Metacarbon

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Bookis is a social marketplace for new and used books. Founded in Aug 2016. We enable our users to ship books directly from their homes via pickup from people's doormats (literally). Currently in Norway and Sweden. I am the co-founder and CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Saga - Experience Design Boutique?

Our mobile app (v.1) was scheduled for a refactor with React Native and a redesign. Up until Nov 2019, most design work had been performed in-house. Now was the time to get some talent to put their touch on it.

What were your goals for this project?

Objective: Redesign all screens of the current mobile app. • App should be more feminine (but not girly), fun/playful, spacious & modern. Target audience females 20-35y We expanded on the scope of the project after successful completion of the mobile app objective by adding a redesign of our current web app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We defined selection criteria, process and posted a job on Upwork. After getting proposal submissions we started interviewing potential talent, and also contacted a few agencies with proven track record. Saga went above and beyond the process, and cleverly contacted me via Linkedin with their personal touch. Based on our selection criteria, we were left with two very talented agencies to choose from. The scale tipped in Saga's favor because of: 1) Quality of design concepts 2) Design system know-how 3) Professional process and high-Q presentation materials 4) Chemistry with team (key point: ACTUAL team, not just sellers) 5) Alignment/Understanding of our business and goals 6) Sensible price and estimates

Describe the project in detail.

First weeks was discovery. A lot of iterations of key screens to get to a final UX concept/design system. After this we worked flow-by-flow to finish the key screens based on the new concept. Effective coordination with designer and our product owner via Figma comments and longer conversations in Slack/video calls.

What was the team composition?

Max: UX designer Roman: Project manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project has been very successful so far. We don't have any product metrics to support this yet, as the product is still in development. My measure of success is judged based on our objective and goals for the collaboration. We have successfully redesigned the mobile app, with a design concept that encapsulates the personality traits we set as criteria. As the partnership has progressed, we have broadened the scope of Saga's services to also include our web app. It is progressing in a similar manner - looks great, and the quality of work is pristine.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. As I am the former UX designer of the product, it was a natural to communicate directly with Max, UX designer, from Saga. We have an effective iterative workflow with frequent syncs and discussions (when needed). Max is skilled and confident about his work. We have come to know each other well through this project, and that eases the coordination and I think we have clear expectations. Roman keeps track of our milestones and project goals, and does a great job with that. He is also making himself available for workshops around product development, which we also highly appreciate.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Very seldom do I find that my expectations about talent is exceeded, because I keep a high bar. In my experience, most of the time expectations are not even met. But Saga has successfully blown the bar! Max is an extreme UX design talent. You don't find this kind of talent these days. There is a jungle of mediocracy to navigate (and fend off) before finding the needle in the hay stack. His level (and diversity) of design skill, effectiveness, communication/collaboration skill, smooth developer hand-off, and a pleasant personality. Hands down best designer we have worked with. We haven't had the chance to work closely with Roman, but the few sessions we have had has been great. He keeps the project running smoothly and effectively. No unnecessary meetings or sync-ups.

Are there any areas for improvement?

For Saga: Not at this time. For the workflow: As a product owner, I could have been more attentive to their calls for review and feedback. But as a founder/CEO, CFO, CPO and HR-manager, there is limited time in my schedule. In other words, I am the bottleneck most of the time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Dialik – high blood pressure forecast app that helps to predict and avoid potential health crises. Currently, we already launched the iOS and Android apps and are kicking off our launch campaign in the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Saga - Experience Design Boutique?

We’ve hired them to help us work out our initial product concept, come up with the UX strategy and UI designs for both iOS and Android apps.

What were your goals for this project?

I was looking for a proactive design partner that may become a long term vendor covering all our design needs. The first “trial” project was a clickable prototype for investors demo. We were lucky to collaborate with Saga lead designer Max and got really happy with the result. That was the reason why we have decided to move further and kicked off the comprehensive design phase for both iOS and Android apps.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had a freelancer from Upwork before, but we were not completely happy with the results. I’ve found some Saga’s works in popular charts on Dribbble and decided to drop them a line. There were three more agencies we had been discussing the project with, but Saga team looked most mature in terms of how they envision the cooperation process, so we have decided to give them a try.

