Griflan Design, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for GLOW interactive, and the VP of account services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Griflan Design, Inc.?

We brought on new pharmaceutical business and the company couldn't staff quickly enough to meet our immediate needs. We needed to outsource creative work in a very quick and timely fashion. We reached out to Griflan to augment our capabilities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have multiple projects running with them simultaneously. The largest one was the development of a new creative campaign for our client. The phases of that included the kickoff, education component of that kickoff, creative concepting, and the client presentation of the creative concepts. After, they provided the final campaign elements for delivery.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people from their team.

How did you come to work with Griflan Design, Inc.?

My partner used them before in a previous life. 

How much have you invested with them?  

We invested $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working in December 2019, and we still have ongoing work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were accommodating, easy to work with, and fluid. It makes the dynamic pretty simple.

How did Griflan Design, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They're great. They're really on top of it, they're very well organized It's very easy for us to identify what we're talking about at any given point in time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're really good at conception. The work's good and speaks for itself. The nuance of their service level and responsiveness and the eagerness and willingness to work and accommodate their client goes a long way. They're hard to quantify, but when you have a good partner like that, it's really critical.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes it would be nice to speak with people who are actually working on pieces of the project, just so things don't get lost in translation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be open and transparent. The more you tell them, the better they can respond and manager deliverables on their end.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of an incubator and growth accelerator for consumer mobile apps. We either help existing apps grow or build our own companies and apps in-house for consumers. Our company has raised $1,600,000 in the past five years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Griflan Design, Inc.?

We needed an artist or creative group that could take our business ideas and bring them to life. Specifically, the ability to provide an engaging mobile experience was important to us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with their team for six different companies to this point. On each project, they started in the first stages of development. We would provide them with an overview of what the business did along with some early sketches. Then, they would take that information and use it to build an intuitive end-to-end design, providing everything from the logo to animation.

They handled all the aesthetics, custom animation, and illustration. Their work revolved around our desire to tell a brand’s story through design and user engagement. They built the apps from top to bottom, including backend development, and we merely launch the end product.

What is the team composition?

I work mainly with two people. My main contact is Ron (Co-Owner, Griflan Design, Inc.). They also have a developer and animators. 

How did you come to work with Griflan Design, Inc.?

I first worked with them in 2017, and we now have three projects live. We’d seen work they’d done in the past, and I’d never seen anyone else with the ability to bring a brand to life in the way they did. The site truly felt alive. Everything they build is custom, unique, and thoughtful. It’s difficult to get artistic sites elsewhere.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2017, and our engagement is still active. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work was friendly, engaging, and different than deliverables from other vendors. It’s hard to attribute the success of a company solely because of the website we provided for them. However, we hear plenty of positive feedback and were the runner-up for a Webby Award for the best web experience in 2018.  

How did Griflan Design, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

As we’ve learned more about them, we’ve developed a unique communication style that involves plenty of texting and email. From the start, though, they provided us with high-quality exploratory processes and delivered work quickly. Because of our enthusiasm for adding new features, we occasionally lose some time in the development process. Within the confines of scoped work, they manage their time and the overall project very smoothly.   

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ron facilitates our vision for products coming to life. They bring polish, intricacy, and creativity to their work. Their ability to create a concept and bring it to live within an artful web experience. They’re our main designer of experiences for that reason. I’m happy to give a good recommendation. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We may have more work than their workflows can reasonably handle. For instance, we may request eight new features for an app, but they may not have the bandwidth for that. They don’t have a massive shop, but they never sacrifice quality. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re able to provide them with an accurate vision of your company, they’ll be able to work for you well. Without that, they’d use their best judgment to create what you need, but they’re not operating within your industry. That insight should come from you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the project leader for a cryptocurrency effort that’s building a network of decentralized marketplaces. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Griflan Design Inc?

They take care of all of our design work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided them with the name that we wanted to use and a couple of sentences that dictated how we envisioned our solution. Since they’ve been in charge of all of our branding. They built our website, designed our logos, and created graphics that we use in our blog posts and articles. The team is in charge of the UI/UX of our site.  

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with Ron (Owner, Griflan Design Inc). He and his two partners collaborated pretty closely with us. Over the course of our relationship, we’ve worked with a total of 5–6 people.

How did you come to work with Griflan Design Inc?

A company that I was advising recommended them to me. I got in touch with them, and we took things from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $75,000 on their services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together mid-way through 2017. Our efforts are ongoing.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People always have good things to say about the design of our site. Oftentimes, they request referrals from us after seeing the site. I’ve done about eight referrals to them. We’ve been very happy with their work, which is why we continue to turn toward them for all of our design projects. 

How did Griflan Design Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve delivered everything we’ve needed, communicating back and forth over Slack and email. We provide comments and feedback through those channels, mostly relying on Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team has a very unique style that sets them apart from other providers. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing stands out to me.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re quick to make changes as needed, so keep telling them to iterate. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of NeoReach. I handle all the marketing, advertising, business, and growth initiatives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Griflan Design, Inc.?

