Lytton Studio

Working philosophy

Most processes don't start badly — they accumulate. A workaround here, an exception there, a new system bolted on top of an old one. Over time, what was once a clean flow becomes something nobody quite understands end-to-end. Automating that just makes the spaghetti twirl faster — but there's no point picking it up sooner if it's not ready to eat.

Before reaching for AI, understand what a process is actually trying to accomplish — then reimagine it for simplicity. High enough level that individual teams can adapt it. Understanding the process first means AI can genuinely help — rather than just accelerating the confusion.

What makes Lytton Studio different

• Visual thinking — design sensibility brought to process and strategy work
• Customer testimonials — from customers and colleagues; see LinkedIn, or just ask
• Authentic communication — guiding people to their own understanding, not just handing them conclusions
• Community building — creating the conditions where teams learn, align, and do their best work. Communities of practice are not a side-skill; they are strategic infrastructure.
• AI-first practice — certified AI-first Product Leader (2025), working daily with agentic AI workflows that produce real deliverables, not just chat
• Remote-first by design — available as a fractional lead, interim hire, or day-rate contractor. Not just willing to work remotely — genuinely better at it.

The person behind the studio

Kate has always been the connective force — bridging content, metadata, business, users, engineers, design, and product strategy into coherent direction. She guides people through ambiguity, helps teams find shared understanding, and builds the operational structure that lets organisations move forward with confidence.

This is a leadership pattern rooted in decades of practice across EdTech, higher education, financial services, government, heritage, and corporate learning ecosystems — and a lifelong instinct to guide people through complexity, regardless of their seniority or the formal scope of the role.

Experience snapshot

• 80% growth in customer engagement and 94% feature adoption across 100+ universities — through API integrations (WorldCat, GOBI, OASIS, Ebook Central, Browns Books), alpha/beta discovery programmes, and a webinar series spanning UK, North America, and Asia Pacific
• Enabled ~£4m in pre-sales through structured digitisation of primary source archives — British Library and Bodleian collections
• £800K budget across MyAccount, eCommerce, and holiday booking at a major heritage and conservation organisation
• 45-stakeholder sign-off on a multi-year commercial portal
• 100+ university library relationships and stakeholder presentations
• Two-term elected President, IIBA Hartford chapter — built the web committee from nothing
• EdTech and digital archive specialist across 10+ years — library discovery and acquisition systems, university reading list platforms, higher education assessment, and digitisation of rare primary source collections for institutions including the British Library and the Bodleian
• 25+ years spanning consulting, professional services, and in-house product leadership
• Product leadership from hands-on delivery to interim executive cover
• Mentored product managers, business analysts, and interns across multiple organisations

Want to know more?

Take a look at how the work happens, or get in touch directly for a no-pressure conversation about whether there's a fit.