Kanopi Studios

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of communications at the San Francisco sheriff’s office. I manage all of the external communications to our stakeholders, which ranges from people that use our services, that come and go from our jails, their families and friends, people in public safety and law enforcement, government stakeholders, justice partners, and in general, the public of San Francisco.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kanopi Studios?

We didn’t have a functioning website. The only feature that worked well was the search for people in custody. Nothing else on our site communicated what our department does, and the information wasn’t delivered in a user-friendly format. The content was also not written in an accessible way.

We were trying to bring the website up to modern standards, increasing the accessibility and making it mobile-responsive.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team at Kanopi Studios developed a mobile-responsive website from scratch. They did all of the research, created the wireframes, and presented the idea. I had a stakeholder committee that reviewed all of their presentations. They also provided a copywriter halfway through the process to assist me with the writing. Along with having an accessible design, the website can be translated using Google Translate.

How did you come to work with Kanopi Studios?

Our Department of Technology and the city & county of San Francisco had approved 12 vendors, which we issued an RFQ to. We received four responses from vendors who submitted proposals. After the four vendors came in to present their ideas, we scored them as a group.

I had a committee of different people in our department that were invested in the website, and we evaluated them based on that. Kanopi Studios came out with the highest score.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost $325,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We selected them in December 2018. After the contract process that lasted several months, we started working with them in May 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team at Kanopi Studios was very experienced. They were realistic while remaining creative. The research that they presented was comprehensive and thorough.

It was an adjustment to work with a distributed agency because I had never done that before. There was a bit of ramp-up time for me to feel comfortable, which I appreciated. I ended up feeling completely comfortable. They also drew on a variety of people across the US and Canada that brought different skills to the table.

How did Kanopi Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management style was excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I thought their team was extremely professional. They also have a lot of experience with the city and county of San Francisco. Overall, their team was collaborative, creative, and resourceful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not anything that comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an organization dedicated to writing and literary expression. We support writers and readers both in the United States and internationally. I'm the director of communications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kanopi Studios?

We maintain a website that does a lot of things for us. It's an advocacy website, a news hub, and a resource for our users. We found it needed some improvements, and we hired Kanopi to help us with maintenance, security updates, and sitewide changes to drive more traffic, improve conversions, and provide more information to our users.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have them on a monthly retainer. They provide all the services I mentioned on an ongoing basis. They do development work on our WordPress platform. The first order of business was a full site audit. They went through all our backend code, and they made notes about things that were working well and outlined places we could improve.

What is the team composition?

We have a dedicated project manager and a technical lead. As needed, we also work with other developers and specialists.

How did you come to work with Kanopi Studios?

We did an RFP and considered three different vendors for this contract. Kanopi's expertise in WordPress, their focus on client engagement, and my previous experience with them were all deciding factors in choosing them as our partner.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we've spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We just started working with them at the beginning of October 2019. That monthly retainer is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our team is very happy with them. So far, they've delivered all the improvements we've requested, and they troubleshoot very quickly. We've faced a few problems with forms and security issues, and they're helping resolve all those existing issues. Their solutions are clever, and they help us save money. They're attentive to all our needs.

How did Kanopi Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They're highly responsive, and they stick to deadlines. We always know when a project is running ahead or running behind. We work with them through video conference, Teamwork, and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're a partnership organization that is really committed to our needs. They help us think through our needs and high-level goals, they're friendly and fun to work with, and they really feel like a part of our team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They're excellent, and there's nothing I can think of that they should improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what kind of relationship you want to have. Don't hold back with them, and be clear about your goals. We talk to them about everything, and they're as ambitious as we are. See them as a partner and follow their guidance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the communications specialist for a program called advancing new standards in reproductive health at the University of California, San Francisco.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kanopi Studios ?

