Neuron

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a music production house for the advertising industry. We write custom music and license tracks out to advertising agencies for anything from local radio spots to international TV campaigns and Super Bowl commercials.

I’m the associate director of engineering in the company, handling tech development. I also work with digital assets like our music tracks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

We were trying to build a platform to make our music available online to editors and music agencies. We wanted to give them the tools to search through our music and approach us with a clear picture of what they wanted.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave Neuron an initial brief that described what we were looking for in detail. Similar platforms existed already, but we were looking to set ourselves apart from the competition. Neuron researched the references I gave them, scouting our competitors’ platforms.

Neuron designed our platform’s UI/UX. They started by scoping out different user personas and determining what features should be included for each one. Wireframing only took about 1–2 months, and the design process took up the following three. We developed and elaborated on the user flow of the interface and started filling in the elements. We had weekly feedback rounds.

The final deliverable was a design blueprint of what the pages of the platform would look like, with indicators and descriptions of what elements would go where so that our chosen developer would have no questions regarding the design.

What is the team composition?

I believe there were three people from Neuron on the team. One of their founders was the project lead, and the other two were designers.

How did you come to work with Neuron?

I searched online through dozens of UX companies and interviewed three of them. I found that Neuron had the cleanest designs in their portfolio, and I also liked that they were architects in a prior career. The deliverables and detail planning have to be immaculate with architectural design, which told us that they would a good grasp of ours.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost was $40,000–$60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Neuron between January–May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Neuron developed what is, in our eyes, one of the best music library interfaces out there. Our hosting company also mentioned that Neuron did a meticulous job, especially considering that they hadn’t worked in the music and entertainment field before.

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

Their co-founder acted as the single point of contact between us and Neuron. They were very clear from a communication and project management standpoint.

We had a shared Slack channel as well as weekly Zoom meetings. Everybody was on the same page about developments throughout the week. I shot ideas back and forth with Neuron, and we discussed those with the greater group during our weekly meeting.

Their team performed well, and they didn’t have too many parts to manage throughout the process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The cleanliness and straightforwardness of their work really tied it together for me. Neuron knocked it out of the park with their visual representation of ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We have a strict path forward with this project. There was a bit of uncertainty at times regarding how many rounds of revisions we could get, so there could be room for improvement there. I have no complaints other than this, however. I was very impressed by them.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Neuron is extremely open to discussing all matters and ideas, but I had to bring things their way on my own account. My advice is for clients to reach out to them with any ideas that pop up.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of scientific products at Excelra. We’re a pharmaceutical vendor that engages with any company in the life sciences, whether it be pharma or biotech. Our role is to help amplify an organization’s needs. That can range from helping them with resources by amplifying their workforce or through our flagship products. One of those products is about servicing the pharma industry early in the drug and discovery process. Another product focuses on biomarkers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

Our flagship product is going through an entire redesign. We wanted to pivot and create a next-generation experience for our client as well as provide a beautiful and improved UX so our users can get to their answers quicker. Our team wanted to find a UI/UX vendor because we needed someone with the skillset and know-how to turn an older-generation website into a user-driven website. In this case, it was all about how we refocused our UI based on what the user is expecting.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
Neuron designed the entire UI/UX for our core user flows in our next-generation product. One of the first things they did was to assess our current offering, take what we have as a core user flow, and translate those into actual experience. Using Figma and other tools, they built an entire user color palette as well as the core frame of our website, which comprises our header and footer.

Then, they went and designed the UI for every step from when a user enters our site — how they log in, how they enter our search page, and so on. Their team delivered many functionalities such as the ability to autofill. Neuron also built a guided experience. If the user wants to go beyond a search, they can utilize the complex search queries in our database that provide the ability to simplify that process for the user.

The Neuron team organized the data in a way that makes sense to the user and then created the left-hand panel for us to manage that. Next, their team made sure that everything we built could be used on any screen size including tablet. The deliverables were wireframes and prototypes that serve as a blueprint of how to build our website from the ground up.

