Design In DC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and president of an AI traffic and security company. We mainly service public entities such as municipalities, counties, local governments, and so on.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?

We had an outdated website and needed a professional designer and developer to build a new one.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Design In DC has designed and developed our website. We initially provided them with preexisting marketing materials, and they came up with their own language and graphic design. The team used a little of our initial material, but they put a lot of creative effort into it.

We went live in July 2021, but we have a retainer contract for upgrades and maintenance. We’ve also engaged Design In DC with other projects. We have software that our customers use, and we hired them to do the UI for some of that software. Also, they’ve helped us with logo design and some graphical work outside of the contract.  They’ve done animations for us, and we plan to use them in the future for some product demonstrations. We also plan to enhance our website with them since all the videos on the site are commercial right now.

What is the team composition?

We’ve mostly interacted with three people regularly, but 5–6 people are on the team.

How did you come to work with Design In DC?

I searched online for web development companies. When I found Design In DC, their website and demo work demonstrated their superior creative capability and technological expertise. We’d contacted some large firms, but they were way over our budget and intent.

Design In DC was way above the rest, and they were a small group, so it’d be easy to work with them. Also, they proposed reasonable timelines.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2021, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site has been visited by both customers and potential investors, which was one of our primary intentions. Since then, we’ve started a process for investors, and they’ve clearly visited the site and the materials we provide. Overall, the feedback has been positive.

How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent. They stick to the schedule quite well, even if sometimes we’re behind in our deliveries. They’ve delays here and there, but they’ve been minor.

Overall, it’s a smooth process, and we haven’t had misunderstandings. Their communication is excellent and very clear. The whole process is managed through Slack, and the exchange of documentation has been relatively easy.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Considering how small they are, they have an excellent team. The founder comes from the film industry and is a video creator, so they’re exceedingly graphically gifted. They also have great programmers; they know the technology and how to exploit it. We’ve been very satisfied with what we’ve seen.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t know how they could improve. We’re satisfied with what we’ve got. As a small company, they’re busy, so they’ll have an easier time as they grow. Right now, they do well on what they’re doing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the head of marketing at a B2B technology company that provides product data to consumer packaged goods brands and other last mile delivery providers in the food and grocery industry. 

We use a combination of machine learning and AI technologies to digitize product image information, including nutrition, ingredient, and brand name information. We also add additional data points, like gluten-free labeling, to help consumers find products online. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?

We had a website, but it wasn’t very good. We brought Design In DC on board to help us create a new one to tell our story better. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Design In DC developed a custom website for my company. We gave them a clear idea of what we wanted to show on the homepage, the website content, and what pages we needed. I worked closely with the Design In DC team to craft a custom animation for the home page — their design team took our ideas and brought them to life. 

We did all of the copywriting in-house, and then Design In DC was tasked with visualizing and designing the layout of each section. Then, they developed the website on WordPress using a Beaver Builder template. They also created a sales demo video as part of our overall website package. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was Isabelle (UX Lead & Senior Project Manager), who worked with a larger team of designers and developers. 

How did you come to work with Design In DC?

Design In DC was already working with my company when I came on board, and I thought they were an excellent choice for our needs once I started working with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $9,500–$9,800 with Design In DC. 

What is the status of this engagement?

My company began working with Design In DC in January 2021 and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received a lot of positive qualitative feedback on our customized website that tells our story well. Members of my industry have said it was a very fresh take on the problems in our industry and our unique solution. 

How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?

Design In DC ran the project very smoothly — they’re in the top tier when it comes to project management and communication. Isabelle was very clear on their deadlines and what was needed to move forward at each point in the process. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with other web development companies before, and Design In DC was among the best regarding project management. They executed a very customized vision of our website within the set timeframe. I was honestly shocked that they could build exactly what we wanted since they hadn’t done anything like it before. 

I also felt like I had a natural collaborator in Isabelle — she was always around, and I knew I didn’t have to worry about Design In DC misunderstanding what we wanted. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything for Design In DC to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As a marketer, I have a lot of experience creating content so I could provide some to the Design In DC team. However, I’d advise a customer that doesn’t have that same experience to still work with the Design In DC team because they’ll guide customers through every step of the process. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office manager for Loraygroup. Our business is building and development in the construction sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?

