Naturaily

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the COO of a software company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide software for the public sector to aid in collaboration, decision-making, transparency, and access.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Creation of a custom web application for managing applications from the public , addressed for municipal bodies operating in the United States (including the levels of cities, counties, towns, and villages)
• Creation of an advanced MVP for further product development and spreading the trust- and community-building value of the application
• Ongoing development of the platform, with the goal of making public space management more streamlined, more collaborative, and more transparent for serving municipalities and communities
• Streamline and digitize the administrative and regulatory processes of various municipal bodies, facilitating the creation, review, and approval of diverse project types around public spaces

SOLUTION

How did you find Naturaily?

• Referral
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Naturaily over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Naturaily were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The project’s goal is to develop a custom web application that will serve municipalities and communities to better collaborate and communicate around land use governance, and managing applications from the public. The product will provide significant value by giving citizens more transparency and access to the flow of information in regard to their local community and increase the agency around all the processes involved. 

This is an ongoing project that we will continue to work on for the following years. The first stage is aimed at developing an advanced MVP. We’re focusing on making the application operable and functional for the area of New York State. After completing the MVP and receiving funds, we’re going to scale the product up, with the target of providing its features available for every municipality in the United States. 

Together with Naturaily, we created 3 main front ends, all based on Next.js: 

• A portal for citizens and representatives of the local communities; by accessing the portal, they can familiarize themselves with actions taken and planned in their local community 
• A custom CMS, admin panel, and personalized dashboard for municipal boards and similar entities active in the local governmental administration, responsible for managing public areas; within this front end, they can e.g. customize the pages visible for citizens, edit specific digital forms to be filled in by citizens, or manage any other portal’s feature available for citizens 
• A global admin panel for the product owners; with this layer, they’re able to add, edit, or configure features available for various public entities using the tool The front ends are supplemented with the back end based on GraphQL supported by Apollo. 

As for now, we managed to complete the following features. The municipal board can: 

• Specify the application form for every purpose needed and the case being planned and investigated 
• Collaborate with all the involved members on applications and other documents in a digitalized environment 
• Create custom conditions and automated flows for managing procedures, cutting down the inefficiencies and errors caused by human factor 
• Respond to citizens’ queries directly within the platform 
• Present data and resources about public spaces in a user-friendly way 

All of the work is being made within a single platform, meaning that the need to switch between many files, channels, and environments is minimized. The citizens and local communities are able to: 

• Easily fill in every application 
• With just a few clicks comfortably view the status of all the public projects within the platform, as well as the progress made by the local government and application reviews added 
• Transparently view the protocols of all the municipal boards’ sessions, as well as comments added to all the digitalized documents 
• Gain access to information about meetings and sessions in a centralized dashboard 

Technological stack:

• Front end 
  • React 
  • Next 13
  • Chakra UI 
  • GraphQL 
  • Apollo 
• Back end 
  • AWS/Lambda 
  • GraphQL
  • Apollo

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Development of MVP 
• Regular progress updates 
• Daily Check-ins

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

Naturaily has been extremely responsive to our needs. Communication is prompt and clear. Deliverables are consistently on-time and of high quality. We prefer frequent engagement with our team and Naturaily has provided that level of engagement wonderfully.

What was your primary form of communication with Naturaily?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Responsiveness and care. All of our questions and concerns are answered quickly, and it is clear that the team working on our project cares deeply about our success. They feel as though they are part of our team, which is exactly what we were looking for.

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

We can’t think of anything to complain about! Naturaily has addressed every issue we’ve come across gracefully and sufficiently.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Best IT is one of the leading eCommerce companies in the German-speaking / DACH region. We have more than 100 developers, UX designers, consultants, solution architects, analysts, and project managers, spread over 4 offices in Germany and Austria. Using these skill sets, we provide solutions for every step of the digital commerce process and digital transformation.

They range from strategy and advising, through user experience and design, to the creation and management of eCommerce platforms across all channels and devices. As Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer at Best IT, I support companies on their way to digital excellence by selecting and implementing future-proof technologies for a better customer experience and digitizing retail processes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Before starting the project with Naturaily, our website had been built and run following a traditional monolithic architecture, with WordPress as our content team's basic tool. This limited our workflows: disrupted the team’s control over content management processes and required ongoing support from the development team to make changes to particular pages.

We wanted to give our marketers more autonomy and flexibility, and doing so would mean huge time and resource savings. With the new version of our website, we also wanted to reflect our eCommerce and web development expertise.