Initially, we were just interested in support and ongoing maintenance on our Drupal website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

A previous vendor had built our site unsuccessfully, so when we first stared working with Kanopi they found a lot of errors in coding, and brought us up to speed. We had some issues getting ready for the modernization of the site. They did a whole tech audit, and reviewed everything that was going on in the backend of the site and improved the functionality. Now we're looking to them to redesign our website and bring it up to date.

How did you come to work with Kanopi Studios ?

We did an RFP, and viewed a bunch of other companies, and they were just the best. They were recommended to us by our department's communication manager and I knew they had worked with some other groups around UCSF and they were known for their Drupal expertise. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested $20,000 – $25,000. Our budget for the redesign will be $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in October 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They're really easy to work with, they're intuitive, and sometimes recognize problems before we recognize them. They're really great with working within our budget, so if there's a larger project they'll prioritize things.

How did Kanopi Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

We manage everything through teamwork. We don't have a lot raging fires that need to be tended to, but when we do we typically problem solve within a couple of hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're really friendly and easy to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I'm a complete superfan. I'm really happy with the work they've been doing. Even if you don't have a background in design, you can still work with them without any problems.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

General Data is multi-faceted company comprised of different business divisions in manufacturing, distribution, integration, service and healthcare sectors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kanopi Studios?

Ongoing management, maintenance and continuing development of our Drupal-based website.

What were your goals for this project?

I needed a web development company who could take the time to really understand how our complex business divisions operate, what each of their unique value propositions are, and how they all come together under the General Data brand.

In addition, understand who our customers are within each division, their unique buyer journeys, and how they prefer to access content and interact with us. With that understanding, act as an extension of our marketing team to help curate and manage our digital presence and successfully achieve our marketing and business development objectives.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I knew the owner, Anne, when we worked with another agency, and Anne was part of the team who worked on my project. She was critical to the successful implementation of that project.

When I heard that she had started her own studio, I reached out to her to get a better understanding of what she wanted to do with her new company and what her focus and business philosophies were. They were in near-perfect alignment with what we needed, so the decision was easy.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

For us, I believe this can be broken down into two areas. First, they provide ongoing PROACTIVE support and maintenance of our site. I emphasize "proactive" because that is exactly what I was looking for. They proactively take care of updates and issues, and bring advice and new ideas to us, instead of us having to bring it to them.

Secondly, we continually have a number of development projects that add new features, capabilities and enhancements to our Drupal site, and Kanopi has successfully developed and implemented each of them.

What was the team composition?

I primarily work with a project manager, who brings in different Kanopi associates depending on the experience or skill sets needed for the particular task or project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We are a B2B company, and in the B2B world, your digital presence and digital marketing efforts are critically important, as engagement and buying decisions are often made by customers doing their own education and research.

Kanopi's work has had a significantly positive impact on our SEO efforts, as well as our ability to deliver useful and relevant content to our customers in the manner they prefer.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management is very reliable - there are rarely (if ever) any surprises or balls dropped with communicating needs, expectations, requirements, deliverables or project costs. In addition to Zoom conferences, Teamwork is primarily used as the project management platform.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I can name two things. Kanopi Studios understands the needs and value prop of a complex company like ours. They also function as an extension of our marketing team. Exactly what we needed.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not much I can think of regarding areas of improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the communications director at Goldman Environmental Prize. We seek to honor and support grassroots environmental activists around the world to help protect the environment and inspire others to do the same.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kanopi Studios?

We needed a vendor to develop a new website for us. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kanopi Studios built our current website in WordPress, managing both design and development. We’re particularly busy in spring, so we're doing a lot of updates on our website. Kanopi Studios implements all the changes and develops new templates and solutions for us. They also help us resolve bugs and improve the interface between our home page, a press page, and profile pages. 

What is the team composition? 

We work with a project manager and two or three other members of their team. 

How did you come to work with Kanopi Studios?

