Akendi

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a Senior UX/UI Designer at Hexagon AB

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Hexagon AB is a global technology company specializing in digital reality solutions, combining sensor, software and autonomous technologies to enhance productivity, safety and quality in the geospatial and industrial sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Akendi to accomplish?

• I hired Akendi to help me conduct thorough field studies to understand user environments and operational contexts.
• They analysed user processes to gain deeper insights into their behaviors and needs.
• Develop detailed personas to represent key user groups effectively.
• Developed a Prototype B to have another potential approach that included the insights.

SOLUTION

How did you find Akendi?

• Online Search
• Referral
• Other

Why did you select Akendi over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Akendi were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

This project was about getting into real-world use and turning insights into solutions that actually matter. We’ve pulled together on-the-ground research, user feedback from different settings, and built out personas to make sure everything stays user-focused. 

The key deliverables where:

• Field study reports with clear takeaways from real data.

• Process breakdowns that highlight how people actually work and where the pain points are.

• User personas to help steer product decisions and keep things aligned across the team.

• Prototype B, built with all the research insights baked in.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Key deliverables were consistent with the preliminary user research, which formed the base for our internal approval meetings and fostered the direction of the product.

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

Their project management was well-structured, they consistently delivered on time, and were highly responsive to our needs throughout the process.

What was your primary form of communication with Akendi?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What impressed me most about this company was the natural approach they had while still maintaining a high level of professionalism. Their communication made me feel welcome from the start, they were motivated and reliable, and the value they delivered for the cost was excellent.

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

Honestly I was more than pleased, they exceeded my expectations and delivered beyond what was originally asked, so I don’t see any areas for improvement at this stage.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a department head for a large fintech company. We provide solutions for the largest banks and brokers in the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Akendi?

We hired Akendi to work on different projects in the areas of new product innovation. We didn't have much experience in this area, so we needed their expertise.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Akendi has worked on 4–5 different projects with us, primarily in new product development and rethinking the overall UX.

For our first engagement, we had a concept for a new offering focused on a brand-new market. We had just completed an acquisition, so we brought Akendi in to help us think through the value proposition and what the new experience would look like for clients.

This product or solution didn't exist in the world, so the team worked through the strategy piece of it. Then, Akendi came up with a prototype design. Akendi was part of the integrated development team as we continued to iterate on that design from prototype to working software that we shipped to clients.

We didn't have a product, so the entire design was their suggestion. We wanted to make a product that combined the front and back, and cater to different users, from the traders to operations. We knew we needed that, but we had absolutely nothing. We didn't even know what the UX should look like. We told them we wanted to make this product, but it didn't exist worldwide. The entire design was theirs.

The team worked with us in workshops to help us define what the experience should look like. They brought in an external perspective with competitors and their own experience. Then, the team worked with us as part of our agile labs to deliver. Akendi handled that engagement in 12 weeks, with the initial design being probably done between six to eight weeks.

Since then, we've done 4–5 different projects. In each case, we use Akendi differently from a normal UX agency. We have other partners for wireframing work, but the quality isn't there. Akendi is a premium product-focused company.

It's very difficult to get a vendor that works well from strategy to design to execution. They've done a great job selling, and I don't know if it's possible. They're unique in their niche area, which is the intersection of design, UX, and execution.

We tend to want to hire people who don't just do what we tell them. A couple of times, our teams would say they want to do something, and Akendi has been pretty good at saying no. The team keeps things simple, and the voice of the customer is at the table.

Akendi has pushed back nicely. Sometimes, vendors don't push back; they do whatever you tell them to do. The team pushes back, and the teams all really like working with them, even when they push back.

Akendi uses Figma, has explored some AI tools, and has also worked on that piece.

What is the team composition?

Each time we do a project, different people are involved. There are usually 3–4 people on the team. We do strategy, then go into wireframing, and one designer stays with the development teams. Akendi doesn't have a traditional model, which we appreciate.

We don't use them in a staff augmentation mode. We tend to bring them in for strategic projects when it makes sense. We don't have them on retainer. We sometimes pre-buy a set of hours and keep them on retainer, but we don't do that with Akendi.

A person runs their US team, and Akendi has a senior partner who advises them. They might come in and make sure the team is working. They're also there when we do updates every two weeks. There are usually two people tied to the project teams. One is more of a wireframe design person, and the other is more research-oriented, depending on what we're doing.

For example, we've been doing journey mapping work on the project we just completed. Akendi has a research person who has interviewed and defined the persona definitions with our operations team.

How did you come to work with Akendi?

I had never heard of Clutch. We worked in large companies, so we usually had a preferred set of vendors we had already worked with. Akendi was well-known in Canada, and they had already done work with my previous bank, so I had some experience with them. I brought them into my current company, which is a global company. They've also set up a US arm, so it has been much easier for them to work with US companies.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $1,000,000 and $1,500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in October 2021, and it's ongoing. We just completed the journey mapping work. We will bring them in for other opportunities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Akendi isn't only a UX agency. Many companies work solely on UX. The team works from a new product innovation strategy through to UX. That's how we see them. We always use Akendi in the context of a new product launch, and they've made us a lot of money, which is why we continue to employ them.

