dsm-firmenich. Shaping a unified digital experience for the merger of DSM and Firmenich.
Accenture Song
Design Lead
Product direction, Design system, Digital experience
Starting point
Following the merger of DSM and Firmenich, two large digital ecosystems needed to become one coherent experience.
The challenge was not simply to combine websites, but to create a unified platform that could support a new global brand while helping users navigate a complex portfolio of products, services, and business units.
Approach
The work focused on bringing clarity and structure to a large and evolving digital landscape without losing the character of the new brand.
I helped shape the shared vision for the enterprise design system, aligning brand, product, and system thinking around a clear MVP and long-term direction. Alongside the design system work, I contributed to the information structure and experience direction of the new dsm-firmenich.com platform.
The approach centred around simplification. Reducing visual, technical, and organisational complexity helped create a system that was easier to understand, implement, and evolve over time.
Design system
The design system was shaped as a product, with a clear vision, roadmap, and shared ownership across the organisation. This created a common understanding of its role, helping teams align around long-term goals rather than treating it as a collection of interface components.
Alongside reusable components and design tokens, a strong focus was placed on usability, governance, and documentation. A centralised design system space provided clear guidance, specifications, and shared standards, helping teams design and build more consistently while making the system easier to maintain and evolve over time.
Outcome
The project brought two previously separate digital ecosystems together into one coherent experience.
Alongside creating a clearer experience for users, it established a scalable foundation that enabled teams to work more consistently across products, markets, and future initiatives. The work was recognised with both an iF Design Award and a Red Dot Award.
Credits
Design Lead — Accenture Song
In close collaboration with dsm-firmenich, the wider Accenture Song team, development teams, and the external branding agency responsible for the visual identity.
Starting point
Following the merger of DSM and Firmenich, two large digital ecosystems needed to become one coherent experience.
The challenge was not simply to combine websites, but to create a unified platform that could support a new global brand while helping users navigate a complex portfolio of products, services, and business units.
Approach
The work focused on bringing clarity and structure to a large and evolving digital landscape without losing the character of the new brand.
I helped shape the shared vision for the enterprise design system, aligning brand, product, and system thinking around a clear MVP and long-term direction. Alongside the design system work, I contributed to the information structure and experience direction of the new dsm-firmenich.com platform.
The approach centred around simplification. Reducing visual, technical, and organisational complexity helped create a system that was easier to understand, implement, and evolve over time.
Design system
The design system was shaped as a product, with a clear vision, roadmap, and shared ownership across the organisation. This created a common understanding of its role, helping teams align around long-term goals rather than treating it as a collection of interface components.
Alongside reusable components and design tokens, a strong focus was placed on usability, governance, and documentation. A centralised design system space provided clear guidance, specifications, and shared standards, helping teams design and build more consistently while making the system easier to maintain and evolve over time.
Outcome
The project brought two previously separate digital ecosystems together into one coherent experience.
Alongside creating a clearer experience for users, it established a scalable foundation that enabled teams to work more consistently across products, markets, and future initiatives. The work was recognised with both an iF Design Award and a Red Dot Award.
Credits
Design Lead — Accenture Song
In close collaboration with dsm-firmenich, the wider Accenture Song team, development teams, and the external branding agency responsible for the visual identity.