Ovyl

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a marketing firm that specializes in building brand awareness through unique approaches.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ovyl?

We hired Ovyl to help us develop a product for a client that would allow outdoor venues to market with freebies that they could give out at event venues. What we eventually dubbed the "Can Coaster". It allowed for a can to be propped upright while sitting on the ground without being knocked over. Ovyl helped us create and prototype a design that we could print marketing materials directly on and hand out to customers.

SOLUTION

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

We needed someone who was local to Nashville so that we could meet with them in person and show them exactly what our idea was and through multiple revisions their Nashville location was pivotal to our relationship.

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

We first brought the idea to Ovyl and I had sketched the concept out. Dave and his team at Ovyl then took it and created 3d renderings and worked in all our change requests. After about 4 different revisions we were able to have a polished prototype that we presented to our client who loved it.

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

We worked mostly with Dave however they even went as far as helping us select and tour a thermoforming facility to look at costs to determine if we could mass produce our product. At which point I also met with another of Ovyl's founders - Evan. Overall my experience with the team was wonderful and I will absolutely be working with them again in the near future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our client was more than pleased by the final product we were able to deliver to them. They have since put the "can coaster" into service at many local concert venues in Nashville to help boost their local marketing campaigns and build awareness of their brands through unique and innovative marketing ideas.

As I reflect on my time working with Ovyl - what continues to impress me is how quickly they were able to take my rough sketch and turn it into a real live prototype. Holding the prototype in my hand we were easily able to refine it further by using the prototype in real-world situations. This would have never been possible if I hadn't worked with Ovyl. The speed at which they run design sprints and produce prototypes is a marvel to be a part of.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow from the initial discovery call to the revision and final meetings was seamless. The way they were able to guide us down the right path and help us feel confident in our project from day one speaks to their ability to make even complex 3d modeling concepts easy to understand and work with.

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

The speed and creative ability to quickly run design sprints and develop minimum viable product prototypes. Not to mention how they clearly and concisely walk you through every step of the product development journey. They break down complex long projects into smaller steps and ensure you are on the same page at every milestone.

This not only eliminated scope creep but also helped me communicate more clearly to my client. By using this approach everyone (myself, and our client) were bought into the entire process which made every completed revision so much more exciting and rewarding.

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

None - their process is polished and everything from their side felt like I was working with a well oiled creative machine. Their ability to design, execute, and avoid potential potholes - made it feel like they had done this process and designed my same product 1000 times. It was impressive and I walked away having learned significantly more about design sprints and the prototyping process than I could have ever imagined.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Beauty by Me designs and develops custom cosmetics technologies. I am owner/operator

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Ovyl's amazing team worked alongside our engineering team to expedite and to optimize a few of our prototypes to a production-quality system We worked with Ovyl to improve the aesthetics of our device, internal systems, and some firmware-related changes. Ovyl had a lead for each of these categories and allowed their expertise to shine at various stages of the project Our goals were to develop a "showcase" device for immediate customer feedback, and Ovyl helped us do just that :)

SOLUTION

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

Ovyl is the leading product design firm/product engineering firm in the South. We explored dozens of vendors, and across the board, Ovyl brought the most to the table

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

I'll keep this light given intellectual property - CAD Modeling/Optimization - Circuit board considerations - Part selection - Vendor/Sourcing - etc.

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

We worked with partners at Ovyl directly as well as individual leads for different areas – ID, ME, and other areas.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

... Yes! Ovyl worked with us to deliver a device that helped us to raise capital and grow our business. Doing this project ourselves would've taken much longer

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

Very hands on, and Ovyl uses various tools to deliver interactive reports/dashboards accessible at any time. The folks at Ovyl also scheduled regular check-in calls to streamline the design process

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

The scope. Across all areas, they have experts willing and able to improve any projects. Whether it is medical, consumer electronics, or other prototype builds

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

We are an incredibly hands-on company, so knowing which methods "didn't work" or which pieces "weren't a fit" can be just as valuable as knowing which solution * does * work. After voicing this to Ovyl, they were happy to share more information along the way :)