Leading a Global Rebrand and Scalable CMS Rollout at BBVA
BBVA Design progression and development in sync.
Matt Herndon June 20, 2025
How a 9-month strategy-led redesign unified the BBVA brand, improved mobile engagement by 90%, and boosted checking account conversion by 24%.
Overview
In 2016, BBVA Compass Bank—the U.S. division of the global BBVA brand—undertook a comprehensive rebranding effort. The initiative included a complete overhaul of its digital presence, a global design alignment, and a CMS migration to Adobe Experience Manager (AEM).
I led UX and component strategy for the U.S. market, helping align with global objectives while ensuring we could scale, adapt, and perform locally.
Role & Responsibilities
- UX Strategy & Design Leadership
- Global Brand Alignment
- CMS Component Architecture (AEM)
- Team Coaching & Technical Training
- Sprint Planning & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Stakeholder Communication & QA Oversight
Strategy & Methods
From Global Goals to Local Execution
To guide the U.S. effort and ensure cohesion with BBVA’s global vision, I led weekly strategy sessions that focused on both design and development alignment. These weren’t just check-ins—they were working sessions to define variables, components, and brand elements that could scale across markets.
Key methods included:
- Collaborative design system definition alongside AEM development
- Component library planning and testing
- Hands-on CMS training for team members
- Cross-discipline documentation and sprint planning
- Bridge-building between international teams and the U.S. dev/design crew
“We weren’t just migrating platforms — we were building a foundation for design consistency and growth across five countries.”
Discover how executive vision and action propelled one of the most forward-thinking and valuable assets in a traditionally conservative industry.
Challenges & Solutions
Building While Flying — Scaling Design and Delivery Simultaneously
⛔️ Challenge:
Rebrand and migrate 500+ pages across multiple platforms
✅ Solution:
Built reusable components from scratch using scalable design tokens and naming systems.
⛔️ Challenge:
Limited AEM experience among team members
✅ Solution:
Developed internal training sessions and 1:1 support during implementation.
⛔️ Challenge:
International coordination with time zone & tool gaps
✅ Solution:
Asynchronous documentation + visual walkthroughs in shared strategy decks.
⛔️ Challenge:
Build and integrate an internal design system
✅ Solution:
Created templates and used several teams to create and modify documentation as building progressed with design and development.
Outcomes & Results
Fast Results at Global Scale
📈 +44% increase in total organic traffic
📱 +90% YOY increase in mobile traffic
🧾 +24% YOY increase in checking account conversions
🚀 Completed in just 9 months
🌍 Unified brand and CMS architecture across 5 countries
"These metrics weren’t just wins for marketing — they were the result of tight UX strategy, technical execution, and scalable systems thinking."
Reflection & Leadership Takeaways
What This Project Proved About UX Strategy
This project wasn’t just a redesign. It was proof that UX leadership can unite business objectives, platform decisions, and design vision under one collaborative process. I led the intersection of global branding, scalable systems, and team enablement—and I’m proud of the clarity and momentum we created together.
Looking for someone who can lead global strategy, connect design and business, and scale teams through complexity?