3 SIDED CUBE

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the platform manager at World Resources Institute. We are a global environmental nonprofit organization with offices around the world. I work in our forestry department, and more specifically, within that, on issues of forest and landscape restoration.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 3 SIDED CUBE?

We needed someone to help us with app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Prior to working with 3 SIDED CUBE, we spent about nine months building out a prototype for our app with another firm. When we put out our RFP to which 3 SIDED CUBE replied and ended up winning, we were starting already with a pretty solid concept and some general designs already. 

A lot of that changed quite a bit by working with them and flushing this out a little bit more. We developed the concept and built the app with 3 SIDED CUBE. They used React Native and built one source code that works for both iOS and Android. It was also made for the web.

It’s an app that is sort of like a dating site for reforestation. It allows those folks doing the reforestations to match with those organizations and companies that are looking to fund that kind of work.

One of the functionalities we have is a standardized form that both funders — groups looking to fund or invest in these projects — and project developers — who are the folks who implement it — have to fill out with different pieces of information. 

This is standardized so that every project developer is filling out the same information which makes it easy to compare projects to each other. The app as it stands now for the MVP that we just built, is really just focused on the matchmaking.

Throughout the course of development and in conversations, we are seeing that there is a lot of demand and potential to build this out to match other types of units of value, not just money for projects. 

The site is free but it’s not publicly available. All the functionalities are behind a registration wall, so we are vetting all of the groups that register on the site. The idea here is that by doing this vetting, we can make sure that the groups that are on there are real organizations and are really involved and invested in the reforestation space. 

A great feature is that instead of just allowing folks to put in their information and then going and searching, and putting on different filters, we use a little pretty simple matching algorithm between those so if someone is a funder and they put in, what we call a funding offer, they can put in a bunch of different factors. 

So, instead of having to go to the project page and seeing all the different filters and seeing what pops up, they can put in projects that match a certain funding offer so it will automatically apply all those filters and show the projects that have the best match. It allows funders to manage their type of portfolio.

What is the team composition?

It has been really great working with them. The specific team that we work with consists of Annette (Senior Project Manager) who I remain in contact with on a daily basis as well as a UX team member. 

We’ve also worked with one or two people from their design team. I’m not sure exactly how many because they were bringing on resources as needed, but there were a number of different people and one to two main leads for both the front- and backend development.

How did you come to work with 3 SIDED CUBE?

Within our forest department, there is another team that focuses primarily on the deforestation side of things and how to monitor the loss of forests. That team had already been working on a platform for about a year and a half, and they were working with 3 SIDED CUBE. 

Theirs was completely mobile so when they did their RFP they were looking for mobile-only developers who were very strong in the mobile space, and they landed on 3 SIDED CUBE. When we began our search, we went around to get a sense from the different teams of who they were working with, depending on the developer’s skill set and what we were trying to do, and 3 SIDED CUBE was one of those. 

It wasn’t a completely public RFP but we did invite six or seven organizations that either other teams within the company were already working with or just through some contacts that were recommended or found through a Google search. 3 SIDED CUBE was one of them, and, because one of our teams had already been working with them, we had a little bit of background on how it had gone.

How much have you invested in them?

So far, it’s pretty close to about $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed our contract with them in April 2019. The app, which is called TerraMatch, was launched in June 2020. Our main development contract with them has expired and we are now waiting for additional funding for continuous improvement, but we are still partnering with them for ongoing bug fixes and maintenance of the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

It has been a little over a month since launch. We really had no idea how much interest there would be in the site. We were anticipating maybe in the first month to get 50 or so users. We have about 250 users registered on the site now.

There has been a huge interest and influx from the ground, and we have about 30 or so different projects from those users that have come on. We haven’t had any matches yet and that is going to be our measure of success, but it’s still fairly new.

Another measure of success was when we built this, we understood the fragmentation in the space, but also we knew that there were hundreds or thousands of groups around the world doing this reforestation work, but they were so local and don’t have a big reputation. 

We built it with that in mind and of the 250 users that have signed up, I would say the majority of them are groups we have never heard of before; they are hyper-local. We essentially have reached the groups that we were hoping to be able to raise their voices and bring to the fore. On one aspect, that is a pretty good success metric.

How did 3 SIDED CUBE perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication with them is great. Our standard line of communication has been Slack, and we are on there all the time. They are based in the UK, so there is a bit of a time difference, but they are usually pretty responsive even in their evening when it is our afternoon. 

