Adchitects

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Apollo Scooters. We design, produce, import, and distribute electric scooters.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adchitects?

We were looking for a partner that could help us design an e-commerce site that could be, ultimately, more in line with our brand — we wanted to be perceived as a technology company.

We also needed a website that could improve our conversion rate because we were using a pretty standard, template-based site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The range of services that Adchitects provided us was broad. In the early stages, they helped us with conceptualization and consulting to understand what we wanted. The second phase was around planning, project managing, mapping the site out, and defining the project deadlines and requirements.

After that, we dove pretty quickly into the UI/UX design part of the project. They worked behind the scenes to code everything and prepare for launch. Adchitects also remained available after launch — it was a pretty big and comprehensive project from start to finish.

The site was built on the Shopify platform, so we’ve been using the Shopify app to manage the content.

What is the team composition?

Rafał (Head of Service Delivery) was the project manager. He and I had periodic check-ins. Whenever we reached a milestone, he invited his designers, UX consultants, and developers to discuss the key concepts and challenges.

However, for the most part, Rafał managed the team on his end and just presented me with updates and progress status reports.

How did you come to work with Adchitects?

I was indirectly involved in another project that they had done for the previous company I worked for. I had a glimpse and visibility into how they worked, how they managed the project, and what kind of work they were able to deliver — I was left with an incredibly positive impression of them.

When this opportunity came, Adchitects was in the back of my mind already. Their rates were quite competitive considering that they’re based in Europe, so I saw a good price–quality ratio in them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2020, and the site was launched in May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within two weeks of launching our site, we saw a 25% increase in online sales — that result was largely attributed to the great work that Adchitects did. The website looks much more professional now.

How did Adchitects perform from a project management standpoint?

We used ClickUp for the most part of the project management. Everything was contained and managed using that tool, including the distribution and review of work and the communication. We also sent occasional emails when needed, and they used InVision to preview graphic design work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Adchitects was able to take the brand attributes that we brought them on and delivered a website that better reflected who we were and who we wanted to become as a company. They were one of the best UX designers and developers I’ve worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Every time I’ve worked with Adchitects, my experience has been incredibly positive. However, I wish they could dedicate more time to us and have a team double the size of the current team. 

We’ve increased the scope of the project, and we’re going to require their full services. They’re probably managing their own growth, and I hope that, when we start working with them again on the increased scope, they’re able to grow in size to match our necessities.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

A lot of companies hesitate to work with foreign vendors. It’s easy to have a first impression that doesn’t reflect what they can offer. Don’t be afraid of the time, language, or cultural barriers — they have some of the finest talents in the world, and anyone would be lucky to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work as the recruitment manager for Lingocruit, which is a multilingual recruitment agency targeting recruitment opportunities for jobs abroad.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adchitects?

We were fully rebranding Lingocruit. We were also rebuilding a new website and also connecting the website to our brand-new recruitment software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Adchitects did everything. I’m not a technical person, so for me, this was a brand-new process. We asked them to come up with some suggestions on branding, the new logo, coloring, and everything that had to do with that. 

Eventually, we were very happy with the results, and from there they started to build our new website on WordPress with all the different features that we wanted to have as well as all the job openings.

We had to sync it from the backend on our end as well. It was a close collaboration. We wanted it to land properly in the backend of the recruitment software.

What is the team composition?

I work with two people including the project manager, and I also worked with someone who did most of the development work and all of the coding for the website.

How did you come to work with Adchitects?

The decision wasn’t mine, to begin with. I know that we have had previous collaborations with them, and we were very happy with that. I assume that is the reason we chose to continue with them for this project as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in March 2020, and the work is ongoing. The website is live, but we’re still working on some troubleshooting with some remaining features that are still to be implemented.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

First and foremost, the biggest thing is that we can now offer our candidates and our applicants so much more on our new website. All the features have enabled us to post all the blogs and previous stories. 

We didn’t have the opportunity to do that on our old website because it was linked to our current recruitment software whereas this is a brand-new one that we integrated with the new software. Adchitects has brought all of our dreams to life. 

We have heard great feedback from our clients and also candidates who we have been in contact with along this process. They saw the old version, and now they’ve seen the new one, which has had very positive reviews. We have also noticed an increase in traffic.

How did Adchitects perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management has worked very well. We communicated a lot via Trello. It was easier for me to follow and upload the things that I wanted them to take another look at.

If things didn’t work the way I expected them to, they would take another look at it, and I could follow the progress from there, which is something that I really liked. 

It created a great overview of what they’re currently working on and what is still continuing to be worked on, as well as what has been completed, so I can double-check it from my end. 

