Arounda

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of an early-stage startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arounda?

Initially, we needed a partner for UX/UI design work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

During the first project, Arounda designed the UX/UI of our tool using Sigma. In the next project, their team provided input on marketing strategy and UI design. They researched similar tools, best practices, and how to optimize our visibility in the market. 

What is the team composition?

The team includes a project manager and two main designers. Occasionally, another designer works with us too.

How did you come to work with Arounda?

We found them on Instagram. We liked their portfolio and reached out to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly $70,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in September 2019, and our engagement’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m satisfied with Arounda's performance. They use the latest technologies to create quality designs. Their team works well with the developers.

How did Arounda perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via Slack. They’re responsive, so projects run smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They use the latest technologies, which are exactly what our product needs. The value of their work is good — an improvement from that of past vendors

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t areas for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their marketing suggestions; they're valuable. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a startup with an on-demand delivery platform. I'm the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arounda?

We hired them to help with design and general business strategies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We discussed our strategy, they gave us some guidance, and we started on first drafts of our UI/UX designs. They built the entire framework of our app, and they've done brand guidelines, vision, and brand books. The whole app was designed in Sketch.

After the app was finished, they created marketing materials, icons, and stationery design. They created newsletters, flyers, business cards, and other small print materials.

What is the team composition?

We're in contact with one or two individuals, but there were also two or three designers and one or two people who worked on our brand guidelines.

How did you come to work with Arounda?

We found them on Upwork. We looked at their portfolio, and we liked their style. We reached out to them, and they were very easy to communicate with. They were willing to take the lead, which we liked.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent €150,000-€200,000 (approximately $167,000-$223,000 USD) over the course of our engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working in January 2018, and they finished the big project in September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We receive good reviews from our userbase, and the design is modern, fluid, and self-explanatory. They realized our vision, and we love the results. They have high standards, and they always delivered excellent work. They help us stand out from our competition.

How did Arounda perform from a project management standpoint?

We really liked their project management, and they sent us regular updates with explanations of the decisions they made. They offered a lot of transparency, and they met most of our deadlines. They used InVision to share prototypes, and we worked a lot via Google Drive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They often took the lead, and their designs are very on-trend. They always tried to make us the best in our field.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Because they expanded so rapidly, we didn't always know who to contact. After a few days, we expressed our concerns and they assigned a fixed account manager. They could still work to manage their scaling a little better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They have high-quality standards, so be prepared for them to take their time. If you are looking for a fast solution, look elsewhere. They take their work very seriously, and they dedicate time to their projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the director of marketing at Metricly before it was acquired by Virtana. We were a SaaS IT company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arounda?

We were looking for a partner to lead the design and user experience of our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Arounda provided us with UI strategy, design, and development. They also created graphics for us. We were building on WordPress at the time. Arounda used Bootstrap to create the frontend frameworks and designs that we’d then implement on WordPress.

For each task, we came to Arounda with an idea for a new page on the site and an outline of the content we wanted. Arounda came back with some light UI sketches that we modified or improved. After that, they gave us high fidelity mockups. Once we gave our approval, they moved into the development phase to build and publish the page.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 3–4 people, including a UI designer, a UI developer, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Arounda?

I originally worked with them on some personal projects. I brought them in to work on our company’s UI.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The collaboration ran from June 2018 to May 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Arounda delivered enterprise-grade work that outperformed anything we’d had before in terms of design and functionality. The blog they built as part of our site directly contributed to a 400% increase in SEO traffic (combined with our own content strategy). They brought our site and aesthetic to a new level that we couldn’t have achieved on our own.

How did Arounda perform from a project management standpoint?

They were highly organized and paid very close attention to detail. They provided us with a project management system where we could log in and view progress for each task.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Arounda was extremely flexible and quick to pick up a product’s requirements. In many cases, we gave them minimal direction, and they’d take that and turn around something that fully matched our vision.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had to collaborate with them at first to work out some issues in project management. We wanted more precise expectations about costs and timelines for specific pages. Overall, however, it was good.

Any advice for potential customers?

Absolutely work with Arounda. You won’t be disappointed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of the app, which purpose is to help people develop mental strength, boost motivation, make better decisions and improve performance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Arounda?

Mobile app UX/UI development. Landing page UX/UI and development.

