The Objective
I was tasked to create PHD Media's monthly, agency-wide meeting deck: a presentation seen by hundreds of employees across the country that covers new hires, employee recognition, media awards, business updates, upcoming dates and more.
The leadership team set the theme as “music,” drawing on the collective’s team bonding activity of playing Music League. My task was to translate this theme into a presentation that was not only on-brand for PHD, but also engaging, playful, and memorable - turning what is usually a functional update into a cultural highlight.
The leadership team set the theme as “music,” drawing on the collective’s team bonding activity of playing Music League. My task was to translate this theme into a presentation that was not only on-brand for PHD, but also engaging, playful, and memorable - turning what is usually a functional update into a cultural highlight.
The Impact
1. Following the presentation, senior leaders expressed interest in applying the same approach to external-facing work, including new business pitches.
2. Senior leadership noted the creative approach elevated the standard meeting format, and expressed interest in leveraging my design skills for future new business pitches.
3. The project reinforced the role of design in strengthening agency culture, sparking engagement, and creating shared experiences across the company.
2. Senior leadership noted the creative approach elevated the standard meeting format, and expressed interest in leveraging my design skills for future new business pitches.
3. The project reinforced the role of design in strengthening agency culture, sparking engagement, and creating shared experiences across the company.
The Work
To bring the “music” theme to life, I reinterpreted PHD’s existing brand guidelines (using approved fonts, hex-coded colours, and graphic elements) through a Spotify-inspired visual language. This approach ensured the deck felt both familiar to employees yet refreshingly new, striking a balance between consistency and creativity. Looking to Spotify’s iconic “This Is…” playlist branding as the foundation for the deck, each design element was crafted to translate PHD’s identity through this lens:
The Work
• Staff introductions were styled in the format of Spotify playlists and profiles.
• Timed animations and transitions enhanced storytelling, ensuring the deck felt dynamic rather than static.
• Music and sound cues layered in a multisensory experience.
• An interactive Slido poll invited the audience to live-vote for their favorite bands, making employees active participants in the meeting.
The Reflection
The result was a presentation that blended motion design, interactivity, and branding into an immersive experience, highlighting the power of applying brand design principles in unexpected, playful ways to increase engagement. It also underscored the value of working flexibly with brand guidelines: showing respect for consistency, while pushing them into new territory to unlock fresh creative expression.