What is the team composition?
We worked with Matt (Creative Director) and Mark (Director of Strategy).

How did you come to work with Neuron?
Someone in our organization had previously worked with Neuron at a prior company; their team was suggested to us. We put out a bid, asking Neuron and others to bid on the project. Based on how Neuron approached and talked through the problem, we thought they’d be the best fit.

How much have you invested with them?
We invested $84,000.

What is the status of this engagement?
Our engagement was from February–April 2021.
 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 
The speed at which our clients and users will be able to engage with the database is much faster. Previously, the speed was anywhere from 30 seconds to one minute. We went from 30 seconds to 10 seconds in terms of improvements in getting to the answer. The guided experience that Neuron worked on is also a highlight of their deliverables. We’ve gone from users being afraid of this feature to them embracing it.

If I had a larger budget, I would have kept Neuron on longer because we could’ve kept doing many more iterations. They’re a high-quality team so they cost a bit more than the average firm. However, they’re still reasonable. They delivered above and beyond our expectations. Their team was flexible even in the way we engaged with them.

Neuron was tremendously helpful. They’re not experts in chemistry, they have no background in it, but they caught on very quickly. Their research and time spent with us were excellent all around. Chemistry is a complex subject area. Neuron made our UI so simple that when users land on a results page, they know exactly what they’re looking at. 

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?
They were great at project management. Their team hit all of the timelines. Neuron was straightforward with their project plan. Out of the gate, they told us how long the project was going to be as well as outlined all of the milestones. They were great about the timelines. We worked with them throughout the process and constantly spoke on Slack. Through Slack, we were asking and answering questions, and Neuron presented their findings and prototypes once a week.

Once a week, we met to do real-time feedback. Their team was very upfront about what they could and couldn’t do. That was fantastic because it gave me a way to assess how far the partnership would take us and what we’d get from them. Neuron was true to their word. They delivered within those timelines exactly when they said they would.  

What did you find most impressive about them?
It was very easy to work with Neuron; that’s the best part about their team. The partnership was intimate because we worked with only two of their team members. We got to know each other really well. Within a couple of weeks, it was so easy to talk to them. The interaction was seamless.

It felt like they were part of the team. At no point did I think they were a vendor, it was as if they were part of our organization. The engagement was a great experience. Neuron made it easy to provide them with feedback and it made them comfortable to give us feedback. They provided us with the ability to make fast decisions and turn things around quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?
No, they gave us what we expected and worked on our timeline.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Stay realistic and don’t ask for the moon. If you stay within the bounds of the project and what your expectations are, you’ll be very pleased with the results. Listen to Neuron because they know what they’re doing. Trust their intuition.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of an industrial employee lifecycle management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

We had launched a pilot for a new product offering and had collected feedback on it from our customers. We wanted to take that feedback and use it to influence new features we added to the product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with them primarily on designs for new features. We would collaborate regularly to brainstorm how to best address the client feedback in the new designs. After these brainstorming sessions, they would develop the new designs and deliver them via Figma at the end of each step of the project.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Ryan (Co-Founder) and another member of their team.

How did you come to work with Neuron?

I used Google to search for UX designers and then set up introductory calls with several firms to gauge how their process and approach would fit the project. With Neuron, I spoke with Chris (User Experience Lead). He impressed me with their flexibility and defined strategy to help web development firms work through new product features.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $115,000 with them on this engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project from September 2020–March 2021. We now have them on retainer and work with them on other projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We wanted to make sure our development team could implement the designs in an expedited time frame. They met this goal with the designs they delivered, as our team implemented them right on time. We also had a number of specific criteria for the design that had to be accommodated in a limited space. They were able to meet all these criteria without the design becoming too busy. In addition to these goals, we wanted to make sure that the new page was easier for our customers to use. Based on the feedback we’ve received, they met this goal as well.

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

They did extremely well with project management. Their team always met deadlines, communicated well, took detailed notes, and maintained a flexible approach throughout the engagement. Rather than approaching the project from any specific framework model, they worked to augment our own processes and provide the designs to achieve our product goals.

