The Grand Prix to Growth
Leading the visual direction of an immersive Formula One learning experience through storytelling, scalable design systems, and AI-assisted imagery.
The Challenge
IBM set out to create a Formula One-inspired learning experience that would bring the energy, precision, and competitive spirit of racing into executive education. The creative challenge was to make the experience feel immersive and dynamic while remaining unmistakably IBM.
With a large volume of content, multiple stakeholders, three designers working in parallel, and an aggressive production schedule, the project needed more than a collection of polished assets. It needed a clear visual direction that could guide creative decisions and remain consistent throughout the entire experience.
Creative Direction
I established a visual direction that combined the speed, intensity, and cinematic character of Formula One with IBM's structured and sophisticated visual language. Rather than allowing either identity to dominate, the goal was to create an experience where both could coexist naturally.
Typography, imagery, composition, color, and visual pacing were treated as parts of the same system. Each decision supported the larger narrative: an executive learning experience inspired by the precision, teamwork, technology, and constant optimization behind high-performance racing.
Building the Visual System
To translate the creative direction into a scalable experience, I developed a modular visual system that could support dozens of learning assets without becoming repetitive. Reusable components, layout principles, image treatments, and consistent visual patterns gave the team a shared creative framework while still allowing individual moments to feel distinct.
AI-assisted image generation also became part of that system. I used it intentionally to expand the range and diversity of Formula One imagery available to us, selecting and refining outputs so they remained consistent with the established visual direction rather than feeling like disconnected AI-generated assets.
Results & Business Impact
Delivered the complete learning experience on schedule despite an aggressive production timeline.
Unified dozens of assets under one coherent visual direction.
Enabled three designers to work simultaneously through reusable components and shared visual principles.
Expanded representation in Formula One imagery through thoughtfully directed AI-generated visuals.
Balanced the energy of the Formula One/Ferrari world with IBM's enterprise brand standards.
Received positive stakeholder feedback while reducing inconsistency and unnecessary rework.
The visual system wasn't simply a stylistic choice—it became a production strategy that helped the team deliver a complex experience faster and more consistently.
Leading the Team
With three designers producing assets simultaneously, maintaining consistency required active creative leadership. I translated the visual direction into practical guidance the team could work from, helped distribute the work, reviewed designs as they developed, and provided feedback to keep the experience visually cohesive.
My role shifted between designing and directing: solving key visual problems myself when needed, while also helping other designers make decisions within the system. This allowed us to move quickly without turning the project into three different visual interpretations of the same experience.