Orizon Design

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and head of product for BoxedUp, an equipment rental marketplace company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Orizon Design?

We went through a rebranding process and had many new features. Our team needed to tear down and rebuild our desktop and mobile app. As a result, we engaged Orizon. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We spent much time on user research, so we knew our customers well before Orizon started working with us. Our team told them what our customers cared about and what we could provide them. From there, they designed a product that solved our customers’ pain points. They mainly used Figma and InVision for this project. 

We had plenty of requests; we had a spreadsheet of requirements and use cases that our customers wanted to see in the product. Moreover, we needed a feature that helped our customers discover what they wanted to capture, and that was the most opaque, non-clear requirement we had. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with four people from Orizon. Our main point of contact was Aurélien (Founder & Design Director), while Olivia (Project Administrator & Junior Designer), Zach, and Veronique (Product Designers) were my secondary points of contact. 

How did you come to work with Orizon Design?

I found Orizon through Dribble. I was looking for someone to capture the look and feel that we had in our vision. It was tough because we were starting anew, so I was thrilled about finding and hiring them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $65,000–$70,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from June–September 2022. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measured success through user feedback. Although it wasn’t quantitative, the reception of our audience was important. We also checked if their designs performed better than what we previously had. So far, comments were positive; customers said the product was beautiful and polished. One customer said they’d be crazy to do something without us now that they’d seen what we’d designed. 

How did Orizon Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was Orizon’s strong suit. I appreciated how well-run and organized they were. Most of the time, design agencies could be good at design but not management. In terms of tools, we used Monday to collaborate. We mainly used Slack to communicate. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Orizon was principled and had a sound project management style, which was just as important as the product we were making. Few people could design good products on a tight timeline and deliver them the way they said they would. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there wasn’t any. Before we started the project, I thought they were too expensive, but three weeks later, I quickly realized why — they were great, and I was happy to pay them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust Orizon because they’re great at what they do. If you can bring the voice of your customer to a team like Orizon, the project will go smoother. Apart from that, stay on top of your communications. They’re great communicators, so you should focus on aligning and getting customer feedback throughout the build process. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of Product for a venture studio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Orizon Design UI/UX?

We had existing low fidelity wireframes for a new project, but had a constraint on internal design resources to design the hi-fi screens. We hired Orizon to enhance and complete the UX/UI design and create a logo.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I interviewed multiple design partners, and ultimately selected Orizon because of their previous work.

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

We had a 6 week engagement with Orizon and went through numerous design iterations before landing on the final output. Each week we had a design review and I provided asynchronous feedback through InVision and Slack throughout the project. Their team used Figma to design the app layout, refreshing our lo-fi wireframes, and then created the branding and UI for the final version.

Orizon also worked on a logo design in parallel, we went through 30+ logo designs, but ultimately didn't like any of the options provided, so decided to not use any of them after the project.

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

I worked with 4 people during the engagement. Founder and Lead Designer, account manager, a Sr. Designer, and a Jr. Designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were really pleased with the app design portion of the project. Orizon's designs are the foundation of the app we are currently developing. I turned the app into a clickable prototype with real content to demo with prospective clients, and received great feedback from everyone I've talked to.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The weekly design reviews were effective, but only meeting once a week led to a lot of iterations that could have been avoided. The team was quick to respond over Slack and clearly followed a shared project plan in Coda.

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

Orizon's designers are very creative and really good at UI design.

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

Our specific project required a lot of direction and guidance. Because the designers are so creative, some of the iterations valued design over practicality and didn't match our business needs or communicate a clear UX for our target customers. We eventually landed on a great outcome, but had to drive there intentionally. If Orizon had shared the work in progress Figma file during the engagement, I could have provided better input, sooner. We only got to see the designs once a week through InVision.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CMO of a startup building blockchain-based cloud network

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Orizon Design UI/UX?

Orizon helped our organization build out our website and our two flagship applications -- a storage app and a crypto wallet app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them on dribbble and they made a good impression after a first consultation.

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

The team began with a north star exploration, providing general optionality in the direction of each application. After that we began to establish a general layout and a style. After that we went through explorations of the entire app flow, and eventually we laser in on a final product.

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

Three people. Founder and two designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're now able to pivot into an incredibly strong marketing campaign for a rebrand, launch of website, and app rollouts.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was outstanding. Weekly calls and fast replies throughout the week. A pleasure to work with.