We communicated daily via a Slack Connect channel. We also had real-time brainstorming sessions over Zoom twice a week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their attention to detail was most impressive. They were careful in ensuring all our project requirements were met.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking for advice on how to approach the project, they’d certainly give it. If you explain your typical processes to them, though, they’ll accommodate those processes well in their approach. It’s also worth spelling out your specific requirements in advance. They’ll make sure they’re all met.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of product at Flo Health. We have a women’s health app that uses a 10-day cycle to help women understand their bodies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

We needed to expand our design team with external resources. Additionally, we wanted to add a feature that would send women a monthly report about their cycles. We had a clear end goal but needed help bringing it to life.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neuron was involved with our team throughout the design process, working in stages. We provided them with requirements documentation and then they did more research to help determine the best format for the reporting feature. We also provided Neuron with a couple of UI options and gathered their team’s feedback.

A medical board reviewed the wireframes to give another perspective. The reports follow official guidelines and help women understand their bodies’ health. The feature also includes graphs to show a user’s results in comparison to other users.

What is the team composition?

I had two contacts at Neuron but also worked with a dedicated partner who oversaw the deliverables and two designers.

How did you come to work with Neuron?

I found Neuron on Clutch and liked them because their team included architects, so I felt that they would have a good aesthetic direction. After looking through their portfolio, I knew their team was experienced. I felt that it would be easy to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $15,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our engagement in July and their team completed the bulk of the project in October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Neuron saw our project as not only art but also science, which I appreciated. We gathered feedback from users who expressed their delight about the clarity of the information provided in the reports. The graphs were easy to understand too.

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

In the beginning, their team seemed to misunderstand us. We had to repeat all the details to the design lead who wasn’t in the meeting with our business contacts at Neuron. After that cleared, they did great. We communicated by adding them to our Slack channel. They were reliable and accommodated our needs. Their team was also flexible with the timing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Once Neuron dedicated a team to our project, they didn’t change the designers. That allowed us to follow through the entire process together. Unlike other vendors I previously engaged, Neuron sought opportunities to expand their work but didn’t push us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Neuron should show off their talent and expertise upfront. Their team thought about the app’s architecture and sought ways to be more collaborative. It would’ve been helpful to engage with those qualities earlier.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Chief Product Officer at a consumer media company that's in pre-launch.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

We needed to design our 1.0 product, which is a desktop and mobile progressive web app. We had an extensive product requirements document (PRD) for our product and we had developers, but we needed someone to do the design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neuron took the entire PRD and went through all the various pieces to translate it into UX. We have three major parts of the product. They worked on the broad and individual site architecture, the flow of individual areas, and did the design.

They also worked on the individual componentry. The work output of that was a collection of Figma designs that our developers worked off of to build the product.

What is the team composition?

At the height of the project, we worked with four teammates, but we worked regularly with two teammates. Mark (Director of Strategy) was our main point of contact. 

How did you come to work with Neuron?

We were working with a company in New York that was going to do some UX prototyping for us, and they had an existing partnership with Neuron for the design element. We trusted their referral.

We talked to Neuron, and they walked us through some of their previous projects that were most similar to what we were doing. It was clear to us that they would be up to the task. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent just north of $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in July 2020, and the majority of the work was completed in September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The developers and engineers we worked with had a very positive perception of what Neuron had done. We certainly felt that they not only built us a very modern, contemporary version of what we had imagined, but they also took it beyond what we had imagined.

That’s something we’re always looking for in a design partner — someone who will take what we want and align it with our goals for the product. We consistently felt that they gave us what we asked for and gave us the best version of that. Neuron delivered a more well-thought-out product than originally intended.

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a very clear view of what our schedule was, which was important because we had a lot of moving parts and a lot of contributors. We had a fairly aggressive waterfall between design, UX engineering, and product, so it was important that we stayed on that waterfall so that everything kept moving. 

