500 Designs

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Principal CTO of Kaldway Technology Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

KTG provides executive CTO leadership for organizations that need more than a strategy deck — they need an accountable partner who stays on the work from day one through delivery. We embed at the executive level, own the technology agenda, and deliver measurable outcomes across the full lifecycle: diligence, modernization, compliance, AI readiness, and post-acquisition stabilization. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 Private equity firms and their portfolio companies. Healthcare and digital health organizations. Growth-stage and founder-led businesses. Any organization navigating technology complexity that requires executive-level ownership, not a vendor relationship. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 → 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 & 𝘌𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘊𝘛𝘖 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 — Board-grade technology leadership without full-time overhead. One accountable partner across strategy, architecture, and execution. → 𝘌𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 — CTO-led execution squads that implement the roadmap under full KTG ownership. We don't drop contractors and walk away — we stay accountable through delivery. → 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘋𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 — Diligence sprints in 15–30 days. Operator scorecards, risk heatmaps, and actionable red-flag memos built for PE cadence. → 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦-𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 — HIPAA, SOC 2, and GDPR controls architected from day one across code, infrastructure, and workflows. → 𝘈𝘐 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺 & 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 — Production-ready AI systems designed for auditability, governance, and scale. → 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦-𝘖𝘶𝘵 & 𝘛𝘚𝘈 𝘌𝘹𝘪𝘵 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 — Landing zones, identity baselines, and stabilization plans for post-acquisition transitions. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 The same CTO who briefs your board leads the embedded teams, owns the backlog, and stays accountable through execution. No inflated teams. No handoffs. No deliverables that stop at explanation. Founded in Orange County, California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire 500 Designs to accomplish?

• Branding
• Website
• Logos

SOLUTION

How did you find 500 Designs?

came highly recommended from a colleague

Why did you select 500 Designs over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from 500 Designs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Project Summary 500Design led the design and development of the Kaldway Technology Group website — a client-facing showcase for our AI consulting and CTO advisory practice.

The Challenge As a boutique technology consultancy, our website needed to communicate credibility, clarity, and sophistication to enterprise buyers — without feeling generic. We needed a partner who could translate our positioning into a visual identity that would hold up in high-stakes sales conversations.

What They Delivered Steve and the 500Design team came in with strong opinions and a clear process. They pushed back where the thinking needed sharpening, moved fast without cutting corners, and delivered a final product that genuinely reflects what KTG stands for. The design is clean, intentional, and lands the right tone.

Results The site launched on schedule. Client feedback since has been consistently positive — it reads as the work of a real firm. That credibility matters when you're in the room with decision-makers.

What Impressed Us Most The combination of aesthetic quality and strategic thinking. This isn't just a design shop that makes things look good — they understand why design decisions matter to a business. That alignment made the collaboration unusually smooth.

Any Improvements? Minor: earlier stakeholder alignment sessions would have shortened the feedback loop, but nothing material to the outcome.

Would You Recommend? Absolutely. If you're a professional services firm that needs a web presence that earns trust on first impression, 500Design is a strong choice.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The site launched on schedule with no post-launch revisions required — a rare outcome that reflected the quality of their process. Within the first month, we used the site in three enterprise sales conversations and received unsolicited positive comments from prospects about the quality and professionalism of our web presence. Pipeline credibility improved noticeably; the site no longer required explanation or apology in sales contexts.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

500Design ran a tight, well-structured engagement. Deliverables arrived on schedule at each milestone with no surprises. Steve was highly responsive — questions and feedback were typically addressed within the same business day. When we had late-stage input that required reworking elements, the team absorbed the change without friction and turned it around quickly. The overall process felt collaborative rather than transactional, which made the working relationship easy to maintain alongside a full client calendar.

What was your primary form of communication with 500 Designs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What sets 500Design apart is that they think like strategists, not just designers. Most agencies take your brief and execute it — Steve's team challenged our assumptions about positioning and pushed the work toward something more distinctive. They understood that a professional services website isn't just a portfolio; it's a sales tool that needs to earn trust in seconds. That strategic lens, combined with genuine design craft, is a combination that's harder to find than it should be.

