Gallery Design Studio NYC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Acuere Software. We’re a one-product company, providing a web-based and app-based operating environment for franchise home-services business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gallery Design Studio NYC?

We did our own initial web design in-house. As we were pivoting one of our sales channels, we wanted someone to come in on the creative side and help us remodel our external-facing site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our product is a bit complicated to explain, so they helped us make explainer videos. They also went in and looked at all our externally-facing text and terminology to improve their quality. We make all the edits to our site, but they created the content and the wireframe in Adobe XD.

The work is ongoing. We’ve already reviewed all our content and updated our terminology, layout, and flow for the site. We’re currently working on redoing all our graphics. The final step of the project is making explainer videos. 

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with one and a half people. We worked with one person on the project, but another person came in for a quick moment to help with the terminology. 

How did you come to work with Gallery Design Studio NYC?

Caroline (Founder and Creative Director, Gallery Design Studio NYC) and I work with a business coaching company. During one of their monthly webinars, we were in a breakout group together. We hit it off, and then I realized I needed her services. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $2,200 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began work in December 2019, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re doing the updates live, so I can’t give anything substantial. However, everyone who has commented on the changes has said they improved our site dramatically. 

How did Gallery Design Studio NYCperform from a project management standpoint?

They're fantastic at communicating what they're working on and what they say they’re going to do. They meet every deadline. I like their process, they know when they're able to make something we can consume.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work has been two-thumbs-up quality, and I’d highly recommend them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. I expect to continue to work with them, I’m very happy with them so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go in with an open mind. Don’t tell them exactly what you want, they have great recommendations. It might not match, but the end result will be better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a leading search comparison and recommendation engine for financial services, monetization, and acquisition. As the marketing manager, I wear a lot of hats. I take care of PR, events, branding, messaging, and our social presence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gallery Design Studio NYC?

We hired Gallery Design Studio NYC as our creative agency.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They help us create booth spaces for events, signage, creative messaging, adverts, and emails, and they met several other needs. Their copywriters help us craft our content plan and sales sheets. They also helped us with our website and social media accounts. They've come up with different icons and helped us redevelop the look and feel of the brand.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about four people from their team.

How did you come to work with Gallery Design Studio NYC?

They knew someone in our office, which is how we were introduced. We went through an interview process and decided to give them a shot.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in either December 2018. The relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're really happy with the work they do for us. When we attend conferences, event managers often say our booth is best in show.

How did Gallery Design Studio NYC perform from a project management standpoint?

We work closely with them on the process, and we see the relationship as a partnership. They're a small company, but they've been fantastic since day one.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They pay attention to detail and dedicate so much time to us. At every step, they perfect the work they do. We have some crazy creative ideas, and they help distill them and make them look great. We've attended some huge events, and so many people ask us who our creative agency is. Gallery Design Studio NYC really focuses on us, and we have a lot of support from their senior staff. It's nice to work with such great people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'm sure anyone would be pleased to work with them. You will have support from every member of the team, and I can only recommend that you reach out to them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of partnerships at Common Impact, a nonprofit that works with corporate clients that have nonprofit partners. We help map the skills of their volunteers to fit needs in the nonprofit sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gallery Design Studio NYC?

We had multiple design projects we needed help with, including an infographic and a new logo for our podcast, Pro Bono Perspective. The infographic would summarize some of the key concepts of our organization, such as why skills-based volunteering is an important aspect of corporate engagement.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gallery Design Studio NYC designed our infographic and podcast logo. No one at our company has any design experience, so their team guided us through the process. They were responsible for visually capturing the complexity of our program, which is less straightforward than traditional volunteering. They also made a postcard for us recently, under tight time restrictions, that announced the new website we had put together. 

What is the team composition?

My primary point of contact is Caroline (Founder & Creative Director, Gallery Design Studio NYC). 

How did you come to work with Gallery Design Studio NYC?

We were looking for a creative guide that could tie our initiative into our larger brand. Our team works out of a WeWork facility, so we reached out to that network for recommendations and received a referral for Gallery Design Studio NYC. They had a very unique pricing model that fit our needs as a nonprofit. After looking at the work samples they shared with us and following up on the references they provided, we decided to work with them.

Relationships are very important to us, and Caroline and her team received glowing recommendations from previous clients As a nonprofit that focuses on diversity, inclusion, and equity in a social sector capacity, it was also important to us that we work with a business owned and operated by a woman.

How much have you invested with them?

At this time, we’ve spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing relationship with Gallery Design Studio NYC began in September 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While we do not have any quantitative results, we have wonderful feedback about how the site looks with the new designs. We’ve been able to have great reach with the podcast, and that is in part due to the branding Gallery Design Studio NYC created around it. Caroline has helped us achieve a level of polish and professionalism in our design that we would not have been able to do on our own. 

