Led brand unification strategy for ACI Learning after acquiring 4 companies with 6 conflicting product identities. Directed cross-functional team through research, stakeholder alignment, and brand architecture development, creating scalable foundation that enabled rapid market expansion. Work contributed to platform serving 500,000+ learners, acquiring additional company (InfoSec Learning), launching myACI SaaS platform, and winning 2024 EdTech Breakthrough "Career Development Solution of the Year" award.
ACI Learning had acquired four companies, bringing together six disparate products under one roof: ITPro TV, AuditPro, PracticeLabs, SkillsPro, ProPortal, and LearningHubs (to start with more acquisitions intended). Each had its own visual identity, messaging, and market positioning serving overlapping audiences in IT and cybersecurity education. The company needed strategic brand architecture that could unify current offerings while scaling to accommodate future products.
As Creative & Design Director and account lead, I directed our team through comprehensive brand unification; from research and strategy through execution and market rollout.
I led brand workshops with the executive team, ran company-wide brand surveys, and conducted market/competitor research and further technical anakysis with cybersecurity tech writer Joe Maglitta. We uncovered ITPro TV held the strongest brand equity (through a loyal user-base), informing our strategic direction while enabling complete visual reimagination.
We developed scalable brand architecture that balanced immediate unification needs with long-term growth flexibility. W created persona-specific messaging architecture addressing distinct audience needs across the customer education journey, enabling cross-sell opportunities while maintaining relevance for each user type.
I directed development of complete brand guidelines covering market positioning, messaging frameworks, visual identity system, and led the creation of the web design system. I led weekly stakeholder alignment ensuring executive buy-in while maintaining design integrity. Oversaw continuous iteration through market testing at pop-up events, social rollout, sales collateral deployment, and executive presentations.
The visual identity brought modern, bold refinement to the cybersecurity education space. The design system provided templated materials enabling rapid content deployment while maintaining brand consistency. This foundation transferred seamlessly from marketing materials through the website into the learning platform itself, creating a cohesive experience across all customer touchpoints.
The unified brand foundation accelerated the company's growth trajectory. Design system implementation increased speed-to-market for new collateral, website development, and platform creation. The platform now serves 500,000+ learners across 2,000+ business customers, with industry-leading 80%+ completion rates and usage by 20% of top national colleges.
Post-rebrand, ACI Learning acquired InfoSec Learning (2023), launched the myACI SaaS platform with AI-enriched training, introduced myACI Marketplace with 18,000+ courses, earned U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Ambassador designation, achieved ACCET accreditation, and won "Career Development Solution of the Year" in 2024 EdTech Breakthrough Awards.
The brand architecture and design system continues supporting rapid product expansion and market positioning, demonstrating the lasting strategic value of the work.