We used Jira to collaborate with everyone involved in the project, and we also communicated via Slack. Their speed and clarity of communication were great. They stayed ahead of things, reached out, and asked clarifying questions ahead of time early rather than having it pile up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In the beginning, it was clear that they had the experience and the depth that we needed for the scale and scope of what we were building. That proved to be absolutely true.

Neuron was able to go from the very top and not miss anything in terms of the site architecture, all the way down to the lowest details. Their clear experience in managing something of this scale and scope was the reason we chose them, and it proved to be true.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When you have a project of this kind of scope, you have to manage the details on time. The vast majority of the time, they were reliable and clearly met our expectations, and they found things that we hadn’t looked at.

There was an occasion here or there where details were missed, which were the toughest moments of the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about the experience you want the user to have and then give Neuron enough elbow room to digest that and deliver against not only what you ask but also what will be best for the user.

Give them enough detail of what you’re trying to accomplish rather than the exact solution. Give them the breathing room to express your vision in their own way and you’ll get the most value. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of medical coding at a new wave technology company. We’re a software technology company in the healthcare space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

We have a computer-assisted coding software UI, but the design of it was a little outdated. We wanted to not only bring it up to date with industry standards, but we also wanted to make the efficiency and overall look of it more appealing and user-friendly. 

We engaged Neuron to redesign what we currently had and provide some additional enhancements that would allow us to take our tool in another direction.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The original scope of work was for Neuron to take our UI and completely redesign it. I had the opportunity to work with them through the design phase where we went through several iterations to decided on what I wanted to get out of the tool and how it differed from what we had.

They did their design and created mockups that we could use. From there, they actually worked with us in the development stage, working on the frontend. Instead of them developing the entire product, they worked collaboratively with our team, and we gave them access to our Azure DevOps system. Our team did the backend.

From that process, there were a lot of reiterations. Neuron had to be able to adapt to all of the languages that we use, including MongoDB and Python. We used so many different elements in the building of the tool. 

What is the team composition?

In the design phase, I worked with two teammates. During the development, I worked with three other teammates.

How did you come to work with Neuron?

Our manager at the time had gone to college with one of the owners of Neuron, so he was familiar with what the company did. When we were looking for a company to do the work, they suggested we reach out to them.

I reached out, had a couple of conversations, and traveled to San Francisco to meet with them in-person. Upon meeting with them, I knew immediately that based on their information, understanding of the product, willingness to engage despite our challenges, flexibility, and knowledge that they would be a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We probably spent between $150,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from March–July 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t deployed it to our clients yet and we’re still going through the testing. However, the tool does what we wanted it to do, so Neuron more than met our needs as far as that. We did a live demo internally for different representatives of the company, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

People loved the tool and the look of it. They also loved the changes in design and functionality compared to our original tool. Neuron developed and designed a tool that met our needs considerably, despite having little knowledge of our industry. 

Throughout the process, Neuron provided additional ideas that we hadn’t considered that the tool might need. It was a collaboration from day one until the project ended, right through the design, development, deployment, and testing of the software.

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was excellent. When we first started, we were actually missing our internal project manager, so Neuron took on the role of a project manager, helping our team collaborate and work through daily scrums, which was outside of the scope of their work.

They managed their process extremely well, and there were no delays or hiccups. They also helped us with our process when our project manager was missing. We added them to our Azure DevOps board and they did their workload within our software.

They were engaged and open to working with us in any capacity and modifying themselves to fit our needs. We collaborated with them on a daily basis. We had daily meetings and worked on client tickets with them. 

I can’t say enough about their flexibility and ability to jump in. They were flexible through the changes and through working with our team. Even though they didn’t really understand our line of work in the healthcare space, they took our directive and did research on their end. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

When we were first looking at engaging with a company for this project, I was looking for an innovative, flexible, and creative company that was up to date in terms of technology. I didn’t want someone who was just going to develop something based on the bullet points I gave them.

