Designing Presence Through Conversation
Building an organic audience foundation through short-form content
OVERVIEW
Designing Familiarity at Scale
Catch Up with Teddy is a short-form social series built to help a music artist establish an organic audience foundation before larger releases or campaigns. Rather than focusing on high production or forced virality, the series is intentionally raw, fast, and conversational. Each episode feels like a genuine catch-up, bringing viewers along for a simple activity while Teddy shares updates on life, music, culture, and what he is building. The project was approached as both a content system and a lightweight product, with emphasis on format, cadence, and long-term consistency.
ROLE
Shaping the Format, Driving the System
I led this project end-to-end across both product and content strategy. On the product side, I designed the format, defined success criteria, and structured the series as a repeatable system rather than one-off videos.
On the content side, I handled creative direction, filming, editing, and packaging. This dual role allowed creative decisions to stay grounded in strategy while ensuring the system remained realistic to execute and scale.
Key Dimensions
Product Strategy
Format design, success criteria definition, and system architecture for scalable content production.
Content Creation
Creative direction, filming, editing, and packaging across all episodes and touchpoints.
System Design
Workflow optimization, cadence planning, and sustainable execution frameworks.
KEY CHALLENGES
Balancing Authenticity with Structure
Authenticity vs Intentional Design
Keeping content natural while still building consistency and recognizability. The challenge was creating a format that felt spontaneous but delivered strategic value through repeated touchpoints and familiar structure.
Short Attention vs Long-Term Trust
Optimizing for moments without sacrificing relationship building. Each episode needed to work as a standalone piece while contributing to a larger narrative of familiarity and connection over time.
Creative Freedom vs Scalability
Allowing flexibility while maintaining a sustainable format. The system needed to support creative spontaneity without requiring extensive planning or production resources for each episode.
DISCOVERY & RESEARCH
From Observations to Format Blueprint
Audience Behavior Analysis
Rather than traditional market research, discovery focused on how audiences engage with artists in short-form environments. Presence, consistency, and conversational tone mattered more than polish.
Platform Pattern Recognition
Key insights revealed that familiar formats performed better than experimental content, suggesting audiences valued predictability in how they connected with creators.
Format Constraints Definition
These insights informed a set of format constraints that preserved creative freedomwhile enabling repetition and scale.
Content Audit
Analysis of successful short-form creators to identify engagement patterns and format consistency.
Format Framework
Development of repeatable content structure that balances spontaneity with strategic objectives.
Success Metrics
Definition of early indicators beyond reach, focusing on engagement quality and audience retention.
SOLUTION & EXECUTION
Designing a Repeatable Content System
Product System
- • Defined format rules and pacing
- • Treated episodes as MVP iterations
- • Established early success signals beyond reach
Content System
- • Lightweight filming workflow
- • Fast editing and publishing cadence
- • Consistent framing and tone
Delivery Roadmap
Phase 1
Pilot episodes and tone validation
Phase 2
Consistent cadence and recognition
Phase 3
Expansion into future series and releases
IMPACT & RESULTS
Laying the Foundation for Growth
REFLECTION
The System Behind the Conversation
Although the content appears casual, the underlying system is intentional. This project reinforced the value of designing constraints that create freedom, and treating creative work as an evolving product rather than isolated output.
Key Learnings
- Consistency creates trust faster than polish:Repeating a familiar format helped audiences build comfort and recognition, even when production remained intentionally minimal.
- Constraints unlock creative freedom:Defining simple format rules reduced decision fatigue and allowed each episode to feel natural while staying cohesive.
- Presence is a product, not a byproduct:Regular, conversational touchpoints mattered more than individual moments of performance or promotion.
Future Impact
- Foundation for larger narrative series:This format establishes a baseline audience relationship that future music releases, campaigns, and long-form content can build upon.
- Scalable system for sustainable output:The lightweight workflow enables consistent publishing without burnout, supporting long-term growth.
- Transferable framework for other creators:The system can be adapted for additional artists or brands seeking organic audience development through short-form content.
The foundation built here enables future growth to be deliberate instead of reactive.