PLATFORM

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of Product Design for an interactive map startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PLATFORM?

We launched an application for 3D city modelling—based on which were developing a social network application—and we tasked our in-house designers to work on it. Unfortunately, they lacked some systematic thinking, so we decided to outsource the work to a design studio.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We demonstrated our fundamental feature requests to their team, and then they drew a clear, integrated picture of what the application should be. Since we had previously designed screens, PLATFORM focused on polishing our designs. They provided us with full-fledged style guidelines and example screens, and they followed atomic design principles, which produced good examples. In terms of deliverables, they provided three example screens during the discovery period, thirteen screens during the third phase, and other design work including icons and source files.

They also helped educate our junior in-house designers to follow their style guidelines, making sure they’re qualified to wrap up the work. Going forward, PLATFORM is going to do a final round of reviews on the work our designers do.

What is the team composition?

I’ve connected with quite a few of their designers, including their director, an icon designer, UI designers, a map designer, and a motion designer. We also worked with a project manager, a deputy project manager, their CEO, and their COO. In total, around 8 people were involved, though not all on a full-time basis.

How did you come to work with PLATFORM?

We searched our app’s keywords on the best-known platforms for designers, like Behance and Dribble. We connected with two or three studios and individual designers, and went to their headquarters, to meet them face-to-face.

We researched the providers’ rankings on Dribbble and Behance, and our boss decided to give PLATFORM a short test during the discovery phase. They did a good job during their two-week discovery work, demonstrating a great information flow and three proof-of-concepts. We were all satisfied, so we upgraded their contract.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $67,775 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched the project yet, but after we’ve had a first round of user reviews, we plan to go back to PLATFORM with the feedback.

How did PLATFORM perform from a project management standpoint?

We use email and Basecamp to record all our communications, and we’ve also had a few video-calls on Skype. We have a tool to track our work hours and we share common documents through Google Drive, which demonstrates our tasks and requests and marks them as complete and incomplete. The source files were delivered through email. We’ve also visited their team in Bratislava twice so far, and they sent their designers to our location for two weeks.

We’re a domestic Asian company, and the biggest obstacle for us was to communicate with PLATFORM in English. I’m almost the only one able to speak fluent English, so the communication didn’t go as smoothly as we’d expected. This was mainly our problem, thought, not theirs; all of them speak great English. We changed our scope from time to time, but they accepted our requests and understood our basic requirements quickly. Any delays came from our side.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They stand out from many European and North American design studios in terms of their credibility and predilection to follow the rules strictly, but without any tradeoffs. Customers in our market aren’t usually satisfied if rules are kept so rigidly, but PLATFORM is exceptional. Another thing that makes PLATFORM stand out is that they always do things systematically, and always try to follow design principles. They set a good example for our in-house designers.

A Warsaw team we considered engaging did a great job, but they treated the customer as just another project, and their salespeople only talked to us for 30 minutes, even though we’d flown 20 hours to meet them. PLATFORM both demonstrated their hospitality and worked closely with us. They helped us with our in-house designers, and they addressed any issues we had, even with how to use our tools, which had nothing to do with the project itself. They enjoy working closely with the customer, and they like to maintain good, ongoing relationships.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although I’ve only given them positive feedback, I’ve done it objectively. Of course, there’ve been some conflicts and discussions in-between, but that’s a normal part of the business. I didn’t know PLATFORM before the project, but, after a half-year collaboration, I’m more than satisfied with their progress and work style.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Caribu is an interactive video calling platform that allows parents and extended family to read and draw with their kids from anywhere in the world. I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PLATFORM?

I reached out to them because of their experience with children’s applications. They had worked with a large toy company we partnered with, which was helpful. Since we were rebuilding and modernizing our platform, we needed someone with this specific experience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

A few months ago, PLATFORM performed a UX audit and reviewed and optimized our user flows. We worked with them for a little over a month.

After we closed our funding round, we started developing our new platform. PLATFORM took care of the branding, the website mockups, and the complete redesign of our mobile applications, as well as registrations, user flows, and UIs.

Our company name is Caribu, but our logo was a balloon. We worked with PLATFORM to figure out whether we could fit a reindeer into the branding. They did a fantastic job of creating the new app icon, the characters throughout the app, and the illustrations that accompanied the profiles.

What is the team composition?

I was in touch with different people from their team, including an illustrator and an animator. Their COO, who had a team management role, was my main point of contact. He provided day-to-day updates and deliverables.

How did you come to work with PLATFORM?

I found them on Clutch. They were interested in the project and thought it would be fun. Many of them have children and enjoy this type of design. That’s one of the best attitudes. If someone thinks a project will be fun, they will be careful and do their best. That definitely showed in their responsiveness and work quality. They went above and beyond what we initially discussed to come up with ideas we could try. PLATFORM was very professional, but they also enjoyed the project.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work was $45,000. That includes the November work, which was around $5,000. They were less affordable for small companies, but I didn’t feel like I overpaid for their quality, responsiveness, and team.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with PLATFORM at the end of March 2018, and finished three months later. They performed the original UX audit in November or December 2017. We started development one month ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve changed almost nothing from their original designs. The product will always evolve. However, after showing the design to people and sending it out for reviews, its direction and strategy have largely remained the same. It was clear that PLATFORM put a lot of effort, care, and thought into the design.