We have been able to really keep track of conversations through Slack and have a really good response and feedback that way. In terms of project management, Annette has been amazing. She is really organized, knows which folks on the team to pull in, and is knowledgeable enough about the technical aspects to be able to walk us through some them but also pull in the experts when needed. 

We have really enjoyed working with her. 3 SIDED CUBE was able to stay on the timeline or let us know enough in advance that there were delays and explain what the delays were and how they would impact our project timelines. 

They would then work with us to work around it if we had a specific deadline. The team went out of their way to build either a one-off view or different ways for us to be able to use it for our purposes while the site was being finalized. I have really positive feedback.

What did you find most impressive about them?

3 SIDED CUBE was really helpful in the early stages when it came to thinking through how to make some of the features that we really wanted to have on there as useful and intuitive to the user as possible. When we were doing the RFP, one of the things that made them stand out was that we had already developed our prototype, but when we did the RFP we actually didn’t share any of the prototype materials we had. 

We gave a written description of how we wanted the site to work. It was very detailed, but it was all just a narrative of how we wanted the site to work. Of all the responses we got from the different organizations and the different mock-ups of how this might look, 3 SIDED CUBE really got it. 

The folks on the team really understood what we were trying to do. They came back to us with a mock-up and even added some additional features in there that we hadn’t even thought of but have now been integrated into the final platform. We were just really impressed with their response to the RFP and they really seemed to understand what we were hoping to achieve with this.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I am a little newer to the arena of the product management and I don’t have a lot of experience to pull from in terms of what to expect for cost, but I think for us, a little bit better understanding of the cost for the ongoing maintenance of the site would be helpful. 

When we got to that point and we were going through it, I think the breakdown of what the cost would be per month was an estimate based on what they expected the use to be, and to us, it felt a little bit higher. We had a little bit of a negotiation and there is an opportunity to renegotiate that price once we have had a couple of months of maintenance to see what the demand is. 

It wasn’t very clear upfront about how that would work. Besides that, I’ve been extremely happy with it. 3 SIDED CUBE has gone above and beyond, sometimes doing more than what we paid them to do because they really want to help us. Overall, we are really satisfied.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an environmental platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 3 SIDED CUBE?

We needed an organization to help us build a mobile-based app. We brought them on board for their developers to get the job done.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

3 SIDED CUBE provided the resources to deliver our mobile app following our vision. At our request, they built an MVP for iOS. It’s an environmental platform that helps people to reduce their carbon footprints.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a full-time project manager and two full-time developers. We probably collaborated with 4–5 people in total.

How did you come to work with 3 SIDED CUBE?

We wanted to work with a partner that understood the environmental space. We initially searched under the banner of Tech for Good. 3 SIDED CUBE drives most of their marketing through that ethos. We brought them in for an initial discussion and liked their team. On the basis of that discussion, we asked them to provide a pitch. There wasn’t a problem with their pitch, it just wasn’t the product that we wanted at that point. We decided to take them on not for their idea but for their people.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $500,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The development occurred between October–December 2019. We retained the contractors that 3 SIDED CUBE brought on board for this project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Their team focused on delivering our vision. They worked at a quick pace to produce MVP. Since launching the app, we’ve had success with the platform.

How did 3 SIDED CUBE perform from a project management standpoint?

3 SIDED CUBE used JIRA to manage their work. They focused on the activity and organized their resources well, which kept the project on track. Their team followed an Agile methodology, helping us to deliver against our objectives. They responded to our feedback well. When we started, I didn’t bank on them being good project managers, so that was a bonus.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have talented, pragmatic people on their team. As friendly individuals, they fit into our team well. Their team was quite relaxed, so we could have conversions with them. They understood our position and helped us where we needed them to help.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They had a strong idea of what they wanted to deliver, which wasn’t always what we wanted to deliver. At some point, we put our foot down. To their credit, they took that on board and ran with it.

On occasion, 3 SIDED CUBE tried to push additional resources on us that we didn’t necessarily need. We had a particular desire to work with an agency to design the UX/UI, but they wanted to do that themselves.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Define their responsibilities clearly. Don’t let scope creep happen. For instance, we wanted them for development, not design. You can trust them and let them run with the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Head of Digital Excellence for ISupplyEnergy, a UK consumer energy supplier, owned by Vattenfall.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 3 SIDED CUBE?

To design a prototype for a mobile app.

