The UX work we do is often invisible, but its impact is undeniable. Whilst this makes our roles at Border Crossing UX hugely fulfilling on a personal and professional level – it does make marketing our work and the outcomes we have achieved hard.
The challenge(s) of marketing a micro UX consultancy
How do you market a consultancy when your best work is hidden behind NDAs? At Border Crossing UX, we decided to treat our own marketing as a design challenge:
“How might we market our services and the value that they provide to our clients when we often work in a sensitive and confidential environment?”
Instead of a high-gloss, high-carbon production, we used a lean, iterative process to create a 60-second video that answers the burning question: “Who are you, and why haven’t I heard of you?”
Here is the breakdown of the methods and tools we used to get rapidly from a notebook sketch to a finished asset , without the use of AI.
Phase 1: Creating a concise and compelling script
Most marketing scripts are too long. To keep our video under 60 seconds, we applied George Orwell’s rules for writing—specifically: “If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.”
We then layered this with what we call the ‘Jerry Springer Rule’: the video must be captivating and intelligible even with the sound off. This forced us to focus on bold typography and rhythmic pacing rather than relying on a voiceover on stock footage.
Phase 2: Rapid Prototyping with Biteable
Before touching high-end editing software, we needed to test the narrative flow. We used Biteable to create a low-fidelity prototype in just two hours.
- The Goal: To see if the “sass” of the script translated to the screen.
- The Result: A storyboard that the whole team could critique, improve, and approve before we invested time in high-fidelity production.
Phase 3: The ‘Human over AI’ Decision
In 2025, the temptation is to let Generative AI handle the heavy lifting. We intentionally chose a traditionl human-led approach to creation for two reasons:
- Carbon Cost: Every AI iteration has a significant environmental footprint. As a sustainable agency, we weighed the “human cost” of our time against the “planet cost” of AI compute.
- Authenticity: AI excels at the predicting the average; we wanted the specific. By using our in-house skills in Adobe Premiere Pro, we ensured the brand’s tone of voice remained authentic and didn’t fall into the “uncanny valley” of AI-generated content.
Phase 4: Precision Engineering in Premiere Pro
Once the “Alpha” version was approved, we moved into the “Beta” build. This is where the Information Architecture of the video happens.
- Tool: Adobe Premiere Pro.
- Sound: We shortlisted 10 tracks from Artlist, eventually selecting ‘Next One’ for its bass-heavy, hip-hop energy that matched our brand’s “grounded but bold” persona.
- Refinement: The majority of the time was spent on the “sync”—ensuring the transitions hit the bassline precisely. This is where a video moves from “good” to “professional.”
Method Tip: Never start with the music. Start with the script, prototype the rhythm, and only then find the sound that fits the “heartbeat” of your story.
The Results (So Far)
While we measure long-term ROI over a 12-month horizon, the immediate “Methods ROI” was clear:
- Team Alignment: The project acted as an internal workshop, utilising our content design and motion skills.
- Lean Output: We created a high-impact, evergreen asset with minimal carbon impact.
For harder metrics and a full ROI assessment – come back in 12 months and see if we have any measurable impact in terms of brand awareness or a change in our initial conversations!
Want to learn more about Border Crossing UX and working with us?
For more information about our work and how we can help you email: esther@bordercrossingux.com
