Mano a Mano

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Varishapes, a 3D printing company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mano a Mano?

We needed a new website, so we contacted Mano a Mano. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mano a Mano designed and developed a new website for us using Webflow. The biggest factor we considered was the site’s designs since it was information-intensive. It must have an appealing design even when presenting a large amount of information. This was our main requirement. They also worked on integrating the site with an optimized quoting system, which came from another supplier. For tools, they mainly used Figma. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people, including Ana (Co-Owner). 

How did you come to work with Mano a Mano?

We knew them through a recommendation.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent €3,600 (approximately $4,000 USD) plus tax. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from January–August 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we only finished in August 2023, we have yet to invest in marketing. Nonetheless, the new website has a much more professional look than before. As an online service, this website is the face of our company. I expect it to improve our brand awareness and image as a reliable and professional brand. 

Meanwhile, we were truly satisfied with Mano a Mano’s work. They helped us so much and did other things they didn’t even have to do, such as sending us emails and providing general advice on things like taking photographs for the website. We asked them their opinion before taking the pictures, and they gave their inputs, proving they were an all-rounder in terms of helping with website design. 

Moreover, the team was highly professional. They designed the website in such a way that we could add more materials and technologies easily. We received documentation on how we could do tasks such as changing pages and tweaking their format. Everything was documented through videos with chapters, so it was easy for us to navigate their manual. 

How did Mano a Mano perform from a project management standpoint?

Mano a Mano met deadlines. Normally, they’d tell us they’d finish something in one month, but they’d actually finish it within 15 days. Moreover, they were highly patient even when we had to translate texts. We were more to blame for any delays that occurred. To collaborate, we used tools such as Notion. Most of our conversations were through emails, phone calls, and WhatsApp. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ana was always ready to jump on a call and answer my questions. She responded quickly to all my suggestions and did everything I needed them to do. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. I had nothing to complain about — they were efficient. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a good notion of what you want. Prepare everything because when Mano a Mano starts working, they’ll truly go at it. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner/ Founder of Varishapes

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

3D Printing Service provider

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Mano a Mano to accomplish?

• Make a new website with a good design and great responsivity
• Increase brand reputability
• Increase sales

SOLUTION

How did you find Mano a Mano?

Referral

Why did you select Mano a Mano over others?

• High ratings
• Referred to me
• Comparison between diferent supplier,Mano a Mano had the best design

How many teammates from Mano a Mano were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Develop a new website for Varishapes 

• Objectives: 
  • Increase sales 
  • Increase brand awareness 
  • Increase brand reputation 
• Deliverables: 
  • Design of the website 
  • Design of elements alluding to 3D printing 
  • Design of tables comparing diferent materials 
  • Design and creation of a comparison chart helper with costumized vector images 
  • SEO optimization 
  • Website hosting and transfer from previous hosting 
  • Create a page to embed a automatic quoting tool

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Boost website traffic 
• Greater brand recognition and reputation 
• Increase in sales

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The first steps after aproval of the project where defining the deliverables and timings. 

1. Initial wireframe test of the website. 
2. Layout of the website with the integration of all the tecnical text and image creation 
3. Tests and implementation 
4. Training and delivery of documentation 

All objectives have been reached by the dates set even with delay from our side, they worked in a timely manner to adress any problems our doubt that we had.

What was your primary form of communication with Mano a Mano?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Absolute focus on the project, timely response, availability and approachability for sugestions and/or changes even on later stages of development. The quality of the design and know-how in the area gave us peace of mind in the final result.

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

Because of their working speed they have to be sure that the website content is completed and formated in a way that is easily inserted in the website, althoug this was more a problem on our side

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Building Pictures, a company dedicated to making films about architecture to build better cities. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mano a Mano?

Our company was coming up on our 10th anniversary and had never taken the time to create a brand strategy; we hired Mano a Mano to provide branding services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially met with Mano a Mano and went back and forth with proposals. We’ve been collaborating closely with them to design a logo, colors, fonts, and a website. The team is also helping us with layouts for our podcast and creating posters for a film we’re premiering. 

What is the team composition?

We work with two people. 

How did you come to work with Mano a Mano?

We were at a conference and saw some of their work and were highly impressed. We realized then that we wanted to bring Mano a Mano to our company to help us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around €3,000 (approximately $3,300 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2022, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we started working together, our company’s professionalism has risen. Mano a Mano’s work has strengthened our company and really made it shine. We’ve also had a lot of positive external feedback. 

How did Mano a Mano perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything is delivered on time and within budget; it’s a smooth partnership with Mano a Mano. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

We’d like to shout out Inês (Co-Owner).

What did you find most impressive about them?

