biznexus

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Axes, a financial trading company that facilitates trading in stocks, cryptocurrencies, forex, metals, energies, indices, and pretty much any security.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BN Digital?

We changed our business model, and we were selling our trading platform to be a mobile-only brokerage. We went to BN Digital to develop the whole app. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave BN Digital wireframes to make their job easier. All the research and development were done, and all they had to do was design the platform according to the wireframes we provided. We also provided a workflow map to show the app’s functionalities that would get triggered from one page to another. On top of that, we gave them documentation explaining other areas and app features. 

Since the deliverable was a trading platform, a lot of touchpoints existed. Using this trading platform, we wanted to lower the cost of trading to as low as $1 for clients. We wanted them to have the same tools and resources as any other big financial institution. Everybody should have fair rights and equal opportunities to trade, whether they were going short or long on any stock or trading instrument. As a result, critical attention to detail was necessary.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and a designer. When we started the project, there were a couple of changes in the team composition. The first project manager was dismissed, so they assigned another one. We also had to change designers. 

How did you come to work with BN Digital?

We were looking for a team that could deliver the emotional design we wanted. The design should emphasize the client’s emotions rather than technical analysis. The main idea behind that was to make traders feel at ease with the financial industry and the products they were trading. We believed that BN Digital could deliver that design, so we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $5,000–$6,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership lasted from December 2020–May 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn’t finish the project on good terms. When we went to BN Digital for help, we wanted them to take the burden off of our back because it was a huge project. The tasks didn’t only include the design; they also included licensing and backend development. However, BN Digital’s design ruined things for us. One small mistake from their side had put 5–6 people from our team in a situation where they had no idea what the design represented or why the platform was designed like that. 

How did BN Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management ended up good, but it was bad in the beginning. The first project manager lacked communication, language skills, and time management. However, the second project manager had better communication, timing, performance, and efficiency. We used Figma for the platform’s design and Skype to monitor communications. 

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

BN Digital’s services were more of a problem than a solution. The first designer they assigned to us was good, and she knew many techniques, tools, and trends. Her designs were also minimalistic, which was our main objective for this feature-packed platform. However, the second designer was super bad.

For context, we were finished with 70% of the project and only missing a couple of pages when, for some reason, they decided to give us a junior designer. That designer was also only learning at that time. Mistakes were done, and there was a lack of communication. On top of that, we were still charged hourly even for those mistakes, which were also placed upon us. 

In what specific areas can they improve?

I wish they took us a bit more seriously. They should improve their project management and collaboration skills, especially in terms of communication and supervision. Even the second project manager didn’t give his best in terms of supervising the second designer. That manager knew how everything worked in the project, but everything became chaotic when he gave complete freedom to that designer. It was sometimes similar to short-selling or buying in finance; it messed us up and we didn’t understand its purpose. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d put a disclaimer at the beginning of the collaboration. If you want to go with BN Digital, just do a small project. However, if you have a serious project, I’d advise against working with them. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder and product owner for our online marketplace for all things related to the beach. I work closely with and hire all of our contractors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BN Digital?

We hired BN Digital to create a High fidelity clickable prototype from our early prototype. We wanted them to take the brand logo, feel of the company and embed it in the web application design and ensure that UX best practices were adhered to. We also wanted ongoing support throughout the year to make changes and tweaks based on customer feedback or developer questions.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to have B2B and B2C prototypes built and shared within 1 month so we could share them with our DEV team and customers to bring the product to life. We needed the project to come in on budget and in time.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We posted our job online and received over 100 applicants. We shortlisted the top 5 from their portfolio and their communication and then conducted telephone interviews with them all. We selected BN Digital based on the conversation we had with Alec, their brilliant communication and their previous work. He really understood the project and what mattered to us and came up with suggestions to ensure we hit the deadline etc.

Describe the project in detail.

