Designli

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an AI storage startup that’s over half a year old. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Designli?

I hired Designli to design the UI/UX of a mobile app for Android and iOS. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Designli helped me design the app's overall look and workflow. We met twice weekly for about an hour to discuss the app’s visuals and fonts. We also discussed the minute details of how a user might use the app, what problems they might encounter, and how to overcome them. 

Currently, we’re in talks of getting Designli’s full stack developers to connect the app’s front- and backend. However, we still have to plan a few other things, such as the marketing and Kickstarter campaign. For technologies, we’re using non-generative AI and computer vision technologies with multi-modal components.

For features and functionality, the app’s premise is to help users remember where they put things. Users can take photos or videos of what they’re putting away, and the app will automatically identify the item. For instance, if a user wants to go hiking, the app will identify items they might need for the hike and show the items’ locations.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve paid around $20,700 for the app’s design. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I met some of Designli’s representatives in March 2024 and started doing a bit of work in April 2024. The engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have an idea of how we want to design and build the app, but Designli has been great at determining possible issues and finding workarounds. It’s great to have them working on the app; their insights have been useful. The app’s UI/UX design would be quite different if we tried to build it from scratch without the Designli team.

How did Designli perform from a project management standpoint?

Designli’s project management is great. We always have weekly meetings, and we have to reschedule them from time to time, but this isn’t a problem because they’re truly attentive. They always ask many questions and seek more details to fully understand what I need. This helps them execute tasks properly—their developers even join many of our meetings. They remain patient even if our meetings go for over an hour.

In terms of tools, they use Basecamp and Otter.ai to ensure we have all the transcripts and recordings of our meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Designli is attentive and listens well to our needs. They’re truly professional and have a streamlined and top-notch approach to the project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

This isn’t a major problem, but it would be better if they could let me know earlier — such as a day or so — if we have to reschedule meetings. Since I’m building a new app, I have to jump here and there.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Check the meetings’ transcripts and ask yourself if you’ve missed anything. Write some notes and bring them up in the next meeting. This is important if you’re developing an app that looks fairly simple on the surface but is complicated underneath. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Lincoln Brannick: I’m the owner and CEO of Local Rentz, a peer-to-peer rental marketplace for all types of things, not just places to stay.

Reese Null: I'm the CTO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Designli?

LB: We had an idea for an app. Our goal was to create an entire ecosystem for people to rent anything between each other easily. Thus, we hired Designli to help us create a prototype that would lead to an MVP in the future.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LB: Designli helped us create a prototype for our app. Additionally, they helped us organize our ideas and things we hadn't thought of before. They had done these projects more times than us, as this was our first time creating an app, so they were able to provide us with insight regarding what we should look at. They also brought their own ideas to the table.

RN: After we contacted Designli, we first started scheduling meetings and communicating with each other to discuss and work on the project.

LB: Our platform features a search engine that allows users to find items that can be rented near them. The search bar also has filters. Moreover, we have a local map where users can look for those items as well. The platform also has extremely well-designed user profiles.

RN: In addition to those features, Designli helped us create a reviews feature for the prototype. An app like ours will rely heavily on trust, so a very helpful thing was making the reviews feature easy and transparent for both sides, owners and renters.

What is the team composition?

LB: We worked with a total of nine teammates from Designli, including Diego (Web Developer), two product designers, another developer, Joshua (Co-Founder & COO), and Ignacio (Product Owner), who pushed the project forward. Keith (CEO) also touched base with us multiple times to see how the project was going. Moreover, their director of operations kept everything on schedule and on pace. Overall, there were a lot of teammates helping.

How did you come to work with Designli?

LB: We found them through a Google search when we were looking for app developers. On multiple websites, Designli was one of the number one recommended companies.

How much have you invested with them?

LB: We spent around $13,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

LB: We started working with them around March 2024, and the project was completed in April 2024. However, they'll continue to help us with the next phases; we're still planning future work for them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

RN: The prototype that Designli created for us was far more than what we were expecting. It will help us credibly with our journey forward.

LB: Although we don't have metrics yet, I would like to speak to the quality of Designli's work. I knew what our prototype was in our minds, but Designli made it much more than a reality. They made the prototype better than we had imagined, so the end product was spectacular.

How did Designli perform from a project management standpoint?

LB: Nothing was truly unexpected to us, and there was no confusion. They really worked around our schedule to the best of their possibilities.

