Pill Creative Studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of EduSkills

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Education software for educators serving K-12 English Learners in the United States.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pill Creative Studio to accomplish?

• Web Design
• Brand Identity
• Graphic Design

SOLUTION

How did you find Pill Creative Studio?

Online Search

Why did you select Pill Creative Studio over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Pill Creative Studio were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The project involved a comprehensive brand identity rollout and digital presence build-out. The goal was to establish a professional, cohesive visual language for our company across both web and print platforms.

Brand Identity Development: Messaging around our core visual identity to represent EduSkills’ mission.
Web Design & Development: Building a functional, responsive, and user-friendly corporate website.
Collateral Design: Developing physical and digital marketing assets to support business development and outreach.
 
Key Deliverables:
1. Brand Identity & Graphics:
Primary Logo: High-resolution files (PNG, SVG, Vector) for use across all media.
Logo Variations: Vertical, horizontal, and icon-only versions for different layouts.
Visual Style Guide: Selection of brand colors and typography to ensure consistency.
2. Website Development (eduskillsllc.com):
Custom Web Design: A fully designed user interface tailored to the EduSkills brand.
Responsive Programming: Optimization for seamless viewing on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
Content Integration: Setup of core pages, service descriptions, and contact forms.
Launch & Hosting Setup: Final deployment of the live site on the primary domain.
3. Marketing & Sales Materials:
Marketing Flyers: Professionally designed templates for digital distribution and print.
Business Collateral: Design of brand-aligned materials to support EduSkills’ service offerings.
Asset Library: A collection of all source files and exported graphics for future use.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

. Speed to Market & Project Efficiency:
Outcome: "The designer consistently met tight deadlines, delivering a fully functional website and brand suite within [X weeks/months]. Her rapid turnaround allowed us to launch our marketing efforts ahead of schedule."
Clutch phrasing: "Project milestones were met 100% of the time, often with deliverables arriving 24–48 hours before the deadline."
2. Professional Brand Cohesion:
Outcome: "With the new logo and marketing flyers, we now have a unified brand identity across all platforms (web and print). This has professionalized our outreach to school districts and partners."
Clutch phrasing: "We now have a 100% consistent brand presence across our digital and print materials, which has significantly improved our professional image during RFPs and partner presentations."
3. Website Performance & User Experience:
Outcome: "The website is intuitive and responsive. Since launching eduskillsllc.com, we have a centralized hub to direct potential clients, which has streamlined our lead generation process."
Clutch phrasing: "The site is fully responsive and load times are excellent, providing a seamless user experience that has made our digital onboarding and information sharing much more efficient."
4. Qualitative Success (The "Feedback" Metric):
Outcome: "We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from stakeholders and partners regarding the clean, modern look of the site and materials."
Clutch phrasing: "Stakeholder feedback has been 100% positive, specifically highlighting the clarity of information and the modern aesthetic of the new branding."

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The project management was seamless and highly efficient. She consistently delivered all items on time, and in many cases, ahead of schedule. Despite the complexity of building a full website while simultaneously designing a logo and marketing materials, the workflow never felt stalled or disorganized.

Responsiveness & Adaptability

She was incredibly responsive to our needs, often replying to inquiries or revision requests within hours. Her ability to pivot and incorporate feedback quickly was a major asset to the project. We never had to chase her for updates; she remained proactive throughout the entire engagement, ensuring that EduSkills’ vision was translated accurately into the final deliverables.

What was your primary form of communication with Pill Creative Studio?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The most impressive aspect of working with Pill Creative was the seamless blend of high-quality design and rapid execution. Often, you have to choose between a designer who is fast but sloppy, or one who is artistic but slow. Pill Creative broke that mold—delivering a sophisticated, professional brand identity and a functional website in a timeframe that genuinely surprised us.

Beyond the deliverables, Pill Creative's proactive responsiveness was unique. It never felt like we were just another ticket in a queue; she treated the EduSkills project with a level of urgency and care that made the entire process stress-free. Her ability to take a high-level concept and quickly turn it into polished marketing flyers and a live site is a rare find in the design world.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Pill Creative Studio could have done differently?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder and CEO of NextLM

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

NextLM uses real-time behavioral tracking to identify which prospects are actively moving toward a purchase, so sales teams can target based on timing and intent rather than static lists and guesswork.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pill Creative Studio to accomplish?

• Recreate our user experience
• Increase landing page conversion
• Recreate our branding and public presence

SOLUTION

How did you find Pill Creative Studio?

