Essential Designs

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sales Manager of Coffee King

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Coffee King is an Independent Supplier of Internationally Sourced Freshly Roasted Gourmet Coffee Beans & Coffee Machines.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• We wanted to develop a mobile app where people could order food/drink at their nearest location with ease. We wanted them to be able to connect with other users through the app with chat and invite features.

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

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

We began the project with a series of discovery meetings to align on the overall vision and functionality. After sharing our goals and feature requirements, the Essential Designs team provided us with a detailed design scope. The app itself is quite complex, featuring user ordering, location-based services, chat functionality, and invitation capabilities. We’ve had ongoing weekly meetings with our dedicated project manager to review progress, introduce new features, and make any necessary adjustments as the project evolves.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a live app, we are constantly adding more to it week by week to get the finished
result we want.

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

Our project manager has been incredibly helpful and easy to communicate with. She not
only listens to our needs and ideas but also offers valuable suggestions on how to
approach different aspects of the project more effectively. We primarily use Slack and
email for communication, both of which have made staying in touch and keeping the
project on track simple and efficient.

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 communication from our project manager has been outstanding, which made the entire process feel smooth and stress-free. Beyond that, the team’s design and development skills truly stood out. They consistently delivered high-quality work and brought creative solutions to the table.

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

The process has been very smooth overall. One small enhancement that could make it even better would be incorporating more detailed status reports, which could help keep everyone aligned and further streamline communication.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of The Vie Institute for Generational Health

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Vie Institute for Generational Health is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the frontiers of fertility and generational health through cutting-edge science, technology, and innovation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• We hired Essential Designs to build our applications MVP and proof of concept (POC). We hired the team to consult and identify what products were needed.

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

• Referral
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• 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.

One of the key exercises I wanted to promote was a series of full-body workouts using
portable sandbags. People could use these tools to train at home or while traveling in just
under 10 minutes. The app would guide users through the exercises and link them to my
Amazon page where they could buy sandbags. The app featured a set of animated male and female figures performing four workouts using sandbags. Essential Designs built in a countdown timer in addition to a voiceover that notified the user when the minute duration was about to end. That way, the user could prepare for the next activity. The app also featured a library of exercises that users could
access to customize their workout.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I shared the app with my 260,000-member subscription base. Since the platform included a
link to my Amazon page, sandbag sales continued to increase. Scott also recommended
websites to submit my app, so I’ve gotten downloads from there, too.

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

The workflow with Essential Designs was smooth and efficient. Their team maintained clear
communication throughout the project and consistently adhered to the agreed-upon timeline,
which made collaboration easy and stress-free.

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?

I love how committed they were to ensuring customer satisfaction. If anything wasn’t quite
right, I only had to mention it, and they would fix it quickly.

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

No, everything was perfect!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Louise Lee Coaching & Consulting

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Professional Training and Coaching

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• I hired Essential Designs to redevelop my website and build a custom app for my coaching clients. The goal was to create a seamless experience where clients could access past consultations, receive appointment reminders, communicate directly through the app, and track their progress using an interactive roadma

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

Referral

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• 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 provided multiple design options for the app, allowing me to choose the one that best fit my vision. They also built a modern, functional website to showcase my services and improve client accessibility.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The design concepts I’ve seen so far are promising. The completed portions of the website have already made it easier for potential clients to learn about my services and get in touch with me.

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

They stick to deadlines and usually respond to my requests within a day. When I requested additional functionality for the app, they accommodated it without extra charges, which I really appreciated.

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 responsiveness stood out. I can often book a same-day call if needed, and meeting Scott in person was a nice touch. He actually flew out to meet me, which is rare in this industry. Most agencies I spoke with only offered Zoom meetings, and their CEOs were unavailable.

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

Their pricing structure could be clearer. The proposal made sense after I discussed it with them, but having a more detailed breakdown upfront would have been helpful.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Brilliant Mind Wellness

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Human mental gym, where challenges are transformed into clear paths forward. Brilliant Mind Wellness combines professional counselling & coaching, Yoga & meditation, energizing retreats & business KPI progress tracking to assist our clients evolve into their best selves.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• We worked with Essential Designs to enhance our meditation app by improving the user experience, adding new features, and ensuring smooth compatibility across devices.

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

Referral

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• 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.