Are there any areas for improvement or something 500 Designs could have done differently?

Nothing material. If I were to name anything, earlier alignment on the full sitemap before visual design began would have saved one round of structural feedback mid-process. A minor process note, not a complaint — the team handled it well when it came up.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP Sales and Marketing of Innovative Research

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a company that supplies researchers with raw materials for their basic research. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire 500 Designs to accomplish?

• New Website
• New Brand

SOLUTION

How did you find 500 Designs?

AI

Why did you select 500 Designs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from 500 Designs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We needed a new website and wanted to refresh our brand. We needed a company who understood where technology was headed, and could evaluate our SEO efforts so that we could continue to stand out from our competition. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have seen a rise in our Average Order Value after launch (4 months). Our brand is getting noticed by local prospects in the biotech space because of its modern and clean aestetic. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

There was a bit of a miscommunication on when items should have been finished / delivered. But they worked with us to make sure the site launch went smoothly, and the project was successful regardless. One thing to note is that they don't launch new sites on Fridays. 

What was your primary form of communication with 500 Designs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The people we worked with were smart, professional, honest, and kind. Culturally, this company is a fit with ours!

Are there any areas for improvement or something 500 Designs could have done differently?

I think they could be more specific when it comes to deadlines - especially when integrating new brands into new websites. But overall I was happy with the site and the implementation. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Brand Development & Marketing of Signs and Decal Corp

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Architectural Signage company specializing in glass and metal as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire 500 Designs to accomplish?

• Revamp website
• Clear creative direction
• More eyeballs on website

SOLUTION

How did you find 500 Designs?

Other

Why did you select 500 Designs over others?

Other

How many teammates from 500 Designs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We partnered with 500Design to revamp the Signs & Decal Corp. website, and the experience was smooth and collaborative from start to finish. Their team brought great creative direction and insight, helping us relaunch the site with a fresh look and clearer focus. Since going live, we’ve already noticed a boost in traffic and visibility. Highly recommend them to anyone looking to elevate their online presence.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Since launching the new website, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in site traffic and engagement. Our bounce rate dropped by over 30%, and time spent on key pages has significantly improved. We’ve also received more direct inquiries through our contact form and noticed improved visibility with potential clients and collaborators.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The 500Design team was organized, responsive, and kept the project moving on schedule. They delivered key items on time and were flexible when we needed to make adjustments. Communication was clear throughout, and they were quick to address any questions or feedback we had. Their professionalism and attention to detail made the process smooth and efficient.

What was your primary form of communication with 500 Designs?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What stood out most was their ability to balance creativity with strategy. 500Design didn’t just focus on making the site look good they really thought through how it would function and perform. Their team brought fresh ideas, listened to our input, and made it all feel easy and collaborative.

Are there any areas for improvement or something 500 Designs could have done differently?

Nope

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Freelancer of Marketing Consultant

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Marketing consultancy working with B2B tech/SaaS firms

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire 500 Designs to accomplish?

• Build a new website for a client

SOLUTION

How did you find 500 Designs?

Referral

Why did you select 500 Designs over others?

• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from 500 Designs were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The project included some initial brand evaluation and research, copywriting, web design and development. SEO also was part of the project. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

500 Designs has a thorough process for website creation, one of the best I've encountered in several years of doing this type work. They also use collaboration tools that make it easy to provide feedback and keep the process moving. Everyone on the team was easy and pleasant to work with, so it was an enjoyable project. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Clearly articulated process and steps. Deadlines were always met. 

What was your primary form of communication with 500 Designs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They're a team of solid professionals who followed a methodical process but demonstrated a lot of creativity in an industry that is very technical. They did their research, secured the client's input along the way, and executed with a lot of precision. I didn't have to worry about having a successful launch because I was confident it would be--they enabled that confidence.

Are there any areas for improvement or something 500 Designs could have done differently?

The project was successful, and both the client and I are happy as I acted as their internal point of contact and project manager. No complaints. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder and CEO of DABBA EATS

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

DABBA EATS is like having a home-cooked meal from your favorite local chef delivered straight to your door—no cooking required! We connect you with talented chefs in your community who whip up fresh, preservative-free meals, and we deliver them right to your doorstep.

