Black Airplane

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

As the Community Manager of Entrepreneurship for the Cherokee Office of Economic Development, I am responsible for all of our entrepreneurship initiatives, including our educational programming called Fresh Start Cherokee and our startup co-working space. Our vision is to use the programming and community workspace to build a culture of entrepreneurship throughout our county.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Black Airplane?

We had just opened the workspace, The Circuit Woodstock, with a soft launch and were in the process of opening up our membership. We wanted a well-designed, smart, and modern website with an amazing, fresh UX that would educate, empower, and connect our users and visitors.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to provide clear, actionable steps toward joining our community. For us, the website was not just a landing page, but an online presence that communicated our complex brand partnership and vision with crystal clarity, a sleek design, and a memorable UX from first visit to final click.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were introduced to Black Airplane through a mutual, trusted connection. When they decided to secure office space in our co-working hub, it made sense to use them as an in-house web design company. Once we started the engagement process and observed their professionalism, responsiveness, incredible talent, rare communication style, and streamlined design process, we knew without a doubt we had made the best choice  Black Airplane’s design and development skills were equally matched by their intrapersonal and people skills, a combination that is very rare in today’s design agencies.  

Describe the project in detail.

We held preliminary consulting conversations or listening meetings during which Black Airplane simply asked lots of questions about our goals and needs. We followed those up with some specific ideas and brainstormed together how to best implement them. They were very transparent and open throughout the design stages, giving us sneak peaks along the way, asking questions, making changes, and keeping us informed. They even confidently tackled some of our more challenging development and design ideas (such as the “Reserve a Seat” interactive map) and flawlessly implemented them beyond our wildest imagination. They remained fully supportive for bugs and issues all the way through our launch preparation.

What was the team composition?

For the majority of the project, our team worked with two to three people from Black Airplane--a managing partner, the design lead, and the developer--with most communication coming from the design lead for consistency and clarity. They collaborated well with us, always keeping open lines of communication and staying positive about the project and its progress.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The increased web traffic has led to a great percentage increase in membership requests, applications, tours, newsletter subscriptions, and emails. After nearly a year, the results have been surprisingly good and exceeded expectations. Near the end of the design process and just before launch, we shared the draft design with a few close friends who could be trusted to provide expert, honest, and constructive feedback. They were all stunned by the end product and commented on its user-friendly layout and function.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their project management skills were excellent through our design journey with a helpful flight plan process and a constant willingness to help and support. Quick and on-point, their communication was seamless and consistent, both in person and online. We used primarily email and Slack, but would also visit them down the hall. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to perform well in both development and design skills and in personal, professional service was very practical and impressive. You will not find a firm or agency that excels in both areas like Black Airplane. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

They can make use of visual storyboards for early design mockups at the beginning of the engagement process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Positive Athlete

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We recognize high character, high-school student athletes through an awards and development program.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Black Airplane to accomplish?

• Build out the future technological home of our company, both public facing and internal

SOLUTION

How did you find Black Airplane?

Referral

Why did you select Black Airplane over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Black Airplane were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Black airplane helped design and build our new internal CRM software linked to a public facing LinkedIn type of web and mobile platform for our users.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Growth of our program through nominations that translate to more users.

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

Yes, everything was delivered on time and in great shape. They have been excellent to deal with!

What was your primary form of communication with Black Airplane?

Virtual Meeting

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

I would say the personal care they take to walk through every step with us. I have felt well cared for the entire process!

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Hawkeye I/O Services, LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

An I/O Psychology consulting firm which assist organizations with hiring practices, promotional processes, and organizational restructuring in an effort to attain optimal performance objectives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Black Airplane to accomplish?

• Develop proprietary online application used for candidate selection within the Public Safety arena.
• Launch proprietary online application for candidate selection within the Public Safety arena.
• Integrate proprietary online application with current company website.

SOLUTION

How did you find Black Airplane?

Online Search

Why did you select Black Airplane over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Black Airplane were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Develop, test, and integrate proprietary online application used in the candidate selection during the hiring process for Public Safety agencies. Additionally, Black Airplane setup my e-commerce application within my current company website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Black Airplane members assigned to my project were in constant contact with me throughout the entire process. I was provided access to a ClickUp team board so that I could see each task during each sprint cycle so that I could track progress, enter comments, test features, and interact with team members daily. 

Every week we had sprint progress meetings which were well-organized and informative.If I ran into an issue during testing the Project Manager and Account Manager responded to me within a couple of hours, unless the issue was urgent. If the issue was urgent, a member would contact me within minutes of my request. I could not have asked for a better group of people to handle my project needs.

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

The Black Airplane project management team members were incredible. They either met or exceeded the scheduled sprint timeline. The Black Airplane members assigned to my project were in constant contact with me throughout the entire process. I was provided access to a ClickUp team board so that I could see each task during each sprint cycle so that I could track progress, enter comments, test features, and interact with team members daily. 

Every week we had sprint progress meetings which were well-organized and informative.If I ran into an issue during testing the Project Manager and Account Manager responded to me within a couple of hours, unless the issue was urgent. If the issue was urgent, a member would contact me within minutes of my request. I could not have asked for a better group of people to handle my project needs.

What was your primary form of communication with Black Airplane?

Virtual Meeting

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

I did not have an easy project because it dealt with a unique proprietary application which needed specific functionality. Everyone on the team was very supportive and did not shy away from the challenge. They exceeded my expectations with the deliverables.

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

No areas of improvement that I could mention.