Merixstudio

BACKGROUND

Could you please describe your company?

My company, Wiadomości Rolnicze Polska, is a Polish agricultural newspaper. We have print and online editions that provide the newest information for people in the agricultural market.

What is your role in the company?

I am a graphic designer in the company. I'm also responsible for any IT [information technology] projects that my firm undertakes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address when you approached Merixstudio?

We were trying to implement e-commerce applications onto our site. We wanted to create a web market for farmers, where they could buy and sell machinery. Our aim was to be more competitive with other machinery markets in Europe.

What was your process for selecting Merixstudio?

We sent offers to a few firms. After receiving responses from a couple of the companies, we chose Merixstudio because they had a good portfolio, and they offered us a good price.

SOLUTION

Can you talk about the scope of the project?

This project was our biggest undertaking since starting the newspaper. Merixstudio worked on the back end development of our website. The whole site was created on Drupal CMS [content management system], with advanced modules for ad categorization, filtering and positioning on listings. Merixstudio prepared script that is "translating" the structure of our database to databases in other web markets. Right now, we can import and export data to two outside sources.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative? 

The project in its entirety took about a year to complete. By the end of the project, the cost was around $8,000.

When was the project completed?

They delivered a working product to us in February 2015. Merixstudio is still providing us with some additional work around maintenance, bug fixes and additional features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

When working with Merixstudio, was there anything unique or special about them?

We worked with other firms that provide similar services to Merixstudio. Merixstudio is the most professional firm I've worked with. We had had some bad developers before we brought them on board, but Merixstudio did a great job completing the tasks we gave them.

Is there any area that they could improve upon or that you would do differently?  

Merixstudio provided exactly what we asked them to provide. I would probably have done some things differently. Right now, we are importing and exporting data to two databases that are similar. The problem is that our database has a different structure from the other databases. It would have been more cost efficient if we created a database structure identical to the others.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company is SoftwareONE. We are a global software portfolio management company. We support our customer base in more than 65 countries in all the aspects related to software licensing.

What is your position?

I'm the global enterprise content manager. I'm responsible for our public website and other areas related to enterprise content management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Merixstudio?

We decided to rebuild our public website. Our website was outdated, was not responsive and the message that the site conveyed about our company wasn't accurate. It was based on obsolete technology and hosted locally, so we had a hard time securing fast responses to clients in remote countries.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

When we approached them, we already had some graphical design work for the website. We asked Merixstudio to build the website using those designs. They studied the designs and offered suggestions on how to improve them. We then defined what the structure of our pages should be, what text we want on each page, what pictures we wanted. Once we approved of their plans, Merixstudio developed the site. We gave them a very strict timeline: the entire project had to be completed in not more than 60 calendar days.They built the site in four language – English, German, Spanish, and Portuguese – to support as many of our clients as possible. 

How did you come to work with Merixstudio?

We researched companies all around Europe. We reached out to 10 of those companies and discussed the project that we had in mind and our timeline: 60 days. Merixstudio was the only company that ensured us that they could make it happen. Other companies wanted to sacrifice quality for time, or rejected the timeline.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The size of the project is in the $10,000 to $50,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

The site launched in June 2015. Our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The response online time has been much faster since the launch of the new site. For example, our response time in India decreased from 15 seconds to 1.5 seconds. Everyone is happy with the look and feel and with the mobile support. In terms of unique visitors, we had 40,000 hits last month, averaging 4,000 per day. That is a significant increase.

How did Merixstudio perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a great job. We gave them a tight timeline, and they performed well under pressure. It required discipline from them and us in terms of communication, timely feedback, and timely reaction to feedback. It all worked very smoothly. Everything was delivered, and we didn't have any major issues. Of course, there were some minor corrections we were requesting, but that's normal.

What distinguishes Merixstudio from other providers?

Merixstudio was very flexible and open to our opinions. They worked very fast without compromising quality and stuck to tough deadlines.