The overall scope was to have a B2B and B2C clickable prototype that looks like a finished product without any of the coding in the background. BN Digital suggested we use Invision to do this as it speeds up development time as all the elements and layout can be reused. they understood our tech stack and that this would work well. We held several meetings to walk through the existing low fidelity prototypes to understand the customer journey and features. We agreed priorities and milestones which BN Digital kept too. We also agreed that it would be an iterative process and things could change as we learn more. We held review meetings twice a week to see progress, provide feedback and check on estimated completion time. BN Digital provided input in to the UX strategy, created all the visual elements and ongoing support. Since the initial prototypes were delivered, we have continued to work with BN Digital on additional features, how secondary processes and journeys work.

What was the team composition?

We had two people from BN Digital, and two people from our side initially. However, over time we involved our HTML developer and FE developer at certain points to ensure we had a very clear understanding of what was meant to happen.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project delivered on time and on budget. All expectations were met. As we are a startup this was our product and enabled us to go out and cost the development / build time of our product with much more accuracy. Businesses and customers were able to see how the product would work and try it for themselves and resulted in our first signed contracts and highlighted some additional features we needed to build or change.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow and comms at first were regular, with adhoc meetings if required to clarify certain points and ensure there were no delays in delivery. As the relationship grew we have used Trello to capture a backlog of future features and changes that we then prioritise and progress.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I think Alec's emotional intelligence and ability to understand what is important has been the most critical part of our relationship. Because we have great rapport we have been able to work very well on all aspects of the project and ongoing support. Alec would challenge our thinking and ask good questions around the design and how we see things working. They also have good contacts and have put us in touch with some other businesses for some other pieces of work. And these relationships have worked equally as well. They are very responsive. If you need something urgently but unexpectedly then the team will react immediately.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the research lead for a higher education research center.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BN Digital?

We hired them for UI/UX work, specifically digitizing some of our data for the website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BN Digital helped us develop our MVP using Java. We worked through collaboration; they produced some mockups and tweaked it depending on our feedback. Their team digitized a ton of data, doing visualization for the frontend of our website. BN Digital coordinated with our frontend developers to integrate their UI/UX designs.

What is the team composition?

There were three people working with us, including our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with BN Digital?

A colleague worked with them on a previous project and really enjoyed it. He suggested them for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $9,890.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the project from March–April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received extremely positive internal feedback. They worked quickly, addressing all the points we gave them.

How did BN Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very well-organized. We had Skype calls every Tuesday and Friday. They were extremely responsive and always met deadlines regardless of the extra workload we added.

What did you find most impressive about them?

BN Digital integrated everything we asked for into the website. They never shied away from any new tasks we presented.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your expectations and follow their suggestions. They know what they’re doing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of R&P Games. It’s a small independent game company based in Sweden.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BN Digital?

We needed complex UI/UX design work done on a simulation game.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BN Digital completed UX wireframing and brought it to us for approval. Based on the UI/UX prototype made, they came up with how the design should look video-wise. They’re not using any web services, so it’s well-structured for review inside Unity.

What is the team composition?

We work with two members of their team.

How did you come to work with BN Digital?

They responded to a task I placed on Upwork.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $20,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around May 2017, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The game hasn’t launched yet, but BN Digital has done solid work. We’re already seeing results with what we have now that we didn’t before. Their price is affordable, allowing us to sustain the engagement longer to build the product together. I was impressed with the speed and quality of their work.

How did BN Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

BN Digital is good at understanding tasks and following up. Their team has a combination of good communication and good skills. They take ownership of mistakes and adjust the price accordingly if needed. We hold meetings twice a week, and also have video calls and screen sharing for communicating.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I have very demanding expectations with UI/UX design, and they met all of them. They form high-end designs that show their knowledge of UI/UX in their communication. BN Digital is straightforward and reliable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t say I’m unhappy with anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be sure to use the communication tools available.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of a digital bank based in New York City. We offer an application combined with a debit card that allows hourly workers to be paid in real-time. This allows people to avoid using aggressive financial products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BN Digital?

Our immediate need was designing the app’s UX/UI.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BN Digital was instrumental in establishing our platform. Their team designed the UX/UI of our mobile app and all its associated components. They did well, so we started to use their services on a variety of projects. Their team created print materials such as flyers, banners, and materials for distribution. They also designed the platform’s debit card and selected and edited stock photography for the site’s banners.