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

Everything they did was of high-quality. Presentations, communications, and execution all follow a high standard. Altogether they are exceptionally organized and this is likely what enabled them to deliver an outstanding product within the timeframes that they outlined.

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

Most of the feedback that we provided would get implemented into the design a week or two after the fact. This generally works quite well -- their feedback/implementation process was always smooth and well executed -- but there are edge cases where this time delay feels unnecessary.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CEO at WithOthers. WithOthers puts change on the blockchain, powered by music. Turning artists into activists and fans into movements offline in web3. The WithOthers impact-event generation platform gives musicians a show in a box—automating the entire production process so artists can focus on making change happen. Fans gather at shows and leave as supporters, taking meaningful ongoing action through the WithOthers platform to create positive social change, and earning unique proof-of-attendance tokens that get them, the artists they love, and the causes they care about paid. Forever.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Orizon Design UI/UX?

We needed our end-to-end UX/UI leveled up out of MVP. This included landing page, profile management, event management, and various other journies.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed approx ten different potential vendors from a variety of sources before settling on Orizon.

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

Product redesign covered several significant functional areas of the product. For each area, the Orizon team worked with us to break down the core user journies and functionality, before delivering first wire frame then high fidelity designs on a weekly basis. Finally, a complete design system was delivered alongside finalized Figma screens.

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

We worked with a team of five from Orizon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were pleased with the results. They created easy designs and implemented it into code, which resulted in higher conversions through our user journey. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. Periodic weekly check-ins over video call, and async discussion over Slack.

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

The team delivered a huge number of screens reflecting complex user journeys in a very limited time frame.

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

We ran over budget by one week.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a social marketplace called PangoBooks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Orizon Design UI/UX?

Our product was an MVP that lacked design quality. We hired Orizon to completely redesign our web and mobile experience as well as rebrand.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Through an intro from a former Orizon client.

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

Orizon conducted extensive research into the market and our competitors. They interviewed us and developed a goal for the market positioning that we wanted to obtain. These were decisions such as how playful/serious, luxury/affordable we wanted to appear as a brand. After this research process they began designing our web mobile experience. We had weekly review meetings where they showed the latest designs. They always provided several options for us to consider and would iterate weekly on that feedback. They conducted a three-week process to design a new logo for the company. They went through much of the same research and interviewing to create the most impressive designs. The end result blew away all expectations. They created not only great UI, but great UX as well.

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

We worked directly with 2 UI/UX designers and the project manager. They set up Slack Connect and were always available.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our engineering team is currently in the process of building these designs and we plan to launch them in the next few months. Although we don't yet have the results, our team is incredibly excited to see our product go from MVP to enterprise application. Orizon designed a top-notch web and mobile experience that makes our company look years more ahead of it's time.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Orizon became part of our team during the whole process. It was seamless.

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

Their incredible efficiency ability to create amazing designs. Each design meeting left me thinking how much value they were providing. They have a very methodical workflow that produces amazing designs in a very short time. They are just good at what they do.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the founders of Love the Sales, a marketplace for discount fashion. We help shoppers find great deals on designer brands. We also partner with retailers to help them clear out their discounted stock and sell it at a better margin.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Orizon Design UI/UX?

We needed someone to design a mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Orizon Design UI/UX designed our iOS app. First, we had a kickoff call and supplied them with our requirements. We gave them an idea of the problem we were trying to solve, our users’ needs, and the features we wanted them to include in the design. On their end, they came up with several ideas for the design and features of the app. 

Together, we came up with a six-week project plan. The team then created the design using Figma. Orizon Design UI/UX offloaded the design to us, and we’re now making a few adjustments before moving on to the development phase.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four teammates, including Aurélien (Founder & Lead Designer), Véronique (Product Designer), another product designer, and a UX designer.

How did you come to work with Orizon Design UI/UX?

We had worked with Orizon Design UI/UX on a rebranding and web redesign project before, so we decided to work with them again.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $45,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from July–August 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everybody loved the design they created, and it was well-received within our company. They managed to deliver a tremendous amount of work within six weeks, and the results were brilliant.

