Cantilever Web Design & Development

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Rustic Pathways is a student travel company that offers travel for 11,000 students every year to over 20 countries. I’m VP of Business Operations where I oversee marketing, customer service, and technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cantilever?

We’ve been working with Cantilever for nearly 5 years now. In our latest project, we worked with them to streamline the buyer’s journey across multiple complex product types and combine multiple CMS’s from previous external and internal development teams. We also wanted to bring our web design presence in line with our print and catalog materials and improve our brand image online.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cantilever was tasked with re-imagining our entire online presence. They created a new unified online brand for Rustic Pathways from the ground up that coordinated with our other materials, and they rewrote the entire backend to make the content management and user experience processes smarter and more efficient. We provided them with design inspiration — including external sites that we thought did a good job of communication similar products and experiences, as well as all of our own design materials. They did the frontend design, wireframes, and comps for the actual web experience and all of the backend coding.

Cantilever created high-level technical features in terms of searching, sorting, and filtering our programs. They gave us a more unified. They also ensured that the site was designed and tested from a mobile-first and responsive perspective.

What is the team composition?

At Cantilever we’ve worked directly with the Senior Leadership on the team in addition to UX and graphic designers, front-end coders, back-end coders, and networking and server professionals.  We have a dedicated Account Manager, and our support team has consisted of 4-5 individuals on a consistent basis over the last several years.

How did you come to work with Cantilever?

They were recommended to us by another web developer. That developer didn’t have time to take on our large project but suggested we look at Cantilever. I had the opportunity to meet with them in person in New York City and immediately realized that they were they type of company that we wanted to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

The most recent project was around $85,000. I don't have the total for all five years.

What is the status of this engagement?

They initially did our website in 2014, and a site for a different product division in 2016. The comprehensive analysis and redesign took place from November 2017–August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've gotten great feedback in regards to both the visual aesthetic and use of imagery on the site. Cantilever took the images that we provided them and made them really stand out on the site. They created a full-screen image gallery that allows our photos to shine. We've also gotten good feedback on the navigation that they designed. They did a great job of optimizing site performance and making sure it's a smooth user experience.

How did Cantilever perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is very organized. It's been great to work with them. Internally, we have limited time and resources, but Cantilever has taken the time to get to know us and our brand. They help keep us on track and push our projects forward. We had a high level of confidence in working with them because of their organization and understanding of our brand. Most of our communication is through email. Though, we’ve met with them several times in person, and also participate in video check-in calls at least on a monthly basis. When we’re working with them on larger projects we frequently have a weekly call. They're very flexible on communication platforms.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s great that they’re a one-stop shop. Their team has a diverse set of skills from UX and graphic design, to back-end coding, to analytics optimization. The individuals responsible for our account have always had a diverse skill set and deep understanding of our brand. Oftentimes, they’ll put in placeholder copy for a new feature or section of our website that needs little to no modification. Because they know our brand so well, we have a high level of trust in their suggestions and the work that they produce. They have invested time with us to develop a long-term relationship. And they have worked with us over the years to make sure that each of our projects has a positive outcome for our business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take the time to meet with them, either virtually or in person. Tell them everything you can about your brand and company. The more that you bring to the table, the better they'll be able to help you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company was called Theo and Sebastian when we worked with Cantilever. As branding and corporate communications specialists, we helped Fortune 500 and Fortune 50 companies find better ways to communicate internally. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cantilever?

Our high-profile financial institution client wanted to create an in-house online social media site. Functionally, it facilitates idea exchange between employees and management. The entire system aims to showcase a basic overview of the current state of HR affairs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our partnership started off with a focus on visual design. Cantilever was an active participant in all our project meetings. We developed the wireframes and documentation in tandem. I was the art director for this project. They produced initial sketches and ideas, then built out the platform in accordance with our sitemap and design parameters.