They always ask me to verify things after they fix an issue. They inform me about it via email and ask me to double-check. We’ve also had a lot of video calls with screen sharing. The team was dedicated, putting in long hours to make sure that the website was done on time, even at night. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Since I’m not a technical person, they did a great job of explaining how it all worked and how it was connected, so that I could understand what I needed to do from my side when implementing the work was good. I still don’t understand it all, but I understand a lot more now. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was a lot of back and forth, and, at some points, I felt that the communication wasn’t really something that concerned me so I could be excluded from some emails. 

Adchitects always cc’s everyone on every email, and I understand the reason why they do that, but they could maybe exclude me when it’s not something directly related to my work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on what you want, and they will let you know what is possible and what isn’t, as well as what could take a bit longer. Just be clear and they will be able to help you out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We run a social media platform that allows creators to connect with their fans and monetize their fanbase through paid subscriptions for exclusive content. I’m the CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adchitects?

We needed help with website coding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Adchitects is developing our platform in React and Firebase. We had an initial workshop to discuss functionalities, and we provided them the full design. We answered all their questions and created documentation, after which they started coding.

What is the team composition?

I’ve been in communication with 4–5 teammates, but I think that there are more people involved in the project, including QA resources.

How did you come to work with Adchitects?

I had worked with one of their project managers at another company. I’d seen some of Adchitects’ websites, and they looked pretty good.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost so far is $39,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Adchitects in May 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform is live, and people are signing up and using it without any problems. There were some bugs, but it’s normal in these projects. We got 700 users in the first week, without hearing any complaints.

How did Adchitects perform from a project management standpoint?

We work in sprints, and they’re sticking to the timeline. We’ve had 1–2 delays, but the overall project is going well. The communication is good, but that may be because I know their project manager closely.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I made some change requests during the project, and Adchitects was okay with them. I’ve worked in software houses myself, and I know that programmers really don’t like change requests, but everything has gone well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything has been going well.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to have a clear vision of the project and answer all their questions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a text to speech provider: https://listencat.com/.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adchitects?

We were looking for someone to build out a WordPress plugin.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided specific requirements, UI sketches, and functional diagrams. They built the WordPress plugin for us.

The purpose of the plugin is to allow blogs and publishers to add audio versions of their content in natural-sounding voices.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a project manager and a developer.

How did you come to work with Adchitects?

Adchitects came highly recommended, so I reached out to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent than €10,000 (approximately $12,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April–July 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have had extremely positive feedback and are very satisfied with the work Adchitects did.

How did Adchitects perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Trello for updates. It was a smooth process and communication was great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are detail-oriented and communicative to help avoid misunderstandings. It was a pleasure working with Adchitects.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Plan, and describe the project in detail for the best success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for a life sciences company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adchitects?

We needed a website built within a tight timeframe. We were looking for a team to guide us through the project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided the requirements and expectations we had. Adchitects did backend development and frontend design, creating a new website for us. They built it on WordPress. They created a simple website, easily maintained by us.

They stayed close to our brand image, but it is a stand-alone site. They built the product on a test site before launching on a live site, where they did additional testing.

What is the team composition?

The project manager was my main contact. There were several team members who I didn’t interact with, but I did work with their UI specialist and a programmer.

How did you come to work with Adchitects?

We considered several companies. I liked the clarity they provided regarding tools, including content documentation, progress tracking, and the ability to see visuals and provide feedback.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was running the project solo and was concerned that I would have to chase after them to fix bugs or make changes. Adchitects did a great job and provided peace of mind for me. They were well worth the cost.

How did Adchitects perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was clear and simple. We used Trello, and they delivered on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They internalized the brief. Their experience in development enabled them to meet our needs and expectations. I appreciated their input, such as suggestions about layouts.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, no that I can think of. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly state your requirements and objectives. They are good at communication, which is key to a successful project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the publisher and creative director of a nonprofit publisher called Happyluja. We made a breast cancer book. It's essentially an art project that will benefit a variety of breast cancer organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adchitects?

We wanted a platform to present our art project in a clean and simple way. Basically, we wanted to build a website that focused on driving the sale of this one item.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Adchitects set up a website for our project on WordPress and created a shop function. On the platform, they represented each of the more than 80 different illustrators who created art for this book. Their team built a gallery of the collaborators where users can see their art and read about them. Their team also included links to the illustrators’ portfolios. They also featured the project’s general information such as our manifesto. Their team did design work too using elements from our book such as icons and clickers.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 3–4 people from Adchitects. I had one contact, Tobiasz (Project Manager).

How did you come to work with Adchitects?

I found them through Clutch and read their reviews. I liked their visual language, which was fun and poppy. For example, their email signatures were stylish. Since our book’s an art book, I wanted a partner that aligned with our style.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $11,000–$12,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on this project in June and wrapped it up in September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They nicely packaged all of the project's information on the website. It feels like a small site but offers a lot of content. We haven’t promoted our book through the website yet because we haven’t released it. However, they delivered what we discussed at the beginning of the engagement. I’m happy with the website.