Most notably, they designed and developed our WordPress website. They carried the whole project, working with their development resources to get the site online. As the platform’s static, their team used tools to manage HTML and JavaScript. Now, they’re making a demo video of the app.

What is the team composition?

I’ve had two main points of contact who oversee a team that varies between 1–3 people.

How did you come to work with BN Digital?

We found them on a freelancer’s platform and interviewed 5–10 different service providers. We decided on BN Digital because we liked their work. Also, design requires iterations and their team was cost-effective.  

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $20,000–$30,000 on their services. Now, they work on an hourly basis.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with BN Digital in September 2019. We continue to hire them to work on projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The overall response to the website and our materials is extremely positive. People commended the website and like its vibe. When we launched the website, multiple connections reached out and told us that it’s well done.

How did BN Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We have stand-up meetings with them on Mondays. They’re flexible with any project management tools that we want to use. We use Monday.com to track deliverables and lobbing them from product to design and then development. Their ability to meet deadlines is fantastic. Their communication’s good as well. I’d recommend them a thousand times.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team’s accountable and works hard, so our engagement's smooth. Their team makes collaboration easy, which makes them different. They make it easy for us to work during any hour of the day—even working during the weekends.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only downside is the fact that they’re based in Ukraine. It would be useful to have someone on the team who reviews copy. BN Digital doesn’t have an in-house brand identity piece to their services. We could’ve worked with more in the beginning, but we didn’t want that service from them in the first place.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to set up your collaboration tools early and establish how you’re going to work. Apart from that, they’re fantastic and will figure out the rest.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m working at a startup healthcare company. We’re building an on-demand healthcare app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BN Digital?

They helped us build the visualization of our apps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They started off by providing design services. We ensured they had the correct color palette and UX. They also provided user testing. We were impressed with this, so we are working on developing a brand-new platform as well.

What is the team composition?

There were about four or five people executing on the project. They had a core team of designers and one project manager/business manager. The manager provided insights on the right approach to monetize the app. The rest of the team consisted of designers.

How did you come to work with BN Digital?

We started our engagement through Upwork. Once that started, we recognized they were great designers and a great team. For us, it was important to have people that understand our thought process and objective. That’s how we connected.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work began in March of 2019 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve gotten very positive feedback from investors and conference presentations. They’ve created an intuitive and simple user journey. We also gave the app to users for testing and they gave it a 4.3/5.0 score.

How did BN Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve had strong project management. I’m incredibly happy with their approach and how they get things done on time. We had some budget constraints at the beginning of the project, and they were able to still obtain maximum value on project management. The timeliness and thought process was very good. They’re responsive and get things done. They use Skype to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their project management was impressive. They add value with their own experience and let you know best practices. If they have recommendations, they say them. They try to determine how to make the project better. That’s something I really value in a consultant.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Other than being more flexible with time zones, there’s nothing I can say.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to know what stage you’re in and to have an actual strategy before starting a partnership with them. Ensure that your team has the most clarity possible, then use their experience and recommendations. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the head of product and marketing for the leading global inventory management platform on the app store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with brandnew?

We hired them specifically to refresh and modernize our UI on web and mobile apps.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started the process by providing them with a brief of our brand and the current state of our apps. Once we clearly identified what our goals were, they took our information and came up with a few different directions to go in. We chose a design and they began refreshing the platform. They’ve also provided us with marketing support and have designed promotional materials for us.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–3 people.

How did you come to work with brandnew?

We interviewed a bunch of different companies, and they met all of our requirements.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2018, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been happy with their work and have expanded their role within our organization. They have really great recommendations and are always able to come back with a solution. We continue to like what they produce visually because they clearly understand what we want when we describe it. They connect the dots really well.

How did brandnew perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always on time for meetings and communication between our teams has always been good. They’re generally on time with their deliverables, so we don’t have any complaints.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their experience with other mobile apps was a major deciding factor for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their marketing work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them be creative and let them experiment. If you just tell them what you want them to design, you’re not going to get the most out of them.