Colouring Department

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Managing Director of Anitech Solutions Limited, and IT services and product provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Colouring Department, and what were your goals?

Our business has been expanding the number of products we have in market; one such product, KnowActions, required a complete branding make-over, from the standard style guide for the Website, to the styling used on our mobile App.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We knew exactly what is was that we needed, so we did a short review of various vendors available to us - we happened upon the Colouring Department via LinkedIn and after a review of their client portfolio and discussion with the MD in respect of similar projects completed, we asked for a proposal, which was more than satisfactory.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

The approach was extremely professional from the outset, wherein they first asked for any and all collatoral surrounding KnowActions that they might review. Having completed said reviews, they then conducted a series of interviews with relevant stakeholders here, including myself and the Product Owner, as to brands similar to our aspiration, our likes/dislikes - they also prepared "mood board" type material, which help us hone in on the specific targets in mind, with additional questionnaires.

Once all of this information was collated, they moved into the execution phase wherein they set about designing a detailed brand guide for KnowActions - applicable to the software & supporting marketing content. Part of this work included delivery of a logo and the team there produced numerous versions for our consideration. During the course of this phase there was a scheduled cadence of review, which allowed us collaborate and refine as we moved towards the final version.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Predominantly two - the MD / Founder and a Graphics designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first outcome was their actual work - which was excellent; as noted previously, the team provided us with many options and consideration - and brought their wider sector to bear in the form of suggestions we not discussed prior - all of which resulted in an extremely impressive brand book and, in particular, a far slicker app for us to bring to market.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The approach to delivery management was more Agile than waterfall, in that, the team ensured they understood the requirements and set about delivery in the form of short iterations, so we could quickly review and refine before moving on. As this was not a hugely extensive project by any means, all comms could be handled by way of phone & e-mail - but the milestones set out by the CD team was concise and straightforward.

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

In addition to the professionalism and ultimate result, what was most impressive for me was their collective willingness to entertain suggested designs from us. Even those likely wide of the mark, and then turn those into something constructive and professional. So, in short, listening to the problem, understanding the problem, managing the client expectation, taking all inputs, and then turning that into a successful result.

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

No, not particularly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

MD of Hygeiene and Food Supplies Comapny. We supply various supplies for butchers across Ireland. We supply hygiene supplies to many reatilers around the country and expanded into the education sector in 2020.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Colouring Department?

We wanted to increase our onlin presence and give consumers more ways to purchase items. We hires the Colouring Department to create a user firendly platform on our website, carry out ad campaigns on social meidal platforms such as Facebook & LinkedIn and make various brochures and flyers to advertise our products.

What were your goals for this project?

To promote our new stock and reach a wider audience To have a strong online presence To have available PDFs of flyers and brchures for print and digital advertising Stronger community engagement

SOLUTION

How did you select Colouring Department?

She was recommened by the Local Enterprise Board

Describe the project in detail.

Hvaing spoken to the Colouring Depratment, we collaborated and shared ideas surrounding advertising campaigns and what they could bring to out company. We decided to delegate all our social media and website responsibilities to the Colouring Dept.

Over the course of the summer months, we were expaning our businnes into the education sector. Meeting with the colouring department lead to sucessful online campagins that reached our desired audience. The colouring department gave us a comprehensive analysis of our efforts and directed us on how to share and promote campaigns.

What was the team composition?

I had a team of 4 people collaborating with the colouting dept. I delegated the majotiry of the workload to the colouring department and had two colleagues converse and make changes as appropriate via email and phone calls.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had more traction on our social media platforms and website. The colouring department respected that our business thrives on strong consumer relationships and the majoity of our reach is via phonecall. The colouring department facilitated this and made it our main point of contact which we appreciated.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We found the Colouring Department to be vert accommodating of our dynamic schedule and easy to communicate with. We fooudn they were capable fo working with all memebrs of staff and willing to bring their professional opions in a polite and effective manner.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We certainly learned a lot about analytics and how to conduct a precise campaign with thr Colouring department. We found it very helpful to our day-to-day workflow to have them overseeing our website and Social media, as well as receiving global reports.

We were given advice on how best to examine if a campaign was sucessful and what people responded to more.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Perhaps better communication via email. Otherwise, all good!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO at Alien Technology Transfer. We deal with public and private funding for startup companies in Europe and the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Colouring Department?

We hired Colouring Department to help us with two main projects related to brand strategy and website development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Colouring Department helped us with our rebranding strategy. They also designed and developed a WordPress website from scratch. They helped design the website and its UI. In particular, we asked them to create a feature that changed information and product display depending on whether our European or American clients were accessing the site. For example, we wanted US projects to appear first for American clients, and vice versa. They also integrated a news section from scratch.

Additionally, their team helped us brand one of our side projects. At the time, the brand was under a different company. In the future, the brand will be a completely different business line. They helped us set up the website, including its content and messaging.

What is the team composition?

Our main contact from Colouring Department was Charlotte (Owner).

How did you come to work with Colouring Department?