Essential Designs collaborated with us to refine the app’s interface, enhance meditation programs, and provide ongoing maintenance to ensure the app runs smoothly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since launching the updates, we’ve seen a significant boost in user engagement. People are spending more time on the app, and session durations have increased. Performance improvements have made the experience more seamless for users.

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

They were fantastic at staying on schedule. Their responsiveness stood out, as they quickly addressed our concerns and implemented changes efficiently.

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 ability to fully understand our needs and tailor their solutions accordingly made a huge difference. They worked closely with us to ensure every detail aligned with our vision.

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

Honestly, they handled everything professionally, and the project was executed exactly as planned. I have no complaints.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Managing Partner and COO of The Verge Insurance Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Verge Insurance team is proud of its long heritage and strong reputation for looking after its client’s insurance needs. It is a story that began more than 60 years ago and today continues to flourish.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Maintenance of the current policy administration application
• Rewrite and optimization of the current policy administration application

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

Online Search

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• 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.

Complete rewrite for Insurance Mobile & Web based App.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Task Completion Rate
• Page Load Time
• Bug Count
• Test Coverage
• Active Users
• Retention Rate
• User Satisfaction Scores
• Revenue Growth

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

The teams delivered on time and ensured flexibility in favor of quality, always ready to suggest improvements and efficiency where needed, both from the point of view of the apps capabilities, as well as from project management perspective.

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 have proven they are more than capable to tackle new scopes and understand our business needs, as well as having the ability to integrate cutting-edge technologies and innovations, ensuring therefore the perfect mix of the two aspects, while having the customer in mind.

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

We couldn't find any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Prestige HR Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Prestige HR is an industry-leading provider of staff augmentation and consulting services. We’ve built our company around a single concept – relationships. We focus on the people we serve. We deliver more intelligent solutions that help our clients and candidates thrive.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• I hired Essential Designs to revamp our website and build a custom app, giving clients direct access to past consultations, real-time updates, and progress tracking—all designed to strengthen our relationships and deliver a smoother experience.

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
• 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.

Essential Designs provided multiple design options for the app, allowing me to choose the one that best fit my vision. They also built a modern, functional website to showcase my services and improve client accessibility.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is still in development, but the design concepts I’ve seen so far are promising. The completed portions of the website have already made it easier for potential clients to learn about my services and get in touch with me.

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

They stick to deadlines and usually respond to my requests within a day. When I requested additional functionality for the app, they accommodated it without extra charges, which I really appreciated.

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 responsiveness stood out. I can often book a same-day call if needed, and meeting Scott in person was a nice touch. He actually flew out to meet me, which is rare in this industry. Most agencies I spoke with only offered Zoom meetings, and their CEOs were unavailable.

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

Their pricing structure could be clearer. The proposal made sense after I discussed it with them, but having a more detailed breakdown upfront would have been helpful.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the General Manager of RENOVA Homes & Renovations

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Renova is an award winning building & renovation company driven by quality and professionalism. We've been building and renovating homes for Calgarians for the past 30 years. We pride ourselves on setting and meeting the expectations of our customers so they can enjoy their homes for many years to come.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• We needed to transition from our outdated CRM & CPQ system to a modern solution that improved efficiency and streamlined our operations.

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

Referral

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• 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.

Essential Designs handled every aspect of the migration, ensuring data integrity and developing custom software tailored to our needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Completed project ahead of schedule
• 100% fulfillment of our requirements
• Fast turnaround on requested changes
• Minimal disruption during the transition
• Significant productivity gains post-implementation

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

They managed the project exceptionally well, delivering everything on time and responding quickly to any requests.

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 efficiency, attention to detail, and ability to adapt to our needs set them apart. They kept us informed at every stage and executed flawlessly.

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

If anything, a more detailed user guide for our team would have made onboarding even easier.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Vancouver Island HeartBeatz

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Vancouver Island App is your direct link to the businesses, events, and awesome places to visit on Vancouver Island.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• To develope an App that would encourage travelers to visit the communities and businesses of Vancouver Island.
• To make the App interactive with a gamified aspect where users can earn points.

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Company values aligned
• The communication was excellent.

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 App development was to include the communities of Vancouver Island, and the businesses and locations visitors would want to visit. To make the App unique from other options, it needed to have a gamified aspect that would encourage visitors to travel to those communities, and to stop in and visit the businesses. As well, the backend admin panel needed to have the ability to use the data for creating valuable insights to the business owners.

