Stuart Buchanan

Hello there. Thanks for visiting. I've worked in journalism, digital marketing and communications for over 12 years. Get in touch if I can help you with a project, or browse my portfolio.

Content design experience

I've been a content designer for more than 10 years. In that time I have:

  • planned and overseen the creation of new websites, as well as managed major website overhauls

  • written content for multiple websites, from static copy to timely blogposts, as well as newsletters

  • worked alongside developers, graphic designers, and UX designers to improve the user experience of website visitors and improve accessibility and understanding

  • provided training on content management systems to clients and colleagues

  • produced multimedia content including photography, gifs, video, and podcasts

Content design portfolio

Website projects

Follow the links to read about projects I've worked on for Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh World Heritage, Two Oceans Aquarium, Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, City Sightseeing, and Grand Daddy Hotel.Or, see screenshots of some websites I've worked on:

Writing examples

Exhibition work

Read about a heritage exhibition on Edinburgh's Royal Mile I worked on...

'Our World Heritage'

I co-curated an exhibition for Edinburgh World Heritage, exploring the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site, and how residents and visitors think about and understand heritage conservation.We had just four months to complete this project, an extremely tight deadline considering the venue was an empty shell without a floor when we began. The Tron Kirk on Edinburgh's Royal Mile receives some of the highest footfall of any building in the city, and in less than a year of Our World Heritage opening, it had been visited by over half a million people.

I was responsible for image selection and acquisition, and created most of the video content that made up the permanent display.

Science and Nature

Travel and Tourism Marketing

Heritage and History

Politics

Social media experience

I've managed multiple accounts for clients and employers across social media platforms using a variety of tools. This has included:

  • setting up accounts and growing them from scratch, but also taking over client accounts to improve growth and engagement

  • organising promotional campaigns, working with influencers, compiling audits and writing analytical reports

  • overseeing paid advertising activities across social media platforms and optimising for budgets accordingly

  • running workshops for clients and colleagues on social media best practice, crisis comms, and online safety

Social media portfolio

Social media example – Black History Month

In this series of posts, I tried to broaden what is usually a very narrow and elite definition of heritage, in order to connect with new audiences.I wanted to reflect the diversity of people who have contributed to Edinburgh's fascinating history, and by celebrating this in Black History Month, we tied in to a larger, national conversation that helped put our small charity on the map. It also helped position our brand as one championing a more inclusive view of heritage.Using a joined-up approach with our events manager, our social media posts also helped promote a lecture we hosted by an expert in this field. Together, the posts received good engagement and a huge online buzz – leading to such a high demand for event tickets that we had to live-stream it to allow more people to participate.

Accompanying press coverage and feedback from the public:

The following year, I worked with Edinburgh World Heritage again, this time as a freelance videographer, for another Black History Month project. This time, they partnered with Intercultural Youth Scotland, to get young people of colour to respond to the topic of 'heritage' through the medium of dance, poetry and music. The resulting video premiered at the Scotland In Colour Festival in Leith.

Social media example – Kelp Forest Quest

In 2017 I designed an interactive exhibit for the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. Their famous kelp forest exhibit was closing for renovation, but they approached Flow Communications to devise a virtual exhibit that would ensure they could keep their sponsor during the renovation.Implementing the marine conservation principles championed by the Aquarium, I devised a Twitter-based game called Kelp Forest Quest, in which visitors are responsible for adding different marine species to a virtual tank to create the perfect mix of biodiversity. At random intervals the Aquarium's 'release team' (a real concept taken from the organisation – it is one of only a few places that returns their animals to the ocean after some time) comes along and removes a number of animals, thereby creating a continuously fluctuating challenge.

Audio/Visual experience

During my career, I've published hundreds of online videos. These range from short, promotional clips as part of clients' marketing efforts, to explainers, and longer documentaries.I've interviewed some world-renown personalities from Bianca Jagger to Sylvia Earle and Richard Quest. I've filmed in locations from the summit of Table Mountain, to Nelson Mandela's house, to World Heritage Sites like Edinburgh and Cluj-Napoca, and even out at sea surrounded by sharks.I've run filmmaking workshops for young people that premiered in front of local VIPs, and I routinely provide basic video training for colleagues.In recent years, I've focused on gaining more experience in live-streaming and motion graphics.Alongside my video work, I've also had a passion for audio production – firstly in my radio career, and more recently, through podcasting.

Videography portfolio

Marketing examples

A summary of the major projects Edinburgh World Heritage worked on in 2017, to help market the charity and encourage donations:

Other marketing:

Documentary examples

A 12-minute documentary on The Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site that I filmed to explain the scientific significance of the area:

Other documentaries:

Event coverage examples

An example of producing a short, wrap-up video from a conference, event, or in this case, an afternoon workshop about working with lime:

Other event coverage:

Fundraising and charity examples

I've created videos that are direct appeals to support a cause or make a donation, as well as coverage of charity events, like this tree-planting day:

Other fundraising and charity:

(I have other videos on my YouTube channel, and many more scattered across other channels that have collectively gained tens of thousands of views).

Motion graphics portfolio

Podcast portfolio

Hello, Content Design London. This bit is just for you...

Work examples

The Scottish Parliament

I got to work on both the MSPs section and Visit section of this website project. I conducted content discovery sessions with a wide group of stakeholders, and did user research. Armed with user stories and acceptance criteria, I then did pair writing with subject matter experts and produced content that was tested in front of users, refined, and then published. It continues to be regularly reassessed.

Before and after:

Edinburgh World Heritage

I inherited an old website on an unsupported CMS and given a small budget to update it. I project managed a team of colleagues who worked together to expand and improve on existing content, and an agency built a new CMS where it was moved over. I then trained the team on new content standards and led the creation of new work showcased on the website. I also used the site to improve ways of working across the team.

Before and after:

Two Oceans Aquarium

An example of one of the many client sites I worked on at Flow Communications. Here, the challenge was to educate users on specific conservation principles the aquarium followed, distancing them from the poor reputation of other zoos and attractions. We embedded the aquarium's 'explore, experience, engage' ethos into the website's navigation, and made the exhibit content more visually appealing and educational. This new site was also mobile-friendly for the first time and resulted in higher revenue for the aquarium.

Before and after:

Please do browse the rest of my website.

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My name is Stuart Buchanan and I'm just establishing myself as a marketing and communications strategist in the space sector.
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