Idea Theorem™

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're the largest provider of specialty laboratory testing services in Canada. Together with our partners, we provide national access to specialized clinical tests. I am the Manager of the consumer health department, which manages the lab's digital experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Idea Theorem, and what were your goals?

We hired Idea Theorem to help revamp our consumer lab platform. The platform is used by 3 million people to help access their lab results. The objective was to redesign and the development of the online healthcare portal.

SOLUTION

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

Idea Theorem was recommended to us from one of the internal stakeholder.

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

Since the healthcare portal was fairly large, we had breakdown the product into 12 modules and each module was designed and developed independently based on priority. It took 16 months from the start of the project to completion of the project for design & development. Figma was used for UI UX design & Angular, Bootstrap, HTML, CSS and JS library for development. We are a healthcare company and we had ensure WCAG 2.1 AAA was being followed for the project.

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

There were in total 10 members from the Vendor's team. 1 Project Manager, 3 Designers (Including 1 Lead Designer) & 6 Developers (Including Full Stack & Front-end Development)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of the design and development work was really great. We were able to release the product to market on timely manner. We also received great feedback from the end user after the launch.

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

We used JIRA & Confluence for project management and communication we used emails. We used the agile methodology, and each of the 12 modules were planned accordingly.

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

Throughout the process, the vendor kept users in mind. As we completed each module, we would then go through usability testing with end users to gather feedback and improve the product. This helped us build a product that is user-friendly and easy to use.

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

For a 16 month complex project, the Vendor did a great job of managing expectations and making sure stakeholders are updated in regards to the progress.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Manager, Digital Communication and Marketing at Woodbine Entertainment. I look after the marketing technology side of the company and manage a number of websites for the group. We’re in the horse racing industry; our core business involves thoroughbred and standardbred horse racing, off-track betting platforms, as well as events and hospitality business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Theorem?

We engaged with Idea Theorem for one of our websites, which needed completely new UI/UX designs.
The website needed a comprehensive UX/UI review as the user flow and business stream segregation was not very clear. The website was built from the business perspective and looked more like a sales brochure; we wanted to make it more customer focused instead of business focused. The expectations were that the website should create a journey of guiding people according to their requirements.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an event-hosting website that targeted different groups of audiences, including enterprise-level companies and individuals. It looked like a brochure site without proper UI/UX consideration, so Idea Theorem was hired to give the website a complete facelift. 

They laid out the site’s design and ensured the user journey was properly planned; they made sure that information was displayed to the user in an appropriate way.

They used design tools for the design elements of the website, and then they used WordPress to build the site. It was also custom-built; so all the designs and site components were created from scratch. Apart from that, Idea Theorem also redesigned a few of the pages for another website of ours.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a UX/UI expert, a designer, a developer, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Idea Theorem?

We looked into a few UI/UX service providers and put down a document where we laid out all of our requirements. Among those teams, Idea Theorem stood out. They were spot on in terms of fulfilling our requirements. As a result, we hired them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Idea Theorem from January 2019–March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Idea Theorem gave a completely different look and feel to the website — they transformed it into a modern and well-designed website. This transformation helped our visibility, giving people the proper impression about our business. Moreover, it helped users know about the details of our locations, facilities, offerings, and events. 

How did Idea Theorem perform from a project management standpoint?

Idea Theorem followed the deadlines properly, and there wasn’t any hiccup in terms of the project timelines. They were always available whenever we needed their assistance. We also found their resources to be nice. They were professional, and the team was small but good. They also provided us with expert opinions whenever necessary.

We mainly communicated via Slack, where they shared redesigned versions of their outputs. We also shared our comments and opinions via that platform. Our teams also used emails. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Idea Theorem provided simple and easy-to-understand designs. The team looked at the designs from the simplest perspective and from the standpoint of someone who wasn’t too digitally savvy.  As a result, they were able to provide good points in terms of user journey and experience. Overall, they were a good team to work with for simple projects like ours.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Idea Theorem is a good team of professionals and I haven’t experienced any issues in dealing with them. They’re a good team to work with as a whole.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of a company in the HCAV industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Theorem?

The challenge mostly involved the UX with one of our connected products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Idea Theorem initially created a four-step plan for auditing our mobile app’s UX. After we accepted the plan, their team took us through the whole auditing process. As they made progress, their team reviewed the details with us. Idea Theorem audited the mobile app, which gave us a better feel for the UX and its intricacies. Their team created a final report of the audit and recommended the next steps for us to take.

What is the team composition?

One team member initiated the process. There were a couple of other individuals who audited the product and then led discussions about it.

How did you come to work with Idea Theorem?

I approached Idea Theorem through an online search. I spoke with them about what I wanted to accomplish.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $14,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

I reached out to them in December 2020, and we committed to the engagement in January. Their team finished the project in February 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work was thorough, so I was happy with it. The evaluation was objective and detailed, and Idea Theorem provided more than what I expected.

