Eleken

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of a software company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Building software to facilitate a more inclusive transition to net zero

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Product design of our software product

SOLUTION

How did you find Eleken?

Online Search

Why did you select Eleken over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Eleken were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

The scope of work entailed the design of a frictionless end-to-end customer journey for our B2B2C web app. The product designer's role was to quickly build a deep understanding of pain points currently faced by our users, propose design concepts to the Product Owner, break the approved design concept into discrete user flows, consider sensible trade-offs to deliver 'must have' features for each user flow, and deliver daily iterations of the clickable wireframe in order to demonstrate the functionality of each user flow. Thee key deliverables were:

1. Lo-fi wireframes + clickable prototype. 
2. Hi-fi wireframes + clickable prototype. 
3. UI kit.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All interim and final deliverables were delivered on time and to a high standard. The overall project was completed by the due date.

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

The product designer was assigned to work with me on a full-time basis for the agreed duration. We convened via video call every morning, without fail, for two months. During these daily calls, the objectives and expected deliverables for the day were agreed and relevant clarification provided. The product designer thereafter made sure to confirm progress made at the end of each day.

The product designer was organised in his approach to work, focused on daily milestones and weekly objectives, committed to delivering high quality work, asked good questions, responded well to ongoing feedback, and demonstrated a capacity to propose alternative approaches to getting the job done faster and/or better than initial recommendations.

What was your primary form of communication with Eleken?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

From every interaction with staff of the company, it was evident that they were committed to delivering a successful project to me as the client. I think this had the beneficial effect of creating the right conditions for the product designer to deliver his best work every single day.

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

At the start of the project, contract formalities took longer than expected to complete and I was initially concerned that this could delay the start of our time-sensitive project. Thankfully, Eleken made the product designer available for the agreed start date even while contract formalities were still being negotiated. This is a good example of how their pragmatic client-first approach made it so easy to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Design & Research of b.well

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We partner with healthcare organizations to provide a configurable platform that delivers a convenient, on-demand consumer health experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Augment design team staff

SOLUTION

How did you find Eleken?

from a previous employer

Why did you select Eleken over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• the quality of work, engagement from designers, fast delivery without sacrificing quality

How many teammates from Eleken were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

2 Eleken designers were my entire design team for 3 months, and then augmented my full time design staff for another 3 months. During that time, they worked on a ~ 25 key product flows and features across 4 different product portfolios. They also made a number additions and updates to our design system and base product bundle.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

along with the updates and additions to our design system and base product bundle, the eleken team knocked out 20 jira design tickets.

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

They always delivered on time and were extremely responsive to our needs. And they were patient when project requirements were not clear.

What was your primary form of communication with Eleken?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I have not worked with one bad designer from Eleken -- that includes when I worked with them at my previous company. I'm always impressed with how quickly they can turn around high quality work. I was always impressed with their engagement level and willingness to be a part of our team.

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

Nothing immediately comers to mind. I've been very satisfied and impressed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of an Energy Transition Software Company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Software to speed up the energy transition.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• UX
• Webdesign
• Graphics

SOLUTION

How did you find Eleken?

Online Search

Why did you select Eleken over others?

Great culture fit

How many teammates from Eleken were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Eleken provided comprehensive UX design services, delivering low-fi and hi-fi wireframes, graphic elements, a design library, and implementation support. The scope of work encompassed user research, persona development, wireframe creation, visual design, iterative refinement, and assistance during implementation. 

Key deliverables included interactive wireframes, visually appealing designs, custom graphics, a design library, and ongoing support. Eleken's expertise ensured a successful project outcome.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project yielded several measurable outcomes that clearly demonstrated progress and success. Firstly, the user experience was significantly improved, resulting in higher user satisfaction and engagement metrics. Users reported a smoother and more intuitive interface, leading to increased task completion rates and reduced user errors. 

Secondly, the usability of the platform was greatly enhanced. Through iterative design iterations and user testing, we achieved higher efficiency in user workflows, reduced cognitive load, and improved overall usability scores. This translated into increased productivity for users and reduced training time for new users. 

Thirdly, the implementation of a comprehensive design library and graphic elements ensured consistent branding and visual coherence across the platform. This not only enhanced the overall aesthetics but also improved brand recognition and user trust. 

Additionally, the provision of both low-fi and hi-fi wireframes allowed for effective communication and alignment between stakeholders and development teams. These wireframes served as a visual blueprint for the final product, ensuring that all parties were aligned on design decisions and functionality. 

Lastly, our ongoing support during the implementation phase proved valuable, as we provided timely guidance and addressed any design-related challenges that arose. This enabled a smooth transition from design to development, resulting in a seamless user experience.