Behance

Why did you select Pill Creative Studio over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Veronika is awesome

How many teammates from Pill Creative Studio were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We brought on this team to handle a full rebrand, product UI redesign, and the build-out of our entire marketing and advertising presence. The scope was broad and the timeline was tight, but they delivered across every workstream.

On the product side, they redesigned our entire user interface from scratch. This included all primary screens and user flows, a new component library, responsive layouts, and developer-ready handoff specs. The result is a cleaner, faster product experience that's consistent with the new brand.

For brand identity, they developed a completely new visual system: updated color palette, refined typography, iconography, and illustration guidelines. They documented everything in a brand guide that we now use across the company. The new aesthetic feels modern and premium without being generic.

They also designed and built dozens of landing pages, each tailored to different audience segments and campaign goals. This included the page architecture, all copywriting, conversion optimization, tracking integration, and A/B test variants.

On the advertising side, they produced a full suite of ad creative across multiple formats and platforms. This covered static and dynamic assets, all ad copy (headlines, body, CTAs), and platform-specific specs. They also iterated on creative based on early performance data.

Key deliverables included: redesigned product UI across all core flows, a complete brand identity system with guidelines, dozens of conversion-optimized landing pages with copy and tracking, a full library of ad creative across formats and channels, and ongoing creative iteration based on campaign performance.

Everything they built is interconnected. The brand informs the product, the product informs the landing pages, and the landing pages inform the ads. That consistency has been a huge factor in our results. Our ads are currently running with significant success, and none of it required outside creative support beyond this engagement.

How much have you invested in them?

10,000+. This company was a great value, though.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Since launching the redesigned product, new brand, landing pages, and ad creative, our daily growth rate has doubled. The ads they built are performing well, and we haven't needed any outside creative support beyond what this team delivered. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project management was excellent throughout. They set timelines at the start of each workstream and consistently hit them. We met regularly to review progress, give feedback, and align on priorities. They were highly responsive between meetings as well. If we flagged something or asked for a change, the turnaround was fast, and the communication was clear. There was never a point where we felt like we were chasing them for updates or waiting on deliverables. Highly recommend this team.

What was your primary form of communication with Pill Creative Studio?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What stands out most is that they never felt like an external agency. They embedded themselves in our business, understood our product, our market, and our customers, and made decisions like people who had real skin in the game. There was no hand-holding or lengthy briefing cycles. They just got it.

The quality of the design work was exceptional. Not "good for an agency" but genuinely best-in-class. Everything from the product UI to the landing pages to the ad creative felt cohesive, polished, and intentional. Nothing was filler. Nothing felt templated.

The speed and volume were also unusual. They delivered a full product redesign, a complete rebrand, dozens of landing pages, and a full library of ad creative, all within a compressed timeline. Most agencies would scope that across multiple quarters. They executed it without sacrificing quality.

If you're looking for a team that operates like a founding-level design and marketing partner rather than a vendor waiting for a brief, this is that team.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Pill Creative Studio could have done differently?

Honestly, the only thing I'd change is that I wish we had started working with them sooner. We spent time trying to handle some of this work internally before bringing them on, and in hindsight, engaging them earlier would have accelerated our timeline significantly. That's not a criticism of their work. It's a reflection of how much value they added once they were involved.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Laundry House

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

NYC's cleanest laundromat. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pill Creative Studio to accomplish?

• Graphic Design

SOLUTION

How did you find Pill Creative Studio?

Upwork

Why did you select Pill Creative Studio over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Pill Creative Studio were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We've worked with Veronika and Pill Creative since Laundry House first opened, and she's been behind every piece of visual branding we've put out. Signage, print materials, digital assets, promotional flyers, direct mail... all of it. She's touched every part of our brand's visual identity.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

What stands out most is consistency. When you're building a brand from scratch, you need a designer who actually gets the vision and can translate it across dozens of formats without losing the thread. Veronika nailed that from day one.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Turnaround has never been an issue. Even when we've come to her with tight timelines or last-minute requests, she delivers quality work on schedule. No drama, no missed deadlines.

What was your primary form of communication with Pill Creative Studio?

Email or Messaging App

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

If you're a business owner looking for a designer who can own your entire visual identity and grow with you, I'd recommend Pill Creative without hesitation. Veronika has been a real partner in building what Laundry House looks like today.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Pill Creative Studio could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Everdean Marketing Consulting

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Everdean Marketing Consulting is a digital marketing agency that helps build local brand awareness and increase leads for B2C customers. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pill Creative Studio to accomplish?

