Habitat

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior product marketing manager for AngelList Venture, the largest platform for startup investing globally. We do two things; on the fund management side, we enable fund managers to run funds on AngelList, and we take care of all their back-office services like LP management, closings, taxing, and accounting. On the investment side, we bring investment opportunities to high-net-worth individuals and accredited investors across the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Habitat?

We used to have multiple lines of business that we were trying to separate them, so we needed a website and Habitat helped us design it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team had an empty canvas, so they designed everything from scratch using WebFlow –wireframes, UI, UX, and hover states. Habitat did everything that had to do with the website from start to finish. Over time, when they proved their capabilities, other parts of our company were intrigued by their work. They wanted Habitat to get involved in several products of our company, from all of our website marketing, presentations, and social media. They ended up becoming an extended design arm for the whole company.

They’ve mainly focused on the design since they don’t have a developer side on their business, but they recommended a couple of website development agencies that we ended up working with.

What is the team composition?

At first, our main points of contact were Victor (Founder & Head of Design) and Helen (Head of Operations). We only interact with the designers when we’re working on something specific.

How did you come to work with Habitat?

We were looking for a new agency on Dribbble. We saw their work and thought it looked interesting. We spoke to a couple of other agencies, but after we spoke to Habitat, we thought they could help us get where we needed to go.

How much have you invested with them?

I’d say we’ve spent around $50,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since July 2020, and it’s an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re having a great experience with them. The main metric that we would use is that we don’t let a lot of agencies touch our core product, and despite that, the rest of the team wanted to work with Habitat, which we think is a huge endorsement. They also pushed our team to go through different design systems to bring our brand closer together between signed-in and signed-out states. 

From a quantitative perspective, it’s hard to quantify from a monetary standpoint how a design can help to reach goals, but they saved us time to do all this internally. There’s no chance we could’ve done this website in a  seven to nine week-span, and they did it in a very cost-efficient way. I’d say they saved us tens of thousands of dollars timewise. Additionally, Habitat is based in Ukraine, so we think that if we were to do the same work with a US-based agency, it probably would’ve cost us way more money for the quality.

How did Habitat perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been incredibly flexible, patient, and communicative. They let us know what’s coming up and what should be done by then. Helen runs a tight ship, so whenever we need something at the last minute, they’re able to accommodate and get us where we need to go.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility and speed were the most impressive. I’ve worked with many agencies, both internationally and within the US, and I’ve never worked with someone as flexible and fast as Habitat. We’re getting everything we want and more.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing is that we wished they had more designers. If we become bigger, we’ll probably have more work for them. Sometimes the time zone difference can be challenging, but it also works to our advantage.  If something comes up late from our end, we send them to them overnight, and we’d wake up to something ready. But, other than that, they’ve been great.

Any advice for potential customers?

Don’t shy away, and be open with your feedback. Their team is very receptive and open to that. If you have many projects with them, tell them which one is your number one priority, and they’ll prioritize.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

PauseAble is a mental wellness company. We develop products to help people relax, recharge and form a habit for meditation practice by using our Pause App. I am Founder and CEO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat?

We needed UI/UX and visual design competences

What were your goals for this project?

Launch Pause as a Subscription service and continuously improving.

SOLUTION

How did you select Habitat?

Posted the job online. And got a confident and heartfelt application from Viktor Habitat founder. We already knew they are good.

Describe the project in detail.

Turning Pause App from a one-time payment app to a subscription service. We needed continuous support in UX and Visual when adding new features, optimizing UX...etc

What was the team composition?

From Habitat: UX/UI designer, project manager, graphic designer, motion designer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched Pause as a subscription service on schedule. Habitat has played an important role.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

VERY effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

1. They can provide high-quality updates daily. That allows rapid iteration
2. They really care about the client's needs. Every phone call has been effective, positive and there is a human touch in their communication, in phone calls, and in slack chats.
3. They are confident and able to see beyond isolated tasks. They always get back with multiple options, and sometimes provide surprisingly good solutions. Those situations make their contribution truly valuable.
4. They find different ways to improve communication. For instance, they started using Loom to present designs, it shows they care about the quality of communication. That is gold for remote collaboration.
5. They are skillful at what they do. And have open minds.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing came to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a product design lead at a fast-growing startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat?

