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Why One-Size-Fits-All Metadata Fails at Scale

Written by Michael Wilkinson | Sep 12, 2025 9:11:30 AM

Metadata is the foundation of every Digital Asset Management (DAM) system. It describes what an asset is, who can use it, when it expires, and how it should be applied in a project. At its best, metadata turns large libraries of content into searchable, usable resources that support business growth. 

But as DAM systems evolve within large enterprises, the volume of metadata can become unwieldy for most users. What begins as a manageable set of fields can expand to 100 or more. When every user is presented with this exhaustive range of metadata, it makes the DAM difficult to use, leading to inefficiencies and resistance to adoption. 

To address this issue CI HUB has developed a Dynamic Metadata Display feature to ensure users see only what they need. But before getting into the details, let’s take a deeper look at the issues facing teams today. 

In this post, we will explain the following:

The Challenges of Metadata Overload
Why Different Departments Need Different Metadata Views  
Dynamic Metadata Display: A More Focused Solution 
Benefits for Users
Adapting Your DAM to the Users
The Bottom line

The Challenges of Metadata Overload


Organizations that rely on large and complex DAM systems encounter recurring pain points when metadata is not tailored to user roles.
 

Information Overload 
Creative teams or marketers searching for assets may get lost within long panels of irrelevant fields, making the selection process more complicated than it needs to be.  

Training Requirements 
When all users have the same extensive set of fields, new team members must be trained not only on the DAM system itself but also on which fields they should pay attention to, and which can be ignored. 

Lost Productivity 
When all employees have to spend extra minutes finding the right asset or confirming the correct metadata values, the impact on project timelines compounds across the organization. 

Support Burden 
Enterprise IT and DAM administrators often report a steady flow of support tickets related to metadata confusion.  

These issues make it abundantly clear that a one-size-fits-all approach to metadata fails at scale. 

 

Why Different Departments Need Different Metadata Views


Metadata serves many functions across teams; a marketing team may use it to organize campaign and channel information, while legal may require accurate rights management fields. Designers need only a subset of technical metadata to ensure correct usage, while IT teams care about access, governance, and consistency.
 

When every department is forced to navigate the same metadata interface, none of them get the clarity they need. 

  • Marketing requires campaign tags, product categories, or regional distribution information. 
  • Legal prioritizes license details, expiration dates, and usage restrictions. 
  • Creative teams look for technical specifications such as file resolution or color profiles. 
  • Administrators need oversight across the system without adding unnecessary complexity for end users. 

These varied requirements mean that a universal user experience is impractical. 

Dynamic Metadata Display: A More Focused Solution


CI HUB has introduced the Dynamic Metadata Display feature to address this challenge. Instead of showing every available field to every user, this feature allows enterprises to configure role-based metadata views.
 

With Dynamic Metadata Display, the DAM interface adapts to each user. 

  • Role-based filtering: Metadata fields are displayed according to user role or department. 
  • Streamlined views: Large sets of over 100 fields can be reduced to 10 or 15 relevant ones. 
  • Simple configuration: Administrators define which fields are visible through an intuitive whitelist or blacklist in Corporate Central Control (CCC). 
  • Multiple group support: Users who belong to several groups, such as “Marketing” and “Legal,” automatically see both sets of relevant fields combined. 

This approach provides a clear and efficient experience for users while keeping configuration straightforward for administrators. 

 

Benefits for Users


For DAM users, the benefits are immediate and measurable.
 

  • Faster asset selection: Users spend less time searching among lists of metadata, and more time creating. 
  • Simplified onboarding: New employees can become productive immediately without tedious metadata training. 
  • Fewer mistakes: By presenting only relevant fields, the likelihood of choosing the wrong information is reduced. 
  • Higher adoption rates: Teams are more likely to use systems that feel simple and efficient. 

Dynamic Metadata Display makes the DAM system fit the way teams actually work, delivering only what they need, where they need it. 

Adapting Your DAM to the Users 


Making the change to a DAM system is a significant investment for any organization, so reducing the friction of use is essential for widespread adoption. With a Dynamic Metadata Display, users can now enjoy multiple experiences from a single DAM.
 

In practice, users will access their DAM assets through the CI HUB Connector Professional interface within their creative or productivity tool of choice. When searching by metadata, the Dynamic Metadata Display reduces the metadata visible to only what is necessary for their role, so they can focus on what matters to them! 

The Bottom line


With CI HUB’s Dynamic Metadata Display, customers can turn overwhelming metadata panels into focused, role-specific interfaces. This reduces complexity, accelerates workflows, and improves adoption across the organization.
 

Give your users personalized DAM experiences with CI HUB Pro Connector. 
Contact with our partner team to learn how to implement Dynamic Metadata Display and configure role-based metadata views through Corporate Central Control.