RetailCRM already served thousands of stores and the product focused on managing and selling products in stores, which was more than just a typical CRM for lead generation.

From a technical standpoint, the product was strong, but UX lagged behind: interfaces were overloaded, integrating new clients took a lot of time and money, and operators required extensive training and got tired of the interface, working nine hours a day. I saw "low-hanging fruit" — that is, simple UX improvements that could bring quick results.

I believed that without a strong design team, improving such a large-scale project wouldn't be feasible. I prepared a detailed redesign plan, explained it to management and convinced them to allocate resources for the team.

This step allowed us to move away from a situation where one person "moves pixels" and elevate design to the level of a strategic advantage.

We worked closely not only with analysts, developers, marketers, but also with support and customer service departments.

We started changing the way we worked: began conducting user interviews and launched processes like Customer Development. We started caring about whether people liked what we made.

Our team also got more freedom and started doing cool things independently, not just waiting for tasks. Essentially, we became much more involved in the company's work and helped make design part of the company's development strategy.

• Operators were used to the old interface, so any major change risked rejection and lengthy retraining.
• The product served thousands of clients with different needs, so the interface had to be flexible and adapted to various usage scenarios.
• Management valued code and analytics but struggled to understand why user research was important (this changed fairly quickly).
• Launching new versions of the product in different markets required new branding and cultural considerations.

We combined user interviews, surveys, and client visits with in-person workshops to generate ideas. For quick testing we used Figma and Maze to get feedback from clients.

We also synced design with agile development sprints, making sure design tasks were part of the backlog from the start. I introduced design rituals — standups, critiques, and reviews for constant feedback from the team.

Finally, we created a design system called "Omnica". It included shared components, UX guidelines, and brand elements, reducing development time and ensuring consistency.

• Visual Transformation: I conducted a series of "brand sprints" with executives and department heads, redefining our tone, mission, and visual identity — from the logo to product and service branding.
• Simla.com: While changes in the Spanish interface were small, we put more effort into branding and marketing for users from Latin America, who often rely on social media for e-commerce.
• Coordinated Launch: We aligned marketing campaigns, social media, and landing pages in a unified style, so everything looked and felt consistent.

Hiring wasn't the only key step. I carefully selected candidates, hired product and communication designers, mentored them and set up a formal design review process. Some started as mid-level and eventually became seniors and leads.

I also organized design critique sessions, workshops, and performance reviews.

• Inclusive Understanding: We learned the importance of engaging not only business owners and stakeholders, but also directly involving operators who actually use the system every day.
• Design Education: In a development-oriented environment, it's important to show data and results that prove that UX is worth investing in development.
• Brand & Product Connection: Rebranding is more than appearance — it shapes how teams communicate and how users understand the product.
• Investing in the Future: A strong design system and UX laws and principles make it easier to evolve as the product grows.