RN: Both of our schedules were a bit wonky at times, so it was difficult to schedule meetings. Still, Designli made it unbelievably easy for us. They even went out of their way and scheduled meetings out of office hours for them to talk to us. During those meetings, a lot of the project details came out, and they gave us a lot of knowledge, which was extremely appreciated.

RN: Moreover, they communicated well, so we knew when everything was going to be done. We mainly communicated via email, but we also used Basecamp.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

RN: The whole Designli team did a lot of work, but I would like to give a shout-out to Ignacio. He was essential to a lot of our ideas and design thought processes throughout the engagement. We wouldn't have had the same prototype if he hadn't been on the team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

LB: I consider Designli's biggest strength to be their experience. Although we had an idea about what we wanted, we didn't know a lot about this process. Thus, the amount of experience and detail that they were able to add was invaluable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

RN: I can’t think of anything Designli could’ve done better.

LB: I can't think of any areas of improvement either. They were truly top-notch and blew our minds.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

LB: Be open and transparent with them. They want to help you, so they need to understand where you want to go. The more information you can give them, the better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of a booking application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Designli?

We needed help to design and develop our mobile application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Designli has laid out a business plan and is responsible for our app's design and development. Initially, I had a video call with Designli to see if they could help me with the project, and the team presented a work plan. Designli has designed the app using Figma and is working on its development. The app will be available for iOS and Android devices, and Designli will use TestFlight during the testing phase. The app will have an integration with the phone's calendars and Google Maps and offer booking services. 

What is the team composition?

I've worked with around 7–8 teammates from Designli, including Keith (Co-Founder & CEO). I've also worked with front- and backend developers, UX designers, and project managers.

How did you come to work with Designli?

I found Designli through a Google search.
How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around $25,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Designli in February 2024, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Designli's work quality is excellent, and the team is easy to work with.

How did Designli perform from a project management standpoint?

Designli delivers work on time and on budget. The team uses Jira and Basecamp for project management and communicating deadlines. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Designli's biggest strength is their communication skills. The team sets clear expectations, and their response time is almost immediate. I don't have a development background, and Designli is good at breaking down work so I can understand it and answer my questions. I previously tried to do this project with a different company, and it has been a day-and-night experience. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for Designli to improve. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I suggest having a clear idea of what you're trying to accomplish when engaging with Designli.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-owner of Cap Tech Services, LLC., an oilfield service company based in Texas. We specialize in downhole chemical treatments in oil wells, running chemical systems in wells, and servicing and maintaining those wells.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Designli?

We needed to create a web-based mobile application to track our daily services. We wanted to create an app so our customers could have 100% visibility of what we do daily and what’s done on the job.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Designli has created a prototype that schedules work, logs the work, and tracks everything. Customers can see what’s being done without us having to send it to them; it’s all automated.

We initially had a conversation where we explained our thoughts, vision, design, and what we were trying to accomplish. Designli’s team understood the vision and put it into place.

The platform will be primarily for iOS, but it should work for Android too. They’ll also create a web interface through Airtable.

So far, Designli has created the prototype. Starting next week, they’ll put together a team for the custom code part.

What is the team composition?

Keith (Co-Founder & CEO) is our main contact, but our team consists of 6–8 people.

How did you come to work with Designli?

I found them on my own. I searched on the web and talked to 4–5 other companies. After a few meetings with each company, I decided to go with Designli for the final product.

How much have you invested with them?

The whole project will be around $180,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in January 2024, and the project is ongoing. It'll be another 4–5 months before we’re done.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Designli has done a great job. They’re professional and good at visualizing and putting our thoughts into paper. We’re impressed with their team and ability to assemble something.

How did Designli perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything on the project management and budget sides has been clear and precise. They’ve communicated clearly and delivered as expected.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Ignacio (Product Owner) and the designer have done most of the design work. They’ve done an excellent job.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Although their company isn’t related to the oil industry, they can still visualize and understand what we’re trying to accomplish. Designli has exceptionally understood our scope and how our company works.

Are there any areas they could improve?

So far, everything’s been great, so I don’t have anything off the top of my head. We’ll see how the next months go; they must keep up the good work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend them to anybody. Just reach out to Keith; he’s got a great team. They’ll understand your needs and deliver what you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of a software company that is designed to get rid of lines at sporting events and concerts. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Designli?

We wanted to build a mobile application for online ordering with window pick-up for food, beverage, and merchandising at concerts, festivals, and sporting events.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first thing we did after meeting Designli's team was set up a two-week sprint, a series of meetings where a software design team was allocated to us and spent two weeks building a skeleton mock-up of our app. During this time, the team asked many questions and did project thinking during those meetings, and through that work, the team came up with a framework for the app development that was created over the months following that two-week sprint. 