How did Orizon Design UI/UX perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was good. The team met all their deadlines. We had weekly Skype calls where they would present their designs and gather feedback from us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Orizon Design UI/UX was super creative when it came to visuals. I don’t think I’ve ever worked with an agency anywhere near as good as them, and I plan on working with them again.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It took some time to set up the project because we used different design tools, but everything went well once we got over that hurdle. The process was also challenging because of the short timeline, but Orizon Design UI/UX did a great job of adapting to the situation. Additionally, they could’ve done better in terms of the UX design, but that wasn’t an issue for us because we had UX experts in our team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Explain the problem you’re trying to solve in detail and allow them to work with you to find a solution.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CPO and co-founder of a consumer health company based in New York.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Orizon Design UI/UX?

We hadn’t previously invested in UX resources and were looking to bring on experts to help us improve some UX pain points across the app. We had the goal of increasing a specific engagement retention metric via UX updates and a few new features.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The Orizon team came highly recommended through another founder.

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

We worked with the Orizon team across four 1-week design sprints. Prior to kick-off, the team clearly set expectations for each week. to ensure a seamless process. Prior to kick-off, the team did a deep dive into our current user experience and reviewed the documentation we shared on UX challenges, relevant data points and user feedback, and product goals. The team quickly understood our product and challenges + started making impactful recommendations from the first sprint. Each week, the team presented their learnings and recommendations, sharing wireframes and talking through each design decision in detail.

The weekly meetings were very thorough and thoughtful. At the end of each weekly meeting, the team shared the prototype for us to review and add comments. They were incredibly responsive to all questions and feedback. By week 4, we had a complete prototype to share final feedback on, then received the design files as a follow-up. The Orizon team was proactive and hands-on throughout the entire process, delivering top-quality work week after week.

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

We worked directly with the lead designer, UX designer, and project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since receiving the final files last week, we've been sharing the designs with users and running feedback sessions. The overall feedback has been incredibly positive and all stakeholders are excited about their work. We're now kicking off development and looking forward to measuring success. The Orizon team is also keen on learning how the new designs impact our product goals and we'll be sharing the learnings back to them as we build.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was incredibly effective with no friction at all. Orizon has built a process that works - from weekly calls, to consistent deliverables, and seamless feedback loops.

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

Orizon's balance of knowledge, thoughtfulness, and speed has been very impressive. The team is incredibly experienced and it shows in each of their design decisions. They put thought and care into all of their work and managed to deliver at a speed we haven't experienced with any other agency partner before.

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

Everything the team delivered exceeded our expectations and we look forward to working with them again.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a USAMM, the Armed Forces Super Store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Orizon Design? 

We wanted to build an app that would serve our customer base and create a community for the US military. We have an e-commerce site, but we wanted an accompanying app. 
 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We explained our mobile app idea to Orizon. We wanted to have something for our users to access. They did some low-fidelity wireframing, and a basic explanation of what functionality we wanted. They planned out the different screens of functionality. 

We’ll be taking those Figma files and putting them onto Android and iOS. We’re using a programming language called Dart and Flutter to allow us to be cross-platform and make a website with the same codebase. 

What is the team composition?

We have four people involved. 

How did you come to work with Orizon Design?

I used them on another project that went really well. The thing that we really liked about Orizon is that we can go from a low-fidelity wireframe to having a deliverable from Orizon in terms of graphics and what we ask for. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $35,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in March 2021, and we wrapped up in April 2021. It only took five weeks to complete. 
 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The great thing about Orizon is that you’ll have the deliverables you need in five weeks. We haven’t finished coding the app yet.

How did Orizon Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re fantastic. The team was very attentive, communicative, and responsive to any piece of feedback.  They keep things moving. Every week, we have our standup meetings where they keep us updated.

 The team shares their screens and keeps us updated on what they’ve done. They’re very good at quickly reviewing what they’d accomplished that week. We communicated via Google Meet and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

You can be confident that they’ll deliver. If you’re in the market for a mobile application, you can be confident that Orizon is going to deliver a cutting-edge app that people would expect to see in this day and age.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. They do a really good job of communicating. If we ever felt that something was missed, we were able to communicate those things and work through them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give good feedback. Make sure you’re feeding the Orizon machine so they can produce.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as the Church Marketing Manager at Open Doors, an organization that has supported persecuted Christians globally for 60 years. I oversee the digital strategy for reaching new church audiences with our messaging.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Orizon Design?

