Eastern Standard

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior web developer of university communications at a higher education institution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Eastern Standard?

We needed help with a website redesign.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an online program website that Eastern Standard redesigned using Figma. The team started with a discovery process that involved bringing together their team with our team and important stakeholders from our university. During the discovery phase, Eastern Standard interviewed and got input from our stakeholders. 

The team did some user testing with our current website to find out what was good and bad about it. They did UX research and defined our user personas. The team helped us identify improvements in our content and design, built those into the content plan, and then built a new design system for us. 

Eastern Standard also helped us with the content strategy, which was part of what they did before they started designing. The content strategy included a sitemap, which helped us organize our content. Once we established the sitemap, the team created design prototypes. We gave them feedback until the prototypes were finalized. Eastern Standard then developed the prototypes into a website template and trained us to build the site. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, who was our key collaborator, a lead developer, a UX expert, and a UI designer. The lead developer had a team that we never met, but they did some of the work.

How did you come to work with Eastern Standard?

We put out an RFP at the university, and Eastern Standard was one of our five finalists for the website redesign project. All five finalists did a presentation, and Eastern Standard stood out because of their focus on the website's UX. Universities sometimes have websites that are hard to navigate because there’s so much information. Eastern Standard focused on how important it was to ensure users could find what they were looking for on the website. We felt we could trust them to be a partner on the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $100,000–$200,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around October 2024, and the online programs website launched in April 2025. Later, we hired them for another website redesign project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we relaunched the website, all of our stakeholders were happy with the design. The design reflected our brand better than it did before, so stakeholders were excited about that. We launched the website two months ago, so we’re still waiting for more data to come in before we can confidently report on the difference the redesign made.

How did Eastern Standard perform from a project management standpoint?

Eastern Standard delivered the work on time and on budget and communicated well with us. We had weekly status meetings, and the team used Basecamp as the project management platform. We used Zoom for the meetings. The team also used FigJam, which allowed for collaborative presentations to engage our stakeholders during meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Eastern Standard was easy to work with. They took a complex project and broke it down into manageable pieces so that it didn’t feel overwhelming. The team made good recommendations and was flexible when we wanted to deviate from them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any areas they needed to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Congratulate yourself for picking an excellent business partner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President & CEO of The Philly POPS

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Philly POPS is a performing arts organization in its 44th year of presenting performances of popular music with a full symphony orchestra and beginning its tenth year with POPSinSchools, a supplemental education program partnered with the School District of Philadelphia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Eastern Standard to accomplish?

• Brand Overhaul and Maintenance
• New Website
• Season Designs for each year's program schedule

SOLUTION

How did you find Eastern Standard?

Networking

Why did you select Eastern Standard over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Eastern Standard were assigned to this project?

20 over time

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

Eastern Standard created the resonant Philly POPS branding when the new POPS was born in 2013-2014, giving the organization a colorful, pop culture connected, celebratory, fizz-y brand that stood out as unique in the marketplace. Ticket sales doubled. 

In addition, Eastern Standard built two websites that were flexible enough to carry immediate video content when performances were on hiatus during the pandemic. Our digital classroom content was particularly popular in 2020 and 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Ticket sales for our orchestra performances doubled. 
• Fundraising activity grew exponentially. 
• New products were introduced seamlessly.

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

Project Management was always responsive and timely. We had an unusual connection with the entire team. It was simply a joy to work with them.

What was your primary form of communication with Eastern Standard?

Email or Messaging App

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

There were two distinct areas of excellence. Their design's creativity and work's splashiness are always amazing. The responsiveness of the entire team, including top management, was equally impressive.

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

There were no areas which need improvement--if there was a small issue, it was resolved immediately.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the SVP of CAL Automotive

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Origination and servicing of consumer automobile leases

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Eastern Standard to accomplish?

• Improve our website to create an optimized and pleasant user experience
• Increase our data security position by introducing appropriate and reasonable security measures
• Ongoing development to expand our customers' ability to self-serve
• Optimize website design for mobile as well as desktop users

SOLUTION

How did you find Eastern Standard?

Other

Why did you select Eastern Standard over others?

