In this episode, Michael Jeter, Creative Director at Zapier, talks with Charli about Zapier’s recent rebrand and some surprising challenges they faced throughout the process. Michael is a fantastic storyteller, and he digs into his ideas about the philosophy behind design and how to communicate its true value. From the use of data and user research to process techniques and effectively managing a team, Michael shares so many valuable insights. You don’t want to miss this one! 

Zapier is an automation platform that helps you connect different apps to each other without code.

Key Takeaways

• 02:23 - Michael’s responsibilities as Creative Director
• 03:30 - Zapier’s Brand Studio team
• 05:59 - How to maintain consistency between Brand and Product
• 06:49 - How a fully remote design team stays connected
• 08:43 - Zapier’s recent rebrand
• 16:32 - The red cord
• 21:02 - Rebranding a rebrand
• 32:56 - When processes need to adapt
• 38:20 - Handling the emotional side of a rebrand
• 42:21 - Redesigning the Zapier homepage
• 44:57 - Getting buy-in on change and dealing with “design baggage”
• 48:54 - Connecting the product to the homepage
• 51:11 - Why quality and impact must be the same for design
• 58:13 - Challenges the Zapier team is currently facing
• 65:15 - What Michael is most proud of

Links 

• Zapier.com
• Michael on LinkedIn
• Michael on Twitter
• Instrument

Connect with Charli

• CharliMarie.com
• Charli on Twitter
• Charli on Instagram
• InsideMarketingDesign.com

Subscribe and stay in touch

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Google Podcasts
• YouTube

Webflow

This season is brought to you by Webflow

Try the no-code website builder used by designers and marketing design teams (and by this show, for the site you're on now!) – Get started for free