We hired Orizon to design an online Church Resource Center and an immersive "Start Here" page that introduces people to modern Christian persecution. These two experiences work in tandem to grow our audience and provide our volunteers with resources to share the stories of the persecuted church in their own communities.

SOLUTION

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

I explore a wide variety of design and development firms, ranging from small regional agencies to large national firms. I reached out to several large companies with my concept for this project. Orizon was honestly at the top of that last after coming across their work on Dribbble. So after they reached back out to me and we had a meeting, it was clear they were our top choice.

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

I presented Orizon with a rough idea of what we were trying to achieve and some basic concepts that I'd like to include. After a discovery meeting, they presented me with many design explorations (it was over 10). Especially with the Start Here experience, we spent a few weeks just honing in on a concept and flow that could work. They provided excellent creative advice and were able to expand our thinking. We met weekly for 8 weeks, where their team would go over all the designs in Invision and their responses to feedback from the previous week.

After the meetings, I would connect with my team to collect all our feedback and then I would present Orizon with our unified feedback the following day. Orizon delivered the final files in Figma and also included many animations as well. They also included an archive file of all the visual explorations we made throughout our project, which I thought was a useful asset. My Dev Team is confident they'll be able to work with the files provided to build a complete site.

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

We worked primarily with three people, a Project Manager, a Product or Visual Director, and the company Founder/creative lead. I thought it was pretty awesome to connect with the head of the company and he brought a lot of super creative ideas and innovation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just completed the design phase of our project with Orizon, so we're moving on to development. So we don't have any outcomes yet.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their team was active on Slack and responded quickly to our requests and comments. If they had follow up questions based on our feedback, they asked in our group Slack channel for clarification. There wasn't any feedback that they didn't address - so I would say they were very thorough and thoughtful in their process. If a certain direction we were thinking about wasn't working for Orizon's design, they told us why and presented us with a few other options and their thinking behind each. You can't ask for more than that.

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

They were very positive and a pleasure to work with. Even if we had ideas that were dumb or weren't knowledgable about a topic or trend, they were gracious and never made my team feel like we didn't know what we were talking about. Their designs and motion animation especially is top notch and I feel like it elevated the site to another level.

They focus on creating delightful user experiences, which I think they were able to hit for our project. Honestly, it's a hard needle to thread when you're working with a heavy topic like persecution and religious freedom, but I think they managed it brilliantly.

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

It would maybe be nice to have smaller updates on their work throughout the week. We met every Friday and it was kind of a rush to get through all their designs, decisions they made and why, and also have meaningful discussion on what they were tackling the next week. It was a lot of wrap my mind around in an hour meeting.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder & CEO of NewShades, an eCommerce selling high-end tailored window shades in Germany and Austria. We aim to disrupt the online distribution of tailored window shades by delivering a uniqe shopping experience, easy product configuration and high-end products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Orizon Design?

During the 10 months before we started the project with Orizon we A/B tested and tweaked our product listing a lot which let in the end to a better usability, however, we felt that after lots of iterations the individual elements just did not fit together anymore. Therefore we needed a redesign of the product listing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had previous project experience with Orizion and were very happy with their work.

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

Their team conducted an analysis of the current user interface and started on defining the new UI afterwards. After the first week, they presented already first results so that we were able to provide feedback. We worked on a weekly sprint basis, so that we came from first ideas and drafts in week 1 to a very detailed UI in week 4. The team gave us a weekly status update and incorporated our feedback.

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

My team worked directly with the vendor's UX/UI designers and Founder & Lead Designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As in the previous project, we are very happy with the project outcomes. The new user interface of our product listing looks very fresh and modern and positions us as one of the most up-to-date eCommerce companies for tailored window shades in Germany and Austria. A first analysis of our website data after the implementation shows that session duration and conversion rate increased once we switched to the new UI.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication between us and their team was easy and efficient. We used Slack and Invision to provide feedback on their work.

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

Orizon always delivers state-of-the-art designs and executes projects on time. This is a perfect combination for someone who is looking for a reliable partner with high quality services.

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

We redefined the project scope several times. We included some extra tasks here and there and excluded some other tasks. At the end, one small task has not been covered. This was probably our fault due to the back and forth and Orizon directly took care of that task once I asked for it. I guess a list available for them and us of what has already been covered and what is still on the "to do list" could have helped here.