Key Impact
2→7 Team Members (3.5x) • $400K Annual Cost Savings • 1,000+ Annual Creative Pieces • 70+ Awards (10/year avg) • 5x Output Increase
The Unique Challenge
• University’s creative capabilities were limited to 2-person team producing basic tactical materials, insufficient for ambitious brand transformation and enrollment growth goals requiring sophisticated creative output
• No creative operations infrastructure existed — lacking project management systems, production workflows, quality assurance processes, or scalable content creation capabilities necessary for institutional marketing at scale
• Institution required internal photo and video production capabilities to curate distinctive visual assets, reduce external vendor costs, accelerate production timelines, and maintain creative control over institutional storytelling
• Needed to build sustainable creative excellence culture — not just execute one-time rebrand — requiring capability development, inspirational team culture, and agile systems enabling consistent high-quality output over long term
The Strategic Solution
• Built and scaled creative team from 2 to 7 full-time professionals plus regular freelancer network, strategically hiring for complementary skills across design, photography, and videography
• Developed professional development program providing career growth opportunities, skills training, portfolio development, and advancement pathways resulting in multiple team members promoted to senior creative leadership roles
• Established internal photo and video production studio from ground up including equipment procurement, studio space design, production workflow development, and team skills training enabling commercial-ready content creation in-house
• Implemented robust project management and production systems replacing ad-hoc request processes with structured intake, briefing, revision, and approval workflows improving efficiency, timeline transparency, and stakeholder satisfaction
• Designed scalable content creation processes enabling team to handle increasing volume demands (from ~200 to 1,000+ annual pieces) without sacrificing creative quality or strategic thinking
• Built collaborative culture emphasizing creative excellence through regular creative reviews, team brainstorming, professional development, and celebration of accomplishments
Measurable Impact
• Scaled team capacity 3.5x (from 2 to 7 professionals) while simultaneously increasing creative output 5x and establishing award-winning quality standards
• Advanced multiple team members into senior creative leadership roles including promotions to Senior Designer, Creative Director, and Media Director positions both internally and externally
• Generated $400K annual cost savings through internal photo and video production capabilities eliminating external vendor dependencies while improving creative control and turnaround times
• Produced 1,000+ annual creative pieces across print, digital, environmental, and video platforms demonstrating operational scalability and efficient production workflows
• Maintained consistent creative excellence earning average of 10 national creative awards annually over 7-year period proving quality wasn’t sacrificed for quantity
• Achieved 74K+ organic video views through internal video production capabilities, with narrative storytelling series becoming primary recruitment tool and social proof mechanism
Key Leadership Competencies
• Team building and talent development creating high-performance creative culture through strategic hiring, mentorship, and ongoing professional development and capability expansion
• Creative operations excellence designing scalable systems and processes enabling quality creative work at institutional scale
• Capability building and internal expertise development establishing photo and video production from ground up with training and equipment investment
• Mentorship and career advancement developing team members’ skills and advancing professionals into senior leadership roles demonstrating investment in people
• Sustained performance management establishing and maintaining award-winning creative excellence over 7-year period while scaling output and team size
• Strategic resource optimization balancing cost efficiency (internal capabilities) with quality standards (award-winning work) and speed (efficient workflows)