The team's developers coded a WordPress site that empowers in-house staff to exchange ideas and promote events internally. Interactive features give users the option to upload photos and leave comments on each other's posts. Executive leadership can use the platform to promote and disseminate new ideas. Focused on idea sharing, the site gives any employee the means to interface virtually with upper-level management. 

Cantilever also converted the site's entire technology code base into a corporate event platform. That facet of the platform had slightly more specific features for scheduling and uploading pictures. This iteration was comparable to major social media platforms but also customized for the client company's internal use.

What is the team composition? 

We usually worked with three people from their team. I exclusively interfaced with Ty (Founder, Cantilever).

How did you come to work with Cantilever?

My business partner knew their founder previously. We've known each other for 7-8 years now. They're our go-to team for any new development project we start. We do much design in-house, but they're capable of supporting those efforts in addition to development, as they did in this particular case. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership lasted from June 2013–August 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The entire experience was outstanding. Cantilever built a flexible, responsive platform that makes it easy for employees to interface with C-Suite executives virtually. Back in 2013, the tile structure they used was an exciting new feature on WordPress. Once we showed our client the finished Web site, they were delighted. 

This project established a healthy working relationship between our studio, Cantilever, and this particular client, which has consistently grown as we've continued to work together into the present time. We've even maintained this partnership since our client from this project moved to an entirely new company.

How did Cantilever perform from a project management standpoint?

I'd give them full marks from this point of view. Regarding communication tools, we often use screen sharing.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

Unlike many development companies, this team is part of the real world. Cantilever understands the nature of specific client relationships and precisely what it takes to deliver a project. They're excellent at preparing for and reacting to the changes that come along. Rather than the central aspect of the project, they see the coding work as just one facet. Of course, they're also great at design work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd suggest future clients take advantage of Cantilever's knowledge base. Listen to the great ideas they propose. Since they're very well-managed, being organized too will make for a good relationship.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own EPO Creative, which provides branding services to the financial services, industrial, and manufacturing sectors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cantilever?

I needed a website that effectively communicated my company’s mission. Visitors needed to understand my vision from the very beginning, without having to sort through a lot of content.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I hired them after I completed some initial UX and UI designs; I provided those mock-ups to Cantilever. Ty, the president, and I collaborated to outline goals and formulate the project plan; we also worked with another resource that has since moved on. They built the site in Django and hosted it on WebFaction. We didn’t use WordPress because open-source platforms are always changing and updating. Cantilever wanted to work in a more true developer space.

In addition to my website, we also built a website for one of my clients together.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Ty and the other associate.

How did you come to work with Cantilever?

I wanted a smaller vendor that was appropriate for my company’s size. A colleague at the organization Noble Desktop referred them.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent between $30,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I worked with them between October–December 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site was functional and looked professional. They did it so well that I’ve never worried about sending my clients to it. While the site may not be current in some fashions, it works well for what it is. Their performance reassured me as a newer business owner.

How did Cantilever perform from a project management standpoint?

The kickoff meetings were great; the team was interactive and collaborative. They excelled at time management and overall organization. We met in-person during the earlier stages. They were extremely adaptable and flexible. Through the project, they were open to implementing new or alternative solutions. We used email as appropriate but mainly communicated via WebEx and screen shares.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was looking to go beyond what I could do myself; I work in the creative space as well so it is easy to try and take control. That is what I would say distinguishes Cantilever. I have worked with a number of developers and I usually get what I ask for, but only after asking a few times. They are the only ones who thought beyond my ideas and solved problems before I could.

Furthermore, I appreciated Ty’s responsiveness and ability to answer my questions, especially when the site crashed. I would use them more if I had the latitude or client budget to do so.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some services could be less expensive as a third-party vendor. Their prices weren’t always beneficial to my margins. While I respected their pricing structures and wouldn’t criticize it, the total costs dissuaded me from engaging them in additional end-client projects.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No. They can handle anything from development to design.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

IEH is a connector manufacturer. We make printed circuit board connectors and interconnect devices primarily for military and commercial aerospace applications. I’m the president and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cantilever?