What were your goals for this project?

To reduce cost to serve through improved self-serve functionality and to reduce churn through increased customer engagement.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched for app developers in the local area and further afield within the UK and invited our top choices to tender.

Describe the project in detail.

We began with initial discovery sessions, involving a range of stakeholders. User journeys were then identified and mapped out, along with a deep technical dive to facilitate a feasible prototype.

What was the team composition?

Project manager, front-end developers, back end developers, strategic and account relationship support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The prototype was successfully delivered within agreed timelines, meeting and surpassing internal expectations, allowing us sign-off to proceed with the build phase.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow and communication between the teams was excellent and personally I always had access and time to discuss anything I required with any of the team members, who were always open and enthusiastic, demonstrating a high level of domain knowledge.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have enthusiasm, deliver at a steady pace, and are an all-around great team of people to work with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I experienced.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the transport innovation manager at Coventry City Council, which is a city council in the United Kingdom.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 3 SIDED CUBE?

I wanted to develop a mobile application related to transportation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

3 SIDED CUBE developed a bespoke transportation app for partially sighted, color blind, and blind people. We provided specifications for the app’s look and then they designed the product from scratch. Their team developed the app on an Android platform with the intention of developing the product for iOS too.

They integrated the product with our existing infrastructure to help pedestrians. The app gives indications to users at crossing facilities where there weren't traffic lights, which supplements the need for a normal pedestrian crossing with traffic lights.

The platform gives pedestrians information when a vehicle stopped and it’s safe to cross. It also gives them an indication when it’s not safe to cross as well as when it’s safe to cross with precaution.

What is the team composition?

There were six people from 3 SIDED CUBE on this project. Our main design brief was with Sophia (Senior Project Manager) and the other people on the project were app developers and software writers.

How did you come to work with 3 SIDED CUBE?

It was difficult to find an agency to solve this challenge for us. 3 SIDED CUBE’s based in the same town as our main supplier of traffic signals, which came across their team and recommended them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about £8,000 pounds (approximately $10,000 USD) on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between February–November 2019. I plan to engage them again and would recommend them to anyone.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our funding for future development relied on responses from a small group of initial users who gave us positive feedback. The results were good. One of the initial users was blind and wasn’t sure if they wanted to use the platform but asked to try it. After using the app for an hour, the user came back to us and said that they wanted it that day.

How did 3 SIDED CUBE perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team met all of the deadlines, so their project management was excellent. At every opportunity, they held meetings with us and the end user to develop the product to its fullest potential. Their targets were met within budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

This was an idea that had never been approved. We had stakeholders that weren’t comfortable with the development because it had safety implications. 3 SIDED CUBE took on the challenge and nailed it. They provided excellent services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Any improvements will come with new development projects. I found their acceptance of new challenges and ideas interesting. I wouldn’t change anything except giving them more challenges and seeing how they perform with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open with them. If you don’t have a specification, they’ll assist you. I highly recommend them to anyone in need of an app developer.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of Polytag Limited. Our company has developed a tag-and-trace technology for packaging materials, principally plastics. We can tag-and-trace most material substrates for the recycling infrastructure. Our technology enables brand owners to follow their products through the whole supply chain, allowing a circular economy for packaging and also mitigating exposure to their extended producer responsibilities. We’re also trying to create a near frictionless deposit-return program for plastic bottles throughout the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 3 SIDED CUBE?

We were looking to develop an interface with our fixed assets. We have a marketing technology that deploys to manufacturing facilities with an API link. Every product has a code that’s stored in the cloud after being retrieved. We wanted an app element to allow consumers to scan those unique codes from bottles; the codes then pair with manufacturing data, allowing the product owners to see what the product location is, how long it’s been in cycle, and what the consumer habits are. When the consumer sticks the bottle into a recycling box, our in-house systems detect it and give the consumer their deposit back while also informing the manufacturer, should they wish to procure it and turn it into more plastic bottles. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

3 SIDED CUBE developed an app that interfaces with a cloud infrastructure and three API positions. The app allows consumers to scan unique codes and gives them instructions on how to recycle their products. Each product has unique instructions for recycling, like removing the cap or the closure, or taking labels off. Secondly, the app provides insights for brand owners to understand the mitigation of their extended producer responsibility (EPR). They can see all of the information provided back to them from recycling facilities and consumers. 

3 SIDED CUBE also developed an app for our scanner, which is used with bottles coming back for recycling.

What is the team composition?