How did Adchitects perform from a project management standpoint?

They set up the project in Trello, which helped us to communicate. We also had phone calls and Zoom calls. I could communicate with their team, comment on items, and review their progress. The project was well-organized, so no tasks fell through the cracks. I had a lot of questions, and they answered them well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I love their design sentiment, language, and sense of style. They’re also a nice team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was happy with the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

In general, it’s helpful to plan a project and know what you want. Then, find a way to communicate your ideas to your partner. The initial communication and presentation of your ideas are important.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work as first-line support at Huddly. We make video conferencing cameras for small and medium-sized conferencing rooms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adchitects?

We were looking to renew our support page with all of the FAQ articles that we had. It didn’t look nice, so we wanted to revamp it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave Adchitects wireframes, images, and color codes, and they built out the page from scratch, keeping in line with the design that we have on our main page today. For example, they kept the same footer. It’s a WordPress website. 

What is the team composition?

We initially talked with Kuba (CEO & Co-Founder), and then they gave us a project manager. At some point, we also received a new project manager. We generally interacted with 2–3 teammates regularly. 

How did you come to work with Adchitects?

I googled companies that did WordPress development. We wanted someone we could work well with us and understood what we were looking for. Adchitects popped up, and they had a good proposition and seemed to understand us, which is why we chose them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around €15,000 (approximately $17,500 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We contacted them towards the end of February 2020, and the work began in March 2020. The website launched in September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Adchitects was very easy to work with. They sorted out any issues very quickly, and they had a good response time. When we launched a couple of weeks ago, we found some things that weren’t working as they should’ve, and the team sorted that out very quickly and made sure that Google Analytics was integrated. 

How did Adchitects perform from a project management standpoint?

They had a really good structure, and they pulled in the right people at the right time. The team used Trello for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their friendliness set them apart. I had some conversations with other companies before I chose Adchitects, and those companies were focused on our budget and didn’t think to understand exactly what we wanted.

Adchitects was very keen on understanding my needs and what I was looking to get out of it. The budget was secondary for them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m honestly happy with everything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have all of the information easily available, and know what you want so that Adchitects can better create it. The clearer you are, the better they will be. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am one of the co-founders of Sistable, a company that was established in 2020. We deliver coaching services online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adchitects?

I’d started doing the website during the COVID-19 lockdown, and I needed a team that I could work with 100% remotely.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used WordPress in order to create the website. For the website design, they used InVision.

I presented them with a few challenges. I wanted a system through which I could offer coaching services in a very smooth way. We also wanted to have a fully functional booking system online for the coaching sessions, so that when the client is selecting the booking and making the payment, everything is easy for the customer, and there are absolutely no misunderstandings. We wanted everything to work well. It was a simple but difficult request.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 6–7 people from the team. My initial consultations were with the founder of the company. They were definitely capable of providing me with insights. 

Once we agreed to work with them and were clear on what we wanted, I worked primarily with the project manager. He was the person I exchanged 80% of the communication with. I have also been in touch with the designer, the person who created the logo, and the programmers, but I had the least amount of interaction with them.

How did you come to work with Adchitects?

I searched quite a lot in order to find someone. I wanted to find a company that worked remotely, and another requirement was that it was not extremely expensive, because we are a small business and are just running the business from our savings. I Googled web design companies that could operate in Europe and remotely.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent around €10,000 (approximately $11,700 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in May 2020, and they delivered the MVP version to us in August 2020. We are still in touch with them, but not as much as we were over the last few months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I think it worked out very well. It has been a very pleasant experience working with them. They delivered exactly what we asked for.

How did Adchitects perform from a project management standpoint?

At the beginning of the project, I was a little surprised that 20% of the budget went straight to project management. However, I think it was a very smart move on their part because they put so much effort into project management.

Time was never a struggle for us because we weren’t in a rush, but there were no delays from their side. Everything was finished on time, and I would say in fairly impressive time. We also worked with tools such as Trello, Dropbox, and Google Docs.

I have a lot of experience in project management myself, and I must say that it was very well executed and coordinated. From a project management point of view, they couldn’t have done better.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I found that they used current tools in a very smart and efficient way. They didn’t overuse a crazy number of tools; they just used enough to make the job smooth. 

I also appreciated that everything was done through Trello rather than email. In my current job, I see more than 100 emails per day, and it was nice not having to constantly exchange emails with them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The budgeting that we agreed on initially was something that we were comfortable with, but we didn’t really have any possibility to expand on it. When we needed to correct or change something that we weren’t extremely happy with, we needed to pay extra for that. I understand that several back-and-forth changes should cost money, but a little bit of contingency within the budget should be included.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Anyone who wants to work with them needs to be ready to be involved in the project. You can’t simply say what you want at the beginning and pick up the work at the end; it requires daily interaction and answering them quickly. This wasn’t an issue for me, but it’s something people should know. Also, you don’t necessarily need to be skilled in IT, but being slightly up to date with technology would be helpful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the lead marketing advisor at Atlantic Sapphire, an aquaculture company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adchitects?