We want to keep working with them to continue improving our designs. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing we can come up with at this point. Mano a Mano is dedicated to the project and invested in its success.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Engage with Mano a Mano because they’re easy to work with and fast. Make sure you’re also aligned so that you can get the best results. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Cleome; we are a Portuguese swim and beachwear brand for women. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mano a Mano?

We were looking for a branding agency to help us create a strong identity. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially hired Mano a Mano for branding purposes; they created all our branding materials, from the logo to the packaging. When we realized our company had potential, we decided to change the name and the branding, and we continued to work with Mano a Mano. They helped celebrate the name change with a small capsule collection and were responsible for creating the icon for that collection. 

What is the team composition?

We were in contact with Ines (Co-Owner) and two other individuals. 

How did you come to work with Mano a Mano?

We found them through a Google search. One of our partners had also gone to the same university as one of the founders of Mano a Mano, and we liked their work, so we decided to move forward. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around €12,000 (approximately $13,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between December 2018–August 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were completely satisfied with their work. They listened to what we wanted, and we were happy with the result. We were looking for a simple design and branding, and they created that for us. Our partnership was worth it. 

How did Mano a Mano perform from a project management standpoint?

They met with us consistently and were open to feedback. They were transparent and explained everything to us in a clear manner. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Mano a Mano shared and understood our vision completely. Everything went smoothly, and they never complained about anything. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing we can come up with. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Transparency on both ends of the partnership is important. Explain what you are looking for and your requirements right away so Mano a Mano understands what you want. It’s also helpful to have regular meetings so that you’re always aligned. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of a vegan products company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Mano a Mano?

We needed help with branding tasks for our company because we only had our brand’s name.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mano a Mano has been taking care of our branding-related tasks, including logo design, packaging development, social media content creation, and WordPress web development.

What was the team composition?

Started working with one of the duo but now both work together on all our projects.

How did you come to work with Mano a Mano?

Someone referred them to us.

How much have you invested in them?

So far, we've spent around €3,000 (approximately $ USD) with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, we’ve seen moderate growth on our social media, and Mano a Mano’s content creation plays an important role. Overall, I’ve been getting what I’ve asked from them, so they’ve met all of my expectations so far.

How did Mano a Mano perform from a project management standpoint?

Mano a Mano has been amazing with project management. They’re organized and get back to me immediately when I ask them for something and finish it on the same day. They’ve also stayed on budget without any problems.

Regarding communication, we use text messages, emails, and in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Mano a Mano’s team is very attentive and shows great respect for our time and money. In addition, they commit to understanding our work and our business to ensure that their deliverables are perfect.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could include more things in the packages they offer. For example, we wanted clarification about the legal criteria we needed to consider for our packaging, and it would’ve been nice to have that from their side.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be honest about your requirements.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a graphic designer at Critical TechWorks, a joint venture between BMW and a Portuguese company called Critical Software. We’re focused on developing automotive software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mano a Mano?

We needed design support for several internal projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mano a Mano works with us on various projects. They mainly help us create graphic designs that are used as content for internal communication, events, and programs. They’ve been us with our well-being and sustainability programs and onboarding process.

What is the team composition?

We work with two designers from their team.

How did you come to work with Mano a Mano?

We came across one of their works on social media. It had a lot of positive reviews, so we decided to hire them for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $25,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Mano a Mano in January 2023, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Mano a Mano’s efforts have had a positive impact on our business in terms of lessening the workload that we have. Overall, we’re very happy with their services. 

How did Mano a Mano perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re really quick with their work; they always deliver earlier than expected. We also don’t need to guide them all the time because they can work autonomously. We use Notion to manage tasks and communicate mainly via phone calls.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything that Mano a Mano could improve on at the moment.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Be open to Mano a Mano’s comments. They’re very proactive in providing feedback — in fact, they’ve been giving us great advice on the decisions we need to make.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and manager of Cruel, a restaurant located in downtown Porto, Portugal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We asked for the branding for the project, going through the creation of the logo, business cards, menus and web page.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Mano-a-Mano was recommended to me by a friend who had already used their services for her company.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

We scheduled a first meeting where I explained the concept of the restaurant and set out my expectations. Then we communicated online, as the designers sent me their first ideas and starting points for creation.

We followed a path until the choice of the logo, which then led to the design of the remaining materials. The designers did some adjustments and we got together again to settle the final details. All the production work was accompanied by Mano-a-Mano, thus guaranteeing its quality.

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

I worked directly with the designers Inês and Ana.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Based on the results of the project, our brand became very popular specially because the proposal was quite different and fun. The physical menu (divided into levels of experience) created an impact, as did the communication we put on social media. The result was brutal and positioned the restaurant at the forefront of the range in which it operates.

