Ameba Creative Studio

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

SweetRush is involved in performance management. We have five service areas, with the core being our custom learning solutions. We’ve been involved in that for 20 years, working with different companies to develop their training for various types of roles.

My service area focuses on culture and change through cultural transformation, change management, and leadership development. We’re a newer group, but the consulting arm of the company. I’m the director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ameba Creative Studio?

We needed a creative firm that could design and develop our presentation materials.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Along with their team working on our presentation materials, we started going through a rebrand. The team at Ameba Creative Studio is taking the initial concepts from our chief creative officer and rolling them out into a brand style guide. Primarily, they help with proposals, presentations, and presentation materials.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was Lucía (Co-founder & COO), and she acted as our project manager. We met their creative director and one of their partners during the interview. Along with Lucía, we work with her team of graphic designers, creative directors, and illustrators.

How did you come to work with Ameba Creative Studio?

We had a talent solutions group here. I asked them to find design firms in Latin America that had an affordable price. I wanted a firm that understood the current aesthetic that has a clean and modern look & feel.

After interviewing several companies, Ameba Creative Studio stood out because of their design samples. They were amazing. It was also evident that we would be in great hands with Lucía.

How much have you invested with them?

We probably spend about $10,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with Ameba Creative Studio for about two years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything their team does goes through my team and me. Last year, we had about a million dollars in revenue. Now, we’re looking at about $2 million. Ameba Creative Studio has always been excellent; we have nothing but positive feedback. Some of our top-tier clients love the professionalism in their designs. I fell in love with their latest rebrand concepts. I had no idea what they were going to do, and I ended up being extremely impressed.

How did Ameba Creative Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

As much as I love their ability to create high-level graphic design work, their project management is also stellar. Lucía is always on top of it. The way she conceptualizes our feedback is fantastic. They keep track of all of the deliverables and every single detail.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s the balance between quality and cost. Their work is extremely high-quality. I used to work at a large ad agency in Boston, and their quality is spot-on. Ameba Creative Studio is able to take conceptual direction and bring it to life.

Our chief creative officer gave them input on how to explore different shapes, which they were able to conceptualize. It’s something that I’ve seen bigger design agencies flop on. Their cost is also far less expensive than firms based in the US.

Are there any areas they could improve?

My team manager commented that their team doesn’t submit their invoices on time. We have to ask them and remind them. It’s something my team has to follow-up on. It’s a growth area. But I did have to truly think about something they could work on because I’m really pleased with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Invest time to clearly articulate the client, the audience, the project needs, and any tone or message you’re trying to convey. Give them that information. They can take that and weave it in an elegant way within their designs. Clients need to think about what they’re trying to convey and achieve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Senpai Academy is a digital marketing & coding academy. I am de Founder and CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ameba Creative Studio?

We had already worked with Ameba 5 years ago in the development of our brand. He hired them now almost 5 years later to make an update and refresh the look and feel of our business without loosing our spirit.

What were your goals for this project?

Have a modern and fresh update to our brand in general. Also we needed to feel more confortable and flexible, and have more space to play whit our image.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Already worked with them in the past and have had a positive experience.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Make a complete new branding guide, updating everything and giving us a solid base to feel comfortable to work and create.

What was the team composition?

Three people were involved in the process from Ameba. At least the ones i had interaction with. Always on point and without delay. Really receptive to feedback and with opinions of their own.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People really like our new image, we developed a new website with this branding guide and lots of people praise it.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

As said before, everything went smooth and without delay.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I do not know much about the company itself, but i found Fabricio (Director) to be really good at understanding your needs and efficiently set the path of the work. I think its a great value to start this kind of projects with "the right foot", as everything goes easier.

Are there any areas for improvement?

i have no major improvement suggestion.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a co-founder of asap developers, a software consultancy that offers web and app development services. Our apps cover a wide variety of fields, including health and wellness, real estate, and insurance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ameba Creative Studio?

We hired Ameba to lead most of the design work for our development projects and our website.

What were your goals for this project?