• Develop a complete brand identity refresh
• Design and build a new company website
• Establish consistent brand standards across all marketing collateral

SOLUTION

How did you find Pill Creative Studio?

Upwork

Why did you select Pill Creative Studio over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• High quality designs

How many teammates from Pill Creative Studio were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Scope of Work

The project encompassed a full brand overhaul and digital presence rebuild for my client, a family-owned home services company operating in the solar, HVAC, generator, and battery backup space in Northeast Pennsylvania.

Key Deliverables:

Logo & Brand Identity — Designed a new logo and established a cohesive brand identity system including a defined color palette, typography, and visual standards to be used consistently across all touchpoints.

Website Design & Development — Built a fully redesigned, high converting company website

Signage & Print Collateral — Designed physical brand assets including sign mockups using brand colors, as well as print-ready marketing materials aligned with the new brand identity.

Social Media & Digital Graphics — Created branded digital assets for use across social media and ongoing marketing campaigns, consistent with the new brand standards. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Complete Brand Deliverables Achieved on Scope — 100% of agreed-upon deliverables were completed, including a new logo, full brand identity system, and a redesigned multi-page website covering all service lines — delivered as a cohesive, launch-ready package.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The designer demonstrated excellent project management throughout the entire engagement. Deliverables were completed on time and the communication was consistently clear, responsive, and proactive. Any questions or requests were addressed promptly, and I never had to follow up more than once to get a response or resolution.

This was not our first project together. I have worked with this designer across multiple client engagements, and they have never missed a deadline or fallen short of expectations. That track record of reliability is a big part of why I continue to bring them back. They have become a trusted extension of my team rather than just a vendor, and that level of consistency is genuinely hard to find.

What was your primary form of communication with Pill Creative Studio?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What stands out most about Pill Creative Studio is the quality of creative vision from the very first concept. From the start of every project, the designs feel intentional, elevated, and strategically considered, not generic or templated. She has a true eye for design with a strong command of both aesthetics and UI/UX, which means the work doesn't just look great, it actually functions well for the end user.

Beyond the creative output, the level of care that she and her team bring to every project is something I have not found anywhere else. I have worked with other designers and development teams over the years, and no one has matched the attentiveness, thoughtfulness, and consistency that Pill Creative Studio delivers. Every project feels like a priority, regardless of size or scope.

They have earned a permanent place as my go-to creative partner, and I recommend them without hesitation to anyone looking for a designer who will truly invest in their brand.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Pill Creative Studio could have done differently?

No, I am always impressed by the quality of work they provide.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-owner of PYG Therapy, a home health company for individuals with developmental disabilities. We provide speech and occupational therapy services at home.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pill Creative Studio?

We were trying to attract healthcare providers who wanted to work for our agency and clients who wanted to be serviced by our agency. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pill Creative Studio helped us with our company branding, logo design, and website. They started by getting a feel for what we were looking for, including our values and goals. They then provided us with ideas and options that matched our vision. From there, they created a completely new website for us using WordPress. For the logo, we didn’t give them anything; we let them get creative. They gave us great options that aligned with what we were looking for.

What is the team composition?

We worked closely with two people from their team, including Veronika.

How did you come to work with Pill Creative Studio?

A member of our team did a lot of research on different agencies for branding options because we knew we wanted to rebrand. We went with Pill Creative Studio because they were willing to work with our budget and provide the services within it. We also liked the work that we saw and got a generally good vibe and feeling from them when we met them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $15,000 on the project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from July–October 2024. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We loved their work and had a hard time deciding among the different logos and color schemes they offered. The website design was also easy to use, and we liked what they presented. Overall, the quality of their work was very high.

In terms of results, we saw an increase in providers and clients being interested in us after the engagement. 

How did Pill Creative Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They always met deadlines and even delivered some things early. They stayed within budget and were very respectful of it. They didn’t push the boundaries, which we appreciated as a very small company.

Moreover, their team was excited about what they were doing for us and showed us some of the things they had come up with. They made small adjustments that our tech team was very picky about. Our tech team was the most picky, and Pill Creative Studio worked really well with them. Overall, they made everything easy for us.

