ImageX

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Samuel Merritt University (SMU) is a private university in Oakland, CA focused on health sciences offering programs such as Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Podiatric Medicine and much more. It is the only provider of physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician assistants and is the largest source of nurses in the greater East Bay. I work in the IT department as the Enterprise Apps Manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Due to staff changes, we needed additional help to support our website. We didn't have the in-house expertise required to maintain our website that is built on Drupal. We had to upgrade Drupal from version 8 to 9 and it involved a lot of technicalities. ImageX was hired for these services.

SOLUTION

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

From a search online on the Drupal site and from internal employee recommendation. We checked with some institutions that had worked with ImageX and got great feedback.

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

The Drupal 9 upgrade involved having to upgrade our database system MariaDB to version 10.3. ImageX went way and beyond to accomodate this request in a very professional manner when this was not included in the original scope of work or SLA. They had to configure a dev environment of Drupal 9 and with great coordination, they helped us launch this to production.

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

There were 3 or more from ImageX. Scott -Service Account Manager, Eric - Software Developer, Taras -Sr.Software developer. Excellent team of fine professionals. Scott - super friendly and great in project management. Eric- Technically super strong.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't had a chance to measure the outcomes since there isn't a whole lot of visual differences after the upgrade. However, we are looking forward to implementing the new features of Drupal 9 such as the Layout Builder.

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

Top class project management style. We had weekly status meetings. They always kept their timelines and were very accomodative of our requests. They have well-versed Drupal software developers. We used BaseCamp for our communications.

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

They were willing to take up challenges and accomodate requests such as Database upgrades which are not usually offered as a service. They went way and beyond. They have an excellent team and a great service.

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

The only areas for improvement I could think of could be elaboration of steps taken in the processes to accomplish the tasks.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a project manager at a company that has 3 locations across British Columbia

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had a request from a client to develop a new platform integrating several services. We needed to think outside of the box to find the best solutions for this project. Due to the high profile of this project and the tight timelines we decided to hire ImageX for their high caliber knowledge and professionalism.

SOLUTION

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

I heard of ImageX before and their work is parallel to none. This project was the highest profile project for us and I needed to be confident that the project will be managed properly with the best outcome.

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

The design was done in house while the development was done in Drupal. ImageX did a thorough discovery with their business analyst which was very valuable as this is a new platform that we were inventing. They then continued with a mock app that the client could see and share with their stakeholders to get more fundings. ImageX took the project and completely managed the phases with consultation with us and the client to meet the tight deadlines and MVPs.

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

There were a lead developer, business analyst, project manager and QA that were dedicated to the project. Other resources depending on the phase that we were in were put on the project. We met the entire management team at the beginning of the project who helped us map the deliverables and resources needed to meet the requirements on time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to meet the timeline which was challenging. ImageX had weekly meeting with us and the client to resolve any outstanding items on time as well shift focus based on client needs.

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

The project management style was inspiring to us all. They met with us weekly to show progress as well weekly reports on budget vs outstanding items.

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

The whole team that worked with us was available to us for inquiries as well as giving us suggestions for our clients demands. The team was friendly and did not say no to anything we asked. They explained what can be done based on the request considering the budget and the timelines very professionally.

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

The quality and deliverables were above and beyond my expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of communications at a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing HIV prevention products for women and other technologies that they can use to protect their sexual and reproductive health. We also provide them with access to our products when most urgently needed.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

We were creating a site for the Dapivirine vaginal ring, one of our lead products. This product has pharmacovigilance monitoring as a regulatory requirement, so we needed a website designed to provide medical information on that product to consumers and healthcare professionals by country-specific regulatory requirements.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ImageX helped us design and develop the website we needed. It provides information about the ring according to each country’s regulatory requirements, which vary. It also guides users on reporting safety issues, adverse effects, or any product complaints. Additionally, it provides healthcare professionals and product users with educational tools like user guides and healthcare provider guides to minimize the risks associated with using and prescribing the product.