Are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

At times, decisions were made too quickly. I, sometimes, wished they had taken a day or two to think things through instead of making quick decisions. That being said, the project was great, but it's easy to look back and say, "That wasn't the best idea."

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a strategic consultancy firm in Poland. We mainly advise young, family companies. Our company was also part of a European Union project, for which we created documents, such as books, manuals, and audiobooks, that advise young companies that can't afford to hire consultants.

What is your position and responsibilities?

I am the marketing and public relations lead of the firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Merixstudio?

We had a WordPress website that didn't work the way we wanted it to work. It was quite old, and we needed a developer to update and improve it. We also wanted to add a functionality that would allow businesses to register for our events directly on our site. We partnered with Merixstudio to help us improve our website.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Merixstudio was in charge of the complete rebuilding of our site. They helped us improve the design and the content of our WordPress website. They also added various admin abilities, so we can allow various authors and experts to post and publish content directly onto our site, which was not the case prior to the update. Merixstudio also advised us on SEO [search engine optimization] strategy and best practices when setting up the layout of the site.

How did you come to work with Merixstudio?

We got recommendations for various developers from business partners and colleagues. We did research on those companies and found that three of them had impressive portfolios. I wrote an offer statement describing our project and sent it to those companies. Merixstudio gave us a proposal for the project, and we thought it was really good. That's why we chose them, and I'm glad we did.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The size of the project was around $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was completed in March 2015, but Merixstudio is still maintaining the website and advising us on best practices.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I don't have any metrics to share at this time. The website is mostly for branding and representation purposes.

How did Merixstudio perform?

I am very satisfied with Merixstudio's performance. They did everything perfectly. I'd be happy to hire them again for future projects.

What distinguishes Merixstudio from other providers?

The Merixstudio team was very responsive and reliable throughout the whole project.

Are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

We were not always the first on the waiting list for them. As clients, we always want to be their number one priority, but that can't be the case for everyone.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a ceramic tile manufacturer from Poland.

What is your position?

I am the digital marketing manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Merixstudio?

Our website was outdated. We were looking to redesign it in order to represent our brand better. That's why we partnered with Merixstudio for the project.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Merixstudio created a responsive website for us using Drupal CMS [content management system]. Merixstudio was involved in creating five different versions of the website as our website is available in five different languages. We provided various mockups, statistical documentation and referral documentation as the original concept of the project. Merixstudio used those concepts to design, develop, and test the website. They have been fully responsible for all of the technical aspects of the project. Merixstudio has also created dedicated sites for our business partners, such as architects and suppliers.

How did you come to work with Merixstudio?

We had already approached Merixstudio in the past during one of our earlier projects. They made a really good impression on us, so we asked them to provide us with a concept and an offer for our new website. They had great idea for the project, so we chose them once again.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The size of the project is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project is completed. The website was launched more than a year ago [as of July 2015]. Since then, we have worked with Merixstudio on several other updates and additions to our website, so our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We mainly use the website for branding purposes. We do not have an e-commerce functionality built into the site, so we don't keep track of the traffic, but we are very pleased with the results of the project.

How did Merixstudio perform from a project management standpoint?

Merixstudio is an outstanding company. They provided us with great design and development skills. I really would recommend them. Overall, they are a fantastic supplier of IT [information technology] services.

Are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

I really can't think of anything that I would change. They are great. I would contract them again.

BACKGROUND

Could you please describe your company?

Our company is PESZKE S.C. We are a Poland-based producer of aviation products, including high-performance propellers, light sport airplanes, and gliders. Founded in 2007, the company focuses on the use of composite technology and aero structure design.

What is the role in the company?

I am the CEO and co-owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your business challenge when you approached Merixstudio?

We were trying to grow and expand as a company. We wanted to reach new markets and new customers by building two new websites for our company's two brands – PESZKE and GP Gliders.

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting Merixstudio?

We did online research and created a short list of companies. We chose Merixstudio because they had the best portfolio and Web presence. 