I wanted someone who would expand on my bullet points, provide additional ideas, be more creative, and give more solutions based on their level of knowledge. Of all the companies I talked to, Neuron fit that bill the most. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions. From the start to the end of the project, they correctly assessed the project in terms of the number of personnel and design elements. They also put together a roadmap that was spot on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come in with your list of requirements, but give Neuron the creative license. I gave them the initial directive but said that I wasn’t tied to one thing or another. I told them that I wanted them to tell me how best to carry out the project.

Don’t hold the team to set parameters; give them the option to provide you with feedback on what they can deliver. If I hadn’t done that, my product would’ve looked different. By giving them the creative license, Neuron was able to deliver a product that was far above and beyond what I expected

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO & chief council for Jet RVSM Services, LLC. We work with business and private jet owners, helping them with regulatory compliance. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

We were branching out to work with contract pilots, as well. The coder and software group we had worked with weren’t getting the job done. We needed a new vendor to do the frontend design of an app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neuron developed an app in an alpha prototype. The UX was very amateur. We presented that to the team, asking for consultation in order to rebrand. They came up with a style board, and once we had made our selections, they designed screens. 

They rebranded a competitive app to replace the app we had been working on, in order to get to market sooner. The app is only for iOS because 95% of pilots use iOS.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we worked with Matt (Co-Founder & Creative Director) and Mark (Co-Founder & Director of Strategy). Matt became the project manager, and we began working with their offshore coders. It is currently a tight team of three people.

How did you come to work with Neuron? 

Since the vendors we had tried to work with were failing, we were in need of a different one. We had an office in the same building as Neuron, and we talked to them about the project and decided to hire them in the end.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around January 2019, and our engagement is ongoing. They are on retainer as our go-to designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just launched the first Beta test into the app store, so there aren’t any analytics to share at this time. We have had several events for pilots, showcasing the app and its design. Everyone has been impressed with it, and the brand work is great. 

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

While they are perfectly capable of managing a project, I took the majority of that responsibility on myself. They were a fantastic resource, suggesting tools like Jira, which we used. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Neuron is talented and responsive. Everyone we’ve interacted with from there is pleasant to work with. Unlike most other vendors we’ve experienced, we enjoy working with this team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would like them to be more proactive, but it isn’t entirely their fault. I micromanage, and once the design work was done, the project was very small for them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear idea of what you want. The more direction you give them, the better the ideas they can bring back to you. For example, give them your ideas, but encourage them to expound on it and put their own creativity into it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of product for a nonprofit and religious organization donation platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

We needed to redesign our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neuron completely refreshed our app, bringing us from our 2.0 version to the 3.0 version. As with all redesign projects, they kept elements from our earlier version but also redesigned various screens. It was for both iOS and Android.

Moving on from the app, their team now works on the other side of the platform. They’re going through each screen and working to get the redesigns out the door.

What is the team composition?

We mostly work with two designers.

How did you come to work with Neuron?

Our previous head of design had a personal connection with them and brought them on board before I started. The company engaged several outsourced agencies before starting with Neuron.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our partnership in March 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Anytime you move from version two to three, it’s a huge investment. The most important measure of success is the impact on the UX. We had an antiquated design, and Neuron helped to make the platform much more modern. We’ve had a lot of good reviews. Before the upgrade, we had a 4.8 rating in the App Store. Now, the platform has a 4.9. It’s hard to move from 4.8 to 4.9.

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

We meet at least once a week to go over tasks and deadlines. Once they complete the work, we have reviews. Their team’s plugged into ours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Neuron’s experienced in UX design. They explain the pros and cons of different options. Their team’s well-versed in the art of critiquing, which isn’t easy. They articulate why certain options would and wouldn’t work, and then guide us in the best direction for our users.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They may or may not have branding and creative direction resources.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Neuron works better in a waterfall environment. We work in a hybrid waterfall-scrum environment. If you’re open to that methodology, you could get better outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an account director at a creative studio with offices in San Francisco and on the east coast. We focus on marketing and branding.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

Neuron has expertise in the digital space and website design, so we looked to them to help with a particular project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neuron designed a website for us to help depict a lifestyle.

