Delivering a Secure, Flexible Jury Voting System
Project Overview
As Product Manager for BAFTA's Jury 3.0 system, I led the rebuild that delivered a 90% reduction in support tickets and 80% reduction in setup time for awards teams. The COVID-19 pandemic had pushed BAFTA into an online voting model that worked for the crisis but wasn't built for the long term. Working with the development team, we delivered a fully integrated solution within Nucleus that transformed jury voting into a seamless, secure platform.
My key decision was to integrate fully with Nucleus rather than build another standalone system. This enabled automatic data inheritance – pulling category data, nominees, and juror details directly from Nucleus rather than requiring manual re-entry that had caused misalignment and errors. Working with the team, we also simplified authentication workflows and upgraded from PGP to Libsodium encryption, improving the technical architecture without compromising security.
The platform now handles all BAFTA jury workflows – Film, Games, Television – with real-time updates and interfaces that work whether jurors are remote or in-person. We've strengthened BAFTA's jury processes while cutting the administrative overhead that had become resource intensive.
Project Background
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 necessitated a rapid shift from in-person to remote jury voting. I worked with BMT developers to deliver an online solution that successfully enabled BAFTA to continue its jury processes during the crisis, but this system created increasing administrative complexity as remote voting became the norm. What had started as an emergency response was becoming a bottleneck – multiple logins, manual setup processes, and workflows designed for crisis response rather than ongoing operations. Additionally, admins were manually entering category IDs, nominees, and juror details, leading to data misalignment and increased setup time.
I proposed replacing this interim system with a purpose-built solution fully integrated within Nucleus. The goal was to maintain the security and functionality that had made remote voting possible while dramatically simplifying administration and enhancing the user experience. Rather than building another standalone system, integration with Nucleus would enable automatic data inheritance, eliminate setup complexity, and provide a seamless experience for jurors and administrators alike.
The project aimed to support all of BAFTA's jury workflows in a fully online setting while upholding the organisation's stringent security standards. By shifting functionalities between user roles and introducing real-time updates, we could reduce complexity for chairs while providing administrators with better oversight tools. This foundation would strengthen BAFTA's ability to conduct fair and efficient jury voting, reinforcing its commitment to the integrity and transparency of its awards processes.
Project Objectives
Reduce Administrative Overhead
Eliminate the 80% of manual setup work consuming awards team time through automated data inheritance from previous years' jury configurations, enabling staff to focus on strategic tasks rather than repetitive administration.
Improve Juror Experience
Address the user friction and technical complexity that was creating barriers for jurors, designing an intuitive interface that would enable confident participation regardless of technical proficiency.
Reduce Support Burden
Eliminate the high volume of support calls generated by system complexity and user confusion, creating a reliable platform that enables jurors to operate independently and reduces operational overhead.
Streamline Security and Authentication
Replace the complex multi-login workflow with integrated Nucleus authentication while upgrading from cumbersome PGP to Libsodium encryption, maintaining BAFTA's security standards without imposing technical barriers on jurors.
Enable Scalable Jury Operations
Design flexible workflows that could handle varied jury sizes, voting rounds, and award types within a single platform, supporting BAFTA's diverse portfolio from Film to Games Awards without requiring separate systems.
Integrate with Existing Infrastructure
Leverage Nucleus's established architecture and data rather than building standalone systems, ensuring seamless workflows while maximising return on existing technology investments
Future-Proof Jury Workflows
Establish a foundation capable of supporting both remote and in-person jury formats, positioning BAFTA to adapt to changing operational requirements without additional system rebuilds.
Development Process
Planning & Strategic Design
Laying the foundation for stakeholder alignment and integration strategy.
Stakeholder Alignment
Conducted stakeholder workshops to identify pain points and align on requirements for the rebuild vs. patch approach.
System Analysis
Reviewed existing system functionality to map gaps and define integration opportunities with Nucleus.
Strategic Architecture Decision
Made the strategic decision to integrate within Nucleus architecture rather than build standalone, based on operational efficiency analysis.
Implementation & Technical Coordination
Translating strategic decisions into technical architecture and workflow design.
Technical Coordination
Worked with developers to define the technical approach, balancing Nucleus compatibility with new functionality requirements.
Workflow Redesign
Coordinated the role separation from Chairperson to Admin users based on awards team feedback and workflow analysis.
Security Enhancement
Guided the transition from PGP to Libsodium encryption while maintaining security standards and improving usability.
Testing & Quality Assurance
Validating functionality, accessibility, and stakeholder requirements.
Comprehensive Testing
Oversaw comprehensive testing across devices and user scenarios, ensuring accessibility for all technical proficiency levels.
Stakeholder Feedback Integration
Incorporated stakeholder feedback during testing phases to refine user experience and workflow efficiency.
Performance Validation
Validated system performance through both automated testing protocols and manual user acceptance scenarios.
Deployment & Change Management
Managing rollout, training, and embedding continuous improvement.
Training & Documentation
Delivered training sessions and documentation to ensure smooth stakeholder and administrator adoption.
