Elysio (Out of Business)

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Desire2 Limited is a new, innovative consumer electronics brand with a very simple premise: basic human needs. Our range targets premium accessory solutions across a number of categories—notably power, protection, ergonomic viewing solutions, wearables, audio, and connectivity.

My role as marketing director is in the creation and maintenance of the integrity of the Desire2 brand at each and every touchpoint. I oversee all creative elements of the company, including product, retail, and online marketing. We are based in Christchurch Dorset, UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EMPHATIC SPARK?

Having a website in today's saturated market is essential. But, being a startup brand competing with many others in this space, we wanted something a little different. We desired not just a website but a platform that talks to several other platforms from different providers and an online solution for end customers as well as suppliers of our products. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The overall scope of the initiative involved producing a fully functional online platform created in Laravel PHP that houses an extensive product catalog and, on request at the touch of a button, exports it into compatible content for several blue-chip marketplace providers. The platform allows key personnel access at varying levels from director to supplier and looks as great on a mobile device as it does on a bigger PC screen.

How did you come to work with EMPHATIC SPARK?

We received a very strong proposal to our project post from EMPHATIC SPARK via Upwork. We were particularly impressed by the professionalism of their portfolio and communication skills. Mark's [Art Director, EMPHATIC SPARK] dialogue and conduct were particularly exceptional.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran for six months. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

EMPHATIC SPARK offered us a turnkey solution that defied all our expectations, a solution that still raises eyebrows at every business meeting we conduct with the genius of the concept.

What did you find most impressive about EMPHATIC SPARK?

While we as the client brought the ideas to the table, their team turned our dreams into a reality. They didn’t just deliver what we asked for but constantly and consistently provided new ideas that enhanced our digital presence to the widely praised platform is it today. When we started this arrangement, we sought a developer but emerged with a partner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Parquet Exotic is a local parquet and wooden product selling company, but we also provide other services like furniture building, gazebos, swings, and everything you need to transform your garden into a piece of heaven.

As this is a family business, my role for a period of time was vice director and IT consultant. As technology developed, I switched roles and became a full IT specialist as well as the social media manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EMPHATIC SPARK?

The first thing that we struggled with was building a proper website that had a fresh look and could be easily managed by nonprofessionals. We also had an exhibition at that time and this year too, so we needed banners, brochures, and business cards prepared for it. Also, our clients always had a hard time getting all the information about our services and products from any of our sources, so establishing a new form of communication with them was very important.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The main goal was to prepare everything, starting with the website and ending with printed materials we could bring to the exhibition. It included thinking about a solid UX and UI for the website that would highlight our new services. We wanted new branding that would match the website and a good number of professional photos that could make us stand out from our competitors.

How did you come to work with EMPHATIC SPARK?

The process was pretty straightforward as we already knew that their company was one of the best here. They rarely prefer working with local clients but they made an exception for us. We were happy to choose them.

How much have you invested with EMPHATIC SPARK?

The size of the entire project actually grew from the beginning because we weren't sure about the requirements. It ended up being around $10,000-$12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in March 2016 and ended in April of the same year. We requested their services two more times as they proved the quality of their work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

After project completion, we started getting new calls and people asking for services they saw on our website. Also, they were surely impressed by the photos as this was the main deciding factor for most of them. I could say that the amount of work doubled after that period.

What did you find most impressive about EMPHATIC SPARK?

I was impressed by their dedication, their passion, and the way they try to understand client needs by asking questions that we might not even know the answers by ourselves. I'm also happy that they helped us in decision making as we were not sure about the solution. They provided some good examples with a lot of comparisons from different points of view.

Are there any areas EMPHATIC SPARK could improve?

No, I don't think we encountered any issues, and if we did have some small ones, we could settle them easily.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of Appstonishing, an online app magazine that showcases the latest mobile apps from around the world. My company publishes information about a wide range of mobile apps that target different market segments. We're a team of 5 people, and we're located in Dubai, UAE. Our market is mostly avid app users and online readers that are looking for the next big thing in the mobile app industry.

My role is to oversee all operations and marketing for Appstonishing and communicate with clients about future developments that they require for their mobile apps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EMPHATIC SPARK?

We were getting a flood of requests from multiple companies to showcase their apps on our website and help develop web platforms for them too. We had a basic site up at that time, and we needed something more robust and flexible to cater to our growing demands.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Businesses were not only approaching us to get their business advertised on  Appstonishing , but they also asked us for recommendations on how to go about building their web platforms. We saw this as an opportunity to agree on a contract with these companies and outsource the website development projects to EMPHATIC SPARK. 

EMPHATIC SPARK took care of the design, content, and development (front end and back end) of both websites. One of the websites includes a complex pricing calculator. The calculator has multiple algorithms for each country based on the citizenship type and the number of applicants. EMPHATIC SPARK managed to develop this calculator to perfection and add multiple currencies to it.

How did you come to work with EMPHATIC SPARK?

I came across EMPHATIC SPARK on Dribbble, and I really liked the work they had done in the past. We scheduled a skype call to discuss the projects in detail and see if they were the right fit for the job.

What impressed me more than anything else was the level of planning they undertook before giving me a concrete answer on time and budget. That's very rare in this industry. Most firms just want to agree on a budget and get your money, but EMPHATIC SPARK wanted to be thorough in their research before taking on the project which was a delightful surprise. They took a week to research the market for the two sites, competitors, the flow of the site, requirements and other details.

What is the status of this engagement?

The first website took 3 months to develop and the second one took 2 months. The overall duration of the project was 5 months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

EMPHATIC SPARK was outstanding throughout the process. My clients have not only seen an increase in the number of leads they are receiving from their website but have also received numerous praises for the quality of the site developed. To say that they were extremely satisfied would be an understatement.

We initially agreed on a 6-month development schedule, but I was surprised to see that they completed it in 5 months. That's never happened with any other firm I've worked with before. They delivered everything that was expected of them, and they did it a month before the deadline.