We had an old website from the 90s that was very basic and antiquated. It didn’t have all the information we wanted and was a poor customer interface. We wanted a team to rebuild it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired them about seven years ago. They completely redid the whole website from scratch. I provided them with graphic images of our products, but they did all the software and technical aspects of the site. They made it aesthetically pleasing and user friendly. They also created a search function that allows users to filter by attributes to give them the product that best suits their needs.

Since we finished the build, they have helped with a lot of maintenance. We’ve made both major and minor changes and we continue to work with them.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with two or three people over the years. It’s a small group, so I’ve communicated with everyone. Ty (President, Cantilever) runs things. He’s always been very involved and either completes tasks himself or has team members help him. I’m in communication with all of them whenever something needs to be done.

How did you come to work with Cantilever?

I wanted to work with somebody local who could come to us, see our production facility, and get a good feel for who we are and what we do. At the time, Ty was in Brooklyn, only about a 10-minute drive from us. We interviewed three or four companies, but they gave the best impression. They did a great job.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000–$20,000 for the initial work on the website.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around January 2011. The initial build took about nine months before we launched the new site in September 2011. They still provide maintenance and site support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Customers say it’s very easy to use and find what they’re looking for. It’s aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly, and accurately presents what we do.

How did Cantilever perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. We occasionally had web conference calls, and a handful of times we walked through different pages together. Now that they do mostly maintenance, we mostly use phone and email. We had a face-to-face meeting at the end of last year to catch up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re smart, professional, and responsive. The team is creative and I like the work they do. We’re happy to work with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve had no major issues. There were rare instances when I had to chase them to do little things.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and executive director of Spark+Echo Arts, which commissions artists to create works for every verse of the Bible. We showcase the art on our website and at live events.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cantilever?

We needed to create a new, mobile-friendly website that was more focused on our audience and on finding ways to better engage the community.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built both the frontend and backend of the new website from scratch using Craft. Although they were familiar with our old site and all of the content we already had available, we did not provide them with wireframes or anything like that. Cantilever was instrumental in finessing our branding and messaging, effectively overhauling everything. They ended up becoming consultants to our organization as a whole within the duration of this project, particularly their founder. They did a lot of problem solving on how to better engage our audience and helped to identify what parts of our mission need improvement, as well as provided advice on how to enact those fixes.

When our work with them began, we specifically emphasized the need for better community engagement on this new site. They not only came up with simple ways to achieve that, but also established what was essentially a whole philosophy built off of our name. Cantilever tied the ideology of our organization into the design of the site, which we found extremely impressive.

What is the team composition?

There were about six people on the team as a whole, including a project lead, a developer, a designer, and a finance manager.

How did you come to work with Cantilever?

This project and our old website were originally inherited from another organization. Back at the foundation of this project, we were on a team alongside Cantilever to craft that larger app. When this project became separate, we asked that they continue working with us.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We officially engaged them around October of 2017. Although technically the main website project is complete, we intend to hire them again in the near future for general maintenance, as well as for further branding and identity work. Once we can raise the necessary capital, we would also like to engage Cantilever for a second version of the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everybody has been really excited about the new website. It has made not only the artwork, but also the project as a whole shine. People are better able to understand what we do and why we are doing it, all thanks to Cantilever’s work.

How did Cantilever perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very easy to work with, due to their willingness to walk us through every step. We met with their project leader personally on a regular basis, and they were always just a call, text, or email away. We also used Basecamp for our communications. Sometimes there were delays on our end—such as not getting all of our content moved over by a set deadline—but they were always very professional about such things. Overall, they worked fast and were consistently both clear and patient with us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They treated our collaboration as more than a simple website project. I cannot imagine a more dedicated team of people, and they became truly integrated with our organization. Cantilever cared about our mission and helped us to achieve our goals. Additionally, nobody ever talked down to us. Their team is very technically savvy, but I am not. During our work together, I always felt that I was being cared for and that I understood what they were saying.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I cannot think of anything; I am a big fan.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do not be afraid. I was always afraid of asking for too much or asking a dumb question. As we worked with Cantilever, those fears disappeared, and I wish that I would have known not to be so reticent right away. You will get honest feedback if you just ask.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the editor of an online archive publication. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cantilever?