We needed to relaunch the website to make it more appealing, modern, and useful, especially in the areas of design, UX, content management, SEO strategy execution, and performance. Our new website would have to be ultra-fast to provide users with a great experience and enhance our Core Web Vitals.

That’s why from the very beginning, we intended to switch to the Jamstack approach and implement Storyblok as the headless CMS of our choice. An experienced and Jamstack-savvy technological partner was needed to process this change flawlessly, and Naturaily eventually became such.

SOLUTION

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

To complete and manage the architecture change process, we required our partner to showcase its know-how and skills within a particular technological stack.

We set a few conditions they would have to meet:

• Deep understanding and proficiency within the Jamstack approach, backed by actual success stories of creating websites expandable with the use of APIs and microservices
• Strong competence to transform the design system into a dynamic front end based on JavaScript frameworks such as React.js and Next.js
• Compelling ability to significantly enhance site performance
• Proven experience concerning headless CMS implementations and content migrations, namely around the Storyblok CMS ecosystem; as it turned out, Naturaily is a Storyblok’s technological partner, and this gave them strong leverage

On top of that, what precisely made us choose the Naturaily team was that they were able to quickly verify business requirements and then propose and implement the most accurate solutions.

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

In order to achieve the goals, it was necessary to change the stack and monolithic architecture more comprehensively to Jamstack.

Our Jamstack website was to be constructed differently than the previous one: the front end and back end would become separated and hence could be independently developed, which gave a lot of flexibility.

Having finished the business goals’ verification stage, this process of layers decoupling was one of the first objectives we headed for. The next stage was all about turning our designs into JavaScript-based components that would be the basis for page creation within the Storyblok interface.

Naturaily recommended Next.js, a React-based framework created by Vercel for building websites in a scalable way. It is best suited for projects that involve a variety of different components, and ours was an example of such.

What distinguishes this approach from others is that thanks to Next.js, websites can be technically static while still having a lot of dynamic aspects, and this is what we eventually, and happily, went for.

Other important stages worth mentioning:

• Preparing WordPress to Storyblok content migration
• UX and CX adjustments implementation
• Creating and deploying particular pages’ with the use of Storyblok Naturaily also offered a maintenance package for our developers that included software updates and the ability to create any new components as required by the client.

Technological stack:

• Storyblok (headless CMS)
• Netlify
• Next.js
• TypeScript
• Tailwind CSS
• Storybook

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

Our core services are quite similar, so we split some responsibilities regarding project management and planning, and crafted a realization plan together. This included also the composition of the team:

• 1 Jamstack Developer (Naturaily)
• 1 Project Manager (Naturaily)
• 1 Head of Marketing (Best IT)
• 1 Head of Design (Best IT) It was we who prepared designs, yet the development and implementation stage was Naturaily’s responsibility.

We worked in the Agile methodology (sprints).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

First and foremost, the transition from monolithic to Jamstack was handled skillfully. Together with a well-thought-out approach to the CMS change, this made us better prepared to prove to our DACH customers we’d be their digital partners of choice.

What’s more, Naturaily’s work changed the content marketers' experience for the better tremendously. Based on the given designs, we received 70 different React-based, modular and customizable components, broken down into templates, organisms, molecules, and atoms.

They are accessible through Storyblok’s visual editor in a way that gives content marketers a great deal of freedom to control the specific site's appearance and feel. They see changes to the page immediately before it’s even deployed.

What’s more, unlike web builders that provide a comparable capability for quickly changing a website's appearance, the Jamstack method combined with headless CMS doesn't worsen the site's performance.

Actually, the performance metrics went up, and this had been expected. Our website is now quick, light, and ultra-flexible, and this ultimately helped us improve Core Web Vitals notably. Important metrics like Largest Contentful Paint or Time to Interactive boosted, and this additionally strengthens our SEO visibility.

Because the front end and back end are isolated from one another, we’re also able to easily scale the website up using APIs and microservices. This new Jamstack architecture and the fact that our developers equipped themselves with all the needed know-how, allow us to be more flexible, faster, and more independent.

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

We’re delighted with the quality of work we’ve done collaboratively, and this wouldn’t have been possible if Naturaily were unfit for clear communication. Their team is fully prepared to communicate within the realities of remote working effectively.

They proved to be the right technological partner for us: efficient, responsive and at all times focused on finding alternative, goal-oriented solutions. We felt supported at every stage of the project, yet they managed to remain reliable and assertive all the way.

The project may be described as a charming example of collaboration between two businesses that provide comparable services, during which a positive vibe and understanding were consistently experienced.