They were also very responsive and easy to get a hold of. We communicated via email and Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What stood out to us was their willingness to go above and beyond. They had the same mindset as us, and we appreciated that. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything they could've improved on. They did great and met all of our needs. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It's important to give them good background information and allow them to be creative.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Catalyst BPX

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Business Process Outsourcing company that provides high end staffing services based in low cost locations, for a variety of business functions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pill Creative Studio to accomplish?

• Design Website
• Build Website
• Build Our Brand

SOLUTION

How did you find Pill Creative Studio?

Online Search

Why did you select Pill Creative Studio over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Pill Creative Studio were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

For months Pill Creative has been assisting us holistically with our brand. They have done everything for us from creating our logo to building and designing our entire website and refining our pitch decks. This work has spanned months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our website has had steadily growing traffic and we've onboarded multiple clients. It's unlikely that we would have had nearly this level of success without strong branding and brand assets.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Pill Creative was highly responsive and very friendly throughout the engagement process. They provide helpful recommendations and are always willing to work with us when we have strong opinions. They were proactive in guiding us through what needed to be done, across both strategy and engagement management.

What was your primary form of communication with Pill Creative Studio?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I feel the ROI is very strong on engagements with Pill Creative. The quality is very high and the prices are reasonable. I've also found them uniquely easy to work with.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Pill Creative Studio could have done differently?

Not really!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president and COO at GeoLinks. We are a telecommunications company offering internet serviceability, along with telephone, STV, and other services. We cater to a wide range of clients, from business to residential clients. We're essentially an ISP.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pill Creative Studio?

We were moving into a new evolution of our organization and were looking for a service provider that could update our company's branding and website. In the past, we had done this work in-house or with smaller contractors. I was looking for a company that understood the space and had a flair for graphic design, something our company didn't necessarily have. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we started this process before the website rebuild, we needed to have a sense of brand identity by having a new logo and branding identity. Pill Creative Studio has given us different design options to choose from. The team has researched what would work best for our brand and get our messaging across. Pill Creative Studio has delivered daily design mock-ups and responded to our feedback.

What is the team composition?

I've worked closely with Veronika (Founder & CEO). 

How did you come to work with Pill Creative Studio?

I was introduced to Pill Creative Studio by a referral from an outside contractor who worked for me and thought they would be a viable solution for our organization's rebranding and website development project. Pill Creative Studio came highly recommended and has great references.
How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around $35,000–$70,000 on this project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on our branding and web design project from December 2022–November 2023. Pill Creative Studio continues to provide web maintenance and support when we need to update our website 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our web traffic has increased since we updated our website. Our rebranding has allowed us to better communicate to our partners that we were moving to a new version of our organization with cleaner branding. Our new branding has led to more sales leads and getting people interested in our company. The branding identity Pill Creative Studio has created is the niche reset and refresh that we needed. 

Our site's engagement has grown, and our client's engagement has grown, too. We also see more sales leads. Pill Creative Studio delivers excellent quality work, and I can't ask for a better partner. The team has taken the time to listen to our needs and created a great website. The team is phenomenal and a great team. 

Pill Creative Studio works closely with my company's team. I continue to do business with them and get technical support because I want to keep working with them. Now, they're one of my most trusted design partners. Pill Creative Studio has their finger on the pulse when it comes to what is out and exciting in the marketplace. We feel very comfortable working with Pill Creative Studio. 

Pill Creative Studio has given us many options and has been instrumental in finding our new brand identity without losing the sense of where our company was before. Working with the team is very comforting because they have a no-stress position when they work with us. Pill Creative Studi is very transparent about everything they do. The team works closely with us and is very patient since we're engineers and aren't a creative team.

How did Pill Creative Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Pill Creative Studio responds to our feedback almost instantaneously. The team's attention to detail in getting back to me is impressive. Pill Creative Studio is super responsive and usually responds to my inquiries within minutes. With other companies, I usually had to wait days or weeks. Pill Creative Studio is on top of project management — I can't stress that enough. The team has given us an accurate outline of the project with timetables and deliverables. 

The team has this entire project mapped out from beginning to end, from our rebranding to our website development, in a way that puts our minds at ease. Pill Creative Studio meets deadlines and keeps us responsible as well. This is a partnership all the way through. If anything, the project would've launched faster if my team could've gone quicker. Pill Creative Studio is responsible for ensuring the project meets the timelines. We communicate via email, phone calls, and Zoom meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm mostly impressed by Pill Creative Studio's leadership and project management. I can't highlight enough their attention to detail and connection to our company. The team wants to know our company on an intimate level to understand what we're trying to achieve.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of any improvement feedback for Pill Creative Studio — they're amazing. I looked for ways to keep working with the team because I liked them so much.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I recommend trusting Pill Creative Studio's leadership team because they'll give you precisely what you're looking for. I also suggest thinking outside of the box. I've recommended them already to some of my partners looking for branding and web design services. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an executive at a tech startup in the transportation industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Pill Creative Studio?

