Aubergine Solutions | UX + AI + Product Development Consulting

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of Pedagogy.Study, a company that runs a platform and marketplace for TestPrep books, digital courses, and Test Series from publishers and educational institutes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aubergine Solutions?

We wanted to build a user-friendly mobile app for our users that are preparing for various entrance exams. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Aubergine Solutions designed the UI/UX for the Android app, which allows students to register by scanning a unique QR activation code that’s placed on the front page of their TestPrep books. That code then allows them to view the book within the app. Students can read, practice, and generate online tests as well as review flashcards if they’re part of the course. The app also has some social features, allowing users to share their performance. 

What is the team composition?

I mainly worked with Bhakti (Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer, Aubergine Solutions), but I think there were a couple of other designers on the team. 

How did you come to work with Aubergine Solutions?

We were searching for UI/UX designers that could help us with the project and one of my co-founders found them online. We got in touch, looked at their portfolio, and did an initial proof-of-concept project with them. We loved Aubergine Solutions’ work and decided to take on the whole engagement with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Aubergine Solutions in mid-2018, and the project is ongoing. We’ve developed the Android app, but are still adding features. We’ve also tasked them with the design of our web app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The best feedback is all the five-star reviews we’ve gotten for the app on the Play Store. Users like the features and concept, but a lot of them have explicitly expressed that they love the UI/UX of the app without being asked. Overall, the feedback has been pretty overwhelming.

How did Aubergine Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They were exemplary in this regard, especially Bhakti. We’re more of an engineering organization, so UI/UX, although necessary for us, is not something we’re qualified in. Bhakti guides and pushes us to make hard decisions and to think differently. Aubergine Solutions delivers what they’re tasked to do really well, and are open to feedback.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Aubergine Solutions’ job was designing the UI/UX of the product but they got involved in the product’s conceptualization as well, which I really loved. They delved into the product strategy and gave us some great ideas during our brainstorming sessions. Bhakti encouraged meetings and made sure each one was productive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s hard to think of something for them to improve. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I advise clients to trust Aubergine Solutions’ judgment in terms of UI/UX. We had our own views and relied on them for the UI/UX decisions. After we went to market, I remember having discussions where we gave them some pushback. Aubergine basically guided us and explained how things should be. We followed their guidance have seen that users have behaved exactly the way they predicted they would. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product manager at Proto Banao, a technology consultancy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

We were starting to develop a product with minimal design work completed. Our team was focused on the technology side and needed a team of designers to help with the UI/UX design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

With the initial product, we had a few designs made in a sketch file. Their team looked at those, but the designs evolved from that point. The product was functional when we brought their team on board. We started another project with them entirely from scratch.

We’re working with Aubergine Solutions on three different projects now. Our primary focus is on web apps, but we’ve had one mobile app developed in both iOS and Android. We may bring their team on board for development help. 

What is the team composition?

We work with around four people. There’s a primary designer that brings on additional people as needed.

How did you come to work with Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

We found Aubergine Solutions through Upwork. After interviewing 12-14 design firms, we narrowed it down to two and assigned them a design task. We were impressed by Aubergine Solutions’ process and the questions they asked.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Aubergine Solutions in July 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Aubergine Solutions delivered more help than we thought we needed. Our team members love their design work. Whenever our developers have questions, they can reach out to the designer directly. We’ve received positive feedback from clients of the app we built. They love the simplicity and straightforwardness of the platform.

How did Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

They have an excellent project management process. Their team is well-organized. We’ve adopted specific techniques they do into our process. We communicate through Slack and Google Hangouts. We're delighted with Aubergine Solutions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Aubergine Solutions has a combination of skills and experience. Their design work is beautiful. Their expertise with B2B apps helps us quite a bit. With a lot of the problems we face, we could see examples of their previous work and draw from those.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are none that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a product developer at an analytics software company. I’m responsible for designing and developing products for our clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

Internally, were a bit short in terms of UX/UI resources. We were looking for an outside vendor to provide design components for a complex web app with heavy data visualization elements.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed high-fidelity design mockups to use to gather feedback from potential and existing customers and to share with developers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We considered over 50 vendors located all over the globe, but we only contacted about ten of them and requested price estimates from five. Ultimately, we chose Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd. for the quality of their past work, their experience in our field, and their overall value offering.

Describe the project in detail.

We had multiple weekly meetings with their team to help them understand the industry and the problem we were looking to solve. They asked a lot of questions and documented all of the information. After they had a good grasp of our vision, they started working. The team followed a well-defined process that included zone-flow diagrams, low-fidelity sketches, and visual designs, culminating in high-fidelity mockups and a set of development specifications.