They were hired at the online archive’s inception to build the website, as we didn't have the technical capabilities in-house. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The publication worked with Bondi Digital Publishing to translate the physical issues into a digital format. Cantilever then created a WordPress website over top of those digital archives. It allows us to make TextEdit versions of the stories so the site isn’t a dormant archive, but instead exists to provide insight into current news. In order to convey the site’s purpose, the archives needed to feel vibrant and modern, despite focusing on older content, so Cantilever structured the site to look elegant and clean, as well as easy to navigate for our readers.

Since finishing the site, Cantilever has remained accessible for any technical questions. I’m not in touch with them every week, but I communicate with them on a frequent basis. We do intend to test a few new things on the site this year, so they’ll be integral to that process.

What is the team composition? 

I’ve worked primarily with Ty Fujimura [Founder, Cantilever]. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with in April 2015, and we continue to partner with them for technical guidance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site has received nothing but positive feedback from our readers.

How did Cantilever perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re completely transparent. They give us the reality of their capabilities, from a creative and technical standpoint to the finances. They have a very seamless system.

I’ve met Ty for meetings a few times, but mostly, we communicate through email or phone. He’s very patient and chipper when we speak. They’re also super timely and responsive — if something goes wrong on the site on Sunday afternoon, you could get someone to respond if need be.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Often, when you deal with people in IT, they know what they’re talking about, but they have a difficult time translating it for you. I had the opposite experience with Ty and Cantilever. There’s no question that’s too stupid for them to answer in a clear, concise way for someone who isn’t tech savvy. I’ve become so accustomed to their patience that I don’t think twice about asking them as many questions as I need.

They also understand our brand. They have more than just a working knowledge for what we do, but also an interest. That makes things more efficient because it can increase shorthand between us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, the work they’ve done for us is well-suited to our needs and taste. If someone I knew needed a web designer, I would not hesitate to recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Droga5 is a creative digital advertising agency. I am a Co-Director of Interactive Production.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cantilever?

I was trying to build a brand new dot-com for a company with an outdated website, and wanted to tie in new UX [user experience] design and e-commerce.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I hired them as my lead technical team on frontend and backend development. They were responsible for UX, while my team skinned our visual design to their wireframe. Their tasks included content strategy, experience design, frontend development, backend architecture, and integrations with the client's existing email and e-commerce platforms.

The frontend was configured in HTML, CSS [Cascading Style Sheets] and Javascript, while the backend was a Linux-based server with a LAMP stack on an AWS [Amazon Web Service] instance that would auto-scale. The skinning we did was static, so Cantilever was responsible for interaction design and animation.

We kept a fairly structured schedule of two or three weeks of UX, visual design, and then iterative development cycles based on client reviews and feedback opportunities. After that pattern, we had two to three weeks of quality assurance testing and then deployed, going live upon client approval.  

What is the team dynamic?

They had a three-person team. We had regular in-person meetings twice a week, and daily email communication.

How did you come to work with Cantilever?

I worked with Ty [President, Cantilever] at another company, and wanted to work with him again. We typically have a triple-bid process, so we did speak to other potential partners. Cantilever delivered the best bid, based upon the technical and creative plans, budget, timing, and staffing.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project between January and July 2012. We had an initial release at the end of March or April that year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our clients were very pleased with their work. When we finished our contract, the client extended their arrangement directly with Cantilever. They still work together.

How did Cantilever perform from a project management standpoint?

I really enjoyed working with Ty. His understanding of the scope of work and project timelines were very detailed. He was communicative and organized.