We hired Habitat for marketing website design and overall branding. In the beginning, we didn't have enough resources for branding so needed consultation

What were your goals for this project?

The goals were to make the marketing website more informational and have a solid and united branding throughout channels and the product.

SOLUTION

How did you select Habitat?

We worked with another agency for product UIs. For marketing materials, we worked with Habitat. They made 4-5 options to see what would fit us in like 2-3 hours. And in the first meeting, Victor would write down everything the CEO and I were saying. They were proactive

Describe the project in detail.

First I asked for 2-3 style scapes to see if they understand our branding well. We picked up one option and developed the concept. The concept has a lot of illustrations. After the first concept was almost ready to go live we found out that the concept with illustrations is not aligned with our company mission. So we collaborated from scratch. There have been hundreds and thousands of iterations.

What was the team composition?

Victor assigned us, 2 designers and 1 motion designer. But they have a lot more designers that could fit other side tasks (e.g. custom icon design).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've got a lot of good feedback from clients, designers and journalists. One of the best comments was "Your website is so sexy that attracts amazing talents" Obviously we have more and more traffic over time.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Habitat shares progress every day. We work in Trello and Slack. And I'm in touch with Victor all the time so we could make decisions as we go. Lots of small decisions are made every day.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They always listen and stay positive even though we ask for so many things at once. Also, the outcome is very satisfactory. When we asked for customized icons, they finished the design within 1 hour. This was the most impressive moment.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I think the effort to understand your clients' product better would make Habitat more professional.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Lead Product Manager of a FinTech company. Our main product, Staple, is an expense management application, integrated with a corporate prepaid card.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat?

We didn't have a dedicated in-house designer team but really wanted something that looked snappy and modern, with an optimized UX for our new product (Staple Card - a corporate prepaid card integrated with our application).

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to update our mobile app to a brand new design when releasing our corporate card, and be the first on the Japanese market to provide this solution.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched for freelance designers and design agencies online, and after screening all of them based on their portfolio, narrowed it down to only a couple. Ultimately Habitat is the one that gave us the best impression so we decided to work with them.

Describe the project in detail.

The project was only at its concept stage. We had mind maps drawn internally, and a fairly good idea of its scope. However, without a designer, there were no wireframes or mock ups available to start with. We first had to explain our idea in detail to Habitat, and once they understood it, we gave them complete freedom over the choice of the UI design, which we iterated several times over the course of the project period.

What was the team composition?

We had our Engineering Manager, three other Engineers, and one PM (myself) working on this project. Our main point of contact was Victor, with whom we had weekly meetings until the project was completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Right after this new product was released, our conversion rate (from free trial to paid) went up from 10% average to over 40%.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everything was very smooth. Because the product features were quite complicated, and our explanations weren't very good, we sometimes had to go over the same feature a couple times with Habitat, but they always remained professional about it and were very quick to implement changes.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to come up with high-quality designs in such a short amount of time was impressive. With that speed, you could expect some blatant flaws, but it's never the case with Habitat. What they deliver is always on point, and after a couple adjustments, it's ready to be implemented and used.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing really comes to mind. When it comes to working remotely with a design agency, Habitat is as good as it gets.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a digital marketing agency. We do everything from advertising and email marketing to website development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Habitat?

I work with the Habitat team for creative assets. I always have design work; it’s a constant flow of creating new assets, as well as taking existing assets and iterating on them to perform better. The need for designers is very high for me. Also, I need a team that understands not only the design aspect but also the technical backend.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The scope of the projects that I’ve done with them ranges from website design to creative assets. They’ve done both small and big projects.

For web design projects, they brainstorm and come up with a redesign of the site or a brand-new design of the site, depending on the client I’m working with. They do everything related to web design, from the UX/UI to animations. 

Then, they do creative assets for advertising. That includes animations, overlays, videos, and images. They use tools like Figma, Photoshop, and Sketch.

What is the team composition?

On a day-to-day basis, we work with 3–4 people, but once you count designers and animators, it’s at least 10 people. Our main contacts include Victor (Founder & Head of Design) and Helen (Head of Sales). I also speak with some of the designers.

How did you come to work with Habitat?

I was looking for a team that could help me with web design for a new site. I asked around and looked at reviews. I needed to find a balance between cost and efficiency; my client was working on a budget, but the team had to be up to my standards.