How did Idea Theorem perform from a project management standpoint?

I was pleasantly surprised with the process, which was organized. We had regular reviews as a team. Overall, their team was methodical and clear about how we would move forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Idea Theorem performed an audit and provided a final report that was highly detailed and thorough.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did a fantastic job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Create a clear project scope.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a fintech startup in the multi-family rental industry. I’m a senior technical product manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Theorem?

We were launching a mobile app for tenants to pay rent and needed help with the UI/UX for that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re a small company, and this mobile app was brand new. However, we had an existing web app for them to base their design work on. We were clear on the user flows needed to support the platform, but wanted to ensure that residents would have a positive experience using the app. They got started by working with a provided outline to navigate the basics. From there, they handled all the design work, aligning it with our color scheme and logos. They designed the app using Figma, which allowed us to see their progress along the way.  

What is the team composition?

I had one project manager and two designers. They were responsible for meeting with us several times each week and walking through their designs. 

How did you come to work with Idea Theorem?

Their website popped up in a Google search for UI/UX consulting companies. I was impressed with their portfolio. We moved forward with an initial consulting call with them and a few other companies, and they seemed like the best fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We collaborated from July–September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t been able to measure success metrics just yet, but we’re going to be launching our beta app this month and conducting usability testing. However, we appreciate that they met all our deadlines and were always on time. They even provided us with a few extra design pieces, such as a banner for our product page in the App Store.   

How did Idea Theorem perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was on time and according to their plan. Initially, their plan looked too expensive, so they created a new estimate that was faster and cheaper than the first. That helped us meet our beta deadline. We communicated through a shared Slack channel, where they could send follow-up questions and clarify information from our meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by how quickly they were able to come up to speed with our mission and problem. Our needs were a bit nuanced, but they were able to understand our intentions and goals for the project within a week. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set them up for success by onboarding them early, knowing what you need from them going into the project, and making yourself available for questions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a senior manager at Deloitte, a professional services provider focused on delivering technical expertise to clients in the market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Theorem?

We had a client in the media publishing space that approached our team to help them develop a platform that allowed content creators to register and commercialize their work.

As part of that, they had requested that we help them define UX considerations and designs to make the platform as attractive as possible in the space where they were operating.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We engaged Idea Theorem to assist with UI/UX research and design in order to provide insight to the client about how to best set up their platform for both desktop and mobile. They worked on two aspects, the first of which was around branding and helping the client to define their brand language, colors, and context behind their products.

The second part of the engagement was helping the client develop specific UI/UX screen designs both in desktop and mobile forms. That involved internalizing the user stories and requirements from the client and working with them to define screens and workflows that would make the platform as intuitive and user friendly as possible.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about 5 people from their team.

How did you come to work with Idea Theorem?

They were able to show prior work that resonated with the requirements we had and demonstrated their experience working with small and medium businesses, which really attracted us to their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement lasted from March 2019–March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were able to work really efficiently in taking some pretty big specifications and goals from the client and turning those into specific deliverables that helped our team look good in front of our customer. The end product will be launching in a few weeks and has totally satisfied all of the expectations for the project.

We were following an agile methodology in which we were iterating quickly with the client and they were iterating with their end-users as well. The ability to go from ideation to showing a product to their end-users in a matter of two months was really critical in getting users on board and building excitement about the launch of the project.

How did Idea Theorem perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a creative artist and leadership from Idea Theorem engaged with us throughout the work and helping to plan out the project and interact with the client. They provided all the support we needed to harness the full caliber of their team and show the client that we were taking their project seriously, which we really appreciated.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Idea Theorem was willing to understand the challenges of the client rather than just looking at the specific budget and quantity of the work. They treated it like their own project rather than a list of deliverables, and that translated significantly into the speed and quality of the work that they provided in the end.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing specific comes to my mind. Getting more exposure to different industries is always helpful, but that is just something that comes with time for everyone, so that’s not a specific criticism of their team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be upfront in terms of your vision, and don’t be too rigid in the contract that you scope out with them. If you show flexibility in understanding the constraints of both your and their side of the work, the relationship can really go far.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I lead an agile center of excellence with a consulting firm that has a worldwide presence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Theorem?

We had a client who kept getting stuck when going from an idea to execution. They followed a traditional method of work and we wanted to help make their method more modern. We wanted to show them a different way to work that would allow them to experiment quickly without investing a huge amount. We needed a partner to help us visualize the new process. Within my organization, we have people who have done these projects but the output isn’t usually as nice which takes away from how people value the product. We also didn’t have the experience to create wireframes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Idea Theorem helped to create user personas, storyboards, and a user journey map to visualize that experience in a more appealing way. Their team also created wireframes. We ran a session with a client, who had been stuck on a problem for a couple of weeks, over the course of one day. My team directed the work session to gather all the information. Then, we worked with Idea Theorem to take what we conceptualized and turn it into a more consumable output.

