Goodface agency

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager for 365Games, which is one of the projects of a software development and services company within the gaming industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goodface agency?

Our main challenge was a tight timeline, as we were in a rush to start the 365Games project. For this project, we also ideated some features that weren’t in the market, so we wanted to release them to the gaming community. Therefore, we hired Goodface agency to help us out.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ours was a two-part project consisting of developing a dashboard and a website. Goodface agency designed and developed the website. As for the dashboard, 90% of their work revolved around development because we provided them with the main designs. Additionally, they created some slide designs for us.

During the website development phase, we asked Goodface agency to develop a 3D feature. However, they told us they didn’t have that capability, so a third-party service provider developed it, and Goodface agency was in charge of implementing it on the site. In addition to that, we requested a blog feature.

As for the technology stack, Goodface agency used Figma for the designs, which is where most of their design work was done. We also had a shared file for the design, divided into frontend and backend. Moreover, they used Vue.js for development, AWS for hosting, and Strapi as the CMS for the administration panel.

What is the team composition?

We were in contact with the project manager.

How did you come to work with Goodface agency?

We found them through Clutch. We had other agencies in mind, but in the beginning, Goodface agency seemed to be very interested in our project. Additionally, they seemed to have very good timelines and communication, so we went with them.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent over $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from mid-July 2022–February 2023. We ultimately ended the collaboration due to many issues we faced together along the way.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

Throughout our engagement, we started to face various issues with Goodface agency’s work. For starters, when we requested the 3D feature on the site, they weren’t able to build it, so we had to pay over $3,000 to a third-party agency for some basic animations. However, Goodface agency did the implementation very badly, so we ultimately had to remove the 3D feature.

During the first three months of our engagement, Goodface agency sent us reports, and in one of those was mentioned that the blog feature we requested was complete. However, after they delivered the website and we ended the partnership, we found out that the site had no blog section. According to Goodface agency, they only developed the frontend of the feature, but implementing it into the site would require an additional cost.

When it came to the dashboard development phase, we experienced many issues working with Goodface agency. They implemented most of the features incorrectly, despite having a very detailed flow on every feature we wanted. Moreover, there were other features they didn’t even implement.

When we had already paid Goodface agency and saw the poor implementation, we asked them what had happened, and they told us that making changes counted as a new request and wouldn’t be able to do it. By this point, Goodface agency had delayed the delivery a lot. Given that our main concern was finishing the project quickly, we decided to stop our collaboration because we didn’t want to lose more time or money.

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

After seven months of working with Goodface agency, we had to find another partner that could help us implement what we wanted at additional costs. This project didn’t represent any success for us; it was mostly a waste of time and money. Although Goodface agency was talented in design and frontend development, our engagement was a failure overall.

We requested various features for our dashboard related to management and internal tournaments, a leaderboard, a rewards system, and a team creation feature. However, we didn’t receive most of those features, so we now have to create them elsewhere.

The main impact of this engagement on our business has been losing time and money. We experienced many delays throughout the project, which caused additional fees. Still, after investing all this time and money, our project isn’t ready.

How was project management handled?

Goodface agency’s project management was good until September 2022. Our initial conversations were via email, and the project manager seemed to be amazing. They were fast to respond and showed interest in many areas of our platform. Additionally, we didn’t experience any delays throughout the website development process.

Overall, Goodface agency’s offer was very nice initially, although it didn’t turn out that way. Soon, we found out that their, business, communication, and scheduling skills were very poor despite having very skilled people on their team. I’ve worked with over 40 companies, and most engagements required project management. Still, working with Goodface agency was one of the poorest project management experiences I’ve had.

Throughout the project, we had to ask and request things many times. For example, we had to ask for additional features around five times before we got heard, and this happened several times throughout the engagement. Moreover, we were the ones constantly asking for updates and reports. Providing updates was the project manager’s responsibility in order to keep the client in the loop.

