Abi: Can you share a bit about your role and team at Amey?

Ian: I joined Amey in 2019 as a Creative Design Manager, heading up a small design team within the central work winning function. In 2022, the work winning resource was deployed into our business units, and I led the creative design team for transport infrastructure. We have recently re-centralised, and while my team is still primarily focused on proposal design and graphics for transport infrastructure bids, we provide support across all sectors.  But our bids are large-scale, complex and often run in parallel, meaning sometimes we need additional design support. That’s when we get TDL involved.

Abi: How did the working relationship between Amey and TDL start?

Ian: When I first joined Amey, TDL was already known internally as a trusted design partner. There was an existing relationship there, and people spoke very positively about using TDL whenever extra resource was needed. When I moved into transport infrastructure, my team was small and there was a need for external support. For the last few years, TDL has been the team I turn to whenever bidding workload becomes too much to manage internally.

Abi: Do you normally involve TDL from the beginning of a project?

Ian: Usually, yes. We try to forecast as early as possible because we know TDL supports other clients as well, and naturally we want to secure that support early. Occasionally projects evolve through the process and we need extra help later on, but generally speaking, it works best when we involve TDL from the start. That said, even when designers join midway through a project, it’s never been a problem.

Abi: That’s great to hear! Why do you think there’s never been a problem, even when TDL has come in at a later stage?

Ian: The level of designers has always been very strong; they’re usually experienced enough to hit the ground running, and there isn’t a long onboarding process. It doesn’t matter who TDL allocates to us, we always get great service. We can jump on a Teams call, explain the project, share the bid branding and guidelines, and they just get on with it. We also give access to systems like SharePoint, so communication is easy and everyone works in the same environment.

Abi: What advice would you give internal design teams considering external support for the first time?

Ian: Start early. The worst thing you can do is wait until the last minute and then suddenly ask for help. Strong relationships take time to build. Be clear about what you need, involve your internal designers early in the process, and position the agency as an integral part of the team rather than as a replacement. That mindset makes a huge difference.

Abi: Any final reflections on working with TDL specifically?

Ian: Honestly, I’m always advocating for TDL internally. If an agency consistently delivers strong work, communicates well and makes life easier for internal teams, naturally you want to keep working with them. That’s where TDL sits for us.

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.

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.

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.