David W-S

My work with digital systems & innovation focuses on automation and unconventional solutions through new hardware, software, and media, which is a bit tricky to condense and summarize. However, a shining example is the entire project management process within the Creative Operations Department at Omnicom Media Group, which was lovingly organized and automated by yours truly.

The process starts with a guided questionnaire powered by Typeform, which all requests have to go through no matter who it comes from or what the situation is. There are over 100 possible questions with a web of branching logic that link the user’s answers to clarifying questions. These logic jumps make sure that everything the user sees is always relevant to their needs. Great care was taken to create an experience that was undeniably easy, quick, and helpful.

The questionnaire covers all necessary details for every type of project the department is responsible for: pitches, prospecting materials, presentation & document design, identity & assets for events & initiatives, ads, announcements & invitations, video production, editing & animation, print design & production, photography, sound design & audio editing, voiceovers, and Web/UI design.

It even helps users with common issues as they pop up, such as whether the project is categorized correctly or if it only needs one aspect of what would otherwise be a much larger project. Likewise, if certain key words are mentioned in certain answers, the path of the questionnaire changes accordingly.

Next, the submitted request is formally emailed to the Creative Operations Department based on a template that distills the important details. Simultaneously, the request’s data from Typeform is sent to Zapier and broken down for different tasks on Box and Trello. A summary of the request is also sent to a dedicated channel in the Department’s Slack account.

First and foremost, the submitted request is converted to a formatted text document and uploaded to a directory on Box, ensuring every submitted request is backed up in case any issues with Slack or email occur. Afterwards, a new directory is created on Box according to the request’s date of submission, agency, and project title. Each directory is also created with different subdirectories and files according to the established template for each project type.

Meanwhile, Zapier turns the data from Typeform into a card on Trello, complete with a title, deadline, client description, and link to the full brief document on Box. Then, over 50 custom Butler rules on Trello go into action, which do everything from creating colored labels for the relevant vertical and agency, sorting the card into its proper column, creating to-do lists within the card, and assigning an initial lead.

The automation on Trello doesn’t stop there though. Most of the rules take care of day-to-day organization and maintenance, such as arranging and labeling cards according to their age, urgency, and status. This eliminates any confusion about what needs attention and gives everyone in the department more time to focus on the projects themselves.

The research & development for the entire project management process was exhaustive, but absolutely worth it. While I was the Senior Director of Innovation & Multimedia it saved the Creative Operations Department thousands of hours that would have otherwise been spent on calls, emails, messages, meetings, and manual organization. We had standardized, detailed briefs & directories for every single project and a meticulously updated overview of those projects, all of which empowered us to consistently exceed expectations.