From deadlock to launch: unblocking a high-stakes splash page decision

Summary

A high-visibility splash page for the Prime Minister of Canada was stuck for months because stakeholders couldn’t agree on a single hero image. The team was treating this as a forced choice, so I introduced a curated set of approved images that rotate on refresh.

Working with design and engineering, we ensured the solution met accessibility and responsive design requirements, including contrast overlays and focal-point cropping. This made compromise possible, reduced reputational risk, and allowed the work to launch.

Context

The splash page for the Prime Minister of Canada is one of the most visible surfaces in the federal government. Even small changes carry reputational risk and require alignment across multiple senior stakeholders. It also has a representational role for the public, helping ensure Canadians feel seen and included in how their Prime Minister represents the country’s leadership.

When I joined the team, the work had already been stalled for months. The team was trying to select a single hero image, but no option felt broadly acceptable or “safe” enough to move forward.

My role

Web Team Lead, acting as Product Manager. I worked across design, engineering, and political stakeholders to unblock delivery and move the work to launch.

What was blocking the work

  • High visibility and political sensitivity

  • Conflicting stakeholder preferences for imagery

  • Low tolerance for perceived missteps

  • Assumption that only one image could be used

This created repeated deadlock, as every option introduced tradeoffs that prevented consensus.

Insight

The team wasn’t stuck because the decision was complex, but because they hadn’t identified a viable alternative that could satisfy multiple requirements at once.

Given the Prime Minister’s role and the representational expectations of the page, no single image could fully satisfy all stakeholders or reflect the breadth and diversity required.

Once that became clear, the opportunity shifted from forcing consensus on one option to expanding what was possible within the system.

Solution

I proposed replacing the single-image decision with a curated set of approved images that rotate on page refresh.

This shifted the decision from:
“Which one image best represents the Prime Minister?”
to
“Which set of images adequately reflects the breadth and diversity of the Prime Minister’s role?”

I worked with the design team to ensure accessibility requirements were met, including a 33% black overlay to maintain text contrast for WCAG compliance.

Working with engineering, we implemented responsive focal-point handling so images remained properly centred across devices.

I also worked with political and communications stakeholders to define a set of images that reflected both institutional needs and the breadth and diversity required for public representation.

Outcome

  • The project moved from months of stalled discussion to launch

  • Stakeholder alignment improved by reducing perceived risk

  • The solution was simple to maintain and required no ongoing operational overhead

  • The final experience better reflected the breadth of the role and its public context

Reflection

This reinforced for me that many design problems are actually constraint and decision problems.

When a team is stuck, expanding the solution space—rather than optimizing within an assumed constraint—can be what enables progress.