# Plank Plank Reviews (14), Pricing, Services & Verified Ratings - Verified - 4.8 out of 5 average review rating - 1 connections joined Plank's Network [Visit Website](https://plank.co/en/?utm_source=clutch&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=directory) [Get a Custom Proposal](https://clutch.co/profile/plank) **Collaboratively building meaningful projects** We’re Plank, a B Corp Certified web design and development agency based out of Montreal. We specialize in building websites for Arts & Culture and mission-driven organizations, but we also love collaborating on projects with values that align with our own. Read on to learn what inspires us. ## Company Information - Minimum project size: $50,000+ - Hourly rate: $150 - $199 - Number of employees: 10 - 49 - 1 Locations: - Montreal, Canada (Headquarters) - Founded in 1998 - 2 languages: English, French - 1 timezones: Eastern Standard Time (EST) ## Services, Focus Areas, Industries, and Clients ### Service Lines - 30% UX/UI Design - 30% Web Design - 30% Web Development - 10% Mobile App Development ### Focus Areas - Frameworks and CMS: - 100% Laravel - User Experience Focus: - 100% UX Strategy - CMS Focus: - 100% WordPress CMS - Programming & Scripting: - 75% PHP - 25% JavaScript - Mobile Platforms: - 75% iPhone iOS App Development - 25% iPad iOS App Development - Mobile Focus: - 50% Publishing & Digital Content Mobile App Development - 25% Health & Wellness Mobile App Development - 25% Mobile Commerce ### Industries - 50% Arts, entertainment & music - 10% eCommerce - 30% Information technology - 10% Non-profit ### Clients - 50% Midmarket ($10M - $1B) - 50% Enterprise (>$1B) ## Pricing Snapshot Average rating for cost based on this provider's reviews: 4.5 out of 5 **What Clients Have Said** *(This summary is based on verified Clutch reviews.)*: Plank's pricing varies by project, with engagements ranging from $25,000 to over $300,000. Clients value their services for good cost-effectiveness and quality, noting strong project management and communication, though some mention the need for clearer timelines and proactive suggestions. **Most Common Project Size**: $10,000 to $49,000 based on 9 reviews *(Pricing information for this provider is based on reviews where the project size was available.)* ### Pricing by Service - Web Development: $50,000 to $199,999 based on 7 reviews - Web Design: $10,000 to $49,000 based on 2 reviews - Custom Software Development: Less than $10,000 based on 1 review - Business Consulting: Confidential based on 1 review ## Reviews Clutch investigates each reviewer's identity and work history. Every review goes through a rigorous, human-led verification process to confirm the reviewer's identity, and reviews that we verify are visibly marked as 'Verified' so you can trust that they come from a real client. [Learn More](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/how-clutch-verifies-reviews) ### Plank Review Insights Overall Review Rating: 4.8 - Quality: 4.8 - Schedule: 4.5 - Cost: 4.5 - Willing to Refer: 4.9 ### Top Mentions - Communicative (4 mentions) - Great project management (4 mentions) - High-quality work (4 mentions) - Accessible (3 mentions) - Transparent (3 mentions) - Unique expertise (3 mentions) - Well-organized projects (3 mentions) - Attentive (2 mentions) - Collaborative (2 mentions) - Personable (2 mentions) - Professional (2 mentions) - Creative (1 mentions) - Easy to work with (1 mentions) - Establish clear expectations (1 mentions) - Flexible (1 mentions) - Great team (1 mentions) - Knowledgeable (1 mentions) - Open to feedback (1 mentions) - Openness (1 mentions) - Patient (1 mentions) ### Review Highlights **Client-Centric Approach** Plank is praised for their collaborative and solution-oriented approach. They work closely with clients to understand their needs and deliver tailored solutions, which has led to positive outcomes and strong client relationships. **Room for Improvement in Suggesting Solutions** While Plank is generally praised for their work, some clients feel they could improve by being more proactive in suggesting solutions when noticing misalignments with client goals, especially when tied up in multiple projects. **Innovative and Creative Solutions** Plank is recognized for their creativity in providing innovative solutions. They often go beyond client expectations to deliver unique and effective web solutions, contributing significantly to project success. **Proven Success with Nonprofit Organizations** Plank has a strong track record of working with nonprofit organizations, providing pro bono services and developing impactful digital solutions that align with their missions and enhance their digital presence. **Effective in Increasing User Engagement** Plank's web solutions have led to increased user engagement, better user experiences, and higher conversion rates. Clients have reported improved inquiries and sales as a result of Plank's work. **Strong Project Management Skills** Plank is frequently praised for their project management capabilities, consistently meeting deadlines and maintaining open communication. They use tools like Trello and Slack to keep projects organized, ensuring clients are informed and involved throughout. **Positive Client Relationships** The company fosters strong and lasting relationships with clients, often leading to long-term collaborations. Clients appreciate Plank's personable and friendly team, which enhances the overall working experience. **Effective Communication** Clients commend Plank for their clear and responsive communication. They are attentive to client needs, provide regular updates, and are open to feedback, making them a reliable partner throughout the project lifecycle. **Expertise in Web Development** Plank has demonstrated proficiency in web development, offering comprehensive services from design to implementation. They are skilled in creating user-friendly websites with custom CMS solutions, which have significantly improved client digital presence. **Need for Enhanced Transparency in Updates** Some clients noted that Plank could improve transparency and proactivity regarding site updates and maintenance work. This would help in managing expectations and ensuring all client needs are met. ### Plank Reviews #### WordPress Web Development for Music Festival Company (Featured Review) **The Project** - Services: Web Development - Project size: Confidential - Project length: Feb. - Oct. 2021 **Project Summary**: Plank developed the website of a music festival organization via WordPress. The team built multiple new features for the website — including a music playlist and Spotify integration — to keep it up to date. **Review Rating**: 5.0 - Quality: 5.0 - Schedule: 4.0 - Cost: 4.0 - Willing to Refer: 5.0 **The Reviewer** Director, POP Montreal - Industry: Other industries - Client size: 11-50 Employees - Review Type: Phone Interview - Verified **The Review** — Jun 22, 2022 **Feedback Summary**: The company was happy with the results of Plank’s work. Their proposed ideas for improving the website were great, and they showed genuine interest in the project’s success. The team was responsive and attentive to the client’s needs, and their resources proved to be highly friendly and personable.  "“We felt that we were treated like friends and not just like another company that hired them.”" **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and what you do there. I’m the marketing director of POP Montreal. We put on music shows year-round. Essentially, we’re a concert promoter, but our main focus is the festival that includes music, visual arts, films, kids’ activities, and more.  **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you trying to address with Plank? We’d had our previous website for multiple years, and we were having issues with its navigation and a lot of other things. We’d received feedback from people through the years, and they’d said that a lot of things were hard to find on the website. Moreover, since we offered many facets and segments of the festival, we had so much information and were struggling to find the best way to present them. As a result, we hired Plank to help us.  **SOLUTION** What was the scope of their involvement? Plank redeveloped our website through WordPress. They created multiple new features that we didn’t have before. The team developed a built-in playlist on our home page that followed users throughout the website. This was important for us given what we were selling to people. Moreover, they optimized many things on the website and kept us updated in terms of plug-ins. For instance, they integrated Spotify into the website — we didn’t have that before.  What is the team composition? We mainly worked with three people from Plank, though more people worked on the project behind the scenes. We dealt directly with Warren (Founder & President), Annika (Senior Project Manager), and Véronique (Senior Interactive Designer).  How did you come to work with Plank? We knew Plank had worked with other large festivals from Montreal, and they had a good reputation. Our team had also gotten good recommendations for them. On top of that, the proposal they submitted stood out from the others. We felt that they could help us out with our website issues, so we hired them. What is the status of this engagement? The project lasted from February–October 2021.  **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?  The options that Plank proposed when they were designing and laying things out were great. Their resources were truly trying to offer the best they could for us. On a personal level, they were nice to work with — they were friendly people.  How did Plank perform from a project management standpoint? Working with Plank was great; they were prompt with getting back to us about every little issue we had during the process of building the website. Overall, the team was truly responsive and attentive to our needs. We used Trello for project management.  What did you find most impressive about them? They were friendly and personable. We felt that we were treated like friends and not just like another company that hired them.  Are there any areas they could improve? No, there weren’t any.  --- #### Web Design & Dev Services for Graduate University **The Project** - Services: Web Design, Web Development - Project size: $200,000 to $999,999 - Project length: Mar. 2023 - Ongoing **Project Summary**: Plank has redesigned and redeveloped a website for a graduate university. They’ve conducted stakeholder interviews, figured out impactful changes to make, and expanded their scope to other website projects. **Review Rating**: 5.0 - Quality: 4.0 - Schedule: 4.0 - Cost: 3.0 - Willing to Refer: 5.0 **The Reviewer** Director of Integrated Mktg, Claremont Graduate University - Industry: Education - Client size: 201-500 Employees - Review Type: Phone Interview - Verified **The Review** — May 6, 2025 **Feedback Summary**: Plank has improved the client’s website, resulting in a better prospective student experience, an increase in inquiries, and time savings. The team keeps the project on track, communicates well, and is attentive. They’re also responsive to questions. Overall, the engagement is a success. "“They’re truly attentive and answer our questions well.”" **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and what you do there.I’m the director of integrated marketing for Claremont Graduate University. I oversee our website. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you trying to address with Plank?We needed support with website design and development. For context, our team had a big gap in website and UX design capabilities. Our designers weren’t actual UX designers; they didn’t create wireframes — they were print designers for a higher-education institution. Moreover, we had one web developer, but he was focused on maintaining the website rather than working on holistic improvements. As a result, we wanted an agency to serve as a partner and advisor to us. We wanted to bring ideas to one another and discuss how we could improve the site. We also didn’t want to scrap our website and rebuild a new one because that would upset stakeholders. **SOLUTION** What was the scope of their involvement?When Plank started working on it, our website looked horrible. Our program features and admission sections looked different, and its backend was convoluted. When we kicked off the engagement, we had a long discovery period, during which they worked on understanding the website and the brand's ins and outs. The team interviewed the stakeholders, including students, faculty members, and other staff. For context, we had seven schools plus an overarching brand. Because of that, we had many stakeholders to get feedback from and listen to. We had to reflect their programs as accurately as possible. From there, they summarized their findings in a succinct manner and provided actionable takeaways with qualitative evidence. We aimed to show stakeholders that the changes we were making weren’t only based on our preferences.At present, Plank has expanded their scope of work. We’ve used them to add sections to our website, and they’re building out our centennial website this year. We purchase buckets of hours every month from them and allocate those hours to the projects we need them to work on. What is the team composition?We work with Kay and Megan, along with a technical lead, three UX designers, and a senior content strategist. Megan bridges the design and technical aspects of the job. How did you come to work with Plank?Our AVP had previously worked with Plank. We also interviewed quite a few agencies, but when we asked Plank to pitch, they truly dove into our pain points. The way they presented solutions to us aligned with our expectations. Whenever we asked questions, they were attentive and answered well. Because of that, we decided to go with them. How much have you invested with them?We’ve spent around $250,000–$300,000. What is the status of this engagement?The engagement started in March 2023, and it’s ongoing.  **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? Qualitatively, we’ve seen brand alignment, and the website has improved the prospective student experience. As a result, we’ve seen an increase in overall inquiries. Manual backend processes have also been reduced. For context, we’ve synced our request information forms and CRM, which is quite different from our manual process before. This has saved us roughly five hours per week. How did Plank perform from a project management standpoint?Plank keeps us on track. If something isn’t delivered on time, it’s generally due to scope creep, not Plank’s delays. If they do have slight delays, they communicate with us, and their communication is on point. They also help set expectations for us. We use Wrike as a project management tool and have biweekly calls on Microsoft Teams. What did you find most impressive about them?They’re truly attentive and answer our questions well.Are there any areas they could improve?Clients always want suggestions and solutions. If they notice something that doesn’t align with our prospective student experience target, it would be great if they could propose a solution. However, this isn’t necessarily part of their tasks since they’re tied up in all the projects we’ve given them. Do you have any advice for potential customers?Sort your requirements as clearly as possible before the project starts. It’s always easier to have all requirements and goals prepared instead of changing things halfway.  --- #### Web Design & Dev for Events Company **The Project** - Services: Web Design - Project size: Confidential - Project length: Jan. 2022 - Apr. 2023 **Project Summary**: An events company hired Plank to redesign their primary e-commerce website as well as three microsites. The team also integrated video, scheduling, and ticketing features into the website and designed the UX. **Review Rating**: 4.0 - Quality: 4.0 - Schedule: 3.5 - Cost: 4.0 - Willing to Refer: 3.5 **The Reviewer** Marketing Coordinator, Canadian National Exhibition - Industry: Arts, entertainment & music - Client size: 11-50 Employees - Review Type: Online Review - Verified **The Review** — May 18, 2023 **Feedback Summary**: Thanks to Plank, the client experienced a significant increase in website traffic and brand awareness. Despite a few delays, the service provider demonstrated excellent project management through weekly status meetings and status documents. The client was delighted with their collaborative attitude. ""We found their scope of work to be extensive and well-rounded."" **BACKGROUND** Please describe your company and position.I am the Marketing Coordinator of Canadian National ExhibitionDescribe what your company does in a single sentence.The CNE provides end of summer entertainment for Toronto and the GTA area. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What specific goals or objectives did you hire Plank to accomplish?Build and optimize our primary websitesBuild unique and special functionality on the web **SOLUTION** How did you find Plank?Online SearchReferralWhy did you select Plank over others?Pricing fits our budgetGood value for costHow many teammates from Plank were assigned to this project?2-5 EmployeesDescribe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.Plank was tasked with redesigning our primary website as well as three microsites. A dynamic user experience was required as well as a schedule feature, video capability, integrating forms, a ticketing page, and an e-commerce page. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?The measurable outcome were to increase brand awareness, increase traffic to the main website and optimize the user experience.Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?The first half of the contract was mainly weekly status meetings and the second half of the contract the PM provided a status document with details about project completion. Some pieces of the project were delivered on time and others were late due to not enough hours being allocated to the completion.What was your primary form of communication with Plank?Virtual MeetingEmail or Messaging AppWhat did you find most impressive or unique about this company?We found their scope of work to be extensive and well-rounded. Their design style seemed to be dynamic and their team also seemed eager to work on our brand.Are there any areas for improvement or something Plank could have done differently?More consistent communication would be appreciated for future projects. Some requests fell through the crack and we had to remind them that these items needed to be completed. Time management of the projects as well so that they would be completed on time and within the scope that was allocated and agreed upon. --- #### WordPress Web Development for Music Festival Company **The Project** - Services: Web Development - Project size: Confidential - Project length: Feb. - Oct. 2021 **Project Summary**: Plank developed the website of a music festival organization via WordPress. The team built multiple new features for the website — including a music playlist and Spotify integration — to keep it up to date. **Review Rating**: 5.0 - Quality: 5.0 - Schedule: 4.0 - Cost: 4.0 - Willing to Refer: 5.0 **The Reviewer** Director, POP Montreal - Industry: Other industries - Client size: 11-50 Employees - Review Type: Phone Interview - Verified **The Review** — Jun 22, 2022 **Feedback Summary**: The company was happy with the results of Plank’s work. Their proposed ideas for improving the website were great, and they showed genuine interest in the project’s success. The team was responsive and attentive to the client’s needs, and their resources proved to be highly friendly and personable.  "“We felt that we were treated like friends and not just like another company that hired them.”" **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and what you do there. I’m the marketing director of POP Montreal. We put on music shows year-round. Essentially, we’re a concert promoter, but our main focus is the festival that includes music, visual arts, films, kids’ activities, and more.  **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you trying to address with Plank? We’d had our previous website for multiple years, and we were having issues with its navigation and a lot of other things. We’d received feedback from people through the years, and they’d said that a lot of things were hard to find on the website. Moreover, since we offered many facets and segments of the festival, we had so much information and were struggling to find the best way to present them. As a result, we hired Plank to help us.  **SOLUTION** What was the scope of their involvement? Plank redeveloped our website through WordPress. They created multiple new features that we didn’t have before. The team developed a built-in playlist on our home page that followed users throughout the website. This was important for us given what we were selling to people. Moreover, they optimized many things on the website and kept us updated in terms of plug-ins. For instance, they integrated Spotify into the website — we didn’t have that before.  What is the team composition? We mainly worked with three people from Plank, though more people worked on the project behind the scenes. We dealt directly with Warren (Founder & President), Annika (Senior Project Manager), and Véronique (Senior Interactive Designer).  How did you come to work with Plank? We knew Plank had worked with other large festivals from Montreal, and they had a good reputation. Our team had also gotten good recommendations for them. On top of that, the proposal they submitted stood out from the others. We felt that they could help us out with our website issues, so we hired them. What is the status of this engagement? The project lasted from February–October 2021.  **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?  The options that Plank proposed when they were designing and laying things out were great. Their resources were truly trying to offer the best they could for us. On a personal level, they were nice to work with — they were friendly people.  How did Plank perform from a project management standpoint? Working with Plank was great; they were prompt with getting back to us about every little issue we had during the process of building the website. Overall, the team was truly responsive and attentive to our needs. We used Trello for project management.  What did you find most impressive about them? They were friendly and personable. We felt that we were treated like friends and not just like another company that hired them.  Are there any areas they could improve? No, there weren’t any.  --- #### Grant Proposal & Web Dev & Design for City Nonprofit **The Project** - Services: Business Consulting, Web Design, Web Development - Project size: Confidential - Project length: July 2018 - Feb. 2021 **Project Summary**: Plank collaborated with a nonprofit to develop an interactive digital exhibit. After helping to write a grant proposal and secure funding, they designed and developed a website. **Review Rating**: 4.5 - Quality: 4.5 - Schedule: 5.0 - Cost: 5.0 - Willing to Refer: 5.0 **The Reviewer** Manager, Nonprofit - Industry: Other industries - Client size: 51-200 Employees - Review Type: Phone Interview - Verified **The Review** — Mar 9, 2021 **Feedback Summary**: Plank not only guided the nonprofit through the grant process but also delivered a high-caliber website, ultimately playing a critical role in the project’s success. Timely and flexible, the team proved capable of adapting to changing requirements. Their grant experience was noteworthy. "“They worked with some adjusted timelines and expectations and still delivered a high-quality product.” " **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and what you do there. I’m the manager of public programming for a nonprofit in Toronto. We focus on telling the stories of the people and places in our city, past and present. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you trying to address with Plank? I’d say that it was a business opportunity rather than a challenge. They approached us several years ago to collaborate on a grant issued by a Canadian museum to develop an interactive digital exhibit focusing on the music history of our city. **SOLUTION** What was the scope of their involvement? Plank was our digital development partner on the project. My organization collaborated with Plank to write the grant proposal, which was our original documentation for the project. Once it was approved, we entered into a three-party agreement between ourselves, the grant issuer, and Plank. The agreement outlined various expectations and responsibilities for each partner, and it was the foundational document illustrating what Plank's responsibilities would be throughout the course of developing a website. Plank was in charge of designing and developing the website. They built the framework and got it live, responding to the requirements of our grant provider. As the curators and historians, my organization was responsible for content creation. We worked on the stories we wanted to tell and the images that came with those. What is the team composition? It was a long-term project of multiple years, and we had working relationships with a number of people in their organization, which shifted across the duration. Warren (Founder & President) spearheaded the grant writing and negotiation, and he was responsible for project management. He delegated most of the digital development to a 2–3-person team led by Jason (Senior Project Manager). How did you come to work with Plank? It was a bit of a perfect opportunity. They came to us with the idea of submitting a grant application. They had experience with other grant programs and navigating the approval process under this Canadian museum, and it seemed that they would bring that experience to the table. They’d developed websites for musical acts and bands, so they checked a lot of boxes for our specific area, music history. How much have you invested with them? The grant we jointly applied for was for $250,000 CAD (approximately $198,000 USD). It was divided up between the amount of money we invested in research and curatorial development. At least $125,000 (approximately $99,000 USD) went to Plank. What is the status of this engagement? The project formally began in July 2018. It was limited in scope to the development of the exhibit, and it was completed in February 2021. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? The website speaks for itself and is the best measurement of our success. How did Plank perform from a project management standpoint? Our teams communicated via email, and Plank used Trello internally. We also shared materials through Google Drive. We eventually both worked through the website’s CMS. Warren was fantastic as a project manager. He always made sure that deadlines were met, and he let us know when something wasn’t right. He was flexible about the different directions taken by the project over a very long gestation. We did the bulk of the work around the onset of COVID-19. Even though it was a virtual project, it affected everyone. Warren was fantastic at rallying and pivoting with us. They worked with some adjusted timelines and expectations and still delivered a high-quality product. What did you find most impressive about them? It was their flexibility and ability to pivot. They had to work with changing expectations and timelines, and with different people joining and leaving the project at the onset of a global pandemic. Plank was willing to roll with those changes and adapt quickly to them. That was something that continually stood out to me as noteworthy about their service. Are there any areas they could improve? Having a more formal project management system would’ve been helpful. Doing things through email and not using Gannt charts or other tools through which we could both see what the expectations, deadlines, and progress were sometimes made it difficult to collaborate effectively. Bringing on a project management tool for both Plank’s team and the client would contribute to working successfully. Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs? I recommend setting firm and detailed expectations for what the responsibilities of each side are. Timelines are also a great thing to set out. Clients should have a clear understanding of what will be provided by the developer, and of what additional software or technologies will fall on the client’s shoulders.  This was our first experience developing something of this scale, and we occasionally felt a bit out of our depths. We had to learn what technologies we had to source to support the website. Having that information will be helpful if we do a project of this kind again. Coming from the heritage field, we were oftentimes not speaking the same language as Plank. We needed to have a meeting in the middle of the project in terms of expectations and requirements. --- #### WordPress Dev for Residential Community & Support Facility **The Project** - Services: Web Development - Project size: Less than $10,000 - Project length: Nov. 2019 - Feb. 2020 **Project Summary**: Plank provided pro bono web services to a residential support community, designing and developing a WordPress site from scratch. The team also supplied advertising and social media advice. **Review Rating**: 5.0 - Quality: 5.0 - Schedule: 5.0 - Cost: 5.0 - Willing to Refer: 5.0 **The Reviewer** Volunteer Coordinator, Nazareth Community - Industry: Other industries - Client size: 1-10 Employees - Review Type: Phone Interview - Verified **The Review** — Mar 16, 2020 **Feedback Summary**: Plank delivered a functional and user-friendly website that has received positive feedback. Internal stakeholders are particularly pleased that the backend is user-friendly and accessible. The team exceeded expectations by attending community events and remaining responsive to questions post-launch. "“They’re hands-on, open, and easy to talk to.” " **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and what you do there. Our organization is Nazareth Community. We are a residence with three locations, two for men and one for women. Our residents, who are over the age of 18 and live here permanently, struggle with mental health issues, addiction, and homelessness. We provide psychological support, meals, doctor appointments, medication, and anything else they need. We try to reintegrate them back into society, with our ultimate goal being for them to move on to autonomous living. I have multiple roles here; I’m the volunteer coordinator and a support worker. I also handle social media and work in administration.  **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you trying to address with Plank? When I started here, the website had already been built. Not only was the site poorly made, but it was also really difficult to change anything because the backend wasn’t user-friendly. I wasn’t familiar with WordPress, and no one really knew how to improve the site. We wanted to make it more engaging so that it could help us increase our donations and things like that. **SOLUTION** What was the scope of their involvement? The executive director of Nazareth Community applied for the annual Plank Gives Back initiative, and we were selected. Plank completely revamped our website. They did both development and design and rebuilt our WordPress site from scratch, including the backend. They also gave us a lot of advice on social media and advertising in order to increase our donations and volunteers. What is the team composition? My main contacts were Kayla (Project Manager) and Tarah (Director of Marketing & Communications).   How did you come to work with Plank? We were looking for someone who specialized in design. We saw that Plank was very familiar with WordPress. They were also a Montreal-based company and loved working with nonprofits and helping in the community. We always look for people who are eager to help out nonprofits. They seemed eager and excited about it.  How much have you invested with them? Nothing. What is the status of this engagement? Our work together began in November 2019. The official site launch was at the end of February 2020. That was technically the end of their work for us, but they still, to this day, stay open to communications and any questions or concerns we have.  **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? I’m the one who updates the website, and I’ve noticed a substantial increase in ease-of-use and accessibility. The website is much more user-friendly, so I can get in and change anything easily. The board of directors and pretty much anyone who has seen the website before-and-after has said that it’s much better now. How did Plank perform from a project management standpoint? In terms of communication, they’ve been amazing. We’ve been emailing back and forth since November, and they send us constant updates and answer our emails and concerns very quickly. They’ve also been very involved in the activities that we do here at the shelters; we had an inauguration for a shelter that we just opened in November, and they attended. They came in multiple times and tried their best to learn as much as they could about our community. They’re hands-on, open, and easy to talk to. They seemed to really enjoy the work that they did for us, which was nice. What did you find most impressive about them? I think the fact that they took the time to come out and learn about our community separates them. They took a tour and attended the shelter inauguration, as well as pretty much any big activities that were going on. I wasn’t expecting them to do that, especially since it was free work that they were doing. I think that was taking an extra step that they really didn’t need to do.  Are there any areas they could improve? No, I really have nothing negative to say about them. They did everything perfectly. Any advice for potential customers? I didn’t really need to do much. They’re very good with their communication, and they love working with people. It’s very easy; as soon as you communicate with Plank, they’ll do everything else for you. --- #### Web Design & Dev for Theatre Company **The Project** - Services: Web Design - Project size: Confidential - Project length: Apr. 2019 - Ongoing **Project Summary**: Leading rebranding efforts, Plank developed and designed a user-friendly WordPress site from scratch. The team also connected it to a ticketing system and continues to work on maintaining the site. **Review Rating**: 4.5 - Quality: 5.0 - Schedule: 4.5 - Cost: 5.0 - Willing to Refer: 5.0 **The Reviewer** Digital Media Manager, Centaur Theatre Company - Industry: Arts, entertainment & music - Client size: 11-50 Employees - Review Type: Phone Interview - Verified **The Review** — Feb 14, 2020 **Feedback Summary**: Working swiftly, the team was able to produce a high-quality website while building a strong working relationship. Plank is attentive and proactive, quickly addressing any issues that arise. They continue to be a communicative partner whose attentiveness sets them apart from other vendors. ""Their team is patient, welcoming, and understanding." " **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and what you do there. I am the digital media manager at Centaur Theatre Company. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you trying to address with Plank? We were faced with an opportunity to rebrand in a short amount of time. We needed somebody to help us with the rebrand and create a new website from scratch. **SOLUTION** What was the scope of their involvement? They met with our artistic director to get a better sense of our company and to plan the project. They also met with us to discuss what we wanted to see on our website, including calls to action (CTAs), ticket purchasing features, and a way for people to get to know us and what we do.  They then designed and developed a website that would be user-friendly to our audience, especially because a large portion of them are in their 60s and up. Additionally, Plank helped us to connect our ticketing system to our website.  What is the team composition? We work with 3–4 people regularly who help us address our needs and organize the rest of the team. There are also other teammates we haven’t met who work behind the scenes. How did you come to work with Plank? We heard about Plank through word of mouth. After meeting with them and reviewing their portfolio, we were pleased with what we saw and knew they would be a match. What is the status of this engagement? We started working with them in April 2019. The team is still helping us with maintenance and growth and they’re implementing any changes we want to see. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?  The quality of their work and the relationship we’ve built with them have been excellent and they are always available to help us iron out any urgent issues. Plank has gone above and beyond to listen to us and make sure that we are satisfied and have our needs met.  How did Plank perform from a project management standpoint? They’re very organized. We have a direct line of communication with a few of them and then they have their own project manager who oversees the behind-the-scenes team. They present themselves professionally and communicate well using Trello. They’ve also been able to follow through on the timelines they set. What did you find most impressive about them? They are very patient and give us lots of room to explore how we want to be represented, since building a website is an important part of brand identity. They have guided us through every step. Are there any areas they could improve? Because there was a lot of pressure to produce something quickly, there were a few misunderstandings because we didn’t have enough information. Since we’re not web development experts, we needed more explanation of some of the repercussions of making certain decisions about the initial design. Although we backtracked a few times, we ended up surpassing those hurdles. Do you have any advice for potential customers? It’s a good idea to have somebody in your company who is the most knowledgeable about web design communicate with Plank. Their team is patient, welcoming, and understanding so they will take you through the steps. --- #### Web Dev for Content Creation Company **The Project** - Services: Web Development - Project size: $50,000 to $199,999 - Project length: Sep. 2018 - Oct. 2019 **Project Summary**: Plank performed a complete website redesign for a creative content company. Their work included planning and designing wireframes, customizing WordPress templates, and establishing the hosting of the site. **Review Rating**: 5.0 - Quality: 5.0 - Schedule: 5.0 - Cost: 5.0 - Willing to Refer: 5.0 **The Reviewer** Communications Manager, Cineflix - Industry: Arts, entertainment & music - Client size: 201-500 Employees - Review Type: Phone Interview - Verified **The Review** — Dec 2, 2019 **Feedback Summary**: The web solutions delivered by Plank have taken their client strides beyond their capabilities with their previous website, helping them to regain control over their digital presence at the same time. Their team is highly creative and collaborative, finding solutions to any problems that arise. "“Plank are incredible problem solvers at their core, and they have a wonderful client-first attitude.” " **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and what you do there. I am the senior manager of marketing and communications at Cineflix, and we are a content creation company. We produce and distribute creative products. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you trying to address with Plank? We wanted to revamp our corporate website, which was completely outdated. **SOLUTION** What was the scope of their involvement? The completely transformed our website, from planning and design the wireframes to actual development and then launching and establishing hosting for the site. They built the site on a WordPress template and then customized pages from there. It was really an A-Z service. We started out with an initial kickoff meeting where we brainstormed just to get the ball rolling and for everyone to get a sense of who we are and fostering great interpersonal relationships moving forward from there. They took our ideas and drafted up wireframes, staying very in tune with our changes and providing their own feedback as well, expediting whatever we needed to be completed most urgently to keep the project moving. What is the team composition? We worked primarily with their project lead. Whenever necessary, he would bring in the backend and frontend coders and designers as well, but channeling the majority of the communication through him was a very efficient way to keep things organized. How did you come to work with Plank? Our former website developers weren’t doing new development anymore, so they suggested Plank as a potential replacement. Their portfolio spoke for themselves and we liked that they were local, so we decided to work with them. How much have you invested with them? We’ve spent a little over $50,000 with them. What is the status of this engagement? The actual development of the site lasted from September 2018–October 2019. We had to change the direction of the website a little bit which caused the project to take longer than it would have otherwise, but that had nothing to do with how efficient they were. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? We haven’t run any analytics yet, but I can say that we have a site that we’re proud of and looks amazing. On top of that, it’s really easy to manipulate and update, which is a huge improvement for us. Our team couldn’t be more satisfied with the aesthetics and the control that we have now. How did Plank perform from a project management standpoint? Plank did an excellent job of keeping us on track at all times They were always available to communicate or hold meetings if we needed to, and they always met our development deadlines. They used Envision internally to keep track of our progress, and we all used Trello to communicate as a team. What did you find most impressive about them? I really felt that they listened to what we wanted and tried their best to deliver what we wanted. If they couldn’t, they would always find another option for us. Plank are incredible problem solvers at their core, and they have a wonderful client-first attitude. It was an extremely positive experience. Are there any areas they could improve? I really don’t think there’s anything they could have done differently. Do you have any advice for potential customers? I really do think that having our first kickoff meeting face-to-face was a huge benefit to the entire process because it set the whole thing off on the right foot. I can’t stress the importance of having everyone getting along and understanding each other enough. --- #### French Translation App for English Theatre **The Project** - Services: Custom Software Development - Project size: Less than $10,000 - Project length: Mar. 2016 - Ongoing **Project Summary**: Plank created a web-based translation app that would allow French-speaking audience members to follow along with English plays in real-time. They update the app to visually match each production and add extras. **Review Rating**: 5.0 - Quality: 5.0 - Schedule: 5.0 - Cost: 5.0 - Willing to Refer: 5.0 **The Reviewer** Artistic & Executive Director, Repercussion Theatre - Industry: Arts, entertainment & music - Client size: 1-10 Employees - Review Type: Online Review - Verified **The Review** — Nov 15, 2019 **Feedback Summary**: About 5% of the audience uses the app during shows, which amounts to a few hundred users per year. Its accessibility has also garnered media attention, drawing in more audience members. Plank's communication becomes more streamlined with each play update, and they strive to contribute value. ""They always try to create something that will truly serve our goals as a company." " **BACKGROUND** Please describe your company and your position there. Repercussion Theatre is a professional theatre company best known for our annual Shakespeare-in-the-Park tour. I am the Artistic and Executive Director of the company (since 2015). **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** For what projects/services did your company hire Plank? We originally worked with Plank when they launched their 2016 "Plank Hacks Culture" project. We described our situation: we're an anglo company that wants to be able to have our shows be accessible to francophone audiences. They proposed creating a web app that would allow an audience member to follow along with the French translation fo the play in real time. They worked no a prototype, and we decided to move ahead for that summer. The project worked really well, and we have been updating and expanding the web app each summer since then. What were your goals for this project? To reach francophone audiences and make it easier for those who speak French to access our shows. **SOLUTION** How did you select this vendor? We found out about Plank because of their "Plank Hacks Culture" callout. We submitted our proposal and they chose us. But the experience of working with them and the work they did was so positive that we have kept working with them ever since. Describe the project and the services they provided in detail. In the first stage, Plank​ ​developed​ ​a​ ​demo​ ​app​ ​that​ ​allowed​ ​Francophone​ ​audience​ ​members​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​Shakespeare’s​ ​text in​ ​French,​ ​with​ ​prompts​ ​pushed​ ​from​ ​the​ ​stage​ ​manager​ ​to​ ​alert​ ​them​ ​to​ ​the​ ​current​ ​scene​ ​being performed.​ The Plank team used colour schemes and visuals from our production design to create a look that was show-specific.​ ​The​ ​prototype​ ​was​ run that first summer with the goal of gauging audience interest and it was then ​further​ ​developed​ ​for​ ​our ​summer​ ​2017​ ​season. In 2018 we added a page with the list of characters, including avatars for each character. This summer, more functions were added, including the original English text, the show program, shareable quotes from the play, and a page with post-show discussion questions. What was the team composition? We generally worked with Warren and one or two other people from Plank. On our end, we had 2-3 people providing content and feedback. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business? The web app has been used by around 5% of our audience during the shows, and also gets used by a few hundred people over the course of the year. The fact that we have this option has gained a lot of media attention, and has certainly brought more people to the shows to check it out. How was project management arranged and how effective was it? Project management is worked out each year, depending on what our goals are and who is available on each side (Plank's and Repercussion's). We streamlined communication and content sharing by using Slack this year, which was helpful. What did you find most impressive about this company? The Plank team is super creative and collaborative. They always try to create something that will truly serve our goals as a company. It always really feels like a collaboration and it's really just a joy to work with them. Are there any areas for improvement? I can't think of any. --- #### Web Design for Edtech Platform **The Project** - Services: Web Design - Project size: $10,000 to $49,999 - Project length: Dec. 2018 - Mar. 2019 **Project Summary**: Plank redesigned a WordPress site for an EdTech platform. Using an existing sitemap to create wireframes and mockups, they worked on front- and backend tasks. **Review Rating**: 5.0 - Quality: 5.0 - Schedule: 5.0 - Cost: 5.0 - Willing to Refer: 5.0 **The Reviewer** Director of Sales and Marketing, Pressbooks - Industry: Education - Client size: 1-10 Employees - Review Type: Phone Interview - Verified **The Review** — Sep 24, 2019 **Feedback Summary**: The new website explains products to prospective clients, which translates into better quality leads and a condensed sales timeline. Plank worked quickly. They were well-organized, and they took direction well. "“They were great project managers, and they did a lot within a very short timeline.” " **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and what you do there. We are an educational technology and SaaS platform. I'm the director of sales and marketing. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you trying to address with Plank? We hired them to help with a WordPress redesign project. **SOLUTION** What was the scope of their involvement? We wanted a cleaner site that was easier to navigate. We hoped to differentiate our products to improve our targeted messaging for our audience segments. After we determined what we wanted for the structure and provided them with a sitemap, they did all the wireframes and mockups. They did work on both the front- and backend, and we created all the content on our side. What is the team composition? We worked with a fantastic project manager, and we recently transitioned to another contact who promises to be as helpful. There is also a designer and a backend team. How did you come to work with Plank? Our founder used them on other projects and liked the people there. They had a good approach, and he felt they would be a good fit for this project. How much have you invested with them? The total cost was around $25,000. What is the status of this engagement? The project started in December 2018. We took a pause during the holidays, and the project wrapped up around February 2019. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? The things we asked them to address are fairly subjective, so we don't have a lot of metrics to share. Now, when prospects contact us, we have better conversations with them, as those clients have more knowledge about our products. We have better leads, and the sales timeline is significantly condensed. How did Plank perform from a project management standpoint? They were great project managers, and they did a lot within a very short timeline. We had tight parameters on our side, and they worked quickly to get us what we needed. They used Trello for task tracking, and we also used Slack and Google Docs. We also had regular calls with their team. What did you find most impressive about them? We had a great relationship with them. They are very well-organized, and they take direction well. Are there any areas they could improve? I don't think there's anything they should improve. We're very happy with their work. --- #### Website Dev for Association of Nonprofits **The Project** - Services: Web Development - Project size: $50,000 to $199,999 - Project length: Jan. 2019 - Ongoing **Project Summary**: Plank redeveloped a nonprofit association’s website to align with a new digital strategy. They provided comprehensive services, from designing and wireframing to implementation and QA. **Review Rating**: 4.5 - Quality: 4.5 - Schedule: 5.0 - Cost: 4.5 - Willing to Refer: 4.5 **The Reviewer** Director of Communications, Community Foundations of Canada - Industry: Other industries - Client size: 11-50 Employees - Review Type: Online Review - Verified **The Review** — Jul 3, 2019 **Feedback Summary**: Brand awareness and quality have increased markedly with the new digital presence. Plank communicated progress frequently, and their project manager was highly involved. Their technical experience has resulted in valuable recommendation as well. ""Plank's responsiveness and collaborative, solution-oriented approach were a great fit for our organization."  " **BACKGROUND** Please describe your company and your position there. Community Foundations of Canada was founded in 1992 to support and connect community foundations working across Canada. Collectively our network stewards combined assets of more than $5.8 billion and we’ve put hundreds of millions back into communities. We champion the issues that matter to Canadians. As a national leadership organization, we also act as a convenor, thought leader and partner to help make our communities stronger, more resilient and sustainable. I'm the director of communications.  **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** For what projects/services did your company hire Plank? We retained Plank to help us implement our digital strategy and redevelop and relaunch CFC's corporate website. What were your goals for this project? Create a more modern, streamlined website that served various audience needs while also adopting UX best practices. Also, helping CFC take an important step forward with a more streamlined approach to content management. **SOLUTION** How did you select this vendor? We reached out to a number of service providers and chose Plank based on its sector expertise, capacity to quickly and beautifully come up to speed on our community's and audience's needs, and agility and flexibility to collaborate and make informed recommendations around UX, design, development and digital best practices when questions arose. Describe the project and the services they provided in detail. Wireframe, Design, Development, QA.  What was the team composition? PM backend developers, frontend developers.  **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business? It has significantly elevated and modernized our brand and helped us showcase our work—as well as that of community foundations across Canada—more clearly and effectively. How was project management arranged and how effective was it? We were very impressed by the quality of work completed by Plank, including project management. Weekly update reports, combined with regular meetings and open and transparent communications with our PM, were delivered and attended to consistently throughout the entire project. What did you find most impressive about this company? Plank's responsiveness and collaborative, solution-oriented approach were a great fit for our organization. We trusted Plank's expertise and recommendations, and they were able to bring their knowledge to the table and combine it with our needs and interests in really great ways. Are there any areas for improvement? Nothing really comes to mind. --- #### Web Design for Theater Festival **The Project** - Services: Web Development - Project size: $10,000 to $49,999 - Project length: Mar. 2018 - Ongoing **Project Summary**: Plank develops custom WordPress websites using CSS. The public-facing platforms feature live-streaming and scheduling software. **Review Rating**: 4.5 - Quality: 5.0 - Schedule: 4.5 - Cost: 4.0 - Willing to Refer: 5.0 **The Reviewer** Artistic Director, SpiderWebShow - Industry: Arts, entertainment & music - Client size: 11-50 Employees - Review Type: Phone Interview - Verified **The Review** — May 22, 2019 **Feedback Summary**: The high-tech website gives users the first taste of the festival’s digital experience. Event attendance increases with each annual refresh. Plank’s performing arts design niche is proving to be the perfect asset for the platform’s success. "“Plank is the go-to agency for performance-based websites.” " **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and what you do there. I am the artistic director at SpiderWebShow, a digitally-engaged performance company. We exclusively present plays that fuse digital technology and theater.  **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you trying to address with Plank? We wanted to connect with a web developer who could create digital assets for our annual Festival of Live Digital Art. **SOLUTION** What was the scope of their involvement? Using CSS, Plank develops custom WordPress websites for our theater events. Our festival website is their main priority; we require them to refresh the design each year to meet our high-tech standards. The site features an eye-catching logo, live streaming software, and a robust calendar that allows users to build their own schedule. They have also created a smaller standalone website for a play that we stream on the web. Users can also view cast information and other resources on the platform.  What is the team composition? Plank’s two founders are present during contract negotiations, but the project manager takes over during the execution stages. How did you come to work with Plank? They invited us to dinner with 20 other organizations that engage with live performance and digital technology. Although the purpose of the dinner was to create discussion rather than business, we saw their interest in our projects as a partnership opportunity. How much have you invested with them? We have spent $29,000 on their services so far. What is the status of this engagement? Our partnership began in March 2018. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? Web development is one of the largest line items in our entire organizational budget, and our investment in Plank’s services is yielding high attendance for our events. The websites are a pillar of our event experience. How did Plank perform from a project management standpoint? Their project manager identifies our issues for the year and translates our needs to their development team. We use Slack for communication and Trello for file management. What did you find most impressive about them? Plank is the go-to agency for performance-based websites. Their passion for performing arts shines through in their portfolio. Are there any areas they could improve? They could be more transparent and proactive about site updates and maintenance work. --- #### Web Redesign for Historical Museum **The Project** - Services: Web Development - Project size: $10,000 to $49,999 - Project length: **Project Summary**: Plank updated and debugged code for a nonprofit museum's website. The focus then shifted to redesigning special virtual exhibit and donation pages. Functional improvements to the CMS are also a major priority.  **Review Rating**: 5.0 - Quality: 5.0 - Schedule: 5.0 - Cost: 4.5 - Willing to Refer: 5.0 **The Reviewer** Former Executive Director, Historical Museum - Industry: Other industries - Client size: 11-50 Employees - Review Type: Phone Interview - Verified **The Review** — Jul 20, 2017 **Feedback Summary**: The team was able to drastically increase end-user access to key features. Plank diligently set timelines and briefings, ensuring that communication was frequent and the project well organized. They provided in-depth development suggestions, along with pros and cons for each option.  ""They became our digital partner and really helped us craft this virtual exhibit from day one." " **BACKGROUND** Please describe your organization. I was the Executive Director for a small non-profit museum in Canada.  I also handled our web presence and any digital projects that we were working on. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What business challenge were you trying to address with Plank? When I took over this role 4 years ago, our website was outdated and Flash-based. Little thought had been given about user experience or the type of information for which people were coming to our website. We built a new website with another company and realized that, while they had done a decent job, we were still unsatisfied with the user experience. Because of this, we switched over to Plank about eight months after the site was built. **SOLUTION** Please describe the scope of their involvement. Plank took over from the company who designed the site and used all pre-existing code. They made some initial general updates to the website and took over managing the different features.  We had an online store and we also accepted online donations. We worked with the project manager and Warren [Founder, Plank] to fix the UI/UX and try to anticipate who was using the website, what they wanted to do, and we could bring those things to the very forefront of the site.  The biggest project I worked on with Plank was as a part of a grant from the Canadian government to build a virtual exhibit. It was something we partnered with Plank on before we pitched it to the funders. For the project, they became our digital partner and really helped us craft the virtual exhibit.  How did you come to work with Plank? We sent out an RFP for the original website, to which Plank responded, along with various other companies. We went with a fast and easy solution and I’ve spent the last three years kicking myself for not hiring Plank right away. While we wanted to work with them, their price point was a little bit higher and our board of directors went with the cheapest option. Unfortunately, the cheapest option isn’t always the website that you need in the long-term. It was through that process that I met Warren [Founder, Plank] and some of his team members. Warren and I started talking about this digital project that we wanted to do together. Even though that RFP process didn’t pan out, we started working on this huge virtual exhibit and it was through that I was able to say, “Hey, do you remember that RFP? Can you come back and fix the problem?” We became a client of theirs through the process of partnering with them. Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms? We have spent about $20,000-$25,000 for the year. What is the status of this engagement? We started working with them August 2013. In September 2015 we pitched and were successful in our grant to the Canadian government. The organization has continued working with Plank since. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement? We felt the impact of it almost immediately. We received fewer calls about how to get to the museum and you could see traffic increase substantially to the pages that had that information. The response from educators and studentes who were using the site was overwhelmingly positive. Plank streamlined functionality and we definitely saw an increase not only in our online sales but also our online donations. After the re-design, people could actually find the donation page and the online store, which is a big improvement. How did Plank perform from a project management standpoint? The team at Plank is professional and well organized. They set out timelines for all of the work and we had weekly check-ins. We were in constant communication throughout the production phase. There was never a time we didn't know what was happening. For a team that works on so many different projects, it’s impressive that they can still meet their deadlines and keep us in the loop. I dealt with everyone from the founders to the managers and developers. We were made aware of everyone’s function, which was important to us in working with a digital agency. In Plank’s case, they wanted us to understand who everybody was and what they were bringing to the project. It all funnelled through the main project manager, who was excellent, organized, and communicative and was available anytime we had an issue.   What did you find most impressive about them? They were terrific at explaining all of their decisions - from design to why we should use a certain platform over another one. One of the sites was built with WordPress.  I can’t remember the other CMS that we used, but they wanted to build good looking web properties that would last; with a plan like, “Here’s what this technology can do. Here’s how long you have and here’s how we’re going to work with you to maintain it in hopefully years and years that it’s going to exist.” Plank wants to build websites that are going to last and work.  They were very gracious about working with the other company’s code and made some really great fixes to the site. Plank provided a real solution to meet the needs of both the museum part of our busines and also the nonprofit. A lot of the website's UX/UI was muddied beforehand and when Plank came in, they really simplified things and broke down exactly what people were coming to the website for.  I’m most proud of our work on the virtual exhibit because it looks amazing and it really is an example of non-profits and digital studios working together to build really slick, useful, and educational online tools. Is there anything Plank could have improved or done differently? Honestly, I’m a huge fan of theirs. I worked with my fair share of web companies and Plank is the one that we continue to have a positive relationship with because they focus on ensuring customer satisfaction. I can’t name an area of improvement because I feel like they’re constantly fine tuning their own work in ways their clients don't realize or see. I really respect what they do.  Do you have any recommendations for others considering working with Plank? I would recommend them for anyone that has a digital product but not the expertise to get them off the ground. Plank can work with and improve existing web properties. We’re on a monthly retainer, which I would recommend to any non-profit. If you’re going to have a website, invest in your digital presence and maintain it like you would any other asset. --- #### Web Development for Non-Profit Literary Magazine **The Project** - Services: Web Development - Project size: Confidential - Project length: June 2015 - Ongoing **Project Summary**: Plank is designing and developing an update for an exisiting non-profit literary site. The team worked on creating a custom CMS, metered paywall, and subscription options. **Review Rating**: 5.0 - Quality: 5.0 - Schedule: 4.0 - Cost: 5.0 - Willing to Refer: 5.0 **The Reviewer** Digital Media Director, Literary Magazine - Industry: Arts, entertainment & music - Client size: 11-50 Employees - Review Type: Phone Interview - Verified **The Review** — Jul 13, 2017 **Feedback Summary**: The new site is clean and better displays the site’s offerings. Plank takes feedback seriously in both their work and their management, making changes accordingly. The team sets accurate deadlines for deliverables and produced great design work. ""Every meeting in which I presented... was derailed because people wanted to keep exploring the site built by Plank." " **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and what you do there. We are a small non-profit literary magazine based out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. We publish interviews, essays, short stories, poetry and black-and-white photography. The magazine is completely reader-supported and ad-free. We don’t run any ads from third parties. I am the digital media director, which means that I am a project manager for all our online activities, including the website, social media, email marketing and IT tech support for the staff. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you trying to address with Plank? We’ve been working with them for longer than I’ve been here. I did initiate a project with Plank a couple of years ago, coming out of the same challenge which led us to reach out to them in the first place, namely that we needed a modern web platform for the material we publish in the magazine. **SOLUTION** What was the scope of their involvement? We’re currently working on building a new website. Plank’s model involves having a project manager as a direct contact. He facilitates the work on their end. I have been in touch with a designer, a frontend developer and a couple of backend developers for our project, but I can’t speak to the specific number of people involved. It’s significantly more efficient for us to have one point of contact who can translate between Plank and our group, in the same way as it is more convenient for our team to have me as a single point of contact, translating all the strange editorial requests we make. On our legacy site, we would only run excerpts of material, and only seldom ran full text of the articles we publish. We undertook the new site with the aim to build a different access model. Plank has helped us implement a metered paywall for the articles we publish, so that we are loading in full texts, and governing access to them for the public, based on their subscription status. We’ve been publishing since 1974, and have started working on loading in our full digital archive. Plank is building a custom CMS on Bolt. It accommodates the various needs and formats we’ve published over this 43-year span. When we were discussing which platform to use for the CMS, we addressed our cross-referencing needs. The archive is indexed through around 100 keywords, but it’s also navigable by section (interviews, essays, fiction, and so on), and by contributor; users can check out all the work published by a given person. When this is scaled out to 500 issues of the magazine, each of which with around 12 articles, 120 keywords and a few thousand contributors, WordPress will not be adequate; it will end up choking on the data calls. We landed on the Bolt CMS, on which Plank made some extensive modifications. It’s a more modern open-source content management system, designed to be more modular and flexible than some of the options we had been considering, prior to it. There was also an e-commerce component to the site, but we ended up not using it. We had built subscription forms, as well as single-issue sale options. We have a book-publishing unit and rely on reader donations. Historically, we had all these siloed into individual sales arms, managed by the vendors which were fulfilling each independently. One of the goals for the site was to integrate all of this into a single unified e-commerce tool, which Plank did build, and had working well, but, near the end of our development process, we changed fulfillment vendors for the magazine, which made it much more difficult to accommodate the kind of unified platform we were building. Plank had relied on the APIs of our partners, so we were not able to use it, but it was key to the overall site vision. How did you come to work with Plank? We made a request for quote with a number of web vendors back in 2006-2007. We were taking our then-existent site from a minimal portal with half a dozen pages, including the About one, and a link where subscriptions could be ordered online. There was very little dynamic content, and we went from that to what can be seen right now: a full gallery of our back-issues with excerpted content from most of them, which is accessible and matches our minimalist aesthetic well. This is as true today as it was then: Plank had an intuitive grasp of the magazine’s aesthetic and ethos, which they arrived at by being attentive to how we talk about and think about our publication. Plank wasn’t the cheapest option for the project, but they were the best fit. What is the status of this engagement? I believe we started working with Plank in 2007. The current project was started around 18 months ago and is 2 weeks away from launch. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement? I am essentially the only staff in the magazine which will be working within the CMS. It was important that we be able to quickly and efficiently load in all archive material for new and back-issues. We have digital assets for much of this, but it was essentially material designed for print using Adobe InDesign. The HTML export tool available through that suite doesn’t lend itself to what we’re doing on the web, so we were looking at a great deal of intensive manual work to clean that code. Plank was able to collect several samples and write an HTML cleanup script which looked for specific patterns in the InDesign export, generating clean outputs. This made it much easier to import into the site. This is a hyper-specific example, but, more broadly, the site is incredibly readable, and it highlights the content of the magazine in a way which I believe will serve the material well, particularly the black-and-white photography. I’ve had to do demos for our staff and board; every meeting in which I presented the beta of the site was derailed because people wanted to keep exploring the site built by Plank. How did Plank perform from a project management standpoint? They have been responsive in some ways, and less so in others. When we identified the areas where we were not communicating well, Plank was willing to make corrections. I’m a hands-on project manager on my end and want to know where things are in terms of progress on their end. Plank’s default is to collect as much information as possible upfront, and then do the work, bringing a finished product back to us. It’s a different work style, and we solved the issue by granting me access to their internal project management board, Trello. Plank also used Basecamp, at least for our projects, early on, in order to communicate what they needed and what their version of events was. I can currently see the start-to-finish process and have been able to provide feedback during the process, which I’m sure is a bit tedious for them. It does help clarify things which are in progress and saves us work later on. We’re iterative in our feedback process, and, in terms of deadlines, Plank tends to get us what they promised, by the time they promised it, but both our parties have ultimately been surprised at the additional time taken for getting from that initial deliverable to something polished and carefully-edited in terms of text. We continue to adjust the timing of deadlines in response to this. What did you find most impressive about Plank? The main thing I’ve found striking (and this is coming from someone who is not a coder) is the design work. Plank is an integrated, start-to-finish development house, and they have a design team in-house which works hand-in-hand with the code team. This isn’t necessarily rare, but it does end up leading to a cleaner, better project. The design work done by Plank is really incredible. They conformed to our set of guidelines, which was pretty broad, namely wanting the site to be deeply readable and to echo the aesthetic of the magazine itself, which is, as I said, ad-free and peppered with black-and-white photography, with very little color. Above all, we didn’t want to interrupt the reading experience of our users, which is almost antithetical to the web (if we’re not converting in some way, we’re not doing our jobs). Plank was able to carry all of this forward in a way which I felt was indicative of an incredibly thoughtful design process. Every time I look at the site, I remain impressed with that work. --- #### Web Development for Event Promotion Site **The Project** - Services: Web Development - Project size: $50,000 to $199,999 - Project length: Jan. 2007 - Ongoing **Project Summary**: After successfully rebuilding the Evenko website from scratch, Plank built sites for three music festivals including a brand a new custom CMS, a member/login page, and HTML responsive emails. **Review Rating**: 4.5 - Quality: 4.5 - Schedule: 4.0 - Cost: 4.0 - Willing to Refer: 5.0 **The Reviewer** Digital Strategist, evenko - Industry: Arts, entertainment & music - Client size: 51-200 Employees - Review Type: Phone Interview - Verified **The Review** — Jul 12, 2017 **Feedback Summary**: A 10-year relationship and positive user feedback are testament to Plank’s consistently high quality work. Online sales through the new responsive website have increased dramatically since the start of the collaboration. Plank’s project management is solid and the overall experience is positive. ""They're straightforward and honest." " **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and what you do there. Evenko is a regional event promoter in Montreal. I'm a digital strategist so I take care of the strategy for all of our festivals, the brands associated with Evenko, and our artists. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you trying to address with Plank? Plank came in as our business partner to take care of building our websites. **SOLUTION** What was the scope of their involvement? They rebuilt our Evenko website from scratch several years ago. We used to be called GEG, then we merged and created a new website (evenko.ca) 6 years ago. Our business kept growing, and we invited them to build our festival websites this year. Their latest challenge was building osheaga.com, heavymontreal.com, and ilesoniq.com, which are our 3 big music festivals.. For these websites, they built brand new custom CMSs that work very well. They are mostly built with PHP and other code. For evenko.ca we're now working on a monthly newsletter that’s incorporated into our website but that gets pulled out for other purposes. We do that because we work with merchants, so it's very easy to pop out emails. We have over 100 events per month, so we pull all the data from the website into an HTML format responsive email, import that into MailChimp, and send it off. That is a new challenge on the Evenko side. The Osheaga Play login/member profile was the main technology challenge this year for Osheaga. It is different and more challenging than the usual project so that was very interesting for them. It has been a great success overall and so far, so we're very happy with the results. I usually work with Sean, who is the lead senior developer at Plank. He's been the big guy for all these projects and the brain behind the operation. I'm not sure how many developers worked on the project, but I assume there are a few others working with the senior lead. Jason Koskie is my project manager. How did you come to work with Plank? My old boss used Plank originally. It was important for us to work with a local business that was nearby. They're just a few blocks away, so that helped a lot. It also worked chemistry-wise, and since then we’ve formed an ongoing relationship. How much have you invested with Plank? It's tough to gauge because it's merging multiple projects into one. It’s a huge project.. What is the status of this engagement? Our relationship started about 10 years ago, and we're still working with them currently. The festivals are new every year, so we're going to be with them for a while. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement? Online sales have increased dramatically since signing on with them. We didn't have a mobile site, so we adapted to a new responsive website. I know more than 50% of traffic comes from mobile, and that is rewarding enough. Although we haven't necessarily talked to random users about feedback, people like it in general. The overall experience is good. It's clean and easy to use. It's easy to find what you need, and the process to buy tickets is straight and to the point.. How did Plank perform from a project management standpoint? Project management has been very good. They use Trello, and that system has worked out very well. Sean and Jason have been very good employees, and we have a good relationship. Communication is key in a partnership. We've learned that over time, so it's on us to communicate clearly what we want and not always blame them. In general, we've had issues, but it happens with everybody, it's not just them, and it’s been good since. What did you find most impressive about Plank? It’s their confidence. They're straightforward and honest. In this business, you can easily overcharge people, so honesty is always important. That relationship we have is key, and that's probably why we're still together at this point. Are there any areas Plank could improve? There's always room for improvement no matter what. Maybe they could push us to do some new things. We like to wow people, so we’d like them to challenge us more. --- ## Portfolio & Awards ### A Modern Website for Aspiring Young Entrepreneurs Futurpreneur is a Canadian non-profit that helps aspiring young entrepreneurs launch their business and offers them the community support they need on their journey. We designed and developed a scalable and flexible website to support their continuous growth across Canada. It features an updated user experience for increased lead generation and a greater focus on entrepreneurial stories and indispensable resources. Designed with an admin-friendly CMS to simplify management and updates. We created a WordPress website that better serves their community with a modern user experience. We simplified the user journey by reviewing content pathways and improved the information architecture by linking and grouping previously buried content. This ensured site visitors could find the information they needed in fewer clicks. Why this project was a success: Designed a modern interface with playful animations targeting Futurpreneur’s audience of young entrepreneurs. Created a simplified user journey for users to quickly find the information they are searching for. Improved their WordPress CMS allowing admins to independently and easily update their site. ### Southern Futures: An Activated Archive Carolina Performing Arts (CPA) was established in 2005. The organization collaborates with dynamic and compelling artists from across the globe to create novel, mission-driven performing arts experiences in partnership with their community. Southern Futures is a collaborative network for students, scholars, creators, and community leaders doing extraordinary work to reimagine the American South. Southern Futures works for equite, justice, and possibility, using the arts and humanities to imagine and create positive change for Carolina’s home region.   CPA needed a digital archive of Southern Futures. We built CPA’s platform with WordPress to highlight its projects and artists while providing resources as a teaching tool. We brought these insightful stories to life with a cohesive design featuring thoughtful animations that encourage endless discovery.   