Pixelative

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder & Investment Banking Instructor of Romero Mentoring

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide financial analyst training and career mentoring services to college students and job seekers. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pixelative to accomplish?

• UX/UI, Comepetitor Research & Prototyping
• Custom EdTech Platfrom with relational database management system (RDMS) database
• Realtime Chat & Newsfeed based on Erlang/Elixir XMPP server
• Custom Jobs/Career Platform
• Admin App to Manage the Platform

SOLUTION

How did you find Pixelative?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Pixelative over others?

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

How many teammates from Pixelative were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

In 2019 Romero Mentoring was looking to upgrade it's existing education platform to delivery a better experience to it's clients. The key features included learning training modules, career coaching, mentoring and job opportunities features in a single platform. 

Key deliverables:

• Design deck
• Project timeline
• Edtech platform with key features including: 
  • student profiles
  • learning video player
  • community newsfeed
  • student progress report
  • mentor profile
  • career portal
  • messaging
  • notifications 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Reduced bloated codebase and made the platform easily manageable

We had a new EdTech platform that enable our businesss to scale and grow our students from 150 to 1000+. We also created 26 courses available in our platform. We added 10 professional mentors. 

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

They first gathered my project requirements over a few meetings. Then they did competitor research. After that, they conducted user surveys of my existing users to understand their expectations and behavior. They helped me build a value proposition canvas. 
Finally, they designed the mockups of the entire application including the learning management system, the social components, and the career platform. After my approval they developed the application using PHP Yii 2.0 framework. They also setup the server infrastructure.

They completed task on time and were highly professionals. They meet all of our expectations and needs.  We worked with a top-notch CTO who made all the difference on my project. They were a constant source of support and guidance, always available and eager to go above and beyond. From Skype to Figma to Jira to Bitbucket, we had a wide range of tools at our disposal to ensure smooth communication and collaboration.

What was your primary form of communication with Pixelative?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their knowledge, speed, and accuracy in delivering the product were impressive. The 1-on-1 attention we received was unique. Additionally, having direct access to the entire team really streamlined communication for us. Whenever we needed to hop on a call, they were always quick to respond. Their expertise in UI/UX and understanding of the user experience was simply unparalleled.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Operations Director of a global marketing agency specializing in B2B technology clients such as Dell, HP, Cisco, and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

The Pixelative team has helped us on a number of projects, but the largest was the refresh of our company website. Arslan and the team were able to flex their skills and build a that was interactive and appealing to our clients who have high standards as they're primarily other marketers!

We were very happy with the outcome, the Pixelative team used a significant amount of initiative to take the basic brief we provided and turn it into something that represented us and our service offerings well.

SOLUTION

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

I had worked with Arslan on previous projects years earlier and enjoyed the experience. When we were looking to conduct the refresh, I reached out again. The quote was competitive, but knowing the process was going to be easy and there was a level of trust really was the deciding factor.

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

We provided a short proposal and the Pixleative team came back with questions and provided a project plan for implementation. The website refresh was a stretch project for all involved on our side, and the Pixelative team kept us on track with deliverables but was flexible where needed.

The website was built including parallax effects, design elements created from scratch and branding.

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

Arslan (founder) and Moshin (developer) were our main points of contact for this project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The refresh was well-received both internally and from client feedback. It provided our sales team a great way to communicate our offerings to new clients with pride.

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

Project management was handled primarily by Pixelative who delivered everything on time but had to wait for us on a lot of things! Thankfully they are patient and persistent. We discussed changes over email and through chat.

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

They read our minds! As mentioned, this project was being completed between a number of other initiatives and we needed a partner that could take a small amount of direction and run with it. It was professional from the get-go and only needed minor changes.

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

We went through normal stages of feedback and iteration, any challenges were picked up though this process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Based out of Roseville, California, Orkatok Inc. has offices across the globe offering any and all BPO services including TTAS and specialized services of any kind for your business no matter how small or large. I am the CEO of Orkatok.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

To build our WordPress website at https://orkatok.com. We wanted to ensure we could have an attractive and user-friendly website.

SOLUTION

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

I was approached by them on LinkedIn. Their design seemed impressive and I was starting out a new company so I wanted an expert website designer.

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

They first gathered my requirements over a few calls. I shared the content of my website. They shared the design mockups with me. After a few revisions, they finalized the design. Then, they developed the website in WordPress and shared the live version on a demo server and once I reviewed the project was completed.

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

There were 4 people in the team, including a project manager, 1 senior designer, and 2 developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were exceptionally smooth in understanding the requirements and delivering the project on time.

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

Working with a dedicated project manager was really helpful. We communicated over calls and emails. They delivered on time.