What was the team composition?

We primarily interacted with the project lead, but there were at least two other UX/UI designers involved.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, feedback from customers on the mockups has been very positive. Working with Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd. on this project has provided our team with experience that we can apply to several other products that we’re working on.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Despite being located in different time zones, we communicated frequently and openly. Their team established a strict schedule and delivered everything on time. They were honest about their capabilities and their progress, setting realistic expectations and helping us manage our needs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re very detail-oriented and suggest great ideas to improve our product. Our meetings often transitioned into brainstorming sessions, where their staff displayed their refined industry experience and knowledge.

Are there any areas for improvement?

All projects can be done quicker, but we’re happy with their team’s process overall. They delivered a quality design and gave us some tools to improve our internal skill set as we move forward.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Creative AI started two years ago and are still relatively small. Our primary mission is to offer every business the power of a dedicated marketing team. At the moment, we’re mainly focused on helping small and medium-sized businesses or marketing teams by providing them with content inspiration.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

We needed to implement some new ideas into our platform. Our biggest challenge was finding the right team to help us with design and development.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd. designed and developed our entire interactive platform. We’re continuously working together. They mainly focused on frontend and backend development. We also work in-depth with Facebook and Instagram APIs. The project entailed extensive database work. 

We used Python for the backend, Angular 2 for the frontend, a Django framework, and a PostgreSQL database. The entire platform is hosted on AWS. Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd. helped me to understand some of these technologies. 

What is the team composition? 

We have a dedicated team lead.  Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd is very flexible about assigning the number of developers we need at any time.

How did you come to work with Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

My co-founder had worked with Aubergine Solutions before and referred them to me. We didn’t consider any other companies.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000-$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2017, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have feedback sessions from time to time to find ways to improve some of the points.

How did Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

We work so closely together that Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd. is like a part of our team. The team lead makes sure everything is done on time, and the work is being spread around to other developers. We have daily SCRUM calls about all the updates. 

Communication is perfect. I can message the project lead or any of the developers at any time. The ideas come from our side. We share responsibility for project management, and they’re very helpful. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our level of communication is impressive, especially since we’re located so far apart from each other. Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd. is very flexible about the work we do. They make all the changes we need at any point during the product development cycle.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of ClickmyBrain. We offer a digital innovation platform for mid-sized business that’s designed to facilitate their growth at every level. It also brings them in contact with high-end people in different fields, including our verified IT partners. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aubergine Solutions?

We were looking for both full-stack development and UX/UI design services to build our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Aubergine started by diving into the details and creating a scalable architecture that accounted for potential roadblocks. From a technical perspective, they used Angular on the frontend and Node.js on the backend. We have a PostgreSQL database, in addition to other open-source web technologies.

While the platform works in an agile manner, it also features a portfolio-management approach for clients that want to build their own roadmaps. Beyond being a piece of software, it’s also a community building tool.

What is the team composition?

We have a project manager on the UX/UI side and a dedicated development team, which has a lead that organizes all our sprints.

How did you come to work with Aubergine Solutions?

We were looking for an IT partner that could provide both development and web/UX design; we wanted the best of both worlds. I looked at many companies on Clutch and settled on Aubergine and one other. We ended up choosing Aubergine because of the work they’d done for other clients and the effort they spent on making their mark in the industry.

Our first contact was swift and comfortable, and I liked how they had strong opinions on certain issues. They challenged us in a positive way and wanted to be a part of our team.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost will be around $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since February 2018. Our first release is planned for December 15th, so we’re going to begin testing in a few weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Design hinges on communicating and expressing what you want to achieve, and we’ve built a trust with Aubergine that allows us to do that. We wanted to use abstract shapes poetically to describe all kinds of emotions, and Aubergine fully grasped this. They have tremendous social intelligence, which helps them understand our thoughts, ideas, and feelings.

How did Aubergine Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re transparent and professional. We receive all sorts of metrics about what they’re doing on a constant basis, including hours breakdowns between senior, medium, and junior resources. We have daily meetings to discuss project specifics and any challenges they’re facing. If a particular task is going to extra time to complete, they always make us aware.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They reach out and relate to us, which allowed them to absorb our ideas about how we wanted to design the product. We were looking for a completely original design, and they were great in helping us develop it. However, they didn’t do exactly what we wanted. Instead, they challenged us and experimented, which made them a true part of our team.