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

Throughout the whole project, they stayed proactive, professional, and supportive. Whenever we encountered a challenge, we knew that their creativity and knowledge in headless CMS implementation would allow us to move forward with ease.

From our experience, they understand the value of the Jamstack architecture and are extremely proficient in providing services that bring their clients towards more composable technologies.

With the new site and the know-how gained through our cooperation, we feel even more equipped to support our clients, and this was the main goal when we began the project. Naturaily is definitely a recommended partner and was highly determined and successful at adding value.

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

They could have estimated the scope of the work more accurately and passed the development know-how more thoroughly, yet these would be the only things to stress out here.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

At Battery Technic, I function as a CEO. We are a startup focused on providing a solution that stores excess energy obtained from e.g. photovoltaic installation. As a result, the energy doesn’t have to be returned to the grid, but kept in the battery and used for private needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our solution is addressed mainly to individual users who expect convenient, fast and intuitive management of their devices – also remotely. We needed a technology partner who would propose and implement modern software for monitoring and operating energy storage batteries and the infrastructure built around them. Particularly important for us was the proactive approach of the chosen supplier, who would not only recommend appropriate technology, but also support us in the whole process: from product ideation through MVP creation to the final software version development.

SOLUTION

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

Naturaily was recommended to us by technology partners we trust. From the very first contact, Naturaily caught our attention with their outstanding communication skills, degree of business awareness, experience in developing similar solutions and presented approach to project management.

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

Since the beginning of the project, we have followed the path suggested by Naturaily. Together with our sales and marketing team they were able to effectively propose main features that future users would need. The same goes for project management and setting up the workflow. This being said, we’ve decided to create a user and admin panel in both web and mobile applications.

The project is still ongoing. As for now, we’ve managed to create an MVP of web application and mobile application in a very satisfying time. Both versions give separate management panels to user and admin.

The implementation stage of the project has been divided into three simple steps:

• Technological stack & components preparation
• Creating a design

Code carrying out Technological stack we’ve used:

• Web Application Backend –Node
• Web Application Frontend – React
• Mobile – React Native
• Design – Figma
• Hosting – Amazon Web Services (AWS)

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

Naturaily independently determined the competency requirements and proposed the composition of the team they formed:

• 1 Visual Designer
• 2 Full-Stack Developers, including 1 Technological Lead
• 2 Back-End Developers
• 1 Front-End Developer
• 1 Tester
• 1 Product Owner

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In a short period of time (4 months) we’ve managed to complete the whole journey: from clarifying the product vision to releasing the MVP in both web and mobile versions (iOS, Android).

Despite temporary shortages in the team due to a pandemic situation, we’ve achieved all the goals in time, among which worth mentioning were as follows: creation of effective architecture of data flow between software and hardware, including cooperation with third party company as well as hosting delivery provider (AWS' time stream) thoughtful use of React Native's potential for faster and simpler software development through shared code friendly, flexible, easily changeable UI of the main screen presenting the most important information about the system operation (dashboard) designing push notifications system for user and admin offering a convenient admin panel for devices management

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

Naturaily was responsible for Project Management and they also organized the whole team. As a result, the workflow has been very well organized and the atmosphere of cooperation has been friendly and professional. PM is great at organizing the team's work, flexible at the intersection of business and technological realities, excellent at assertively managing priorities and making sure the product is delivered in a form that meets our needs.

During the course of the work, there was a change in the Project Manager position. Naturaily ensured a smooth handover of the project – the new PM was already monitoring the situation and progress, so there were no delays due to this. He quickly gained domain knowledge, was in constant contact with us and ensured fast, effective feedback and follow-up. Even though the shape of the product was continuously being developed, we knew the next steps each time, so we felt confident and watched the project evolve with confidence.

This is a perfect example of a good-led Scrum project where responsiveness, flexibility, high imagination, the ability to get the solution right, and the right way to plan are all important. Naturaily demonstrated high competence in these areas.

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

Naturaily's team stood out for its particularly high level of understanding of our business needs. As a result, we feel that on the other side we have not only good providers of technological solutions, but above all a partner who understands our product and wants to develop it together with us. Outstanding flexibility, the ability to find themselves in a changing project context, a very clear way of communicating the next steps – these are also issues that deserve to be highlighted.

We’ve also liked the fact that the main focus of the work has always been usability and user’s satisfaction. Naturaily has a well-trained team, ensuring not only high quality code, but also a work style where communication of needs is kept to a minimum. We also appreciate Naturaily's staff responsible for Dev Ops and Testing.