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

After the initial meeting, we were always communicating via phone and email, and the response was always very quick from the designers. We also held some video call meetings when dealing with more detailed matters. Communication and feedback were, without a doubt, the high point of this partnership.

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

Creativity, responsiveness and sensitivity to integrate, whenever possible, my expectations regarding the materials that were developed.

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

Honestly, I have nothing to say.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the General Manager of Hinterland, an architecture studio in Porto. We are a young office but with an experienced team. We develop mainly residential and services projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Mano a Mano to develop the company's branding. It defines our positioning in the market. We wanted to position ourselves in the market in a credible way that would allow us access to bigger customers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

First we saw the other works that Mano a Mano did and we liked their design language. We had a meeting and decided to move forward.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

First we describe our company and our objectives. After they send us a file with some references where we can explain what we liked or not. They send us the first ideas, with different options, we chose one, and they developed that ideia. They show us the solution and we really like, after that we only had to confirme our info. In the end of the process they asked quotations for the different supports (cards, books...) and they manage this process with the providers.

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

I worked directly with Ana and Inês, the co-founders of Mano a Mano

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our clients and partners love our evolution. We had new contacts coming online due to the presentation of the company, demonstrating quality and credibility

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

They sent us a time line of the process, we had zoom meetings in key moments of the process where they show us the evolution of the branding, and we have a whats app to facilitate the communication.

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

They added more to the process than we expected, and they are really creative persons. They love what they do and that rubs to the project and to the communication with us.

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

We really love there job, and we already recommend them to other people. So we have nothing to indicate as an improvement.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on 02/02/2023

Tiago Vieira

Executive Director, Build: from high to low tech

Arts, Entertainment & Music

1-10 Employees

Porto, Portugal

Less than $10,000

Oct 2021 - Mar 2022

Project summary

Mano a Mano provided branding services for a construction and architecture solutions company's event. They covered the entire process, from the initial concept to the development of graphic elements.

Feedback summary

With Mano a Mano, the event had a clear branding that allowed the client to get multiple contacts with partners and an executive. Through regular communication and online meetings, they led a smooth workflow. Customers can expect a creative team that can deliver effective branding materials.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director of an international congress called Build: from high to low tech. We focus on sustainable solutions on the field of construction and architecture

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

For the first edition of the congress we hired mano a mano to develop the complete branding of the event. Because this was the first edition they were part of the whole process, from the initial concept to all the graphic elements development.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did a shortlist of 3 design teams based on their portfolio, work experience and client history. After this we interviewed them and asked for the work quotation. We took our decision based on the personal connection and fair work price.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

The first step was to do a briefing meeting where we discussed what we needed to develop for the event. Mano a Mano experience was very valuable on this phase because this was our first time organizing this type of event and they helped us define all the supports needed. After this initial briefing Mano a Mano prepared a document with several references of design supports for us to choose what we liked more or less and why, in order to understand our mindset for the design.

After we did this analysis they started working on the design, and sent us a first draft with some supports. We discussed some options and closed a solution for the general image. After this was settled they developed a calendar with the dates they would have the several deliverables ready and also a calendar with the social media content they were developing according to the post dates.

They were very professional and respected the defined timing, they delivered the web site, posters, invites, brochures, identification cards, airport card for the driver, social media publications, a note pad we offered the attendants, covid masks with logo and pencils. Besides this they also went to venue with us and designed a sign for the check-in counter and an animation for the pulpit of the speakers.

At the end of the event they also designed a book. We sent them the content, they tested a first chapter, we approved the layout and then they developed the entire document. We reviewed it in the end, corrected some things and they did the final print art works. They also took care of the printing process at the factory and went there to check the draft version.

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

We worked with 2 people from the team, Ana and Inês, they were both in charge of all the work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because of the event we got multiple contacts with clients and partners for the next edition. We even managed to get a meeting with a relevant CEO because we sent him a copy of the book and he liked it so much he decided to meet us.

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

We communicated regularly by e-mail and had online meeting on key milestones of the project. In the month before the event we set-up a whats app group for contact and quick contact.

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

We already knew their creative skill where high, and thats why we hired them. We were highly impressed by their dedication to the project and organization. Everything went exactly how we planned together.

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

Not really.

STAR RATINGS

Overall rating: 5

World class design quality with very reasonable price

Quality: 5

We had speakers from all arround the world and the opinion was unanimous, the design was great

Cost: 5

worth every penny, their design gave a lot of credibility to the event

Schedule: 5

Very easy to do, they were very quick to follow-up

Willing to refer: 5

Allways, I know several designers but they are our first option

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of HashDash, a company that has taken the complexity out of consumers finding the right cannabis products for their health and medical needs. Our platform features a very complex matching algorithm that takes user data and aggregates it with our cannabis data to help match consumers with better cannabis products. This allows our customers to have an enhanced experience and meet their needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mano a Mano?