The relationship had started before I joined the company. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

We started with them in October 2014, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website looks very professional, which is important for our business. If we have an urgent issue, Kanopi Studios resolves it as soon as possible. They have a system for marking the urgency of the projects, which has been working very well. In addition, they're able to come up with solutions that are creative and unique. I don't have the technical expertise, so I appreciate having a partner who is able to think through things and make recommendations. 

How did Kanopi Studios perform from a project management standpoint? 

They're very responsive and great communicators. We use Teamwork to keep track of the projects and we also use email and phone to stay in touch. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're always trying to find the solutions that will make us happy. They're willing to work with us, even when we have our moments of stress.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In a perfect world, they'd have more developers. However, they're very responsive, especially when it comes to urgent projects, so we haven't had any issues. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear, transparent, and consistent in communication. Also, make sure you have a good relationship with your project manager. We found a monthly video call to be very helpful as well. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I'm the director of marketing for a telecommunications provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kanopi Studios? 

We were trying to find a solution to build out our website in a more efficient and user-friendly manner. We wanted to enhance the speed and usability of the site in general, in hopes that this would increase conversions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Kanopi Studios is providing web development and content services. They work in Drupal. They modify some of the content on the website and rearrange it so that it’s more usable and better accessible by my end users. Everything else, I left up to them. I hand them the keys and let them drive the project.

What is the team composition? 

We work with 5–6 people. Our project lead is the main point of communication. The technical team members join the calls on a regular basis and support the project as needed. I expect the total number will grow as we move into the next phase. 

How did you come to work with Kanopi Studios? 

An employee at my previous job introduced me to them. I met with Anne (CEO/Founder, Kanopi Studios), who outlined what they could do for us in a succinct and engaging manner. I brought them on, and they delivered on everything that they said they would. Because of that positive experience, I told my new boss that we should use them for web design. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

Work started in late May 2019 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Kanopi Studios didn't come in and try to maximize their dollars. From day one, they work to maximize their value. I trust them implicitly. They do very thorough technical audits, and they’re excellent at prioritizing the results. They separate minor issues with the website that can be put at the end of the queue from the ones that need to be repaired tomorrow. They focus their energies on high-impact, high-result tactics. 

They came to my current company and have performed just as well as they did for the previous company. I have a different project manager and technical lead, which speaks to the consistency of their process and approach. I highly recommend Kanopi Studios. 

How did Kanopi Studios perform from a project management standpoint? 

Their project management team is great. They do a weekly video call with us, and we can always tell that they’re giving us their undivided attention. Kanopi Studios’ project managers are almost overwhelmingly efficient. My challenge is keeping up with their process. Notes, next steps, or tasks from the meeting are documented and pushed out quickly.

Overall, they do a really good job of communication through weekly calls, emails, project updates, and Slack. The personal touch and super-efficient workflow have made this partnership a really good experience for us. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

Kanopi Studios gets results; they know what they're doing.

Are there any areas they could improve? 

Nothing's come up yet in our current engagement. I also can't think of one instance in my prior engagement where we had to wait for them or had any issues.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a digital communications manager and project lead for the redesign and re-development of our enterprise website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kanopi Studios?

The redesign and development (and move) of our enterprise website. We moved from Processwire to Drupal 8, and from internally hosted to Pantheon.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a responsive, searchable, easy to navigate and compliant website for our enterprise website. We were focused on paring down the content and focusing on the tasks our audience needed to accomplish.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had a 3 vendor competitive bid. We went with Kanopi as it was very clear that we would be a priority for their team and they made it abundantly clear they were committed to understanding our needs and outcomes.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We provided a business requirements document, a brief site map, a content audit and brand guide. Kanopi did not provide content (except for about 5 pages worth) or significantly source photos. We needed them to focus on the function and the design more than the written content.

What was the team composition?