I was referred to Habitat through a friend. After talking to them and seeing their past work, I felt very comfortable with them. Also, the founder made me feel like I could trust him, and that’s actually not easy to come by with some design teams. I ended up working with them and have had a really great experience; I’ve referred them to a number of people, and they all have nothing but good things to say about them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested tens of thousands of dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first project together started in May 2017, and it wrapped up in February 2018. We continue to work together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve done design work with Habitat for different brands, and the way I measure success is whether they get the brand vibe and aesthetic and then reflect that properly. They’ve not only reflected the brand really well but also added their own touch, which were things that my team didn’t think of. Over time, I’ve seen them evolve as designers and as a company. Seeing them go from our first project together to what we’re doing now has been amazing. 

How did Habitat perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re done really well. I have so much going on that I can’t keep track of everything, and what I appreciate about Habitat’s team is that they keep me in check as well. We use Basecamp from their side, and then I’m using Asana.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When they say they’re going to get something done, they get it done by that date, and that are no excuses or lateness. That is very much appreciated.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. I think everything has been really good. I’ve worked with design agencies in the past, and they’ve been a mess compared to Habitat.

Any advice for potential customers?

Give them boundaries of what you want and don’t want, and then give the Habitat team the freedom to work within those boundaries.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are the main retail electronics company in Ukraine. I am the Chief Web officer and take care of the web online sales.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat?

We decided to completely revamp our old website taking into consideration that our users needed easy to navigate interface. Metrics have shown that our users started shopping from their mobile phones and we needed a better UX.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main purpose was to improve the existing user experience, keeping the core of the platform and simplifying its certain parts. In the end, our business goal was to increase sales

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have been choosing the candidates for this role on a competitive basis. We chose Habitat according to three criteria: portfolio, communication and price. We were impressed by their portfolio.

Describe the project in detail.

We needed redesign of the website for desktop and mobile interfaces. It included both UX and UI design work. My role in this project was a Project Owner. I was the main communication point betweeen design and development teams.

What was the team composition?

Habitat has arranged a dedicated design team for my project, which consisted of a Senior UX Designer and UX/UI designer and a Project manager. At some point, we were also working with UI and Graphic designers. Victor oversaw the project's progress and provided creative direction.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Once we launched, it was great to receive all this positive user feedback, from both old and new clients. It was even better than we expected. We are more than happy with the redesign.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have been meeting regularly with the team when they presented the updates or when we needed to brainstorm. All the arising issues or suggestions were quickly resolved, as Habitat is very responsive. I enjoyed smooth communication and efficient management.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I can surely say that the design work they do is a top notch. They perceive the client's pain points right away and can quickly respond to them with bright ideas.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing really.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and owner of my own development agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat Design Agency?

We have many projects come through our door that require thoughtful design and complex UI/UX processes.

What were your goals for this project?

When we work with designers we are always looking for self-starters who can quickly grasp the complexities of each unique project we bring.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking for a vendor that would be able to easily communicate with our key stakeholders as well as our team of developers.

Describe the project in detail.

There have been various projects we have worked on with Habitat.

What was the team composition?

Habitat employs an agile design process. While there were always main project managers and points of contact within the firm, we are also able to talk directly with designers to keep collaboration simple and effective.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything we have done with Habitat has been amazing. Their team is dedicated, smart, and motivated. They never miss any of the small details that matter so much with development.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow is seamless. We have never had any trouble getting in touch with anyone from the Habitat team and have regular scheduled calls to ensure we are all on the same page about timelines and expectations.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Habitat can quickly pick up on all the multi-facet design challenges for each unique project. While we always have calls and documentation, it is always great that we do not need to micro-manage the Habitat team. We can give them a grand vision and they always come back with complete work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None. Habitat is a great firm to work with and I will continue to work with them for all my project needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and COO of Dogiz. Dogiz is an on-demand platform for urban pet owners. Dogiz helps pet owners connect with the best local service providers in their neighbourhood and track and pay for their services in real time.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat Design Agency?

We hired Habitat to help us with our UI/UX, but were so impressed with their work ethic and design skills that we ended up using them for a wide variety of digital designs for other marketing material.

What were your goals for this project?

To redo our UI/UX for both our app and our web platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them on Upwork and they were really impressive when we interviewed them.