How did Gallery Design Studio NYC perform from a project management standpoint?

The Gallery Design Studio NYC team is very responsive, and I always feel confident that we’re going to meet our deadlines. Whenever Caroline has told us that they will have a product to review on a specific date, we could be certain it would be ready on time. We never had any communication issues, and the whole team at Gallery Design Studio NYC was very accommodating of the tight schedule we were on. 

Caroline is a wonderful ambassador for the design community, guiding and managing feedback. She is communicative and was always able to pull the right designer for the project. She is also great at knowing when to let us work directly with the designer versus when to showcase her own artistic direction. The designer we worked with on the postcard was fantastic, helping us achieve our vision while also respecting our feedback. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Gallery Design Studio NYC stands out from other vendors who may push their own ideas or concepts. They strike the perfect balance between providing design direction while keeping our vision in mind. Their team helped us stay modern but also allowed us to retain our aesthetic. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any areas where they could improve. Gallery Design Studio NYC has been so responsive and wonderful about everything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s really helpful for you as a client to come in with a clear ask and to know what you’re looking for. Being open to allowing the Gallery Design Studio NYC team to provide feedback will result in a successful collaboration. They may reframe your thinking, but coming in knowing what you want is best for their model and has worked well for us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the manager of Communications and Inter-Governmental Relations at the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gallery Design Studio NYC?

One of the Chamber’s major events required a substantial reworking of the promotional design, including the brochures.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to promote the event in a professional manner that would help us sell sponsorship opportunities and tickets.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We chose Gallery Design Studio NYC over other designers we used in the past because we were impressed with the examples of their work for other businesses. We also wanted to support a Queens-based business.

Describe the project in detail.

We needed a new brochure and images to promote one of our major events of the year. Gallery Design Studio NYC created a brochure that prominently displayed the cost for various sponsorship opportunities and what was offered at each level. It also highlighted where the event was taking place and explained why the recipient should be a sponsor.

What was the team composition?

We worked directly with Caroline (Founder + Creative Director, Gallery Design Studio NYC).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We raised a good amount of money that year. It helped to have all of the information presented in a simple way that explained to businesses the benefits of sponsorship.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very good. Gallery Design Studio NYC listened to exactly what we were looking for, and then they created it. They only needed to produce 1–2 drafts of each piece, and our changes were minor.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Gallery Design Studio NYC had an impressive ability to execute what we needed in a short amount of time. The final brochure did a good job of reflecting our event.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, they successfully executed what we wanted.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Vancery is the world’s first professional exchange. We are a marketplace and community for ideas, creativity, and experiences. In a world overflowing with data, Vancery provides perspective.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gallery Design Studio NYC?

Design and animation services for a custom landing page.

What were your goals for this project?

Our company was building a landing page with the primary purpose of converting leads to potential new users of our platform. We needed digital animations and design assets for this landing page to allow our team to send a series of email marketing blasts out to a list of prospects to test our messaging and value proposition, as well as to test a custom landing page to get a baseline on expert signup conversions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found Gallery Design Studio NYC through a referral from someone who had worked with them in the past.

Describe the project in detail.

Our company approached Gallery Design Studio NYC to produce a series of digital animations and design assets for a landing page.

What was the team composition?

One designer and one project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Gallery Design Studio NYC team helped our team develop our first marketing animations and translated our stick figure drawings into moving characters that we are using across a number of our marketing assets. Their ability to quickly execute on our vision allowed us to run a series of tests and learn more about our audience. We are excited to see the character and illustration style on our marketing site as we begin to establish our company's brand.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We've had a great team working dynamic, as their designer has been able to incorporate all of our feedback to produce a series of high-quality videos on a startup budget.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am pleased with their ability to translate our feedback into working designs and marketing ideas.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we worked well together. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a SaaS company selling Insight Software Solutions. Our technology enables customers to gather audience feedback and insights. We operate in four main regions: the US, the UK, the Nordics, and Central Eastern Europe. I look after our marketing efforts globally as the director of content marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gallery Design Studio NYC?

Our marketing lacked consistency in execution and in the look and feel of our materials. There were differences in the maturity of digital marketing techniques, digital design in particular, and in the interpretation of brand guidelines. The second challenge was that the execution of the brand had not moved with the times, and leadership wanted to think about rebranding subtly and incrementally. Finally, the third challenge was how people were using digital tools and the inconsistency and isolation between regions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gallery Design Studio NYC helped us with a broad range of digital assets. We started with a small scope and quickly realized that we had broader capabilities and we should tap into that. We worked with them on designing product marketing collateral to support sales or product teams in highlighting product specs to customers or potential customers. Aside from 4–10–pager product brochures, they’ve also done white paper designs for us. 