It’s part of our policy to ask at least three different service providers for their quotations before hiring a team for our project. In this case, Colouring Department put together the price and the quality that we were looking for. They just seemed to be the best option.

How much have you invested with them?

The branding project cost between  €5,000–€10,000 (approximately $6,000–$12,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November–December 2020 on the branding project. It was a really quick engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our partnership concluded not too long ago, so we still need to measure the metric changes, such as web traffic. However, I would say that the site is user-friendly, and that alone is a good metric. We have gotten positive feedback from our employees and marketing and sales departments, the most prominent users of the website.

How did Colouring Department perform from a project management standpoint?

I was not the project manager who dealt directly with Charlotte, so I’m not familiar with the exact project management tools they used. However, we did use a chat tool because we had an internal deadline and needed to have speedy communication. I approved Colouring Department’s suggestions step-by-step. 

We had a call before accepting the project to understand whether they could help us and what their price would be. We also had a kickoff call. Beyond that, we communicated via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They did a great job with our website, and we were very satisfied. All of the other providers we reached out to turned us down based on our tight project timeline, but Colouring Department delivered high-quality work in no time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. We were lucky to have worked with Colouring Department in the past  — they knew who our clients were. We didn’t have to waste time explaining everything from scratch. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have a clear idea of what you’re looking for, such as a quick project delivered on time, their team is perfect. In our case, we didn’t really know where we wanted to end up at first, and Colouring Department helped us realize that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Geowox. We develop a solution that allows lenders to value properties quickly through machine learning and open data.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Colouring Department?

We needed a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Colouring Department developed our company’s official website on WordPress. This was our previous website — we now have a different one. 

The website Colouring Department built was divided into different sections. There were 5–6 pages on the website that described our business and its features. One of the features was a contact form, in which customers can input their details to reach us. Once we receive those details, we can process their demo requests. We didn’t build many features beyond the form and the different sections, but this helped us to start building our company’s branding.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Charlotte (Owner). She collaborated with us as an add-on to our team.

How did you come to work with Colouring Department?

Charlotte contacted us and showed me their portfolio. I found it impressive, so I was happy to start working with her.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than €10,000 (approximately $11,900 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was from June–November 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn’t really have key metrics for the website since we were still in the early stages of our journey as a company. However, we were satisfied with the end results. We had a pretty good outcome with our branding because of the version of the website that Charlotte developed for us, so we were happy with that.

How did Colouring Department perform from a project management standpoint?

They were good at meeting deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Colouring Department team was responsive. We were also impressed by the quality of their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Broadly speaking, they could be more detail-oriented. However, I am very picky. We were happy to work with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Working with Charlotte is a collaborative process, so you have to be very focused on what you want to get out of your partnership, whether that’s in terms of the website structure or design. It helps if you are open to sharing materials or documentation that may benefit the project. Provide guidance to Charlotte and Colouring Department to get the most out of their work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

As a Microsoft Solution Provider, Aspira offers IT & Business Management Services such as SharePoint, Dynamics CRM and Office 365 consultancy, general Staff Augmentation, Interim Programme Managers & Business Advisors, IT & Business Consulting specialists, in areas susch as ERP, SAP, Oracle eBusiness.

Many of the people we provide are full time Aspira staff or close partners and associates, who Aspira can always recommend highly and provide references and case studies on previous project work. Our contracts are flexible, part-time, full time and for convenient durations to fully address all the challenges of our client projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Colouring Department?

Review, modernise, and update website

What were your goals for this project?

Improve our online image

SOLUTION

How did you select Colouring Department?

I met Charlotte through a recruitment process for a Web Designer

Describe the project in detail.

Review of existing material, consultation with internal stakeholders, content creation and review, image choices, upload and test

What was the team composition?

Charlotte, her developers, internal stakeholders at Aspira

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Highly improved images, content and look & feel of our site

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective, considering we have a number of stakeholders involved in the site

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are flexible, friendly, and knowledgeable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Be slightly more assertive and demanding of the stakeholders

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief Commercial Officer managing all commercial and revenue strategies for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Colouring Department?

I hired Colouring Department to manage and create a design package for one of our largest conferences that we exhibit at as a supplier. We did not have the in house design expertise so I decided to outsource the design project to Colouring Department.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to communicate the core USP’s of our product offering positioning our product at the forefront of the payroll world. We needed to communicate our USP’s in a clear and concise way as we operate in a heavily saturated market place.

SOLUTION

How did you select Colouring Department?

I have previously worked with a lot of design companies with various degrees of success. I needed to find a designer that truly understood the design brief but who was also able to advise me on the best design strategy.

I had worked with Colouring Department in a previous role and was always so impressed with the quality of the project work. Colouring Department had also been recommended to me from other colleagues in the industry. It was a no brainer for my upcoming project.

Describe the project in detail.

The project involved designing brochures and an exhibition stand for an upcoming conference with a detailed design brief to complete.

What was the team composition?