What were your goals for this project?

Design user attractive yet intuitive mobile app. The challenge was to organize right structure of many sections that app has, so the user won't be lost.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I made a search on Upwork and saw high rating for this agency and affordable price.

Describe the project in detail.

I gave them design from the previous company which I did not like that much and also made my own iteration based on it suing Sketch. Decribed to Arounda the whole idea and asked to improve it. After they gave some thinking to it they proposed to start from scratch and work on the prototype screens and focus first on UX, test them, iterate and then work on the UI.

After many iterations, we have agreed on the final prototype and started to work on it, which also had quit many iterations. Some of them I did not asked for and they were coming up with new ideas and always trying to look with fresh eyes and challenge it. This obviously made design much better.

What was the team composition?

Project manager, designers and developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is now in the final stages of development. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Super effective. Arounda Project manager always in contact with me and patiently answered my requests and came proactively with some proposals.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Ability to challenge me, my ideas, think proactively, test assumptions. This is quite a rare skill. Most would do what is asked. They focus on delivery of great quality work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing that comes to mind

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're an adult video on-demand company. I'm the co-founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arounda?

We didn't have a set team of designers, and we outsourced various parts of our design to separate individuals. As a result, we didn't have a uniform image. We wanted a team that could join us, understand our products and our brand, and create a more professional, consistent brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They do all of our website design. That includes the backend and our admin area, email design, and various offline assets like flyers and event materials. They also do some code work for us. We have our own in-house development team, and they work along with our staff. They do some of the frontend code of their designs, and our developers work on the backend elements that go along with them. They fully realize the designs they provide, and they often take on entire tasks from start to finish.

They use InVision and Sketch, but I'm not sure of the other technologies they use. InVision is helpful to share those designs with our team. We recently sponsored a film festival, and they did all the design for those related materials. They also do some animation, and we've added their graphic work to some of our videos.

What is the team composition?

I have one main point of contact, but I was originally onboarded by one of their directors. They have various departments, so we also work directly with a UX lead and a traditional branding team for logo design.

How did you come to work with Arounda?

I found them on Dribbble, along with a few other possible agencies. Because of the nature of our business, we're fairly restricted. They were willing to work with us, and we had a few conversations with them. We started with some low-level tasks, and we went from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay for features as they arise, and we work anywhere between 10-40 hours a week with them. Our most recent contract was about $8,000 at a rate of $28 per hour. I'd estimate we've spent somewhere between $50,000-$200,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February or March 2018. The collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They have a very modern approach for an affordable price. Their quality is comparable to UX firms that charge more than double their hourly rate. They never compromise, and their work is cutting edge. They've helped us improve our conversion rates, but I don't have any solid metrics to share offhand.

How did Arounda perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a Trello board set up, and we create tickets for them in their incoming task list. Our main contact then assigns tasks to the designers on their team. We also communicate regularly via phone or Skype about anything outside the brief or anything that is unclear. In general, their project management and availability are major strengths. I never wait longer than an hour for a response, and our product manager fully understands our products and our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I've worked with other design firms, but this is definitely my most positive experience. Their turnaround is quick and efficient, and we rarely need to change much. We can usually trust them to come back with something we'll like, and they often go beyond what we initially had in mind. They have knowledge our team doesn't have, and they come up with good solutions. Their initial results are almost always what we want, and we never get locked into endless iteration.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They're not as comfortable on the phone as they are via text. That may be due to a lack of confidence in their language skills and might be an area of improvement for them. There is also occasionally a lack of communication in the design process. The rare misunderstandings could be avoided with a little extra clarification. That's only happened once or twice, and there's very little they could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you're looking for a designer, look over their portfolio. Everything they present is as it seems, and they're a very good team. Their process is straightforward and self-explanatory.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Member of G-CMO

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

G-CMO is a global, invite-only community that connects senior marketing leaders to share insights, develop professionally, and drive strategic growth.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• We hired Arounda to redesign and elevate G-CMO’s digital platform with a premium, executive-level UX/UI experience that reflects the exclusivity of our community and strengthens engagement among top marketing leaders in the technology sector.

SOLUTION

How did you find Arounda?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Arounda over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Arounda were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Arounda provided comprehensive UX/UI design services for G-CMO’s digital platform. The project began with a discovery phase, including stakeholder interviews and UX research to better understand our community structure, brand positioning, and user expectations. Based on these insights, they redefined the information architecture and mapped user journeys to improve clarity and engagement.