Can you talk about the scope of the project?

They did two projects for us. They built two websites for our company – PESZKE.com and GPGliders.com. We gave them the concept, and they took it from there. They were fully in charge of development, user interface, and user experience.

What was the size of the project?

The project cost us approximately $6,500 for both websites.

When was the project completed?

The project was completed in April 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Is there anything unique or special about Merixstudio?

Merixstudio is a very good, solid, and reliable company. They did great work for us and were very responsive. We are very happy with the websites they developed for us.

Is there any area upon which they could improve?  

They could improve on creativity and visual aspects of their work. I wish they would provide more options and different approaches to Web design.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Merixstudio is a great company. I definitely recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company is a textbook publisher.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I'm an instructional designer. I've been overseeing the production of digital resources and checking content that accompany secondary school and primary school textbooks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Merixstudio?

We needed digital resources to accompany math textbooks we were making for students ages 14 to 16. They had the capacity to make the type of flexible tools that we were looking for.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

We provided Merixstudio with our requirements. We wanted users to be able to edit the tools, so the tools had to be flexible. Merixstudio developed wireframes based on the concepts that we provided for them. They developed the tools using HTML5, CSS3, and SVG. They also worked on the frontend design and user experience.

What was your process for selecting Merixstudio?

We've done various projects with Merixstudio through the years. They're a trusted vendor.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

The cost of the project is confidential.

When was the work completed?

The project was completed in September 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics on the project?

The feedback from teachers is that they find them very useful. We've been lucky enough to sell a number of thousand copies, but I'm not sure of the specifics. The resources are provided as part of the textbook offering. We don't have any statistics on the digital resources themselves because they're packaged as part of the book.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

Yes. We are very satisfied with their performance. They have been very helpful. They've been responsive and communicative. Merixstudio has delivered exactly what we were looking for.

Is there anything unique or special about Merixstudio?

They're quite clear and specific in their questions. They look to understand the exact concept that you are looking to create. They make sure that they are as efficient as possible. It's a great partnership.

Is there any area that you think they could improve upon?

The working relationship was great. I can't see how our partnership would be better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company sells luxury home products. We are a pure e-commerce company. We work in Norway and are expanding into the Nordic region.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I'm the founder and managing director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Merixstudio?

We were looking for a developer to build a custom e-commerce platform for us.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

Once we settled on the exact concept that we wanted for the platform, Merixstudio developed, tested, and launched the platform. We took benchmark sites that were similar to the functionality that we wanted to have, and we used those platforms as the foundation for our platform. They built the platform using Magento.

What was your process for selecting Merixstudio?

I used to work in an IT [information technology] company. I called a former colleague of mine and asked him if he had done any projects with Eastern European companies. He gave us two recommendations, and we contacted both of them. After speaking with both companies, we chose Merixstudio.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

The size of the project was in the $20,000 to $50,000 range.

When was the work completed?

Our partnership with Merixstudio is ongoing. The project has been completed, but we are going a step further. We're relaunching the whole site in a different design with more plug-ins and different revenue and business models.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics on the project?

I do not have any metrics to share, but I can say that the speed of the platform is outstanding.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

I think Merixstudio performed well in terms of coding and back-end technology. They are very good at what they do.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Since we are a very small team, I was expecting them to be a bit more engaged and to offer more advice during the development process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a venture capital firm.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I'm the creative director of the firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Merixstudio?

Our website was outdated. We were looking for an update to represent our brand better.

Please describe the scope of their work.

Merixstudio was responsible for the majority of the project. We provided them with an original design. They implemented that design into the development of the website. They also did testing and some user interface and user experience work as well. We have a very complicated database in the back-end, so integrating that was a challenge, but Merixstudio did it without any issues. Once the website development was complete, we decided to alter the design a bit, and Merixstudio attended to those changes.

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting Merixstudio?