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

I can’t really think of anything. The team supported us from the very beginning and delivered an outstanding performance to this day. If I were to recommend any development team, I’d pick Naturaily. You can simply feel they know what to do and how to do it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and CEO of INSPIRED, an organization focused on sustainability strategy consultancy. We are a group of experienced professionals with finance, strategic management, communication and marketing backgrounds. Our main goal is to support small and medium-sized enterprises by combining sustainable solutions with financial results.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Naturaily?

For the last few months we have been working on the report “Opportunities and Threats: The Responsibility of IT Companies” aimed at popularizing ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) activities among Polish IT companies. An important part of the communication stage of the publication was to create a clear, quick and well-designed landing page, through which interested parties could learn about the main issues raised in the report and seamlessly download the publication.

SOLUTION

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

The report focuses on issues such as social and environmental responsibility of Polish IT companies. Thinking about sustainability and knowing the still insufficient actions of the Polish IT sector in this aspect, we want to change the attitudes of companies by spreading the knowledge about ESG. Therefore, we were looking for a partner to join the project on a pro-bono or low-bono basis.

Since we have been working for some time with Tech to the Rescue, a Polish initiative connecting the NGO and IT sectors, we decided to take their recommendation. Courtesy of TTTR we had the opportunity to meet with three different teams. After the first round of meetings we knew Naturaily would be the best choice - it clicked right away! Naturaily was very well prepared for the meeting.

In particular, the decision to cooperate was determined by: a very concrete approach, friendly contact, the general attitude to carry out the project from start to finish in a way that fulfills not our vision but our goals.

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

Even before we chose Naturaily as our website development partner, we had assumed that we would want to develop the site in the standard way, i.e. using monolithic WordPress. It only took a few precise questions from Naturaily at the very beginning of our cooperation to convince us that the Jamstack approach would be a better choice in our case. From that moment on, everything went very smoothly.

A list of needs was quickly acquired, and then the structure of the website was created (taking into account modern UX practices), the technologies supporting the backend and frontend were selected, and a graphic design that corresponded to the assumptions was created. The consequence of a properly planned project path was a smooth and fast implementation. Technological stack were as follows: Next.js TypeScript Vercel Tailwind CSS

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

From the beginning to the very end, participants in the project included were:

• Two Frontend Developers
• Visual Designer
• Project Manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The success of this project is not simply about specific numbers. Here, it was crucial to quickly understand the role we expected from the partner. From the first meeting with Naturaily, we knew that their developers would approach this project as seriously and substantially as a commercial project. At no point did I think that the implementation of the project could be prolonged, for example due to changing priorities of the developers.

The landing page created by Naturaily met our expectations and even exceeded them. The site is user-friendly and provides very easy navigation, and most importantly, it meets its goals. I'm not sure if we would have been able to create such a successful site if we had followed the path suggested by me.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication and workflow in the project were smooth and effortless. The Project Manager quickly realized that I was not a technical person. As a result, he was able to proactively manage the collaboration so that I felt 100% secure in it. Our blurry vision was turned into concrete, and Naturaily was able to patiently and in a friendly manner explain every next step in the project or particular technicalities.

I quickly received answers to all my questions, which gave me a sense of comfort and security in the project. Additionally, the Project Manager accurately diagnosed that I am a lover of direct communication and did not limit contact between me and the developers or visual designer.

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

The main thing that differentiates Naturaily from other companies is their excellent customer care & service. I felt that Naturaily really cared about creating the website in the best possible way, taking into account time, budget and content. I really appreciate people who can convince me to implement optimal solutions - not the ones I'm already used to.

This isn't all that common or obvious - many companies simply follow client guidelines without considering that the client may be wrong. Naturaily's professionals are proactive and can talk convincingly about the technological nuances that really matter in the moment. Naturaily places great importance on customer satisfaction monitoring. It's rare for a company to ask for feedback so frequently. Most importantly, it didn't do it overly often, and the contact with employees from other Naturaily departments was very pleasant.

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

Just one thing: sometimes I was in contact with people whose role in the project I wasn't quite sure about. Perhaps there was a lack of such an opening presentation of all the team members. However, this is not an issue that would influence my overall assessment of cooperation with Naturaily or my inclination to recommend them to others in need of professional web development.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a CEO of Kogena, a startup focused on developing a global platform for monitoring collaborative robots (cobots). The company implements a combination of cobot-based services and a proprietary monitoring, reporting and prediction system. We support various companies by providing advanced automation, robotics and IoT-related solutions. In the project, I functioned as a Product Owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Naturaily?