Describe the project in detail.

As I mentioned before, we have started from the clickable prototype for investor demo. This phase took around two weeks and we had a little pause afterward in order to complete another funding round. Then, we have started again from the discovery week where we explored the Customer Journey Map, Value Proposition, Informational Architecture and User Flows of the app.

It was quite helpful for us, as soon as we are the medical experts by ourselves and Saga team become our very first digital advisor here, not just the design vendor. Once we have completed the discovery week, Max and Roman jumped into UI concepts and came up with several stylistic approaches in a week.

We had several iterations there to get a perfect result, but Max is really collaborative, so it was quite a seamless process for us. After that, there were 2 bi-weekly design sprints to deliver final designs for iOS and Android apps. During the final design sprint, Max has prepared a complete UI kit and some kind of document that describes all animations and design elements specifications.

What was the team composition?

Max was a lead designer and Roman was a product manager + some kind of business analyst at the very beginning of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have already launched both iOS and Android apps without any significant development problems or design gaps, so I would say it’s a good mark that demonstrates the interim project success.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Saga is quite a young team, so they hustle really hard in order to build good and long-lasting relationships. They are really proactive in their daily communication, so it was a pleasure to be sure that there is someone else thinking about your product, not just you and your business partner. There wasn’t anything special in their project management approaches, but it was consistent and transparent. Also, Max (the designer) is a highly disciplined professional, so all delivery processes and feedback loops were set up in a proper way.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Definitely the dedication and that feeling of being a part of our product team throughout the process. The design quality meets the top level too. Finally, our development vendor was really happy with the technical side of the designs Saga delivered to us, so it probably worths mentioning too.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I won’t say there is something they should definitely improve. We had quite a tough kick-off phase and the main reason was the architecture complexity we have faced at the very beginning of our concept development. However, after a few days of discussions with developers, we have found a common ground and were able to move forward.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of TeleportHQ

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A powerful visual builder with AI capabilities to create and publish your static and dynamic websites instantly.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Metacarbon to accomplish?

High Definition Template used in our Ai Website builder creator

SOLUTION

How did you find Metacarbon?

Referral

Why did you select Metacarbon over others?

• Referred to me
• Company values aligned
• good recomandation

How many teammates from Metacarbon were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

High definition template compatible with teleporthq AI website builder structure with theme support and building blocks that support composition
Deliverables:

• screens (light theme and dark theme), 
• UI-kit
• Design Primitives

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Figma files with 

• light theme and dark theme screens
• UI-kit
• Design Primitives

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

Communication went great; everything was delivered on time, and we had sessions of clarifications and intermediary follow-ups. Also, they integrated the feedback that we gave. 

What was your primary form of communication with Metacarbon?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

High-quality outcomes, fast execution, and easy communication. Domain experts

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

For this particular project, no.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of TicketGenie

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Software services for tracking the markets of event admissions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Metacarbon to accomplish?

• UI/UX Design
• Web Design
• Graphic/Promotional Design

SOLUTION

How did you find Metacarbon?

Referral

Why did you select Metacarbon over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Metacarbon were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Ongoing design of proprietary Desktop software interface with several full-screen features. Website & merchandise design for conference/convention preparation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Reimagined our design language and user experience from scratch, significantly improving over the first iteration from our first UI designer. Continued to apply advanced UI knowledge & strategies to support complex data analysis features in a user-friendly way.

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

Always organized & on time. Quick responses & comprehensive daily updates.

What was your primary form of communication with Metacarbon?

Email or Messaging App

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

Work is done at the standard of Western UX firms for the price of international labor. They are outstanding and highly recommended.

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

-

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Chief of Staff of a chemicals & biotechnology company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a trailblazing force in the trillion-dollar animal breeding industry. Feanix leverages proprietary genetic testing advancements to provide genetics and breeding as a service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Metacarbon to accomplish?

• Streamline our UI
• Consultant with experts on UI beliefs

SOLUTION

How did you find Metacarbon?

