PNC Email + Direct Mail Design Systems
Building scalable creative infrastructure for compliant, omnichannel marketing.
Overview
In 2025, I led the strategy, architecture, and rollout of two enterprise-grade design systems at PNC Bank—a modular Email Design System and a Tiered Direct Mail System. Both were designed to increase creative efficiency, maintain compliance, and scale campaign execution across the organization.My Role
Creative Engineering Supervisor | System Architect | Strategic Lead | Art Director- Directed end-to-end design and rollout of both systems
- Built Figma-based component libraries using semantic tokens
- Developed cross-functional training, documentation, and comms
- Bridged strategy, design, dev, and compliance teams
The Challenge
PNC's creative workflows were fragmented and inefficient. Teams were:
- Rebuilding layouts from scratch
- Struggling with compliance reviews
- Slowed down by custom formats and inconsistent assets
- Lacking a scalable foundation for campaign execution
Mandate: Fix it. Scale it. Make it intuitive and foolproof

The Solution
PNC Email Design System
"Figma-based. Token-powered. Built for consistent, compliant, and scalable email."
- Modular Figma library built with semantic tokens
- Component Integrated Modules (CIM) with live-text and compliance zones
- Developer-ready documentation including token reference guides
- Legal locking mechanisms to protect critical copy zones
- Internal training decks, onboarding FAQs, and system glossary
Tiered Direct Mail System
"Bronze. Silver. Gold. A tiered framework that simplifies production and improves testing."
- Format menu based on budget, effort, and strategic goals
- Modular DM layouts mapped to Bronze/Silver/Gold tiers
- Versioning thresholds and rules to avoid creative overreach
- Client-facing decision tools including flowcharts and tier one-pagers
- Training materials and rollout comms tailored to internal and client audiences
Execution & Rollout
- Built dual-track rollout strategies with tailored comms
- Authored all internal/external documentation
- Created a centralized SharePoint system for version control and hosting
- Led internal training, legal alignment, and client presentations
Delivery Timeline:
- Email System: Internal rollout by April
- DM System: Full adoption by June
System Logic
Modular: Components and modules can be reused, remixed, and scaled easilyTokenized: Typography, spacing, and color are controlled via semantic tokensTiered: Direct Mail formats follow predefined rulesets based on effort and ROI
Compliant: Legal zones are pre-approved and locked for reuse
Impact
- Reduced production timelines by eliminating guesswork
- Minimized legal/compliance risk across both channels
- Improved QA handoff with clear token-to-code logic
- Enabled scalable personalization and performance testing
- Increased adoption and clarity across all contributing teams
Final Note
This wasn’t just a system upgrade. It was a strategic evolution of how PNC delivers omnichannel campaigns—bridging creativity, compliance, and technology through systems thinking.Built to scale. Built to last.
Assets Available Upon Request
- System One-Pager PDFs (Email + DM)
- Training Deck Previews
- Token Reference Guide
- Tiered Format Menu
- DEV Handoff Packages
- Figma Preview Link