We hired them to rebrand our company and build our website. Along the way, we also added photography services. We used those three services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Design in DC built our website from scratch because we had specific needs related to our trade. We previously had a website through Squarespace, so they went off of that, but they provided content curation as well.

For the website, they created a contact page where our clients could upload their construction plans and another one where subcontractors could upload their insurance information, W-9, and a description of the trade they work in. It also had a blog page for us, and Design and DC integrated MailChimp and our calendars to the contact page so our clients could schedule their appointments.

Additionally, they created our logo and brand guidelines. For photography and videography, Design in DC sent a crew on-site. They did a video for our website and took headshots of our team. Also, they took photographs of our projects, company vehicles, and so on.

Overall, it was a year-long project. We went through a long exploration stage because they wanted to know us and what we wanted to do. After that, we moved to implementation. For the process, they’d come up with ideas, and we’d decide where to go from there. However, we brainstormed for a while, especially because it was during COVID-19.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Ziad (CEO), a lead creative, a project manager, and someone on content curation throughout the process. I think they subcontracted the photography team.

How did you come to work with Design In DC?

My boss found them by looking online. We got proposals from other three companies, but Desing in DC seemed like a good fit for us. It seemed like they’d provide personalized attention, and they understood what we wanted to accomplish. They were very creative and personal, so we decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $24,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2020, and we ended the partnership in September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is now easier to navigate thanks to all the features they added. Since we launched it, we’ve received great feedback from our clients. Also, after we announced the rebranding, we saw a change in the way the clients see us and interact with us.

How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?

The team was very communicative. They had a channel on Slack, and they added us. Every time we had a question, they were there for us. Overall, Design in DC was attentive, and they managed the project well.

Within our organization, we communicated via email and text messages. It was the first time we used Slack, but we liked it. Their team would share documents, and everything would be in there. It was a great form of communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What made them different from other companies was that they took on our project and got very personal. Design in DC showed that they cared and wanted to give us exactly what we asked for. In summary, they took the time and were detail-oriented.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t know, honestly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When they communicate or send something to review, do it and answer back immediately. Our project dragged on for a year, but it was mostly on our part. We weren’t in a rush, but if you don’t want the project to be that long, just communicate as soon as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of American Friends of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. We’re the US-based nonprofit partner of the Humboldt Foundation in Germany and promote the foundation's programs to US scholars and scientists. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?

We had gotten a new website in 2018, but the maintenance cost of our previous vendor was getting too high. As a result, we went to Design In DC to provide a maintenance package that was a perfect fit for our needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the beginning, Design In DC looked at the front- and backend portions of our website. Their assessment was that the site was in good shape. At the same time, they had ideas for further improvements. 

At present, Design In DC has taken over the updates and maintenance processes of our Duda website. Meanwhile, we’re not looking to completely redesign the site, but we’re making regular updates to its pages; we add videos and images, switch out prices, and more. Apart from that, we also have a quarterly electronic newsletter where we require Design IDC’s assistance. Their team puts together the template we’ve created, puts it into MailChimp, and blasts it out to all our alumni.

Going forward, we’re considering them for a larger redesign project when the time to do that comes. 

What is the team composition?

We have one main point of contact for day-to-day work, Luke, and Ziad (CEO) and Rob have been involved in our planning discussions. Luke receives our update requests and does the layout for our newsletters and anything else we need him to do. 

The Design In DC team truly cares about their clients. They treat us well, and they love what they do. That’s clear in the way they communicate with us.

How did you come to work with Design In DC?

We were required by our funder to do an RFP process, so we evaluated three vendors, including the incumbent one. A lot of factors went into our decision to hire Design In DC, but we liked the fact that they were a DC-based firm with staff located around the world. They were also a minority-owned business with teammates from different backgrounds. On top of that, they’d worked with plenty of small nonprofits and understood that we couldn’t just blow our budget at the drop of the hat. 