We are a new tech startup with years of experience in the transportation industry. As women co-founders, we wanted to make our mark in the male-dominated transportation tech industry. We needed to create a brand identity and UI/UX design that stood out with professional quality that set us apart. We hired this vendor because the company's portfolio was super solid. We wanted a unique logo and UI/UX that was modern and user-friendly.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online for the best UI/UX developers in the US and shortlisted 7 of them. After interviewing them, we chose this vendor based on professionalism, quality of work from portfolio of past projects, design skills, enthusiasm for the project, estimate for cost of services, and the vendors ability to design brand identity and UI/UX.

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

Their team conducted an extensive onboarding interview with an in depth look at the problem our company was solving. The team also market research of our competitors. From there they sent us a scope of work that was in line with our specific needs and we got started with brand strategy. The mood boards the vendor sent really helped set the stage and guide our team in the process.

Within a few days of us selecting a mood board that was in line with our company's culture and vision, we had designs of amazing logos with brand colors. Each logo design was thoughtful and we selected the one that was in line with our vision. It just felt "right" — it was perfect! The vendor sent us a comprehensive brand style guide that is extremely helpful. Next we moved on to the UI/UX phase.

The vendor studied the use case we sent and you can tell they did their own research of competitors as well. The process was very streamlined and we hardly had any comments to the initial prototype design sent to us - it was spot on! The design was user friendly and modern. The vendor also designed a landing page for us as things were moving fast on our side. The project was completed within the estimated timeline and within the estimated budget. Loved working with this vendor!

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

My team worked directly with their UI/UX designers. We loved that there were no middle men. It made our experience much more intimate and in depth.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very pleased with the deliverables from their team. Our dev team was able to develop a beta version of the app in house using the UI/UX which served as a great foundation for our app. After only a couple of in depth conversations, the vendor was able to fully capture our vision from the start and well exceeded expectations. The design has helped us create a professional, user-friendly mobile friendly app and we've received positive feedback from potential users.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The vendor worked very well with our CTO and team which made the process seamless without a lot of back and forth. All deliverables were on time and within budget. We had virtual meetings and also communicated via email - there was a nice balance of both.

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

This company's logo/brand design and UI/UX skills are exceptional. They truly understood our vision and it was obvious they did their market research. They are thoughtful listeners which is a unique trait in designers. This is our first tech startup and the vendor taught us so much about the process. No question went unanswered.

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

The vendor should keep doing what they are doing. Their process works and as long as the client does their part, the process is seamless. We couldn't have asked for better. Loved working with this vendor.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Founder of Boche Design and we’re an online marketplace specializing in unique, handpicked items ranging from apparel to housewares.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Pill Creative Studio, and what were your goals?

We came to Pill Creative Studio to assist in creating our brand based on a concept we had in our head. We were starting from scratch looking for the development of a logo, brand identity, website creation and marketing assets. It was a difficult process to choose a vendor because there are so many different agencies out there. Once we had our initial call we knew that for Veronika and team it was less about a monetary focus and more about a passion for their work.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

PCS started with a deep dive into the “discovery” of our brand and truly listened to our vision with the intention of bringing it to life. Once we finalized the logo everything else just came to life. They were able to tackle the integration of Shopify and even recreated the images we used for our products, so it all looked consistent. They had logical, well-thought-out milestones with different execution strategies that supported our timelines.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Logo customization along with brand identity was key. Communication was key, from discovery call, to presentation and meeting timelines, it was a great experience.

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

Three members, Owner/Designer, Business Consultant and Design Assistant.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, I can’t say enough about how easy Pill Creative made this process. It’s scary trying to navigate starting a business because you’re constantly trying to balance needs versus wants with a budget. Developing a brand is a very personal thing and it’s so important to find a partner who understands that.

Veronika made sure we had weekly calls to check in on progress but also to make sure that the direction we were headed in from a design standpoint was on par with our vision. We've continued to work with them after launch to assist in developing social media assets and merchandising materials. I truly feel like we have more than just a client-agency relationship — but rather a true partnership. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a more personalized, less corporate branding experience.

