Digital Product People (formerly Lighthouse)

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a custom software development agency, and I am the managing director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lighthouse London?

We tend to work with our clients to create custom software and custom web platforms. We didn’t have UI/UX skills in-house, so we were looking for an agency to support our UI/UX requirements.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have worked with them for about two years now and have brought them in on about six or seven projects for their UI and UX capabilities.

Typically, they will work with the client early on to take our backlog, which is basically a list of things that the software needs to do, and then will then create the wireframes from scratch. They will take the software requirements and create even the most basic low fidelity wireframes through to the finished product.

What is the team composition?

We have worked with around six people from their team.

How did you come to work with Lighthouse London?

I think we got in touch with them through a referral from a personal contact. The thing that stood out for us is their understanding of development. They were able to understand what is technically possible and what would be too expensive or complicated, and really understand that what they design has to be built by us. They were able to deliver stuff to a really high standard and on time, which is basically all the things that anyone looks for.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent about £200,000 (approximately $244,405 USD) with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

I think it was January 2019, and we are still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They are able to give applications a modern and interactive feeling and create software that is highly functional, but highly intuitive which is what we are looking for.

Although I can’t necessarily give feedback on the end results of a customer because I don’t have those stats, we are able to move a project from concept through to delivery in a really rapid process. In terms of rapidly prototyping MVP apps and really intuitive apps, they are able to do that quickly. Our projects get delivered on time with them

How did Lighthouse London perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of project management, I think it is a really smooth and effective process. They have a lot of infrastructures that are able to keep projects running smoothly. Typically, it can be quite a sticky process where we are having to collect all the assets that they are creating and basically revert them into actual working software. With Lighthouse London, they are able to work with us to rapidly get all of the assets and all of the resources we need to continue on with the project and remove any blockers in the way.

In terms of their project management, the communication back and forth is highly effective. We are always talking to them on Slack, back and forth through email, and getting stuff from them very, very quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think it is their ability to really understand the value of the products.  A lot of the other design agencies we work with can get really caught up on the creative side and miss some of the real technical value and the intuitive aspects that they are really good at.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any areas of improvement. Out of all the design companies we have worked with, they have been the best.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice to anyone working with them would be to listen to their advice and ask for the direction. You get the most out of any consultancy company when you ask for direction and listen to the feedback that has been given.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of an interior design studio based in central London. We specialise in creating minimal / monochrome / urban / scandinavian style spaces, which combine beautiful materials and textures with architectural features and designer furniture.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lighthouse London?

Our website was in need of some work to better represent our maturing business. The previous version didn't represent us well and wasn’t converting as well as we would hope, mainly down to the UX, content and structure. We were also in need of someone who could give advice on digital strategies and act as a sounding board for our ideas on an ongoing basis.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a website which reflected our design ethos and communicated our service and skills in a clear way. Our aim was to increase conversions from visitors to the site.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We reached out to a handful of agencies who all pitched for the work. We’d met Lighthouse a couple of years back when we worked in the same area and they were also recommended by someone in our network. They impressed us with helpful advice from the start as well as being a good personality fit.

Describe the project in detail.

Lighthouse helped us refine our positioning, messaging and user journeys through the site and provided UX foundations for us to work from. They also acted as consultants after launch to help add incremental improvements and refine strategies over time.

What was the team composition?

We worked with one of the company founders as well as two of the UX/design team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site has received great comments from clients and led to an increase in conversion from online leads as well as a drastic increase in average project size.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was good. We used online tools to keep in touch which helped stay on track and remain aware of what was going on and what was needed next.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The work produced was excellent but the best part was how easy it was to work with Lighthouse. They felt like an extension of our own team and were a fun bunch to work alongside. They listened to all our ideas, understood our goals instantly and helped us improve upon these in ways that we hadn’t expected.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing major. Our sessions generated lots of ideas, at the start it was hard to keep on top of all of these. This improved as we found better ways to document our sessions and build lists of tasks for us to concentrate on in the future.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the marketing manager for a vehicle data house company. We've got a few products out there. We package up vehicle data and send it to consumers for purposes like valuation and testing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lighthouse London?

