6 minute read

Forbes Connect Redesign

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Overview
Forbes Connect is the central destination for partners and clients to explore advertising opportunities, browse media calendars, register for upcoming events, and access key marketing resources. Originally launched in 2014, the design of the platform had gone largely untouched and no longer reflected the scale or sophistication of Forbes’ current brand experience. With incredibly high daily site traffic, it was clear the site needed a comprehensive overhaul.

My team managed the entire site redesign from strategy through execution—working cross-functionally with developers and marketers to modernize the user interface, streamline navigation, and enhance overall functionality. Knowing stakeholders would be updating the site regularly, we focused on building a modular system that’s easy to use and hard to break. The full redesign is set to launch in August 2025.

  Timeline

January 2024–Ongoing

  My Role

Design Lead/Art Director

  Team

3 designers, 2 devs, 2 project managers

Strategy & Execution
The redesign was tackled in stages to ensure clarity, consistency, and usability.

  01 Research & Ideation

The nav was messy, the pages were inconsistent, and users were getting lost. We took a product-minded approach by auditing the pain points, gathering best-in-class examples, and turning our findings into building blocks for a new design system.

  02 Simplified Navigation

After identifying common points of confusion, we rebuilt the navigation from the ground up—grouping content by user intent, reducing page count by over half, and making high-value info easier to access.

  03 Content-First

Working closely with marketing stakeholders, we took a content-first approach, aligning on messaging and key features page by page. This collaboration ensured that every piece of content was purposeful, clear, and ready to inform the design of each page template.

  04 Component Library

We then created a component library to centralize all design elements, enabling faster iteration and consistency across the site. By building reusable, customizable modules, we ensured the design could scale with future updates and stakeholder needs.

  05 Final Designs

After finalizing components, we then transitioned to Figma for page build outs. Every screen was annotated with precise specs and interaction guidelines to facilitate a smooth, efficient hand-off to the dev team. We also used this phase to establish cohesive imagery guidelines.

  06 Implementation

We worked closely with the internal dev team to QA every page. Reviewing staging links, flagging bugs, and ensuring everything matched the designs. While some pages are still rolling out, the full launch is on track for August 2025.

Simplified Navigation
Reduced page count from 48 to 22 to create a faster, more intuitive user journey.
Component 1 Before
Component 2 After
Component Library
Responsive components designed for consistency across desktop and mobile.
Component 1 Component 2
The Finished Product
Translated strategy and structure into a clean, modern UI.
Component 1
Component 1Event Registration Landers
Component 1Live Events Hub
Component 1Lists & Franchises Hub
Component 1Ad Product Hub
Component 1Media Kit & Calendars
Component 1About & Leadership
Component 1Site Nav & Footer