Our biggest challenge was that our project was massive. Our platform is extremely complex, so it was challenging to build it in a succinct way that focused on the greatest pieces that would help us convert users, enhance their experience, and keep them on the platform.

Therefore, we needed to find a UI/UX design service that could help us look at our entire platform, identify the most important features for users, and design it in a way that connected those features in a user-friendly way. This new design would allow users to access our core features without feeling overwhelmed, enhancing their experience in ways they had never experienced before on other platforms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mano a Mano has designed and developed our platform from scratch. They started this project by understanding our mission, core focus, objectives, and customer profiles. For the latter, they helped us build 15–20 different consumer profiles, and we studied what would be the best-case, middle-case, and worst-case user journeys for the UX. Obviously, our goal was to achieve the best-case user journey.

From there, Mano a Mano helped us analyze some of our competitors, which were limited, to understand what they did well and what they could do better. After that, we reached out to some of those platforms’ users to understand their pain points.

Once we finished with the thorough discovery and research process, Mano a Mano built wireframes for our platform on Figma. We then analyzed those wireframes and decided to start building the actual components of our platform. Since then, we’ve been developing and enhancing our platform.

On this platform, users will be able to access and answer some questions about the type of consumer they are, their preferences, and the condition or symptoms they’re trying to address. Once they fill out the questionnaire, their information gets pulled into our algorithm, which takes our aggregated data and builds a profile for the user.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Inês and Ana (Co-Owners).

How did you come to work with Mano a Mano?

I was referred to Mano a Mano. This person told me that they were a phenomenal design team with a lot of positive testimonials, especially in Portugal. My first contact was with Inês and Ana, and they were both confident about their abilities to complete the task. Their confidence gave me a lot of confidence going into the project because I knew it wouldn’t be easy.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project has been ongoing since June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Mano a Mano has been phenomenal. Before they joined, we had a business plan, an idea, and a vision, and they turned that into reality, which wasn’t easy. We had hundreds of pages about a very complex platform, and they were able to take all that information and create a succinct and cohesive platform that aligned with our vision and mission. Seeing our platform come to life has been fulfilling and rewarding; Mano a Mano has indubitably done a wonderful job.

Moreover, the great UX created by Mano a Mano has allowed us to have a higher user conversion rate — thus far, we have over 300 early users. Although we haven’t launched the platform yet, we’ve created a lite, private site. We’ve taken these early users through a Figma demo and this site to collect their feedback, and the comments we’ve received about our platform’s UI/UX have been extremely positive.

Another successful part of our engagement has been Mano a Mano’s help in decluttering and prioritizing certain aspects of our platform. Originally, we had a lot of ideas and wanted to do a lot of things, but they were able to help us narrow down our ideas and bring greater focus to the features that truly matter to users. The positive feedback has proven the success of those decisions.

How did Mano a Mano perform from a project management standpoint?

Mano a Mano’s communication is remarkable. Our entire internal team is on Slack, so Inês and Ana decided to join our Slack channel from the start. Additionally, they set us up on Figma, so I can leave a comment on their designs if I want changes or have questions.

Mano a Mano doesn’t only make changes and recommendations over Figma, but they also reach out to us via Slack to let us know if there have been any updates. Moreover, we have calls with the entire team on Mondays, to which Mano a Mano also joins, even if we discuss something that isn’t directly related to them. These meetings help them understand the project intimately, which allows them to enhance their designs and the UX.

Additionally, Mano a Mano has set us up on Jira for project management. We manage tickets through Jira on a biweekly basis. Halfway through those two-weeks periods, we have something we call Demo Day. On this day, everyone gets to review the projects we’re working on and provide feedback. By the end of those two weeks, we close out the sprint cycle and start a new one.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Mano a Mano’s designs are extremely clean. I went to college for graphic design, so I greatly appreciate what designers go through. Thanks to this, I know that Mano a Mano has a talent for looking at cluttered things and coming up with designs to make them beautiful, natural, and emotive, which is outstanding.

We’ve pivoted a lot as a business in order to find our next step, and Mano a Mano’s flexibility to pivot with us and enhance those changes has been impressive. Additionally, Inês and Ana are very responsive, concise, and diligent, and they focus on the details. They focus on all the core pillars a designer should have.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing Mano a Mano could improve on. Although everyone has room for improvement, Inês and Ana have done a remarkable job and gone above and beyond their line of duty.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Face-to-face communication is very important to avoid things getting lost in translation. While communicating through Slack and email is fine, take the time to jump on Zoom calls to allow them to understand your vision and the emotions you want to convey with your product. This will help you accelerate the process and create a more intimate relationship with them.