Nika Agency

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We design and manufacture smart bands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nika Digital Agency?

Brand new website development.

What were your goals for this project?

To build a website with eCommerce.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Based on our experience with Nika Labs manitianing another website for us in the past.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They provided a turnkey solution website for us in a very short period of time.

What was the team composition?

We got a project manager for our project, but we could always contact the CEO if we need to.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This website opens up a door for us to sell our bands directly to customers.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Very effective and efficient.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are very detailed oriented and pay attention to our needs. They always going an extra mile to accomodate what we want even as a last minute change.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, they did a great job for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO of an HVAC company. We install commercial and residential heating and air conditioning setups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nika Digital Agency?

We were trying to compete with HVAC companies in our areas. We wanted to change our brand to something more modern and fun than what the boring HVAC companies we saw around us had. In doing this, we wanted to get more customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nika Digital Agency did the whole branding set up for our company. We had amazing meetings with them, which took several hours across many months. We came up with a brand that would succeed. They helped us a lot, given that our vision wasn’t as aligned with theirs when we started. They educated us on what the brand should look like and how it could change our whole business story. They came up with a lot of ideas and brands, and we finally picked one and stuck with it. 

After coming up with a brand, Nika Digital did our website design, business cards, t-shirts, branding for Facebook, Instagram, and Yelp, and everything else.

What is the team composition?

I know that they had more people in the background, but we worked with Ayman (Managing Partner) and Ali (Founder & CEO). They’re both great guys; they have good vision, and the two of them are able to work as one. They can see things from different angles and complement each other.

How did you come to work with Nika Digital Agency?

I believe I found them while looking for branding companies on Yelp. They’d done a project for another HVAC company that is more commercialized and bigger than ours. The fact that Nika Digital was able to help them made them look like a good option. 

I had a phone conversation with Ali the next day, and I decided to hire them. They had a different angle on marketing and branding aspects, and we needed that.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost so far is $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June or July 2019. They’ve accomplished everything we set forth on the first proposal, but I’m sure the partnership’s not going to end. This is a busy season for HVAC, but we plan to go back to them in a couple of months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Nika Digital created some characters as part of our truck designs, and I’ve heard several times from our field technicians that they can see people paying attention to them when they’re driving or parked somewhere. Nika Digital’s design gets people’s attention, which leads to more customers and customers remembering us.

How did Nika Digital Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication’s perfect. We’ve communicated through Google Hangouts, text, phone, and email, and they’re always there when I need them. They’ve been pretty on time with deadlines. The project took a bit longer because we were also educating ourselves on branding. Nika Digital took the time to educate themselves and work with us in this area.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have delivered everything they promised.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing at the moment. We’re simply happy with the service we received.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I advise talking to both Ali and Ayman. Each of them can look at things from a different angle, and they complement each other. Clients like ourselves, who are just starting, should listen to the ideas Nika Digital brings. Even if we don’t like those ideas, we can research the topics and digest them for a day or two. There can be very successful business ideas in those stories.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a Catholic parish in the Diocese of San Jose. We have a church and a school within the parish community. My position is the business manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nika Digital Agency?

I was under a deadline to get our parish website transported onto a platform before our content provider shut down on May 31st.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nika Digital Agency did 100% of the transporting over to the new WordPress platform. Then, we went in and worked with them to make changes and updates.

They helped us decide on a theme and updated our existing website with that theme. Because we were under such a time crunch, my number one concern was getting everything transported over before the other system went down. The fastest and easiest thing to do was port the site over as it was, and then we made changes after. A few things didn’t port over well, and there were new apps within the WordPress theme that made more sense to do in different ways, all of which they took care of. 

What is the team composition?

Ayman (Managing Partner) was our main contact. We also communicated with a developer electronically. 

How did you come to work with Nika Digital Agency?

I contacted the IT director of the Diocese of San Jose. I didn’t realize that the Diocesan website was a WordPress site, so the director there was able to confidently recommend Nika because they are the developers that work with at the Diocese.

How much have you invested with them?

The initial contract was about $7,900 to do the conversion. However, about halfway through the project, I made a significant change, which meant we had to change themes. I paid an additional $3,000 for them to redo work that had already been done.