Our main goal has been to create a highly flexible, cloud-based platform that allows data collection, monitoring, business analysis and maintenance of the collaborative robots (cobots). Our product is mainly designed for manufacturing companies that need precise, real-time data and information on the performance of cobots. When we approached Naturaily, we already had an MVP prepared by the previous vendor. At this stage, we needed a company that would effectively and quickly take over the code base and smoothly move into the further development phase.

A particularly important goal turned out to be managing the dynamically growing database. The main challenge was to improve the performance of the system, which began to falter as the number and diversity of both readings and the data sources themselves (cobots) increased. It was also necessary to find solutions that would ensure proper, smooth communication between the back-end and the front-end.

SOLUTION

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

Software development for cobots users is a specific, narrow field, so we could not afford to make a mistake when choosing a supplier, and the requirements were quite high. One of the key decision factors was the starting level of understanding of the business background and the project environment on the part of the supplier. We sought a software house with experience in working on data streams and time series, as well as with knowledge of the architecture we already had.

Especially crucial was to have a working knowledge of the needs of a company operating in the area of automated industrial production. We conducted market research and were supported by recommendations of trusted partners. The first conversations with Naturaily's co-CEOs dispelled all our doubts. It turned out that Naturaily had already successfully completed a similarly advanced and complicated IoT project in its portfolio. Apart from having the right competences, the team took care of the friendly atmosphere of cooperation and, most of all, made an impression of a proactive, quality-oriented partner.

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

We needed Naturaily’s support to be ready with performing a well-thought scaling of our web software. We cared especially about the back-end layer, in relation to which we required adequate recommendations and effective deployment. The most important step has been to implement an architecture that maximizes the benefits of usage of time series. The idea is to efficiently and seamlessly store, aggregate, index, query, analyze and visualize time series data – and to do so at very high data flow rates. A well-compiled architecture is expected to provide us with a key indicator of business success: connecting more and more cobots and, in turn, Internet of Things customers.

Technologies used has been as follows:

• Back-end web application development: Python
• Front-end web application development: Angular
• Relational Database management: PostgreSQL and Redis
• MQTT broker: Mosquitto

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

At the beginning, Naturaily supported us in both front-end and back-end areas by delegating 3 developers. As the project developed, the team constellation changed and for the last few months we have been using the knowledge and competences of 1 back-end developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With the support of Naturaily and in cooperation with our internal team, we have achieved, among other things: 

• Enhanced system performance
• Extended possibilities of monitoring the effectiveness of cobots thanks to the introduction of new timers
• Optimized data integration process when connecting new sources (cobots)
• More efficient management of relational databases
• Optimized database navigation, including easier access to historical data
• Effective, large-scale migration to a new environment while maintaining continuity of the application.

However, the most important result of the cooperation is a tangible continuous improvement. We know that on the Naturaily side we can rely on a partner who thinks about ways to improve not only the product, but also the way it is developed. This builds a lot of trust in us.

Despite the high complexity of the project, the Naturaily developer has efficiently and skillfully navigated problematic technical issues. High frequency of data flow, diversified data sources, cobots with different parameters and mechanisms of operation, or a specific database – Naturaily demonstrated great flexibility and problem-solving skills in these areas.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Project Management has been our responsibility and the Naturaily developer has been great at finding his way around the proposed rules of managing the workflow. He got immediately familiar with the documentation and architecture of the application, and provided us with a huge piece of knowledge that significantly helped to provide direction for further development. He also quickly integrated with our internal team and provided added value.

The contact was trouble-free and very fast due to the lack of middlemen and a lot of previous experience of the developer in working directly with clients. The developer reacted well to unforeseen situations. He was reliable and precise in communication – if he anticipated any risks, we received appropriate information in advance. Project Management has been positively influenced by the developer's proactive attitude, which is more and more difficult to find.

He knows which information is crucial for other team members and is able to predict if a particular solution proposed will reflect on the whole development process and what will be the next needs in other areas of application development and maintenance. When you work with such a forward-thinking specialist, it is much easier for you to plan and prioritize project work.

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

Naturaily stands out because of its proactivity, commitment, going beyond the common routine and great awareness of the various stages of the project. The back-end developer, with whom we are still working, was very quickly introduced to the project, and this was crucial for the generally positive outcome. We are particularly pleased with his professional approach and holistic view. We can also count on his advice even in areas that are outside the agreed scope, which is not standard.

We have trusted Naturaily because their services aren't about sending the code and delivering just their piece of the work, without looking at the full overview and big picture. We see them as specialists who not only have the right expertise, but also think about how their performance will impact the work of the rest of the team.