ImageX provided us with web development services in all areas, from start to finish. For its design, they took into consideration the UX and our various regulatory requirements. This was a challenging task because the site needed different entry points for consumers from each country, considering the audience, depending on whether the user was a consumer or a healthcare professional. Although the site was very simple and had only a few pages, those had to be different for each country and audience. Once they finished the site, they provided us with training so that we knew how to use it.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 5–6 people from ImageX, including developers, UI/UX designers, and technical people.

How did you come to work with ImageX?

We were already working with ImageX to develop our organization’s primary website, and given that we had a very positive experience, we continued working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2021–March 2022. However, we still use ImageX for website maintenance purposes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

ImageX was great to work with. They proved to be congenial and very smart, and they assembled a great team to work on different areas of web development. Additionally, they asked us the right questions and provided great ideas for the site design. Ultimately, the site was very visually pleasing, and it effectively met our needs.

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

ImageX’s project management was great. They met with us regularly and kept us on schedule, which was very helpful. Additionally, they were very organized and efficient overall.

ImageX used a sort of tools to manage information, like Basecamp and spreadsheets. They were also very transparent about what they were doing and helped us know what we needed to do to ensure that the project was kept on budget and on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of Imagex’s team distinguished them from others. Each team member had something to contribute to the project, and they were very organized in letting us know who we needed to reach out to and when. They were also very organized in providing feedback and meeting with us to ensure that the project maintained momentum. Additionally, they had great feedback and ideas, and they showed a high level of commitment and enthusiasm about the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could’ve improved on; the project went very well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of everything that ImageX has to offer; they’re very available and answer every question you have. Additionally, ensure that you understand every part of the project and know exactly what you need to do at every step.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We create opportunities for people to connect, grow, and learn within an ever-changing Jewish landscape. We have a fitness center, pool, and over 100 programs every year. I’m the web manager who oversees all our web projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

We wanted to redesign our website to increase traffic and user engagement.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Jack (Owner) worked with us to identify and sort out pain points with our customers by integrating Drupal with our community experience platform. Currently, they’re responsible for all Drupal updates to our main website.

They also troubleshoot integration problems on Personify, the platform where we store customer data.

Finally, ImageX provides SEO and UX integrations, as well as helps us identify our visions. They’ve also been helpful in regards to organizing our content.

What is the team composition?

Right now, we’re working with Richard (Service Account Manager), our project manager and Simon (Lead Developer).

How did you come to work with ImageX?

They were selected by my predecessor, mostly on the basis of their work with the YMCA and their ability to integrate with community experience platforms.

How much have you invested with them?

Our budget is around $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Based on our website feedback form for both platforms, our customer base is happy with all the results. ImageX has been very helpful in pushing us out of our internal jargon and making out sites more logical for first-time users.

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly meetings involving Richard and our senior data director. They primarily use Basecamp for communication. They’re very responsive, especially over urgent email requests.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re the only provider

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’ think of anything right now.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be explicit and transparent about data systems and legacy connections and how your functionality plays into them. This will help ImageX map out the best way of solving your problems.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the communication and development associate of a nonprofit organization; we provide assistance and other types of community programs for spouses and dependent children of the Air Force airmen.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

We needed help with website development for our organization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ImageX developed our website and is currently helping us with paid search ads, SMM, and SEO.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with two members of their team, including web and SEO specialists.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve always been on time to get my requests done. Their team also does a great job of explaining things to me — even when they have never done something before, they’d call their advanced team to see how to do things properly.

Overall, the partnership has been successful, and I enjoy working with them because they’re very self-sufficient, and I don’t have to handhold them through the processes.

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of tools, we use Basecamp, and we post our requests there. We also have a select amount of hours per month, and their team does a great job managing them and letting us know when we’re going under or over them.

We also have good communication through Google Meet biweekly meetings to see how we’re doing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their timeliness and efficiency in explaining things that we don’t understand are outstanding. Overall, they’re a great team, and I’d like to continue working with them as much as possible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — they do an awesome job providing us with the best services and information.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come in with a plan; sit down with your team to determine what you need and create a plan before reaching out to ImageX. That way, they’ll be able to assist you better in what you want.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

YMCA of Central Ohio provides the community of Columbus with a range of wellness and fitness related facilities and services. I am their web designer / developer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website's CMS was not updated since its first install about 5 years ago. We were around 13 updates behind the current version and the complexity of the updates was beyond us. We hired ImageX to get our site up to date.