Since we are a creative agency, we already had the brand in place and came to the engagement with lots of creative, collateral, photography, etc. Neuron took all of that and brought it to life in a digital form. We didn’t necessarily give them any direction from a website design standpoint, so they took the liberty to design a few different options for us, which was really great.

Neuron did prototyping, wireframing, and visual design. They created a site map and offered a few different approaches to the site from a design standpoint. Then, they handed off all of the files to our team in both desktop and mobile forms. Neuron was also part of the QA process. We handled the programming and development internally.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–3 Neuron team members, including a main point of contact who is a partner. We had a few people from our side working on the project as well, so it was a very fluid, collaborative process.

How did you come to work with Neuron?

I’d actually worked with them before at a previous agency. I knew that their skill set aligned with what we needed.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in December 2019, and they handed everything off in March 2020. We launched in mid-April. If we needed to make slight adjustments or review something, they were available.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, it was a great experience. They really understood the vision we had for the brand. I think everyone is excited about what we’ve created together. Neuron didn’t just think about what's needed now but also accounted for future plans for the brand.

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

It was really great to work with them. They were open to our feedback; we made frequent updates to specific copy or imagery, and they worked swiftly to make those changes. It felt like they were a part of the team. Since we’re both in San Francisco, we had a few in-person meetings. We also communicated via Slack and used Figma to provide design feedback or copy.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They took the time to understand what we were looking for, what the brand needed, and the vision for the project. They made something that we are excited about.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I don’t. It went really smoothly. I actually talked to some of my internal team, and we can’t pinpoint anything that we felt could have been improved upon. We’re all really happy with how everything went.

Any advice for potential customers?

I don’t have any specific advice. You can’t go wrong taking them on as a design and development team. This project had more of a graphic design element to it than being product-focused, and their work shined through. They’re really creative and thoughtful in their approaches, so I’d advise people thinking of hiring Neuron for this type of work that they should.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company's name is Future Dial. We’re a robotics and software startup in the mobile and wireless device space. We do Software and robotics that process mobile phones with major wireless carriers. When a phone is traded in we work on the backend for the recycling process. My role is the marketing communications manager. So, I’m in charge of the outbound marketing and messaging in support of our sales office.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

We hired them for software interface design. We needed intelligence design and some of the arrangements on the screen.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They redesigned our website to make it easier to navigate and a little more straight-forward. We had an initial scope of work, then they went over our requirements and came back with a branding survey. They evaluated our brand, how we looked, how we compared to our competitors. They also did some site mapping and looked at our navigation to explain what parts worked well and what parts didn’t.

Then they went through our messaging and determined where what we’re saying doesn’t match up with our customers. They also noted what we were trying to say and where the messaging wasn’t coming through.

Coming into this project, they streamlined our website, tightened up the messaging, and used a lot more visuals. They graphically and visually portrayed our business so users could easily understand what we do.

We then had a tradeshow a few months after starting the project, so we at least needed the landing page completed by then, and they delivered.

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with our project manager and a few designers.

How did you come to work with Neuron?

They came highly recommended. We had a manager who knew them and had them help with the UI design. Our sales VP talked to them and found out they did website design as well, and thought it would be great to bring them on board for that as well.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted in August 2019–March 2020

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw more people accessing our landing page during and after the tradeshow. We just launched the first phase of the website, so it’s brand new and I don’t have any metrics there.

Our previous developer didn’t structure the site in a way that would enable us to manage the site ourselves. There was no rhyme or reason. Neuron was able to strip it down to the nuts and bolts so we would be able to manage the platform going forward. Now it’s more logical, and if we need a banner changed, we can do that ourselves now.

Our former website was also a bit wordy. Neuron’s strength is simplifying and distilling it to a message that’s easier to understand. That’s their forte.