We set up five deadlines for the project, and Goodface agency met none of them on time, which also created additional costs. Still, their team never offered to cover those costs. Instead, they kept charging us. We had an hourly contract with them, which meant that they could bill us for their time in whichever way they wanted to use it — it wasn’t fair. Our bills started increasing over time, and we never received a proper report of how the hours were being spent.

Gooface agency’s team would even disappear for a couple of days. After many delays, we had to take some measurements on our end, such as delaying the payments as well. Although we know that it wasn’t the best approach, we did that in an attempt to push them to finish the project.

However, when we did so, Goodface agency stopped working on the project until we paid our bills. When we paid them, we noticed that they had also charged us for the time they stopped working.

Is there anything that Goodface agency did well or that you would consider a strength?

The website design and development phase of the project was great and delivered on time, so I would give Goodface agency a good rating for that. I know that they’ve been successful in other projects they’ve worked on, and I’m sure that they have great designers. For example, their CEO is also their lead designer, and he’s very good. Moreover, their frontend development skills are great, and their experience is very good.

In what specific areas can they improve?

Goodface agency should ask more questions and get all the details in order to give proper estimates for their clients (especially for big projects)

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

If you want to work with Goodface agency, create and provide them with your own contract because theirs favors them 100%. For example, the proposal for our project stipulated a three-month timeline and a $39,000 cap. Both of those were wrong and almost double.

Therefore, it’s important to have a strict contract with a set timeline and cost, including a delay policy. Although I understand that development projects usually have slight overages, they shouldn’t double the timeline and cost.

Company Responses

The service provider responded on May 17, 2023.

We regret that the client had a negative experience of the project. However, we would like to disclose some details and conclusions that we made on the basis of this case.

Let's start with revealing details where we cannot agree with the complaint:

Regarding the 3D implementation, we received inconsistent and non-optimized files from the client's team and provided feedback and instructions. However, the client decided to reject the 3D model due to exceeding expectations.

The blog feature was implemented but not filled with content as content creation is not part of our services. The client was informed about the content requirements, but we never received it. We provided instructions on how to fill the articles, but the client considered it a change request. This issue may be due to poor micromanagement by the client's marketing team, leading to a miscommunication.

Regrettably, the client's unfavorable experience towards the conclusion of the project brought attention to certain issues.

Here are some important takeaways:
1. Preparation and planning are critical for success. Lack of clear requirements can lead to experimental approaches and increased risks. To avoid this, it is important to define specific flows, data requirements, and ensure that all necessary data is available.
2. Processes and Reporting: Initially, the project developed well due to consistent processes. However, midway through, the client demanded a fixed release with a specific time and budget. Changes in requirements, new data, and payment delays caused difficulties.

Key Findings: Changing the project approach midway leads to difficulties. Establishing milestones and plans early on is critical. Prioritizing needs and support ensures a positive experience. Prepare, document and understand the technology before you begin. Avoid rushed development to minimize risk.

Despite negative customer experiences, we see potential in 365Games due to an interesting concept and quality development.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the COO of Adaptiq

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a company with years of experience in creating R&D centers for the world's best companies

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Goodface agency to accomplish?

• Create new corporate website
• Help with website migration

SOLUTION

How did you find Goodface agency?

Online Search

Why did you select Goodface agency over others?

• Pricing first our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Goodface agency’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

Our new website is the best proof as it looks unconventional, cool and very informative, moreover, it carries a very important message for our customers. It was very efficient and responsive, we had many calls and workshops, and we reviewed and discussed solutions, consulted, and got better solutions in the end.

Additional services in the form of content-rating would be very much in demand for us, but this is difficult to implement for an outsourcing company, but there is always growth potential.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• New website successfully created
• Us as a happy customer

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

It was very efficient and responsive, we had many calls and workshops, and we reviewed and discussed solutions, consulted, and got better solutions in the end. The team responded to our questions promptly.

