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 easily
Tokenized: 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