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

Eleken demonstrated excellent project management throughout the engagement, employing an agile and uncomplicated approach. Their project management methodology allowed for efficient collaboration, seamless communication, and effective task prioritization. By embracing agile principles, they maintained flexibility and adaptability, quickly responding to changing requirements and delivering results in a timely manner. 

Their uncomplicated project management processes ensured clear expectations, minimized complexity, and facilitated smooth progress throughout the project lifecycle.

What was your primary form of communication with Eleken?

Virtual Meeting

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

What impressed us the most about Eleken is their ability to delve deep into our complex product and deliver exceptional design solutions. They demonstrated a thorough understanding of our unique requirements, taking the time to fully comprehend the intricacies of our product and its functionality. 

Their expertise and creative approach enabled them to tackle the complexities with ease, resulting in innovative and effective design solutions. Their dedication to understanding our product in-depth and translating it into intuitive and user-friendly designs truly set them apart. We were impressed by their commitment to delivering high-quality work that exceeded our expectations.

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

By enhancing transparency in timing, Eleken could further strengthen their project management approach and ensure a smoother and more predictable experience for their clients.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of HabitSpace

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

I am the founder of the HabbitSpace app, a mobile application that helps users develop powerful habits to achieve their desired results.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• My primary goal was to create an application that would provide users with an effective tool to develop and track their habits. To achieve this, I needed a reliable and skilled designer to create a seamless and visually appealing user experience.

SOLUTION

How did you find Eleken?

Referral

Why did you select Eleken over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Eleken were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Eleken’s team worked closely with us to understand our vision and requirements. To transform our ideas into a comprehensive design that aligns with our objectives, they conducted detailed research and discovered both our potential users and our existing competitors. The project involved creating a simple and intuitive user interface and ensuring a seamless user experience throughout the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The HabitSpace app, designed by Eleken, is now available on the App Store, and we have received valuable user feedback. They say they like the app’s intuitive interface and visually pleasing design, which encourages them to build and track their habits effectively.

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

Eleken’s understanding, eye for detail, and quick grasp of our app’s aim helped our collaboration succeed. Throughout the project, Eleken maintained excellent communication, keeping us informed about the progress and incorporating our feedback promptly.

What was your primary form of communication with Eleken?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They skillfully translated our vision into an engaging and intuitive design that resonates with our target audience.

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

Nothing I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP Product of Seventh Spark

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Group therapy online

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• User interface design for a website

SOLUTION

How did you find Eleken?

Referral

Why did you select Eleken over others?

• Pricing first our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

What was the size of Eleken’s team?

1 Employee

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

Design user interface (UI) components:

• Create visually appealing and functional UI elements, such as buttons, icons, and menus, that align with the brand's visual identity.
• Develop wireframes: Outline the basic structure and layout of each screen to visualize the user flow and hierarchy of information.
• Create high-fidelity mockups: Design detailed screens with finalized UI components, typography, and color schemes, ensuring a cohesive look and feel across the entire platform
• Design responsive layouts: Ensure that the design looks great and functions well on various devices (desktop, tablet, mobile) by creating adaptive layouts.
• Build interactive prototypes: Assemble mockups into clickable prototypes that showcase user flows, animations, and transitions, enabling stakeholders to preview and interact with the design.
• Conduct user testing: Use prototypes to gather feedback from potential users, identifying areas for improvement or iteration. Iterate on designs: Based on user feedback and stakeholder input, refine and update designs as necessary to enhance the user experience.
• Prepare design assets for developers: Export UI components, images, and icons in the appropriate formats and sizes, along with any necessary design specifications (e.g., CSS styles, font sizes, color codes).
• Create a design system: Develop and maintain a centralized design system that documents design patterns, components, and guidelines for consistency across the platform.
• Collaborate with developers: Work closely with the development team to ensure accurate implementation of designs, addressing any questions or concerns and providing additional assets or guidance as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• tbd we haven't launched

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

We have a great individual designer from Eleken who is smart, communicates well in English and is pleasant to deal with and all around nice.Very responsive and timely.

What was your primary form of communication with Eleken?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

Their designer is great to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our platform is the gateway to NFT project discovery; the CMC of Non-Fungibles helps you discover, understand, and engage with any non-fungible asset collection.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Eleken?

We contracted Eleken to help us design the front end of our product based on similar concepts that exist in other industries.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were quick to respond and willing to run through a trial with us to test their ability to execute. Although pricey, they were able to deliver within our timeframe and working with them was an absolute pleasure.

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

The project was to model the UI off of a similar tool that exists in another industry. We essentially provided the content and narrative to this and we aimed to have a prototype made in 4 weeks. Since then we have slowly been adding to the product (about 4 months now).

