Blenderbox

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an IT director with a government agency in the Northeastern United States.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blenderbox?

We wanted to redesign our seven-year-old website to improve UX for both internal and external users and accommodate shifting technological trends.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their first step was to speak with stakeholders from across our organization to ensure the updates met all internal requirements. From here, they conducted focus groups to determine how our 8 million annual users interact with the site. They analyzed our existing web components to determine which ones were still viable and evaluated our mobile technology platforms.

With the planning phase complete, Blenderbox built new code to redesign the user interface and secure integrations with backend systems.

Based on their analysis, Blenderbox found that most of our traffic comes through mobile platforms, so the biggest change was shifting the website to a mobile-first approach. They streamlined our older desktop-centric, image-heavy model to better reflect the way modern users interact with our site.

Following completion, they’ll continue to provide routine maintenance.

What is the team dynamic?

Formally, everything is funneled through the project manager. The project team typically meets once a week, sometimes twice if needed.

Informally, I have direct contact with the Blenderbox’s president. If I have any kind of issue, I can contact him and he’ll address the issue personally.

How did you come to work with Blenderbox?

As a government agency, Blenderbox was competitively selected and chosen from a number of RFP responses. Their proposal went through a very thorough process and was ultimately selected by a diverse committee of people from across the organization.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September, 2015 and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In terms of social media, our analytics show that users have very positive sentiments about the new site, particularly the mobile-first design. We’ve also seen a dramatic increase in traffic to webpages that previously underperformed, which we attribute to improved site navigation.

Internal feedback has been great, with our executives responding very favorably.

How did Blenderbox perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re exceptional. The project manager they assigned is meticulous, detail-oriented, and one of the better project managers I've worked with in my 20 years of experience. We communicate through phone, e-mail, and various web tools, including Sifter for tracking issues and Basecamp for regular project communications.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The dedication of their president's senior leadership. When they presented their proposal, I asked what set Blenderbox apart. Their CEO looked me in the eye and explained that he stands behind his developers, project managers, and his company as a whole, and promised to personally ensure our satisfaction. You don't often see that level of dedication and he's stood behind every word.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of any deficiencies at this point. They've proven themselves capable and dedicated, so there's nothing I can fault them on.

Advice for potential customers?

Blenderbox is everything you would expect from a web development company. They schedule and complete goals in a professional manner, but what sets them apart is the dedication of their leadership. This makes them one of the most capable agencies I’ve worked with in my career.