ANODA UX Design Agency

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a travel app for people who want to experience the journey as much as the destination.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ANODA Mobile Development Agency?

Initial frame work and development of the app

What were your goals for this project?

To get a MVP version of the app and see where we would need to rethink user flows, data capture and publishing

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We used UpWork and put out a tender. Anoda was one of many who responded. They included their portfolio of work and laid out their processes and were upfront with where we could get to with our initial budget. Their communication was excellent and I appreciated their honesty.

Describe the project in detail.

The initial part of the project was wireframing. While other companies just said "we can do this, no problems", Anoda made sure that we worked through the wireframes first to understand the cost and complications of developing the app before they would quote for the actual development cost.

Once we were happy with the wireframes they provided a document that broke down the development into stages and the hours / cost of each stage. This helped us in the financing of the development over a 9 month period. A Slack was set up for easy communication and we also spoke via video conferencing every other week or as needed.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager, a lead developer and a development team who worked on the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Right now we have the base line of an app. There is still development work to be done to get it to a position where we can release it and it can be a useful tool for travelers. Funding on our end is now the issue and we have to look at other options for development.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very well organised from Anoda, and very clear. I think we frustrated their process more than anything with delays.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They cared, and their communication and workflow were simple and effective.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Only from our end in terms of communicating the purpose of the app and being a little bit better at asking/negotiating for what we wanted.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company provides Pre-Purchase Survey & Mechanical Inspections, including Insurance Surveys to my customers purchasing boats in Australia. We inspect on-site, and create professional reports that can be used assessment and negotiation of marine pleasure crafts. I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ANODA Mobile Development Agency?

I hired ANODA to design and build my in house application from scratch. I did not have any plans, just a vision for what I wanted the app to be. My challenge was that there were no applications currently that could include all the time saving and design/flow ideas for writing reports, and output a professional report in the style I wanted.

What were your goals for this project?

Create an application that makes my job quicker, easier and more accurate, whilst keeping an easily accessible database of past vessels inspected.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Selection was done online. Originally I scouted the platform "UpWork" and found ANODA to have very high ratings. I received quotes from 2 companies in Australia, then went online and received another 2 quotes from companies online. I picked ANODA based on their past work, professionalism and reviews found online.

Describe the project in detail.

The project consisted of building an iOS application from scratch. - Design, including wireframes for the entire project - Development of manuals, detailing the features in the wireframes - Development of the app as per wireframes. As development came together a number of things were changed along the way - Bug fixes and updates as the application was tested over the course of 3-6 months The application is quite comprehensive. It has the ability to create a customisable report from a base template that a PDF is generated from to be sent to the customer. Features such as base templates, photos, defects, ability to edit photos inside the app, automated fields, database of reports, cloud uploading, exporting to PDF and sharing, customisable signatures and more. ANODA was responsible for suggesting improvements to all of my original ideas/strategy which they have done with an excellent result. Th ne continuous support has been fantastic.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of two parts: 1. Design 2. Development Throughout both stages, I was assigned a project manager who led the team. I would make contact with them weekly and they would update me on what was going on with the project. I believe there is a number of team members working with the project mangers, but am unsure as to how many.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The main outcome was time-saving, in which the time taken to generate a report has been considerably improved. I would say a 20-30% increase in efficiency overall, as well as features to label the reports more thoroughly and generate them with less mistakes. The application had minor bugs and flaws that were all overcome before leaving this reveiw.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The entire team as a whole performed brilliantly. There was excellent communication along the whole project. Every time they were taking a schedule holiday I would be told with ample notice. We used a combination of Slack for workflow, Crashlytics for app testing and Gitlab for code sharing. ANODA was great in taking on feedback and being fair. There was a particular glitch that took some time to fix, and we would have regular meetings until it was rectified. Although I was initially nervous there may be a language barrier, the team were very intelligent and I was quite impressed with how they interpreted all my request and also took on feedback. I do not feel there were any issues created by a language barrier, only things that would have come up regardless due to the complexity of the application.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The strengths of the company are creating quality applications. They have created something which I am very proud of, and interpreted my vision as a whole. Sure, there were times when I was asking for the "impossible", but they would always find a way.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don't believe there were any areas I would change. Sure, as time goes on I will realise there are updates I wish to proceed with, but these are ideas I had not thought of until actually developing the applciation and using it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and owner of a web development agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ANODA Mobile Development Agency?