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

One designer worked with us and currently still does.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Customer feedback around the product and vision has been great thus far, although there are still concerns about it being a little cluttered.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow has been as good as it can be. We are able to work through problems and communicate efficiently throughout the course of the product.

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

What's been most impressive about Eleken is their ability to ensure our deadlines are met. The designers willingness to constantly speak with us to workshop certain designs has been a great help towards achieving our vision for a product at this stage.

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

The concern right now revolves around the UI of the product and the ability to simplify with design. From the use of color or other various UI elements to enhance the experience of the user has yet to been touched upon too deeply. We do believe we can solve this with relevant members of their team over time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a cybersecurity company providing a SaaS-based platform named DarkWave which provides complete Attack Surface Management capabilities—helping clients reduce the potential of a breach by highlighting their entire attack surface, risk, vulnerabilities, and misconfiguration that could pose a dangerous situation to our clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Eleken?

We wanted our Attack Surface Management (ASM) platform DarkWave, to have a professional UI/UX design completed for our full launch in 2023. The UI/UX had to be simple to follow, easy to understand, and clean since the data and workflows of DarkWave are highly technical and advanced. This is why we needed Eleken to create a high-end UI/UX.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed several UI/UX vendors and compared their cost, customer support, dedicated vendor employees on our project, and experience working in a similar vertical. After talking with several vendors, we found costly ones, instantly putting them off our list of potential vendors.

In addition, others did not understand the cybersecurity or SaaS space as in-depth as Eleken did, which removed more vendors from our selection criteria. In the end, Eleken provided an affordable, easy-to-follow cost structure for small startups, excellent support, a dedicated engineer, and experience in our vertical.

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

The Eleken team began the project by holding several discovery meetings with our very technical employees to understand the DarkWave platform, the data we are presenting to our customers, the overall goal we wish our clients to walk away with after using our platform, and the workflows our clients follow.

After this phase, the Eleken engineer assigned to our project worked closely with our lead contact to develop the web pages per our roadmap. After every page was completed, the Eleken team provided the Figma data, a video explaining the design, and a UI kit our UI developers needed to integrate the new UX into our platform.

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

Our team worked directly with a project manager who helped keep the project moving forward and on track. In addition, we worked hand-and-hand with a UX engineer from Eleken to develop the pages we needed for our platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have presented the new UX design created by Eleken next to the UX we threw together with no UX experience, and the overall feedback was terrific. Every advisor, investor, and the customer loved the new design. Since hiring Eleken, we have also been able to shift our focus on the development of DarkWave to other areas of high importance outside of the UX since Eleken has gained our trust in their timelines and high-quality work. Finally, the new UX has made our platform look very professional instead of one put together by offensive security experts.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow has been excellent. From the project's start, we gave Eleken engineers access to our company chat software, allowing us to stay in contact with them constantly. In addition, the creation of the videos by the Eleken engineer has been super helpful in understanding design choices.

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

The most impressive aspect of this company is the collaboration between the UX engineer and our team. So many consulting companies claim they provide fantastic customer support but often find out after the contract is signed that this isn't the case. This is not the situation with Eleken. Their engineer and project manager have been easy to get a hold of and have been in constant contact with our team throughout the project.

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

A summary report of what has been done over the month, or several months, for executive consumption would be beneficial. Most of the time, I cannot track down every status of projects running for DarkWave. A summary report from the vendor that people in my position could use to understand the situation would be beneficial

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of NWORX - a B2B SaaS platform that embeds professional development into everyday work. NWORX enables leaders & managers in large enterprises to demonstrate improved effectiveness & better performance. NWORX offers Employee Goal setting and Self Learning management, Leadership assessment and development planning, Real-world application of managerial and leadership frameworks, Contextual performance advice through executive coaches, and Skill-building & practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Eleken?

NWORX had collected user and buyer feedback on the product by end of 2021 from its first wave of enterprise clients. While the buyer feedback was stellar, there was clear opportunity to improve the UX as the per the end users. We hired Eleken to help us solve the UX friction.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We researched online and through our network for the best UX agencies that would meet the following criteria:

1. Design skills
2. Proven ability to solve UX problem for an enterprise product by immersing in the problem domain
3. Ability to work internationally
4. Be outcome oriented

Eleken was among 4 agencies shortlisted and was finally chosen.

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

Scope of NWORX3 design was to look at all the critical user flows and redesign them based on the friction points identified in the prior releases of the product. Eleken worked through the analysis, the initial white-boarding, multiple iterations of design collaborating with the NWORX product team. Eleken created the initial wireframes for the userflows and after critical analysis with the product and business teams, developed the high fidelity screens for primarily the web version of the App.