SOLUTION

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

We knew ImageX was a preferred company to work with for those using the OpenY distribution of Drupal and they have been around from the start of this distribution. Members of their team had immense knowledge of the CMS, so it only seemed logical to go with them.

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

It was, overall, a pretty straightforward project. The team created a test environment which housed a clone of our website. Over the course of a month or so, they were able to push each update successfully then move into a thorough testing phase. They then let us do some testing of our own and made whatever changes we desired.

We had also realized a significant amount of content was posted to our live site while the test site was being worked on, so we had them take the necessary steps to import our newer content to the test site. We then completed our testing and they made the site live without any issues.

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

We mainly worked with the team's service account manager but had some communications with their technical product consultant and one of their main developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site was in rough shape before the update. Broken features, elements no longer displaying properly or at all, annoying bugs with annoying workarounds, and a general feeling of our site being held together with sticks and tape.

After the updated site was made live, there was a noticeable speed increase in how the CMS operated. Additionally, all of the bugs and broken features were fixed, which ultimately saves us time when creating and editing content. Users on the site also were able to experience faster navigation, as our breadcrumbs were working again.

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

We met virtually each week to discuss how the project was going and to see if we had any questions or other concerns. We found their work on the project to be rather quick and of high quality. Everyone we communicated with was very helpful and friendly. We truly felt our site was in good hands. Any questions we had were answered shortly after asking.

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

We found their quick turn around and friendly communications to stand out the most. We really felt supported and the efficiency of their project management has certainly left an impression.

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

Our team honestly has no complaints of any kind. The entire experience with them was seamless.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Marketing & PR at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, CA

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website was more than 7 years old and had become a "Hoarder's Paradise." We hired ImageX to help us develop a custom, student-friendly and clean website.

SOLUTION

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

We interviewed 3-4 companies and selected ImageX because of their vast experience in the education space, reasonable pricing and relevant experience on staff.

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

We had a discovery session to set goals and timelines and then there were many milestones along the way including review and approval of designs as well as content site maps and wire frames.

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 once the project officially started and we were handed off from the sales team. In addition, we worked closely with the lead designer, and content specialist to make sure all aspects of the site were in alignment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site has not yet formally launched yet but the process has been smart, thoughtful and intentional. ImageX has done a very good job delivering on the key deliverables to date.

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

We had been meeting weekly with the project manager as well as other milestone meetings with key members of the ImageX team and EVC team.

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

The expertise especially in the education space on areas such as Guided Pathways has been very valuable, especially as we have had to "sell" this internally among our constituency groups.

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

We had some initial rough areas that needed to be ironed out, especially around the scope of the project that we signed off on and what was delivered, along with some additional costs we weren't anticipating.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director at Claremont McKenna College, a higher education institution. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

We had an outdated CMS, and we needed help migrating our website to a better platform and adding some custom features and modules. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Image X is migrating 10,000 pages from our website from Drupal 7 to Drupal 8. They’re also updating all of the custom core and contributed modules on our site. Additionally, they’ve installed Layout Builder and did some frontend UI design work. 

ImageX has also created a custom registration system for one of our colleges that will be used by our speakers, students, faculty, and staff. The development is ongoing, but we’re currently wrapping up.

What is the team composition?

I work with Brent (Executive VP), Alexander (Technology Director), Bjorn (Digital Experience Solutions Director), Dmitry (Senior Software Developer), Travis (Portfolio Director), Matt (Design Director), 

How did you come to work with ImageX?

ImageX reached out to me, and we talked for about six months. I researched their past work and found that their references were very satisfied with their work. Ultimately, we chose to work with ImageX because they had an amazing staff, project managers, and developers. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2019, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

ImageX has always delivered a well-designed product. From a technical perspective, its functionality exceeded our expectations. The process is going flawless; there have been a few minor hiccups, but they’ve been able to fix them. 

