Aras Digital Products

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Technical Director at a digital agency of around 320 people. We primarily focus on custom mobile & web development and UI/UX design.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Aras Digital Products?

Our company is growing rapidly, and we're having a hard time upscaling our internal design and discovery teams for new projects in our development or sales pipeline. Aras Digital Products came in like a savior to increase our delivery capabilities to our clients.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Aras Digital was referred to us by a mutual development partner who worked closely with them in the past.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We typically send them an overview of the skill sets we need for a specific project, and they respond if they have suitable candidates. After that, we do a short interview to see who’s a good fit for our team before signing them on. Key deliverables are usually measured on each sprint, where we are both trying to deliver the features defined in the sprint planning sessions.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We're currently working with two of their UX/UI experts and hope to upscale the team in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's hard to put direct metrics on their success since they change from project to project. Usually, the most important thing for us is that our clients and internal product teams are happy. We conduct satisfaction surveys of their work with our clients each quarter, plus a monthly feedback session with our product team. I'm pleased to say that both of the feedbacks are quite positive.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We usually do project management from our side and have direct communication with their designers. We're using the standard tools here, like Slack and Zoom. Their designers fit well into our organization and deliver all requirements without missing a deadline. If a deadline was moved, it was primarily due to the clients' own restrictions.

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

We are impressed by their attention to detail, proactivity, and excellent communication skills. Also, we're a big fan of their CEO Ivan, who has a unique vision of digital UX and UI design, which is extremely close to ours.

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

No, I’m delighted with the way they perform. They’re always responsive and are never shy about suggesting improvements. It’s a perfect relationship.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the managing director of IT services company. We are creating custom software for clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Aras Digital Products, and what were your goals?

We had the design files of the web application and we hired Aras Digital Products to create HTML/CSS files according to the design files.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We knew beforehand the quality of work that Aras Digital Products can deliver so we have decided on them.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss our goals and objectives. Design files were already produced and people from Aras Digital Products got them. After a few weeks time, we had a fully functioning HTML/CSS pages for the whole project. We have tested it on various screeen sizes and browsers and decided that it's ready for future development.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Inital contact was with the project manager and later we were communicating directly with frontend developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The result was functioning, clean code which works on multiple browsers and screen sizes

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We used Slack and Trello to communicate, meeting were rare because everyone involved knew what are the goals

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

The company owner was the most friendly and capable man who was 24/7 available in case of emergency.

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

No, great work overall

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Project Manager for internal product mostly based on human resource management, communication and engagement. With HR Cloud, you can automate manual processes, onboard new hires more efficiently, and drive communication, collaboration, and engagement to new levels.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Aras Digital Products, and what were your goals?

We used Aras Digital Products web development services for over 2 years. Since we didn't have in-house developers to invest in a new website, we hired Aras Digital Products to design and develop our website. They would receive web page designs, code it and implement it in our Hubspot CMS.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

HR Cloud has development teams in Croatia and we were looking for a local digital agency that could help us with our website. Aras Digital Products stood out as one of the best local agencies, and we were familiar with their work and the results which were excellent.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Our team of designers would deliver the design files, and Aras Digital Products team would make web pages out of those designs. Sometimes they had only a few days to implement multiple complex web pages, and we were truly satisfied with their work. They always committed to all of the details, everything they delivered was tested on multiple screens, and they would usually let us know and come up with new ideas if they thought usability of deliverables wasn’t perfect.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with two web developers from Aras Digital Products.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We had improved our website a lot since working with Aras Digital Products. We were satisfied with high performance and SEO scores, great implementation of the design and efficiency on basically all the screen sizes and types.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The workflow was pretty simple, even though our time limits sometimes were a bit tight. We would provide webpage mockups and deliver them for work and setup a deadline for initial review and publish date. Aras Digital Products team managed to deliver them on time, and if they thought it was not possible, they would always communicate the issue with us. Also, their work was really precise and feedback based on our designs was always on point.

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

Very committed to detail and covering all scenarios and also even though we provided them mockups they would always throw suggestions and advise of best practices as they are really versed in their craft.

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

I can’t really think of anything they would need to improve on, though we have not used their services to their full extent for sure.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of FoodTrux, a food truck GPS locating app in the SaaS space. We’re also launching a POS system specific to the food truck industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aras Digital Products?

We hired them to design our GPS app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Aras Digital Products designed our GPS app, and they did a bit of UI/UX development. Ivan (Head of Design) flew in for a week and a half, and we did in-depth design work. He then flew back to Croatia, and the team built the development piece.

