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2026

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about✐

As the design lead on this project, I spearheaded the 0-to-1 UX strategy for Linktree’s Media Kit, transforming fragmented creator metrics into an authenticated "proof of influence." I owned the end-to-end experience—from the creator management editor to the public profile. To balance brand transparency with creator privacy, I established a "positive framing" data hierarchy that securely visualizes commerce performance and acts as a custom-branded creator media profile to share with brands and agencies.

As the design lead on this project, I spearheaded the 0-to-1 UX strategy for Linktree’s Media Kit, transforming fragmented creator metrics into an authenticated "proof of influence." I owned the end-to-end experience—from the creator management editor to the public profile. To balance brand transparency with creator privacy, I established a "positive framing" data hierarchy that securely visualizes commerce performance and acts as a custom-branded creator media profile to share with brands and agencies.

the problem

There's no reliable way to prove a creator's influence actually works — so deals get made on guesswork instead of evidence.

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The opportunity

The opportunity

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Linktree sits at the moment where influence becomes intent — the click. No other platform has first-party cross-platform data at this scale, combined with commerce attribution.

Linktree sits at the moment where influence becomes intent — the click. No other platform has first-party cross-platform data at this scale, combined with commerce attribution.

users & needs

primary

Creators

Doing everything by hand — Canva decks, social media screenshots of their insights — and still feeling like their pitch didn't reflect the quality of their content. The problem wasn't a lack of effort—they just didn't have the right tools.

Doing everything by hand — Canva decks, social media screenshots of their insights — and still feeling like their pitch didn't reflect the quality of their content. The problem wasn't a lack of effort—they just didn't have the right tools.

secondary

Agency partners

Confirmed they ran into the same challenge — showcasing a roster of creators through one centralized, professional media kit was still a manual, fragmented process. And beyond the kit itself, they were still chasing additional data: click conversions and sales that their existing tools couldn't surface.

Confirmed they ran into the same challenge — showcasing a roster of creators through one centralized, professional media kit was still a manual, fragmented process. And beyond the kit itself, they were still chasing additional data: click conversions and sales that their existing tools couldn't surface.

tertiary

Influencer managers

Validated that evaluation was broken on their end too — inconsistent, self-reported metrics and too much time spent verifying stats. They wanted a standardized, trusted artifact. Verified first-party data was named unprompted.

Validated that evaluation was broken on their end too — inconsistent, self-reported metrics and too much time spent verifying stats. They wanted a standardized, trusted artifact. Verified first-party data was named unprompted.

The same gap surfaced across all three groups: social stats alone aren't enough, and no existing tool bridges the moment between content and conversion. Linktree's first-party data was the missing layer.

research insights

Brands are fine with data that's a best guess rather than 100% exact — what they don't trust is numbers that come straight from the creator. That's why labeling stats as 'verified by Linktree' matters: it's not about precision, it's about who's vouching for the number.

Brands are fine with data that's a best guess rather than 100% exact — what they don't trust is numbers that come straight from the creator. That's why labeling stats as 'verified by Linktree' matters: it's not about precision, it's about who's vouching for the number.

CTR as a leading metric is a risk: quality signals like CTR don't mean much to buyers unless there's enough volume to contextualize them. Absolute numbers matter first.

CTR as a leading metric is a risk: quality signals like CTR don't mean much to buyers unless there's enough volume to contextualize them. Absolute numbers matter first.

Creator agencies want click and attribution data above all else. Reach data is something they already have from 3P tools — Linktree's edge is the "what happened after the link."

Creator agencies want click and attribution data above all else. Reach data is something they already have from 3P tools — Linktree's edge is the "what happened after the link."

Most current media kits live in Canva or Google Docs. The bar for a better solution is mostly about trust and data, not aesthetics.

Most current media kits live in Canva or Google Docs. The bar for a better solution is mostly about trust and data, not aesthetics.

core design tension

The central challenge wasn't visual — it was trust architecture. How do you give creators control over their story without compromising the credibility of the evidence?

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Creator Control

Creator Control

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Brand Trust

Brand Trust

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Creators need to tailor their pitch — hiding irrelevant sections, spotlighting case studies, adding context. Without flexibility, adoption fails.

Creators need to tailor their pitch — hiding irrelevant sections, spotlighting case studies, adding context. Without flexibility, adoption fails.

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Brands won't act on data they don't believe. Any hint of editability on verified metrics undermines the trustworthiness of the media kit.

Brands won't act on data they don't believe. Any hint of editability on verified metrics undermines the trustworthiness of the media kit.

data architecture

Five tiers of evidence, ordered by signal strength. Creators control the story. Linktree controls the evidence — verified sections are read-only, with a tooltip education layer explaining every metric to brands and creators alike.

Audience demographics

tier 1

Follower count, age, gender, location. Answers "is this the right audience for my brand?" Verified via social authorization.

Follower count, age, gender, location. Answers "is this the right audience for my brand?" Verified via social authorization.

Audience action

Linktree first party data

tier 2

CTR, click-through depth, repeat engagement. Linktree's proprietary signal and the most defensible proof of intent.

CTR, click-through depth, repeat engagement. Linktree's proprietary signal and the most defensible proof of intent.

Brand collaborations

tier 3

Self-reported partnerships, past work examples, press. Creator-authored, clearly labeled as such.

Self-reported partnerships, past work examples, press. Creator-authored, clearly labeled as such.

Social context

tier 4

Follower count, engagement rate, posting frequency across platforms. Used for context, not primary proof.

Follower count, engagement rate, posting frequency across platforms. Used for context, not primary proof.

media kit profile

media kit editor

Reflection

The most interesting design problem here wasn't visual hierarchy — it was the credibility architecture. Media Kit's value proposition is entirely dependent on that "Verified by Linktree" badge establishing trust and being an up-to-date source of truth.

That shaped every design decision: the limited customization of each section, the explicit sourcing of each data tier, the deliberate separation between creator-authored content and system-generated evidence. Getting creators to trust a product that limits their control required being very clear about why those limits exist — and who they benefit.

The most interesting design problem here wasn't visual hierarchy — it was the credibility architecture. Media Kit's value proposition is entirely dependent on that "Verified by Linktree" badge establishing trust and being an up-to-date source of truth.

That shaped every design decision: the limited customization of each section, the explicit sourcing of each data tier, the deliberate separation between creator-authored content and system-generated evidence. Getting creators to trust a product that limits their control required being very clear about why those limits exist — and who they benefit.

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