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

Their design skills were exceptional.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Granza is a free, patented email marketing platform that uses human behavior to create your own powerful, viral business network. Connect with new customers and prospects you could never reach before. I am the CEO of Granza.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Pixelative to design and develop our custom email marketing web application. Our goal was to have an experienced team that could build an enterprise-level application and manage it long-term. I am the CEO.

SOLUTION

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

A few years ago, I was working with a Canadian company, exploring the possibility of additional fundraising to develop Granza. Concurrently, I was working with a developer on the code. They provided a rather simple website and no graphics to speak of. The Canadian company highly recommended Pixelative for that. They were professional, affordable, fast and produced high-quality results.

As time went on, the developer realized the massive scope of Granza, and dropped out. The next company boasted that they had contracts with the government. Unfortunately, this ended in the exact same way. The constant was Pixelative, educating me and always exceeding expectations. A super smart crew. They offered to create an enterprise version of Granza. Because of my experience with them, I was confident and agreed.

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

They first started with an Information Architecture document to understand the scope of work. Then they designed the mockups to approve before starting development. They also designed mindmaps using Xmind to understand the patented marketing algorithm. Then they developed the application using PHP Yii 2.0 framework of the application.

They also setup are AWS infrastructure and a setup an MTA (GreenArrow MTA) for managing email delivery. Other technologies they used included Google Maps API, BeeEditor, and VueJS. They were excellent in communication and we used JIRA for managing sprints and testing.

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

There were 7 people in the core team, including:

• a project manager
• a senior designer
• 1 solutions architect
• 2 senior backend developers
• 2 senior frontend developers

Other resources, like QA engineers would come and go depending on the project needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

No other company has been able to deliver the application. This has allowed me to talk to investors to raise capital.

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

I had a dedicated project manager on the project. They regularly communicated throughout the project, were very responsive and delivered beyond my expectations. We communicated through Skype, Jira and bitbucket.

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

Although we had access to the whole team, the project manager was very much in the loop. Communicating was easy. They were prompt in getting on a call whenever the need arose. Their UI/UX skills and understanding of the user experience are exceptional.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Editor of Dypto-crypto.com

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a hub where members can learn about and be guided for success with cryptocurrency and decentralized finance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pixelative to accomplish?

• Redesign our website to improve UX and UI
• Improve SEO and backlinks
• Act as our CTO.

SOLUTION

How did you find Pixelative?

Referral

Why did you select Pixelative over others?

• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned
• Very approachable, knowledgeable and professional.

How many teammates from Pixelative were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of work is designing, coding, and maintaining an educational platform and website.

Key deliverables are a fully operational platform that hosts content such as guides, articles, and news pieces. And a learning management software with multiple courses

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The assignments were completed as directed.

Assignments completed by due dates.

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

Yes. Arslan is an excellent listener and a wise counsel. His respinse time is impressively quick.

What was your primary form of communication with Pixelative?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

A deep well of talent with experience, customer focus and true to their word.

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

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am founder of Aksile Media, a digital media company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We engaged Pixelative to design and develop Wordpress website for one of our publications, SegmentNext.com.

SOLUTION

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

Pixelative has a team of dedicated WordPress developers who are core contributors to WordPress, which was the deciding factor in working with them as we wanted our solution to be plugin independent.

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

We engaged Pixelative for:

• WordPress Custom Plugin Development
• WordPress Custom Theme Development
• Gutenberg Block Development

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

We worked with a full stack developer, UI and UX expert with main point of contact being a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to reduce the page load and have a responsive design and project launched before Google made Core Web Vitals a ranking signal.

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

Pixelative is a very responsive, accessible, and accommodating team with a knack for over-delivering on the scope.

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

The team at Pixelative has deep expertise in WordPress development, User Experience, and Design.

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

There were a few minor hiccups due to differences in approach to the problems, but they quickly responded based on feedback, which is impressive.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Cruzu is a crowdfunding platform for global winemakers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Pixelative?

Create Angular-based web and mobile web UI.

SOLUTION

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

I had worked with Arslan on some smaller projects on Upwork and liked the quality and speed of execution, so we decided to work together on this project.

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

Cruzu uses a crowdfunding platform called Thrinacia, which includes the source code to the web client which is written in AngularJS. Pixelative built extended server-side components and extended the UI to use those to materially enhance the base functionality. They also added much better support for mobile devices.

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

Arslan was the main contact and project manager, and there were two additional devs/designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have done around one million dollars of wine crowdfunding projects using the work Pixelative did.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Quite easy. The team's working hours are shifted and there was quite a lot of overlap with mine, even though they're 13 timezones away.

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

Commitment to getting things right. In projects there are always small bumps or miscommunications. Often, an hourly contractor will argue with you about the responsibility of those issues. Arslan always stepped up and assumed responsibility, doing the right or fair thing.

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

None that I can think of.