Lazarev.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-owner of a software-as-a-service application. Our software helps small and medium businesses keep their client data secure and make it easy for their clients to communicate securely. We also provide electronic signatures to speed up business workflows.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lazarev.?

As our SaaS application had evolved over the past several years and added new functionality, the original UX had become limiting. We wanted a better UI and UX to make the new application functionality easy and smooth to use for our users. We also wanted to upgrade the look and feel.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online and reviewed vendor portfolios. We had initial meetings to discuss costs and process. While there were multiple vendors that seemed to fit our needs, Lazarev's portfolio stood out in terms of quality and attention to detail.

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

The project started with researching our product as well as competing products. This stage was crucial to identifying the major opportunities for improvement. While we internally had some thoughts for improvements before starting the project, the research by Lazarev Design highlighted many additional opportunities some of which we realized would help significantly with some of our customer support tickets being submitted by our users.

Based on the initial research we determined the actual requirements and scope for the redesign. The next phase was to select a design direction, based on mood-boards and overall concept proposals prepared by Lazarev. This helped us narrow down our design preferences and principles. The third phase was determining the UX flows for various operations (denoted as wireframes). This is where most of the UX improvements to our product were realized.

They were very open to discussion and where we had differing design opinions, the Lazarev team provided detailed reasoning and alternative options. The rich dialogue has really helped improve our product's workflows and usability. The final phase was designing the actual page designs with the final look and feel based on the UX flows determined earlier. The delivered design was well thought out and included detailed considerations of readability, accessibility, and visual coherence.

The delivered work demonstrates their in-depth knowledge of SaaS design including new user experience when the application has little data and the impact of design on the subsequent software implementation such as page speed and responsiveness.

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

Our main point of contact was the project manager. Alternative points were always ensured whenever the primary PM was unavailable such as due to vacation. The actual work was done by other team members, some of whom were on the communication channels and Figma files.

I must mention that our regular cadence of meetings and delivery updates was maintained throughout the 6-7 month project duration without a single reminder required from my side. This is very impressive compared to other firms I have worked with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are highly satisfied with the design of the UX and UI delivered. While we the implementation on our software is still underway, we are very excited about the new changes. They address many of our customers' wish list items and reported limitations.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The main point of contact was very responsive and provided frequent updates. We used Zoom meetings, Slack, as well as screen recordings to communicate, besides sharing the actual design file for detailed comments and discussions. The workflow and process is one of the best I have worked with including my experience with much larger companies.

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

The quality of the work and attention to detail is highly commendable. I get the sense that the work is done by professionals who are passionate about their work and take pride in the quality of their craftsmanship. The communication process followed was top-notch. They accommodated our time zone difference well.

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

None at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a senior executive of a blockchain development company. Our company makes it easy for apps and brands to reward users and create exciting experiences with cryptocurrency, all while generating new streams of revenue for themselves.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website was created over 5 years ago and has become outdated. We recently updated our brand identity and we hired this team to develop a new web platform around our new brand By doing this, we were aiming to create a more compelling narrative around our product and mission.

SOLUTION

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

We searched online for leading web developers. We interviewed several throughout various locations around the globe. This agency was recommended by word of mouth and after interviewing them, we chose them based on their enthusiasm, design skills and cost estimate.

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

We had a kick off meeting to discuss our goals and objectives. Our project was a total re-write of our existing web site so we were not taking any of the old site with us - completely new look, message and functionality. We sent ahead of the meeting an outline of how we wanted the website to function, along with samples of different things we had collected on sites that we liked. The agency presented to us a very detailed presentation on how they saw the vision for the site based on our instructions.

Their presentation was very compelling and had flexibility in style where we could provide input in the direction. There were lots of opportunities where the agency provided us different suggested design directions based on latest market research and trends - all of which were presented for our input and feedback on what we liked. We wanted the website built with webflow and the agency could accommodate that.

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

The project manager was our main point of contact, and she was fantastic. We also were introduced with senior people in the organisation including the head of design and the CEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching our site, we saw a 120% increase in traffic. We have a large online community and the new site was very well received and they were excited about it. For our strategic objectives, our key customers have a better understanding of our value proposition and offering.

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

We had bi-weekly meetings with the project manager, who co-ordinated the rest of their team. She was fantastic to deal with, responded timely to any questions and was quick to provide options and recommendations to any feedback or questions we had along the way. Budget was a factor for us, and she also sent us weekly fee updates so we could track how we were doing. We communicated mostly on Slack and Zoom.