Regarding our website, our primary goal was to generate more traffic and increase our client base. When it came to projects for our clients, we wanted to provide them with innovative and attractive designs that included the best possible user experience.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We decided that we needed an agency to cover our design needs since many of the freelance designers that we spoke to did not meet all of our requirements. We believed that Ameba’s work could complement our own, given that we focus on development while they focus on design.

Describe the project in detail.

Ameba provides design services for us. On our website, they mainly work on our blog and image design. When it comes to client projects, we rely on Ameba to provide UI/UX design for most of the products that we develop, whether they be mobile or web-based.

What was the team composition?

Ameba has an excellent team. We’ve worked with at least five designers who have all done a fantastic job. Having a variety of designers with various backgrounds has been a huge benefit for us, as we typically deal with projects in many different fields.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ameba’s improvement of our blog design has significantly impacted our business. Our blogs are critical to our success, and they’ve been able to help us reach a larger audience and increase our client base. Also, their attractive and pleasant designs have bolstered our marketing campaigns.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We use agile development methodologies and focus primarily on Scrum. We use Envision and Zeppelin to maintain fluid communication, keeping our teams aligned and up to date.

The Ameba team has been extremely flexible, and the way that they’ve adapted to our project management style has worked seamlessly. We've achieved a good level of synergy and work together very efficiently. Ameba has proven to be the perfect match for us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re very proficient, and their designers can cover a wide variety of different projects. They also do both web and mobile design and excel at UX, which is particularly rare.

Are there any areas for improvement?

After almost three years of working together, I really can’t think of anything. Our partnership has been great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We produce luxury, fashionable baby wraps and carriers. We’re a global leader in this industry and based in the Netherlands.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ameba Creative Studio?

We hired Ameba Creative Studio for several projects primarily focusing on our design needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided Ameba Creative Studio with our photos and site content, and they created the graphic design for our manuals. Their team makes changes to our booklets and makes any edits we need.

Additionally, they’ve produced designs for our website, e-commerce shop, email campaigns, and other outreach materials. Their team also provides photoshop services to improve images and other content. They use Adobe programs for this work, including Photoshop and Illustrator.  

What is the team composition?

I have one main contact from Ameba Creative Studio, which is very convenient. They provide a team to support the project, but I’m unsure how many individuals are working on it.

How did you come to work with Ameba Creative Studio?

After being unsatisfied with our design partner, we decided to reach out to Ameba Creative Studio because of a teammate’s recommendation. They had the right rate and services that we needed. We also didn’t mind the location differences because we were in the same timezone.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $20,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2017, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although we don’t have any hard statistics to show results, working with Ameba Creative Studio’s has been the sensible, right choice for our company. They’ve successfully carried out tasks with strict requirements and tight deadlines. The quality of the work has been satisfactory, and their support makes it easier for our company to transition into new markets.

How did Ameba Creative Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Asana to manage the project and assign tasks. Their team utilizes InVision for sharing designs and collecting feedback. Coupling their flexibility and communication skills, they’re easy to work with. They deliver everything we agree on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ameba Creative Studio does their job the right way—everything is delivered exactly how we request it. The quality is acceptable, and they are professional. Additionally, their flexibility has stood out. They’re never too busy to take on a new task from us and deliver the work straight away.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’d be helpful if they improved their consistency and precision. There are some instances where I’d have liked some creative aspects to be more similar to one another.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a software testing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ameba Creative Studio?

We hired Ameba Creative Studio to prepare our image and brand, so that we can attend trade fairs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ameba Creative Studio created images, graphics, and other marketing materials we needed for important events.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a team of 4, which included the CEO, a project manager, and two designers.

How did you come to work with Ameba Creative Studio?

In Uruguay, a lot of people in similar sectors know each other. I got to know Ameba Creative Studio and their CEO because we belong to the same trade chamber. When this project came up, I called their CEO. I had seen their work and knew that I could trust them.

How much have you invested in them?

We invested around $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Ameba Creative Studio between June–August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Visually, everything was amazing. Our stand at the trade fair received a lot of traffic. During the three-day fair, we had around 120 visitors. We heard many comments about how beautiful all the designs were.

