Transforming Digital Foundations  
How a scalable design system improved usability scores & streamlined processes at Sealed Air Corporation


Timeline: March 2023 - April 2025

My Role: Senior UX Analyst & Designer
        



Overview

My Role
As Senior UX Analyst and Designer, I led the redesign and governance of Sealed Air’s design system, aligning it with a new vertical strategy. My work improved usability scores, reduced technical debt, and created a scalable framework that supports rapid growth, change, and cross-functional collaboration. 

The Team:

  • Krystal Flores - Sr. UX Analyst & Designer
  • McKenzie Booth: Sr. UX Research
  • Justin Crist: UX & CX Director
  • Roxanne Bellini: Sr. Content Strategist






What Was Happening




What & Why

Sealed Air's digital ecosystem was hampered by inconsistencies, outdated components, and a lack of documentation—so much so that teams struggled with speed and cohesion.


 

Sealed Air’s Digital Ecosystem

The company’s reorganization into vertical markets (Protective, Food, Medical Packaging) amplified the need for a unified, scalable design system to enable agility and brand consistency across multiple products and platforms.


Initial Research & Approach




Current State & Pain Points

  • Inconsistent component usage across websites, apps, and CMS

  • Outdated design tokens and insufficient documentation

  • Fragmented workflows and governance processes

  • Limited customization and flexibility in AEM components

  • The strategic shift required rapid adaptation of content, IA, and branding






Inconsistent Component Usage and Technical Debt

  • Limited flexibility of AEM components hampered content update

  • No shared tokens or design language, leading to visual inconsistencies











Auditing Workflows

  • Mapped existing workflows across global & vertical teams, platforms, and regions

  • Conducted technical and design gap analyses

  • Identified inefficiencies in content creation and governance

  • Audited marketing, customer service, sales, and servicing digital workflows



Solutions & Strategy



Design System Redesign Highlights

  • Comprehensize component usage strategy for authors

  • Developed new page templates and reusable modules for homepage, industry pages, and contact forms

  • Restructured IA and global navigation for better scalability








Set Architecture Standards For Consistency & Flexbility

    • Refactored core components in AEM, with enhanced flexibility and consistency


    Typography System Strategy
    • Created a comprehensive set of design tokens for color, typography, spacing, and links

    • Implemented a new typography strategy for multiple breakpoints and use cases




    IA & Navigation Redesign 






    Tokenization and delivery standards from Figma > AEM
    • Documented components & changes

    • Clear style and component guidelines for designers and developers

    • Visual examples of new components, tokens, and templates



    Component Strategy & Documentation




    Homepage & Template Redesigns




    Validating Features & Solutions



    Stakeholder Engagement & Buy-in
      • Secured buy-in for ongoing maintenance and expansion

      • Conducted demos and engaged multiple teams & stakeholders on a consistent cadence 

      • Answered questions & facilitated feedback loops 

      • Presented key findings and metrics in stakeholder meetings






      Usability & Testing Results

      • Created comprehensive prototypes

      • Identified user paint points & preferences

      • The redesigned pages with new components saw a +6.7 point in overall SUS, +8 point in usability, and +1.7 in learnability over the current websites






      Final Thoughts



      A well-crafted design system is not just a set of
      design assets but a dynamic ecosystem that empowers teams, accelerates product development, and aligns digital experiences seamlessly with business goals.

      When thoughtfully implemented, it creates a resilient foundation for sustainable growth and user satisfaction.


      ©2025 KRYSTAL M. FLORES