Skip the kitchen and still enjoy something delicious and healthy. Think of us as your foodie matchmakers, making sure you always have something tasty, homemade, and ready to savor!

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire 500 Designs to accomplish?

• Design and flow of the website
• Understanding customers and market
• To make sure we are focused on target market and change things accordingly.

SOLUTION

How did you find 500 Designs?

Online Search

Why did you select 500 Designs over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from 500 Designs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The scope of work involves creating a comprehensive Figma design that is ready for both front-end and back-end development. This includes ensuring that all screens necessary for the application are covered and that they have the proper flow required for ordering, signing up, and other essential functionalities. The key deliverables of this project include:

• Detailed Wireframes: Create wireframes for each screen of the application, outlining the layout and placement of elements.
• High-Fidelity Designs: Develop high-fidelity designs based on the wireframes, incorporating colors, typography, and visual elements.
• Interactive Prototypes: Build interactive prototypes to demonstrate the user flow and functionality of the application.
• Design System: Establish a design system that includes components, styles, and guidelines for consistent design implementation.
• User Experience (UX) Considerations: Ensure that the design prioritizes user experience, with intuitive navigation and clear calls to action.
• Responsiveness: Design screens that are responsive and optimized for various devices and screen sizes.
• Feedback and Iteration: Incorporate feedback from stakeholders and conduct iterative design improvements as needed.
• Final Design Handoff: Provide the final Figma design files and assets to the development team for implementation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success include:

• Completion of Wireframes and Designs: The timely completion of wireframes and high-fidelity designs for all screens indicates progress in the design phase of the project.
• Interactive Prototypes: The development of interactive prototypes that accurately represent the user flow and functionality of the application demonstrates progress in visualizing the design concept.
• Design System Establishment: The creation and implementation of a design system with components and styles ensure consistency and efficiency in design implementation.
• User Research and understanding Market. 
• Implementation Feedback: Constructive feedback from developers on the feasibility and clarity of the design for implementation shows progress in collaboration between design and development teams.
• On-time Delivery: Meeting project milestones and deadlines indicates progress in project management and execution.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Timely and efficient. Nothing was delayed and team took great care of product and implemented feedbacks accordingly. 

What was your primary form of communication with 500 Designs?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Communication, efficiency, talent, creativity and involvement were the unique aspects and apart from that team went above and beyond to make sure the things were in place. Discussions and opinions were highly valuable. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something 500 Designs could have done differently?

Not really. I really enjoyed the experience of working with 500 Designs and would love to continue working further. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the marketing manager at Rebello’s Towing Services. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 500 Designs?
We hired 500 Designs to serve as our web design team and rebuild our website. Our goal was to increase our brand awareness, among others.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
We’ve had informative discovery calls. From there, we’ve proceeded to design and develop the website. Figma is one of the key technologies they use. 500 Designs is rebuilding the website while taking some aspects of what we currently have. It will be a completely different website once it’s launched. For features and functionality, our website will allow customers to upload their information onto a data sheet. That will be sent to us through our general website.
What is the team composition?
I work most frequently with three teammates, namely Alexia (Project Manager), Gabriella (Design Producer), and Fernando (Technical Project Manager).
How did you come to work with 500 Designs?
We found 500 Designs through Google.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent at least $35,000 so far.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our engagement started in July 2023, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
500 Designs has definitely exceeded my expectations. The whole process has been good. It’s taking a bit of time, but it’s only because there are many parts to what we’re trying to accomplish. Everything has been good from start to finish, and they’ve been a lot of help to us.
How did 500 Designs perform from a project management standpoint?
They’ve delivered tasks on time and within our budget, and the team has been outstanding. They’re using tools that I haven’t used before, and they’ve been super helpful. To communicate, we mainly use emails and Zoom.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their attention to detail is great. They’re thorough — their teammates take their time to get things done right. I highly appreciate that they’re not rushing the process. Instead, they ensure they execute the project properly.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, there weren’t any. I enjoy working with them.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be open to suggestions and willing to do the work. It’s time-consuming, and it can be overwhelming at times, but your outcome will be grand as long as you stay committed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m an executive at a self-storage software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with 500 Designs?
We needed a partner who could help with product and web design and development according to our vision while meeting our budget constraints.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
500 Designs helped us design and build our marketing website and other products for our software platform to increase the brand awareness of our company. Regarding the process, we started by having a discovery process where we sat down to discuss our goals and built a style guide for the design profiles so they could get a sense of what we were looking for. We also defined different personas and the emotions we wanted to evoke with our products and looked at user flows and other icons and graphics we would use throughout the platforms.