Describe the project in detail.

We spent a long time with their design team explaining the flow that we needed and a bit about the design we would be looking for. They immediately understood what we needed and we started to see the results straight away. Working with Habitat is such a pleasure, that they have become an integral part of our company. We now use them for any design material we need as they are now so familiar with our brand and message.

What was the team composition?

Initially we would work with Victor, and he would coordinate with their designers. But now as we have more projects we also work with Helen and some of the individual designers for specific tasks/projects. It has been a real pleasure working with the whole habitat team as they are so friendly and helpful.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped us build the flow and ui/ux for our new web dashboard platform which has allowed us to optimise and streamline our business for our companies. They have been an integral part of all our online digital marketing as well as helping us design material for investors/other marketing events. Over 70% of our users are recurring customers and we believe this is due to the amazing job Habitat did in helping us build such an amazing user-friendly experience.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication has been easy and they have been a pleasure to work with. They quickly learned to understand our design goals and the mood and tone of our branding. We have used Asana & slack to stay in touch and do video calls when necessary for specific jobs/tasks. All of the Habitat team are professional, polite, diligent and a lot of fun to work with.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their work ethic, design ability and creativity are second to none. They are always up-front and honest with when they feel tasks will be finished, and are always in close and constant communication with us for feedback about their work. Viktor and Helen have been such a pleasure to work with and they have become integral parts of the Dogiz family.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No- they have been a pleasure to work with and we cannot recommend them highly enough!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Senior Marketing Manager at a SaaS company. Our company provides Artificial Intelligence services to direct-to-consumer and e-commerce businesses in the United States. I am responsible for the company's marketing strategy and its implementation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat Design Agency?

We were running a website that was created when we were an early stage startup. The website was very basic and was neither serving the lead generation nor the thought leadership goals. We needed to change that. Our internal team of product designers and developers was too small to take them off their primary tasks so we decided to outsource the website's design and development.

What were your goals for this project?

We asked for a modern looking website that would help us represent our brand better and serve our lead generation goals. This was crucial for us as we were looking to scale our business and needed to reshape our go-to-market strategy.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We ran a vendor selection process. We received 30 applications for the task, shortlisted five and selected the Habitat Design Agency. We also received very good recommendations from another business that we personally know.

Describe the project in detail.

The agency was given an outline of the desired website. They helped us determine the stylistic perspective by generating the so-called mood boards from many different examples of live website's and their features. Once we developed our direction the vendor worked on every page one by one. We started with the homepage, which had to determine the overall style of the whole website. The homepage went through multiple reviews and iterations - not because the vender's work was poor, but because they provided us with some additional ideas on the go. After the homepage was finalized, we turned to other pages which was a similar, but better streamlined workflow.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a project manager and a designer who led the workflow from the vendor's side. They were my main point of contacts, although I am aware there were more people involved at some points.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's too early to list the numbers, but after launching the new website we started seeing some increase in traffic, users started spending more time on site and the bounce rate went down. Overall, we are happy with the change we made.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicated via Slack, which ensured quick turnaround. Task scheduling and delivery deadlines were always clear and on time. Even the spread of global pandemic did not affect the project delivery.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

During the selection process I was impressed by their professionalism and expertise. The Habitat Design Agency were always there to advice and help, not only to deliver the tasks. It felt like having an expanded team, who care, rather than a paid vendor.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing specific to note here - keep up the good work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder of a SaaS platform for personal data management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat Design Agency?

To design our wireframes and improve the user journey.

What were your goals for this project?

To have the design hierarchy and branding for our product as well as a clickable prototype for presentations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Through upwork.

Describe the project in detail.

Design

What was the team composition?

Worked with the founder, project lead and design team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Clickable prototype on invision. Zeplin file Dropbox files with all deliverables

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. We used slack for day-to-day communication. Every evening Habitat shares their update/work from the day for the client to review for the next day. Response rate has been always super quick. If there were questions we'd either jump on a call right away or organised a vid conference for the next day depending on schedule.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Efficient, Willing to go the extra mile, Keen to learn all about the product to create a better experience.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Could sometimes be even bolder in their suggestions to improve the experience. On the other hand, our product is also quite detailed and not easiest to understand if you're not a subject matter expert in the field, and considering that, they did well.