Lazard Asset Management
Lazard Asset Management is an asset management firm
"with ties" to Lazard; in short, they share a name
From a visual standpoint, it is less clear how far of a
departure makes sense.
In other words: how far is too far? What needs to be held onto?
What we know: the Lazard name has perceptions of prestigiousness and sophistication that help open doors for LAM's teams.
Problem
My role: VP of Design
Duration: 40 weeks
Responsibilities: End-to-end process
Details
Tools
Highlights
The Lazard Asset Management operates in over 20 countires
$267 B
Assets under management (AUM)
400+
Investment professionals
Reaserch Activities
CHAPTER 1
Discovery
CHAPTER 2
Branding
I designed the visual identity from the ground up, using fresher tones and modern typography to evoke a sense of seriousness, sophistication, and capability in every interaction
Perception
Building
"I conducted deep-dive workshops with La Mer Global Brand Managers and Tmall Operations Specialists to bridge the gap between strict brand heritage and aggressive marketplace mechanics. The goal was to define a 'Digital Flagship' standard."
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Brand Integrity: La Mer requires "Quiet Luxury"—minimalism and negative space are non-negotiable, even during sales events.
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Platform Friction: Tmall's algorithm favors high-density information and promotional badges, which conflicts with the brand's aesthetic.
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The "Skintellectual" Shift: Stakeholders confirmed a shift in strategy from "Lifestyle Marketing" to "Ingredient Education" to justify the premium price point.
CHAPTER 3
Perceptions
CHAPTER 4
Strategies
Experiential
Consistency
Recommendations:
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Establish a website system (templates, modules, components) that uses familiar patterns to build trust in every interaction and provide a consistently great user experience
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Balance consistency with creative freedom so CMS editors (website owners) can continue to experiment in market, within constraints
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Define a consolidated set of cards (article, product, people, etc.) that can be deployed throughout the site to encourage engagement and exploration
What comes next:
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Share proposed list of page templates, modules, and features
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Document requirements associated with final list of templates, modules, and features in the Current Requirement Document (CRD)
CHAPTER 5
Website
CHAPTER 6
In Office
CHAPTER 7
Illustration & Infographic
4/5
User satisfaction score
40% +
Browsing
70+
screens
Outcomes
Retrospective
Digital-first brand vs. print/PPT reality
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Gain with digital-first: modern web performance, accessibility, and responsive layouts.
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Risk: most revenue materials live in PowerPoint + PDFs.
Typical resolution: build a system that works everywhere, but prioritize PPT templates + charting standards as “tier-1 product surfaces.” -
Design purity vs. regulatory/compliance needs
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Gain with purity: clean layouts, strong whitespace, minimal text.
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Risk: disclosures, footnotes, performance tables, and legal language expand quickly.
Typical resolution: design disclosure patterns (regions, typography, expandable sections, appendix structures) so compliance doesn’t wreck aesthetics.