CHAPTER 3 OF 3 — YORK REGION PUBLIC WORKS · CREATIVE TEAM

Leading Year-Round Multimedia Production

Photography • Video • Infographics • Social media • Reports

Drone view of a new bridge carrying a road over a widened highway

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

What I was responsible for across Public Works

  1. Production workflow

    Built an intake and tracking process and a Digital Asset Management tool for year-round photography, drone, video, presentations and reports.

  2. End-to-end production

    Led photo and video projects from planning and storyboarding through filming and editing.

  3. Brand and messaging

    Kept graphics, digital media and advertising clear, accessible and aligned with York Region’s brand.

  4. Leadership presentations

    Partnered with senior leadership on budget and capital delivery updates that simplify complex information.

  5. Team leadership

    Led eight in-house specialists, with regular studio days where designers share work in progress for feedback.

KEY DECISIONS

What I decided, and why

The challenge

  • Public Works delivers a wide range of projects every year
  • Each one needs photography, video, graphics or reports
  • Capturing it all takes early planning, clear ownership and coordination across creative disciplines

The goal

Plan coverage ahead of time and give every request a clear path from capture to delivery.

DECISION 1 · PHOTOGRAPHY

Plan coverage early and track every request

The challenge: requests came in from every branch at once, and construction milestones only happen once, so a missed shot can’t be retaken.

What I decided: I mapped photography and drone needs with each branch at the start of the year, and set up an intake and tracking process so my team could prioritize requests and log every completed shot in one place. I also implemented a Digital Asset Management (DAM) tool to keep track of all our creative assets, and launched an online photo library, giving staff easy access to approved, high-quality images for presentations and campaigns.

Aerial view of a construction site beside a river and residential neighbourhood Drone view of a new bridge carrying a road over a widened highway Night-time installation of a bridge girder by crane Viva purple buses at a rapidway station with a be moved banner Crane lowering a precast concrete culvert section into place beside condo towers Drilling rig working on a slope at a construction site Bridge construction over an active rail corridor Viva buses on hoists in a bright maintenance garage Drone view of a new road curving past farm fields and a new subdivision Drone view of road and transit construction beside a new hospital Pedestrians, a cyclist and a YRT bus at a new intersection with a green bike lane Cyclist on a green bike lane at a crossing near the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Cars on a winding rural road through autumn trees
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Cyclist and York Region Transit bus at a signalized intersection
Three engineers in hard hats reviewing plans on site

DECISION 2 · VIDEOS

Show the people behind the work

The challenge: most Public Works services happen out of sight, so residents rarely see the work their region does for them.

What I decided: I storyboarded and scripted voice-overs with my team for key videos, and led production from planning and filming to on-site production and editing, in short- and long-form cuts for internal, public and budget presentations.

Building a Sustainable Region1:57 Behind the Scenes: Public Works in Action1:57 Operations: Keeping You Moving1:22

DECISION 3 · INFOGRAPHICS

Make complex budgets easy to read

The challenge: budgets and service data are dense, and Council and residents need to understand them quickly.

What I decided: I partnered with senior leadership to shape clear narratives for budget and capital delivery presentations, and introduced Infogram so charts stay consistent and on brand. It cut the time to update 100 graphs from five designers over a full day to one designer in about three hours.

Infographic: Ensuring value for money for residents
Ensuring value for money for residents
Slide: Public Works capital expenditures and funding donut charts
Capital expenditures & funding
Slide: Public Works capital budget table
Public Works capital budget

DECISION 4 · SOCIAL AND REPORTS

Design for every channel

The challenge: each channel has its own audience and attention span, from a quick scroll on social media to a long read of a master plan.

What I decided: My team created visuals, motion graphics and messaging built for social media, and a clean, modern design for the Transportation Master Plan, published as an interactive online book, all with consistent York Region branding.

SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS

Visuals, motion graphics and messaging that build awareness and drive engagement.

TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN

A clean, modern design with clear messaging and consistent branding.

Transportation Master Plan report cover View the report (opens in a new tab)

DECISION 5 · CAMPAIGNS

Tell one story across print, online and on site

The challenge: construction affects residents, businesses and commuters, and they all need the same accurate information wherever they see it.

What I decided: plan construction communications as one integrated campaign, so every piece tells the same story.

Campaign · City of Vaughan Rutherford Road Improvements Integrated construction communications: postcard, map, animated bridge video and site signs. View detailsHide details

The challenge: widening Rutherford Road and improving the bridge over the CN rail line in the City of Vaughan would disrupt residents, businesses and commuters, and they needed clear, consistent updates throughout construction.

What I did

  • Planned: worked with York Region Capital Delivery to identify who was affected and what they needed to know, then developed the communication plan, key messages and channels, from postcards and maps to video and on-site signs.
  • Created: led my in-house team through the design and production of the postcard, map, animated bridge video and site signs, and reviewed every piece for clarity, accessibility and York Region brand standards.

The result: residents, businesses and stakeholders got the same story in print, online and on site, with one place to go for updates: york.ca/RutherfordRoad.

Featured campaign

RESULTS

We continued to share the great work York Region is doing, so residents know what’s happening in their communities and the impact it has on their daily lives. Every photo, video and report helps show that we’re working together for a better future.

THAT’S ALL THREE CHAPTERS · BACK TO THE WORKSee all three case studies