What was your primary form of communication with Goodface agency?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

I was impressed with their empathy and human attitude, listening to us, understanding our goals and desires and trying to implement them as well as possible, which is very important for us to get exactly what we want.

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

Additional services in the form of content-rating would be very much in demand for us, but this is difficult to implement for an outsourcing company, but there is always growth potential.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Web Project Management of (a/an) Financial services

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Fintech company providing a payment gateway solution to support online businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Goodface agency to accomplish?

• Website redesign
• Website development
• Improve user journey

SOLUTION

How did you find Goodface agency?

Referral

Why did you select Goodface agency over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Goodface agency’s team?

20

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

Goodface offered and implemented various solutions that helped the page stand out, simplify the user journey, and make it more attractive to potential customers. We also wanted to have personalized design elements, motions, and to remain memorable.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Website Redesign that helps improving company's positioning in the market.
• Website Development. More services, and information about the company, and it's products.
• Improved user journey. Easier and simpler way for users to navigate through the website.

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

It was pretty easy to work with Goodface. The meetings were held with different stakeholders, and project management was on point. Everybody knew what part of the project they were responsible for. There was no time wasted on unnecessary discussions.

What was your primary form of communication with Goodface agency?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

What surprised us the most was their expertise in fintech. This market is unique, and you need knowledge, willingness, and resources to deliver functional products. Another important point to mention is their communication and deadline-keeping. We did not have delays when working with Goodface agency.

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

There is nothing to improve. They are flexible, affordable, and very customer focused.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

bill_line – Ukrainian-based fintech company with focus on payment service provision. We provide an extensive payment solution for online stores, marketplaces, banks, gaming services and other companies with online payment transactions. I am CBDO at bill_line.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Goodface agency, and what were your goals?

We hired Goodface agency for basic rebranding, website/personal account redesign and frontend development.

SOLUTION

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

Goodface agency was highly recommended by our well-trusted partner. We checked their previous works and made a decision to work with them.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Goodface made detailed competitors analytics and our brand positioning, built a project plan, with deadlines for mockups, design and development.

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

Founder (CEO), Project Manager, Designer, Illustrator, Developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We are now at the launching stage with our new website. But we believe our result is a website with up-to-date design, a personal account with convenient UX solutions and new branding, which represents our general business strategy.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

bill_line had short terms to finish this project and “blind spots” in branding issues. Goodface made an exceptionally effective working scope to make this project done. This includes weekly checkpoint calls, real-time management in chats etc.

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

A deep expertise in fintech. It’s a very narrow market niche with a large number of features that needs a deep understanding.

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

A more flexible working scope would be a huge advantage.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We have been educate people from Ukraine in digital professions for over 4 years and helping them to work on freelance. Not so long ago, I decided that I want to create my own E-learning platform in order to develop the design community. So I came to create a startup and a platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Goodface agency, and what were your goals?

We started looking for a team with experience in developing platforms in Edtech domain and found Goodface. We met at the office in Kiev, started discussing my idea and made a plan of action. Previously, I spoke to 5 other teams, but all of them gave ambiguous figures and no specific terms of reference. But Goodface immediately appealed to me. Their comprehensive advice and deep understanding of the process of creating such products helped me figure out the project plan.

SOLUTION

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

When choosing a company, I felt that the Goodface team was imbued with my idea and was able to easily get involved in negotiations and discuss specific plans - I liked their approach and involvement, so I chose them.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Since we have expertise in design, we created the design of the platform on our own, however, a lack of understanding of the technical implementation was a problem for us. The Goodface team helped us with art-direction, creation of the project documentation and the full technical implementation, as well as advising us on the best ways to develop the product, it was very valuable.

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

The project was implemented by 2 of our designers, from Goodface we involved 2 developers, business analyst, design lead and a product manager to manage the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

At the moment, we have completed the MVP+ version and continue to actively develop the product. Now we are considering additional implementations of the business model and are looking for additional ways to scale the product.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Very clear work. We work with scrum system which created a very clear understanding of the state of the project. It also felt like the product manager — Dima wanted to develop the product by bringing in new ideas and best implementation strategies.