How did PLATFORM perform from a project management standpoint?

We had updates through Basecamp, either daily or every couple of days depending on the size of their work. Some tasks were more complicated than others, but their turnaround was quick. We worked through InDesign, and they let me know whenever they had an update. They tagged me so I could comment on the work. The turnaround on the edits was around one day, and they had a very quick feedback loop.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They normally scoped out the entire breadth of requirements, creating a comprehensive scope of work that included every single item featured in the initial estimate. They were great at meeting our needs within our budget, and open about the things that they could do and the things that we probably didn’t need. There were multiple sizes and other elements for the tablet design. Based on our budget, we narrowed those down to things we specifically needed. It was a good process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Petzey, an early–stage startup firm. We’re developing a mobile app that functions as a marketplace for the pet healthcare services industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PLATFORM?

Our team lacked the necessary technical resources for app development and mobile platforms. We needed a developer who could design and build a mobile app and provide us with market-relevant user insight.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our project began with an initial scoping phase, which PLATFORM calls the "Discovery Period". This process helped us dive deeply into the structure and design. Their guidance supplemented our internal levels of expertise. The team walked us through the whole planning process. We didn’t have to provide them with wireframes initially.  Rather, our teams collaborated on mockups and other design elements following the Discovery period.

We outlined our business plan and target user demographics. They took the time to thoroughly understand our vision for the UX/UI.  Together, we formulated the ideal methodology for the design and development stages. The team is currently executing these requirements across operating systems and hardware platforms.

Beyond simply building the app, PLATFORM provides critical insights and feedback throughout the process. At numerous times when we expressed potential concerns, they reassured us that they’d resolve any potential problems in the app. They’ve consistently strived to solve user-defined issues pertinent to the app’s development.

What is the team composition?

Six resources from PLATFORM are assigned to our project. We regularly interface with the senior leadership team, designers, and developers.

How did you come to work with PLATFORM?

Several months of marketplace research led us to identify four potential firms. Three of them were recommendations from our contacts. We sent out an RFP to each team we spoke with. PLATFORM was miles ahead of the other vendors’ proposals. They gave us an overview of their past work and client base.  A detailed spreadsheet outlined their design approach, including each feature and functionality they planned to include.

How much have you invested with them?

The total project will cost an estimated $500,000–$1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began in October 2017 and is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

PLATFORM takes an active role in considering every facet of the UX. They consider the app from the user perspective to fully grasp the app’s purpose and functionality. They aren’t afraid to provide critical feedback and present strategic thinking throughout the engagement. Rather than pandering to us by agreeing with everything we say, they confidently assert their acumen and expertise to facilitate a successful app build and delivery.

How did PLATFORM perform from a project management standpoint?

Their detailed, informative response to our RFP differentiated them from the competition. It made us feel confident they could execute our requirements and deliver a great final product. From the start, we had total transparency on how they would manage the process. Especially appreciated was how deeply they drilled down in the introductory discovery phase to fully conceptualize our ideal mobile app.

What did you find most impressive about them?

PLATFORM intuitively guides us through the scope of our project. Their consultation helps us better understand the rationale for the design and UX.  After we gave them a list of four ways this venture could fail, they deftly noted and circumnavigated our major concerns. Each problem was ultimately solved within the app. PLATFORM creates unique designs and formulates useful approaches toward attaining our goals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As a business and marketing professional, I’m always encouraging PLATFORM to work faster. While they inform us about updates and set expectations well, I always want to see faster results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the brand manager for Tatra Bank, the third biggest bank in Slovakia. I’m responsible for all the distribution channels which include internet banking and our website and mobile app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PLATFORM?

Our website is our most important channel to communicate with our customers. We needed a vendor to completely redesign our platform and our retail segment’s internet banking function. Our main goal is to sell more products online in the coming years. We hoped to generate new leads by improving web content for SEO purposes and making our site mobile responsive.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PLATFORM formulated the entire UI/UX design proposals for our website and internet banking functionality. They served as our consultant and advised us on the best way to execute this project. Our strategy focused on enhancing the customer journey throughout our online platforms, especially on our bank’s website. An additional vendor was involved with developing the site’s desktop and mobile versions. The design and implementation stages involved over 250 pages and subpages across the site. Specifically, the team built the entire home, landing, and marketing campaign pages.

Notable elements include layouts, buttons, modules for images, animation, text blocks, and search functions. Incorporating photos, videos, and graphics featuring modern people and technology aimed to cultivate a feeling of connectivity and personalization for our customers. Our platform’s facelift involved spacing out content, featuring the color white, and including pro-sell elements like a clear call-to-action button. At the end of the project, they wrote a detailed design manual that describes how all the features interact.

What is the team composition?