They’ve recently taken the lead in designing our POS system. They’re building the entire wireframe and interface along with another firm. That project is wrapping up, and we have plans to build an inventory management system. We’ll build payroll, HR, and accounting systems all tied into the POS, and Aras Digital Products will be responsible for the design work on that as well.

What is the team composition?

I’ve had contact with Doris (Product Designer) and Ivan. 

How did you come to work with Aras Digital Products?

I found Aras Digital Products through a referral by a design and development shop in Portland. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent $75,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around March 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Aras Digital Products' process is incredible. I appreciate that Ivan flew in for the GPS app design; we had long, hard days, and the team was instrumental in building the entire layout and design of the app. Our investors gave great feedback when they saw the design presentation.

Their expertise also stands out. Ivan owns a restaurant order management system related to our ordering platform and POS system. So, the Aras Digital Products team has immediate expertise in our industry and the technologies we’re building, which has been beyond important.

How did Aras Digital Products perform from a project management standpoint?

We primarily communicate through email. The team is also involved in daily morning calls and a weekly call every Monday to go over everything that happened during the previous week. In terms of deadlines, they’re ahead of schedule. Aras Digital Products puts in about 10 additional hours of work during the week. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Aras Digital Products’ communication has been incredible, especially considering our time difference. Moreover, they’re good people and good at what they do. Working with them has been an amazing opportunity.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only challenge we’ve faced has been the time difference. However, the Aras Digital Products team has been available; Doris has taken my calls at midnight, her time. Thus, they’ve already overcome our only potential challenge.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager at a digital product agency. We do mobile development as well as software development in general.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aras Digital Products?

A client asked us to develop a trading app for cryptocurrencies. They wanted to introduce innovation into the security segment, and they needed someone to define the product and build a web app that would be a backdrop to their business. The client also wanted to build two mobile apps, one for Android and one for iOS, for pitching. We hired Aras Digital Products to design the UI/UX of all three apps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Aras Digital Products joined us early in the discovery phase, and they helped the client and us with the product definition. We had a series of meetings with the team, and we defined the domain, timeframe, and budget for the project. They also collaborated with us on the user story and user journey.  

The client provided the Aras Digital Products team with a document that explained what their platform could do and their expectations, giving them the freedom to propose ideas. Aras Digital Products designed the UI/UX, providing everything from the wireframes to the final design. The team made comparisons to other apps in the market, and they offered three initial designs. They made recommendations on which option to choose based on their market research.

What is the team composition?

In total, we worked with three senior designers from Aras Digital Products. In the beginning, the team worked with us full-time, and as we moved forward with the project, we had two people working half-time. By the last fifteen days of the engagement, they worked with us on a needs basis.

How did you come to work with Aras Digital Products?

One of our partner firms recommended them, and we worked with them for the first time five years ago. We chose them because Aras Digital Products did a good job building some well-known mobile apps and platforms in Croatia. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £25,000 (approximately $33,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted from February–July 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Aras Digital Products’ work on the design was superb, and they also backed it up with comparisons to similar apps. They had the entire story and idea behind the design and what it told the user. The team had a lot of experience, and they were always two steps ahead, so they didn’t only design the UI/UX; they participated in a qualitative capacity. 

The client was so happy that he wanted to hire them directly full-time. Although this didn’t work out, the team did additional work for the client in 2021. As a project manager, I was also super happy with Aras Digital Products. The team was easy to work with, extremely helpful, and went the extra mile every step of the process. 

They kept redefining the product and changing their approach according to the client’s requirements even though it wasn’t part of their job. Their ability to adapt saved us a lot of money and effort. They helped us avoid hitting a wall due to new client requirements, where development usually gets stuck waiting for the designers. This didn’t happen with Aras Digital Products, which I appreciated. 

How did Aras Digital Products perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered everything within the timeframes. Even though they occasionally hit hard deadlines, this wasn’t on them. Although we had defined everything and set deadlines, the client’s requirements changed. The Aras Digital Products team did their best to stay within the timeline despite the changes, and they kept delivering.

For project management, we used Jira and Trello. We also had Kanban, with separate boards for design and development. Our communication happened through tickets, Slack, or Zoom calls when needed. They were also communicating directly with the client.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with Aras Digital Producs’ consistently superb delivery; we never hit a wall with them. We were never met with silence or negativity, whether it was about speeding up, giving them unrealistic deadlines, or changing their work because the client changed their minds. The team was always willing and eager to do their best, no matter what. Aras Digital Products was proactive, great with deadlines, and easy to communicate with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they needed to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to form an idea in the best possible way and define everything you want from them. Then, give them enough time and freedom to define a product and create the overall design. Don’t interfere with their process because they’re really good at design.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Audiodrop is an app that helps elevate conversations online. I am a co-founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Aras Digital Products?