We went for a full-immersion meeting in the beginning, with eight 3 SIDED CUBE members present. We were then assigned a project manager, whom I believe had 2–3 people reporting to them.

How did you come to work with 3 SIDED CUBE?

We knew of Clutch as a website that rated organizations for their tech capabilities within this field. I believe we used Clutch’s Project Matchmaking feature; I basically ticked off boxes indicating our requirements and budget, and the platform presented several companies. I read their overviews on the website. Clutch is fabulous. I found it very informative, helpful, and easy to navigate.

We asked for quotes from three companies. The two that got back to us were 3 SIDED CUBE and an organization from Manchester. I didn’t get a good feeling from the Manchester-based vendor, even though it would’ve been much easier logistically for us to work with them. 3 SIDED CUBE was just fantastic in terms of their attention to detail and responsiveness to questions. Also, everyone within the team understood our brief straight away.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first engagement was at the end of May 2019, and the project started in early-June. We went to commission-based work in October of that year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The main impact for us came from the consumer-facing app that 3 SIDED CUBE developed. We did a 50-household trial of the technology just outside of Liverpool, in an area called The Wirral. We gave 50 households a phone with the Android app developed by 3 SIDED CUBE, and we provided serialized bottles to use and scan.

We’ll have a press release with the results next week. The amount of data we received was unbelievable. We collated that data into a very robust report. People said the app was easy to use and very informative on what the different types of packaging were and what could and couldn’t be recycled. The app was very well received.

How did 3 SIDED CUBE perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management side of it was fantastic. 3 SIDED CUBE kept us informed all the way through, and I was absolutely delighted with the output we had from them. They were outstanding, and I couldn’t have asked for better. 

We worked on Basecamp, which was very good. Everyone involved in the process, from our side and theirs — app designers, graphic designers, and tech people — were all on Basecamp and could update it accordingly. We used Gannt charts that were followed through, and the program was maintained constantly. They didn’t slip on anything. They were very informative, and we could pick up the phone and have a chat any time of the day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

All good businesses start with top-tiered management. Rich (Managing Director) is a proactive, forward-thinking, embracing leader of that company, and that permeates all the way down to everybody within the organization. They have a positive mindset and creative, out-of-the-box thinking. 

Initially, what impressed me the most was the engagement of senior management. They do a lot of projects that are bigger than ours, but the managing director and the senior management team all give the same amount of detail to every project that comes through their door. They aligned with us on the point of only doing tech for good, which is what our project was all about; it quickly became apparent to me that this wasn’t just about the project or the money for them. Of course, they have to make money, but they were totally and utterly involved in this project and believed in it. Once there’s belief in a project, it’s so much easier, and they all embraced what we were trying to do, which is to manage plastics for the better and in a more informed manner. Their approach to the business, clients, and customer service was second to none.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Very rarely in 20 years of business have I ever been in the position of having no complaints or constructive elements. We learned a lot from 3 SIDED CUBE, and I wish them all the best. They have a fantastic, proactive, and focused business, and they deserve all the work they get. They’re certainly the best agency I’ve come across in the UK.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

To anyone looking to work with 3 SIDED CUBE, I’d say they’ve made the right decision and that they’ve invested wisely in an agency that will deliver and go beyond their expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Itsu is a British chain of East Asian-inspired fast food shops and restaurants and a grocery company. I was the Senior Group Digital Manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chelsea Apps?

We engaged Chelsea Apps in a design sprint, prototype and design of a new loyalty-based app.

What were your goals for this project?

We were aiming to launch a loyalty app that stood out from the crowded loyalty space (it needed a WOW factor). We also needed a new marketing vehicle to reach customers digitally: one that would not only engage our customers and improve the in-store experience, but would also allow us to build and deliver offers and comms based on individuals needs to drive visit frequency.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I searched online and within my network for a range of app developers and services - from established companies to startups and even out-of-the box solutions. I initially compiled a list of over 15 solutions and then shortlisted to 6 agencies whom I had a call with before meeting them face to face with some members of the senior leadership team. We chose Chelsea Apps based on their culture fit, experience, cost for value as well as their design process. The latter was the most important factor as we had a very particular way of working and also needed to move quite quickly.

Describe the project in detail.