We knew that we wanted the website to be developed using Drupal. We reached out to our business contacts who had website development experience, and they recommended Merixstudio. We contacted them, and we liked the vision that they had for our site. That's why we chose to partner with Merixstudio for the project.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

The size of the project was in the $50,000 to $200,000 range.

When was the work completed?

The work was completed two years ago [as of June 2015].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics on the project?

We are a venture capital firm. We are not concerned with the amount of traffic that our website gets. We want our website to represent our firm accurately. The only metric we have is partner satisfaction within the firm, and they were very satisfied with the results of the project.

Is there anything unique or special about Merixstudio that really makes them stand out?

They were very responsive, whenever we needed them. The Merixstudio team added great insight on how to plan the website and make it as aesthetically appealing and user friendly as possible. They really cared about the success of the project and about our satisfaction as their client. We are very happy with our partnership with Merixstudio.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

I can't really think of anything that we would have done differently. The only difficulty was the time difference. There was a delay in communication, and it was difficult to communicate directly. We had to set up calls outside of traditional business hours, but it wasn't an issue. Overall, the project was very successful. We loved working with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our organization is the Juilliard School, a performing arts institution located in New York City.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am the chief technology officer of the school.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Merixstudio?

We were looking to build a new public events calendar that was integrated deeply into an online ticketing system.

Please describe the scope of their work.

Merixstudio wan involved in a complete end-to-end project. They took care of everything from the back-end to the front end of the calendar, using Django. This involved API [application programming interface] integration, user authentication functionalities, and single sign-on integration. They also integrated Spektrix, an e-commerce functionality, into the calendar that allows users to buy tickets through the platform. 

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting Merixstudio?

We put an ad on Drupal.org, and we received numerous responses. We reviewed them and short-listed a number of companies. Each company gave us a presentation on how they would proceed with our project, and Merixstudio presented the best solution.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

The size of the project was in the $10,000 to $50,000 range.

When was the work completed?

It was completed in October 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics from the project?

Since implementing the new calendar, we experienced a 25 percent increase in ticket sales and a 10 percent increase in traffic on our website.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

I thought the Merixstudio team was great. The new calendar has been very well received by the public and the people who use it on the back-end. They did a very good job. They're a very skilled group of developers. I enjoyed working with them.

What advice would you give to future clients of theirs?

I think Merixstudio is a great company. They are well organized. I think their clients would do well to be well organized as well. It also helps to have your work planned out before starting a new project.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

In the United States, we're used to working on a project until we're done. I found that the Merixstudio team only works during traditional business hours. That's not how we approach work here. I don't mean that as a serious criticism. I mean it more as a cultural quirk.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was updated on October 17th, 2019, by the client. The original star ratings were: Overall – 4, Quality – 5, Schedule – 3, Cost – 5, NPS – 5. New content is below.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Julliard is a New York-based performance school with three main divisions: music, dance, and drama. I’m Zhaodong Zheng, a senior web development specialist who manages some of the projects for our enterprise applications group. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Merixstudio?

When we first got in touch with Merixstudio, they helped us develop a custom event calendar to schedule our student’s recitals. It was a public-facing ticket selling platform that allowed audiences outside of campus to attend performances.

Since then, we’ve re-engaged Merixstudio to iterate on the solution through additional projects, integrating it with other internal systems. The most recent release was for a recital management system, which is an extension of the event calendar.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At Julliard, students are required to perform at least once to graduate, which amounts to over 300 events each year. We’ve partnered with Merixstudio to build a new recital management system that would help us stay on top of those requirements.

By facilitating the performance scheduling process, the system allows us to coordinate recital logistics between several internal departments, including the Concert Office, Registrar Office, and so on.

Students can also submit their recital materials, describing what they plan to perform during the event. The system will then automatically schedule for the performance to be recorded.

What is the team composition? 

On our current project, we have a project manager, 2–3 developers, and a tester. It’s a small but efficient team.

How did you come to work with Merixstudio?

Our CTO hired them before I started my role at Julliard.

How much have you invested with them?

