Robert Half - Reach For The Stars 🌟
Event Experience Design for talent recruitment professionals
Timeline
January - March 2023
Role
UI UX Designer
Team
1 Senior Designer, 1 UX Designer, Event Manager
Tools
Figma, Photoshop, Microsoft Teams
About Reach For The Stars
Reach For the Stars (RFTS) is an event designed to recognize and honor the outstanding achievements of our most accomplished Talent Solutions Professionals and Field Leadership professionals.
I helped redesign the email campaign, event website, and mobile app experience for Robert Half's annual "Reach For The Stars" event. Working across three platforms with distinct constraints, we focused on driving registration, improving internal communication, and enhancing the attendee experience.
This was a multi-part project designed within 2 sprint cycles by me and Jeff Weeks (senior designer) for the marketing department. We partnered up with event planner Heather Turner, and met over the course of 10 weeks for the redesigns needed for this event.
🎯 Goals & Outcomes
• Refresh digital touchpoints (email, site, app) to align with new branding
• Promote event registration and internal awareness
• Design within CVENT and SharePoint Modern constraints
• Deliver responsive, accessible, and visually engaging assets
💡 Problem Statement
How might we design cohesive, engaging digital experiences for RFTS while working within the limitations of enterprise platforms like SharePoint and CVENT?
👩🏻💻 Design Process
Phase 1: Early Exploration with Legacy Branding
We began by experimenting with email templates using the previous year's RFTS branding while awaiting updated assets from the Creative team. Our early iterations focused on testing different font treatments and middle banner layouts to find a visually engaging and readable format.
Phase 2: Visual Experimentation
To elevate visual impact and capture attention, we explored incorporating animated GIFs into the central banner. Several concepts were developed to assess their potential to create a "wow factor" without compromising clarity or load time. Ultimately, the idea was set aside due to concerns around performance and brand alignment.
Phase 3: New Branding Integration
Progress paused temporarily until the new 2023 RFTS branding assets were handed off from the Creative team. Once received, we re-engaged the design process using the updated visual system, which included new color palettes and imagery.
The new branding provided by the creative team for RFTS 2023 event
Refining Email Layouts with Updated Assets
With the refreshed branding in hand, we continued iterating on email mockups — this time aligning closely with the updated look and feel. Our team explored variations in header banners, CTA positioning, and footer design, ultimately arriving at a recommendation that balanced brand consistency with visual hierarchy.
We used Photoshop to design alternate options for the mini CTA and footer banners. Once the final direction was approved, we implemented the assets and conducted real-environment testing to ensure proper rendering and responsiveness across devices and email clients.
💻 Colleague Experience Website
As part of the RFTS campaign, I was tasked with redesigning the internal colleague experience site to build excitement and inform staff about the upcoming event.
Key challenges: SharePoint's restrictive grid system, branding consistency, and maintaining engagement through visuals.
Given the limitations of SharePoint Modern, I first took time to understand the platform's structural constraints and capabilities. This informed my design decisions and helped set realistic expectations. I explored layout options and experimented with banner graphics and hero imagery that aligned with the updated 2023 branding.
Once design concepts were reviewed and approved, I replaced outdated assets with new visuals aligned to the refreshed brand identity.
📲 Mobile App
In tandem with the email and website efforts, I created over 20 visual assets for the RFTS mobile app, adhering closely to CVENT's branding and UI guidelines.
These assets ensured a seamless and consistent visual experience for attendees navigating the app during the event, from hotel information to agenda views.
📊 Results & Impact
✅ Our cross-platform efforts contributed to a strong registration outcome, with an event success rate of 86.7% — a key indicator of user engagement and promotional effectiveness.
📚 Learnings & Takeaways
• This project challenged me to design within strict platform constraints, particularly across CVENT and SharePoint Modern — each with its own limitations in layout, components, and customization
• It was also my first time collaborating closely with a senior designer. Partnering with Jeff gave me valuable insight into designing for both web and mobile standards
• I adopted a more rigorous use of Figma's Auto Layout feature, which helped ensure my designs were not only visually aligned but also production-ready — a habit I've since carried forward into future projects