What is the team composition?

I mostly worked with three people on the Idea Theorem team, but I believe there were other people in the background who helped with the project.

How did you come to work with Idea Theorem?

I collaborated with a member of their team during a previous engagement. I saw some of Idea Theorem's work and found them to be a good match for collaboration when I had the need for their work. The decision came down to seeing their work, having a positive response to it, and trusting in what they do.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in August 2019 and worked on it for about two weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The end result was really positive. The client was surprised by two factors, including the quality. The user persona looks professional and the client was surprised by that level of professionalism. As well, the client was surprised by the amount of data that we were able to extract from a few hours of conversation and then turn into a visualized concept. Our client had a problem where they were trying to solve a problem with their own clients that they work with. They thought that they needed to do all this planning and we showed them by having a clickable wireframe that they could go to a client, get feedback, and then iterate quickly as opposed to following a 3–4-month development cycle. They were surprised by how quickly we could go from that idea to a professional product that was friendly to the public. They had never seen anything like that before.

How did Idea Theorem perform from a project management standpoint?

We created the products iteratively. One of the problems that we had was that we weren’t able to get Idea Theorem to the client because we didn’t want to overwhelm them. We collected the data from the client and then met with Idea Theorem on a daily or bi-daily basis to give feedback. Any feedback that we gave them was instantly implemented, which was better than what I’ve experienced working with other people. It was helpful and enjoyable to follow that process quickly as opposed to waiting for the end result and not liking the product.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There were two qualities that really stood out. One quality was the speed at which they took to take information and turned the product around. The second quality was their professionalism. When you combine those together, it created an enjoyable working experience. Both what they provided to us and their way of interacting were professional. It was better than what I’ve seen with other service providers on both fronts.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was extremely happy. This was the most enjoyable experience working with someone outside our organization for their specific set of skills.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust their knowledge and experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a digital communications specialist for a municipality of about 210,000 people. The government has approximately 2,000 employees total, including contract and seasonal employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Theorem?

We hired Idea Theorem to perform a public-facing website audit to help us identify areas for improvement. Our goal was to be able to scale and modernize the site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Idea Theorem conducted a UI/UX audit of the site that included a wide range of elements, like content, accessibility, and functionality. We gave them access to our Google Analytics dashboard, our Siteimprove data, and our CMS, and they presented all of their findings to us.

What is the team composition?

Vinit (Client Relations Manager, Idea Theorem) was our main point of contact. We worked with five others—two technical specialists and three designers.

How did you come to work with Idea Theorem?

I conducted research on Google and LinkedIn, and also through my networks, to find companies that could audit our site. I reached out to Idea Theorem, and they sent us a proposal. We started working together soon after that.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2019, and the worked wrapped up in November.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re happy with the results, and we look forward to using their analysis to continue to grow our site.

How did Idea Theorem perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was on schedule. They kept me up to date, and we maintained our weekly calls, and they finished everything on time. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to hit timelines was the main thing that impressed us. That’s the biggest issue with other providers. I can’t say enough how much I appreciate their timeliness and responsiveness. Idea Theorem is a group that we would recommend to anyone looking for a similar project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They did an excellent job; I don’t have anything highlight as a negative. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear with the expectations that you set. Idea Theorem does a great job of following guidelines and honoring your constraints. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the founders of a company called PocketReserve. We’re focused on creating property management and guest experience software for condominiums.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Theorem?

We’re not particularly technical, so we wanted a team that was knowledgeable and could help us create an MVP for our business. To do that, we needed to build a mobile prototype as well as a web app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Idea Theorem team helped us build a mobile and web-app MVP. They worked with us from the ground up, from having onboarding calls to wireframing and designing sessions. A lot of what we did revolved around creating a solution that was modern, and hard to replicate. We also wanted the solution to be easy to use while updating already existing processes in this space. They built our product to serve both residents, guests as well as property management personnel.

What is the team composition?

Vinit (Client Relations, Idea Theorem) was with us the whole way, starting in the onboarding process. We also worked with a senior web developer to get some of the UX/UI specifics for the wireframing, so there were two people assigned to us overall.

How did you come to work with Idea Theorem?

I actually found Idea Theorem on Clutch. I was using the reviews to vet a lot of companies for interviews, and they were the last ones that I looked at. I hopped on a call with them and explained what I wanted to do, they essentially responded saying they liked our ideas and wanted to help. They really understood where we were coming from and were very kind in their approach. Apart from the process, I think our connection on a personal level was ultimately why we chose to go ahead with the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little under $10,000 with Idea Theorem.

What is the status of this engagement?