We needed a website for our consumer brand, Bluehouse Salmon.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Adchitects built a WordPress website from beginning to end. This included design, programming, mapping, and creating a blog.

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with a lead project manager, and then they had several other experts in each area. For example, we had a lead on the design side.

How did you come to work with Adchitects?

We found them through Google. We looked at other companies on Clutch. 

How much have you invested with them?

The total was $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together was from March–June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website has been live for 30 days. Adchitects recommended that we use Google Analytics to measure how long people stay on the site, how many pages they’re visiting, and general comments and feedback about the user ability. So far, everything has been excellent.

How did Adchitects perform from a project management standpoint?

Adchitects did really well. They were extremely organized. Between our two teams, we worked primarily with Trello and Dropbox.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I found their work to be really impressive. They’re really effective in terms of their design, programming, solutions, and communication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so; we’re actually hoping to be able to work with them on another project.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be open to using their tools for project management, like Trello. That was extremely valuable in terms of the process. Also, keeping a lot of the communications off of email was very helpful, because it’s just so much easier.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a customer happiness architect at Cyber Folks, a web hosting company. My title is a fancy name for marketing manager. We had 10 different brands and wanted to match them all together into one brand. That was a challenge because the brand was meant to carry our services not only in Poland, but worldwide. Our company also buys other hosting companies from foreign countries. We were assisted by a few agencies. Some of them specialized in branding and some in strategical advisories. Step-by-step we’re getting closer to our final brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Adchitects?

We had the name and the brand concept. We were seeking a company to design our website to tell our story.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave them our brand book, our logo, brand name, colors, fonts, and low-fi sketches of how we think our new website could look. We wanted them to work with us in two scopes. The first scope was for our website design. They coded everything in HTML, CSS, and WordPress.

We worked pretty closely together during the whole project.

It required attention from both sides. Our developers cooperated with them as well because we have lots of integrations with our systems. As a hosting company, we have a lot of functionalities that aren’t very common, like a domain search engine. They connected these functionalities with our system. There’s lots of backend coding. They also assisted us with adding additional functions that were meant to be after the launch.

They delivered the MVP of our website with basic functionality. We faced a few challenges on our side because of some of our internal CRM systems. Then our new brand was released to the public.

We already had a blog section with 200 articles and some photos. Because it wasn’t from scratch, they had to include existing content and make it look good.

What is the team composition?

We were in contact with Rafał (Head of Service Delivery), our project manager, and Kuba (Co-Founder & CEO). They had pretty good conversation with us. The negotiation phase was really smooth. They provided us with a pretty transparent process. There are two coders and a graphic designer as well.

How did you come to work with Adchitects?

We sent our inquiries to 5–6 agencies. We talked with three of them. We had chemistry with Adchitects. They understood our brand and knew what we were trying to say. The pricing differences weren’t significant among the different agencies.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2019 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re satisfied with their graphic designs. They had a good project manager and a good coder. We like the website and think it’s beautiful. We advertised as well, so it’s hard to say how much of the metrics are due to just their work alone. The first month was pretty successful and our direct sales grew by 30%.

How did Adchitects perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a nice process. We had a weekly Zoom meeting and discussed any issues. We could talk to the project manager, the two coders, and the graphic designer. They provided a monthly invoice with a detailed list of all the activities. Everything was very clear and there were no surprises. They delivered on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What helped us most was their understanding of what our brand should be. It saved a lot of explaining. There are more benefits on both sides in the future because it so happens that they are designers and we’re a hosting company. We complement each other—they get a good hosting partner and we get a good design partner. It’s much easier to satisfy the needs of such a customer.

The general offering was pretty good. The flow of information between us and them was pretty nice. We finished everything within budget.  It was amazing. It rarely happens in the IT world. Their estimations at the beginning of the project were very accurate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m happy with how it looks now. We had a pretty hard time in coming into this look and feel of this blog. It needed to have a nice section for comments. We didn’t want too much in the sidebars. At the beginning, we were presented with a layout completely not matching our philosophy. After that, it turned out it wasn’t developed by the main designer but someone else instead. This new person didn’t quite catch up with the meaning of our brand. It was easy to correct, but it was a small scratch because no one is perfect. It was a 98% perfect cooperation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We weren’t a typical customer because people don’t usually go to them with good requirements written down, but we did. We knew exactly what we wanted. We had our targets and goals written down. We had our brand book and even low-fi charts of our website. Anyone who wants to work with an external agency, write down your requirements. It really helps.