I love the technologies they use, including Elastic Search, and they’re constantly progressing to new ones. This ability to stay hungry and continue innovating makes them a valuable long-term partner. Finally, their CTO has shown a desire to learn and be inspired by things happening all over the world.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re going to need to continue to find the correct people to keep their quality up. This may be difficult, with their being a little south of the IT center in Ahmedabad, so they ought to open a second base somewhere with more IT leads.

As they grow, they need to ensure they’re putting quality above quantity. This is their hallmark now, but they might lose it if they grow too fast.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients shouldn’t hesitate to contact Aubergine and communicate new ideas. Though it can be intimidating to work with a company that’s far away, it’s important to not hold back a second or third agenda.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Pharma Pvt. Ltd. is a pharmaceutical manufacturer and marketing company. We market our products across India, and globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aubergine Solutions?

We were looking for some marketing tools to promote to our physician market. They helped us design an app solution to differentiate us from other pharmaceutical companies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a marketing tool that would help engage with doctors inside their clinics. We started by building a mobile solution, which requires a permanent internet connection. As we grow our userbase, we also plan to build a desktop version.

We were starting from scratch, so our marketing team came up with ideas and Aubergine did too. In the past, they had built a restaurant queue management solution for web students, and we took inspiration from that.

We asked Aubergine to customize the solution they’d created previously, in order to make a new app for us. It has additional features to give easy access to our products, as well as allowing management of patient databases and histories. There are also daily, weekly, or monthly connection options, which enable doctors to be more engaged with both their patients and our brand.

What is the team composition?

We dealt with 3–4 of their members, with one of them on a regular basis.

How did you come to work with Aubergine Solutions?

We met them at a networking event, while we were looking for some app developers. We then had a formal meeting at our office, reviewed their work, and started the collaboration.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of the project has been around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them at the end of 2016. The major part of the work was completed in February 2018, but we’ve continuously made modifications and enhancements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The doctors we’re working with have been impressed with the interface and ease of use of the application. The end-users of our application are pretty happy with it, and the number of users has been increasing by word of mouth. We're meeting our expectations in our market.

How did Aubergine Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Sarthak (co-founder & CTO, Aubergine Solutions) was initially the lead for our project; he interacted with us and managed the work, then assigned a project manager, who was always in touch. If there were any specific problems or inquiries, we were connected with the particular person in charge.

It was generally a smooth process. After the application went online, inquiries were solved within 2–3 hours and we had no problems. The timely response was very good, and the coordination among different team members was smooth. We didn’t face any issues or lapses in communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They not only have a development team, but also provide UI and UX design, which is not common with development companies. They combine both areas well and have a good amount of people in their team, which means the delivery time is not a concern.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could come up with more additional features on their side. We’re not technical, so they could provide us with more feedback on what additions we could make to our product.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the managing director of CompuBrain and the founder of Social Media 2.0.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

We developed a scoring mechanism for social media known as CBScore. We hired Aubergine Team to help us with the UX design of this platform.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted an end-to-end UX design for the platform and create a scoreboard feature across multiple social media platforms. We also wanted users to have the ability to compare their scores and view trends in various industries.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We asked them for a one-page report design and were impressed with their speed and quality. We were convinced that they would do a great job.

Describe the project in detail.

Aubergine developed the UX and an online, responsive score feature. They configured the feature to allow users to look up their scores and compare them to industry trends on social media platforms. Design-wise, we started with one page, added a couple of interactions to it, and it gradually grew it into a bigger platform.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of their lead designer and a UX designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their team was very fast and easily adapt their designs to new requirements.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Aubergine team was always available to talk about challenges and new requirements. They listened to our feedback seriously and came back with all the changes that were requested. They also have clearly defined reasons behind all the decisions they took, even the smaller ones. They conducted meetings and kept us updated. Their team was professional and delivered everything on-time.

​​​​​​What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were impressed by their commitment to quality deliverables and delivering on-time.

BACKGROUND

I am the owner of Accord Interest LLC, a real estate development firm. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

We needed to develop proprietary software with a rent-roll module that allows different cycles of rental within a single business unit.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed an internet-based property management system with SQL. While the system is still in development, Aubergine Solutions has already built in a trial balance capability; rental unit scheduling; rental property status tracking; a to-do management system; and maintenance request tracking.

What is the team composition?

We worked with the CTO and a team of programmers.

How did you come to work with Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

Our CTO worked with the CTO of Aubergine before and thought they could help with our project.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $100,000 so far and expect to invest more.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started around March 2016 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The modules are not yet complete, but Aubergine is very conscientious about experimenting with features and has continued to work very hard. The automated testing for the system has been conducted on smaller properties with minimal bugs or hiccups.  

