Designing the System Behind the Creative.
Researching and structuring a DAM initiative through workflow analysis, taxonomy, metadata, migration planning and a phased implementation roadmap.
At UCLA, the challenge was not simply organizing a library of files. It was understanding how creative work moved through the organization, how different groups described assets, and how a digital asset management system could support real production instead of becoming another repository nobody trusted.
My work focused on user interviews, current-state workflow analysis, platform research, taxonomy and keyword development, metadata strategy, database cleanup, sandbox testing, migration planning, training planning and a phased implementation roadmap. For the platform research, I screened 224 DAM vendors, tested 17 against 24 needs and wants, and brought a shortlist of 9 forward. The artifacts here document the proposed system: a year-long rollout plan, a deep taxonomy hierarchy, and a project-lifecycle model connecting creative, production, approvals and delivery.
This case study is the clearest bridge from production design into creative operations. The visual problem was only one layer; the larger task was making invisible structure understandable enough for teams to evaluate, adopt and continue implementing.
The Work Behind the Story.