They also designed our infographics. Gallery Design Studio NYC produced 1–2 infographics per month for us. As we moved forward, we got edgier. Caroline (Founder and Creative Director, Gallery Design Studio NYC) and her team took the lead on taking things further. They’ve shown us their expertise and creativity in taking a brief and turning into something that’s visually appealing beyond our brand palette, using imagery, icons, graphics, and animation to tell a story. They’ve also taken an infographic and animated it into video format without a lot of effort or cost by repurposing artwork and concepts, allowing us to go out and repromote it.

Gallery Design Studio NYC also created a set of standardized social media assets that we can go in and tinker with. There’s a value-add piece for us as a client to tinker with and tailor their intellectual property and designs. We reserve their expertise for the times we really need it, but quickly going in and changing an asset for a social media post is something we can do ourselves. Gallery Design Studio NYC has helped us sell services much better in a way that keeps consistency across all regions.

More recently, Gallery Design Studio NYC has been helping us with the production of some short, snappy videos. We provide a draft script, and they help us source a voiceover, taking images and stitching them together, adding graphic design where needed and putting it together in a consistent way. 

Gallery Design Studio NYC also helped us with a short holiday animated video that we sent to all our customers and prospects across the globe. It was a unique piece, and it was fun and playful with nice design elements. We had some good engagement with it in terms of open rates and clickthroughs.

What is the team composition?

We work with one core designer and Caroline. There are a couple of other designers on the team who are drafted as needed. I suspect that they brainstorm and come up with ideas as a team and the design execution piece is handled by Caroline and the other designer we talk to. For example, with the holiday video, there were more brains involved in storyboarding it.

How did you come to work with Gallery Design Studio NYC?

My CMO found them. He was keen on making something fresh and different that felt a lot cleaner and didn’t have an overreliance on stock images. He wanted to move more toward typography and graphics. Knowing my boss and the way he works, he was thorough in his research and narrowed it down to an agency that he felt was the best fit for us long term.

How much have you invested with them?

I’d guess that we spent around $50,000 in 2018. We’ve spent more since then.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Gallery Design Studio NYC at the beginning of 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback from our CEO and other leaders in the organization about the look and feel of our content marketing on social is that everything looks like it’s coming from the same wheelhouse and that it’s professional, appealing, with a degree of clickbait. I see that consistency as well. There’s been different thinking and creativity behind each of them, but they look as if they’re from the same brand.

In terms of website and social traffic, we’ve certainly seen a growth comparing 2017’s traffic versus 2018’s. Our conversions and clickthrough from social and on the site are up substantially. We have to attribute some of these designs to Gallery Design Studio NYC.

They can look at a brief, think laterally about what it means, understand the topic, and bring their innovation into the creative execution. One example is a piece we’ve published on whistleblowing and some regulation that’s happening in the US. They captured the sentiment of what we were saying in terms of visuals perfectly. We’ve been really pleased with them.

How did Gallery Design Studio NYC perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re a disparate team, with individual marketing leads sitting in each of the regions and some people at the center. Caroline often gets requests either directly from myself or one of my UK or US colleagues. Sometimes we don’t communicate internally on what we assign to them, but Caroline’s always been flexible. She comes back and resets expectations with us if need be and moves things around if we’re under pressure to get something out of the door quickly. She’s also transparent, and she’s good at connecting with us when we’re not connected and when things need prioritizing. They’ve always met deadlines and were often ahead of them. Their team is never unavailable. Caroline is good at setting expectations and telling us when we can expect something. If we need it earlier, she reprioritizes. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re incredibly accessible and responsive. They want to build a relationship, and I’ve never felt that any ask was too big from their perspective. There’s a real sense that they want us to succeed. Gallery Design Studio NYC is focused on making sure they’re treating all their clients with due care and nurturing the relationship for the longer term.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I follow them on social media where I get a sense of other things they’re doing. They shouldn’t be too modest to show others the breadth and depth of their capabilities.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to be clear with the brief and to put yourselves in their shoes receiving it. Make sure to think through when it’s needed and factor in iterations. It’s important to build in the time for revisions so that both you and Gallery Design Studio NYC have a sense of what the timeline looks like and where there’s wiggle room. If you’re unsure, go back to Caroline to clear things up before putting pen to paper.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former head of strategy for a telecommunications company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gallery Design Studio NYC?

We were launching a new technology for a new market. We needed help designing a website, building a CRM backend, creating a social media presence, and conducting market research in preparation for the launch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gallery Design Studio NYC played three roles in our engagement. The team first designed our customer-facing website and the CRM system that backed it up. As a provisioning and accounting system, the CRM allows customers to view and pay bills, collect receipts, make upgrades, and make service calls.

