BIG AGENCY

01.10.2025 - 12.01.2026  / Week 1 -Week 15

Emily Goh Jin Yee / 0357722 / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media 

Exchange Semester in Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom / BA (Hons) Advertising and Brand Communications

Big Agency / 5X5Z0019 / Sec 01

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INSTRUCTIONS

2. TASKS

3. FEEDBACK

4. REFLECTION

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INSTRUCTIONS

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TASKS

In the first week, we were briefed on the module and introduced to the task requirements. We were given three clients to choose from: Gymshark, Volvo, and Spotify, and were required to form a team of four. We were also asked to assign ourselves specific roles: Brand Manager, Project Manager, Strategic Planner, and Creative Director. I took on the role of Creative Director, as it aligned with my strengths in creative media and visual communication. After finalising our roles, we decided to work with Spotify as our chosen client.

At the same time, we were required to create our own agency identity, including an agency name and logo. Initially, we considered a playful name like “Teh and Tea”, inspired by the idea of blending cultures. “Teh” is the Malay word for tea, while “Tea” is the English word, the name symbolised the collaboration between Malaysian and UK team members and the fusion of our different perspectives. However, one team member preferred a more professional name, so we eventually decided on MYUK Creative, and incorporated the infinity symbol into the logo to represent collaboration and the blending of ideas. I designed the logo in a minimalist style, focusing on clean lines and simple shapes to convey professionalism and clarity.

"MYUK Creative is a collaborative student agency formed by two UK students and two Malaysian exchange students. The name reflects a fusion of Malaysian and UK perspectives, bringing together diverse ideas, cultures, and creative approaches within one team."

Fig 1.1 agency logo

We then began brainstorming initial ideas and worked on a five-slide concept presentation, which was scheduled for Week 5. This presentation did not need to be finalised, as the concept could still be refined or changed after the presentation.

During the ideation process, Brianna, Megan, and I felt that the concept would be more effective as a digital feature rather than a physical product, and we shared our perspective during discussions. However, the ideation stage revealed challenges in aligning on a shared direction, particularly when differing levels of flexibility were present within the group. Navigating this required patience and reinforced the importance of clear communication and compromise in collaborative work. Ultimately, the group decided to proceed with the existing idea at this stage in order to move forward.

Task responsibilities were then divided: Megan and Katie focused on the video, while Brianna and I took responsibility for the slides and content development. Although these tasks did not strictly follow the roles initially assigned, the team continued to support one another across different areas. I redesigned the entire slide deck from scratch, as the initial version lacked visual clarity and contained excessive text, making the content difficult to follow. I restructured both the visual layout and written content, then completed the remaining content, while Brianna contributed by providing supporting information and included all references.

Spotify x MYUK Creative: PulsePlay

After the slide was completed, we chose the presentation slot that falls on 22/01/26 on 1:30pm

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FEEDBACK

WEEK 5

Specific Feedback 

Hi, well done with your Big Agency mini pitch last week, you, as everyone, did really well.

First, I love the name Human Edit - it's really catchy and draws you in, well done. I also really like the problem you have identified, and the insight into algorithm fatigue. There is also some good, referenced evidence backing this up. Your strategy framework has too much information, but much of that can be used under the slides in the final presentation so don't worry - maybe try using the Get, Who, To, By framework to really concisely articulate your solution. That solution still needs a little work, the concept of real people delivering your listening is very good but how do we make that feel different to just a regular playlist or mix? For what it's worth, when I was listening to you pitch, I couldn't help think of the feeling of a live DJ in a club reading the audience and building atmosphere.

Cheers

Stu

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REFLECTION

Experience

One thing I didn’t expect from this exchange semester was how much group work would challenge me—not just creatively, but emotionally. Looking back at the Spotify project, I’m grateful for the friendships I formed, but I also learned a lot about boundaries, communication, and teamwork under pressure.

I’m especially thankful that my friend from Malaysia and I got to experience this project together. Being in a new country and academic system can feel overwhelming, so having someone who understood my background made a big difference. We were also lucky to meet a group member who was warm, kind, and easy to work with, which helped create moments of comfort and support throughout the project.

At the same time, the experience wasn’t without challenges. One of the biggest lessons for me was learning how group dynamics can affect not just productivity, but morale. When stress and anxiety enter a team, it can easily spread and impact everyone’s mood and workflow. There were moments where responsibilities felt unevenly distributed, and my friend and I often stepped in to help keep things moving forward, even though this module held less weight for us academically as exchange students.

Despite this, we still chose to contribute fully and responsibly. I took on additional work, particularly in restructuring and refining the presentation, because I value doing things properly and professionally. While this meant extra effort and occasional repetition, it also reminded me of the importance of staying true to my own standards rather than matching the lowest expectations in the room.

This experience taught me something important: doing your best doesn’t always mean overextending yourself for others. It means knowing when to support, when to communicate clearly, and when to protect your own time and energy. In future collaborations, I want to be more confident in setting boundaries while still being a supportive team member.

Overall, I’m still glad I went through this experience. I made new friends, learned how to navigate difficult group dynamics, and gained insight into how I work under pressure. These lessons are just as valuable as the academic content, and they’re something I’ll carry with me beyond this exchange semester.