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

It is difficult for me to pick such an area. Working with Naturaily meets my expectations. At no point did I feel that my confidence could be undermined. We have a product development plan for the next quarters and I'm glad Naturaily is still with us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Co-Owner, Producer, and UI Designer at my company – a film production, record, and publishing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

The previous website was developed over 10 years ago. While part of the information was updated throughout this period, the UI itself has never received an update until now. This also goes for all other assets unrelated to the website. Naturaily was hired to develop a modern website that not only honored the end client’s 100th anniversary, but was also easy for users to intuitively navigate. Alongside a great user experience, this also meant SEO was essential. What’s more, the client wanted to be free from relying on external providers.

As soon as we provided Naturaily with all the necessary assets, such as the content, images, videos and documentation, they started the development process, having in mind the challenging deadline. It was a one-man project completed on time by their Jamstack Developer. One of the most demanding tasks was to implement both an SSG (Static-Site Generator) and SSR (Server Side Rendering) scripting at the same time to reach different goals simultaneously.

SOLUTION

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

For our agency it was the first Jamstack project, so we had no previous experience with developers in the field. When looking around for the available talent and agencies, the key deciding factor was the way the presented themselves and the previous work they have done. Very quickly it was clear that Naturaily was one of the best companies to work with in the field, looking at their clean web presence and the great previously completed projects. Alongside great reviews and a nice call with the CEO of the company, we quickly decided to move forward with the cooperation.

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

There were no specific guidelines in terms of design or technology. The client’s only request was that the site was light-weight, both visually and in terms of loading times, and that the technologies used were future-proof. Knowing that, we suggested going with the state-of-the-art Jamstack approach. In the initial phase of the project, Naturaily carried out a detailed analysis of the Storyblok (headless) CMS, which turned out to be a perfect fit.

To round off the Jamstack approach, they chose Next.js. – an open-source React front-end development web framework created by Vercel, enabling functionality such as server-side rendering and generating static websites for React-based web applications. The last element of the puzzle was the aforementioned Vercel, which enables hosting websites and web services that both deploy instantly and scale automatically without any configuration.

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

Our communication with the vendor was through their Project Manager and the CEO. Apart from that, the Naturaily expert involved in the project was their Jamstack Developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All of the client’s goals have been reached. The new website is everything we wanted: light and quick to load, but also visually stunning and technologically future-proof. It also has all the advantages of being implemented with the Jamstack approach, such as good performance, scalability, great user experience, high security, maintenance and flexibility.

Among the most important metrics (on desktop) are General score (according to Page Speed Insights) amounting to 77, First Contentful Paint (FCP) and Time to Interactive reaching 0.6 s and 0.9 s, respectively, Total Blocking Time of 50 ms, and Cumulative Layout Shift scoring 0.002. Apart from developing the new website, Naturaily also prepared a clear and useful guide through Storyblok and conducted a special workshop with the team responsible for updating the content.

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

The communication with the Project Manager and the CEO of Naturaily was always clear and we have developed a great relationship of cooperation. Their expert showed a great commitment to the project, working night shifts to always deliver on time. They estimated that the work would take approx. 200 working hours and that was exactly what it took to finish off the website. Both our agency and the client were satisfied with the results.

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

Naturaily’s work was a prime example of how Jamstack web development should be delivered. We were most impressed by their determination to succeed and the willingness to invest their entire time to do so. It was clear they strived just as much for the best possible result as we did, as Naturaily was more than happy to work through multiple feedback rounds.

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

Overall, we were very pleased with the cooperation with Naturaily. They were great partners. However, if we were to suggest any area for improvement, it would be for them to introduce more in-depth quality assurance internally, which would help to make minor adjustments on a more regular basis and to minimize the need for feedback rounds ironing out bugs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Head of Digital & E-Commerce at Etno Cafe – a Polish coffee concept that includes a coffee shop chain, coffee roastery and cold brewery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our previous website was not only out-of-date but also very vulnerable and prone to cyber attacks. Since we believe that a stable and user-friendly website is a vital way of expanding brand awareness and reaching out to new customers, we wanted to find a proper alternative that would be performant, easy-to-manage, secure and in line with the newly established look and feel of the brand. Information transparency, the ability to easily edit website content and an increase in users’ interactions were also some of the main goals we wanted to achieve.

This was mostly due to the wide range of the offer, the seasonal menus in each of the coffee shops, and an overall willingness to keep customers informed. Moreover, we wanted the website to be visually appealing and memorable. We hired Naturaily (Content Creator, Graphic Designer, UX/UI Specialist, Jamstack Developer, Project Manager) to design and develop a new website based on the Jamstack approach, mostly for marketing and image-building purposes. However, the growth in the number of visitors and B2B leads was also more than welcome; thus, they included some integrations with email marketing and lead generation tools to accommodate these additional benefits.