What is the status of this engagement?

We probably engaged in February and then finished in May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We would have had to undergo a redesign of the website anyway, but it would’ve been in a more planned and controlled way. It all became such a rush when the content provider announced that they were shutting down; it was unexpected. My number one criterion was that I needed something done very quickly, and I needed someone that could do it with little direction from me because we were in the middle of several crises, including the COVID shutdown.

From that perspective, they did a really fine job. It would have been a better experience if I'd had time to sit down and be creative with them on the frontend rather than having to rush through it. I can't really criticize them for not being creative, because they accomplished the task very, very well. Our primary purpose, if we hadn't been rushed, was to create better communication links out to our community. The things that they did bring over, and the themes that we settled on finally, do exactly that. A lot of interaction with our community is possible, and that was a major benefit.

How did Nika Digital Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a bit of a slow start until we understood how to interface with each other, but once Ayman and I sat down and came up with the communications tools to make sure that they understood what I needed and my expectations, it worked really smoothly. I was able to communicate on a daily basis, and the next day, whatever I needed was done. It just took a little while to figure out how to communicate with each other.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I thought that the responsiveness to my requests was fantastic. When I called, they were right there, and they got done what I needed done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s hard for me to evaluate that, since we had a very narrow scope on the project. However, what could’ve been better is that I expected some training on the backend, since WordPress is new to us. That was a little rocky; it got passed off to one of their employees, and they asked what questions we had rather than providing videos and tutorials. I expected a little bit more robust training on the backend. However, when I have been stuck, even since the contract ended, they have jumped right in and taken care of whatever I needed. If I was going to engage somebody to help me maintain the website – right now, we manage it ourselves – I would go to them, because what they did was fantastic.

Also, coming back to me with a bit more creativity could have solved some problems; however, that could’ve just been that we didn’t sit down and do a great deal of project definition together. When I asked them to suggest some themes, they didn’t spend any time going through the themes; they expected me to investigate those things myself. I would’ve liked a little more handholding on the frontend to understand what we were getting into. It would’ve been helpful if they used their creativity to understand our needs and business, and then come back with a plug-and-play solution. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Understand the methodology for communicating so that the project can keep rolling. Figure out the methodologies that work better for the customer and Nika in terms of communicating.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of VRNACULARS, an AR and VR company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nika Digital Agency?

Like ay new company, we needed to get a website to talk about our services and capabilities. At the time I didn’t know how to do it myself.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nika Digital Agency built a customized WordPress website from scratch. I had a few ideas that I had seen from other websites that I liked. We provided them a lot of the content including images and videos. They then incorporated that onto the website.

The team built the front page as a 360-degree photo that visitors can rotate around. All of the different projects are also in a 360-degree format. Now, the team is working on the first product on our website, a travel site called Tripvana. They developed it and are now working on adding new features on an ongoing basis. 

What is the team composition?

I mostly worked very closely with Ali (Founder & CEO).

How did you come to work with Nika Digital Agency?

I found them on Yelp. I spoke to 4–5 different companies and settled with Nika Digital Agency. I felt very comfortable with them because at that time I didn’t have a very big budget, so they put in half the investment for the initial site.

They wanted to get into the AR/VR industry, which was an opportunity for them to learn about the embedded 360-degree images. The initial skeleton they did for free, just to get something up.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $30,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The website project began in Q1 of 2017 and that was completed quite quickly. The second project, Tripvana, began in February 2019 and we’re still working with them on that.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our clients and a lot of other people who have visited our website have told us that it’s very impressive. We haven’t formerly advertised VRNACULARS. It’s mostly been through our contacts on LinkedIn. They helped me in the beginning by doing some work pro bono, so I really appreciate their partnership.

How did Nika Digital Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

I was impressed that they were willing to put in the time and patience, especially since they did some work for free. They were always open to tweaking the website according to my requests. Nika Digital Agency completed the website very quickly.

As for Tripvana, we finished the core site fairly quickly despite the fact that it was highly customized. Everything has been timely and I haven’t had any issues in this area. The team uses Basecamp for project management. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed by their partnership. Nika Digital Agency really invests in the relationship with their customers. With our travel site, we were trying to build a completely new website and the ideas were only in my head. We’ve gone back and forth a lot.