How did Ameba Creative Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We had an excellent relationship with our assigned project manager. Ameba Creative Studio met all our expectations. They delivered the design work at the deadlines we established.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with the quality of the design.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their price could be more reasonable, but the quality is excellent. I don’t have any real complaints.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the COO of Veracity Asset Management, an asset recovery company. We help other companies sell surplus assets and recover value.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ameba Creative Studio?

Our website had become very cluttered and strayed away from our core services. Our clients’ main form of connecting with us is through this platform, so the confusion and lack of direction on the site needed to be resolved. We hired Ameba Creative Studio to design, develop, and deploy a clear, fresh interface that focused on our services.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the platform to have a responsive design that we would enthusiastically refer our clients to.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We came to work together through a referral. Once we spoke to Ameba Creative Studio, we were confident in their ability to execute and deliver the work in a timely manner. They gave us a quote that promised no surprises along the way, which my team was pleased with.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We came to an agreement on the scope of the work and passed the project off to Ameba Creative Studio. Our team provided them with existing collateral, but they also developed several new pieces to enhance our site. These new features included building staff profiles on the platform. Their team designed and fully developed our new website.

What was the team composition?

Ameba Creative Studio provided two primary resources who served as our project lead and project manager. They had a team working on the programming and designing aspects of the site from start to finish.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From early SEO metrics, we can tell the new site is performing well. Additionally, our internal team is re-energized and excited to refer clients to our platform.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We had weekly calls throughout the project and the deliverables were produced on time and within our budget. We couldn’t ask for anything more from their team, they managed all aspects of the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They had the perfect combination of dedication and lightheartedness in their approach. Their skills were strong but they also knew how to communicate effectively. Whenever an issue occurred, they showed great flexibility in solving it. They excelled in listening to our needs and meeting our original goals.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I wish I could hire them as my own internal team because they were so great.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm owner and director at Jersey Girls Marketing, a full-service agency that serves small and medium businesses in the United States, Canada, Europe, and South America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ameba Creative Studio?

We consistently rely on Ameba Creative Studio for high-quality designs. 

What were your goals for this project?

We turn to Ameba Creative Studio for thoughtful, custom design work at prices that align with typical marketing budgets. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They have been a consistent, reliable partner since before we started Jersey Girls Marketing. We've partnered with them for dozens of projects, and have never been disappointed by the quality of their work. It's always superior.

Describe the project in detail.

All our projects with them vary. They partner with us to create branding, visual identity, social media, print and digital advertising, brochures. They've done packaging and event signage and booths. We also use them for WordPress development projects.

What was the team composition?

The team composition varies with the size and scope of the project. We always have a project manager and creative director. We also work with designers, developers, strategists, and programmers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've seen great success with our projects: happy clients, massive improvements in traffic and lead generation, increases in sales, and significant SEO gains. Our clients are exceedingly pleased with the final designs and have received positive feedback from their clients and stakeholders as well.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow has always been effective. Communication is easy, clear, and consistent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their work ethic is unrivaled. They are smart, fun to work with, and extremely creative. Their pride in everything they produce is astounding. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

The entire team should understand the client's goals and prioritize their time based on those outcomes. As long as you invest time well and stay on the same page, everything will go smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Youveda, LLC. We provide Ayurvedic products and herbal wellness supplements.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ameba?

We needed a development firm to build out our website and mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ameba used WordPress and WooCommerce to develop our website. We had multiple meetings to adequately communicate our vision. They implemented that vision and designed a distinctive brand identity with a modernized UI/UX. Once complete, they created an iOS version of the platform.

They’re currently developing an Android version and helping us further streamline certain touch points throughout the entire platform. In addition to creative design and web development, they’re also capable of general business consulting.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with at least five people so far. Their CEO manages the projects while a director oversees the graphic and interface design. The rest of their team is great to work with as well.

How did you come to work with Ameba?