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

Communication was key in delivering in a timely matter. There was continuous communication with the owner/designer including phone calls, zoom meetings and emails keeping us in touch with each step of the project.

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

The capability to deliver an incredible logo design all while learning what is important to our clients when considering the branding.

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

There are none I can suggest.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of our company. We are launching 2 SaaS platforms. The first is a reimagined online booking experience dedicated to Barbershops, Hair Salons and Tattoo Parlors. The second s an e-Learning platform dedicated to support professionals n the Barbering/Cosmetology industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Pill Creative Studio?

We considered hiring Pill Creative to help us develop our landing page (ahead of our product launch) along with design enhancements to our current website design. We also considered getting their help with our overall brand identity + branding strategies.

SOLUTION

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

We searched around on Clutch for companies that offer Graphic/Web design that had strong reviews from clients.

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

We initially hired Pill Creative studio to help with the following:

1. Design enhancements to our landing page
2. Web development to help us launch our landing page
3. UI/UX help for our upcoming Blog site
4. Branding help with our marketing content - i.e. video content, social media graphics, e-mail newsletters, etc.

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

We spoke to Matt (company's CFO and sales person?) and the founder (who also seems to be the lead designer) Veronika.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was a total failure. Arguably the worst experience I've encountered working with a design team across my entire career. Veronika, their lead designer, had left for a vacation immediately after we submitted the payment to kick off the project.

Before consulting with us or scheduling a kickoff, the team delivered to us were extremely poor quality wireframes based on their own assumptions around our brand/audience which led us to search for a more professionally run design studio (more info below).

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Absolutely non-productive. The majority of our discussions were focused on negotiating on price and the initial deposit.At first, the team demanded a 50% deposit upfront. We negotiated the deposit down a bit and made the payment to get started.

Matt indicated to us that Veronika (leading the design effort) was heading on vacation for a week and would not be able to start the work for another week which the first of the red flags. Also, Veronika and team had apparently jumped right into design during vacation without talking to us first.

At a minimum, we were hoping to schedule a kickoff call to discuss what we were looking for, our brand's vision or even put together an initial mood board/style guide before starting off with design work. We also came to them with a website design concept that we really liked but needed some minor improvements that we were hoping to discuss.

We didn't hear from the team for the entire week and we had to cancel the contract early based on some product development expenses we had to pick up. The next morning after notifying the team that we had to cancel/return our deposit, Veronika and team had put together a last ditch effort (the morning of) delivering the lowest quality wireframes we've ever seen.

They also proposed a total redesign / change our website's experience based on their assumptions. The work looked to be sloppy, rushed and something that I can have produced myself as a non-designer. Worse off, they charged us almost the same amount that we paid for the website design that we were already relatively happy.

Before delivering the work, we had considered bringing the team back a few weeks down the road when we got closer to launch. But this experience made it clear that the company is cash-strapped and focused more on collecting money vs partnering with a customer to deeply understand their needs. We felt like we dodged a huge bullet walking away as early as we did.

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

Initially, we were the most impressed with their Clutch reviews from other clients. We looked at their portfolio of work which indicated that they had the potential to produce strong web design work for us. But we didn't really spend enough time researching whether or not they'd be a good fit for us unfortunately.

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

The team needed to work on how to properly partner with a new client and build trust before demanding payment. Spend the time to figure out who your client is, what they're looking for, market/audience and who their competitors are.

Before demanding a payment, put together a proposal that includes a thorough outline/plan showing how you plan to approach the project and what deliverables/timeline the client can expect. Most importantly, after accepting payment, schedule a call to dive into the details of the project with the client and start with a mood board/style guide before rushing into poor quality design work.

We've worked with several design studios now. The organized/professional design teams that are thriving all do this very well. It seems like these guys are a young team that's still figuring out their way.

Company Responses

The vendor responded on April 11, 2022

We were only four days into this project when the reviewer informed us that he needed to postpone things because Guile Men was having cashflow issues. Unfortunately, the work had already started due to their tight delivery timeline. We immediately informed him that we would cancel ongoing work but would need to compensate our team for work completed. We provided him with documentation of hours completed by our team and deducted our hourly rate from his initial deposit. He became very angry and threatened a negative review. Like most companies, we don’t think our team should have to work for free. Our cancellation policy is stated in the client agreement he signed and deterring from that would be unfair to our other clients.