Nika Digital Agency’s time, patience, and willingness to support the vision – I didn’t get that anywhere else. My other partnerships have been much more transactional in the sense that other developers prioritize volume over the quality and relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At peak times, there were some periods where I couldn’t reach them because they were probably overwhelmed with the work. They’re a relatively small agency, so they do experience work overload. 

I would appreciate if they were more transparent and let me know when they have too much work to deal with. Our business is small too, so I understand what they go through.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They are great thought-partners. Give them a chance to look at what you’re doing and give their perspective. They’re always willing to spend the time and engage in the project, really thinking about what you need. If that’s the kind of partner you’re looking for, I would definitely recommend Nika Digital Agency. 

Additionally, have clarity on what you want to do with the website. One of my downfalls was that my ideas were too broad. I didn’t know what I wanted in terms of deliverables, so the team had to provide multiple mockups before we arrived at the final decision. 

With Tripvana, I had a much clearer vision of the website, and it made everything much easier. So I would recommend that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a startup that is revolutionizing how people access dental services and I'm the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nika Digital Agency?

Naming Messaging Branding Website

What were your goals for this project?

Naming and branding for a healthcare startup that is distributing how people receive dental services.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We've talked to a few branding agencies here in Bay Area and we were impressed by Nika's process and work.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They kicked off the project by running multiple workshops to understand our vision, services, competitors and audience. From there they presented a few concepts and ideas and then executed the branding and website.

What was the team composition?

From start to finish we've worked with 8 different people from Nika through the project. Our main point of contact was our project manager and one of the partners.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Nika, there has been a lot of praise for our branding from partners and customers. They delivered on time and on budget. The team listened actively thought out the process and integrated feedback to ensure our satisfaction. What we really liked the most is they had a lot of great real world examples and experience to guide us with our decisions.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

After the workshop we received an schedule on deliverables and when to expect them. We met every week on a set time to get project update and provide feedbacks when needed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have very creative and impressive ideas for branding. We loved all the concepts they provided but had to pick one to move forward with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could do a better job when it comes to project management.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of a 13+ year-old digital marketing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nika Digital Agency?

We have been working with Nika Labs for over 7 years now. We depend on them to support our web development needs. They have seamlesly helped us with full-sized web design projects all the way down to more routine web site updates and improvements. We also used them to produce our agency web site.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to use a web site framework on top of Wordpress that would allow us more flexibility in managing it without the constant need for a developer. This meant translating the designs we provided into all of the proper web site modules compatible with the framwork we were using. Beyond that, it was a pretty routine web site design project.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

As I stated, we've been working with Nika for many years. We know we can depend on them and would have never thought to work with someone else.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They set up and installed Wordpress and the related framework on a development server for us. They used our sitemap and graphical mocks to flesh out all of the pages of the website. They used the framework we chose to create the page layouts, adding all of the content that was needed.

They set up templates and modules so we could have repurposable areas of the site, making things easier to manage. They QAed the site to make sure it was solid on mobile devices. They optimized the final site and launched it.

What was the team composition?

Throughout most of the project we really just worked directly with one person at Nika. From time to time, when we found something that needed to be addressed, such as the usual browser bug or mobile issue, we would relay that directly to the developer working on the project. That's been our experience on all projects with Nika over the years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We spent many years as an agency with a simple one-page website. It was a cobbler's kids situation. We previously did web development ourselves and could not allocate the resources away from our client projects to create the website our agency needed to market itself.

Having Nika by our sides changed that scenario. Since launching the site successfully, we've been able to iterate on the page layout and structure on our own using the framework Nika built it on. Our site has now gone from being a one-page signpost that did little for us in the past to a fullfledged website that is communicating who we are more fully and garnering leads.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We primarily used Wrike (our chosen project management platform) to manage the project. It all went smoothly through Wrike and an occasional phone call. It went super smooth.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They always deliver and never complain or create additional challenges. In the past, I've worked with developers (externally and on my team) that hit a roadblock and need our handholding to get them over a hump or on to a solution. That's not been my experience with Nika. The leadership there is solution-oriented.