I typically give them projects with longer timelines. They like to plan advance, so when I need a website built in two weeks, I don’t usually use them.  For long-term website, apps, and product-based builds, they’re a reliable partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything they’ve built for me has been solid, thought out, and thorough. Their code is clean, and they have an amicable, organized approach. Contract negotiations with them were flexible; they’re particular about their product, and they set themselves a high standard.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm executive director of the NuLawLab, an interdisciplinary innovation laboratory at Northeastern University School of Law.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cantilever?

We wanted a design team to work alongside a separate development company to create a custom website for attracting collaborators.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They crafted every aspect of the design, doing a beautiful job from start to finish. One particularly notable functionality is the use of interactive maps to convey statistical legal data and case studies. While the backend could be simplified somewhat, in general, they created an interesting, successful aesthetic for what turned out to be a fairly complicated feature.

They also redesigned our logo after another firm had given us a logo already being used by another company.

What is the team dynamic?

We worked almost exclusively with Ty [Fuimara, President, Cantilever]. Initially, we also worked with his partner, who’s since moved on, but Ty’s brought in more people now.

How did you come to work with Cantilever?

We did an RFP for potential designers and developers and received between 15–20 applications. We narrowed it down to three finalists through a series of interviews. Cantilever was the only company to put forth actual ideas in their proposal, so we chose them for the design side of the project, with another firm doing the development.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $150,000–$175,000 for the whole project, but that also includes the cost of the development firm.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in January 2014, and the project carried through to the end of the year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site has served our purposes well. Plus, people love the design, which was even nominated for a Webby.

How did Cantilever perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. We communicated primarily through phone and email, but also collaborated through a project management platform they managed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They helped us discover our identity. They did a remarkably good job of getting to know who we are as an organization and what drives us. We have a bit of a niche audience, but Ty was able to embed himself to understand what we were looking for. That was a great gift that I see as an example of their going above and beyond.

Ty’s a true artist and he brings that into the work, and it shows.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing I can think of.

Advice for potential customers?

Be ready for a very honest, open, and genuine design/discovery process. It can sometimes be uncomfortable, but that means it's working.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing and brand strategy for TCN Worldwide. Our organization is a consortium of independent brokerage firms. We are large in scope, but our headquarters is very lean. Cantilever is our web developer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cantilever?

We were looking to upgrade our website to current design standards.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our website is rather extensive. They’re involved with all aspects of doing the web development and acting as a consultant to advise us on the best and most efficient ways to accomplish our goals and add new features. They built the website on Express Engine. It has both the external facing and the internal intranet for our member firms and member agents. There’s also assignment tracking, proposals, documents, and an email system. It’s our primary hub of communication to our member firms on keeping them aware of what is available and what is going on with TCN.

We’ve always had our internal system for our members to be able to communicate. We recently added a search/find a broker tool. This takes the information, adds to it, and moves it to the external facing frontend of the website. It allows visitors to search for broker’s contacts within various markets by designation and specialty. They did a fantastic job in coordinating that effort, developing it, keeping me in the loop as it moved forward, testing, and making sure it was flawless when we took it live to the site.

They did the design work as well. We have discussed doing a redesign of the frontend without necessarily redoing the entire backend of the site. They also help with incremental upgrades to the design and an assortment of enhancements that we continue to make to the website as time moves forward.

They now continue to provide maintenance and support. 

What is the team dynamic?

I work with Ty [President, Cantilever], Chris [Director of Operations, Cantilever], and there’s another gentleman that’s pulled in quite frequently on anything regarding the email system. There are at least three on their team, but I’m sure there are many others that I do not interact with.

How did you come to work with Cantilever?

I was not on board with TCN at the time Cantilever was hired, but I’ve been working with them over a year now. We’re a corporate client. The review process would have involved looking at three to five web development firms and critiquing based off design capabilities, the expense of initiating the new design, and their ability to maintain and continue to address anything that popped up that needed to be taken care of. We would have been looking for a full-service web development firm, not just a design firm.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2015 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everybody is very happy with the design. Our clients and members contribute ideas on how we can improve the tools, not necessarily the design of the website because people are happy that it is responsive. It has all been positive feedback. We’re always looking to add enhancements that are beneficial, value-added tools for our members. As we receive feedback from our members, we evaluate that internally as far as budget, the benefit to the group overall. We work with Cantilever on the budgets and find out what it would take to implement these improvements. They’ve been instrumental in allowing us to make those types of upgrades.

