Most large organisations are not short on knowledge, they are short on clarity. Processes live in folders, slide decks, PDFs, emails, and in people’s heads. Over time, the heart of the business (what the brand really is) becomes fragmented, outdated, or quietly ignored. Teams improvise, standards drift, and the clarity that a great business was once built upon is lost.
This project began with a simple question. What would happen if everything lived in one place?
Our client had more than 250 pages of operational and technical information. Valuable, detailed, and built up over many years of being top of their game. But it was spread across formats and used differently across branches and teams. The goal was not to create more documentation. It was to consolidate learning, remove friction, and give everyone a shared reference point. One playbook, one clear way of working.
That intent shaped the entire approach. It needed to work for frontline teams and managers, for new starters and experienced staff, in branches and at desks. It also needed to exist physically and digitally, without feeling like two separate things or creating extra effort to maintain.
Design decisions were driven by usability, not aesthetics. We focused on how people actually use manuals in the real world. Rarely cover to cover, often under time pressure, usually looking for one specific answer. The structure had to be simple and predictable. Clear hierarchy, consistent layouts, and plain language made it easy to use for teams of all abilities. The interactive intranet version was fully searchable, so information could be found in seconds. The printed manuals followed the same logic, designed to be picked up and used without explanation.
Publishing was where the value really unlocked. By making the playbook available across all sites and on the intranet, teams could trust that what they were using was current, consistent, and approved. Over time, it becomes more than a manual. It becomes a training tool, a reference point, and a way to protect standards as the organisation grows.
This kind of work is not small. Consolidating hundreds of pages into a single, coherent document takes strategy, editorial discipline, and careful design thinking. But when it is done properly, the impact is significant. Complex, people led organisations do not need more documents. They need more human ones that are easier to understand. This is the work we care about most, taking complexity seriously and simplifying it properly.
"Whilst working with Oli Milburn on a project for the Bakkavor Group I found his approach and organisation to be second to none. Nothing was too much trouble, all my requests were treated with the highest priority and tasks were always completed in a timely manner. A real pleasure to work with Oli and hopefully we can work together again in the future."
- Martyn Chung, Bakkavor Group / Greencore