We wanted to streamline some of our data and products into a single, personalized, mobile-first experience. We usually only see our users about once every three years when they buy a car, so we wanted to stay in the loop and offer more of our data in an ongoing way.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They started by conducting some research, creating driver personas and using our customer base to do some questionnaires as well as one-on-one interviews. They then used product data to create a bespoke design with illustrations and animations. We didn’t give them any sketches—they had free rein and ran with it. They translated their designs and shared them through InVision.

Their designs, including UI/UX designs, were focused on a mobile-first web app that could easily translate into an iOS app. We used React on the frontend.

What is the team composition?

We worked with different people at different stages. We had one person helping with the research stage and another overseeing the accounts throughout. There were one or two designers we worked with consistently. Altogether there were about 14 members.

How did you come to work with Lighthouse London?

I saw their reviews on Clutch and they were on my shortlist. They’d also been recommended to my director by another source.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent 50,000–60,000 pounds ($62,000–$74,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March—July 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve got a very modern approach. They’re very responsive and detailed. Their team members were friendly and eager to learn about our product. We’ll work with them again.

How did Lighthouse London perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was thorough. It was very fluid. They had a team member who helped with managing that and it was well taken care of. Their communication and attention to detail were great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They had a fresh approach and they weren't afraid to show us things that we hadn’t asked for. They were very creative and put a lot of ideas forward. We weren't strict with our current branding or anything—we gave them a creative license and they came up with some really nice ideas that we've adopted.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I think we were really quite happy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very specific in your direction with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My role is Co-Founder & Product Manager at a company that's developing a parent mobile app. Everyone’s parenting journey is different because we are all different. This life-changing experience can be uplifting, lonely, mind-blowing and sometimes frightening and we all need support in managing the good and bad times. We are passionate about providing that support. Our innovative app aspires to connect and empower all parents, whatever their circumstances through (1) Collaborative problem solving (2) Shared experiences (advice, stories, ideas) The app is inspired by our own parenting journey as well as by other mums and dads who feel there is a lack of genuine and real-time support at local community level - the app fills that gap by connecting parents in local communities to share ideas, stories, advice and information. This fantastic app is a dedicated ‘one-stop-shop’ solution helping us all to navigate the challenges of parenting together.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lighthouse London?

The company recruited Lighthouse to take on the the UI and UX elements of the project

What were your goals for this project?

With limited budget, we wanted to recruit a local UK design firm who understood the UK market & its demographics, to help produce a first design iteration of a mobile app against our requirements and pain points captured from our MVP. The aim was then to off-shore this for futher design enhancements and development.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We wanted to partner with a local UK design firm, so shortlisted firms against this as a key criteria. A recommendation from a Google resource then led us to partnering with Light House.

Describe the project in detail.

Project was setup to deliver a mobile app for parents which included the following features for an MVP: - Group chat feature - buy/sell feature

What was the team composition?

Team consisted of 2 Co-founding members (a husband and wife team) who interfaced directly with the Light House team (PM and Designers) to produce the first design iteration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We achieved a successful visual representation of a mobile app that spoke directly to our defined pain points and requirements.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We found the workflow between both organisations to be very effective and efficient. LightHouse offers flexible engagement via their project toolset(s) and standard in-person, email, phone call etc., as and when required, to ensure project goals are understood and timelines are achieved.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The company's ability to interpret our requirements and position the most effective way forward. This controlled costs and timelines to deliver the right set of features to test the market with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director and founder of Propio, a property investment platform that enables users to invest in property through their phones.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lighthouse London?