They've taken the load off of me to get them past possible technical challenges that arise from time to time and make it happen. I always feel confident that my project will not suddenly halt and leave me with issues to solve because Nika takes ownership of that.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of. Any issues we've run into have been extremely minor and par for the course when it comes to these kids of projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the marketing manager for ApotheCure, a candle line exclusively designed for gender-neutral clients. We are a gifting company that brings a moment of joy to customers through meaningful gifts and messages, from a simple gesture of gratitude to a cause for indulgence. Each candle is handcrafted in California and we offer over 200 unique messages for customers to select for the box. I oversee creative for online and print.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nika Digital Agency?

Our main challenge was figuring out how best to portray that each gift can be personalized with our messaging labels. We wanted to make sure customers could understand the process without getting lost in the hundreds of messages we offer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nika Digital Agency developed and designed an e-commerce website from scratch for us on Shopify. We had some concepts in mind going into the project but they took the lead on creating wireframes. The whole process was a collaboration and they had some great concepts. 

Their team ensured customers could easily access all of the messages we offer for each occasion. They also ensured that customers could ship to multiple locations within one order. Nika Digital Agency walked us through all of our customizations and helped us achieve them.

We plan on continuing to work with Nika Digital Agency on another e-commerce site. Their team is developing the site and working on the UX design as well as changing the platform it’s on.

What is the team composition?

I was lucky enough to work directly with their founder and with Ayman (Managing Partner & Creative Director, Nika Digital Agency).

How did you come to work with Nika Digital Agency?

I knew the founder of Nika Digital Agency from working with him on a different project with a different brand in the past. After interviewing many agencies, we decided to go with Nika Digital Agency based on a combination of their approach to the project and how accommodating they were. We felt like we were part of their team instead of just a client. We started working together on every aspect of the design and concept from the beginning.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Nika Digital Agency began in April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a soft launch, not just for the new website but for the new brand, to make sure we were in a good position as far as marketing the site and the product. Overall, everyone loves the website and finds it to be very user-friendly. The feedback has been extremely positive.

Nika Digital Agency provided a more streamlined shipping and ordering process. We’ve had a very good experience with Shopify, which is the platform they recommended for us. We’re very happy with the decision to work with them.

How did Nika Digital Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s been a positive experience. We primarily communicated with Nika Digital Agency via Google Docs, email, and text. They dedicated quite a bit of time to the project, which we were grateful for. The follow-up and delivery have been great. There was a delay in the project, but it was mostly due to us trying to figure out what the brand direction is. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Nika Digital Agency was very transparent with the timeline and deliverables. We felt like we were part of the team and we were heard. It was a really nice collaboration. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could allocate more project managers to projects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the VP of Operations for an online technical publication that posts new articles daily.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nika Digital Agency?

We hired Nika Digital Agency for many new web projects, including building our site, and for ongoing web maintenance.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase the website’s functionalities and enhance user experience as well as add new channels to the site and transfer a knowledge center repository to WordPress.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found referrals online and checked their references.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Nika Digital Agency moved a knowledge center to WordPress. They built a tree structure on the site for easier navigation. They also created new channels, a video page, and more. Their team provides maintenance and support.

What was the team composition?

Their team varies, depending on what’s being worked on.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Nika Digital Agency’s work increased readership to our publication.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

All projects are entered into a website tracking tool. There’s regular communication, and all project milestones are checked off when completed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

As evidenced by their quick work, Nika Digital Agency is full of experienced developers. Working with their responsive team is easy.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are none that I can think of at this time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of an IT firm that designs and manufactures human-machine interface solutions. Currently, we’re working with Force Touch technology. Because we’re a startup, I have several responsibilities in my core role—business, account, and product management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nika Digital Agency?

Nika Digital Agency built our original website several years ago. We decided it was time to update the platform because it no longer provided our customers with relevant information about our company or our products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team upgraded our website with a fresh design and added additional features to increase user engagement. Nika Digital Agency integrated a call to action function that prompts users to view our development kits or continue browsing. With this information, we’re able to gather relevant data about the people interested in our projects.

Nika Digital Agency also added multiple pages to our website with interactive visual elements. There are a series of images for each solution that customers can swipe through, giving a well-rounded view of our products and the value of using them. They also implemented the swiping feature on our homepage.

What is the team composition?