Aras Digital Products helped us (the founders) from the earliest stages to help us bring our idea to life. Their job was exploring, defining and prototyping the concept from the ground up.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were introduced to Aras Digital Products through a colleague who'd worked with them in the past. After a few intro conversations with Ivan (Head of Design) it was apparent that this was a very experienced team with a solid process - and we felt comfortable that they would help us.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Through six sprints, Aras Digital Products managed to define the logic of the project and deliver a great prototype. We were included in the whole process and they valued our input. We had meetings almost on a daily basis, which is pretty amazing, considering the time zone differential. There were situations where we had different ideas, and they always found a way to either present their way of thinking or understand ours. It was an awesome working relationship and we accomplished a ton.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with 3 people from their design team in the first project. It was a cohesive team and led to a great outcome. After the initial project (6 sprints), we hired Aras Digital Products again to deliver an iOS application. The additional resources to execute on the iOS app were equally talented and a pleasure to work with. We will be continuing our relationship with a third project (and more) with this highly capable team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We loved the product they have delivered. Based on the UX/UI design they made, we are currently developing the mobile app (also with Aras Digital Products team!) based on their original designs. Smashing success!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent. The team is easy to communicate with, they gave us daily updates, and we had multiple meetings a week, even though timezones weren’t easy to manage. Aras Digital Products team made sure we had our hands in every part of the process. Also, they planned several sprints ahead, which helped all of us to be more efficient. If there was any problem, they were ahead of it, because of the great planning.

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

Highly talented and experienced - and it shows. The team's experience helped guide the project in the right direction, anticipating hurdles/tough decisions before they happened. The team is also highly talented and we value their input tremendously. We feel like one big, cohesive, extended team.

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

we came to them with an abstract concept - and that resulted in a prototype and then a beautiful iOS app (and whatever the next phase brings us). Not much else to say!!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Earplay and I consult for a stealth-mode startup as the current product owner of their in-development entertainment mobile app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Aras Digital Products?

Aras Digital Products worked on the project from the get-go, before I was introduced. They did the research and later designed UX and UI for the mobile apps.

SOLUTION

How did you select Aras Digital Products?

Although I was brought on as product owner after designs were complete, I consulted with the hiring startup from the earliest stages. Having previously met with members of the Aras team with another Earplay colleague, we confidently recommended and introduced the Aras team to the startup founders as the right solution for their initial ideas, which needed exactly the type of services Aras provides.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Once I had been introduced to the project, Aras Digital Products already built the design. My job is to provide quality applications and an administrative interface, and I have great support from Aras Digital Products team. The designers are always there if we need to discuss something, and developers are building high-quality code.

On each step, Aras Digital Products team had solid suggestions and provided us with great insight.

How many resources from the Aras Digital Products team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with a team of mobile developers, one web developer, and a project manager who handled the development phase.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We loved the product they delivered. Based on the UX/UI design they provided, we are currently developing the mobile app, also with the Aras Digital Products team!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Aras Digital Products is doing a great job handling all aspects of the project. They are good at communicating and planning the tasks, while being realistic about the scope.

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

Their attention to detail, efficiency in communication (especially with scheduling and running meetings), and the responsiveness to feedback.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the team lead for mobile development at CorvusPay, also known as Corvus Info. We’ve developed our own payment gateway system, and this is our core business. Moreover, we’re developing apps for our customers. Our products have functions such as registration, credit cards, checking transactions, and making payments through a software development kit for Android and iOS. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Codable Studio?

Finding developers in Croatia was problematic for us. Our plan was to hire our own team of developers, but it proved to be a bigger challenge than expected. As a result, we hired Codable for their mobile app development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with Codable on two projects so far. The first one is for our CorvusPay app, which is available on Google, Apple, and Huawei stores. The team has also worked on an Android app for a parcel locker system for an external client. All the code they’ve developed is native; they use Kotlin for Android and Swift for iOS. They also use Xcode.

Moreover, our team has provided them with technical specifications and designs, which have been made by another partner of ours. Once Codable has received design layouts and everything else they need for development, we stay in the loop and exchange feedback with them. We discuss all modifications and proposals for improvements. We’re also currently using their team for adding new functionality and bug corrections to our app.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with up to four people from Codable. We have one dedicated iOS developer and another one for Android. I serve as the project manager. 

