Unifying a fragmented APAC web ecosystem.
Many vendors, many brands, rising cost.
T. Rowe Price's APAC presence was spread across multiple local vendors. The multi-vendor approach was increasing operational costs by 40% against the firm's global benchmarks, while producing inconsistent brand experiences and slow, complicated content management. Local market teams kept stalling as they coordinated between global and local systems.
Global system, local nuance.
I ran a four-phase design-thinking process across four microsites in Japan and Australia, with interviews run through a translator over Zoom, stakeholder mapping, compliance pulled in early for Japan's regulations, and four personas from intermediate investor to high-net-worth family office. We moved the sites onto T. Rowe's global AEM platform and the Beacon design system, reusing components like carousels where we could and building Japan-specific pieces where we had to, including a new font token for Japanese type and local illustrations. I deliberately involved the Japanese team rather than forcing global components on them, so the work would stick after we left. The mobile-first reality of the Japanese market drove the layouts. This kicked off the first real globalization of Beacon.
Lower cost, easier tasks, happier users.
Consolidating onto one platform cut cost, sped daily publishing, and eliminated the external design agencies entirely, while making the experience measurably better for Japanese investors. It also left Beacon globalized, with Japanese components and font tokens added to a system that had only ever spoken English and European languages.