Why this project was a success:   Prioritized discovery sessions to thoroughly organize and structure the multifaceted network of information. Developed a custom WordPress CMS for added simplicity and flexibility for administrators. Created thoughtful animations to strengthen user navigation and highlight CPA’s powerful content. ### Canadian Race Relations Foundation Founded in 1996 by the Government of Canada as a Crown Corporation, The Canadian Race Relations Foundation reaffirms the principles of justice of quality for all in Canada as part of the Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement. Their mission is to create systemic solutions and advance public policy on anti-racism through partnership engagement, creating awareness and mobilization.   The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) needed a website redesign to adequately support its evolution and growth over the past decade as they’ve emerged as a national leader in anti-racism. Looking to increase user engagement and yield a higher conversion rate, we focused on modern design principles and improving their content strategy. To better support administrators, we facilitated a CMS migration to WordPress and created modular content blocks that allow more flexibility for their continued growth.   Why this project was a success:   Created an intuitive user experience to encourage discovery and increase conversion rates. Streamlined content to engage with users and deepen connections with the organization. Developed a modular web design to support flexibility for admins and organizational growth. ### Blabbermouth: A Modernised Music Review Site Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. It was founded in 2001 and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The revolutionary site was the first platform dedicated to providing breaking heavy metal and hard rock news 24/7. It quickly became the top news source for major fans around the world. Now, over 20 years later, the website is still going strong.   Blabbermouth.net needed a modernised website to support their millions of monthly visitors. We rebuilt Blabbermouth.net to help quickly hook music fans while accommodating their high web traffic. The result was an increase in user engagement and exploration, as well as a decrease in hosting costs.   Why this project was a success:   Decreased monthly hosting costs by up to 50% with AWS auto scaling. Encouraged further site exploration by implementing Elasticsearch. Developed a robust website using Laravel to manage large traffic sites. ### McGill Faculty of Law: A Searchable Database The Labour Law and Development Research Laboratory (LLDRL), part of McGill University’s Faculty of Law in Montreal, comprises researchers, practitioners and students delving into the interactions between labour law and development. They contribute to the emergence of transnational labour law centred on the Global South and the “South of the North” where these workers are commonly excluded. The database serves as a platform for their members to share resources and strengthen the collaboration between researchers of the Global North and South.   The Labour Law and Development Research Laboratory (LLDRL) aimed to update its Labour Law and Development Research Database (LLDRD). With an extensive collection of physical copies and photographs of crucial documents, they wanted a more straightforward method to access and search for them on their digital database. To achieve this, we introduced optical character recognition (OCR) technology, multilingual search, and an overall improved user experience.   Why this project was a success:   Implemented Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology for streamlined content processing and to facilitate document search. Integrated ElasticSearch to give users the most efficient and relevant search results in multiple languages. Modernized the user journey for faster loading and to cater to mobile first experiences. ### CNE: An Interactive Event Website The Canadian National Exhibition Association is a non-profit independent organization founded in 1879 that is responsible for organizing the Canadian National Exhibit, Canada’s largest community event. The exhibit is an 18-day event that is considered an end-of-summer ritual by their 1.4 million annual visitors. Their goal is to encourage and celebrate agricultural and technological innovation in Canada.   After two years of not hosting Canada’s largest community event, The Canadian National Exhibition Association wanted the opportunity to reimagine and revamp its website. The Canadian National Exhibit (CNE), locally known as The Ex, needed its website to have a seamless user journey so its 1.4 million annual visitors could easily buy tickets, plan their trip, or view the event’s daily schedule. Now CNE has a modern, vibrant, and interactive site that effortlessly guides users through all the wonders they have to offer.   Why this project was a success:   Developed a dynamic design and interactive tools to support a modern user journey. Utilized WordPress’ block system to offer a flexible and effortless admin experience. Collaborated through an agile approach to successfully meet all time complaints. ### CanAsian Arts Network: Spotlight Network Festival Accès Asie was established in 1995 and is Canada’s longest running Asian heritage arts festival. Based in Montreal, they promote Asian arts, cultures and history through a variety of art disciplines including visual arts, dance, theatre, film, music, literature, new media, and culinary arts.   Festival Accès Asie wanted to create a free digital platform for Canadian Asian artists to connect with fellow creators and industry representatives. The result is the CanAsian Arts Network (CAAN), a pan-Canadian community comprised of artists, cultural workers, and organizations with the goal to foster collaboration while improving representation in the arts.   Why the project was a success:   Developed a networking platform that fosters collaboration and community building among Canadian Asian artists. Created artist profiles that highlight their unique disciplines, projects, and origins. Prioritized accessibility guidelines and centered decolonization for an inclusive user experience. ### American Rivers: Amplifying Online River Movement Since 1973, American Rivers has made it their mission to protect and restore rivers throughout the United States. They help their partners protect vital habitats, work with communities to reduce river pollution, secure policies that ensure clean and abundant streams of water, and overall work to strengthen the river movement. With over 300,000 members, supporters, and volunteers, they are the most trusted and influential river conservation organization in the U.S.   After 50 years of championing the protection and conservation of rivers, American Rivers wanted to relaunch their brand to further their vision and address the urgency of the climate crisis. We adapted their new brand identity to the web, modernized their WordPress CMS, and assisted in their broader goal of improving their digital presence.   Why this project was a success:   Adapted their digital brand identity to the web speaking to their community and vision. Developed a modular design to give admins ultimate flexibility and scalability. Amplified their content strategy and aided in applying best digital practices. ### Bank of Montreal Archives BMO Corporate Archives is a division of the BMO Financial Group that is dedicated to documenting the evolution of the bank and its impact on North America’s financial industry. Their mandate is to collect, preserve and promote the heritage of its institution. Their team is made up of professionally-trained archivists that ensure the collections are accessible and properly preserved across all platforms.   We worked with BMO Corporate Archives to launch their new archival website in celebration of their 205th anniversary. We imported over 12,000 files featuring unique collections of past BMO employees and the events that helped drive Canada’s economic growth. Built to be reiterative, BMO can continue to expand their collections for years to come.   Why this project was a success:   Implemented a custom WordPress CMS to offer flexibility and control over the site. Utilized ACF blocks to allow admins to display and view content before publishing. Built a clear navigation and search functionality to encourage further exploration. ### MASC: Connecting with the Arts MASC is a community arts organization based in Ottawa that offers schools and communities arts experiences led by professional artists. With a community of over 210,000 children, youth, and seniors, they are an important advocate for arts education. They provide workshops, artist-in-residence and scholarship programs, and programs designed specifically for seniors and street-involved youth. Programming is offered in all artistic disciplines including music, dance, drama, literary arts, media, and visual arts.   They needed a robust website that allows users to easily explore and book programs, while still accommodating their admins. We built MASC a custom WordPress website that can easily filter between artists, programs, and events. The result is a modern website with an improved user experience.    Why this project was a success:   Created a simplified and robust CMS to improve the workflow of site administrators. Optimized the site’s information architecture to allow users to discover content that deepens their connections with the Arts. Modernized the user journey to account for engaging mobile-first experiences. ### From Vimy to Juno: Exploring Canadian History From Vimy to Juno is a partnership between the Juno Beach Centre and the Vimy Foundation. The Juno Beach Centre Association is a Canadian non-profit that educates individuals about Canada’s participation in the Second World War. They also operate the Juno Beach Centre in Normandy, France. The Vimy Foundation is a Montreal foundation that preserves and promotes Canada’s ongoing legacy in the First World War.   Plank assisted The Juno Beach Centre Association and Vimy Foundation in showcasing their rare archival imagery through a responsive website. This digital exhibit was developed to be used for educational purposes across all grade levels. We created a series of modules allowing them to seamlessly display their content in a variety of ways.    We used our expertise in: - Custom WordPress CMS - Digital Strategy - UX/UI Design - Funding Application Consultation ### Stagepunch: A Membership Site for the Arts Yonder Window Theatre Company is a New York-based company dedicated to the exploration of cross-cultural and social relationships. Through the use of interdisciplinary performative arts, they seek to create innovative and relevant productions that explore the universal themes of the human experience domestically and abroad. They are the parent company to Stagepunch with a vested interest in education and paving the way for the next generation of performing artists.   The company needed a platform for their new initiative, Stagepunch, that guides aspiring performers performing arts students through their degree applications. The subscription-based platform features everything from a program matching quiz to a diverse team of acting coaches.   Why this project was a success:   Integrated MemberPress to develop a membership platform that brings added value to their audience. Leveraged React.js to provide a high performance site that is fast loading. Implemented a custom CMS solution that allows for autonomous program and monologue updates. ### POP Montreal: A Vibrant Festival Experience POP Montreal International Music Festival is an annual not-for-profit curated event that presents emerging and celebrated artistic talents from around the world. They hold various events such as concerts, artisan, and visual art exhibitions, film screenings, fashion shows, and symposium discussions. Their main mission is to celebrate the next generation of musical talent and independent art forms.   They needed a website redesign in time to celebrate their 20th anniversary. With a festival featuring over 400 artists and 60,000 viewers, it was crucial for them to have a smooth user experience that includes daily schedules, live stream videos, and artist profiles. Using headless WordPress we were able to create a high-quality experience that supports their site administrators and engages visitors on any device.   Why this project was a success:   Utilized Headless WordPress for a familiar admin interface and fast loading times for users. Created an import function for FestivalPro that streamlined their workflow. Developed a CMS that allows for autonomous and flexible website updates. ### Sounds Like Toronto: A Digital Exhibit Heritage Toronto is a charity that has celebrated and engaged with the Toronto community for over 70 years. They tell the diverse stories of the people, places, and events that have shaped Toronto into what it is today. Working with several community organizations and volunteers, Heritage Toronto delivers city-wide educational services and heritage promotion through walking tours, plaques, and awards.   Sounds Like Toronto is a virtual exhibit that showcases how the 6ix shaped Canadian music history. A multi-sensory experience, it features exclusive audio and video interviews, 3D objects, and 360 interactive tours. Users are able to explore the engaging stories of 35 artists and venues that have defined the city’s diverse musical heritage over the past century. This project was made possible by Digital Museums Canada (DMC) and meets their accessibility guidelines under WCAG 2.0, as well as AODA.   