New Moon Creative (formerly Flair Designs)

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the lead product marketing manager at a fertility medical device tracking company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Flair Designs?

We needed to recreate our WordPress website and get it ready for our product launch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a kickoff meeting with Flair Designs to go over our plan and project goals. We had a product requirement document and RFP sheet that contained everything we needed on the website by the end of our product launch. Flair Designs created an action plan based on those requirements and outlined what we needed to accomplish every month.

They then created wireframes for each page of the website to ensure top-level organization before starting the design. We did some mood boards to make sure we understood the design field and what we wanted to represent through our already-established branding. We gave Flair Designs those documents, and they accommodated the designs. They also did copywriting for the website.

Their first draft was nearly perfect, and we only had to make a few minor changes. Along with web design, they also did light SEO and a few pages of keywords.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two team members.

How did you come to work with Flair Designs?

We found a few different agencies on Google and Clutch. We submitted our proposal to various firms and met with some in-person or over the phone. Flair Designs seemed to understand our project and were confident they could deliver within our budget, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $3,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–April 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A lot of people have told us they love the new website and that it looks cutting-edge. We’ve definitely increased in conversion rates, such as more people signing up for our newsletter or spending more time on the site. Browsing the website is now a much more pleasant experience than before.

How did Flair Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

They were exceptional at project management. They were thorough and managed everything through Trello. Nothing slipped by them, and they paid close attention to detail. We had 2–3 meetings a week to make sure everyone was on the same page.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by their flexibility and ability to navigate a lot of different tasks simultaneously. They accommodated us, regardless of what they were already working on. They’re easy to work with and help you understand anything that doesn’t make sense.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had some code issues with the placement of certain items on our site, but that was mainly a problem with our theme and layout, not Flair Designs.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Working with Flair Designs is especially great if you want to get a product up fast or if you don’t really know what you want in a website. They not only do the web design, but they help you define your goals and understand what you need.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Rachelyellin.com and Yestobirth.com are my websites. I’m the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Flair Designs?

I wanted them to create a website for me that would accurately portray what I am and what I offer. With the website, I wanted to attract the kind of people that I want to serve. I had a website before, but this one looks very different.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were amazing. Leslie [Tagorda, Owner] listened to everything that I wanted and she helped me figure out what was going to be appropriate. I felt completely understood and she had all the skills of communication and accepting feedback. I can only say positive things about her. Leslie led the way through the process, which is exactly what I wanted. She did everything for the site. I wanted someone with experience to tell me what was going to work. She put something together after we talked and then showed it to me. I provided the content but I did consult with her. Because she knew my services from the inside, she was able to give me good feedback. The site is built on WordPress. I had WooCommerce and she also did some things with MailChimp. I have an audio relaxation program, so they made that possible for people to get the audios on the website, pay with PayPal and download the files. They also helped me with SEO and PPC.

How did you come to work with Flair Designs?

Leslie took one of my classes previously, and she did the website for one of my colleagues. I thought she did an excellent job on that site, and I was very confident that she knew my work from experiencing it herself. My colleague offers similar things that I do and I thought Leslie was a great match.

How much have you invested with Flair Designs?

My initial contract was $4,500 for the website.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with her in August 2016, and the site was launched in November 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I don’t have any metrics. Everybody says the site is beautiful and easy to navigate. It’s easy to register for classes.

How did Flair Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

Leslie could not have been more organized. The person that she works with was completely on top of things. They had excellent communication skills.

What did you find most impressive about Flair Designs?

They’ve been able to do design work beyond the website. They’ve designed two different marketing postcards that are great. They’ve been able to work with me on partnerships that I have with other companies. There was a company that wanted to use one of my hypnosis tracks as a marketing tool for their product. I talked with Leslie and she set up the landing page for them that was specific to their company. She has a wide variety of skills.

Are there any areas Flair Designs could improve?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a nonprofit called The Women’s Building. I’m the development director, which means I do fundraising for our social service programs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Flair Designs?

We needed a new website built. We had a very old site, which was almost impossible for us to manage. We had to hire an outside person to do it. It was not a very attractive site. It was not useful for people to get a sense of our organization, nor to post information. We really needed a whole revamp, and something that would be a great calling card out to the universe.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We met with Leslie, who is the founder of Flair Designs. She talked to different departments within our organization to get to know us and learn about what we wanted out of the website. We had used a volunteer to do some user interface studies, and we passed that information to Leslie. As an organization, her process made us look at our own goals and the message we want out there, and then be able to let her know what those are.

The new site is probably relatively basic to the world of websites. It links to a website where we receive donations, but that’s run by another company. There are various sign-up forms, both for volunteering and for room rental inquiries, as we also rent space. We have a Facebook feed on the site. It’s a WordPress site hosted by Bluehost.