Overall, we were impressed with the work they’d done for their nonprofit clients, and their price for the maintenance package was highly competitive. As a result, hiring them was an easy decision to make. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve paid around $12,000 on their services. We’re going to pay a bit more in the coming financial year, plus we’ll invest a few thousand dollars for any additional needs or projects that may come up outside of the maintenance package. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Design In DC in January 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our newsletter continues to be well-received by our alumni. Every time we send it out, our traffic goes up significantly, along with the visits to our fundraising page, which has also been improved and updated. It’s now in the top 10 most viewed pages on our website, up from two years ago. Moreover, the fundraising page’s credit card portal has once gone down due to a problem with another third-party vendor. The Design In DC team has jumped in and reconnected everything. 

Simply put, Design In DC has organized our pages well, and the work they’ve done has pushed our web statistics in an upward direction, which is great. They also don’t upsell us anything that we can’t afford. Overall, while this isn’t a massive project, the regular maintenance they provide has been absolutely fantastic. 

How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?

Design In DC’s project management is great. Their Slack channel is fantastic; we can send whatever documents they need in there. Moreover, our point person is super responsive. The team gets things done within a day or two even if none of the tasks are truly urgent. Overall, their work has been excellent. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re a small business compared to other organizations they work for, but the team gives us the same time, care, and attention they give to those customers. We appreciate this a lot. On top of that, I haven’t had to worry about website updates and maintenance this year, and that’s truly valuable to us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your immediate needs, and have a rough idea of your needs in the longer term and larger projects down the line. In our case, when we have our monthly calls with Design In DC, we tell them what’s coming up in the weeks ahead of us. Our team also tells them our plans six months in advance. Then, they give us ideas on what we can do and how we can do them.  

Likewise, you should also know exactly what you want, and be clear on how much you want to change on your current site. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CMO of consumer packaged goods company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Design In DC, and what were your goals?

We needed a promotional site built that would merge inventory from multiple different channels.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We were referred to Design In DC years ago by a partner that they had built a backend dashboard for. Rob, the COO is a no BS guy who says what his team can and cannot do and comes up with solutions to problems to make it happen.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

PHP site integrating with Shopify and other marketing channels.

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

A project manager was our main point of contact.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We're happy with results and prefer not to disclose or go into details.

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

Our PM used slack to update us when we should review and provide feedback. The process was very efficient which is what we were looking for. I believe they tailored this to our working style and that is the sign of a great partner. Another client may require more stages of approval and I'm sure Design in DC could accommodate that as well.

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

They delivered exactly what we needed. Working w/ the team and Rob gave us the confidence to move forward quickly. It'll be our first contact next time we need a similar project done.

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

Everything was done to our specs and we're not the type of client to sign off right away. We did provide multiple rounds of feedback because our brand requires a certain look and the team made this happen. Very pleased w/ the results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a Maryland-based government consulting and contracting company. We provide IT and management consulting services. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?

We needed help articulating the services we provide to our clients in an intuitive, user-friendly, and creative way. We wanted to communicate complex messages in a simple format while at the same time being able to do it in a visually-appealing way. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Design In DC started by asking us a lot of questions about our business. They wanted to learn more about our target audience, work experience, goals, objectives, and the message we wanted to convey. We shared with them information about our organization. They tried to capture our company culture so they could use that on our website. 

After that, Design In DC came back with a mood board, which gave us a glimpse of our thoughts and ideas based on our earlier conversations. We reflected on that and provided feedback. We then decided on the site’s layout and content. 

Once everything was finalized, we came up with a project schedule and plan, and we chose what to include on the site. Design In DC then proceeded to design and develop our WordPress website, and they tested the platform before fully deploying it.

Additionally, Design In DC helped us put our mission statement together. They didn’t just work on the website; they made sure our design team also transitioned to other aspects of supporting our business. They also helped us design our brochures and trade banners for an event.   

What is the team composition?

We worked with an executive sponsor, some project managers, and some designers.

How did you come to work with Design In DC?

I searched online for companies that did website design. One thing that I was particular about was I wanted my website to be different from others. I didn’t want a vanilla website; I wanted to stand out. 

Design In DC’s website caught my attention — they were very different in how they projected themselves and their work and how they designed their platform. 