Why this project was a success:   Implemented a flexible modular design to give the team infinite configuration options. Prioritized accessibility while ensuring creativity and interactivity throughout the site. Designed a unique, nostalgic and youthful brand to represent the diverse audience it serves. ### The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati: Mobile-First The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati is a professional theatre that has created Broadway-level productions for children and families since 1919. They have three primary programs including TCT MainStage at the Taft Theatre, TCT On Tour, and TCT Academy. Their main mission is to educate, entertain, and engage audiences of all ages through professional theatrical productions and arts education programming.   The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati was a unique website redesign for Plank, as the new site was created completely mobile-first. Statistics showed TCT users were more than 60% mobile, which meant any redesign had to be done with that in mind. As a result of this strategy, our developers and designers were able to create unique qualities and characteristics for the theatre’s mobile versus desktop/tablet experience, offering each its own particular signature. This truly mobile-first design provides the Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati with a cutting edge, modern site that showcases its profound love of theatre, while providing an exceptional user experience no matter the platform.   Why this project was a success:   Offered a modular design to give site administrators ultimate flexibility and control. Provided an exceptional user experience through mobile-first design. Ensured brand alignment through immersive storytelling and engaging visuals. ### Carolina Performing Arts: Pivoting for Pandemic Carolina Performing Arts was established in 2005. The organization collaborates with dynamic and compelling artists from across the globe to create novel, mission-driven performing arts experiences in partnership with their community.   Carolina Performing Arts was established in 2005. The organization collaborates with dynamic and compelling artists from across the globe to create novel, mission-driven performing arts experiences in partnership with their community. While the original goal was to audit the site and update the Tessitura TNEW ticketing API before the current version was deprecated, with the pandemic hitting in early 2020, Plank also helped Carolina restructure their content and site to help them meet their new challenges.   Why this project was a success:   Optimized site performance to load quicker and improve search engine rankings. Modernized user experience with an updated Tessitura TNEW integration. Collaborated through an agile approach to adapt to evolving needs. ### The Canadian Encyclopedia: All Things Canadian First published in book form in 1985, The Canadian Encyclopedia has been offered as a free bilingual resource online since 1999 and currently hosts over 20,000 articles. An important resource for educators and students across the country, the new site is fully mobile responsive, friendly to users of all ages, and follows established standards of accessibility.   Through open communication and open planning, we worked closely with The Canadian Encyclopedia team to restructure the content of the site and determine the changes necessary to improve the user experience. We simplified on-page content and made it easier for users to read. We also made the site fully mobile-responsive which resulted in a 20% increase in mobile users in the first month of the new site launching.   Why this project was a success:   Created a meaningful user experience through enhanced searching & browsing. Improved discoverability, page ranking and site traffic with the restructured database. Formed a collaborative partnership based on trust, transparency & effective problem solving. ### Centaur Theatre: Digital Storytelling Montreal’s iconic Centaur Theatre has a long and celebrated history. Housed in Canada’s first stock exchange building in Old Montreal, Centaur Theatre is at the centre of the city’s arts community. They have been performing plays on Centaur’s stage since 1969.   Montreal’s iconic Centaur Theatre has a long and celebrated history. Housed in Canada’s first stock exchange building in Old Montreal, Centaur Theatre is at the centre of the city’s arts community. Plays began being performed on Centaur’s stage in 1969. Its goal now is to increase its online presence to attract a larger audience, as the theatre strives to tell the most relevant stories of our time.   Why this project was a success:   Replicated the interactive theatre experience through creative design. Optimized site navigation and content to build deeper connections with users. Developed an integrated toolset to increase subscriptions and ticket purchases. ### Osheaga: Robust Music Festival Platform The Osheaga Music and Arts Festival is a multi-day music festival in Montreal, Quebec, that is held every summer at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Sainte-Hélène.   Since 2006, Osheaga has been defining the music festival experience. In 2014, Pollstar rated it the #1 festival in Canada — and 11th in the world. It’s one of the most in-demand shows of the year — which means there’s no time for downtime. Osheaga needed a website to outperform even its biggest headliners.   Why this project was a success:   Ensured the site’s stability, efficiency and user satisfaction at any given traffic spike. Personalized user journey on- and offline through several 3rd party tech integrations. Built a custom CMS to give event organizers full control over the content they promote. ### The Sun Magazine: Digital Publishing Platform The Sun is an independent, ad-free, reader-supported magazine. For over forty years, The Sun has used words and photographs to evoke the splendour and heartache of being human.   The Sun is an independent, ad-free, reader-supported magazine. For over forty years, The Sun has used words and photographs to evoke the splendour and heartache of being human. We worked closely with them to preserve the immersive and engaging spirit of the print magazine online — both aesthetically and functionally.   Why this project was a success:   Delivered an intimate reader experience through distraction-free responsive design. Integrated a revenue-sustaining subscription model that provides leveled access to the archive. Personalized reader experience and engagement with a custom-built recommendation tool. ### BioWare: Creating Emotionally Engaging Games BioWare is an internationally-renowned studio known for creating some of the world’s most compelling worlds and characters, including AAA games Dragon Age and Mass Effect.    Plank was tasked with developing a new website for BioWare to help modernize the company’s online presence and continue to attract the best talent in the industry. We utilized a mix of beautifully designed game assets and strong employee testimonials to create a rich and immersive responsive website that provides visitors an idea of what its like to be part of the BioWare team.   We used our expertise in:  - Digital Strategy - UI/UX Design - Custom CMS ### Explore Concordia: Bringing Research to Life Explore Concordia is Concordia University’s online research application tool. A web app designed to promote the relationships between various professors’ research and allow them to show off their latest work—reinforcing Concordia’s position as a leading academic institution for research.   Concordia came to Plank with an outdated online research application platform primarily built with Adobe Flash to promote their research to promote their research at events on large screens. To support the increased use of mobile and tablet research, we transitioned their entire site to an HTML base to provide them with a more flexible web design.   Why this project was a success: Modernized the web app to showcase and reinforce the institution's academic talent. Designed a responsive platform to foster connections between professors. Collaborated through an agile methodology to redefine the database’s functionality. ### Pressbooks: The Open Book Pressbooks builds software to support new models for book publishing with an emphasis on helping make educational resources (aka digital textbooks) free for all. They are passionate about open source, open content, open knowledge, open education, and the intersection of books and the web.   Pressbooks is book production software. Pressbooks hosts and maintains individual PressbooksEDU networks for academic institutions, presses, and consortia. You can also use Pressbooks as an individual faculty member or as an independent author.   Why this project was a success:   Streamlined the resource library to be easily searchable and navigable. Refreshed branding to give it a more modern feel. Clearly defined audience types and their pathways. ### Rush: A New Website in Honour of 40 Years With more than 40 million records sold worldwide and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rush are certified ROCK LEGENDS. Needing a website to reflect their rock god status, their management called on Plank and Happy Cog to create a new and improved online home to kick off their R40 Tour.   Needing a website to reflect their rock god status, their management called on Plank and Happy Cog to create a new and improvement online home to kick-off their R40 Tour. We revamped their site to include the necessary responsive layouts for today’s browsing needs. We also expanded their discography to include everything a fan would want to know—credits, liner notes, lyrics, awards, and chart positions.   Why this project was a success: Built a custom flexible WordPress CMS that can be iterated on at every milestone. Designed a user journey that promotes endless discovery of Rush’s discography.  Created a fan-focused platform to connect fans with shared interests and experiences. ### Ford's Theatre: Flexibility & Storytelling Ford’s Theatre, the theatre where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, explores his legacy and celebrates the American experience through theatre and education. Ford’s Theatre acts as a national historic site that also offers inspiring theatrical productions, interactive museum exhibits, and engaging education programs.   Ford’s Theatre needed to equally represent all facets of their organization: being known as a world-renowned theatre, an educational & scholarly resource, and a key component in Lincoln’s legacy. With large amounts of content, we migrated to a WordPress CMS and created custom blocks to offer site admins ultimate flexibility and customization in telling their story. We also optimized their content structure to guide users across the site and encourage further discovery.   Why this project was a success:   Migrated CMS to WordPress for enhanced storytelling and site maintenance. Utilized custom WordPress blocks for a flexibile and user-friendly editing interface. Optimized content to showcase all of Ford’s pillars and build deeper connections. ### Claremont Graduate University Claremont Graduate University (CGU) is an independent institution in California that encourages students to pursue an academic experience that transcends traditional boundaries. The primary goal of the project was to increase leads — prospective students — and enhance their experience on the site. Ten years after their last major site update, CGU knew they needed to modernize but a full redesign was not possible. They highlighted key areas of improvement which included site navigation, program index and respective pages, and their admissions section. Conducting user interviews and implementing our UX expertise, we were able to provide localized improvements to their current website. Why this project was a success: Improved readability by refining the appearance and cohesiveness of program page layouts. Simplified the user journey to seamlessly guide students through the admission process. Enhanced the content entry experience to ensure optimal UX, performance and accessibility without disrupting internal team workflow. ### Industry Recognitions - Webby Honouree: Citizen Voices, Citizen Voices - Canadian Webby Ambassador - Webpick of the Week: Rush.com, Rush ## Key Clients - Futurpreneur - Southern Futures - Canadian Race Relations Foundation - American Rivers ## Packages ## Verification Clutch verification provides an additional layer of data to help you make the right purchasing decision of business services. - Verified Client Reviews: 14 - Overall Review Rating: 4.8 Last Updated: 2026-06-30T09:42:15Z ### Business Entity - Business Entity Name: Plank Multimedia Inc. - Source: Government of Canada Federal Corporation Information - Jurisdiction of Formation: Canada - Date of Formation: February 11, 2000 - Status: Active - Last Updated: July 29, 2021 - ID: 867719379RC0001 ### Credit Report Results - International Credit Risk Assessment: Very Low Risk - Source: Creditsafe - Last Updated: January 1, 2022 ## Locations (1) ### Montreal, Canada (Headquarters) - 372 Ste-Catherine West, Suite 101 - Montreal, QC H3B 1A2 - Canada - 16 - 20 employees - Phone: 5148750003 ## Connections - Shalaka Teli (Gadre Infotech Pvt. Ltd.) ## Contact Plank [Send a message](https://clutch.co/profile/plank) ### Connect on Social - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/company/plank_multimedia) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/plankmtl) - [X](https://twitter.com/plank) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/plankdesign)