We started with an intense 5-day sprint which involved the teams from Itsu and Chelsea Apps, working through a design process from understanding what we truly wanted to get out of this project through to developing a testable prototype to gather customer feedback. We came up with nearly 200 + ideas which we then narrowed down to a compelling offering to meet the initial goal that was set out. During the sprint, Chelsea Apps built two prototypes; one of those prototypes was a fully interactive Augmented Reality app (which gave the wow factor), and the other was a gamified loyalty app (which drives engagement and visit frequency).

What was the team composition?

We had a Project Manager, Creative lead, 2 Designers/UX, and a developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We ran through an intensive day of testing both major elements of the prototype in-store with real customers, including the Augmented Reality element which was extremely well received.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Chelsea Apps were very responsive throughout the whole process and always worked to ensure that deadlines were achieved. The intensive design sprint meant that we were very quickly working as one team and had real-time feedback on ideas and designs. You'd have to be very effective to go from ideation through to prototyping not one but two designs in the space of five days!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was very impressed by the team as a whole - they're a great bunch! Chelsea apps were highly knowledgeable, nimble and collaborative. They were clearly experienced in app development, user experience and really wanted to help us build a solution that customers really love. Throughout the process, their user-centric ethos really shone through. The team always gave constructive challenges, working hard to get to the heart of the problem, not just delivering against what we think we want at the expense of the customer. Moreover, the prototypes which were delivered at the end of the five days were high quality and beautifully aligned to our brand. They were much higher than what you'd expect to be developed within this very short time frame. Our customers were really impressed with the result. I would definitely love the opportunity to work with the team again in the future.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We didn't progress to development due to an internal change in direction. However, I was very satisfied with their work throughout the whole process and we ended up with two beautiful prototypes. Chelsea Apps were great at project management, accommodating, thorough and also knew how to crack a few laughs which is always a bonus. Keep up the incredible work!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Human is a Customer Feedback specialist, that works behind the screens for some of the biggest consumer servicing businesses. I am the CTO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chelsea Apps?

Our clients have a demand for a 360 view on feedback from every customer touchpoint, one of the areas that we lacked a solution was within our customer's own application. We need an SDK that could be easily inserted into our customers own mobile app

What were your goals for this project?

The goal of the project was to give our customers a simple way to add our customer servicing feature sets into their own apps. Key to this was to build an SDK that other development teams could easily understand and feel comfortable to add into their own codebase.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had a competitive pitch process that started with 6 agencies, at each stage, Chelsea Apps showed a deep technical understanding of our requirements, but more importantly, really challenged us to think about what we were delivering to our customers, that combined on their understanding that we needed to win over developers made the choice to select them much easier.

Describe the project in detail.

We wanted an SDK that could be embedded into iOS and Android apps. The app needed to be cooled via a single line that would pass the styles of the customer app, with the ID of the survey. The app needed to be as small as possible to prevent bloating client applications. Survey data would then be syncronised with our online services. Chelsea Apps were responsible for the technical architecture and creation of the SDK as well as comprehensive

What was the team composition?

We had a Project Manager, a technical lead architect, and 2 iOS and 2 Android developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We're in the early days, but we've had 3 clients sign up to use the SDK and 2 of those clients are releasing updates to there own apps in the next month, so we're excited to see the user feedback, but the developer feedback so far has been great.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Super effective communication and workflow been both our teams, we used a slack channel for most instant coms and then a weekly stand up to deal with any bigger issues. Their dev team work well with our technical team and in general a pretty painless experience

What did you find most impressive about this company?

So many things with this team, from their clear coms, attention to detail and just sheer passion to build great products. Nice guys too.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Having worked with a lot of other agencies, I think Chelsea Apps gets it right.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder and CEO of a new Digital First Retail company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chelsea Apps ?

To help research, develop and build the entire front end of our mobile-ready website from concept to completion, including full research sprints, market analysis, user testing, and the development, design and building of the front end functionality and machine learning capabilities

What were your goals for this project?

To produce a mobile ready website to re imagine and re engineer the way consumers think about their weekly grocery shop

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Word of mouth after an extensive amount of research coupled with their (and their partner company's) backlog of disruptive and original technology builds. They were also engaged, insightful and very helpful from my very first meeting with them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

To help with the full design and delivery of a new consumer concept to enable my company to try to disrupt the UK grocery market and change consumers ingrained habits when it came to their weekly shop. Chelsea Apps were heavily involved from day one, helping o conceptualize and and focus in on both the problem and the potential solutions as part of a 3 day research sprint, They were involved in the market research that lead to many of our insights and led the process in designing and building the front end solution including the initial AI capabilities.