I first reached out to companies in Silicon Valley, but I couldn’t find any that appealed to me. I happened to find Design In DC, and they were the only company that fit my requirements. I reached out to them, and we got engaged. 

How much have you invested with them?

I spent upwards of $15,000–$20,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from June–December 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I had been delighted with Design In DC’s work. I also received a lot of positive feedback from my clients, employees, and partners about how unique and appealing our website had become. 

How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?

Design In DC’s project management was on point, and they were very responsive. They always put things in motion. If they wouldn’t be able to meet a deadline, they provided an explanation. 

We communicated through phone calls, emails, and Zoom meetings. Design in DC’s project managers were very efficient, and they were able to coordinate communication between their team and us effectively. They set up review sessions when necessary. 

Design In DC did a great job capturing what we wanted to communicate in the way we wanted to communicate. They gave us several options for themes, design elements, and color elements to choose from.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Design in DC’s ability to understand our needs and apply that to their work was impressive. We didn’t have to do a lot of rework — we had less than two iterations on any given design aspect of the site. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear plan and scope in mind for your project. If you don’t plan budget-wise or don’t know what you want, you’re going to spend a lot of money over time. 

Plan well in terms of what you want to do and your budget, and negotiate on that upfront. Define your scope very clearly so that there wouldn’t be any misunderstanding.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and chief creative officer of Triptych Strategies, and we’re a political strategy firm. We work with organizations, candidates, and elected officials, and we handle all of their digital efforts — interconnecting all their digital programs like email, web, social media, and more.

On this particular project, Groundwork Project was our client and I oversaw the web development process that Design In DC led. I acted as the project manager and became the creative drive from the Groundwork Project side.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?

We hired them to develop our client’s website. Our client wanted to have a community-oriented and branded website that was thoughtfully customized.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a discovery period where we talked about our needs and strategic goals as well as everything that our customer needed. Then, we decided to divide the development into milestones. Our customer also described the functions and features they wanted to see on the platform.

After that, we moved to the design phase where they focused on developing wireframes and layouts. I believe Design In DC built our customer’s site on WordPress. We iterated back and forth during that time, and we launched the landing page. Once the landing page was operational, we returned to developing the remainder of the site for the next couple of months. One of the features the team built was a community page where people could engage with each other.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with Isabelle (UX Lead & Senior Project Manager) — she worked as our project manager. We also worked with two other people, and they handled our development efforts.

How did you come to work with Design In DC?

We used Google to search for standard firms that were qualified to do the work we wanted to do. A lot of them were wonderful, but we wanted to go beyond the standard and find a team that had relevant experience and at the same time — had creative skills.

When we found Design In DC, we examined their work, read a lot of reviews about them, and compared their work to others. In the end, the team was one of the top three firms we saw. After getting quotes from the companies and after exploring the possibility of working with them, we chose Design In DC in the end.

How much have you invested with them?

Their project quote was $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership ran from April–August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our customer received a lot of feedback when their landing page launched — about its design and how it took their branding to the next level. On top of that, when the site was fully launched, our client received a lot more engagement, which allowed them to increase their fundraising efforts and direct people towards the organization’s activities. 

How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?

Isabelle was in constant communication with us, and she made sure everything was completed in a timely fashion. We mainly communicated through Slack, but we also kept in touch through calls and emails. On top of that, they hosted video conference calls to screen share their work. 

Isabelle contacted me whenever they needed my approval on their deliverables.  I really liked working with her because she was thorough and had a good understanding of the project’s process and our needs. 

Even though we had to shift our priorities a few times, Isabelle went with the flow and stayed on top of our project. We went back and forth with each other, and when I was satisfied with their work, our company would forward their work to the customer. Overall, whenever we requested adjustments or had questions, they were always open to discussing things.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with the way they distilled our needs into the design. We didn’t give them a whole lot of guidance because we wanted to trust their creative process. In the end, we were really impressed with their output — they made our site beautiful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had a couple of hiccups with communicating the timelines and process to each other, which made things a little bit more tense than they needed to be before our launching. It was extremely important for us to know their turnaround time because we were dealing with a high-profile political client, but it was understandable that they had a different process on how they would implement corrections.

