Condensed

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Garnish Studios, a content studio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Condensed?

We needed help with branding as well as our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The key deliverables we needed were a logomark, a wordmark, a color palette, and marketing collateral. That included business cards and merchandising. 

Condensed also built us a custom website based on a couple of references of what we liked and what functionalities we were looking for. The site, built on Webflow, is essentially a portfolio website with a few small customized features as well as a shop. They created the template, and I can populate the site myself with my own content.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a designer, a project manager, and the founder of the company.

How did you come to work with Condensed?

I found Condensed online after I searched for branding companies in Brooklyn. They were one of the top results, plus they specialized in startups, branding, and web development, so we felt it would be a great fit. 

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–August 2020. We wrapped up once the site launched, but I plan to go back to them when we need to add stuff to the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a client of theirs, I’m fully satisfied with what Condensed did. They walked me through all my second-guessing and always explained the reasoning behind the brand, to the point where it was bulletproof. 

How did Condensed perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed really well. Everything was on time and on schedule. We had weekly meetings together, and the project was all organized on Asana. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team’s understanding of the industries they work with really stands out. Condensed has been doing this for a while, so they always have their finger on the pulse of what’s going on, and they stay ahead of the curve. It’s like their superpower.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Second-guessing yourself is normal, but Condensed will walk you through it. Trust the process and let them handle your doubts. It’ll turn out great in the end.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company that combines physical, mental, emotional, and social wellness into a one-hour workout experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Condensed?

We needed help with branding and our digital presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created my entire brand identity, which included a new logo, and a concise strategy. The team worked on the brand and the messaging, as well as creating my new site. We went through a lot of iterations of the logo, colors, and creative components.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Brent (Co-founder) and one designer.

How did you come to work with Condensed?

I became familiar with Condensed through my work at a previous company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2020, and we wrapped up in June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone loves the new site and brand identity. We were able to launch on time, which was a total game-changer for my business. It adds a level of legitimacy and confidence.

How did Condensed perform from a project management standpoint?

There was a level of integrity, but both parties were also accommodating due to the COVID-19 circumstances. They were instrumental in helping us get up to speed and learn how to make the site look super sleek. We met in person a few times but also used Zoom to communicate. Additionally, we used Asana for project management.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to create a user-friendly site that also has a sleek, professional design is what stands out to us the most. They didn’t have to compromise our site’s beauty to make it look professional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We ended up using Asana about halfway through the project, and it turned out to be a game-changer. I wish we could’ve started using it earlier.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to keep in contact with Brent and make sure you do the work upfront.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of BollyX Fitness. We provide Bollywood-inspired dance fitness routines to consumers and instructors to either teach Bollywood fitness classes or work out from homes. It’s a subscription-based streaming platform that we’ve developed.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Condensed?

There were several challenges. We needed a website built and help with our branding and logo.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Condensed became our digital arm. We first hired them to design our logo, and they did an amazing job of taking our idea and bringing it to life. They then created our style guide and added the color palette, the font, the restrictions, and rules related to logo placement and incorporating it into our brand. 

We then decided to have Condensed do a very basic website for us. They gave us one simple landing page that connected all the dots for the frontend for a general consumer visiting our site. They did a fantastic job with that. 

As our revenue grew, we decided we wanted to get more legitimate with our subscription site. That site was run on Squarespace, and we were emailing our content using YouTube links. We contracted Condensed to build our consumer-facing subscription site. It’s a robust system that integrates all the material we were trying to serve our subscribers. Condensed integrated it with all our payment systems so that we can accept payment from subscribers. 

They also built our instructor platform, where all our instructors receive their monthly content, as well as our direct-to-consumer site. Our support system uses Zendesk, which Condensed helped set up along with our CRM systems, Mailchimp, and our email systems.

We’re now working with Condensed to develop our mobile strategy as well as TV app strategy. They’re helping us set up apps on Roku and Amazon Firestick, and we’re in the planning stages for iOS and Android mobile apps.

What is the team composition?

We work with four people. Brent (Co-Founder, Condensed) has become our interim CTO. He performs the function of advising and directing the strategy as it comes to technology and integrating it. He’s also a design expert and a strategist. Because of him and Condensed, we never had to hire an in-house CTO. Meanwhile, Teresa (Creative Strategy Director, Condensed) manages the resource planning, making sure we always have the resources we need. For implementation, we work closely with one designer and one lead developer.

How did you come to work with Condensed?