Other

Why did you select Metacarbon over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

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

• High-fidelity wireframes
• Meet timeline expectations 
• Communicate proactively when timelines change

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Increased customer usability rating

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

• They're very detail-oriented
• Communicates well
• Iterates very quickly
• Meets timeline expectations, and communicate proactively when timelines change

What was your primary form of communication with Metacarbon?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Ability to create wireframes promptly and consider our feedback, although they were not afraid to push back on feedback where needed.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am an executive of an information technology company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

DeFi portfolio management

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Metacarbon to accomplish?

• Product design for new Institutional line

SOLUTION

How did you find Metacarbon?

• Online Search

Why did you select Metacarbon over others?

• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Metacarbon were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Design for Friktion Institutional product

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Successful design completion for each user flow we require

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

Timely communication, sprints in line with our team to effectively deliver designs, able to understand user experience after few discussions and iterations, strong design intuition

What was your primary form of communication with Metacarbon?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Efficiency in shipping designs and iterating to our needs

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

Have an intake form which requires a brand and user experience to be laid out clearly for the project

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of the company. 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are digital learning platform specialized for professional services (law, tax, accounting etc.)

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Metacarbon to accomplish?

• Developing the web-app
• Creating a corporate design
• Designing the website

SOLUTION

How did you find Metacarbon?

Referral

Why did you select Metacarbon over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Metacarbon were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope was designing the web-application and creating a digital corporate design. Deliverables are 

• screens for the whole customer journey of the web app 
• detailed document for the corporate design

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The development of every single step of the customer journey

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

Project management was perfect. Every deliverable was on time, perfect communication through Slack. Very professional

What was your primary form of communication with Metacarbon?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was impressed with their level of professionalism. 100 % reliable.Proactive communication with customer, delivering input about how to even further improve the product

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Product Manager of Atmos

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Helps companies track and improve their ESG metrics throughout the year

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Metacarbon to accomplish?

• Revise current assessment flows to provide greater customer support
• Create new dashboards that summarize valuable customer insights
• Reimagine our current design system

SOLUTION

How did you find Metacarbon?

Previous Engagement

Why did you select Metacarbon over others?

Great culture fit

How many teammates from Metacarbon were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Key deliverables included:

1. Final screens for 5 updates/new user flows and screens within the application and
2. a new design system for integration by our development team

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have been able to successfully implement many of the screens that were designed by the Metacarbon team, as well as integrate the new design system structure within our existing codebase to increase development speed and consistency.

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

Metacarbon was wonderful to communicate with and consistently delivered on-time if not prior to communicated deadlines. They were so easy to work with and we can't recommend them enough.

What was your primary form of communication with Metacarbon?

Email or Messaging App

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

Metacarbon understood exactly what we needed and executed it perfectly without a ton of oversight. They were very communicative and agile when unexpected changes or requests arose.

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

Nothing to report

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Executive of news and data app for investment information for stocks,crypto and nfts. powered by ai.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Metacarbon ?

• ux/ui
• clickdummy
• product design
• prototype design
• mobile app design
• teaser video

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

based on skills and showcase projects and sense for design and aesthtetic, referred by a friend who has a company and worked with them

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

• conception of app design for ux/ui development of corporate identity
• styleguide and logo development of app screens (ux/ui)
• dev. of clickdummy and prototype
• development of teaser video

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

manager and 2 product designers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

app design, logo and video was awesome! really helped us and we were more than happy with the results and work of the team

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

very effective! fast communication, flexible communication channels, fast and adhoc video meetings, quick responses, ultra fast working

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

ultra fast working and deep sense for design and aesthetics. They were knowledgeable in their field very well.

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

telling the customer why something required / feedbacked doesn't work or isn't good idea

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Executive for a marketplace for music licenses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Metacarbon?

Website UI/UX

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The team was always very responsive, accommodating, and had beautiful designs.

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

First we discussed details important to the user flow and overall company, then the team executed the designs perfectly.

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

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback has been great thanks to their work. Customers are much happier.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was great and easy.

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

The team provided many options very quickly and customized everything to our liking.

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

They are a great team.