How did you come to work with Codable Studio?

Codable was recommended by our UI/UX partner. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €50,000 (approximately $55,000 USD) on the CorvusPay app, and another €50,000 (approximately $55,000 USD) on the parcel locker app. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Codable in December 2020. The first phase of major development was finished around May 2021, while the locker app was developed from September–December 2021. The engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To measure success, I’ve compared Codable’s work with our previous in-house Android developer. Codable resources have twice the efficiency, speed, and knowledge of recent technologies. The team uses new Android frameworks, which our previous developer didn’t know.  

Moreover, the parcel locker app is up and running; it’s working as expected. We haven’t found any bugs, and we’re building additional functionality for it. Codable tests the app before production, so it’s working without a problem.

How did Codable Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Codable uses Atlassian products for project management, such as Jira. The team has also adapted to our practices, given that our company has strict internal policies. We have our own on-premise installation of Atlassian tools, for instance. Moreover, they’ve had to access our tools using our VPN client network, and they’ve had no challenges there. 

Simply put, they accommodate our needs and requests without any problem. They also respect all deadlines. Our normal communication is through Slack, and we’ve also had no problems there. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Codable is efficient and knowledgeable. They’re experienced in both iOS and Android native platforms — I’d hate to work with anybody else when it comes to native iOS and Android development. Moreover, Codable has performed well even when we faced challenges with the parcel locker project. 

For context, the third-party client for whom we developed the locker app bought the cheapest devices they could buy, which ran on Android 5.11 — an old version of Android. We couldn’t upgrade them because they were custom hardware with custom software. Our teams also faced challenges in terms of documentation, but Codable still worked on it without a problem. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. Everything’s working perfectly, and we’ll go to Codable when it’s time to create the next big change in our system. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have open and clear communication; this is the most important thing in any project. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO of a local food delivery platform in Croatia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Codable Studio, and what were your goals?

Over 60% of orders on our platform were made from a mobile device through the mobile web UI, so we wanted to provide a native experience to our mobile users. The goal of the project was a complete re-design of the ordering experience including more mobile-friendly features in the whole platform (like location services).

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We saw some of the work Codable Studio we shared a similar vision of providing a seamless easiest experience as well as a shared attention to details and design.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had multiple rounds of design meetings with Codable Studio and after getting the designs to a version we were happy with, we started with development phase. Codable Studio was included in all steps of development, providing valuable feedback on all steps of the process - suggesting changes on the UI design, helping make decisions in designing the API, thoroughly testing and quickly responding to all bugs and issues with the app (both in develpment in production phases).

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with two engineers from Codable Studio. Our main point of contact was the lead developer and there was more junior person working alongside.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The application received great reviews and getting mostly 5 star reviews. Users immediately stared moving to the mobile app as opposed to using the mobile web UI.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The communication was done through our Slack and the response time and day-to-day communication was great. We had regular weekly update meetings and the deadlines were met and all changes were communicated on time.

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

The UI was delivered pixel-perfect and the overall UX was crisp with smooth animations and transitions.

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

There were a couple of minor issues discovered in production, but all of them were addressed as soon as possible with urgent hotfixes even done over the weekend.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a solution architect at a fintech company based in Zagreb, Croatia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Codable Studio, and what were your goals?

We hired Codable Studio to develop a mobile application for our client INA d.d. (Croatia's largest oil company). The application serves as fronted to the payment platform we developed for INA.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Codable came highly recommended by our partner company.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The outcome of the project was a mobile application for iOS and Android platforms that enables customers to pay for the fuel outside of the fuel station shop. Codable Studio was provided with wireframes and API documentation. The UI design and API were integrated and also modified as per Codable's recommendation. The product was delivered in several steps through a test environment set up be the vendor.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had a product manager assigned to interact with our teams. The product manager then in turn communicated our requests to 2 iOS and Android developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We had a ready application prototype that met our demands within 2 months from the project's start. This was well within our expectations and the end customer was very pleased with the project delivery timeline.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Project was executed in an agile manner. Vendor's teams are easy to communicate with and quick to address any outstanding issues. We communicated mostly by Slack, Google Meet, and e-mail. In-person meetings were rare and not really necessary.

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

They are a small and agile company that's quick to deliver high-quality solutions. We also do in-house mobile development, but we hired Codable as we lacked the resources to complete this project. From our standpoint, they did a great job.

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

Nothing comes to mind right now.