There is no way I would be able to accomplish everything that I am able to accomplish on the website without their assistance and knowledge on the consulting standpoint.

How did Cantilever perform from a project management standpoint?

I work very closely with Ty. He is fantastic about keeping me in the loop on where we stand. We evaluate things on a quarterly basis, as we are on a retainer with them that we use for maintenance and enhancement. I track that internally as well to make sure we’re making the most of the hours that we have allotted. I keep a running list of enhancements that I’d like to implement as time moves forward. He sends me quarterly reports showing what we’ve done, the time it took to do each of the elements, where we stand, and how we can roll anything, that hasn’t been able to be accomplished, into the next quarter. If we’re running ahead on hours, which happens quite frequently, we can fit more into a quarter than we had originally anticipated. They’re efficient in what they’re doing to upgrade the site. I look at them as our outsourced IT department.

We communicate mostly via email and whenever I send an email, Ty always responds back with what we have left to accomplish. We do also have quarterly calls and use video conferencing as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciate their responsiveness. They are incredibly professional, polite, and easy to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

One thing that they’ve recently improved on is their project management. They’ve implemented an online system to help track the ongoing ticket requests. That is something they have been continually working on. I’ve seen them improve their project management abilities in the time that I’ve worked with them over the last one and a half years.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the senior brand marketing manager at an IT services firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cantilever?

Our primary purpose was around our website and media kit. We needed maintenance, design, upkeep, coding, and all of the work that goes into the backend of a website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did the original development along with another design firm that scoped them out in terms of the look and feel. The two worked hand-in-hand in the beginning. Cantilever provided backend coding and development services, adding different functionalities to our website. If we need to add an image gallery, or a carousel that shows animations, or different graphic areas, they are able to tell us what's possible within the framework we have and get it done quickly.

It is managed within WordPress, which I co-manage. They make it easy for us to have a role, so I am able to edit text or a product name if needed. They are also responsible for working with me alongside our internal web teams on hosting changes.

Most of the things we've done have been within the media kit. There's a section on our website about our technology solutions. One of them involves a carousel of different examples of one of those solutions. It was a very involved project to basically take what used to be its own separate website and integrate it into a rotating carousel, that includes not just imagery, but is interactive.

What is the team dynamic?

I communicate with three people.

How did you come to work with Cantilever?

Our original design team brought them in as a scoped partner. That then developed into our independent relationship with Cantilever. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2016, and we're still working with them. We now have a quarterly agreement. There's basic maintenance that goes into the media kit as well as one-off additional larger scope projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We rely on them beyond words. They work on the technical side of things that, as a marketer, I don't always understand completely. They’ve been unbelievably important to us being able to maintain our site, keep it alive, and rebrand it.

The new site is tremendous. It looks really great. It's functioning really well, and we're in constant contact about any kind of improvement, hiccups, or issues that might come our way. Internally, everyone is very pleased with the results.

How did Cantilever perform from a project management standpoint?

They're excellent; very organized and they keep track of everything. Their response rate is very fast, and they're always willing to discuss an idea, even if it may not be completely feasible. 

We typically communicate through email and phone. They are starting to integrate Basecamp to keep their communication streamlined. They are always available to take a quick phone call or answer a quick email. We had a meeting in the middle of the night before our launch date for our new company name. They were eager and willing to be on the phone and on Google chat, working to make sure that the website was perfect.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It feels like you're working with a small firm that does big things. They handle themselves very professionally. They’re very personal yet independent and they do a great job.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think so. On occasion, because I don’t work in tech, I ask them to explain things to me very simply.