Design Planet

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the acting director of communications at Corum Group, a mining equipment manufacturer. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Design Planet?

The company was embarking on a complete rebranding. We hired Design Planet to create a new website. 

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the updated website to highlight our company’s advantage better and provide more detailed information about our services, production lines, and new equipment. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We conducted tenders among several regional design studios, narrowing the field to five candidates. A four-person committee that included our company’s marketing director made the final decision. 

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Design Planet updated the corporate website and built a promotion site for new powered-face equipment. They developed designs, created models, prepared character animation, completed the programming, and conducted testing. They also created a news section and media center with a photo and video gallery. The content itself was prepared independently, then provided to Design Planet for implementation. 

For our future cooperation, we plan to develop the site as a corporate portal further and integrate more informational blocks about the team, products, and services.

What was the team composition?

The same eight people were involved with the project for its duration. Two designers, two programmers, a QA specialist, an editor, and a translator worked under the guidance of Design Planet’s founder, who was serving as the project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new website is stylish and informative, especially as compared to other projects in the mining equipment sector, and has helped us sign several local and international contracts.

It is also multi-lingual, yet still easily accessible for administrators, and capable of downloading the company’s digests, case studies, and merchandise catalogs. Industry colleagues regularly turn to its informational database for fresh material. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Regularly scheduled meetings helped facilitate transparent and informative communication. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We appreciate their thoroughness. Design Planet considers every seemingly insignificant detail, an approach that directly impacts project quality.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We lack the internal resources necessary to design some of the material and would like to see Design Planet take on more concurrent tasks to compensate for this.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an organization development director for Energobud, a company that specializes in the construction of modern energy objects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Design Planet?

We needed a new corporate site. We wanted this website to have a modern design and to be accessible on all types of devices.

What were your goals for this project?

It was important for us to do the project quickly, as we had the period of tendering events ahead and our site was supposed to be one of the main tools for selling our company's services.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We chose them based on a partner’s recommendation. We were looking for a studio with a great portfolio. It was important for us that talented designers worked for the studio. We also wanted to see a high level of technical skill.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We showed Design Planet examples of websites that we liked, and they suggested several options of design, one of which they implemented. They designed a classic website, with sections such as "About us", "News", "Projects", "Partners", and "Contact Details".

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered in less than two months, which we were happy about, taking into account the quality of the website. Every section is neatly designed. They didn’t make any mistakes.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They were concise and worked with the minimum effective communication. We had a very positive impression after our cooperation.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team is professional and results-oriented. Their specialists know their job. We made the right choice.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we’re very satisfied.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the chief architect of Emercoin, a public blockchain technology project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Design Planet?

We engaged Design Planet to build a corporate website and separate sites for our projects.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to highlight our projects—each of which is technically complex—and the team that built them in as simple words as possible. We also wanted the sites to use modern design trends.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?
Design Planet’s portfolio impressed us most. Their past work demonstrated a high level of creativity and technological usage.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

For the corporate website, Design Planet created a portal with many sections and subsections. The team implemented a convenient navigation system and made it easy to consume content. They also created eight versions of our website in different languages. We wanted a framework to make administration straightforward; per Design Planet’s recommendation, we chose Laravel. Lastly, their team developed a cryptocurrency wallet where users can buy and store our currency.

What was the team composition?

I coordinated with one of Design Planet’s founders and with a technical director. The team that executed the project included seven specialists.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Design Planet delivered the project on time, which was the most important goal. They compiled an enormous amount of information and handled eight language versions of the site without losing sight of our timeline.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The team communicated and planned the project at a professional level. We have no critical comments on their management.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Design Planet planned the project well in advance, but they also adapted to our changing vision as needed. We appreciated their detailed approach to preparation as well as their flexibility.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Their very meticulous work style resulted in high-quality work, but it may not match some customers’ needs. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a local e-commerce business in Ukraine called UHTI. We sell kitchen- and houseware online and on the B2B channel that our company independently imports.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design Planet?

Having been conducting all of our business offline to that point, we needed an e-commerce website.  We hired Design Plant to develop our platform and warehouse CRM from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Design Planet first developed a basic version of our platform with product, main, and catalog pages, and a standard checkout. We then planned monthly sprints to create the next version. During the first phase, they built the e-commerce component.

In the second stage, they used a grate integration to connect the e-commerce aspect with our 1C CRM system. This system is the most popular CRM in Ukraine for accounting and warehousing. They also built integrations for Facebook, Google Ads, and different marketplaces.

Since completing the site, we’ve done extensive A/B testing and are continuing to improve it. As our business has grown, we’ve identified new tasks for Design Planet. We send them every new requirement for the platform. They’ve taken care of all our development from the start. The team is still creating new functionalities and providing support. 

What is the team composition? 

We worked directly with a project manager for 95% of the time. He was usually our sole point of contact, but we also spoke with developers and designers throughout the engagement. 