We had a total of 17 people, between internal resources and Kanopi. Our main point of contact was Tim, as the project manager and Jason, as the main developer. Kim was our initial designer and she worked very hard to understand our aesthetic focus and balance our brand between authoritative and approachable.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

This was a complete redesign, positioning us as the authority in our field. This redesign helped us focus on our audience.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We had weekly calls for project management, and my developer and Jason (Kanopi) developer also had frequent calls. We did agile development and discovery and in 12 sprints we only extended 1 deadline by 24 hours. We used Teamwork, which was great for task management and documentation.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We had access to a host of resources at any given point in time. I never felt like Kanopi couldn't address an issue or didn't have the bandwidth to support us. I loved feeling like our teams meshed and that as people, I get along with them!

Are there any areas for improvement?

None - I'd work with Kanopi again in a heartbeat.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Mind Your Brain is a company focused on developing courses and information for mental health professionals. Our organization is largely based around the work of Dr. Dan Siegel, a world-renowned author and speaker with a Harvard medical degree. I'm a consultant on the marketing and product development area. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kanopi Studios?

We were looking for a firm to help us with our website, which is built on the Drupal platform. At the baseline, we needed month-to-month maintenance and minor feature upgrades. We also hired them for the more significant updates and changes we need to make. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kanopi Studios provides monthly maintenance and base support. This level of service mainly revolves around minor frontend tweaks, security and module updates, and bug fixes. 

Some of the larger projects they've done have ranged from adding new features to updating how we handled aspects of the site on the backend. 

Recently, they created a functionality  we've termed an "all-access pass." This feature allows users to purchase access to our entire library, rather than buying individual courses. 

What is the team composition? 

Our main points of contact are a project manager and a Drupal developer. A few others from Kanopi Studios work for our business in the background. 

How did you come to work with Kanopi Studios?

When we decided to move on from our previous developer, we conducted a thorough review process and considered several different firms. Kanopi Studios came highly recommended. We met with them a few times to talk through their experience and methodology. They were a good fit for us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $10,000–$50,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in the middle of 2017 and have an ongoing partnership. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To assess Kanopi Studios, we look at the overall health of our business including more general web metrics. They make sure everything is working the way we want it to. The work that they're providing our company is up to our standards. 

How did Kanopi Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Kanopi Studios keeps everything very well-managed. They're always on top of tasks and are skilled communicators. They keep our team appraised of progress. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

From a technical standpoint, Kanopi Studios has a tremendous knowledge of Drupal. Along with their internal developers, the team is well-connected and plays a significant role within the larger Drupal developer community. They have quite an extensive reach in that space, and their fingers are always on the pulse of new trends. 

They're very helpful when it comes to fixing a new problem or considering how to add new features. If they haven't done a task before themselves, they invariably know someone with the necessary skill set who can quickly provide answers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really can't think of any. I've worked with many different firms over the years in a variety of roles, and Kanopi Studios performs very well. They're skilled and efficient. They communicate effectively and have maintained stability within the team they assigned us. We've had a positive experience so far. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust your first impression when you first meet Kanopi Studios. We met with a lot of teams, but they were the best— and it's shown. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the visual media manager for an environmental and energy nonprofit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kanopi Studios?

We hired them to provide maintenance and troubleshooting for our suite of Drupal websites and to deliver expertise and dev support on adding features to the sites.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main goal was to move the day-to-day management of our websites to Kanopi Studios, which would free up our in-house staff so that they can manage content better.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We identified vendors through conferences and online "best of" lists. Kanopi Studios stood out for having reasonable prices and Drupal-specific expertise. What stood out the most to us, though, was that they’re a woman-owned business, which helped us achieve our organizational goal of hiring minority-owned vendors. Kanopi also impressed us by being incredibly well-organized.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Besides handling all our core and module updates, as well as managing server-related updates related to our websites. Kanopi Studios is always offering recommendations for improving our websites based on their experience with their other clients. Their documentation and workflows follow industry and Drupal-recommended best practices, which is not a given out there.

What was the team composition?