Support Framework
Established ongoing support and maintenance frameworks for continuous improvement and issue resolution
User Acceptance Management
Managed user acceptance testing to validate functionality and capture feedback for post-launch optimisation.
Key Features and Innovations
The Jury 3.0 rebuild focused on delivering strategic value through integration and simplification rather than building standalone complexity. My approach prioritised architectural decisions that would eliminate operational overhead while maintaining BAFTA's security and usability standards:
Strategic Nucleus Integration
My decision to fully integrate with Nucleus rather than build standalone enabled automatic inheritance of jury setup data from previous years. This architectural choice delivered the 80% setup time reduction by eliminating manual configuration work that had been consuming administrative resources.
Admin Role Separation
Based on awards team feedback, I redesigned user roles to shift administrative functions from Chairs to dedicated Admin users. This eliminated role confusion and improved process integrity, allowing Chairs to focus on facilitating discussions while technical management happened seamlessly in the background.
Libsodium Encryption Upgrade
I raised the question of whether we could maintain robust security while eliminating the manual processes that created barriers for both developers and users. Working with the development team, we transitioned from PGP to Libsodium encryption, simplifying the technical architecture without compromising BAFTA's data protection standards.
Real-Time Updates Architecture
I pushed for implementing WebSocket technology to enable instant updates during jury sessions. Working with the development team, this supported natural jury flow and eliminated the page refresh delays that had disrupted deliberations in the previous system.
Flexible Jury Workflow Management
I pushed to eliminate manual data entry that was causing misalignment and errors. Rather than requiring admins to manually enter category IDs, nominees, and juror details, I specified that the system should pull this data directly from Nucleus's existing viewers and category data. This removed setup complexity while ensuring data accuracy across the jury process.
Customisable Platform Copy
I ensured non-technical admins could adjust on-screen instructions, notifications, and juror-facing copy directly in the platform. This improved adaptability for different jury contexts while reducing developer dependency for routine content changes.
Unified Authentication Experience
Working with the development team, we implemented a seamless transition from Nucleus authentication to jury voting that eliminated the multiple login complexity generating support calls. This created a unified user experience across BAFTA's platforms while maintaining security standards.
Challenges and Solutions
Balancing Security Requirements with User Experience
PGP encryption was secure but created a nightmare for both developers and users – manual processes, complex workflows, technical barriers. I needed to maintain BAFTA's security standards while eliminating the friction that was generating support calls.
Working with the development team, we transitioned to Libsodium encryption, which delivered the same security with dramatically simplified workflows.
Designing Integration vs. Building Standalone
I had to decide whether to build another separate system or integrate with Nucleus. Integration was technically more complex but strategically superior – it would eliminate multiple logins and enable data inheritance.
I worked closely with the Nucleus team to design APIs and data flows that embedded jury functionality seamlessly, delivering the unified experience that became key to our 80% setup time reduction.
Simplifying Complex Workflows Without Losing Flexibility
The original system had evolved to include administrative functions that Chairs weren't equipped to handle effectively.
Based on awards team feedback, I proposed shifting key administrative functions from Chairs to dedicated Admin users. This eliminated role confusion and improved process integrity, as admin users could now seamlessly manage the technical aspects while Chairs focused on facilitating jury discussions.
Conclusion
The Jury 3.0 delivery shows how strategic integration decisions can transform operations while maintaining the highest standards. By choosing Nucleus integration over building standalone, and Libsodium over PGP, we simplified administration while keeping BAFTA's security standards intact. The integration also eliminated the manual data entry that had been causing misalignment and consuming setup time.
The results speak for themselves – support tickets dropped by over 90%, setup time fell by 80%, and the platform now handles all jury workflows from Film to Games Awards. What's particularly satisfying is that nearly all remaining support issues stem from user error rather than system problems, proving the platform's robustness.
Working with the development team and stakeholders, we've built something that works today and scales for tomorrow. Jurors can focus on evaluating creative excellence rather than fighting with technology, while administrators get the oversight tools they need without the manual overhead that was consuming their time.
This project reinforced my conviction that smart integration often beats building from scratch. The most innovative solution was connecting existing strengths – Nucleus's architecture and data – in new ways that unlocked operational efficiency we couldn't have achieved with a standalone system.
Results and Impact
The Jury 3.0 platform delivered measurable improvements across all key operational areas, validating the strategic decisions around integration and user experience design.
Nearly eliminating the operational overhead that had been consuming significant staff time.
Automated data inheritance from previous years transformed what was once a manual, time-intensive process.
Enabled fully remote jury participation across all award types without compromising security or functionality.
What people said
The integration of the voting process into Nucleus has simplified the entire experience for us as jurors.— Juror feedback
The new Jury system is a game-changer. It supports voting seamlessly and has greatly improved efficiency— Administrator feedback
The platform is intuitive, and we feel confident in its security throughout the entire voting process.— Juror feedback
Interested in working together?
I help organisations streamline workflows, modernise legacy systems, and deliver user-focused digital products — without unnecessary complexity. If you're scoping a project or refining a platform, get in touch.