We use Figma frequently. The team is working on the development of an iOS and Android application.

What is the team composition?

We're working with 4–6 teammates from Designli, including Ignacio (Product Owner) and Keith (Co-Founder & CEO). We've worked mostly with three team members full-time, and other teammates have been in and out of some meetings.

How did you come to work with Designli?

I found Designli through a Google search. I searched for the best app development companies and found a list of ten service providers across the country. I vetted several companies, and Designli was on that list and was the right fit for our project.
How much have you invested with them?

At this point, we've spent under $20,000. We'll be climbing monthly moving forward.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with Designli since November 2023, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The entire Designli team has done a fantastic job. Designli has opened up my way of thinking to facilitate new ideas and bring them into reality. The team has thought of things I didn't know I needed. Overall, I'm satisfied with Designli's work ethic and products. 

How did Designli perform from a project management standpoint?

Designli delivers work on time and on budget. Designli communicates perfectly and is always on time for meetings. Project management is top-notch and exactly what I was looking for. We operate through Gmail as an email system, collaborate via Basecamp, and our website operates in Squarespace. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive aspect of Designli is that they make the client feel comfortable. This is a big expenditure; we're only about $20,000 in, but we could easily reach the $200,000 mark. The team makes me feel comfortable and confident, and I think that's their biggest asset.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything Designli can improve on. My company is small, and Designli complements my team and feels like part of my employees. I'm close to the team and feel like they have my best interest in mind. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I suggest you follow the process, ask questions, and learn as much as you can from Designli because they're an asset to any company that chooses to use their services. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of a wellness & fitness company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Clients use our app to be matched with someone on our staff to privately talk about a specific issue, immediately or for a scheduled time in the future, via text, voice, or video chat.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Design and develop our website
• Design and develop our mobile app

SOLUTION

How did you find Designli?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Designli over others?

We liked how they broke the project down into specific phases and timelines

How many teammates from Designli were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

This project is ongoing. Designli has consistently met self-imposed deadlines for progress with initial concepts, UI, and development. Meetings are frequent and informative, and all members of their team communicate promptly and professionally. Our questions and feedback are addressed continuously, which has resulted in confidence in the overall project and Designli's management.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first two phases of the project were completed as promised and on time. Communication has been exceptional throughout.

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

Designli's project management is exceptional. They monitor and track progress to ensure that deliverables are presented as promised. Our questions and communications are always handled promptly.

What was your primary form of communication with Designli?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The quality of Designli's work is absolutely top-notch, and their ongoing communication has allowed us to feel fully informed and up to date at all times. They approach a project with clearly defined phases, which helps us to easily track progress.

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

No suggestions at this time. We have been very satisfied with Designli's service.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and owner of an HR software development company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Designli?

We’ve hired Designli for mobile application design and development. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started off with several meetings with Justin (Project Consultant) and worked out a plan for the engagement. We spent about three months before kicking off work on a prototype and then another three months developing the prototype. Figma is being used for the design, and Flutter for the development. 

Key features include a GPS-based search function and an alert function to notify users about certain criteria entered into the app. The app is being developed for iOS and Android. We plan on engaging Designli for maintenance services once it is published. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Katie (Business Analyst), Keith (CEO), Joshua (Co-Founder & COO), a designer, and a few other individuals. In total, we work with about 6–7 people. 

How did you come to work with Designli?

We found Designli through a Google search. We didn’t have much personal experience in the web application space; when we talked to Designli, we felt their work was comprehensive and a good fit for our company. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $35,000–$40,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Designli in February 2023, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been really happy with the quality of work that Designli offers; their team has been delivering exactly what we’ve agreed on. 

How did Designli perform from a project management standpoint?

Their timeline and quotes have been spot-on, and they have been communicative throughout the engagement. Our company is a small startup, so those things are extremely important to us. We use Basecamp for project management and email, phone calls, and Zoom meetings for communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Overall, we’ve been extremely impressed with Designli; they understand what we need and work toward our goals. We’ve also been impressed with our designer and the way that he’s been able to take our vision and turn it into a prototype.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that we can come up with at this point. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Designate time upfront on the exploratory phase so their coders and graphic designers know your vision. Spending time in the beginning will improve the quality of your end result. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-founder of a business services company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is an all-in-one software that simplifies Risk Quantification and Business Continuity Planning reducing the impact of business disruptions and insurance premiums.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build the first version of our product
• Responding to client requests
• Clarifying our process

SOLUTION

How did you find Designli?