Their key deliverables included detailed wireframes for core pages such as the homepage, member directory, events section, and application flow, followed by high-fidelity UI designs that reflect a clean, modern, and executive-level aesthetic. They also developed a scalable design system to ensure visual consistency across the platform and delivered fully organized, developer-ready design files to support smooth implementation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The redesigned platform led to a noticeable increase in user engagement, including longer session durations and a reduction in bounce rates. We also saw a measurable rise in membership inquiries and completed applications, indicating that the improved user flows and clearer messaging were effective. In addition, qualitative feedback from our CMO community confirmed that the new design better reflects the exclusivity and leadership positioning of G-CMO, strengthening overall brand perception.

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

Arounda demonstrated strong and structured project management throughout the engagement. They worked with clear timelines, defined milestones, and consistent communication, ensuring we always had visibility into progress. All key deliverables were provided on schedule, and they were proactive in addressing potential bottlenecks before they became issues.

They were highly responsive to feedback and quick to implement revisions when needed. Given that our stakeholders are senior marketing leaders with high expectations, Arounda handled iterations professionally and efficiently, balancing flexibility with strategic design direction.

What was your primary form of communication with Arounda?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What impressed us most was Arounda’s ability to combine strategic thinking with refined design execution. They didn’t just focus on aesthetics; they took the time to understand our positioning as an exclusive community of senior marketing leaders and translated that into a digital experience that feels premium and intentional.

Their attention to detail, clarity in communication, and ability to align UX decisions with long-term brand goals made them feel like a strategic partner rather than just a design vendor.

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

Overall, the collaboration was very smooth and professionally managed. If anything, slightly earlier alignment with our development team could have streamlined the implementation phase even further. However, Arounda remained responsive and supportive during handoff, quickly addressing any clarifications or adjustments needed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Marketing of GrayMatters Health

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

GrayMatters Health develops neuroscience-based digital therapeutics that help patients self-regulate brain activity to improve outcomes in mental health treatment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Improve overall user experience and simplify complex clinical workflows
• Increase patient onboarding completion and session engagement rates
• Develop a scalable and consistent design system for future product expansion

SOLUTION

How did you find Arounda?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Arounda over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Arounda were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Arounda led a full UX/UI redesign of our digital therapeutic platform at GrayMatters Health. The engagement began with discovery, including stakeholder interviews, UX audits, and analysis of user behavior to identify usability gaps and workflow challenges.

They restructured the information architecture, optimized user flows, and developed wireframes and interactive prototypes for validation. The final deliverables included high-fidelity UI designs and a scalable design system with defined components, typography, color standards, and accessibility guidelines.

They also collaborated closely with our development team to ensure smooth implementation. The result was a more intuitive, professional, and scalable platform aligned with medical industry expectations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Following the UX/UI redesign, we saw clear improvements in user engagement and platform performance. Patient onboarding completion rates increased, and there was a noticeable reduction in drop-offs during key workflows. Session engagement metrics improved, indicating a smoother and more intuitive user journey.

We also received more positive usability feedback from clinicians, particularly regarding navigation clarity and overall interface professionalism. Internally, the new design system accelerated development cycles and reduced inconsistencies across features, making future product updates more efficient.

Overall, the redesign strengthened user trust, improved engagement metrics, and positioned the platform more credibly within the medical space.

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

Arounda demonstrated strong project management throughout the engagement. The process was well-structured, with clearly defined milestones, timelines, and deliverables from the outset. They maintained consistent communication through weekly check-ins and progress updates, which kept the project aligned and transparent.

Most deliverables were provided on schedule, and when minor adjustments to timelines were needed, they communicated proactively and managed expectations effectively. Their team was highly responsive to feedback, quickly iterating on designs and adapting to evolving requirements, particularly as we refined certain clinical workflows.

Overall, they were organized, collaborative, and attentive to our needs, making the partnership smooth and efficient.

What was your primary form of communication with Arounda?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What stood out most about Arounda was their ability to combine strategic UX thinking with refined visual execution, especially within a complex medical environment. They didn’t approach the project as just a design refresh; they invested time in understanding user psychology, clinical workflows, and the trust requirements that are essential in healthcare products.

