American Arbitration Association A3
A 4-day pitch, brand guidelines to digital experience
Client
American Arbitration Association
Role
Motion design, UI design, product motion, AI art direction
Motion design, UI design,
product motion, AI art direction
Outcomes
The work was very well received, both for how the new brand was interpreted on the site and for how motion brought it to life. Conversations about taking the work forward are ongoing.
The work was very well received, both for how the new brand was interpreted on the site and for how motion brought it to life. Conversations about taking the work forward are ongoing.
Background
A pitch to hopefully win a much bigger piece of work. A3 had new brand guidelines and wanted to see how they’d transfer to their website, some LinkedIn posts, and critically, add movement. The timeframe was 4 days (5 technically, but I wasn’t going right to the wire).
A pitch to hopefully win a much bigger piece of work. A3 had new brand guidelines and wanted to see how they’d transfer to their website, some LinkedIn posts, and critically, add movement. The timeframe was 4 days (5 technically, but I wasn’t going right to the wire).
A pitch to hopefully win a much bigger piece of work. A3 had new brand guidelines and wanted to see how they’d transfer to their website, some LinkedIn posts, and critically, add movement. The timeframe was 4 days (5 technically, but I wasn’t going right to the wire).
The approach
One phrase stood out: “For people who want better ways through conflict, frustrated by systems that stall, this should be more straightforward.” That became the anchor. Designs with room to breathe, space to navigate, less overwhelm.
One phrase stood out: “For people who want better ways through conflict, frustrated by systems that stall, this should be more straightforward.” That became the anchor. Designs with room to breathe, space to navigate, less overwhelm.
I started with the brand guidelines, pulled out key phrases to anchor the work, and spent the first morning throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what stuck.
I started with the brand guidelines, pulled out key phrases to anchor the work, and spent the first morning throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what stuck.
From that positioning, I gave the designs space. Easier to navigate, less overwhelming, quicker to find what you need.
From that positioning, I gave the designs space. Easier to navigate, less overwhelming, quicker to find what you need.
Two small UX wins: a chat in the hero for fast answers mid-arbitration, and AAA’s services surfaced upfront—so people find what they need without digging through the whole site.
Two small UX wins: a chat in the hero for fast answers mid-arbitration, and AAA’s services surfaced upfront—so people find what they need without digging through the whole site.
Colour
I built on A3’s base colours, Maroon and Cream, then brought in secondary tones for side panels, titles and design details, adding variety without overdoing it.
I built on A3’s base colours, Maroon and Cream, then brought in secondary tones for side panels, titles and design details, adding variety without overdoing it.
Red for CTAs and accents, lines, pulls, highlights, enough to guide the eye and surface key info without overwhelming it.
Red for CTAs and accents, lines, pulls, highlights, enough to guide the eye and surface key info without overwhelming it.
Directing AI performance
The brand imagery available was too low-resolution to use at the sizes the pitch needed. Rather than drop it, I upscaled the assets with AI and generated motion from them, then directed the result. The early passes had the problems AI performance usually has: constant eye contact, hand gestures running non-stop, expressions pitched too high, and no pauses. People don’t speak like that. They break eye contact to think and come back, their hands rest between points, and they stop mid-sentence to find the right word. Without those pauses it isn’t speech, it’s a stream. I worked through it until the delivery read naturally and matched the tone the client needed. This was a legal organisation, so it had to feel like someone explaining something credibly, not presenting at you.
The brand imagery available was too low-resolution to use at the sizes the pitch needed. Rather than drop it, I upscaled the assets with AI and generated motion from them — then directed the result. The early passes had the problems AI performance usually has: constant eye contact, hand gestures running non-stop, expressions pitched too high, and no pauses. People don’t speak like that. They break eye contact to think and come back, their hands rest between points, and they stop mid-sentence to find the right word. Without those pauses it isn’t speech, it’s a stream. I worked through it until the delivery read naturally and matched the tone the client needed — this was a legal organisation, so it had to feel like someone explaining something credibly, not presenting at you.
Movement and interaction
Motion was a specific ask. They didn’t want a static site. Alongside the visual design, I explored how movement could bring the new brand to life.
Motion was a specific ask. They didn’t want a static site. Alongside the visual design, I explored how movement could bring the new brand to life.
ALWAYS THINKING…ALWAYS LEARNING…ALWAYS CREATINg
ALWAYS THINKING…ALWAYS LEARNING…ALWAYS CREATINg
…SOMETHING
…SOMETHING
ALWAYS THINKING…ALWAYS LEARNING…ALWAYS CREATINg
ALWAYS THINKING…ALWAYS LEARNING…ALWAYS CREATINg
…SOMETHING
…SOMETHING