How did perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a postitive working relationship. Not only do our CTO and theirs communicate well (often via a third-party screen sharing service), our respective teams do as well. Their English skills are good and they accommodate us in being available to U.S. time zones.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team has integrity and has created solutions to solve unforeseeable software problems.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I am pleased with them and see no problems.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Define the scope of the project clearly before beginning.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the COO and product manager for a Chicago-based compact fitness machine manufacturer. Our company has been shipping products throughout North America and Europe for two and a half years. I am responsible for supply chain operations, customer experience, and product development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

In the summer of 2014, our company concluded a successful Kickstarter campaign for a Bluetooth Low Engergy (BLE)-equipped compact fitness machine. The following year, we engaged Aubergine Solutions to help us design and develop a mobile app for iOS and Android that tracks activity statistics transmitted from the machine. Since the product’s formal launch in January 2016, Aubergine Solutions continues to assist us with subsequent version upgrades, maintenance, and quality assurance.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to produce a user-friendly, navigable companion application for the machine. We also needed scalability in the software application for future increases in hardware sales.  

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

As an early-stage company with limited funding and fresh off our Kickstarter campaign, we decided to outsource the majority of our development functions to an external team rather than use in-house resources. We were extremely lucky to have found Aubergine. We asked them for an initial mockup of the app, and the design and development teams delivered a solid product, creating a mockup that not only considered the UX and aesthetics, but technical feasibility as well. Seeing the quality of work they were capable of confirmed our decision.

Describe the project in detail.

We built the frontend experience, the BLE connection, the backend database, and the API for app-to-server communication, and Aubergine worked alongside our U.S.-based electrical, firmware, and hardware engineers to create an integrated system that seamlessly connects our exercise hardware device to the app’s software. 

What was the team composition?

Their team consisted of a project manager, an iOS developer, an Android developer, a backend developerand a UI/UX designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With Aubergine Solutions as our development partner from the beginning, we have had a successful product on the market for over two years.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our teams communicated regularly with weekly calls that included a pre-meeting agenda and post-meeting summary. I was also in direct contact with Sarthak Dudhara (CTO, Aubergine Solutions), who does a great job keeping his team motivated and accountable.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Aubergine Solutions exceeds expectations. Most development firms are very good at building what the client tells them to; very few go beyond the specified scope to offer recommendations that address potential pitfalls in security, quality control and scalability. Functioning in a CTO capacity, I trust Aubergine Solutions to compensate for gaps in my instruction or requirements without explicit direction. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

Aubergine Solutions has provided a great experience over the past three years. One area of improvement, however, is in identifying with customers who come to us with troubleshooting inquiries. This feedback applies to all development teams, in-house or outsourced. Customers are often averse to providing a lot of supporting data in the troubleshooting process, so it is imperative that teams develop creative solutions with a limited amount of information. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder and CTO of Flype, a modern product success cloud. We contribute to product success by delivering education, critical computations, and customer understanding.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

Our company was started 18 months ago and, at the time, we needed help from an expert in product design, especially in terms of UX.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I’m the product owner on our side, so I handled wireframing using Sketch. I sent my designs to Aubergine, who applied their knowledge for choosing the best interactions, button placements, and designs. We had a collaborative process for defining the UI/UX.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two designers from their team, but our main contact was their co-founder/chief design officer.

How did you come to work with Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

I had worked with them before for many years, but we also contacted three other providers. Aubergine stood out in terms of experience and their approach to product and UX design. As a startup, the cost was a big concern for us, so working with a team from India would help contain costs to an extent.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work was $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Aubergine in June 2017. The project was wrapped up in November of the same year, though we continue to refine the product’s design with their team’s help.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re currently running a number of pilots of the software. We have a good pipeline to our B2B customers and we’ve found that they love the product’s UX.

How did Aubergine Solutions Pvt. Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m based in San Francisco while their team is in India, so managing time zones was one of our challenges. We had frequent discussions during their mornings and our evenings, getting updates and planning the next tasks. They were good in terms of project management. We didn’t use tracking tools initially, but as we became more structured, we started using Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I value the experience and domain knowledge they bring to designing B2B applications. My past experience with Aubergine proved that they were able to manage projects in this domain. Their designer covered most of the issues I was concerned about relating to this space.

It was a good experience and I’m planning to continue the collaboration. I’ve been asked about my design firm and I have given some referrals for Aubergine.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have no specific negative comments about them.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If the customer has clarity on what they’re looking for, Aubergine’s team will perform. Time management and the lack of face-to-face meetings can be a challenge, so having clear requirements is essential.