What was the team composition?

Aside from our own team, Chelsea Apps had their full end to end team involved at every stage of the process ensuring everyone was aware of exactly what we were trying to achieve, from project leader, designer, researcher and developer. A very cohesive and therefore efficient process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The have been at the center of our core asset, helping to turn the concept into a reality.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was very effective. A lead project manager from each side in constant communication with very clear targets and deliverables at every stage of the process outlined and delivered by Chelsea Apps

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Not just their professionalism, but their full engagement with the project. They believed in what we were trying to achieve, which helped enormously.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They are a relatively small outfit, but make up for it in energy, drive, and vision. Any improvements will come as a function of their deserved growth as a business.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CEO of Filter. We are a family of digital experts, helping the brands we work with to transform and thrive. Straddling business, people and technology to architect scaleable digital solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 3 SIDED CUBE?

We were responsible for defining a Mobile App brief for a client and were tasked with running their RFP process. Post launch we were responsible for supporting the successful delivery of the application, managing various integrations across multiple digital touch-points.

What were your goals for this project?

To deliver a market leading customer application, providing a best in market experience, to drive deeper and more meaningful relationships to encourage frequency of visit.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Comprehensive RFP process, including multiple immersion and pitch phases. 3 Sided Cube competed against a number of first rate application providers.

Describe the project in detail.

Location-based customer application, allowing for the management of profile information, booking of appointments and access to advice.

What was the team composition?

Access to senior members of the team from a client management perspective, plus dedicated project manager, design and development resource.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Very successful project, delivered on time and to budget, achieving set performance objectives. Continuous improvement cycles are planned to further develop functionality.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent workflow, following agile methodologies and sprint cycles, with daily stand-ups, supplemented with regular face to face meetings and real-time slack messaging.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

3 SIDED CUBE is full of passion and truly cares, with exacting standards of delivery and relationship management.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are no obvious areas within the service offering that could have been improved.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics is a global cosmetics retailer. My position focuses on technology research and development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 3 SIDED CUBE?

We hired 3 SIDED CUBE for a series of smaller engagements on various mobile applications, rather than just one continuous project. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

3 SIDED CUBE builds all our products from scratch. They are involved all the way from design to build. All of our apps are native for both iOS and Android. They also support QA and the final delivery to the App Store and Google Play. 

One mobile app they developed for us was a media player called Lush Player, which offers customers a way to watch our video and audio content. Lush Lens is a camera application we built together. They've worked on other internal, conceptual projects that never actually made it to our customers.

In addition to development, they provide design and UX work. Our team mostly handles the backend development, but they've provided a small amount of support when needed. They also offer us general strategy advice. 

What is the team composition? 

The projects varied in size, but roughly five people worked with us each time we had an engagement. The roles typically included a project manager, an overall account lead, a designer, a QA tester, and a developer for iOS and Android.

How did you come to work with 3 SIDED CUBE?

I've known the owner historically. 3 SIDED CUBE is a local agency for us in the U.K., so they were familiar to me. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent in the region of $50,000–$80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around September 2017. Our relationship is ongoing. We don't have any active work right now, but we use them whenever we need on an ad-hoc basis. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

3 SIDED CUBE has always been superb to work with due to their flexibility and enthusiasm.  They quickly react to our ever-changing needs. The team is dynamic, and we enjoy their fresh mindset and approach. From a personality perspective, we get along very well which is important to us. They thoroughly understand our business, and we've had a great experience with them.

How did 3 SIDED CUBE perform from a project management standpoint?

They offer strong overall account and relationship management. From a project point of view, they have talented producers and managers on their team who communicate effectively. 3 SIDED CUBE can achieve challenges of any sort. The team always finishes tasks quickly. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Compared to other providers, they're small enough that we can engage with them quite quickly. They're reactive and take an agile, hands-on approach. Unlike dealing with a massive agency, it never takes a long time to start an engagement. They focus on rapid prototyping rather than using a lengthy design and specifications process before producing results.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their team could be stronger on the design front, perhaps. They're very skilled at development, but could always build out more design capability.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I suggest going into a partnership with 3 SIDED CUBE with an idea that you want to test quickly. They're a great agency to help you validate your concept and produce a prototype you can try out fast. If you want to make a product larger in scale, they're also a good choice to work with. Rapid prototyping is where they truly excel.