In our case, maybe there should’ve been an entirely new consideration. As a result, I’d suggest that they should learn how to work with high-profile political clients. Despite that, we were very happy with the partnership.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come prepared with a very clear idea of your priorities so that they can fully understand how to prioritize their time and energy. By giving them very specific directions, you can save a lot of time. As an example, you can share considerations they need to follow that are outside the norm for web development teams.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Twin Bridges Waste and Recycling.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design in DC?

We had a website, but we needed a better, more modern one. That was our original purpose when we hired Design in DC.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we had conference calls, emails, and back and forth conversations with Design in DC about what exactly we wanted to do. Then, they checked competitor websites to understand what we liked in terms of layout, graphics, and style. At that time, we were having a grand opening for a recycling center close to Earth Day, so our team wanted the website to be done by then.

As they started putting things together for us, they sent me bits and pieces of the deliverable and requested my approval. I also gave them directions for adjustments. Once we had a general layout of the spatial design, pages, tabs, and site sections, we worked on creating content. For this, I essentially gave Design in DC everything they needed to know about our business and industry, including the terminologies to use and the dimensions of our containers. 

Moreover, our team provided them with footage that we’d taken for the recycling center’s grand opening. We also gave them general footage of our company. From there, they put together various sections of the website and sent them to me for approval. Once the website was up and running, we went live. 

At present, Design in DC is working on our marketing materials and on content creation. We’re also asking them to come up with a 30-second animated TV commercial, which will be done once I give them my own ideas and content. App development is on the table, too, although we haven’t started that yet due to limitations on our end.

What is the team composition?

We work with Ziad (CEO) and two other people. One of them is my go-to person for everything, including the actual production of the website and its design. Meanwhile, the other person serves as the ringleader that makes sure everything is delegated properly. She also handles tasks like making sure that nothing is misspelled and the content’s grammar makes sense.

How did you come to work with Design in DC?

I searched on Google and started seeking out companies that produced websites. In fact, I was looking for a company that offered more than that; we wanted to build a relationship that would let us use other services. I found 4–5 companies and dove into the websites they’d created. In the end, Design in DC was the most appealing. As a result, we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $25,000 on the website and around $3,000 on the marketing materials. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. The site was launched in May 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is well-received — we love it. It’s a huge step-up from what we’ve had before; it looks professional and clean, and all our employees are ecstatic about it. Moreover, the site contains a lot of information, which minimizes the number of calls we’re getting for generic questions. 

The general public is also raving about it. In fact, we’ve noticed a solid influx of action on the website after the grand opening of the recycling center. We’ve touted the website during that event, and we’ve received nothing but positive feedback for it. 

How did Design in DC perform from a project management standpoint?

Design in DC has managed the project well, and they’re always one step ahead of us. I probably am the limiting factor for them because of the time I take to respond. 

Meanwhile, their team has been professional and easy to deal with; they’re also flexible in terms of scheduling calls and getting information. Their resources ask great questions about things that may or may not make sense to them so they can create the best product for us. Overall, I’m pleased with their performance. 

To communicate, we mainly use virtual conference calls and videos for major meetings. We’ve also had calls and emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of Design in DC’s product is impressive. For one, their website is awesome. For another, the team is highly professional, courteous, and friendly. Moreover, I’m not familiar with this type of work, but they’ve been great at explaining things to me to improve my understanding of the project. On top of that, every time I want to change or update something, I only say it once and they’ll get it done.

More importantly, they have a great turnaround time. We’ve had a serious time crunch during the development of the website, especially since we’ve aimed to launch it before the recycling center’s grand opening. They’ve pulled that off — which I honestly didn’t think was possible — and delivered a complex website with various components. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give Design in DC everything you can. The team is willing to bend over backward and do everything in their power to make a quality product. However, they’re only going to be successful if they get the information they need in a timely manner. As a client, be transparent and prepared to answer all of their questions if you want to help them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of Rapid Capital, an annuity funding company in the settlement and finance industry.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design in DC?

We were launching a new brand and needed to build our website from the ground up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re building the site using WordPress. We had an initial consultation with them and provided some materials, but they wrote almost all of the content on the site themselves. We required advanced forms on our homepage, and so far, they’ve delivered what we need.

