Lightbox Studio: Building an Internal Creative Studio and Extending its Influence
Organisation
Avado Learning
Role
Head of Design / Creative Director
Key skills
Creative Direction, Design Team Leadership, Design Systems, Change Management, Brand Identity, Workplace Strategy
Scope
14 Designers | 4 Teams | 2-Grade Design Maturity Leap
The Challenge
Avado's creative output was scattered across teams with no shared visual identity or working process, at a time the business needed a design function capable of supporting an international product suite and an incoming shift in its Google partnership.
The Strategic Intervention
I built and led Lightbox Studio, an in-house team of 14 designers, producers and developers across four teams, introducing the InVision Design Maturity Model as a framework to guide the shift. I won enterprise-wide adoption of Asana by reframing it as a financial bottom-line driver and bringing the CTO onside, secured COO approval for an internal awards ceremony recognising the team's work, and led the interior design and spatial planning for the studio's move from Imperial's White City i-hub to Scale Space, personally designing the reception area. I owned the visual identity for Avado's rebrand, working alongside a single external agency. For Google Squared Online, I ran a product audit, redirected creative direction around user feedback, and delivered the roadmap for video, motion graphics and interactive content that was later implemented.
The Business Impact
2-Grade Leap in Design Maturity: Using the InVision Design Maturity Model, I successfully moved the organisation from Level 1 (Producers) to near Level 4 (Scientists). This was evidenced by a measurable shift in how design decisions were made: driven by user testing, hypotheses, and business KPIs rather than aesthetic preference.
Cohesive Design Culture: The Lightbox Studio internal brand and awards initiative fostered a sense of ownership and pride among the 14 designers. The 33% engagement rate with internal tools demonstrated a shift from passive employees to active creative advocates, improving retention and output quality.
Lead Generation via Experiential Design: The "Apprentice" parody booth successfully captured high-quality lead data from high-traffic industry events, proving the effectiveness of playful, interactive brand activations in a B2B context.
Optimised Physical Operations: The redesigned studio and reception spaces improved workflow efficiency and enhanced the client experience during visits, reinforcing Avado Learning’s reputation as a premium, modern learning partner.
Seamless Brand Transition: The Squared Online refresh was executed without customer churn or disruption, successfully communicating Avado’s ownership and elevating the product’s perceived value in the enterprise market.
Global Scalability: The Creative Consultancy framework and Design System enabled global teams to produce consistent, high-quality assets independently, directly supporting client acquisition across three regions.