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

They gave us a professional site that took our product to the next level. They had excellent design and animation skills and were able to deliver a first-class site. We have a large and complex website and they were quick to offer innovative solutions to make our site easy to update and manage. They also took the time to offer training and educational materials so we could learn how to update it ourselves.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of an ecommerce tech company, I am based in New York with team members in NY, Boston, LA, and throughout central and south America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lazarev.?

Our web application was designed over a period of two years with many new features launched and new ones now requiring more modern UX while matching existing UI. We hired Lazarev for a series of UX and UI updates throughout the app, on about 7 views. Our goal was to be able to ship new feature while improving the product overall.

SOLUTION

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

We hired multiple designers, at first in our timezone and then in Europe and Asia, and gave them all small assignments as our team was getting ready to understand how to best work with an outside designer. Lazarev was by far the most organized and highest quality design team we've worked with. We expanded the project with them because they made it easy for us to plan work.

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

After a couple of planning Zoom calls with their management and PMs, we connected on Slack and Figma where they delivered work every 2-3 days. The work was always well documented, with 2 or 3 options each time allowing us to give feedback and narrow down options. They presented time and cost estimates at the beginning of the project and met them all, understanding our time constraints for each step. When needed, their team scheduled Zoom calls with us to facilitate feedback. After final review, they prepared the design for our engineers with more details in Figma.

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

We worked with two designers, one reviewing the work mostly, and a project manager. We mostly interacted with the project manager who did phenomenal documentation and communication work. They have a larger team that's allowed them to run some of our projects in parallel.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was completed on time and on budget, and we were able to release each part as needed with raving reviews from our customers.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We mostly interacted with the project manager, through Slack and Figma which was extremely efficient. We were worried about the timezone difference but they were always available for most of our workday when needed and all of our meetings were in the morning (EST).

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

Their design is extremely good, but their structure and processes are their superpowers. I've never worked with a vendor operating so well, especially on a creative job.

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

We've decided to rely on them for all of our design going forward instead of hiring full-time product designers, so we're VERY pleased. As with every external contributor, we wish they understood a little bit more of how our product works, but that's on us and it's something we've noticed is getting better with new projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of product at WellSet. We run live wellness classes. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lazarev.?

We hired Lazarev. to work on the UI/UX of our in-product portal. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lazarev. came in and took our existing offers and integrated new branding into them — the branding was from another external agency. The Lazarev. team optimized the UX of the product and its end-to-end member flow. The team started with developing wireframes, and we met with them a number of times. We showed them what our member experience looked like and how we wanted to transition it into something better.

From there, we went through a number of feedback sessions. Feedback was given from both the product and the client sides. On top of that, we validated whether or not our tech team could implement the wireframes that Lazarev. created. Once we approved the wireframes, we moved forward with the UI development. We started to see our brand, colors, and ways in which our members can engage with us. Our team saw everything from button colors to error states. 

Throughout the engagement, the Lazarev. team helped us adopt the best UI/UX design practices. They optimized the way things were placed on the design, though we pushed back for some items that needed to stay the same. In terms of technologies, everything was delivered to us through Figma, which let us highlight, comment, and question items on the wireframe. 

In terms of specific requests, we needed Lazarev. to improve the filtering functionality of our classes. We had various modalities under which classes — from yoga to stress relief — were filed, and end users could filter them by instructor, length of class, and others. We needed this filtering function to be dynamic and make the most amount of sense. This was our biggest request that wasn’t included in the preliminary wireframes and designs. 

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with a project manager. He took our feedback to the designers. Another person worked with me, though I didn’t have direct contact with their designers.

How did you come to work with Lazarev.?

We found them through another company referral as they were highly recommended. Our CEO hired them almost simultaneously as he hired me, and I ended up taking the lead in terms of communicating with their project manager and engineers.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $25,000–$26,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership lasted from March–June 2022. Though the engagement has ended, they’re still available for questions if we need anything from them. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work that Lazarev. did was good. They completed the project at a speed that wouldn’t have been able to achieve if we hired internally. 

How did Lazarev. perform from a project management standpoint?

