My Role at Markaaz
I began my career at Markaaz as a founding designer, and as the company grew, I took on the role of head of design, leading the expansion of the design team to provide crucial support.
We achieved several significant accomplishments that helped to establish and strengthen the brand of Markaaz - a company that provides small business data, enabling enterprises and small businesses to work better together.
To support this mission, we started by revamping Markaaz's branding and developing a new visual identity to differentiate the company from competitors and establish a clear brand identity that resonates with customers.
We also built a comprehensive design system that helps to maintain consistency and cohesion across all touchpoints, including the dashboard, mobile app, marketing website, enterprise portal, and admin portal that I designed. The enterprise portal and admin portal are key tools for enterprise partners to manage their relationship with Markaaz and small business customers, while the marketing website and investor deck are critical for attracting new customers and investment.
Finally, we developed a holistic design approach that encompasses all of the above touchpoints, as well as additional touchpoints that may arise in the future. This is an essential component of Markaaz's long-term strategy, as it ensures that the user experience is consistent and cohesive across all interactions with the company. Overall, our achievements at Markaaz have helped to establish a strong foundation for the company's growth and success.
Rebranding
Upon joining Markaaz, I prioritized revamping the brand's visual identity to align with its ambitious goals. This began with a comprehensive audit of the existing branding, evaluating its strengths and uncovering areas needing refinement. From this analysis, we established a vision to modernize the brand while preserving its core essence. A key aspect of this transformation was the development of a new logo, which better reflected Markaaz’s evolution and market positioning. The logo was designed to be clean, distinctive, and versatile, making it easier to use across different media while enhancing brand recognition. Alongside the new logo, we refined the color palette, selected modern yet approachable typography, and redesigned key graphic elements to convey sophistication and trust. These updates not only appealed to the target audience but also differentiated Markaaz in a competitive landscape. The result was a revitalized brand that resonated deeply with stakeholders, reinforcing Markaaz’s position as a leader in global business identity.
Design System
To ensure consistency and scalability, we developed a comprehensive design system that built upon the revamped branding. This design system served as a cohesive framework, outlining standards for typography, color usage, iconography, and layout principles. It provided detailed guidelines for implementing the brand across platforms, from digital interfaces to marketing materials. The system introduced modular components, enabling the design team to work more efficiently while maintaining a polished and unified aesthetic. By centralizing these guidelines, we empowered cross-functional teams to create cohesive and on-brand experiences, enhancing Markaaz’s credibility and reinforcing trust at every customer touchpoint.
Small Business Dashboard
We made significant updates to the Markaaz dashboard to better serve the needs of small business owners and reinforce the brand image, with the goal of providing equitable and inclusive solutions for global small businesses.
•Worked with the Markaaz team to identify the enterprise partners and integrations that would best serve small businesses, and integrated these solutions into the dashboard.
•Incorporated effective data visualization into the dashboard to enable users to quickly and easily comprehend complex data sets, ultimately empowering them to make informed decisions.
•Implemented a more intuitive user interface, streamlined navigation, and improved the organization of information.
•Added features such as real-time data correction, monitoring, faster verification, and more efficient onboarding to provide small businesses with a more comprehensive and seamless experience.
The strategic approach to data visualization not only augmented the Dashboard's functionality but also contributed significantly to Markaaz's mission of providing businesses with the tools they need to thrive in a data-driven landscape. The synthesis of user-centric design and impactful data visualization establishes the Markaaz Dashboard as a comprehensive solution for businesses seeking not only accessibility and ease of use but also a powerful tool for data-driven decision-making.
Mobile App
Designing the Markaaz dashboard for mobile app was an important step in ensuring that small business owners can access and manage their operations on-the-go, from anywhere, at any time. It required a different approach than designing one for web. For one, mobile screens are smaller and more compact, so it's important to make sure that the information is presented in a clear and concise manner. The layout and design of the dashboard should also be optimized for touch interaction, with buttons and controls that are easy to tap and navigate.
Integrating the payment system for the app proved to be a challenging task as it required the integration of either Apple or Google payment systems. Additionally, it was necessary to distinguish between users who had already paid via the web and those who were app users, which added another layer of complexity to the process.
Enterprise Portal
For the Markaaz Enterprise Portal, my approach centered on creating a seamless and intuitive user experience that aligns with the portal's multifaceted functionalities. Collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, I developed a user-centric design that prioritizes accessibility, ensuring that users can effortlessly navigate the portal and leverage its features. The visual design incorporates a clean and modern aesthetic, maintaining consistency with Markaaz's brand identity. To enhance user engagement, I employed a clear information architecture, allowing users to efficiently validate small businesses, manage risk, and address compliance concerns. The result is a sophisticated and user-friendly enterprise portal that empowers businesses to make informed decisions while seamlessly integrating with our Business Monitoring Service and API Suite configuration.
Working collaboratively with the development team, I ensured that the data visualization elements seamlessly complemented the overall design, enhancing the user interface's clarity and effectiveness. By incorporating dynamic visualizations, I aimed to empower users with the ability to analyze trends, identify patterns, and derive actionable insights from the wealth of data available within the portal.
Marketing Website
Redesigning the Markaaz website was a complex and challenging project with the goal of improving the brand image and generating leads for both small businesses and enterprise partners. To achieve this, we created separate sections of the website tailored to each audience, while maintaining a cohesive design and messaging. Additionally, the marketing team developed targeted content and calls to action specific to each audience, making it easy for them to sign up for Markaaz's services or request more information.
Markaaz is a data-driven company, and its content can be dry for end-users. To make it more engaging, we utilized unique photography, illustrations, and animations that align with the Markaaz brand.
Metrics we used to reevaluate the success of the website:
•Website traffic: By improving the user experience and making the website more engaging, we were able to attract more visitors to the website, leading to increased traffic and greater visibility for the brand.
•User engagement: Through the redesign of the website, we were able to increase engagement metrics such as time spent on site, page views, and click-through rates. This proved that users are finding the website more interesting and relevant to their needs.
•Brand awareness: By updating the website design and messaging, we were able to enhance the brand image and improve brand recognition. This helped to build trust with potential customers and make the brand more memorable and recognizable.
•Lead generation: We were able to not only attract visitors and engage them, but also convert them into leads.
Reflection
Leading the UX design team at Markaaz was an unparalleled journey of growth, innovation, and collaboration. It allowed me to immerse myself in strategic thinking, where every design decision was guided by the company’s vision of empowering small businesses through data. This experience sharpened my ability to develop long-term strategies that not only met immediate needs but also aligned with Markaaz’s broader goals for scalability and market impact.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this role was the opportunity to collaborate with cross-functional teams across product, engineering, marketing, and leadership. This required me to hone my communication skills, actively listen to diverse perspectives, and integrate feedback into the design process. By fostering a culture of collaboration, I was able to bridge the gap between different disciplines and create solutions that were not only user-centric but also aligned with technical feasibility and business objectives.
The challenges we faced—whether it was designing for complex data-driven tools like the enterprise portal or creating visually engaging marketing materials—pushed me to find creative solutions that balanced functionality with aesthetics. I learned to advocate for the value of design as a strategic asset, demonstrating how thoughtful design can drive user engagement, brand trust, and business growth.
This role also deepened my understanding of how design impacts user experience across all touchpoints, from the first interaction on a marketing website to the daily use of a dashboard or mobile app. It underscored the importance of consistency in visual identity, user interface, and messaging to build a seamless and trustworthy brand experience.
My tenure at Markaaz not only contributed to the company’s growth but also enriched my skills as a leader and designer, equipping me with a versatile toolkit for tackling complex challenges and driving innovation in any environment.