Second, Gallery Design Studio NYC built our social media presence and implemented a social media strategy. They researched the most efficient way to reach the most people for our advertising spend. They then created a protocol for addressing both current and potential customers to provide product information and correct misperceptions. They also built our social media profiles on Facebook and related platforms, and they developed content in English and Spanish

Third, the team conducted market research. They analyzed our targeted market’s culture to customize our messaging and imagery. They also helped us test various price points to determine the optimal pricing strategy. In addition, Gallery Design Studio NYC introduced us to advertising networks such as closed-circuit advertising in bars and social clubs to inform our marketing strategy.

What is the team composition?

I’m not sure how many people worked on the project in total, but we coordinated with 6–7 people in regular meetings.

How did you come to work with Gallery Design Studio NYC?

We sent out an RFP and interviewed 12 companies. After reviewing each vendor’s portfolio and running through several procedures, we went with Gallery Design Studio NYC. Their team had excellent technical skills, demonstrated flexibility, and offered an international perspective that we found valuable.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $200,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Gallery Design Studio NYC delivered a large number of high-quality leads very quickly, which surprised us. They also produced a high-quality website with sophisticated functionality.

How did Gallery Design Studio NYC perform from a project management standpoint?

Responsive and flexible, Gallery Design Studio NYC was a joy to work with. They also were patient with our pickier decision makers and receptive to occasionally harsh criticism.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We had a seamless collaboration with their team. They were personable and easy to work with, and the end products exceeded our expectations. I can’t think of anything negative to say about Gallery Design Studio NYC.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we have no complaints.

Any advice for potential customers?

Give them the general vision of your business and then listen to their ideas. Gallery Design Studio NYC will present you with creative, forward-thinking ideas that you haven’t thought of. Allowing them to be creative will maximize the quality of your results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of a platform that would help users navigate early adulthood decisions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gallery Design Studio NYC?

We hired Gallery Design Studio NYC to create the initial MVP designs. We hope to build upon the UX/UI as we iterate off the product and bring it to market.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to capture the look and functionality of our vision so we could meaningfully test it with users.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were keen on working with a local team that we could connect with daily. Caroline (Founder & Creative Director, Gallery Design Studio NYC) and her team made every effort to accommodate us. They were willing to be flexible and come to our office daily to review designs. They are also reasonably priced.

Describe the project in detail.

Caroline and her team conducted UX research. They also did the initial mockups, high-fidelity mockups, and additional design needed for our MVP. They worked about 20 hours per week for about five weeks. These high-fidelity screens are now in development with our engineers.

What was the team composition?

We worked with Caroline and Lillian (Junior UX Designer, Gallery Design Studio NYC).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have not launched yet, but we are quite happy with the product they put together.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was highly effective. We worked side by side for the majority of the project. They would produce screens, and then we would review the following day and regroup with them in the afternoon. They made countless edits as we honed the product, and they were pleasant and very responsive throughout the process. Caroline was also meticulous and organized with invoices, which we appreciated.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were willing to go the extra mile for us and accommodate our needs.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I am excited to work with them again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am director of business development for Jukebox Health. We provide home safety modifications to allow older adults to age in place. My role as an occupational therapist and business development lead is to create partnerships with other healthcare companies so that we can support their patients to stay safe at home.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gallery Design Studio NYC?

We wanted to create various marketing collateral to provide to healthcare groups and the clients we serve.

SOLUTION

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

We searched for graphic design and branding specialist that could tailor our specific needs.

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

We had weekly meetings on various content and collateral that needed to be developed. Each meeting highlighted work that was completed and ongoing projects.

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

We had 3-4 specialists working with us throughout our project and they were always available via our company communication platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our marketing collateral and content was distributed to hundreds of healthcare workers and our generated leads increased as a direct result of our new collateral that we could distribute and share.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We met weekly on Tuesday to discuss various projects. GDS is always approachable. We could make changes quickly based on real-time client feedback.

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

Ongoing communication.

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

Increased communication with various projects being created rather than a weekly update.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Marketing Software for location based businesses with a menu or list of services (restaurant, spas, salons, groomers, etc). I oversee all marketing efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gallery Design Studio NYC?

Text-based creation and editing for B2B marketing content.

What were your goals for this project?

Create a series of blog posts that conveyed the message of "why you, why now, why us" to our key target demographic.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Referred by a trusted colleague.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Compose and edit text used in blog posts, email blasts, social media and other marketing efforts based on a content marketing play book created internally. In each project, Gallery Design Studio was given the basic structure of the content and then asked to create a longer piece that was top-edited, demonstrated thought-leadership/subject matter expertise, was on brand and solutions based.

What was the team composition?

Project manager & editor/copy-writer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A number of blog posts created.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was easy and without obstruction. Projects were relatively easy to manage and execute.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their quick ability to understand our solution, our target audience and our brand voice. They assimilated into our needs quickly and smoothly.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not at this time.