We needed to revamp the product to make it user-friendly and meet a specific UK tax legislation called an ISA. We also wanted Lighthouse London to create a new marketing site to attract a younger demographic to our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lighthouse London provided design and software development skills, strategic product advice, and project management services to structure a new technical product. We know about our customers’ demographics, likes, and lifestyles. After giving them a brief discussing our base and comparable websites for inspiration, their team figured out the look and feel for our new platform. Once we signed off, they rolled out our new technical products. Their team used Sketch and InVision as the main technologies.

What is the team composition?

We had a primary point of contact and a project manager. I believe we had a team of around five people throughout the project that were skilled in design, development, and project management. I’m also on good terms with the co-founder, so I could speak to him about any commercial decisions.

How did you come to work with Lighthouse London?

Lighthouse London came highly recommended from a business we used to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $50,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged with Lighthouse London from April 2018 to March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, we’re happy with the work completed by Lighthouse London. We’ve seen a 61% increase in our user base, and about a 30% increase in conversions. Customers have given positive feedback on the simplicity and design of the site.

Our team was particularly impressed with their design and UX capabilities. Lighthouse London is full of creative people that can structure complicated and complex information in a user-friendly and clean way. That’s their true strength. They also have a set of senior leadership that is responsive and flexible to demands. If we want to discuss something that isn’t going well, they’re open to that. Another impressive trait about them is their network. They’re good at bringing in outside resources when they don’t have a certain skill in-house.

How did Lighthouse London perform from a project management standpoint?

Day-to-day project management was great. Their team is always responsive, using Slack to communicate with everyone involved with the project. The contact on our end who was involved in managing the project was always privy to what was going on. Their senior-level resources were excellent at structuring and breaking down the project. In terms of other tools, we used Asana and Basecamp to communicate with the designers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Being a startup, our demands and goals change on a monthly basis. Lighthouse London was flexible at adapting to our requirements. Even when we’re unclear about specifics, they’re happy to deal with any challenges. I’d also say that pricewise, their costs are competitive for the skills they deliver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

During our project, we said that we wanted more insights monthly. I think they could do better with their reporting. In particular, forecasting what the next month would look like in terms of cost, time, and goals.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Meet with Lighthouse London and have a workshop. Their team is happy to set up a time to get a better understanding of how they can support you, and find out whether your teams will work well together. I would urge people to have a decent workshop as opposed to a short meeting or going over a proposal.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Not Actual Size is an independent creative content agency based in London. We create content for global brands. As the company director, I’m responsible for oversight of all campaigns and content produced by the agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lighthouse London?

We hired Lighthouse London to create a bespoke online tool—called The Observatory—that will allow our team to collect insights and observe trends. 

What were your goals for this project?

We had existing systems in place for observing and tracking trends, but they lacked quality control and a clear storage system (i.e., we were mainly using Excel sheets and emails). We wanted to create something that allowed us to have a clean interface and way to search for insights while also ensuring quality control.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Lighthouse London was recommended to us by colleagues who had worked with them in the past. They came in to pitch us and suggested some smart ideas for how we could work together to get the project going.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Initial stages included the Lighthouse London team conducting a workshop with our team to understand the requirements and the different user perspectives. In this session, we shared with them what we were using, our objectives, and a relatively open brief—we knew we wanted improvement but didn't know how that would shape up.  

The Lighthouse London team came back with a range of ideas and price points. They had really understood the problem, and we loved the passion they put into the project from the start. 

Once we had an idea, the team started to work on wireframes and work with the team in our agency to test these to see how they would work in practice. Through a period of testing, we then got to a place where we were all happy. 

The tool has multiple functions: teams can directly upload content from media sites into The Observatory while implementing quality-control with a review and authorization panel. Following the initial build, we added things to the scope because the way we were using the tool required a few extra elements. We further developed The Observatory with Lighthouse London by creating a board functionality to allow teams to curate observations and trends for client reports.

What was the team composition?

