When the new CIO at a major aerospace company came on board, it was clear that the IT organization’s digital identity needed a refresh. Their web presence had been stagnant since 2017, and with a shift in leadership, there was a real opportunity to modernize how IT was presented to internal partners. The goal was to increase engagement, improve access to IT services, and streamline communication with business units.
Understanding the Challenges
With the other members of the Digital Media Services team, we accepted the challenge, starting with a deep dive into the current state of IT’s web presence. We spoke to over 50 internal stakeholders—everything from business liaisons to senior management. Through these conversations, a few key issues kept coming up:
- Employees didn’t know where to find IT services or products.
- IT’s major initiatives felt disconnected from the rest of the company.
- Uncertainty about the skills needed to thrive in this evolving environment made it harder for employees to get on board with the changes.
These insights gave us the direction we needed. The next step was crafting a new, clear narrative for IT that aligned with the company’s transformation goals. We used Donald Miller’s StoryBrand framework to shape this narrative, ensuring IT’s message would resonate and engage internal employees.
Crafting the New Narrative and Visual Identity
Visually, we wanted something that would stand out but still feel like it belonged to the company. We created several style explorations and fine-tuned the look until we had something that felt fresh, modern, and distinctly “IT.” We didn’t want to overwhelm employees with unnecessary complexity, so we mapped out user journeys to ensure the site structure made sense. Once we had a design direction, we began creating assets—a brand-new website, PowerPoint templates, print materials, and even a detailed style guide to maintain consistency moving forward.
Bringing the Brand to Life with 3D Elements
But the real fun came when we started integrating 3D elements. We modeled custom visuals in Cinema4D to give the site a unique edge while maintaining a professional look. We blended these elements with traditional 2D design, creating a fully immersive experience that felt polished and engaging. Throughout the entire process, we worked closely with stakeholders in iterative review sessions to make sure everything aligned and we stayed on track.
The Results: A Resounding Success
The end result?
A completely revamped IT website that not only looked modern but also boosted internal engagement. Traffic soared, with visits growing 200% from 2.2K to 6.3K monthly users within just six months. More than just a digital facelift, the refreshed look extended across PowerPoint presentations, print materials, and even influenced other IT teams within the company.
Continuous Improvements and Feedback
But the project didn’t end there. After the launch, leadership requested a lighter color palette for the site. Thanks to the fact that we had used Cinema4D for our 3D assets, making this update was a breeze—we were able to get the new look live in just a few hours!
This project was a huge success, not only because it refreshed the IT brand and digital identity but also because it created a more cohesive, user-friendly platform for employees to access IT services and get involved in the transformation process.
Disclaimer: While the case study is true, the visual content shown on this page is for illustrative purposes only. This is not the actual copy and imagery used on the project. Everything shown here is created by (or licensed to) me. Graphics courtesy of Scott Weidner