Although we found Idea Theorem in late May, the entire process lasted from June–July 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We absolutely love everything Idea Theorem did for us. They were able to quickly transform our concept into a really attractive, clickable prototype for us and then turned that into a product we were all proud of.

How did Idea Theorem perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team was excellent about managing the work and our expectations. They got the project done in a month as they promised. Throughout the process, we would meet once a week over Skype and communicate regularly through email. We’re still making little tweaks, but overall, they delivered everything exactly how they said they would.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They blew us away with their ability to communicate effectively. Their developers were always quick to respond, and I especially liked how they went beyond just understanding what we wanted and actually contributed to the idea overall. We really felt like they were members of our team. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing I would say to improve on—and we worked with them on this—is to make sure all feedback gets included in each update. We didn’t have a very tight timeline so it wasn’t a problem for us but could potentially cause issues for someone who needed to move a lot faster.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be ready for a great team to work with. Be open with your suggestions and your vision and they’ll take it all in and deliver.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creative director of Peerage Capital Group. We’re a holdings company partnered with companies in real estate, self-storage, and finance. As the creative director, I provide marketing strategy consultations to all of our partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Theorem?

Our self-storage partner needed some UX improvements. They felt like their conversion and bounce rate statistics could be better and wanted help optimizing their site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started out by asking them to do a user experience audit for our partner’s site. They evaluated the site and its existing analytics, then put together a detailed report on their findings. They’re also going to conduct a follow-up evaluation after our in-house team implements the suggested changes, so we can ensure that we’ve implemented their recommendations correctly. Beyond that, they also took a broader look at our social media channels and evaluated our customer journey starting at the initial web search to suggest ways to improve the full experience.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one representative from their company.

How did you come to work with Idea Theorem?

I was asked to come up with three quotes to choose from, so I contacted a number of companies and individual contractors to narrow down our choices. I came across Idea Theorem while researching and noticed that they had a five-star ranking. Their website also impressed me. On top of that, they had the strongest proposal and case studies during our evaluation process. Their materials were clear and well-laid out, and they gave thorough answers to all of our questions, so we decided to hire them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000–$11,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in December 2018. The initial UX audit is finished, and now they’re doing some additional follow-up.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re in the process of implementing the advice from the results of their audit. They provided us with a really clear plan for how to move forward and redesign the flow of our partner website. They also gave us some suggestions for digital promotions that should be straightforward to implement.

How did Idea Theorem perform from a project management standpoint?

We kept in touch via phone and email. They checked in weekly and were highly responsive to our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated their responsiveness and the fact that they provided us with regular status updates regarding what they were working on. We’d also been attracted by how thorough their initial proposal was, and their audit documents were similarly detailed. The report was easily 100 pages long, and there were a lot of graphs and illustrations to support their findings. They also did a great job of presenting their research findings in a way that was engaging and easy to follow.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not sure because this is the first time I’ve done a UX audit, so I have nothing else to compare against.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t narrow down your scope too far at the outset of the project. Allow Idea Theorem to see the bigger picture and add as much value as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at MOHID, a SaaS provider from nonprofits and their accounting and business operations. We offer software, hardware, and backend solutions. Our company has a web-based application and provide onsite hardware kiosks for our clients to use on their premises.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Theorem?

We received feedback from our users that indicated our site wasn’t user-friendly. We needed a professional team to help redefine the user experience on our app, and appeal to our customer base.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To begin, Idea Theorem gave us their ideas and explained their methodology. They proposed a plan that began with market research and customer feedback. From there, they identified our pain points and ran a trial effort for the solutions. Though the project isn’t complete yet, their team provided us with mockups, wireframes, and various components for the final product.

What is the team composition?

Idea Theorem supplies two team members—the owner, for back-office work and meetings, and one main designer, who provides the wireframes.

How did you come to work with Idea Theorem?

I searched for vendors online and considered several. After looking at Idea Theorem’s website and portfolio, we saw they had worked on a similar product, and we were confident in their skill set. Additionally, they offered to begin with a trial and other vendors didn’t.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $10,000 CAD (approximately $7,400 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in October 2018 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Those we’ve shown the changes to believe we’re taking a great step in the right direction. The Idea Theorem team has brought us a fresh design and user experience that will improve our app once it’s implemented. We’re confident we’ll achieve our goals after making all the adjustments they’ve recommended.

How did Idea Theorem perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate in real time about any issues and their team is highly responsive. They’ve been punctual and have met all milestones even under tight deadlines. Any delays in the engagement have come from our side and Idea Theorem has been top class partners in managing the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve formed a unique, creative approach in a short period of time and understand our product’s goal. Even though Idea Theorem has strong ideas, they are receptive to hearing my view and adapting their plan to include it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It could be beneficial and remove deadline pressure if they expanded their team for large projects.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Breaking your goals into individual milestones helps the process remain efficient and agile.