What is the team composition?

Isabelle was our main point of contact and she handled everything. There were 4–5 people working on the project.

How did you come to work with Design in DC?

We looked online for multiple companies that could build a website for us. We set up calls with multiple companies, but design in DC impressed us the most. They weren’t the cheapest, but we thought they would do the best job.

How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2020 and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve hit the ball out of the park. The site accurately reflects our brand, and consequently, it has helped us with client retention.

How did Design in DC perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent. We communicate through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They communicate very well. They’ve made sure that we know what is going on at every step of the process. While other companies may be more hands-off, Design in DC is very hands-on.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any negative feedback. I’d like for it to be cheaper, but they truly do deliver quality work. I’d rather spend more money to get quality service like they provide.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Answer the phone when they call. You need to stay in communication with them in case they have questions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is The Marvelous Mrs Dog Walker. It’s a cat and dog website to talk about different healthy and practical tips for pet parents for them to implement in their pets’ lives.

I also have a store on my site that promotes recycled clothing for people and other types of healthy, organic items for their dogs. One of them is the marvelous dog box, which is my eco-friendly box with recycled toys and vegan treats.

Additionally, pet parents can find helpful casual training tips to do at home instead of actual dog training.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?

I was going for a specific type of look, and the design that the previous firm had done didn’t work. It seemed very childlike and didn’t look like a professional website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Design In DC built my WordPress website from scratch. At the beginning, we had several calls before I actually selected them. We had an online meeting where they showed me their work and explained their process. After that, I signed the contract, and they started to work.

Design In DC went through every step of the process. They asked me different questions about the websites that I liked, the message I wanted to get across, my personality, and more. They drafted the different look and feel for each page, and then they built them.

The biggest part of the process was setting up the store because it required a lot more detail. We had to make sure it followed the GDPR, and we had to set up shipment, and more. It was the most time-consuming part of development.

Also, I sent them photos of the different things I needed to show for my blog post or products for the store, and they included some animation. The illustrator made an animation of my previous dog fetching a ball or eating out of a bowl, and they included it on the website.

What is the team composition?

Ziad (CEO) handled the process to make sure everything was going according to the timeline. I believe the other owner did a lot of technical stuff in the back. I had a main point of contact for the design element, and she handled any additions or updates on the content or design. There was another team member, but it was a while back.

How did you come to work with Design In DC?

I didn’t like anything about the previous design, so I googled website designers in DC and reached out to different firms. Even though Design In DC was over my budget, I felt they were the best fit because we’d had a great conversation and they seemed to have the outside-of-the-box thinking that I was looking for. Other competitors weren’t very creative, and it felt like they were reading from a script.

I chose Design In DC because they were the best option in the long term. They talked to me like a normal person and didn't try to persuade me to hire them or push anything down my throat.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them November 2020–June 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I measured just based on the look and the design aspect of it. I think the website looks cool and is very eye-catching, and that’s some of the feedback that I’ve received from other people I work with. It’s very fresh and user-friendly.

How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was done 100% on point. Design In DC never questioned or gave me a hard time about anything. They did whatever I wanted and were very easy to work with.

As far as the timeline, it was delayed on my end because my parents passed away from COVID-19. That took off a whole month, but otherwise, the timeline would’ve been fine.

We also had a third-party problem with the shipping. We had a painful experience trying to communicate with UPS; it took forever to get them to respond. That was the other delay.

We communicated probably 3–4 times a week using Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very kind, supportive, attentive, and quick in response. They communicated very well, and their customer service was top-notch.

Also, they knew exactly what they were doing. They were knowledgeable in all the tech stuff that goes behind the scenes, and they were very detailed.

In general, they’re probably some of the best people I’ve worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really don’t know what they could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t let the price tag scare you. Quality matters, and when you buy cheap, you get cheap — just like with dog toys, and that’s how you get stuffing all over the floor.

Furthermore, make good notes and write down what you’re looking for. If you provide the information that they asked for in a timely manner, that’s basically all you need to do. Also, don’t make it all about you and don’t go in with an attitude. Understand that you’ve to work together, otherwise it won’t be a good fit.