Essential Designs

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Content of AdvisorStream

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

AdvisorStream is the highest-rated marketing platform for financial advisors that drives growth, revenue, and retention.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Essential Designs to accomplish?

• We hired Essential Designs to support the development of a SaaS platform tailored for financial services. The scope included building a Web Self-Service environment, iOS and Android mobile applications, and a robust back-end with multiple third-party integrations. In addition to development, Essential Designs also provides ongoing first- and second-line support for the platform.

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

• Referral
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Essential Designs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The project scope included UI/UX design for both web and mobile interfaces, full-stack development of the SaaS platform, and provisioning of business analysis, QA, DevOps, and support resources.
The key deliverables included a white-labelled web platform, native mobile applications, and a comprehensive back-end system capable of integrating with multiple external services. The team handled everything from discovery to deployment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of the final product has been excellent. While some phases of the project took slightly longer than expected, the delays were often due to the team’s deep involvement and commitment to refining features and identifying additional areas for improvement. Their thoughtful approach consistently resulted in better functionality and user experience.

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

Project management was well-structured, with regular stand-ups that included the Essential Designs Project Manager and Delivery Manager, as well as weekly delivery calls involving business analysts and key stakeholders. Daily communications flowed smoothly through Slack and Basecamp, allowing our internal team to collaborate efficiently with theirs.

What was your primary form of communication with Essential Designs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their proactive attitude and commitment to fully understanding the solution stood out.
The team consistently offered insightful suggestions, demonstrating a true interest in delivering a product that met not just the requirements, but the bigger business goals!

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

There were occasional minor delays in delivery timelines, but these were addressed quickly and constructively. The team showed strong accountability and took steps to improve internal processes wherever needed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of Embassy Greeting Cards

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Embassy Cards creates, publishes and markets corporate greeting cards throughout Canada. Embassy Cards excels in creating custom and unique greeting cards for discerning corporations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Essential Designs to accomplish?

• We partnered with Essential Designs to develop a mobile app that allows users to sign up, select gifts, and complete secure transactions seamlessly.

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

Referral

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Essential Designs were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Essential Designs built a user-friendly app that ensures a smooth experience for customers. They thoroughly tested the app, addressed any bugs, and provided continued support to improve functionality.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has been a success! We’ve seen an increase in users, better ratings, and fewer technical issues since launch.

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

They were highly organized, met deadlines, and quickly made adjustments when needed.

What was your primary form of communication with Essential Designs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They've really taken the time to understand our needs and deliver exactly what we've envisioned. Their professionalism, efficiency, and commitment to quality made the process smooth.

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

There were some minor tweaks I requested, but nothing that impacted the final result. Their team was quick to make adjustments, so it wasn’t really an issue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Specialist of a municipal association.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a municipal association concerned with the quality and design of roads in Ontario. We have been devoted to the cause of better roads since 1894. Our members include most of Ontario’s municipalities and a growing number of First Nations as well as dozens of affiliated corporate members in the transportation and infrastructure sectors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Essential Designs to accomplish?

• Develop an SaaS web app
• Host the web app on their servers
• maintenance and troubleshooting

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Essential Designs were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

that is confidential information

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They offer great problem-solving and a good attitude in working with the client towards finishing the project as per the client's vision. 

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

project was divided into 8 milestones and they were all delivered on time with exceptions for when the client (us) took longer to review or had to add further items to the scope. 

What was your primary form of communication with Essential Designs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

flexibility and agility 

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

.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Insulation Snakes

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We make removable, reusable, weatherproof insulation products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Essential Designs to accomplish?

Design an app for customers and end users to be able to determine and then order the products they need

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

Online Search

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Essential Designs were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Essential designs walked us through the process and then worked with us to develop our software.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The software works and the Beta testing was very successful with only small changes

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

On time and the most responsive IT company we have ever worked with!

What was your primary form of communication with Essential Designs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The way they set up their teams is efficient and works well. Very knowledgeable staff in all disciplines

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

Nothing I can think of.