SOLUTION

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

We chose Naturaily based on their experience and their past projects. Their team impressed us with very creative approach to our project, as well as the ability to handle all aspects of the project, including technology consulting, copywriting, design and project management.

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

We gave Naturaily a free hand when it comes to choosing the technology. After an in-depth analysis, they recommended the Jamstack approach. Knowing that the visual and textual side of the project is as important to us as the technological reliability, they engaged several specialists who worked together to achieve these goals. First, they developed the content that would convey our brand's philosophy and be relevant to the target groups.

The next step was UX/UI and graphic design. Based on that, they chose a headless CMS solution – Sanity. To complete the Jamstack approach, Naturaily chose Netlify and Gatsby for the backend and Gatsby JS as the Static Site Generator. Technological stack – Gatsby (SSG): React & GraphQL – Sanity (Headless CMS) – Netlify (CND).

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

A Project Manager was our main point of contact throughout the process. There was also a Content Creator, Graphic Designer, UX/UI Specialist, and Jamstack Developer involved in the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All set objectives were achieved. Our new website is fast, safe, easy-to-navigate, user-friendly and well-performing, as well as textually and graphically concordant with our brand image. It undoubtedly stands out from the competition. All the crucial metrics on desktop were improved: General score (according to Page Speed Insights) increased from 73 to 89, First Contentful Paint (FCP) sped up from 1.7 s to 0.8 s, Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) accelerated from 4.2 s to 0.9 s, Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) was reduced from 1.39 to 0.218, and Speed Index improved from 1.9 s to 1.2 s.

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

We had a weekly online meeting with all team members involved in the project. Apart from that, we were in in daily contact with the Project Manager, who informed us about the work’s progress. We used Slack and Google Meet.

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

We were very impressed by Naturaily’s flexibility and determination to succeed. They were willing to overcome each challenge and always put our needs first. They stood out with their creativity and problem-solving approach. It was a truly honest cooperation, full of patience and understanding. The team was always available, ready to help and answer all of our questions.

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

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-founder of Dajemyslowo.com – content marketing and copywriting agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website was created over 7 years ago and had become outdated. Due to the fact that the website is a crucial component of the business funnel for us, we needed it to be up to date, performant, stable, highly secure and mobile optimized.

Additionally, we wanted to have the ability to edit all of the website content on our own. Last but not least, the website had to be visually impressive, hence the modern, memorable design and animations.

We hired Naturaily (Jamstack Developer, Graphic Designer, Animation Director, Project Manager) to design and develop a new website for us. By doing this, we were hoping to increase our traffic and number of leads.

SOLUTION

How did you select Naturaily and what were the deciding factors?

We searched online for web development companies in our area and shortlisted to 3 (including Naturaily). We have worked with the team before and knew that they're good at communication (also with non-technical people, who we are ourselves) and we decided to work with them again. Deciding factors were:

• previous experience
• easy communication
• convincing portfolio
• high commitment from the very beginning

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 challenges – one of them was choosing the best CMS. At the initial stage of the project, Naturaily did an in-depth analysis of a dozen or so CMSs and prepared their recommendation. Based on that, we chose a headless CMS solution – Sanity. To round off the Jamstack approach, Naturaily pointed out Netlify and Gatsby for the backend,and Gatsby JS as the Static Site Generator. Technology stack - Gatsby (SSG): React & GraphQL - TypeScript - Framer Motion - Netlify (CDN) - Sanity - headless CMS From there, the team delivered mock-ups (based on the content we had previously provided), designs and animation scenarios. After a few iterations, Naturaily designed and developed a stable, safe, responsive on all platforms, modern website with top-notch animations.

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

A Project Manager was our main point of contact throughout the process. There were also Jamstack Developer, Graphic Designer, and Animation Director involved in the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Every challenge has been met. Our new website is safe (0 attacks after launch), fast – despite using so many animations (page speed insight analysis showed 86 on the desktop and almost 60 on mobile), both user- and seo-friendly. Our clients love the new design and now they have even better understanding of our services. We have also received many positive opinions from industry specialists.

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

We had a weekly online meeting with all team members involved in the project. Apart from that we were in in daily contact with the Project Manager, who informed us about the work progress. We used Slack and Google Meet.