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

How many teammates from Eastern Standard were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Ongoing enhancement and expansion of functional offerings to our customers and dealer-clients. Projects include integration with our servicing system, mail client, and a payment processing system via API integration, reimagining of existing functionality for efficient workflows and improved customer satisfaction with our website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The most general and all encompassing metric for project success is a reduction of customer service calls related to questions on website usage specifically and due to customer's ability to perform tasks on their own. The menu of changes that we have implemented have had a meaningful reduction in call volume, and have received positive feedback from customers on the improved UX

What was your primary form of communication with Eastern Standard?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I have been very pleased with their ability to continually develop and deploy. the process is overall very collaborative. When issues arise, day-or-night, their responsiveness is unparalleled. It's clear that they value our relationship and want to contribute to our success.

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

I very much appreciate the attention that we have received from all levels of the company during the emergency situations that have arisen. They consistently go above and beyond to ensure that our website is properly functioning, that they know about issues before our customers report them to us - and they are so quick to respond. They care, and it shows.

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

I have been very pleased with all aspects of our relationship.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I worked as the Communications Manager for a nonprofit public art organization that commissioned and installed outdoor sculpture.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Eastern Standard?

Our small organization had new and different types of public artworks that required print collateral to help clearly communicate the projects. The collateral needed to be branded for the organization but also meet the look and feel of each individual artwork.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for a company that could work with our ever-changing needs since each project was so different from the other. We needed a classic but contemporary feel for the designs that utilized full-bleed, large images.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After a series of meetings, Eastern Standard provided us with a number of design options. Each time, we not only had to work within our own brand, but within the vision of the artist. We went through a number of rounds of designs that worked for the organization as well as the artist.

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

In total, we worked with 3-4 people including:

• the principal of the firm
• a project manager
• 1-2 graphic designers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They provided design templates that matched the look and feel of our organization, providing flexibility to the project. We reached thousands of new-to-the-organization people who learned about the nonprofit and the project through the designed elements that they created for us.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager was easy to communicate with. We used a project management tool called Basecamp to manage tasks and stay on time.

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

The challenges we had with both trying to brand the organization as a whole and create a unique look and feel for each project were clearly and easily met by Eastern Standard. That is no easy task!

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

They're a little bit more expensive, but you get quality work and dedicated people with a clear vision, so it's worth it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the CMO for a museum in Philadelphia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Eastern Standard?

We had a rather outdated website, so we needed a partner who could help us create a new design for it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Eastern Standard helped us redesign and refresh our WordPress website using a new WordPress theme, and we also asked them to do other design work for us, such as designing a new logo. Initially, they looked at what we already had, and we did a discovery session in which they conducted very extensive stakeholder surveys to direct us in the proper direction for website design.

On the website, Eastern Standard implemented features so that we could better promote our events and exhibitions. They also helped us implement a calendar feature through which users could find events and programs easier. Additionally, they integrated a search option, which turned out to be very useful. As for their design services, Eastern Standard provided us with an entire style guide, which included our new logo and new colors.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Mark (Founding Partner), a project manager, the chief graphic designer, 2–3 website developers, and two other people; it was a fairly robust team.

How did you come to work with Eastern Standard?

I’ve worked at many museums and cultural organizations, and I’ve always worked with Eastern Standard on design projects because I enjoy working with them. I first worked with them back in 2008.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $70,000–$75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–November 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Eastern Standard delivered a more visually appealing website, and the logo they created had bright and bold new colors that fit with our vision and mission. Although I left the museum shortly before the project ended, I heard that the site had more visits than before. Additionally, some users mentioned that the site made it easier for them to search and go through it to find what they were looking for.

How did Eastern Standard perform from a project management standpoint?

Eastern Standard was great to work with from a project management perspective. Our project manager was excellent; he was always on top of things. He kept me abreast of any changes needed, and he was great at following up and reminding me of pending tasks. We used Basecamp to manage the project and email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Eastern Standard’s strengths are their reputation in the marketplace and their ability to do a lot of different things. They have their pulse on the marketplace for cultural organizations in Philadelphia, and they’re more than a design firm. Working with them is a great way for small and mid-sized nonprofit organizations to get the graphic design work they need because they act as a one-stop shop. For us, it was great having a partner meet our graphic design needs and translate those graphic designs into a website.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Working with them was great, and it was a very easy process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a dedicated project manager on your side acting as a liaison between you and them to ensure the project stays on budget and within the timeline.