Leslie sketched out all the page templates. It was a baffling project for us; we were so stuck. Basically, she sketched it all out and got feedback from us. As we went through the process, we learned more about what we liked or didn’t like, which we hadn’t known at the beginning. It’s a really nice process with her. She designed an e-newsletter template that reflects the same feel of the website. We recently added https, and they took care of that too.

How did you come to work with Flair Designs?

I did an online search for web design companies and interviewed them to get a sense of cost and what they were able to offer. People often wanted to do a whole branding campaign for us, which was frustrating as we didn’t feel we needed that nor could afford it. As a nonprofit, we need to be careful about where our dollars go. Having a good site is essential to our work, but we can’t be making it too luxurious. A graphic designer who had done some work for us had recommended Leslie, and I interviewed her as well. I narrowed it down to three companies and presented their work to our staff. Everyone picked Leslie based on other work she had done. We just really liked her work.

How much have you invested with Flair Designs?

It was just under $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in the summer of 2015, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

As an organization, we intersect a little bit with a standard business’ goals, but we also have unique goals that maybe a business doesn’t have. When I talk to a funder, a donor, or someone who doesn’t know us, I am so proud to have them look at our website and explore what we have there. I find that it’s a very easy-to-read, colorful, vibrant, and energetic site that is a great representation of us. That’s been one of the most wonderful things about this project.

How did Flair Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

They were good. It was a hands-on experience for me too, as I had certain deadlines myself as well as monitoring their deadlines. They were responsive and let me know how the project was moving along.

What did you find most impressive about Flair Designs?

I don’t know how Leslie is with other clients, but she seems to care deeply about us and have our well-being at heart. I sense that whenever I interact with her and in the design work she’s done for us. We’re known well in San Francisco because of our imagery, the murals on our building, and for the work we do. I think she was able to really capture that. I find her upbeat, energetic, positive, and very creative. Those are wonderful qualities with which to work.

Are there any areas Flair Designs could improve?

WordPress can be easily hacked into. Everyone should be aware of this and have things in place in case you get hacked.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of Bay Area Adoption Services. We’re an international adoption agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Flair Designs?

We wanted to completely revamp our website. We thought it was really old and outdated. It didn’t reflect the direction in which our agency was moving. We wanted it to be more relevant and to jump out at someone who was looking at it. We wanted it to clearly reflect the programs and initiatives we have, which have changed over the years. We needed a new and fresh presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They basically rebuilt the website. I’m not a tech person, so I can’t really speak to specifics. We had several meetings with them and outlined what we were doing. We were looking to increase traffic. We were looking at having people take a second look because they were really impressed with what they saw. In terms of the job itself, she [Leslie Tagorda, Owner and Principal Designer] drove that and told us her suggestions. None of us are web design people, so we really let her lead that conversation.

They were responsible for the look of it also. We did provide some photos and images that were incorporated in the website, but she did everything else. I think it looks much better than it did. We have two very separate goals for our agency, and she was able to make them show up as equally important, but you could go to one or the other. The site has a real ease of flow. We have a Facebook presence, and I think there’s a way to link to that.

How did you come to work with Flair Designs?

One of our board members also sits on the board of another organization, and Leslie had done some work for them. That board member was very impressed with Leslie and her team, their design approach, the way in which they interacted, and highly recommended them. Once we met her, we thought she was terrific and just hired her. We had a couple different quotes, but the other one didn’t seem to grasp what we are doing.

How much have you invested with Flair Designs?

I think it was a flat fee of $5,000, but then there were some additional costs for added services.

What is the status of this engagement?

It’s been a couple years, but I don’t remember the exact timeframe. We’re able to do some updates ourselves, but when we need major changes to the website, we get in touch with them. They’re available to us as needed, and they’re always very responsive when we have questions or need changes made.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I don’t have stats to give, but our users really like the look of the website. They feel that it’s very personal. We’ve found that, in general, everyone has reacted very positively to the changes we’ve made.

How did Flair Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. They stayed much more on track than we did. They were constantly reminding us about what they needed from us. They were good taskmasters.

What did you find most impressive about Flair Designs?

I really like Leslie on a personal level. She was very approachable, easy to work with, and flexible. She went through a pregnancy and had a baby during our project, and she still managed to make herself very available and responsive. She grasped what we were trying to do within minutes of our first meeting. She just had a very great intuitive sense. I don’t know if she did all the design, but it was a great concept and design. It worked out very well. We’re very happy with it.

Are there any areas Flair Designs could improve?

No. They did a great job. They delivered on time and on budget. If anything held it up, it was on our end, not getting the content to them on time.