They assigned a primary contact and a backend engineer. They allocate frontend developers, designers, and themers as necessary.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Our websites are better built and cleaner, in terms of code, than they were when we handed them over. They’re now up to date and our staff spends zero time troubleshooting problems or bringing crashed sites back online. The peace of mind Kanopi Studios delivers cannot be understated.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Kanopi Studios communicates project statuses through Teamwork. They’re very good at keeping everything up to date and I can always view the status of a task by checking online.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I think there's a professionalism at Kanopi Studios that is not always present in the web development world. They’re adept at bridging the gap between plain language and tech-speak. They also make sure they’re thinking about any possible side effects caused by executing a task and they’ve mastered the almost lost art of effective, friendly customer service.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have zero complaints about my partnership with Kanopi Studios.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Mises Institute is an educational organization dedicated to researching and teaching the Austrian School of economics and politics. We publish books and journals, produce videos and podcasts, host conferences around the world, and offer free online resources. As technology manager, I handle audio and video production, graphic design, and management of our website. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kanopi Studios?

We first worked with their founder when she was our project manager with another vendor. When she started Kanopi Studios, we stayed with that firm for support and ongoing development. After a year, we moved to Kanopi Studios. That move was a game-changer, and we've been happy ever since.

What were your goals for this project?

In 2013, we redesigned our site from the ground up, moving our robust website from a proprietary setup to Drupal 7. Our goal was to build an attractive, efficient site that our staff could easily manage and constantly improve.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed several vendors. The deciding factor was the founder's professionalism and our ease in interacting with her.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We evaluated our mission and organizational goals throughout the wireframe design, architecture, site management, and launch. We interacted extensively and scheduled many conference calls. Since the launch, we've continued with ongoing improvements, development, and maintenance.

Because our website evolved over 15 years, it was a rat's nest of dysfunctional systems. Building a new home and importing a huge database into Drupal was extremely challenging, but they made it happen.

We're constantly improving our website and launching new development projects. We are working on a text-to-speech project and an API that will expand and improve site performance and features.

What was the team composition?

We mostly spoke with our project manager, information architect, and UX expert. We had limited interaction with the graphic designer and technical team, so I'm not sure how many people were involved. After launch, most of our interactions have been with our project manager and technical lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The most obvious impact has been the improved, responsive site design and streamlined website management. It's easy to add and edit content. Another unexpected impact has been the expansion of Drupal site features. For example, it's easier to host RSS feeds of our podcasts and audiobooks, feed them to platforms like Stitcher and Spotify, and add Spanish and Korean translations of our website.

We had 11,507,718 unique page views in 2018, and mobile device and tablet sessions accounted for more than 3.9 million total visits. The website is key to reaching new audiences and younger demographics. For example, 48% of our online readership in 2018 was under the age of 35, and nearly 47% of all sessions occurred on mobile devices. Their team makes this ongoing creative growth possible. Looking to the future sets us apart.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They're professional and systematic. The founder has managed the entire process. While quite responsive to our ideas and suggestions, she keeps the project on track and under budget. Our current project manager and tech lead are fantastic. They're quick to respond to and solve problems.

Since we're a nonprofit, it's important that they are also cognizant of our budget and timeline. They break down invoices, so we know how they spend every minute and dollar.

We communicate weekly through video conferencing, but they are regularly available through email and Teamwork and are always open to schedule meetings. The entire team is extremely responsive, accommodating, and pleasant. Their customer service is impeccable. Sometimes the founder calls, out of the blue, to see how things are going. They make us feel like their most important client.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I've never worked with a company that balances customer service, friendliness, work quality, deadlines, and professionalism so well. They are simply the best. We are pleased to work with Kanopi Studios and always recommend them. I've worked here for nearly 18 years, and hiring them was the best website-related decision we've ever made.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We should have been slightly more hands-off. They accommodated our constant requests and changes, but we should have stepped back and let the experts run with it.