Making Dry Content Worth Looking At.
Dense financial journals needed a visual identity that gave readers somewhere to rest their eyes. I built one from scratch across 13+ publications.
User Experience · Creative Leadership · Performance Optimization
Overview
CEG Worldwide publishes dense, analytical content for financial professionals. Readers are used to working hard and didn’t want to work even harder to get through valuable industry data. I developed a cohesive illustration system that gave each journal visual breathing room without sacrificing the sophistication the audience expected.
01
Developed a scalable illustration style
I built a hybrid AI and Photoshop workflow that produced the sophisticated, sketchy aesthetic the client wanted, at the pace and volume the project needed. Each issue received its own color palette and theme while remaining visually coherent across the full series.
02
Replaced all stock imagery across 13+ issues
Every generic stock image across the full publication run was replaced with original illustration work — ten to twenty pieces per journal, each one serving a specific editorial purpose: breaking up density, signaling transitions, giving the reader's eye somewhere to land.
03
Earned full creative autonomy
Early issues involved significant direction and revision. By the third or fourth journal the client trusted me to read the content and develop whatever imagery I felt served it — no strict direction and minimal revision.
Results
Over 13 journals produced. A publication with no unique visual identity when we started now has a recognizable aesthetic that stands out in the financial sector — built on a workflow scalable enough to sustain it.
He's one of those talented, curious, self-teaching people who will just naturally grow wherever he's planted.
“
”
Hamish MacDonald
Cartoonist - Strategic Coach
(Hamish introduced me to CEG. When his schedule was full, he passed this client on to me, which I consider an endorsement all its own)
Check these out
More projects
B2B SAAS
CONTENT CLARITY
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL LEADERSHIP
Show, Don’t Tell - Refreshed Website and Demo Video
Our website and demo video weren’t converting leads. I spearheaded an overhaul that drove organic sign-ups.
USER EXPERIENCE
CREATIVE LEADERSHIP
PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION
Appealing Training for Workers Who Don’t Want It
Safety training is a joke amongst the construction industry. I led the creative strategy that earned an average user rating of 4 out of 5 across 30+ published courses.
B2B SAAS
AI WORKFLOW
BRAND AUTHENTICITY
Building Trust Through Visual Authenticity
Stock photography was eroding audience trust, so I built a smarter solution. Not only did new customers pay attention - old customers stopped leaving snarky comments.
- currently open to full-time roles -
Looking for a creative leader who can find the human story?
Creative Director, Brand Storyteller, or Content Strategy for B2B companies looking to make their product easier to grasp.