A digital library for a global studio
Runner replaced a fragmented asset management system with a centralized, secure platform for trailers, posters, and marketing material used worldwide.
Overview
Runner is a cloud-based digital library built for Sony Pictures Entertainment. It replaced a collection of aging asset management systems with a single, centralized platform where internal teams and outside vendors could manage, review, and share studio content securely across the world.
The problem
Runner's users are meticulous by nature, working with technical metadata, strict file type requirements, and complex organizational standards. The problem was that external vendors had none of that context. They needed to deliver urgent media files accurately and on time, but the existing process had no guardrails, and mistakes downstream fell on internal teams to fix.
Research & strategy
We started by studying how different teams actually used Runner. Through user interviews and observation sessions, we mapped workflows, touchpoints, and pain points across both internal users and external vendors. The core tension was clear: internal users were detail-oriented and well-trained and vendors were not.
The concept we landed on was a controlled handoff: an internal user creates a pre-configured folder with metadata already assigned, then shares a link that lets the vendor drop files directly into it.
Design & testing
We developed user flows for both user groups. The Requester flow covered the internal user's experience, from folder setup through sending the upload link. The Uploader flow was designed to be simple enough for someone unfamiliar with Runner to complete a delivery without guidance. We tested high-fidelity prototypes with target users before engineering began.
Results
The Request Files feature launched to immediate adoption. Vendors worldwide gained a fast, reliable way to deliver media with accuracy built into the process. Internal teams picked it up quickly too, using the same feature to share files across departments. Runner went on to become the centralized asset management platform for Sony Pictures Entertainment, used by teams and vendors across the world.