QHack 2023
Empowering non-designers to implement branding at scale
CHALLENGE
Xanadu, a quantum computing startup, needed a coherent, celebratory identity for QHack 2023—its five-day global symposium—after struggling to create a successful brand experience in 2022. The goal: elevate QHack’s reputation among corporate and academic partners while easing the production burden on internal teams.
ROLE
Lead designer, first full-time design hire
OUTPUT
Created a Bauhaus-inspired visual system built for scalability and ease-of-use by non-designers. Designed and templated assets across print, motion, and web to streamline rollout by community and marketing teams. Aligned with stakeholders to define goals, brand tone, and execution priorities.
ACTIVITIES
Stakeholder alignment, cross-functional leadership, end-to-end brand design, including art direction and production of static, motion, and interactive digital assets.
IMPACT
- 2,000 new community members
- 50% increase in speaker bookings
- $150,000 in sponsored prizes secured
- Extended the website’s lifespan via reusable components
- Led to continued freelance engagement with the team
TOOLS
DURATION
CLIENT
Figma, Illustrator, Aftereffects, Canva, Miro
8 weeks
Xanadu Quantum Technologies
Takeaways
Designing systems for others to use is one of the most rewarding parts of my work. This project deepened my interest in creating empowering, self-serve design tools in supportive yet autonomous environments like startups.
Next steps