Greater London Authority: Leading Content Delivery for the 2024 Mayoral Elections
Image credit: London.gov.uk
The Challenge
In the lead up to the 2024 London Mayoral Elections, the Greater London Authority (GLA) needed a single supplier to design, print, and distribute statutory and non-statutory polling station materials to over 4,000 voting sites across London.
As Head of Content and Experience Design, I led the content strategy and delivery for this fast-paced, high-stakes project ensuring every output was accurate, accessible, and ready to support the smooth running of the democratic process. Final candidate lists were confirmed just four weeks before polling day, leaving very little room for error in delivering thousands of official documents at scale.
Key Challenges
Tight Turnarounds: We had just four weeks from candidate confirmation to finalise, approve, and produce statutory materials.
Multiple Stakeholders: With materials going out to every polling station across 32 boroughs and the City of London, consistency was critical.
Content Dependencies: Not all content could be created at once; workflows needed to adapt to changing timelines and information.
Zero Tolerance for Error: These were official election materials: clarity, tone, formatting, and accuracy were non-negotiable.
Our Approach
Phased Content Planning. We created a detailed content delivery plan, mapping out dependencies, review cycles and sign-off points. I collaborated closely with the project manager and my studio team to make sure our timeline could flex without breaking.
Prioritising Early Wins. I led the team in designing and approving non-statutory materials early, including directional signage and instructional posters, so we could focus entirely on statutory content when the final candidate list arrived.
High-Intensity, High-Quality Delivery. Once candidate details were confirmed, I pivoted the team into a structured, agile sprint, including working evenings and weekends to meet deadlines while upholding high editorial standards and WCAG 2.2 accessibility requirements.
Stakeholder Coordination. Working with our account manager and project manager, I oversaw content approvals ensuring tight version control and efficient review workflows, to keep momentum up and avoid bottlenecks.
The Outcome
On Time, On Budget. All materials were designed, signed off, printed and delivered ahead of schedule, with no overspend or delays.
Trusted Execution at Scale. Deliveries were completed a full week before polling day, giving boroughs time to distribute materials locally with confidence.
A Calm, Controlled Delivery. Despite the pressure, our team stayed focused and professional, achieving flawless execution for one of the UK’s most high-profile democratic events.
Conclusion
This was one of the most operationally complex content projects I’ve led my team to deliver; demanding accuracy, accessibility and speed in equal measure. It showcased my ability to lead large scale digital communications under pressure, manage dependencies across multiple workstreams, and work directly with public sector stakeholders on time-sensitive, high-impact projects.