Their attention to detail, structured research process, and ability to translate complex functionality into intuitive interfaces were particularly impressive. They consistently balanced aesthetics with usability, ensuring the platform felt both professional and approachable.

That depth of product understanding, combined with strong communication and responsiveness, made them feel more like a strategic partner than an external vendor.

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

Overall, the collaboration was very smooth, and the quality of their work met our expectations. If there is one area for improvement, it would be slightly more proactive timeline forecasting during phases that involved multiple design iterations. As feedback cycles expanded on our side, timelines occasionally shifted.

That said, they communicated clearly whenever adjustments were needed and remained flexible in accommodating our internal review processes. The minor delays were more a result of refinement and alignment rather than execution issues.

In general, we were very satisfied with the engagement and would work with them again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of Toyota Sherwood Park, NW Edmonton, and Kelowna

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Toyota Sherwood Park, NW Edmonton, and Kelowna is a full-service automotive dealership group providing new and certified pre-owned Toyota vehicles, parts, maintenance, and financing solutions to customers in Alberta and British Columbia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• We hired Arounda to design and develop a modern, user-friendly website that enhances the customer experience, showcases our Toyota inventory effectively, and drives online leads and service bookings.”

SOLUTION

How did you find Arounda?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Arounda over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Arounda were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Arounda designed and developed a modern, responsive website for our dealerships, including vehicle inventory integration, online lead generation, service booking, CMS setup, and SEO optimization, delivering a user-friendly experience across all devices.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new website improved user experience, increased online lead submissions and service bookings, streamlined inventory browsing, and reduced internal content management time, demonstrating clear gains in customer engagement and operational efficiency.

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

Arounda managed the project efficiently, providing clear timelines and regular updates. They delivered all milestones on schedule and were highly responsive to our questions and feedback throughout the process, ensuring our requirements were fully met.

What was your primary form of communication with Arounda?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Arounda’s combination of creative design expertise, technical skill, and proactive communication is most impressive, allowing them to deliver a highly functional and visually appealing website that exceeded our expectations.

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

While Arounda delivered excellent results, post-launch support and guidance on long-term analytics tracking could be strengthened to further optimize ongoing website performance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the co-founder of Level Up Fitness, a mobile RPG fitness app where users log real-world workouts to progress through a fantasy-themed game, unlocking storylines, features, and rewards as they get in shape.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arounda?

We needed a redesign of our mobile app's UX/UI.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Arounda redesigned every screen within our app, modified the flow, and designed the assets. They also provided Figma files of all the screens and art files, along with documentation within Figma.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–5 teammates from Arounda.

How did you come to work with Arounda?

We found them through an online search. Their portfolio aligned with what we were looking for.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a confidential amount.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2025–February 2026.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Arounda finished our app's redesign.

How did Arounda perform from a project management standpoint?

Arounda delivered on time. Their project management was well done, and we appreciated the daily updates. We communicated via email and messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Arounda's designer's diligence and how collaborative they were to ensure they properly executed our vision were impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing they can improve on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Accentio Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Accentio Group is a boutique recruitment agency that helps companies find and hire top talent across technology, marketing, and product roles.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• We hired Arounda to redesign and modernize our web platform, improve the user experience, and create a visually cohesive, high-converting website that supports our business growth and long-term digital strategy.

SOLUTION

How did you find Arounda?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Arounda over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Arounda were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Arounda redesigned and optimized our website with a focus on UI/UX, responsive design, and conversion-driven landing pages. Key deliverables included a full website redesign, interactive prototypes, design systems, and ongoing updates. Their work significantly improved user experience, brand consistency, and engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Arounda’s redesign improved user engagement, conversion rates, and overall site usability, while delivering a modern, cohesive brand presence.

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

Arounda managed the project very efficiently, keeping all milestones on schedule. They were responsive to our requests, adaptable to changes, and maintained clear communication throughout the engagement.

What was your primary form of communication with Arounda?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What stands out about Arounda is their attention to detail, strategic approach to design, and ability to turn complex ideas into a high-quality, user-friendly website that delivers results.

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

While Arounda delivered excellent results, minor improvements in real-time progress updates could make long-term collaborations even smoother. Overall, their performance exceeded our expectations.