Colouring Department worked directly with me the CCO and our marketing manager on the design and core concept.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The conference was a huge success. We very much measure the ROI from the conference based on the footfall that visit our stand. We increased our footfall by 34.6% compared to the previous year and increased the number of leads by 12%.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication was amazing. Our team worked directly with Colouring Department on many drafts and feedback points. We were very impressed with their responsiveness and speed. In which, Colouring Department replied to our queries and feedback points.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

When you do not have the design skillset internally we were very much dependent on the expertise of the Colouring Department. The recommendations were strong and driven by our objectives which was massively impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None what so ever. I only wish we had this type of expertise in house but we will continue to work Colouring Department in the future. I have already recommended colouring Department to other companies and they have been very impressed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the company founder of online retail store Stager’s Lifestyle. I specialise in homewares.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Colouring Department?

Roll out a digital marketing campaign SEO analysis

What were your goals for this project?

To launch a successful digital marketing campaign and update the website by analysing specific areas of the website such as SEO

SOLUTION

How did you select Colouring Department?

Colouring Deprrment reached out to me via LinkedIn and I contacted them when I was ready to have a meeting with them. Charlotte explained how the company works and understood from the beginning what I wanted to achieve

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

1. Preliminary report - This addresses the most urgent issues to be fixed. The most important errors that prevent websites from ranking high in the SERP.

2. Technical Site Audit - There are three key factors to look at during an SEO audit: 

• Back-end factors such as hosting and indexing
• Front-end factors such as content, keywords, and metadata
• Link quality and outside references

Once this task is completed, we are able to devise a strategy for a better website structure and set up

What was the team composition?

I worked closely with Charlotte abs her team and will be rolling out future projects with them

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the rolling out of the campaign sales increased and traffic doubled to the site

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Regular meeting and updates were held every two to three weeks which suited my work schedule

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The vendors experience and knowledge about my industry was very impressive. I felt very comfortable highlighting something I did not understand

Are there any areas for improvement?

Overall I was very satisfied

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Commercial Manager Engineering firm

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Colouring Department?

Corporate re brand

What were your goals for this project?

New company branding across all mediums

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Various

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Corporate rebrand and strategy formulation

What was the team composition?

Charlotte and associates

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Board of management very satisfied with results

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very functional

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were responsive to feedback

Are there any areas for improvement?

no

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Markitella a strategy and marketing services firm. We help our clients build their strategy and put in place the right marketing mix.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Colouring Department?

We counted with Colouring Department for our new website

What were your goals for this project?

Our old website was obsolete and we wanted to refresh our image online. The final goal is always to attract more client and so have a good first impression when they visit our website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I asked a few reference around and got 4 possible candidates, CD between them. I had a first talk with Charlotte and I had the impression that I could work very well with them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We started with a discovery call where they wanted to know more about us and our goals. Then, they send us a couple of ideas together with the first wireframe. We shared ideas and improvements to get to the final result. The actual development was very quick.

What was the team composition?

Charlotte was our point of contact, she managed everything with the designers and developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The new website went live only a couple of weeks ago. However, we had very good feedback form clients and peers.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

As we are based in Gran Canaria, Spain, we managed everything with online meetings. We used mainly emails and whereby.com when necessary.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were very quick and responsive. Plus, very open to suggestions and helpful

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would suggest to use a platform such us Slack to have an open channel with the clients and where they can monitor the status of the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a marketing executive responsible for all digital and traditional marketing strategies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Colouring Department?

We needed a new modern general brochure created for the hotel. After seeing previous designs from the colouring department, we knew Charlotte would create a brochure that was modern yet timeless.

What were your goals for this project?

To showcase the hotel, all of it's amenities and services. We needed something modern whilst keeping it's identity of a traditional family hotel with lots of history in the local area. We wanted creative but not take away from it's purpose.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We needed three quotes from different designers for management. The colouring department was cost effective and excellent value for money. We spent over two weeks researching many competitors and their services and selected three from what we felt were the best for creativity.

Describe the project in detail.

We had the content already made up, we just required the design elements. Once our management approved our content, we sent the project to the colouring department with some ideas and other brochures we felt suited the hotels persona.

After a few days, Charlotte came back with a fantastic design that showed she listened to us and took on everything we said. After a few small tweaks here and there our design was ready in less than 2 weeks!

What was the team composition?

I worked alongside Charlotte for this project. From our side we needed approval from the sales and marketing manager and our general manager however, all communication came through me. It was great to have one point of contact that fully understood the project and was on hand from start to finish.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our brochure was ready in record time! After the design we had sent it to the printers and had them within 6 weeks of initial contact. Our brochures were designed in A5 to ensure they could fit into envelopes with our vouchers, this was done to upsell customers who received vouchers. Everyone was delighted with the outcome!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

communication and time management was excellent. Although this project was not by any means needed in a hurry, we had our brochure in hand way quicker than we anticipated.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Creativity is definitely their strong point. I have worked with many graphic designers and have always had to really spell out everything i wanted. This was not the case with Charlotte, I just gave her ideas and some background info on the hotel and our goals for the brochure and she did the rest!

Are there any areas for improvement?

This project flowed excellently from initial contact to finish product and even after service. There were no areas for improvement with regards to our project.