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

They are the professional experts in the development industry.

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

I would like to have more communication with the whole team in order to understand the processes more, but I understand that this is superfluous in outsourcing. Everything else was just great.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm Founder and CEO of Intertech. We are a Ukrainian development company that provides outsourcing and staff augmentation services to create complex technological solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Goodface agency?

We hired a Goodface to help us present our services in a more detailed and attractive way, as well as refresh the design in line with current trends. We wanted the product to have an individual design and our site to be recognizable and remain in memory because this is very important for attracting customers.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for a reliable partner with deep design expertise, so we looked at many agencies and their work. The Goodface experience was the best option and they showed the value they could provide us.

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

Goodface helped develop the design system and individual style of the brand and created a full-fledged design with the development of all types of content and animations.

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

The project involved a team of three people, including two designers and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Goodface experience helped them to create a unique design system that is attractive and memorable for our customers.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were excellent communicators. All deadlines were met and the team brought a lot of new ideas to our project by delving deeply into the needs of the project. Their experience matches our vision perfectly. The tools and interactions allowed us to keep a close eye on the work at all times.

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

Their deep design expertise and immersion in the project were invaluable.

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

It would be helpful if we could rent a design team to our staff, but we understand that this would not bring so much innovation to the work on the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a Financial services provider and my role is head of sales and account operations. For this project, I was also the Project Manager

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Goodface agency, and what were your goals?

The project was creation a new version of the corporate website with the expanded structure, refreshed design and better prepared for the inbound marketing. The goals were create fast, multilingual website, SEO friendly but dynamic and interactive.

SOLUTION

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

The vendor was selected based on the experience, test work, project approach.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The technical core and CMS is WordPress. The website hosting is on Amazon. Adaptive design should pass the https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly and website speed shall be above 75 at https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/ The project was divided into the main steps:

1. Project documentation creation
2. build of the technical requirement
3. Design phase
4. Content phase
5. back-end development phase
6. website beta launch and review
7. SEO audit and website takeover
8. launch

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

The main persons were CEO, Project manager, Lead designer and financial manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The project was done in the agreed time frame and in accordance with the requirements, all communications were agile and all issues were resolved with the maximum priority.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We had key steps meeting with the participation of CEO and our project manager, in the design phase also Lead Designer was included, during some stages ie design creation we were maintaining daily catchups with the project manager.

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

I am impressed with their personalized approach.

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

The only improvement could be in their DevOps team as we had some minor problems during the website migration, however al of them were resolved promptly and did not affect the agreed timeline.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

U-POD are official distibutor of e-cigarettes, that import 5 different brands to Ukraine. I am working here like Project-manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Goodface agency, and what were your goals?

We didn't have in-house developers to create a new website, we hired this team to design and develop a WordPress site for us. By doing this, we were hoping to increase our traffic substantially by the end of the year.

SOLUTION

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

We searched online for web developers in our area and shortlisted 5. After interviewing them, we chose this vendor based on their past- projects, design skills, and cost estimate.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss our goals and objectives. From there, the team delivered mock-ups and wireframes for our site. After a few iterations, their team designed and developed an informational WordPress site. They updated the content to reflect our compary's services and created a landing page with a contact form.

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

A project manager was our main point of contact throughout the process. There were also 2 full stack developers and a designer working behind the scenes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

After launching our site, we saw a 70% increase in traffic, and incoming leads doubled month over month thanks to the landing page. Clients love the new design, and they now have a good understanding of our services.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We had daily stand-ups with their project manager, who communicated with the rest of the team. If there were any delays, they let us know ahead of time so that we could prepare. We used Slack, Jira, and GitHub to coordinate, and they worked well with our team.