We engaged ANODA to help with a variety of development projects, including mobile app and web development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ANODA provides development work support, which has mainly revolved around native and hybrid apps for both iOS and Android. Their team works on behavior flows, documentation, wireframes, design, and development for various startup apps from scratch. They've also helped with some web development projects on WordPress.

What is the team composition?

We mainly interface with a couple of project managers, who work with a team of designers and developers.

How did you come to work with ANODA Mobile Development Agency?

My business partner and I own another company that we had hired ANODA to help build an app for. Based on our previous experience with them, we wanted to work with them for our other business as well.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested close to $100,000 over the last year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around June 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Most of our projects are still in the prototype phase, so we don't have any metrics to report. However, we've been very happy with the quality of their work and effective processes overall, which is why we continue to work with them.

How did ANODA Mobile Development Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

I've never had any issues reaching them; they're very accessible and responsive, despite the timezone difference. They're also very transparent in their approach.

What did you find most impressive about them?

ANODA's thorough workflow sets them apart. They take the time to map out behavior flows, wireframes, and create great designs before the development takes place, making them more efficient with their time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I have no qualms with anything they've done thus far.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the chairman of Outingz, an entertainment platform to connect people and find them things to do.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ANODA Mobile Development Agency?

We needed an iOS application. We wanted ANODA Mobile Development Agency to develop the frontend and execute the UI designed.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to launch the app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had multiple discussions with different vendors before selecting ANDOA Mobile Development Agency.

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

The team designed the UI, made a few iterations, and then developed the frontend.

What was the team composition?

We worked with one development manager, two UI designers, and 2–3 iOS developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They launched the app on time and within our budget.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The two UI leads and one code development lead created an effective and smooth workflow.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team was knowledgeable and timely. They did not commit to deliverables they couldn’t execute within the timeline.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

As an offshore vendor, ANODA Mobile Development Agency could improve communication.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of ShiftMe Inc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ANODA Mobile Development Agency?

When we first approached ANODA Mobile Development Agency, we already had the concept in place for our app. It's a B2B platform for hourly employees to easily swap shifts. We hired them to develop our MVP.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We envisioned an app that allows hourly employees working to trade shifts. For larger companies with multiple stores, users can work across locations, rate the stores, and have the stores rate them.

Our team provided ANODA Mobile Development Agency with detailed requirements including documentation and wireframes. Next, both teams scoped out the project and iterated on the wireframes. They developed the MVP as a B2B app on native iOS and Android platforms and did subsequent testing.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about six people, including the project lead.

How did you come to work with ANODA Mobile Development Agency?

My CTO and I screened the team after finding them on Upwork. ANODA Mobile Development Agency was sound from a technical standpoint. We picked the team because they were very transparent. We appreciated that they posted a lot of their work publically and sent samples of their code.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from January–July 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app was functional; we were very happy with the quality and clean setup. The product is awesome.

How did ANODA Mobile Development Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They provided timelines and stuck to each deadline. However, the team went dark every so often, and communication suffered as a result. Regardless, I’ve worked internationally before; ANODA Mobile Development Agency did a great job with time zones. We communicated via Slack without experiencing a language barrier.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their offering and quality of work created value. The team went above and beyond to ensure the technology worked properly, made sense, was efficient, and had a good UX.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should address the communication gaps.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of an online jewelry store. We've expanded into an app that we offer to our users for meditation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ANODA Mobile Development Agency?

We needed help with application development for our online store.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were trying to increase our customer engagement. We had a good number of users that we had gathered from our online store, but we wanted to offer our customers something else to further our brand’s presence. We felt that an app would be a very good way to do that.

It is only an iOS app right now. We determined that an iOS app was a lot more critical to our user base as we are mainly targeting US customers. We have Google Firebase integration with our system that hosts everything and also acts as the interface. Our authors can log in to manage their own meditations and view statistics. It is all managed through Firebase as well as on the application.

What is the team composition?

I worked mainly with Oksana (Founder & CTO, ANODA Mobile Development Agency). I also worked with Roman (Project Manager, ANODA Mobile Development Agency) and another person.

How did you come to work with ANODA Mobile Development Agency?

I had found them through Upwork. I had some sketches and ideas, then posted the project. They presented a very nice proposal including wireframes and screenshots. It was a lot more in-depth than any of the other bids I had received which was one of the main reasons I went with them.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in June 2017, and the work is still ongoing in terms of regular maintenance, the addition of new features, as well as work the Android version.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They have done quality work. We finished a month later than anticipated due to changes in specifications, but it wasn’t a problem. They've produced great work, and I like what they do, which is why it's still ongoing.