Online Search

Why did you select Designli over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Designli were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Designli is helping us take our product from an existing Figma file into a production ready, AWS hosted, SaaS platform. As part of this process, Desgnli helped us in defining the core components of our application and laid out a roadmap that ensured a cost effective and speedy go to market timeframe. The main deliverable is the final platform. Along the way, Designli also assisted us with responding to client requests (e.g. security questionnaires, client meetings, etc.).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At this stage, we are not in place to comment on this. For now, things are progressing according to plan.

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

Thus far items have been delivered on time. Designli is very responsive to requests for ad-hoc meetings and other items. We feel well taken care of.

What was your primary form of communication with Designli?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

Everyone we've interacted with at Designli has solid expertise in their area and a can-do attitude. This fits in very well with our own company culture.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer of a transportation company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is a publicly owned, privately operated infrastructure joint venture that spans 3.8 million square feet in downtown Chicago. Under an exclusive, long-term operating concession, we use technology and business partnerships to expand our role as a transportation gateway to downtown Chicago. 

With more than 9,000 parking spaces in four adjacent facilities, out company offers daily, monthly, and long-term parking for Chicago commuters, residents, visitors, and fleet customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• SolutionLab Consulting: Develop a practical, actionable mobile app strategy and approach
• Agile Software Design: Design a customer-facing mobile app based on specific business objectives and functionality goals

SOLUTION

How did you find Designli?

Referral

Why did you select Designli over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Designli were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Create mobile app Roadmap, including: 
  • screenflow to illustrate the usability of the solution in visual form
  • user personas in a visual format to illustrate various sample user types
  • proposal for the next step in the process
  • high-level estimate for the full build-out of the solution. 
• Develop a working prototype of mobile app design to deliver features and functionality identified in the mobile app Roadmap.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Designli developed and presented all deliverables outlined in the scope of work, effectively incorporated client input / feedback, and packaged deliverables in practical / usable formats.

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

With regular working sessions, work product, progress reports, invoices and other communications, Designli delivered on project deliverables in a professional, responsive, timely manner.

What was your primary form of communication with Designli?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Designli’s approach was smart and well-grounded, with a personable and fiercely competent team to match. Stage-gated processes with clear deliverables have helped us build momentum quickly and make informed decisions as we allocate time and resources to mobile app design.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Bottle Titan. We put traceability on the alcoholic beverages supply chain, so we trace wine, liquor, and beer shipments globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Designli?

We needed help with UI/UX design for a customer platform, so we hired Designli.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Designli helped us map out and design the UI/UX and functionality of a platform for our customers. The project also included blueprint design, flowchart development, and two sprint cycles of graphic design. As for the technology stack, they used Figma for the designs.

As for the app’s core features, it has maps and charts for tracking a shipment delivery. Moreover, Designli created algorithms with variables such as temperature, humidity, vibration, and light.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 4–5 teammates from Designli.

How did you come to work with Designli?

They were recommended by a mentor of mine. When I met the Designli team, I thought that they had something special and that the value they offered seemed incredible for what they would deliver.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $17,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around July 2022, and it took Designli three months to complete the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When I started this project, I didn’t have anything — I didn’t know where to go and what to do. We didn’t have any documentation, and as a non-technical founder, I didn’t have a clear idea of what the project entailed.

Still, Designli rolled up their sleeves and understood the intricacies of what needed to be delivered to the customer. The fact that I now have a fully designed UI and a functionality chart is a very successful result. Having those designs took a lot of weight off my shoulders.

On top of that, Designli did an extremely good job of narrowing down the most important features of the app’s MVP. Of course, I wanted to implement everything I had in mind, but I had a limited budget. Designli did a very good job of working with me and helping me understand which features were necessary and which ones could be added to version two and version three of the app.

How did Designli perform from a project management standpoint?

Designli’s work was fantastic. They had incredible communication, and I constantly received updates on what they were working on and what they had completed. Additionally, they were always very quick to respond to my questions. We communicated via email, phone, Zoom, and Microsoft (MS) Teams, and we also used a project management tool for this project, but I don’t remember the name.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Designli was very easy to talk to and willing to help.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything Designli could have improved on — they did a very good job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Tell them exactly what your needs are, and trust that they’ll sort through those needs and help you as if they were part of your team.