We want to see how Akendi continues to evolve and incorporate more AI tools. Their focus on design is important to us. They don't just create pretty UI; they solve real customer pain points.

We don't make websites or mobile apps. We build experiences for quantitative trading. We can't just have things be pretty; they must be usable. Akendi doesn't just add pretty colors and fonts; they focus on the simplicity of the UX, which is critical in our business.

How did Akendi perform from a project management standpoint?

In one project, Akendi underspent, which I had never seen before. We agreed on several hours, and they were pretty transparent. The team told us they didn't end up using all the time that we had. We had a fixed price, scope, and hours contract with them. We ended up doing some other innovation brainstorming work.

We haven't had any issues around project delivery. In at least one instance, they've returned money. We've never had a vendor do that before. They're highly transparent.

We have a biweekly sprint. Akendi is integrated into our team, so they don't work separately. Akendi has their portion of the update with the team, which may or may not include me. There are more stakeholders involved every two weeks.

Akendi doesn't do a lot of PowerPoint project presentations. Sometimes, vendors give me pretty decks, but I don't need them to make a deck to make me happy. When something goes slightly offside, we reach out to their account lead, and we have a transparent conversation around what isn't working.

We've had one project where someone wasn't delivering what we wanted. I wasn't super happy with them. I shared that feedback, and Akendi made a replacement, and they moved pretty quickly, so we haven't had communication issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Akendi is unique in their niche area, which is the intersection of design, UX, and execution. Our first engagement was my first time working with them on a brand-new product development. It has been awe-inspiring.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are some areas where Akendi can push our teams to move faster. Sometimes, the team is a little stuck because our internal teams don't provide what they need. Akendi could be a little more aggressive in pushing teams so they can move on their part faster.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Product Manager of a telecommunications company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company designs and manufactures professional communication systems used primarily in live events, broadcast, military, aerospace, and industrial applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Akendi Inc. to accomplish?

• Enhance User Experience (UX): Simplify the configuration process for both new users and experienced professionals to ensure swift setup of communications systems for any event scale.
• " Increase Flexibility and Scalability: Enable the tool to manage and configure setups for both small, localized events and large, complex productions."
• Establish Brand Identity: Develop a cohesive brand system and style guide that provides a consistent visual language across all products.

SOLUTION

How did you find Akendi Inc.?

Online Search

Why did you select Akendi Inc. over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Experienced, multi-discipline team

How many teammates from Akendi Inc. were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

This project involved extensive user research and field studies to improve the workflow and accommodate future features, particularly around monitoring communication network performance. Based on this research, wireframes were redesigned, and feedback was gathered through testing. This led to the development of high fidelity designs, alongside the creation of a brand system. The branding efforts culminated in a brand style guide and a design system tool that componentized design elements for future scalability. Additionally, front-end coding was carried out to create a responsive version of the design.

Summary of Deliverables:
Redesigned Core Configuration Manager (CCM): The updated CCM with a more intuitive interface, redesigned wireframes, and improved functionality.

User Research Insights and Feedback Reports: Documents detailing key findings from research and feedback on initial designs and wireframes.

Visual Mock-ups: High-fidelity mock-ups that provide a clear visual direction for the updated CCM interface and other of our products.

Brand Style Guide: A guide defining company’s visual brand identity, including color schemes, typography, iconography, and design elements.

Responsive Design and Front-End Code: A fully responsive version of the design that works across laptops, desktops, and tablets.

Design System Tool: A system tool that componentizes design elements to accelerate future product development and ensure consistency across our company’s product suite.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Increased the capacity of the configuration manager from a handful of devices to hundreds. 
Reduction in time required to configure communication systems, based on streamlined interface and workflow improvements.
Design system enabled faster design and development cycles and improving consistency across interfaces.

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

The project was managed efficiently and delivered on time, thanks to strong communication and effective coordination. The project lead maintained an open line of communication, always being easy to reach and highly responsive to any questions or requests. This ensured smooth progress throughout the project, allowing for quick adjustments based on feedback and ensuring that the project met deadlines without compromising quality.

What was your primary form of communication with Akendi Inc.?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

Akendi demonstrated through this project their ability to seamlessly blend user-centered design with brand strategy and front-end implementation—all within a single engagement. Not only did Akendi uncover deep insights through hands-on field research and testing, but it also delivered a fully realized design system and brand identity from the ground up, giving our company a foundation they could scale and build on. This end-to-end capability—from research to design to code—sets Akendi apart as a partner that doesn’t just redesign interfaces, but redefines how products are experienced and developed.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Akendi Inc. could have done differently?

None