How did ANODA Mobile Development Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Things went well most of the time. There were times when communication was a little lacking and I wasn’t really sure what was going on, but it all worked out.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They speak very good English which really mattered to me, as it made me confident that things wouldn't be lost in translation.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I needed to remind them of deadlines. I was never really sure what was on schedule and what wasn’t.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of HomeNotes, and we’re a software company. Our HomeNotes app allows users to take notes and pictures of houses they’re considering. The app organizes that information so users can easily share it with others.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ANODA Mobile Development Agency?

We started developing our app with another company but wanted to bring in a new team in order to make further improvements in a cost-effective manner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ANODA improved functions within the original iOS app and developed an Android version. The iOS app was done in Objective-C++, while the Android version uses Java. The web version is coded in JavaScript, and they used Parse for the backend. Improvements include onscreen tutorials, new data fields, and enhancing the general layout and UX.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one of their owners, a lead developer, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with ANODA Mobile Development Agency?

The original company we worked with didn't offer ongoing support and improvement development services. I looked for cost-effective programmers and found ANODA through online research.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent almost $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2016, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen downloads increase from 500­–1,200 after working with ANODA.

How did ANODA Mobile Development Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Our process was different in that I handled most of the project management. However, they did well handling the issues that were assigned to them. We use Slack for communication and originally Redmine for project management, but have since switched to Jira. We also use Google Sheets.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their availability is notable. They’re always available to answer questions and resolve issues.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes things would take longer than expected. This wasn’t due to them not knowing how to do something, but instead a result of juggling multiple clients. I got the impression they’re struggling with growth issues.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Communify Health, a company that makes medical software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ANODA?

We have irregular volumes of graphic design work, but our user base is sensitive to visual quality, so we needed a design firm that could help with usability challenges or feature extensions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ANODA only does graphic design; they don’t do coding or anything like that. We use their work for web apps and for some websites. Right now, we’re doing a large infrastructure platform for UNC Health Care, and the web app is fairly large scale, so ANODA develops pixel perfect mockups we can take to our clients. They provide the PSD and Illustrator files, and we have an in-house person who splices them.

What is the team dynamic?

We work with Alex Zavrazhniy [Co-Founder, ANODA Mobile Development Agency].

How did you come to work with ANODA?

Our previous designer got hired full time by another firm, so we began looking for another provider. We found ANODA on Upwork and liked their portfolio, so we gave them a few small projects which went well and decided to hire them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2013, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received great feedback from our users. Before ANODA, our designers usually just provided wireframes, which was hard for our clients to grasp. ANODA gives us pixel perfect mockups that our clients can easily understand and appreciate.

How did ANODA perform from a project management standpoint?

ANODA is the only external group we hire, so we tend to handle project management since it’s easier for us. We’ve incorporated them into our project management system, but they use their own systems, like Jira and Slack, for internal communication.

They’re good at estimating scale, timelines, availability etc., and we maintain daily interactions when we have an active project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re thorough and able to deal with complex usability issues before they become a problem. Their products tend to have fewer logical problems than groups we’ve used in the past, and their experience translates into an end product that won’t change much.

Advice for potential customers?

We have a long-standing relationship with them, so we know their workflow, but other organizations may be confused at first. If you need a smaller and more agile process, it can be hard to coordinate with ANODA because they have numerous projects going on at once, which requires foresight and patience. Just be aware that you’ll have to plan the project stages far in advance with ANODA.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co founder of Fusion

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Dating app based on compatibility 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire ANODA UX Design Agency to accomplish?

• Whole design - new UI and new UX

SOLUTION

How did you find ANODA UX Design Agency?

Online Search

Why did you select ANODA UX Design Agency over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from ANODA UX Design Agency were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

 Logo Wireframes UI prototype Final design 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The agency delivered a complete end-to-end design for our product, from initial concept to final UI/UX. The measurable outcome is that we now have a full design system and user journey ready for development, perfectly aligned with our vision.

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

Everything was excellent, delivrer in time, a very reactive team, and applied all our requestes about the project !

What was your primary form of communication with ANODA UX Design Agency?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their creativity and capacity to adapt to the project, also their capacity to understand our product.

Are there any areas for improvement or something ANODA UX Design Agency could have done differently?

They already have solid processes – nothing I would change.