TIAA: Modernizing Internal Communications for a Financial Giant
Project Overview
TIAA, a leading provider of retirement and financial services, partnered with WTW to refresh its internal HR communications. I served as lead designer, developing a unified visual system that brought consistency, clarity, and approachability to complex employee benefit materials.
The Challenge
TIAA’s internal benefits communications were highly informative—but lacked visual cohesion across platforms. With multiple stakeholders and a wide employee demographic, the HR team needed a design system that could be scalable, inclusive, and visually intuitive without straying from brand guidelines.
The Strategy
My goal was to build a modular design framework rooted in accessibility, clarity, and brand integrity. By leveraging TIAA’s core brand elements and extending them into a flexible internal toolkit, I was able to create materials that were both functional and visually elevated.
Creative Execution
Deliverables included:
Print Collateral – Enrollment guides, plan overviews, and posters designed for quick comprehension
Digital Assets – Email banners, intranet graphics, and internal presentation templates
Design System – A scalable layout framework that could be applied to a range of future initiatives
Custom Visuals – Icons, infographics, and branded illustrations to support storytelling
Tone & Content Alignment – Partnered with writers to ensure the design enhanced message clarity and employee action
Results & Impact
The updated communications toolkit helped employees more easily navigate their benefits options and contributed to a more cohesive internal brand experience. The system has since been adopted across additional HR initiatives, creating a consistent visual language for employee engagement.
“This redesign brought structure and energy to our internal messaging—it helped our employees feel seen and supported.”
— Director of Internal Communications, TIAA
Project Scope
Role: Lead Designer, Internal Brand Strategist
Agency Partner: WTW
Deliverables: Print & Digital Materials, Modular Design System, Iconography