How did you come to work with Design Planet?

I found Design Planet through a recommendation from a friend who’d worked with them. He showed me the landing page they’d made. 

During our discussions, they seemed to align with us in terms of communication, pricing, and responsibility. We quickly decided to hire them because I value recommendations from friends over any other type of reviews.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly $35,000–$45,000 so far. The total may rise when we start certain projects we have in mind. The first two stages of each project cost $10,000 each. After that, we paid monthly.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Design Planet in February or March 2017. They delivered the first version of the product less than two months later, on April 1st.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our business has grown during the period we’ve worked with Design Planet. We didn’t have a similar product beforehand. 

Since the platform launched, we’ve had every possible analytics integration including Google Analytics and Enhanced E-commerce. Compared to when we started, the conversion rate has increased from 1.2% to approximately 2.5%. Design Planet dedicates 5–10 hours per month for A/B testing along with further development to continuously improve this figure. 

Since Design Plant has met our conversion goals and taken care of all our design and technology needs, we’ve continued to work with them. Page speeds also benefitted from their SEO work.

How did Design Planet perform from a project management standpoint?

Design Planet’s project manager kept in-sync with our team. He took care of all our needs and managed everyone working on both the frontend and backend. 

We were in touch once every 3–4 days with questions or concerns. They fixed any issues we told them about. We didn’t have any problems with the team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Website development with Design Planet was a great way to grow my business. They willingly did everything we asked for. The team met all our expectations without excuses or delays. 

Unlike past projects with other vendors, I never felt that Design Planet was trying to increase the number of hours. They simply delivered results that showed results, so I recommend them as a supplier.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could gain more experience with marketing tools. We use local tools and platforms like Google Ads and Facebook, which often change their technologies and integrations. 

So far, we’ve been recommending changes for Design Planet to make. We’d prefer for them to tell us what to do for marketing integrations. We believe that marketing can only be positive and successful if we’re using the latest technologies and trends. Doing so will make us more competitive in terms of our prices and results.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I’ve referred Design Planet to 3–4 of my friends. While I’m not sure about the statuses of these projects, but I know they have already started working together.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO and owner of Ukrainian Security Systems. We provide security services and solutions to protect residential and business properties.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Design Planet?

We engaged Design Planet to create a new website for us.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a visually appealing website that highlights our services, encourages clients to seek consultations and order our solutions, and provides us with a competitive advantage.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We’ve worked with Design Planet on past projects for over eight years. We didn’t consider other contractors because the team has consistently delivered for us.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Design Planet planned, designed, and developed the website from start to finish. We provided with content and information about our company’s products to inform their processes, but we otherwise entrusted the project to their team.

The team developed a customer profile feature. Previously, to pay for our services, customers had to fill out a payment receipt that they submit to a bank. They then had to call to reconfirm the balance. Thanks to the profile feature, customers can verify their contract’s status as well as order and pay for our services online. Design Planet integrated the profile functionality with our accounting and payment systems. They also created a separate landing page for each of our services.

What was the team composition?

I work with the project manager and the head designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website has launched, and we’ve seen our sales double thanks to our new separate landing pages. The online profile feature has made paying for our services and confirming account status much more convenient for our clients. We’re satisfied with Design Planet’s work so far.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

At the beginning of the project, Design Planet created a plan and allocated tasks to everyone involved. The process has allowed us to follow a plan until the project’s end, making collaboration much more straightforward. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team delivers highly professional work at an excellent value.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I prefer less planning and more room for adapting to issues as they arise. However, I understand that small projects like mine don’t require as much built-in flexibility.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a senior project manager at Autoportal. We've developed a car portal and offer consumer services for the car industry in India.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Design Planet?

We do have our own web development department, but we have more tasks than we can handle. We needed Design Planet to help us launch a platform to be used by our trusted car dealers and consumers, with a special focus on UI/UX.

What were your goals for this project?

Dealers needed to be able to list used cars and continuously add information regarding each listing. Consumer users needed to be able to filter and search for the best car and get in touch with dealers easily. Overall, the platform needed to be clear and simple for the user to navigate and generate leads for our dealers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Design Planet was recommended to us by our colleagues. We were considering two other vendors, but Design Planet was ultimately chosen because they seemed the most open to close collaboration. We needed a reliable and communicative partner, not a distant outsourced team.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Design Planet developed a flexible filter system, allowing users to research cars and filter results with custom parameters. Each listed car has a photo gallery and detailed specifications. Users can contact a dealer and make purchases through the platform.

What was the team composition?

I communicated with a project manager and a technical director.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After the project was launched, more than 100 used car dealers joined the system. There were 4,500 advertisements on the system. No critical bugs were detected.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Overall, project management was fine. Delays did happen, but they were slight and mostly due to changes in scope.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They're excellent at UI. For us, partnering with them has given us an advantage over our competitors.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is no limit to perfection, but no, we were very satisfied.