I don’t have the overall amount that we’ve spent with them, but this current development phase has cost about $45,000 so far. We’ve spent more than that over these past few years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in 2014 and have just released the fourth build of the app. For the most recent version, their involvement started in May 2019. We plan to continue working with Merixstudio for the foreseeable future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the past, we’ve only been able to schedule a portion of our total yearly recitals due to the specific workflow requirements of each performance type. We anticipate that this upgrade will let us schedule 2–3 times as many performances this upcoming year.

Having just started the scheduling process a week ago, we’ve already received about 100 recital applicants on the first day of booking. End users have complimented the system, too, which we consider a success. 

How did Merixstudio perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve performed well on several fronts. In terms of cost estimates, they’ve been fairly accurate. We’re about to meet the minimum amount that they’d initially quoted at the beginning of the project, which is great for our budget. They’ve also had no problems sticking to our deadlines.

As for communication, they’re great about coordinating with us. Even though there’s a time difference, Merixstudio’s team is responsive to our needs. They typically fix urgent issues within a day of us reporting them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There are several advantages to working with them. Not only do they do high-quality custom work at a very good price, but they also have a versatile skill set. Their programmers are knowledgeable enough to handle whatever we throw at them. When they don’t know something, they’re willing to dive into a new area and learn to complete the task.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There have been some suggestions that we’ve made in the past about their scheduling and budget estimates. But, they’ve improved a lot since our last project. In the next development phase, I’d suggest that we put together an overall roadmap for the application so that we can discuss long-term goals.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
 
Rather than coming in with a strict idea of your solution, give Merixstudio’s team enough room to provide suggestions. I know that I’m not always familiar with the boundaries of a specific technology, so there might actually be a better solution that I haven’t thought of before. 

Instead, provide them with a high-level overview of your requirements. They’ll work toward gaining a strong understanding of your needs before developing the solution in an efficient and logical way.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company is Allegro Group, an online auction website based in Poland. We are the leading e-commerce company in Eastern and Central Europe. We provide consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sale services in various product categories.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I'm a product manager, and I'm responsible for developing and managing the digital products category at Allegro. The main product of the category is e-books.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Merixstudio?

We published "The Old Axolotl," an e-book novel by Jacek Dukaj, the fastest-selling science fiction author. The book is available exclusively through our website. We wanted to develop a large promotional campaign for the book and for our new product category – e-books. We needed a developer to help us with the online campaign. The idea was to create a landing page for the e-book that included a lot of illustrations from the book. The purpose of the landing page was purely promotional.

Please describe the scope of their work.

Merixstudio was part of a huge project. They developed the landing page in Polish and in English. Merixstudio created the concept of the website, prepared mockups, and designed the landing page. The site was made fully responsive and was developed using HTML5 and Parallax, a type of animation that gave the illustrations a more vivid look on the page. The landing page that was created was one of the greatest in the e-book market and maybe book market in general.

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting Merixstudio with which to work?

A colleague of mine recommended Merixstudio. Our company had partnered with them in previous projects. It was a good recommendation. I met with them, and they had good ideas on how to create the kind of site that we wanted.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

The size of the project is confidential, but it was one of the biggest book promotions in Poland. The whole campaign was huge, and it included many artists. It included book trailers that were featured in cinemas. 

When was the work completed?

The landing page went live on March 10, 2015. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

I didn't check the traffic on the landing page, but we sold more than 8,000 e-books during the first three weeks after the premiere. That's truly a record in Poland, where e-books are still in the early stages of development.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

I'm very pleased with Merixstudio's performance. They did great work. The animations were fantastic.

Is there anything unique or special about Merixstudio that really makes them stand out compared to other business partners?

Merixstudio is a great business partner. They are very professional and stuck to their deadlines. We didn't have any major problems. I don't even remember having any minor problems during this project.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

It's hard to tell. It is difficult to compare this project to any other because it was revolutionary. I can't think of anything. Well, they could make it cheaper or faster, but that's always the case.