Story
Behind the studio
Questions about the studio, answered by its founder, Sam Hankin.
Sam Hankin, Founder & Director
Why did Hankin Digital start?
Hankin Digital began in 2020, while I was teaching Computer Science. I was leading a £300k programme to give 1,100 students their own Chromebook, which Dell Technologies later showcased nationally as a flagship project. Other schools started asking how we had done it. That turned into training, then websites, then film and photography. It became clear that schools, charities and small businesses shared one problem: plenty of technology, and nobody with the time to make it work properly for them.
What does Hankin Digital do?
Three things, which usually overlap. We build: websites, apps, internal tools, drone film, photography and printed work such as leavers' yearbooks. We protect: data protection advice from a CIPP/E certified professional, written in plain English. We enable: Google Workspace set up properly, training people will remember, and sensible use of AI in the tools you already have. Most clients come for one and stay for the others.
Why offer data protection alongside websites and apps?
Because they are the same job. Every website collects something, every app stores something, and every shared drive has a folder that should not be shared. My degree is a First in Forensic Computing and Security, I hold the CIPP/E privacy qualification, and I work as a Chief Information Officer in the charity sector, where data protection and compliance are part of every decision. So we think about the data before we build, not after.
Who do you work with?
Schools, charities, community groups and family businesses. Most are in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, and some are further afield across the UK. A family-run tea company, where we built the trade site and are building the new online shop. A village hall, where we rebuilt the website and moved the trustees onto Google Workspace. A youth charity, a secondary school that comes back for its leavers' yearbook, and a national youth organisation, for whom we built a game played by over 4,000 young people in South Korea.
What did teaching and industry bring to it?
Two habits. From a year at GlaxoSmithKline, managing infrastructure projects across European sites, came the discipline of delivering on time and on budget. The Chromebook programme later finished ahead of schedule and within budget. From six years teaching GCSE and A Level Computer Science, as a Head of Faculty and Google Certified Trainer, came the habit of explaining technical things clearly. It is why our handovers include training, short videos and step-by-step guides.
What does working with Hankin Digital look like?
It starts with a conversation about what you are trying to do, in person where we can. You then get a written proposal with a fixed price and a clear scope, so there are no surprises. We build in stages and show you the work as it goes. At the end we train whoever will be looking after it, and most clients keep us on a small support agreement for changes and questions.
Is any of this made with AI?
The photography, film and artwork on this site were made by people. We do use AI tools in our own work where they save time, and we help clients do the same, but always with the data protection thinking done first: what goes in, where it is stored, and who can see it. AI is useful. It is not a substitute for knowing your organisation.
What are you proudest of?
Two projects. The first is Seoul Searching. In 2023 UK Scouts took their contingent to the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea and needed a way to get young people exploring Seoul. We built a phone game based on our London Monopoly Run. Over 300 teams joined and sent in more than 3,000 photos from landmarks across the city. Their contingent lead told us we were "worthy of more than 5 stars". The second is the Blended Learning Chromebook programme at The Priory School: a £300k programme that gave 1,100 students their own Chromebook, delivered ahead of schedule and within budget. Dell Technologies showcased it nationally.
Founder credentials
CIPP/E (Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe), 2025
First-Class Honours BSc in Forensic Computing and Security, Bournemouth University
Placement year at GlaxoSmithKline as European Infrastructure Project Manager
PGCE; six years teaching GCSE and A Level Computer Science; Head of Faculty; Specialist Leader of Education
Google Certified Trainer; CEOP Ambassador; Youth Mental Health First Aider
CAA A2 CoC drone pilot, EC 785/2004 compliant insurance