We were trying to articulate our message and put our best foot forward with a creative website. We’d had a site that conveyed our information before, but it wasn't creative relative to our industry. We sell to marketers, so we need to have creative key messaging and a really illustrative site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Griflan Design, Inc. developed a new site from the ground up, which involved redoing 20 pages. They created a whole icon set and a new illustrative approach. We worked with them to make sure that the user flow and site map were easy to use.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Ron (Co-Owner, Griflan Design, Inc.), Ari (Co-Owner and Operator, Griflan Design, Inc.), and another one of their associates.

How did you come to work with Griflan Design, Inc.?

They’d done work for my friend, and he liked it a lot. I really liked that site as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since February 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our team saw a measurable increase in website conversions after launching the new site. The site is also much more user-friendly and intuitive.

How did Griflan Design, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re extremely professional, and we communicate through email. They gave us a scope of work and timeline to start and then did exactly what they said, when they said they would do it. It was pretty turnkey.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They stand out through their ability to anticipate customer needs and create authentic, original designs and illustrations. Another thing they’re good at is taking a vague initial scope of work and coming up with a creative direction. A lot of web developers are more construction contractors than architects, so if we don’t have a blueprint for them, they’ll wind up not anticipating our needs. Griflan Design, Inc., however, is a fully integrated architect and construction contractor, so they can dream up the building, make it fit the use case, and build it with the team. The design was truly original.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re expensive, but we got what we paid for, so it’s hard to argue. They delivered everything on time, and they always went above and beyond. They weren’t overly transactional and didn’t nickel-and-dime us for additional changes that took minimal time. They made sure we were happy.

I’m a serial entrepreneur, and I’ve worked on a bunch of different projects. I’ve worked with Griflan Design, Inc. on around five of those, and they’ve gotten it right every single time. This was probably the biggest project we did with them.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should come in without being overly rigid on their expectations for aesthetics. One of the best things one can do with Griflan Design, Inc. is to give them an overall direction but not tell them which highway to take. They develop their own route, and, if you’re too specific with them, you’ll limit their ability to be creative. They do their best work when the client is open-ended in terms of their site structure—what pages they want and what the primary calls to action are going to be. Griflan Design, Inc. will work backward from there and give you something creative and original.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Handwrytten is the global leader in handwritten note automation. We allow companies of all sizes (and consumers) send handwritten notes at scale, on the card of their choice in the handwriting style of their choice.

Using our proprietary handwriting robots, Handwrytten writes all notes and envelopes in pen, and affixes a real forever stamp. Optionally clients can include one of our gift cards as well, to brands like Starbucks, Target, Amazon or VISA. For business users, we can even include the client's business card.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Griflan Design, Inc.?

Handwrytten was looking for a new web site to freshen the look of Handwrytten, and showcase our new capabilities. We wanted something to truly stand apart from other potential competitors while remaining fun and engaging.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We reviewed websites of over 100 designers. We had two other firms in active review when we selected Griflan due to their design ideas, enthusiasm, responsiveness and ability to take our feedback into account. I worked with my head graphic designer on the decision.

Describe the project in detail.

Griflan started with a questionnaire to capture our thoughts on our existing web site, sites we admire, and general design considerations. After a few over the phone calls, Griflan redesigned the homepage, and providing three revision rounds. After we were satisfied with the final design, they proceeded to design the other pages on the site.

Griflan uses Invision to provide mock-ups of all pages, which provided a way for us to provide feedback and collaborate on the design. My graphic designer was responsible for providing assets and additional feedback throughout the process.

What was the team composition?

Our single point of contact was Ron Griffel, one of the company's principals. He worked with his team of designers and coders, but was responsible for the majority of the design.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have not launched the final website yet, but are very excited to do so and expect it to be done in the next 2-3 months.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent. Our PoC was extremely responsive for one-off questions, typically responding in a few minutes or less.

All design discussions involved using Invision, which made it easy to provide feedback.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Attention to detail.  The company made every page look as good as the homepage. I am concerned this will come at the cost of maintainability down the road, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None yet.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Armadillo

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a tech-enabled Home Warranty provider

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Griflan Design, Inc. to accomplish?

• Create a brand that is different from incumbents

SOLUTION

How did you find Griflan Design, Inc.?

Online Search

Why did you select Griflan Design, Inc. over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Griflan Design, Inc.’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

• Build brand identity
• Design and launch website
• Design ads for channel specific campaigns
• UX/UI work and design implementation

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Successful launch of a banging new brand website on time

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

Extremely responsive. Everything was done on time.

What was your primary form of communication with Griflan Design, Inc.?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The partners in the business were directly involved in our project. I don't think we could have done any better with any other design company. I'd recommend Griflan all day long to anyone looking to refresh their brand or launch a new website as well as for smaller projects.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Griflan Design, Inc. could have done differently?

We were so happy with the outcome and would absolutely not change anything about the engagement and way we worked with Griflan.