As Creative Director, I developed a new illustration aesthetic called Maximal for Microsoft Web products—designed to reflect the evolving digital language of Web3. I led the creative vision from initial exploration through final implementation, combining realism with narrative to strengthen user connection and address shifting needs. I created a comprehensive style guide, conducted user research to validate and refine the direction, and partnered horizontally with feature teams and a group of 10 contract designers to scale the system across our web platform. I also presented the work to broader Microsoft teams to drive alignment across products and ensure consistency at scale.