From an execution and budget perspective, they helped us achieve our August 2022 launch date — their team helped our staff stay productive and focused on the deliverables. Overall, the partnership was highly collaborative.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Lazarev. truly excelled in terms of communication. There was never a question of who to talk to; we never had to wait long for responses despite our geographical distance. I truly appreciated that. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

During the April–May 2022 timeframe, we were essentially working on our branding while also working on this project with Lazarev. As a result, there was a point where I had to ask them multiple times what they needed next from us or me since there was a lot of moving parts. 

A project management document where I could check off the list of their requirements could have been useful for us. It would have been helpful in informing us what should and shouldn’t be prioritized. To be fair, we worked through this phase nicely.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of NODO Film Systems. We design and manufacture high-end cinematography equipment for cutting-edge filmmakers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Lazarev to create an engaging launch site for our latest product, Inertia Wheels MAX. MAX was a first-in-the-world product so we needed a website design to communicate the stunning nature of the product with an equally stunning website. The product uses a specific new assembly design, so we wanted a website with 3D renders to help illustrate the internals of the product with interactive graphics.

SOLUTION

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

We searched online for a company with a portfolio of websites that had 3D physical products deeply integrated into the site design. Lazarev stood out with an amazing portfolio.

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

Lazarev took the reigns leading us through a few different rounds of mood-boards, concept renders, example videos, and presentations. They delivered us a Webflow site with graphics and 3D renderings.

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

We worked directly with two people from Lazarev, both with the project manager and lead designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a huge customer response after launch. At an early trade show, just days after launch, we had many customers come through the booth already familiar with the product from the website launch. They clearly had absorbed a lot of information from the website—which for a product as paradigm shifting as ours, is a tall order.

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

We had regular meetings with the project manager. I barely had to prepare anything for the meetings as they came prepared with the exact questions they needed and presented easy, quality decisions for us to choose from each time.

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

The most impressive aspect of the company is how they pair quality design with thoughtful efficient project management and communication. I wish other aspects of our company ran as efficiently as meetings with Lazarev did.

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

Honestly, in the short amount of time we had on this project, I cannot see anything Lazarev could have done better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a company developing a mobile app. We are based in Los Angeles, California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lazarev.?

Having poor UI/UX designs can be a startup killer especially when it comes to mobile apps. This is why we partnered with Lazarev.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We posted an offer on an online freelancing platform and shortlisted 20 different agencies. We chose this vendor based on their experience they had in our industry, the cost estimate, and working hours.

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

Lazarev’s team conducted intensive research, gathering industry reviews, user feedback, and relevant information on our competitors. From there, we broke down areas our mobile app could be more intuitive and user friendly. They also worked on the product roadmap and the features that could be implemented on the long-term. They produced iterations, incorporating both our feedback and the findings into the final version.

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

Our team worked directly with their UI/UX designers and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re pleased with the deliverables with their team. the UI/UX serves as the foundation for the app we’re now working to develop in-house. We’ve tested it with several potential customers, and the feedback has been very positive. Their work also perfectly reflects the vision we had at the start, helping us create a user-friendly and easy-to-navigate mobile app. We are looking forward to having a long-term relationship with Lazarev.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Nastya, the project manager, was extremely easy to communicate with and provided us frequent updates. We had in-person meetings at least once a week, but most of the feedback was through Slack. Everything was always delivered on time.

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

The quality of their UI/UX designs were outstanding. We also loved their research methodology showing how experienced the team was. They knew about everything, from in-depth research to perfect execution.

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

Nothing to add. Amazing work!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Assistantly. We offer virtual assistant staffing solutions to small, mid-size, and large companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lazarev.?

We hired Lazarev to help us with both Web Design and Web Development. They did an amazing job with both the look and feel of the website.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for web designers to help make our website look a lot better, but we came across Lazarev and it was the perfect fit. They are a one-stop agency that helped us with both the design and development of our website. Not only was their work fantastic it was also extremely affordable!

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

After a series of discovery meetings we were able to start the project. The Lazarev team had amazing input on how we can make our website stand out from our competitors. Their team was great with communication and made sure we were updated with every change to our website.

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

In total we worked with three people but for most of the project we worked with our project manager Kostiantyn. Between Kostiantyn and Kirill it felt like we had white glove service the entire time. Both are incredible.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The main reason we hired Lazarev was for the design of our website but when we mentioned we also needed help with development they stepped up and made our entire website functioning. I invite you to check out our website to see how engaging it is.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their project manager was super easy to communicate with and it felt like he was able 24/7. We communicated via slack and whenever we needed an update or change their PM was on it.

