Interview

Sleeping Giant x TDL: bringing clarity to complexity through video, animation, and information design

TDL’s TL:DR

Introducing our partnership

Sleeping Giant and TDL share a common goal: making complex information easier to understand. Led by TDL’s Marketing Analyst, Abi Buller, this conversation brings together Joe Higgins and Sean Austin to explore how strategy, storytelling, motion and information design can help organisations communicate complex ideas with greater clarity and impact.

The conversation also touches on the value of thinking beyond individual pieces of content, and why video isn’t always the answer. Finally, Joe and Sean consider the growing role of AI and why clear thinking, audience understanding, and strong storytelling will remain critical as content becomes easier to produce.

"Video allows you to take audiences on a journey, combining visuals, motion and sound to explain ideas in a way that’s engaging and memorable."

Joe Higgins
Head of Production at Sleeping Giant

Abi: For those who haven’t come across Sleeping Giant before, can you tell us about what you do? 

Joe: We’re a full-service video and animation production company, which means we work with clients from the earliest stages of a project – not just creating content, but helping shape the communication strategy behind it. We start by understanding what they need to say, who they’re trying to reach, and where that message will be seen. Our role is often to bridge the gap between what a business wants to communicate and what its audience actually needs to hear.

Abi: How can video and animation help communicate complex information?

Sean: Video is often the gateway into a complex subject. Clients sometimes come to us wanting to explain everything in a single piece of content, but that’s rarely the most effective approach. Instead, we’ll often recommend a hero video supported by shorter, more focused pieces that explore individual topics in greater depth. We’re also always thinking beyond a single project. During production, we capture enough material to build a library of content that clients can reuse across future campaigns. That gives them better value while creating a more flexible communications toolkit.

“We [TDL and Sleeping Giant] don’t simply accept a brief at face value – we ask questions, challenge assumptions and work together to understand what success actually looks like.”

Sean Austin
Head of Creative, Sleeping Giant

Content strategy

Communication challenges

Abi: Audiences consume information in many different ways. How do you decide when video is the right format?

Sean: Video isn’t automatically the answer to every communication challenge. Sometimes another format will communicate the message more effectively, and it’s important to be honest about that.

Joe: We always start by asking why the content is being created, who it’s for, and where it’s going to be used. If an infographic, presentation or document is better suited to the objective, we’ll recommend that instead. Building trust with clients means putting their interests ahead of selling a particular service. In the long run, helping clients choose the right solution creates much stronger partnerships than producing content simply because that’s what was originally requested.

"We challenge assumptions, simplify the structure of messages, and help clients prioritise what people need to know first."

Joe Higgins
Head of Production at Sleeping Giant

Abi: What communication challenges do organisations commonly face?

Joe: One of the biggest challenges is that clients are often experts in their own field. They know their subject so well that it’s easy to assume the audience shares the same knowledge. Our job is to step into the audience’s shoes and ask the questions they would ask. That often means challenging assumptions, simplifying the structure of the message, and helping clients prioritise what people really need to know first.

Abi: We’ve worked together across a range of projects. From your perspective, what makes the partnership between Sleeping Giant and TDL effective? 

Joe: Both organisations are focused on the same goal: helping audiences understand complex information. Whether it’s through motion, video or information design, we’re trying to communicate clearly and ensure content achieves a specific objective.

Sean: I also think we share the same mindset when it comes to working with clients. We don’t simply accept a brief at face value – we ask questions, challenge assumptions and work together to understand what success actually looks like. That attention to detail, from briefing through to delivery, is what produces stronger outcomes.

Bids and tenders

Winning work, together

Abi: TDL has extensive experience in bids and tenders. What additional value can video and animation bring to a competitive submission?

Joe: Bids are often highly technical, so video can help bring a proposal to life. It allows organisations to demonstrate their methodology, explain complex delivery processes and visualise information that would otherwise be difficult to communicate in static formats. It also introduces the people behind the submission. Even in business-to-business environments, contracts are delivered by people. Giving evaluators the opportunity to meet the team and understand how they’ll work together helps build confidence and create a stronger connection.

"Before writing scripts or creating storyboards, you need to understand your audience, your objectives, and the channels where the content will appear."

Joe Higgins
Head of Production at Sleeping Giant

Abi: What advice would you give organisations considering video and animation for the first time?

Sean: Treat it as an investment rather than an isolated project. It’s worth taking the time to create something properly and think carefully about how that content will be used once it’s produced. Great content still needs a clear distribution strategy to succeed.

Joe: That’s right – strategy comes before production. Before writing scripts or creating storyboards, you need to understand your audience, your objectives, and the channels where the content will appear. Those decisions shape everything else, from the creative approach through to the budget. 

Looking ahead

Adding value to your message

Abi: Looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for organisations that combine information design, storytelling, and motion? 

Joe: As AI makes it easier to produce content, the real differentiator will be creating content that’s genuinely effective. Strategy, audience understanding and clear storytelling are becoming even more valuable because they’re much harder to automate.

Sean: AI is a useful tool, but it’s not a substitute for good thinking. The technology can help with productivity, but organisations still need people who understand how to shape a message and challenge ideas. That’s where partnerships like Sleeping Giant and TDL add real value.