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

NWORX product team worked with 2 UX designers & 1 UX lead managed by a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

NWORX3 design has been a success story. We have deployed NWORX3 at multiple enterprises since the redesign. We have seen a significant decrease in the 'UX friction' feedback from end users. There has been a 200% improvement in the positive anecdotes on the App UI.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Initially, it took 3 weeks for the Eleken and NWORX team to find the rhythm of working together. After that, Eleken team worked as seamless extension of the NWORX product team. Project manager enabled the initial communication and the smoothening of the workflow in the initial phase.

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

Eleken team takes enormous pride in their work. They were professional to the core and ensured that they deliver no matter what.

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

In projects as dynamic as ours was, it would help to have more frequent reviews and expert suggestions from Eleken.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product manager for a software development firm. We have more than 13 products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

We needed help with UI/UX improvement. Our products are mainly made for Korean users, which implies different requirements than the global standards in the UI, element sorting and listing, and the design itself. We wanted to internationalize our products and had in-house developers, but we were weak in design, so we partnered with Eleken.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Eleken provides us with UI/UX design services. Our products are complex because they involve metadata management and data quality management. Therefore, the first thing we did was train Eleken's designers. After the training session, we did a product tour to show them the different functions, and then gave them access to our products. They're now helping us improve our SaaS product's UI/UX design to meet international requirements using Figma. The team has redesigned the skins, color,  themes, and the arrangement of menus within the software. Meanwhile, 2-3 UX architects from our company are doing the planning.

Although they propose other options if they feel something shouldn't be a certain way, their main role is to design the UI screens. The final deliverable will be a UI kit for our developers with the components to be used, including colors and themes. Additionally, they've worked on a collaboration tool within the product. This feature allows different users to leave comments and communicate with each other through the product. We've also requested Eleken to add visualizations such as charts.  

What is the team composition?

We've worked with a project manager, an account manager, and one designer. We mainly interact with the designer.

How did you come to work with Eleken?

I checked some rating websites, including Clutch, and looked at several companies. What was really appealing about Eleken was their portfolio because they've done SaaS-based work, which made us comfortable working with them. The team was also affordable and flexible in their communication. We decided to start with one product and see how the engagement went. 

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them $5,000 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2022, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Eleken’s designs are well done and beautiful. The team is very detail-oriented and does everything within the same scale. Since they don’t take multiple steps to achieve their goals, they deliver quickly. Thanks to their work, we’ve been able to improve and globalize the UI/UX of our product in a short period of time. Moreover, the feedback from our higher management has been good. 

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

They have good communication with short response times. We use Microsoft Teams, where we discuss all the deliverables and outcomes. Additionally, we have 3–4 meetings almost daily through Microsoft Teams. We use Figma to comment and communicate about the design outcomes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciate that Eleken does quick work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d like to see them more involved in the development phase.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just go for it! Comparing the cost and the work Eleken does, they’re worth it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a software company based in New York City.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Eleken?

We hired Eleken to advise on, and develop, the UI/UX for the basic (MVP) version of our software.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed 3 design studios to understand each studio's process, strengths, and examples of previous deliverables. We also considered our timeline and the amount of resourcing that we had. Eleken had the best track record and we felt most certain that they could deliver what we needed.

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

Eleken helped us go from concept to reality. For each interface that we were attempting to build, Eleken presented different design options and helped us to understand the positives and negatives of the approach. Eleken also reviewed the design of a competitor's product to help us understand what the strengths and weaknesses of their design would be.

Eleken's collaboration has also helped us to have a more organized workflow -- seeing how the different pages would fit together, and what the user journey would be. Overall, I'm highly confident that they would be able to help with additional features as well. This is the advantage of working with an agency that has previous experience from dozens of clients.

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

My team worked with a UI/UX designer, and also the head of Business Development at Eleken.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our engineering team has had an easier time in their work since they are clearly able to see how the user will interact with the product. I would say the biggest difference is that, as a team, we're able to think more clearly about what the final output should be. Design has therefore been a thought partner for us as we attempt to answer key strategic questions about how the product should look.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow has been very versatile. They are able to work across Figma, Slack, and email. Our designer at Eleken also showed great initiative in setting up videocalls and being available despite the difficult timezone difference. We really haven't felt that there was any negative effect of being six hours apart.

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

They were extremely professional and easy to work with from day one. We are a bit informal at times, as an early-stage startup, so we were expecting some difficulty in integrating the design work into our regular workflow. However, the team at Eleken are true professionals and I felt as though we were immediately getting value from our collaboration.

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

The two-month minimum commitment is a bit heavy for us, but not a huge issue since we're satisfied with the excellent outputs. I understand why it's better for Eleken to plan out resourcing in monthlong increments.