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

They made our user experience next level. I would never imagined our website to look as good as it does currently. They really went above and beyond our expectations and executed.

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

Everything was perfect 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the founders of a new tech education platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lazarev.?

We’re developing an education platform that’s purely online. We have an in-house team but we need UI/UX designers. That is why we engaged with Lazarev.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We are programmers with an educational background so we've been teaching people how to code for a very long time. It was easy for us to develop a clear idea of the functionality that we wanted the platform to have. We knew how we wanted each button to behave, but we relied on Lazarev to make everything intuitive and aesthetically pleasing. 

We began by communicating all of our ideas to their team, outlining every feature and function. They came up with prettier designs for our mockups and wireframes.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people from Lazarev: Kirill (Founder & CEO), a project manager, and two designers.

How did you come to work with Lazarev.?

I found them on an online freelancing platform. I evaluated their designers’ portfolios, and they were the best agency out of all the 70 different companies that I had interviewed.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $35,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around June 2020. The designs have been finalized and we have begun executing their designs. However, we continue to work with the team to redo some aspects here and there. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our decision to hire Lazarev out of 70 different agencies was completely justified. Their design work was clean, intuitive, and easy to follow, which is exactly what I was looking for. Whenever I needed anything, they were always on top of it and got it done within a couple of days. Their communication was also awesome. I felt like they understood every little nook and cranny about the functionality of our platform, and they ran with it quite well.

How did Lazarev. perform from a project management standpoint?

The Lazarev team was great at meeting deadlines. We did get to a point where needed more features added, which resulted in a stretching of the budget and timelines, but that’s not on them. 

We had biweekly Zoom calls and were constantly going back and forth over Slack. We also made use of Figma for the design work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

One thing that really stood out about Lazarev was the breadth of their design portfolio. From the get-go, they gave me the confidence that Kirill and his team would be able to meet my needs. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Not a lot of people can come to Lazarev with a full-fledged idea like we did, but it is a matter of simply telling their team what you want to achieve. I would have more tips and tricks to express if these people were not that good, but the Lazarev team is amazing. I don’t think a potential client would need any special advice because this agency makes the process very simple. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of an online freelance website that allows freelancers from around the world to perform what’s called micro-jobs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lazarev.?

We needed someone to help us with frontend web design and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have full front- and backend development resources in-house and we use Lazarev. as our design resource. We do daily sprints where I review their work so they can further refine the final deliverables through Figma.

What is the team composition?

I was initially introduced to the CEO, but I mostly work with a project manager.

How did you come to work with Lazarev.?

I first met them through an independent designer I worked with from an online freelancing platform, who was hired by Lazarev.

How much have you invested with them?

I would say we’ve spent less than $60,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

The ongoing partnership started in June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The design work is tough to quantify, but our site has been successful. Our traffic has increased and the overall health of our platform has been doing really well.

How did Lazarev. perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly sprints with the project manager where we talk about the details and deliverables over Slack and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed by how responsive they are to client needs and their high-quality deliverables. We get a lot of value working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A lot of people would probably have the problem of the project going out of control when working with design companies. Lazarev. could help mitigate those problems by keeping the projects very defined so they don’t mushroom out of control.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Health & Wellness company in Dubai - United Arab Emirates

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to create an App around a determined concept and we reached out to Lazarev to design the User journey and UX/UI

SOLUTION

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

After the shortlist of several vendors, Lazarev were the right choice considering the approach and providing the right framework on how to work on the project.

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

We ran several meetings to discuss the steps and to align on the project milestones. We went thoroughly through the provided brief that included the findings and the concept in details. We used Slack as the communication platform supported with Miro, InVision and Figma.

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

Nikita was the project manager that facilitated the project and also provided some operational recommendations. Anna was the creative mind behind the UX/UI and also challenged the assumptions and provided interesting insights and recommendations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within the first months, the concept has been clarified and things started to take the real shape. Afterwords, the application of the creativity on the UI started to take shape. Minor modifications along the way that led to an amazing outcome.

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

Nikita has a high caliber communication skills and the update was almost on daily basis and had an update video call almost every week.

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

The caliber of the team members and the quality of the delivery. I was impressed and happy as if they own the project.

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

Nothing specific to highlight.