The program manager handled my day-to-day needs and managed two teams of designers—one offshore one in-house. I also interacted with a representative from their internal design team.

How did you come to work with Nika Digital Agency?

Because they built the original site, we considered them for our redesign initiative. We asked them for a quote, and they offered a very competitive bid. Nika Digital Agency’s website also contributed to our decision. They used a swiping feature to illustrate and advertise their services, which caught our attention. We could upload an image of an old-looking product then swipe across the image to see it reimagined with modern technology. We thought this very clever and had them implement swiping functions in our website, as well.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000 on the redesign.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from May 2018–August 2018. Soon after, we started a digital marketing campaign.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Nika Digital Agency delivered fantastic work at a very competitive price. We’re completely satisfied with their services, and we’ve experienced a high return on our investment. Our web traffic has increased slightly, but the quality of the visitors is the most significant improvement. Notable, globally recognized companies are visiting our website, interacting with our interface, and showing interest in our products. Our business grew after launching the new site, and we’re looking forward to the results of our digital marketing efforts.

How did Nika Digital Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, the team was professional, diligent, and collaborative. We’re a very picky group, so we requested multiple edits. Nika Digital Agency willingly submitted iteration over iteration until we were happy. The project went over schedule by about 30%, but considering the amount of work we asked of them, we’re happy with the turnaround rate. We take part of the responsibility for the missed deadline.

In terms of communication, we used email and had weekly in-person meetings. My team would visit their office for brainstorming sessions and discuss our progress and any next steps. Those interactions were primarily with the program manager and the in-house designer. We shared information via Google Docs so both sides could make changes and comments in real time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be more attentive regarding grammar and punctuation. We’d find inconsistencies in the work they’d already submitted. It would’ve been nice if I didn’t have to worry about these small details, and I could trust Nika Digital Agency to catch the errors on their own.

Any advice for potential customers?

Clients should provide written descriptions and clear examples of what they want as early as possible. Also, I recommend using Google Docs to collaborate with the Nika Digital Agency team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a marketing analyst at a gift card company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nika Digital Agency?

Our main website hadn't been updated in over 10 years, so we were looking for a vendor that could help us modernize the design and improve its overall functionality. Since the website isn't the company's main driver of revenue, it had been put off for a long time, but we were looking to update it in order to improve our reputation online as a reliable, reputable brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nika incorporated a WordPress site onto our ColdFusion e-commerce site, allowing our team to make edits to the site without having to go through a third party. They helped source a graphic designer, so we could incorporate unique illustrations, as well as a vendor to assist with the integration of WordPress and ColdFusion. They also added a customer review tool to the site, allowing us to capture reviews and ratings.

What is the team composition?

I mostly worked with Ali (Founder and Creative Director, Nika Digital Agency), who put together initial meetings and helped kick off the project, as well as a developer who was more involved with designing the website.

How did you come to work with Nika Digital Agency?

Our third-party SEO/SEM provider mentioned them to us, so we reached out to them to start discussing a proposal and pricing.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on the project with their team in November 2017 and launched the site in July 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Nika did a great job of achieving our main goals with the website, giving it a modern look and feel that screams innovation. They created a responsive, mobile-friendly, clean design without disrupting our e-commerce workflow. They've also helped us streamline many of the pages to make it more navigable overall. Customer experience ratings are around 4.4 out of five stars, which has been hugely beneficial for our marketing department. Thanks to their improvements, our internal team is able to proactively and quickly update site content and artwork as needed.

How did Nika Digital Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is proactive about finding solutions and being receptive to our needs, but there were times when they could have been more responsive. Meetings were very quick and most of our communication was by phone and email or video conferences as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm most impressed by their problem solving capabilities; they're able to understand unique systems that they've probably never come across before, and figure out how to manipulate them to find the best solutions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I felt that I was driving the momentum of the project more than they were, so I think they can make some improvements in their approach to project management. They could also be more consistent in communications and reach out a little bit more to ensure everything's on track.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly outlining our goals before building the website helped us drive the project to its final destination. I suggest outlining the top four or five priorities to focus on throughout development to help keep the team on track. I'd also suggest going over your preferred methods of communication to avoid any confusion from bouncing around from different methods of communication.