Digital Talent Transformation: Building an In-House Studio
Organisation
UK Home Office
Role
Creative Manager, then Creative Director
Key skills
Creative Direction, Creative Operations Build-Out, Digital Asset Management, Campaign Strategy, Budget & Vendor Management, Senior Stakeholder Management
Scope
31 Agencies | £1.28m Saved | 470,000 Acquisitions
The Challenge
The Home Office's Employer Branding & Talent department had no in-house studio, equipment or production capability at all, and was paying three external agencies to cover creative, video and design work for recruitment campaigns across Border Force, DDaT and thirty other agencies.
The Strategic Intervention
I built the studio from a standing start, then grew a team to run it, delivering the in-house capability the department had never had. I consolidated a 15TB asset library scattered across 31 agencies into a single managed digital asset management system, took monthly asset output from 50 to 64 a month to an average of 180, and led creative direction and delivery on the Border Force recruitment campaign. I also produced material with Permanent Secretary Matthew Rycroft and supported delivery of the department's official publications and direct communications, including designing the current Home Office letterhead, first used in a communication with Google.
The Business Impact
Civil Service Commissioners’ Mark of Excellence: The team was awarded the Mark of Excellence for Outstanding Innovation and Commitment in Attracting and Recruiting External Candidates. This prestigious award recognised our ability to use creative innovation to break down barriers, attracting candidates who had not previously considered a career in the Civil Service. This directly validated my approach to diversity, inclusive representation, and modernised value proposition design.
300% Increase in Asset Throughput: Through workflow efficiency and strategic asset reuse, I drove production volume from 50–64 assets/month to an average of 180 assets/month. This ~300% increase allowed EB&T to maintain a constant, high-frequency presence across all channels without proportional increases in budget or headcount.
Unified Brand Across 31 Agencies: Successfully delivered a cohesive visual and narrative identity for the entire Home Office estate, moving from fragmented agency-specific visuals to a unified, modern, and inclusive talent brand.
Cost-Effective Production Excellence: By internalising high-end video production and automating motion design via MOGRTs, I significantly reduced external agency spend. The "addition by subtraction" approach ensured that high-quality, compliant, and representative content was delivered faster and cheaper than the previous legacy model.