A new name and a new era created the motivation to innovate too.
Ironpeak
Industry:
Financial Services
My role:
User research, digital strategy, digital design, and website development
Credits:
Michelle Andreonetti, Matt Huss, Kate Knowles
When this insurance network set out to rename their company, they saw this as a good opportunity to create a fresh visual identity and upgrade their website. While they aligned on the new visual identity, there was not consensus among leadership it they should invest in their website.
Through qualitative research with internal teams, the misalignment became clear. Leadership expected the website to mirror what what the sales team did —sell to prospects and close deals.
The website didn't need to close deals. It needed to do one thing exceptionally well: engage prospects enough to want a conversation.
That single insight shaped everything that followed—personas that reflected real buying behaviors, a journey map that honored how decisions actually get made, and a digital strategy built around charm and clarity rather than conversion pressure.
As we forged ahead, Michelle brought the new brand identity to life visually. I designed and built an experience that felt warm and human in a category that defaults to corporate.
Subtle animations that guided without distracting. Regional expertise spotlighted in ways that built trust. An information architecture that felt approachable, modern, and alive.
The brand's two bold, optimistic colors became the foundation of a flexible design system—using tints to let them shine without overwhelming the interface. Every technical decision, from semantic markup to fluid typography, reinforced that we were building something everyone could engage with.
Utilizing color themes
To emphasize the brand color, we used tints.
But design alone doesn't create engagement. To make prospects feel seen, I built regional pages that used imagery and language signaling deep understanding of each market—the kind of local pride competitors couldn't replicate.
Their deep family roots in this space was also something to be celebrated. It's also interesting and sets them apart!
In addition to emphaszing competitive advavtages, I also recommended a platform they could manage independently, with accessibility baked in and SEO optimized from the start.
As we moved through the process, executives who had been indifferent suddenly wanted to be part of the project. And when it launched, they had something they were genuinely proud of and a source of pride that cannot be measured in metrics alone.
After launch, a carrier partner sent an email: “I like that the website engages me. You really hit the mark.”
Bullseye. The exact role I'd defined. The exact outcome research predicted. The sales team and executive carriers responded enthusiastically—not because the website closes deals, but because it does exactly what it was designed to do: create the conditions for conversation.
