The Challenge
Bright Spark (name changed) had built something special. Over five years, they'd grown from a two-person studio to a 15-person agency known for creative excellence and client relationships. Now, with a pipeline of major brand clients, they needed to triple in size.
The founders were worried. They'd seen other agencies grow and lose their magic-becoming bureaucratic, losing their creative edge, watching talent leave. How could they scale without becoming just another agency?
The informal ways of working that had served them well were already straining. Project handoffs were messy. Junior creatives weren't getting enough mentorship. Client relationships depended too heavily on senior staff.
Our Approach
We started by understanding what made Bright Spark special. Through interviews with team members at every level, we identified the cultural elements that mattered most: creative autonomy, direct client relationships, collaborative critique, and a flat-ish structure.
Our job wasn't to impose enterprise processes. It was to design systems that would protect these cultural elements while enabling growth.
We worked with leadership to distinguish between: - **Non-negotiables**: Elements that defined their culture and couldn't be compromised - **Evolvables**: Practices that needed to change form, not disappear - **Addables**: New structures needed to operate at scale
What We Built
Creative Operations Framework A lightweight project management system that gave visibility without micromanagement. Clear stages, defined handoffs, but plenty of room for creative iteration.
Mentorship Structure Formalised creative mentorship through pod structures-small teams led by senior creatives who were responsible for both project delivery and junior development.
Client Relationship Model A tiered approach to client relationships that kept senior involvement in strategic moments while enabling junior team members to build their own client skills.
Decision Rights Matrix Clear documentation of who could make which decisions, reducing bottlenecks without creating bureaucracy.
Ongoing Support As Fractional COO, we embedded for two days per week over six months, helping implement changes and coaching the leadership team on operational leadership.
The Results
Twelve months later, Bright Spark had grown to 52 people. More importantly:
- Client retention stayed at 95%-higher than before the growth
- Employee NPS increased from 32 to 48
- Average project profitability improved by 15%
- Two junior creatives were promoted to senior roles
The founders reported something they hadn't expected: the structure actually gave people *more* creative freedom, not less. With clear expectations and support systems, team members felt empowered rather than constrained.
Client Perspective
“I was terrified we'd become boring. Instead, the systems Systemantic helped us build have made us more creative-because we're not wasting energy on chaos anymore.”
**Lisa Hammond**, Co-founder & Creative Director, Bright Spark