We worked with about 4–5 people at Lighthouse London, including Tom (Co-Founder, Lighthouse London) and Dan (Co-Founder, Lighthouse London). 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Two years later, The Observatory is used every day at Not Actual Size. It is a fundamental of our business, and we are looking to continue the development of this with Lighthouse London to ensure it evolves as our business grows and needs change.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Tom and Dan brought the right skills to the right meetings, and their interaction was seamless. We never experienced an example where someone came to us not knowing information that another member of their team had gathered. They encouraged us to use Basecamp, which ensured our team could jump in and out of the project seamlessly and get quick and easy updates.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Lighthouse London really felt like an extension of our team. From day one, they just got it. They understood what we were looking for and were keen to work collaboratively with us to ensure we could achieve our goals. Beyond that, the work was fantastic and has definitely brought positive change in our business.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We'd like to improve the tool, but not through any issue with Lighthouse London – it's more about continuing to evolve the technology as our team and business grow and the way we use it needs to adapt with time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Blank Rail, an e-commerce company. Our website provides users with a wish list to improve and streamline the online shopping experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lighthouse London?

I hired Lighthouse London for software development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lighthouse London developed my website with a Google site builder. They helped with many of the site’s creative aspects, such as the design and its functions, and they consulted on a lot of the features. They continue to help me with other technical tasks and provide insights into my ideas.

What is the team composition?

I work with Tom (Director and Co-Founder, Lighthouse London), a project manager, a head developer, two designers, and a couple of freelance team members.

How did you come to work with Lighthouse London?

I wanted to hire a local website developer, and I found Lighthouse London on Google.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent around £30,000 (approximately $38,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in March 2018, and they completed the site by that fall. I now work with Lighthouse London on a month-to-month basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Users are happy with the website. I’ve received positive feedback that the site is clean and has a beautiful color scheme. Not only does the site look great, but it also works well.

How did Lighthouse London perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via an online platform, and everyone from Lighthouse London can see my messages. This ensures quick follow-up. When we discover a bug, someone from Lighthouse London works on it within the same day. We haven’t been communicating as frequently recently, but we usually have monthly meetings to catch up and discuss the development pipeline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Lighthouse London’s team is incredibly creative and great at problem-solving, which has enabled them to make the site both aesthetically-pleasing and user-friendly. They give me the autonomy to make the final decision while providing helpful feedback and suggested improvements.

Without Lighthouse London, many of my ideas wouldn’t have worked out, and they’re continually helping me develop new ones. We’ve established a strong working relationship. They’re very trustworthy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I believe they’re working on this, but adding business and marketing services would be helpful. In this regard, they’d not only develop the product but also have the resources to launch and market it.

Any advice for potential customers?

Listen to Lighthouse London and trust them. They have a lot of experience. Often, when I think I know what I want, they show me why that won’t work and propose different solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder and CEO of Autocruit, the first automated recruitment platform that allows tech companies to connect with qualified candidates.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lighthouse London?

We wanted our website to reflect our tech roots, but we didn’t have the necessary resources to develop the platform without outsourcing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lighthouse London was tasked with building the front- and backend of our corporate website. After designing a few wireframe models, they moved on to develop the full platform using InVision. The final product featured two user paths and a UX-optimized interface.

What is the team composition?

Our initial meetings were held with one of their founders, but our day-to-day interactions were mostly with their two lead designers.

How did you come to work with Lighthouse London?

They were recommended to us by an agency that worked with them in the past.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $50,000 for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

They began development in June 2018, and they continue to provide routine support and maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Lighthouse London’s sophisticated web designs added credibility to our growing brand. An influx of employing companies and candidates signed up for an account shortly after launching the new website. 

How did Lighthouse London perform from a project management standpoint?

Their coordination efforts were as impressive as their design work. In respect to our strict timeline, they produced deliverables at a rapid pace and never missed a deadline. They were highly productive, but they always made time to keep us informed of their progress via Skype and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

While every moment of our engagement was a thoroughly positive experience, collaborating with their team was the greatest highlight. Lighthouse London truly understood our vision and created a platform that surpassed our expectations.  They were incredibly friendly, and they were always willing to share their extensive knowledge with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They excelled in every area.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO of a media buying agency. I am responsible for buying or building the technology our company needs to gain a competitive advantage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lighthouse London?