The Vancouver Island App is free for users to explore, and to plan their travels on Vancouver Island.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There were quite a few milestones identified throughout the project. Each was documented and completion status was updated to completion. 

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

The project management was excellent and timely. The communication worked out really well, and at all times the communication was respectful. My emails were answered efficiently.

What was your primary form of communication with Essential Designs?

Email or Messaging App

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

The Essential Designs team worked well together and seemed to want to make the best product for me.

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

Initially, trying to keep track of the emails was trying, but once I mentioned I was having difficulty, the team lead implemented a very effective alternative. I would recommend that that streamlined process is continued.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Skille

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Skille is a full-funnel growth marketing service agency

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• I hired Essential Designs to create a user-friendly mobile app for my social media marketing company, Skille. Our main goals were to make it easier for users to engage with our platform, improve their overall experience, and seamlessly connect with different social media platforms.

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• 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.

Essential Designs took on the job of designing and developing the app. They worked on the look and feel of the app, made sure it worked well on the front and back ends, connected it with social media platforms, and tested it thoroughly to fix any issues. 

They also provided ongoing support to help us after the app was launched. The main things they delivered were an app that was easy to use, looked good, connected with social media platforms smoothly, and had tools to manage marketing campaigns efficiently.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with Essential Designs brought us positive results. We saw more people using our app and staying engaged with it. Our marketing campaigns performed better, and users gave positive feedback about the app's user experience.

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

Essential Designs managed the project well, delivering everything on time and being responsive to our needs

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?

What impressed me the most about them was their expertise and dedication to delivering high-quality work. However, there is room for improvement in terms of providing clearer instructions for post-launch support.

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

Essential designs were very impressive, their understanding and execution of the project was top class. They were fantastic!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and owner of a company that provides temporary and permanent staffing solutions to different industries in North America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Essential Designs?

Our company had developed a manual recruitment process, and we needed to automate it into a robust web-based platform and mobile application. We don’t have a development team, so I reached out to Essential Designs to help us with the software’s design and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Essential Designs has designed and developed our web and mobile applications. I initially created workflows of our recruitment process and brief details of how I wanted the UI to look like. I used Microsoft Publisher to create sketches to give Essential Designs an idea of what I wanted. 

During the design phase, Essential Designs used Figma to produce the app’s design and to collect our team’s feedback. Our platform is a database that matches candidates with job opportunities. Clients create job postings, and the platform has a search algorithm that matches candidates based on the role and location. Then, the platform sends a push notification to the candidate’s mobile device, who can declare their interest in the position right there. If the candidate is interested, the client receives a notification to review the candidate’s profile. 

Essential Designs has developed a beta version of our platform and is close to launching it. The mobile app works for Android and iOS devices, and I just signed a three-year contract with Essential Designs for continuous software development, technical support, and maintenance services. I have a 24 hours coverage if there are any technical issues with the platform.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with a team of 12–15 specialists from Essential Designs. A project manager and an account manager are assigned to my project, as well as a web and mobile development team.

How did you come to work with Essential Designs?

I started searching for companies in September 2022 when my company decided to develop our platform. I wanted to work with a Canadian company that wasn’t very large, so I created a list of candidates. I wanted to cultivate a partnership relationship instead of a client-based relationship, and that’s why I chose Essential Designs. 

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested $150,000 CAD (approximately $112,000 USD) with Essential Designs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Essential Designs in November 2022, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Essential Designs developed a beta version of the platform, which we showed to our current client base and potential clients, and we’ve received nothing but positive feedback. Our clients are pleased with the platform’s design, functionalities, and UI. 

How did Essential Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

We set the project’s budget at the beginning of the project with delivery dates associated with it, and Essential Designs is four weeks ahead of schedule. Essential Designs makes sure to have my approval before they start working. They’re clear about the budget and provide time estimates. I’ve never felt Essential Designs adds time to increase the project’s budget. Essential Designs’ development process has been very transparent. 

Essential Designs’ project manager is responsive to my questions and considerate of our three hours time difference. They adapt to my business hours and never book a meeting early in the morning or late at night.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for Essential Designs to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have as much preparation for your project as possible before you engage with Essential Designs. The more preparation you have as a client, the better the process will be, and you can save time and money. I found that this was helpful to accelerate the process because I was prepared. I had a clear idea of every single functionality I wanted in the platform prior to starting the development process.