it.