We hoped to provide our clients with SaaS access to our proprietary media buying platform, and we wanted to build a new UI from scratch to facilitate that effort.

What were your goals for this project?

We hoped that these efforts would give our clients a greater understanding of the processes we utilize on their behalf.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A member of our in-house staff recommended Lighthouse London because of a positive experience working with them in the past. We asked them and two other vendors to provide preliminary UX guidelines, along with their hourly and project rates. Our executive committee agreed that Lighthouse London provided the most thoughtful service at the best price.

Describe the project in detail.

Lighthouse London arranged a series of discovery sessions to understand the scope of work and determine a project plan. They began designing the UI elements, and we collaborated to build each screen of the interface—creating a pipeline where once a screen was designed, it could be coded elsewhere while a new screen was being designed. At each checkpoint, we received feedback from stakeholders before moving to the next phase.

What was the team composition?

We worked with one project manager, one designer, and one engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first version of the UI was released within three months. We used the following month to make further modifications as internal stakeholders began using the system and finding more efficient means to complete certain tasks. We started customer testing shortly thereafter, and the platform proved to be successful.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicated primarily through Slack, but calls and meetings were easy to arrange at any time. We quickly established an efficient workflow.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We loved their thoughtful UI design. They were unique in their thinking, and they provided smart suggestions.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. The finished product was beautiful and worked well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of research for the British Beer & Pub Association. We provide support and specialized insights to member pubs and breweries. We also advocate on their behalf for more favorable government regulation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lighthouse London?

Our website needed a refresh. Its user interface was unintuitive, its content was outdated, and its appearance needed a facelift. We engaged Lighthouse London to revamp our site’s frontend, making it more contemporary and user-friendly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We lacked a clear picture of our requirements and goals at first. Lighthouse London provided helpful ideas to shape our vision of what we wanted and how to achieve it. We then performed a comprehensive audit of all the site’s information—including thousands of articles, documents, and A19 banners—and regrouped it. The team then designed and developed a new, image-heavy site in WordPress—which we prefer over our previous platform. They created wireframes and built a brand new site structure. It includes several new page templates, infographics, graphs, and other ways to present content. The site now has non-member sections with content hidden behind a paywall and member-only sections where members can log in and access private information.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Magda (Former UX/UI & Product Designer, Lighthouse London), Christy (Lead Developer, Lighthouse London), Tom (Director & Co-Founder, Lighthouse London), and Dan (Director, Lighthouse London).

How did you come to work with Lighthouse London?

We met with their team before deciding to hire them. Lighthouse London offered a personable and bespoke approach due to their small size. They made it clear who each point of contact was for each process and each step of the project. Their ability to understand our challenges and needs distinguished them from the competition.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2017–May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our new website has had a warm reception from our members and the general public. Our staff uses it much more frequently and effectively than our prior site. A company that we often worked with was particularly impressed and asked for our developer; they are now using Lighthouse London to revamp their own website.

How did Lighthouse London perform from a project management standpoint?

The project ran smoothly from start to finish. As mentioned previously, Lighthouse London assigned a point of contact for each process, which streamlined communication at the beginning. We collaborated using Basecamp and in occasional in-person meetings where we would discuss ideas or questions as needed. The team demonstrated expertise and diligence from start to finish, making them easy to trust with our project. Any issue that arose was resolved quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Lighthouse London understood our project aims and needs before we fully understood them ourselves. Their team helped flesh out our ideas into actionable solutions. They also invested themselves in our project and our success, which we appreciated.

Are there any areas they could improve?

On occasion, our side explored ideas that turned out to be a waste of time and money. We definitely could have better managed our expectations. However, we would have appreciated it if Lighthouse London stopped us earlier in these cases.

Any advice for potential customers?

Trust their expertise, but keep in mind your end goal to prevent yourself from going down rabbit holes. A web development project requires two-way communication.