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

What we value the most was good communication. We were kept informed about the progress of work and we got answers to all of our questions. The team was committed, helpful, easy to collaborate, and most importantly professional and skilled. They knew perfectly well what solution we needed based on the goals we described to them.

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

We are very satisfied with the cooperation and its results. There is not much to improve. When we first launched, we found the animations a little too fast and we had to adjust them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal member at a tech consulting firm, advising everything from Fortune 500 companies to startups and nonprofit organizations on tech improvements for business objectives. We cover a wide range of industries such as financial services, hospitality, nonprofits, and more. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Naturaily?

I was advising a unit of a financial services company that was looking to improve its company website. They wanted to get the work done very quickly on a modest budget, so we brought their team on for the work. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The deliverables were modifications and improvements to my client’s site. These modifications included blogging functions and core site functionality. The blogging module was plugged into the front page of the site and could be managed through the CMS. The team improved the Contentful site in about a two-week span.  

What is the team composition?

There were about 4–5 people staffed on this project. 

How did you come to work with Naturaily?

I was referred to them by a colleague of mine and had used their services in the past for a similar website project. I’ve gotten to know their CEO on a professional level over the last few months and felt that they would be the right fit for this work.

They seemed professional and able to deliver on requirements. It was an easy decision to go to them for what my client needed.  

What is the status of this engagement?

They worked on the project from November–December 2020.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work contributed to a positive financial impact for the client. While the financial success should be attributed to several factors outside of the website, the improvements to the platform definitely had a positive influence on the company’s performance.   

How did Naturaily perform from a project management standpoint?

They completed the work efficiently and quickly. The velocity of work was very strong. Communication was conducted over Slack, email, and Dropbox. We also used project management tools like Figma.   

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a professional, hard-working team that follows through on their promises. We appreciate that they’re always clear and concise about their capabilities, never promising anything they can’t deliver. 

After the project was complete, the client had an issue with their site that was independent of the work the team completed. Even so, they were willing to provide some support and guidance after delivering the project. That element of customer service was good to see. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As long as you’re honest in communicating your needs and budget, you shouldn’t have any problems.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CTO of a PR and marketing company that combines traditional PR communications with cutting-edge technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Naturaily?

We had an urgent deadline for a completely new development project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Naturaily built a custom web app. It is a fully cloud-based web app that uses Ruby on Rails, and the team provided backend development services. Part of the custom development was the integration with third parties such as Stripe payments.

There was an automated translation service as well, different from Google Translate. There were some other integrations, and these were not always very easy, especially for the custom integration work.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one of their software developers.

How did you come to work with Naturaily?

A trusted resource I had been working with for quite a while referred me to Naturaily. He had a good experience working with the company and with this specific developer as well. 

From the start, there was a very good and trusting relationship. I did a technical interview, spoke with the developer, and asked a few questions. He was experienced and was able to start quickly.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in May 2020, and the engagement lasted about two and a half months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The developer went the extra mile. Even when he hit some bottlenecks and technical limitations, he worked around them and found solutions. He was able to deliver a working, production-ready solution. We had high expectations for the quality from start to finish, and he fully understood that and delivered on that.

How did Naturaily perform from a project management standpoint?

We had regular stand-ups that were virtual since this was a remote position. We also had a weekly summary call where we did planning as well as looked back, kind of like a retrospective, on how things were going. We used Slack as well as Google Meet to communicate throughout the project.

The project management was done on our side, so it was mainly sending instructions and providing specifications, and working out specifications together which is a nice thing when you are working with someone who is already quite experienced. They understood the task at hand and didn’t need full details. 

They figured it out and asked the questions they needed in order to implement the features or fix a bug, and they also came back with suggestions on how to do it faster or simplify it. In general, Naturaily was very proactive in terms of communication, providing feedback, and coming up with suggestions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were open to constructive feedback, which was important, and they were able to adjust. Sometimes you work on a certain feature and when it’s almost done, the team members on the business side review it and might change their mind. Naturaily was able to quickly adapt to the changing needs and that was definitely a very positive point.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing jumps to mind right away. If anything, there was some last-minute scheduling and rescheduling because there was another project that the developer had been involved in for which he had to provide some follow-up support.

Sometimes we had to adjust, whether he couldn’t work in the morning or on a certain day, but he definitely made up for that at another time, and even over the weekend. I don’t have any real criticism, just that we had to work around some scheduling issues. We knew that would be the case in advance because they had communicated that to us beforehand.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Especially when working with remote developers and designers, it’s important to have open, direct, and frequent communication. When you feel something should be done better, changed, or adjusted, communicate that directly. Don’t be afraid to hold back to ensure a smooth collaboration.