In addition to that, we implemented previews of our team members with links to their LinkedIn profiles and integrated Greenhouse to showcase our open positions.

In terms of tools, 500 Designs’ team used WordPress and Figma as their main platforms for this project.
What was the team composition?
We’ve worked with 3–6 members of 500 Designs’ team, including Stephen (CEO).
How did you come to work with 500 Designs?
We found 500 Designs through a Google search.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent $122,000 with them on this partnership.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from February–September 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
500 Designs work increased site traffic and brand awareness. Moreover, we got positive feedback on the platforms’ fresh, modern, and intuitive look and feel. Overall, the team exceeded our expectations.
How did 500 Designs perform from a project management standpoint?
500 Designs project management was great; the team was proactive and actively managed us, which we appreciated because it was easy to get lost in the timelines. Regarding tools and communication, we used Slack, Zoom, and Google Drive.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?
Stephen took ownership of the engagement.
What did you find most impressive about them?
500 Designs’ ability to take ownership of the outcome was impressive because they ensured that their work accomplished our needs and goals as a customer.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I didn’t think there was anything they could improve on.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be clear with your expectations so 500 Designs’ team can take care of the rest.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at a software company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a software company to builds solutions for self-storage facilities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire 500 Designs to accomplish?

• Design and build a marketing website
• Design our software platform

SOLUTION

How did you find 500 Designs?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select 500 Designs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fits our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from 500 Designs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We hired 500 Designs to design, build and deploy our company's first marketing website. We are currently working on a second engagement where they are designing the UI/UX of our entire software platform, from scratch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Delivering the website and UI/UX designs on schedule, and with the quality we were looking for.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

500 Designs assigned a project manager to our engagement, who ensured that we were making progress in line with the initial plan and constantly kept us informed of any risks that put the timeline in jeopardy.

What was your primary form of communication with 500 Designs?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They are very responsive and detail-oriented. They go over the allotted hours to ensure that our stakeholders were happy with their work. They are also extremely receptive to feedback and any requests for course corrections. Their CEO and team flew out to our office for a 2-day project kickoff, and I'm always able to get their CEO on the phone when needed.

Are there any areas for improvement or something 500 Designs could have done differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive of BAY Foundation Repair

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Crawl Space & Foundation Repair Contractor

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire 500 Designs to accomplish?

• Design New Logo
• Utilize Elements of Old Logo

SOLUTION

How did you find 500 Designs?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select 500 Designs over others?

• High ratings
• Other

What was the size of 500 Designs’s team?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

I had 500D redesign our logo, primarily to be high visibility, easy to read & attractive on our billboards & website. It was critical that the new design contain many of the same brand elements as our old logo. They stayed patient and helpful through several rounds of revisions. Very professional. I ended up getting more than expected.

The final deliverables package contained every file type of every configuration of the new logo, with several color options. I had worked with 500D on another large $50,000 design / branding / website project previously and chose to work with them again. I made the right call.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Long distance legibility
• Maintain brand elements

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were very prompt with communication from start to finish. We started and completed the project within 1 month. I had special requests and was always accommodated.

What was your primary form of communication with 500 Designs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I really liked their design process. They were able to capture my abstract initial vision better than I ever expected. They provided multiple design options at every stage of revisions and allowed me to steer the design towards my vision. The process enabled a great final product.

Are there any areas for improvement or something 500 Designs could have done differently?

No issues on this project. The lead project manager even went on vacation towards the end of the project and the project still closed out strong.