They stood apart from other vendors for a variety of reasons. The pricing is unbeatable for the skillset and resources they provide. Hiring them was an easy decision.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $20,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The primary development project began in September 2017 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ameba’s dynamic branding efforts elicit an emotional attachment that resonates with customers. People love what we’ve created from a branding perspective and that’s not easy to accomplish.

How did Ameba perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Kanbanchi as a project management tool but are currently moving over to Asana. We also frequently utilize Google Drive and Google Docs. Through a meticulous schedule, we have weekdays divided up based on what needs to be done and by who. We have 2–3 Skype meetings with them per week to organize what’s been completed and what needs to be worked on next.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their sense of design is amazing. They operate on a level above other firms we’ve worked with. Ameba is an extremely professional firm that doesn’t engage in predatory pricing practices. They’re more concerned about producing a quality product that satisfies their client.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish they had more of a U.S. presence to simplify financial transactions and communication. Other than that, everything’s been going great and I have no complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them know what your goals are and be open to communication. Being clear and upfront is important.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the IT manager of Trinity Stairs. Our company designs, builds and installs custom stairs in home and commercial buildings. Our three offices are located in Texas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ameba?

We hired Ameba to develop an online stair design tool for our customers.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the program to let our customers give detailed input on their desired installation. Ultimately, it helps our company build the exact set of stairs they purchase.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was familiar with the owner, Miguel (CEO, Ameba). Reviewing Ameba’s website and portfolio of past projects confirmed that they create excellent products.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Ameba developed our digital design tool using Flash. A notable feature lets users customize specific components. After users submit a completed design to our sales team, it generates a printable list of the parts we need to purchase.

What was the team composition?

At least three resources from Ameba worked on our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ameba met all our goals for this engagement. The tool successfully enables our customers to conceptualize and convey their ideal construction design. Internally, it reduces the cost of visiting customer locations.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Ameba handled the entire project. Our team didn’t have to manage anything.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Miguel and his team accomplished the project ahead of schedule. They produced excellent graphics and images of the parts and materials we use.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

None. They were excellent!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Tr3dent. We’re a software company based in Ireland, providing a SaaS product for companies in the area of strategic business planning.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ameba?

We needed some assistance with the UI and UX components of our SaaS product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We used Angular.js, and they did a lot of the frontend with CSS and HTML.

What is the team composition?

We had three to four different individuals from their team, with two or three consistently engaged on the project over the course of six months to a year. They engaged on a daily basis as part of our daily scrum calls.

How did you come to work with Ameba?

They were referred to me by someone who had previously worked with them. We had an initial conversation with their principal and I liked what he had to say, as well as their level of professionalism. We decided to try it out and they basically became part of the team. They were very keen on making the project successful, keeping within the timelines and within the budget.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them 18 months ago and are now in the process of finalizing some roadmaps for phase two. We’re going to be kicking off that off in the next couple of months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback we have received from our user base about the UI has been extremely positive. We work with very large enterprises and very demanding users, so it’s important for us to meet the standards that they expect. The UI and UX designs that they came up with increased the level of customer satisfaction. The usability of the product significantly increased and the feedback from customer surveys shows that the product satisfies the needs of our customers in a very positive way.

How did Ameba perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Jira as a means of managing our sprints. They became involved in that and would update accordingly. We worked through the project plan in terms of prioritization of the activities and what needed to be done. When things were taking longer than expected, there was clear and open communication. The important thing was that there were no surprises.

As part of an agile methodology, some things take longer than expected and there will be challenges. The important thing when working with a third-party is clear and open communication, and that they advise you when challenges do come up so that they can be managed effectively. Ameba did all that very well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really cared about the product and what they were doing. We really felt that this wasn’t just a third-party engagement and that they were a partner involved with us. They felt as much of a team member as any of our people in the office.

We’re based in Ireland and they’re based in Uruguay but the time difference was never an issue. I highly recommend them; it was a very positive experience working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have pushed us harder earlier on in terms of the requirements and for more information that would have helped further down the road. We didn’t have the resources and the time that we probably needed to provide that to them at the early stage of the project. They had to work with the information they had. Overall, looking back, there are very few things I would have done differently.