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

ImageX is excellent at project management. They’ve always communicated about our schedule and budget. They’ve reported any concerns in advance so we can prepare. They do live demos of their output, and they follow up with us. Regardless of whether it’s an easy or difficult conversation, they are great to work with. 

Our project manager sets clear goals, and they report budgeting deliverables. We always know where we are in the process since they are responsive. If we have a problem, we’ll just submit a ticket, and they will fix it in a matter of hours. We use Basecamp and Jira to collaborate. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with many agencies before, but ImageX is just one of the best partners out there. From project management to designers to developers, I’ve enjoyed working with them. They are kind, polite, and dedicated — they’ve delivered and exceeded our expectations. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to the experts at ImageX — they have a really experienced team. They have a lot of knowledge, expertise, and insight that can save you money — they have an efficient way to organize a project. Their team understands the process from beginning to end. 

Understand what they have to say and offer. They’re an incredible team to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Marketing for a large YMCA Association. We have 14 branches and an overnight camp. We run hundreds of classes and programs for the whole family. Our goals are to prepare youth and teens to succeed, strengthen and support families, develop caring communities, and encourage and inspire healthy living.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ImageX?

Our website was outdated and needed a massive overhaul for the benefit of members, program participants, and staff. We wanted to start from scratch and when we decided to jump in with Open Y we knew we needed a partner that had Open Y experience.

SOLUTION

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

We created an RFP and met with several companies that had been recommended as Open Y partners. We deliberated and decided to go with Image X.

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

The primary goals of the project are to:

• Improve the overall experience, design, and information architecture to achieve organizational goals and speak more effectively to key audiences.
• Attract and convert prospective members, families, donors, and other constituents.
• Enhance communication through improved content and features.
• Leverage Open Y to ensure the site is easy to update, maintain, and improve over time.
• Setup and launch Virtual Y.

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

I would estimate we worked primarily with 4-5 people: an Account Manager, a designer, developers and programmers, and QA

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just launched the new site, but overall the feedback has been incredible so far. Both from employees and customers. Everything works as it's supposed to and it looks fantastic. No metrics yet as it's so new.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I've never worked on a big project that was as well organized as this one. We used Basecamp for all communication, which made referencing things easy. Plus weekly zoom calls kept everything on track. Everyone was incredibly personable and easy to work with. If we got a little behind (which was always because of us not them) they were understanding and helpful about getting us back on track.

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

The knowledge and insight they've brought to the table are impressive. But even more than that, just being super easy to work with and just plain good at their jobs was such a gift. If anything ever went wrong, there were never any excuses, they were very upfront and honest and just got the job done.

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

Nothing could have been improved, I don't have one complaint.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Senior Business Analyst in a medium sized company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website was created over 10 years ago and it had too much information presented within an outdated layout. We wanted to redesign the website to attract candidates for recruitment, market our company's products and services, showcase new branding, and improve overall user experience.

SOLUTION

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

We searched online for web designers and developers in our area, and shortlisted 10 candidates. After reviewing their responses to our proposal and onsite interviews, we selected the candidate based on their experience, design methodology, technology, and budget.

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

We started with conducting Focus Groups, then held Discovery sessions to help drive the design. Key deliverables included Information Architecture, wireframes, and fully functional website using Drupal.

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

We worked with a project team consisting of a project manager, designer, BA, developer, and QA.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received very positive feedback from external clients / partners, and internal staff.

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

The project management was excellent. We had weekly status reporting and meetings, and daily check-ins during the development / testing phase. They met their deliverables and communication was clear and timely.

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

They really listen to what their client(s) have to say about the website's requirements and expectations. This was especially evident during the Discovery and Design process, where they spent time to fully understand our goals, assumptions, and constraints, and listened to our feedback.

Also, their post-implementation support has been excellent. They are very responsive to security related patching, and always maintain clear communication on status of bug fixes / enhancements.

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

We ran into a couple of technical issues during the development / testing phase. The issues were resolved, but were surprised that they come up since our webpages are fairly straightforward and as per design.