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

We held bi-weekly meetings to go over requirements or they would show us wireframes, what they put together, we’d preview it and tweak messaging. Our main point of contact was always available, we would message him at a lot of different hours, and we were always able to reach him.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They accommodated all of our requests and were always consultative. They would make suggestions and discuss the advantages or disadvantages of anything we were considering. We knew we could ask them for their professional opinion whenever we needed it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes there were visual aspects that we wanted to incorporate, but because of technical considerations, it wouldn’t work on the mobile layout. But that’s not necessarily against them.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go into engagement thinking about it as a partnership. Neuron works best when they know that you are willing to be open to feedback. They can then provide advice on best practices.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was updated by the client company on April 17, 2020. New content is below:

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

FutureDial provides automated solutions for wireless device processors. Our SMART Receive product streamlines the receiving process of devices to ensure inventory accountability, accurate device identification, removal of private consumer content and further testing of device Condition. I, Angel Anderson, am the product manager for FutureDial's SMART Receive Product. This solution addresses many issues that our customers have experienced in the reverse industry which by definition has many variables. Our SMART Receive software takes all the complexity of processing these variables & simplifies the directive to allow any operator to be successful on day one.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Neuron?

FutureDial approached Neuron to redesign our User Interface. Having been immersed in this industry for so long, we felt it was important to get a fresh perspective on the user interface and the user experience.

What were your goals for this project?

1. Design a clean User Interface 2. Improve the User Experience to simplify user tasks and improve their efficiency.

How did you select this vendor?

The FutureDial marketing team selected Neuron to redesign our website. They were so pleased with Neuron's work and support that our internal marketing team highly recommended Neuron to the product team for this UI project.

SOLUTION

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Neuron was briefed on our existing software. They were given user work instructions and a copy of the software to interact with. We held a training session and a followup call for questions. I was extremely impressed how easily the Neuron team was able to pick up on what we do and how we do it. Neuron inquired about things we liked or didn't like, feedback that we've received from customers, etc.. Neuron then took that back & designed a proposed sketch of a new UI concept and submitted that concept to FutureDial. This concept was outside the box that we at FutureDial had lived in at that time, but we all quickly fell in love with the design. Neuron's concept solved several problems that we had been stumbling with for a while. FutureDial gave our feedback to Neuron, who then built a very basic wire-frame that further helped to demonstrate an anticipated look and feel for the new product. As the product requirements process advanced, Neuron further built out an interactive wire-frame that FutureDial used to pitch this product to one of our Tier1 customers. The ability to professionally demonstrate our product concept in such a tangible way was beyond valuable. Not only did this lend confidence to the SMART Receive design plan, it also assisted in hashing out specific customer requirements ahead of development. I was also impressed at Neuron's problem solving skills as new customer requirements or concerns arose, Neuron was able to quickly propose solutions and seamlessly integrate those into the design.

What was the team composition?

For the SMART Receive project, I primarily interfaced with two individuals from Neuron. Ryan Matthew was on point to manage the project. I also worked closely with Michelle Stoner who directly worked on the wire-frames. Both were closely in communication and responded quickly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new User Interface and User Experience has allowed us to take our software to the next level. SMART Receive has developed many new fantastic functional features. The UI/UX however magnifies those improvements and sets FutureDial ahead of our competitors for the product in this space. Neuron's design was accepted by everyone on all sides, our internal product team, sales teams, marketing teams and engineering team, as well as our customer from operations to IT. It is worth noting that in my carrier I have never seen a project be so widely applauded nor pleased so many without receiving any negative feedback.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Neuron's project management was on par. They clearly communicated timelines and made or exceeded those deadlines. They did not hesitate to ask questions & they clearly communicated throughout the process. They were agile with changes that were thrown at them and were quick to respond.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

1. How well they were able to articulate our software & the industry that uses it. 2. How they were able to problem solve using that knowledge, in some ways solving problems that the industry has been struggling with for years. 3. How patient and helpful they are. Working on a major project there were days that I inundated them with questions and feedback. They seamlessly captured this & helped manage the chaos into a productive workflow.

Are there any areas for improvement?

From my perspective, I cannot think of anything that Neuron could have done better. They met my every need and I plan to use them again in the future for other products.