We chose Condensed because they are exceptional at branding, and it shows in their work. For example, they designed the branding for Tough Mudder. We found that a lot of firms who charge a cheaper rate are good at backend development, but they weren’t so good at the frontend. Condensed is good at both. 

There were a bunch of reasons we went with Condensed, but the top reasons were the branding expertise, the frontend and backend expertise, and the fact that they’re really focused on helping startups scale.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $250,000–$500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership started in early 2014 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Condensed is just as much a part of the team as any employee we have. They process 90% of our company's revenue and are responsible for our 400% year-over-year subscriber growth for the past five years. They’ve been there since day one.

How did Condensed perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is an A+. Condensed consistently delivers on time. If anything is delayed, they always communicate about it. They use Asana to manage their tasks, which is a straightforward system to use. We also use Slack to communicate week, if not daily. Condensed has been open to joining any platform we have and very flexible in accepting payment and adjusting the hours they worked. They’ve also rejected work with our competitors. We appreciate that level of loyalty.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We get complimented like crazy on Condensed’s design and UX. People have come to us and asked to white-label our technologies. One of the world’s top 25 rappers wanted to white-label our technology to distribute his own video streaming platform. The two things that catch people’s eyes are how cohesive the branding is and the UX. Everything is super responsive. It’s intuitive to navigate from page to page.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Condensed can focus more on the sales funnel side of things. They’re more slanted towards branding, design, and UX. In addition, Condensed can execute your vision perfectly. If your idea or funnel doesn’t make sense, Condensed will point out some aspects but will ultimately build it as you request it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Condensed will look to you to deliver the business strategy behind whatever you ask them to build. They excel at branding and UX and can provide feedback and innovation help, but their team will leave the business expertise side to you. Be careful and clear in your communication as a result.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Principal & Founder of Resurgens Strategies

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

At Resurgens Strategies, we drive public policy to fuel innovation. With deep expertise, bipartisan networks and tailored solutions, we help you navigate, influence and lead in an evolving regulatory landscape.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Condensed to accomplish?

• Establish digital presence and website

SOLUTION

How did you find Condensed?

Referral

Why did you select Condensed over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Condensed were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Establish website and logo.  Very critical work for me to get my business going.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Great website and logo!  Exceeded expectations.

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

They were very responsive.  Great product.  Felt like they really cared about my business and helping it grow.

What was your primary form of communication with Condensed?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Very sharp creative eye.  Our ideas on aesthetics aligned perfectly.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive of Vik Charles Consulting

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Fractional executive consulting for startups and growth phase companies

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Condensed to accomplish?

• Website refresh
• Logo redesign

SOLUTION

How did you find Condensed?

Referral

Why did you select Condensed over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Condensed were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Hired Condensed to do a complete brand refresh and website refresh.  They provided graphic design services, website layout and copy services, and optimized for SEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Rebranding and launch of new website

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

They were very timely in their responses and were in constant commmunication regarding the status of the project. They did a great job downloading what I was hoping to achieve and then turning that into tangible results.

What was your primary form of communication with Condensed?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Condensed's team were good people who were very talented at what they did. 

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

Nothing from my standpoint- they were very efficient and I'm very happy with the end result. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the owner of Hudson River Line Realty

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Real estate brokerage

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Condensed to accomplish?

• website redesign

SOLUTION

How did you find Condensed?

local Chamber of Commerce

Why did you select Condensed over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Condensed were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Complete re-design of a real estate website, added features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can't be happier with the Condensed team, they made my vision a reality, they went above and beyond!

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

On time or ahead of schedule, they are incredible.

What was your primary form of communication with Condensed?

• In-Person Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were fun and easy to work with, they listened to me and they executed beautifully.

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

I could not be happier.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder & CEO of nutritional supplements company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Develop the visual identity and packaging design for new start-up brand.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found Condensed through a google search. We were impressed with their portfolio of work and felt it was very aligned with where we wanted to take our brand. Being based in New York we felt added another perspective design wise vs local designers in the UK.

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

Teresa knows the scope.

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

Teresa (founder and lead) and Sam (designer).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are still to launch but I am very happy and impressed with Condensed's work.

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

I cannot emphasise this enough - it's an absolute pleasure to work with Teresa and team, it feels like they're a part of our internal team because they always stand by and rally behind us. They're patient, flexible, motivated, striving for greatness and edge.

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

Design capability, ambition, work style and ethic. I would recommend them to anyone.

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

Making sure all the detailed input is reflected correctly the first time in the more technical work (e.g. cutter guides) - I think we could have reduced the number of iteration sometimes but this is a minor thing.