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

They gave us a professional site that's easy to update. My team had never worked with WordPress before, so they took the time to teach us how to update the content ourselves.

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

When we first launched, there were some minor bugs on the contact form. We let them know, and they were quick to fix the issues.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Medical diagnostic center Líkars'ka praktyka CEO Denis Krivolapov

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Goodface agency, and what were your goals?

Our previous website was old and uncomfortable. The main request was to redesign the old site, improve the UX, change old solutions and make a new stylish site.

SOLUTION

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

I met the CEO of Goodface agency at a business conference. At first, the guys offered me an audit of the site, after which I saw many weaknesses that require improvement. After the work was done, we understood that this is what we need. We felt Goodface was responsive, the team was intelligent, and understood our vision which allowed us to make the selection. We were looking for a team that would give our project special care and attention and we got that from the Goodafce team.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The first step was an audit. We saw what works poorly or does not work at all. We saw a lot of problems in the content and the design and code needed to be fixed. The second step was UX research, prototyping and design. After that, the final stage was the front-end and integration with CMS. We built a website that can connect doctors with patients and provide them specialized medical services.

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

Our project manager was with me from start to finish. As we worked through design and development, we also worked with a team lead on both of those sides as well. And also there was QA. Maxim (CEO, Goodface) got involved at times to make sure that everything was moving smoothly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

As a result, we got a new site that corresponds to our high level. The site has become more user-friendly and intuitive. We also got a convenient CMS for further work with the site.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They were very efficient at project management. We communicated through email. If I had feedback, PM communicated it to the team. They were attentive to even the smallest details and listened to all of our thoughts. They did everything on time.

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

I was most impressed by the quality of their design and their responsiveness. If I ever reached out to my project manager, I always got a response. There was no delay or lack of responsiveness from their end. Goodface team is trying to deeply understand the customer's business. They give their strategic input on projects and contemplate different ways of doing things.

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

No, I was happy from start to finish.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m CEO of Uvitme company Igor Chernovsky. We are the official representative of the Hepart AG company. Our team selects individual vitamin complexes from Switzerland based on the blood tests and health goals of our clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Goodface agency, and what were your goals?

The main aim for Goodface agency was to complete a full redesign of our brand: logo, visual identity, website, packaging. We needed to top up our visual communication (brand new level). We knew that Goodface agency was perfect for this task.

SOLUTION

How did you select Goodface agency and what were the deciding factors?

I did a lot of research to find a great WordPress-focused development agency. Googface popped up in a lot of different websites, and I looked through their portfolio and found that they were working with a few companies that we were familiar with.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

It was important for us to get started quickly, so the first step was to design a new website. At the same time, Goodface agency redesigned our brand and packaging for vitamins. As a result, the new site they created for us is intuitive, thought out for our target customers and has user-friendly cms. We also received a new logo, identity, and new stylish packaging for vitamins

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

It was convenient for communication, 5 team members worked on the project: PM Art Director Designer two Developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

At this moment we are launching advertising campaigns on our new website. Already at this stage, the difference between the new and the old websites is obvious. We have no doubts that the result will not be long in coming. We plan to cooperate with Goodface agency on the principles of design thinking: to track results, to improve the approach and the site so that the feedback from advertising grows all the time

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

The Goodface agency team was constantly in touch. We held several personal meetings - strategic sessions, and also communicated via Telegram. They made a convenient presentation of the design, showed design inFigmaa, and also prepared special documents with explanations of details.

All stages of work were completed on time, which made us very happy

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

Their approach to work, attentive attitude towards consumers, and engagement were impressive. They made sure that the brand and the site were clear and user-friendly. Their designs were in-tune with what our readers and users wanted to experience.

They even made technical specifications for our photo sessions so that the design turned out to be of high quality. They consulted us a lot and also invited a consultant from our field who helped rethink our business model.

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

Everything was at the highest level! These guys are real professionals in marketing, design, and development