I was in contact with 4-5 resources, mainly the project manager Andrej (CTO, PLATFORM). He’s one of the best managers I’ve ever collaborated with. These staff members were supported by a huge additional team that includes developers, graphic designers, and copywriters.

How did you come to work with PLATFORM?

My company had worked with them prior to my position here. Based on that experience, we engaged with them for this new project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March 2016 until July 2017. We worked on our CMS internally until we were ready to launch the website in February. PLATFORM provided excellent support and consultation during the pilot testing stage. We’re focused on integrating their recommendations. The final version of our platform should go live in April.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

PLATFORM successfully fulfilled our requirements. We were absolutely satisfied with the results. I’ve received strongly positive feedback about their work. The new site highlights our bank’s human element. It’s intricately structured and provides useful information about our company, products, and service offerings. Our customers and team are really happy with the new platform. That response was a major reason we decided to continue working with them.

How did PLATFORM perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was managed using Basecamp and the InVision app. They took notes during every meeting we held. The team’s time management was 100% perfect all the time. They did a superb job of complying with the schedule. Even if we had difficult questions or requested design or presentation modifications, they were worked fast and promptly delivered.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re highly professional and up-to-date with current trends. They were always fully cooperative and compliant. The team is highly skilled at giving clear explaining and producing exceptional deliverables. Their time management was perfect. Everything we agreed upon was delivered.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything negative to say about them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a project leader for a nonprofit that receives funding and assists other agencies in the community.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PLATFORM?

We are developing a mobile-friendly web app that will help people discover new activities around the city. We have an in-house development team that manages our site but needed additional resources to complete a project of this scope.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started off the engagement with an RFP that included an overview of our company, several screenshots, rough wireframes, and full product specifications. PLATFORM responded, and we reviewed several packages that included various service options and cost structures. We ended up choosing their Discovery Package, which includes lead designs, full wireframes, user stories, interactive prototypes, and a Lean Canvas exercise that we went through to better understand the business. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve had several interactions with Lukas (CEO, PLATFORM), and Roland (COO, PLATFORM) has acted as our project manager. We also work with Stano, their director of design. I believe there are a few others working on the project, but none that I communicate with regularly.

How did you come to work with PLATFORM?

We found them on Google. I had initially researched about 100 companies, narrowed the list down to 10-15, and ended up contacting only about six companies.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August of 2017, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is currently being developed, so we can’t point to statistics quite yet.

How did PLATFORM perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is reliable and efficient. They respond to emails quickly and are always accessible. We use Basecamp to manage the workflow.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their UX/UI design skills are impressive. They have talented people who work to understand your goals and execute on them effectively. Their team is very capable, and we’ve been very happy with the quality of their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The Lean Canvas Exercise could have gone into a little more in detail, but it was still very helpful. The final output from the Discovery Phase could have been combined into one PDF document or presentation, instead it was multiple different files and hard to share with others.

Advice for potential customers?

Do your research when looking for a company to work with and try to find someone that really understands your organization and your needs. It will make a big difference when you and the vendor are on the same page.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of an omnichannel payment gateway company. We develop innovative solutions within the financial technology space. Our primary focus is providing software developers with integration tools that facilitate payments within their systems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PLATFORM?

Our previous portal was dated and not built from a design perspective. We needed to redesign the UX of a new payment processing portal for our customers. While we have UX designers in-house, we wanted a company with a collaborative team of experts that could apply current design principles to our needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Once collaborating with PLATFORM, we first explored the various portals available to them and decided on features we thought best for both functionality and UX design. We did a competitive analysis and decided the best approach for us. There were also discussions on strategies to present information in the most logical and user-friendly way.

To begin development, PLATFORM provided functional wireframes of the redesign. The wireframes were created using InVision and have hyperlinks between screens in order to simulate how everything will work once it’s programmed.

What is the team composition?

We work closely with our lead designer and PLATFORM’s project managers frequently follow up with us.

How did you come to work with PLATFORM?

We originally found them on Dribbble, which is the popular site for designers to display their work. We were impressed with what they showed and intrigued by their management approach. Offering a dedicated resource to work for us remotely made them stand out from other firms. After a few exploratory conversations, we ultimately hired them for this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our initial engagement with them began in October 2017. We’re currently finalizing an arrangement with them to have our lead designer work in-house with us for 2–3 months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re going into the development phase now to have the screens turned into the actual portal. However, our board of directors were extremely impressed with the progress we've made.

How did PLATFORM perform from a project management standpoint?

It wasn't run as a traditional project where we speak to a project manager and that information gets filtered down to the designers. A dedicated designer worked directly with us and was managed by the team. That being said, we didn't have any issues so there wasn’t much need for hands-on project management. It was clear the designer was using time efficiently and completing assigned work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The designer that worked with us was certainly up to date with current UI/UX strategies. Most importantly, his approach was extremely logical and his insight was valuable. Our team benefitted from having feedback and conversations about layout design. We found that to be almost as important as the project itself.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any points of contention. We had a really great experience and are extremely happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We’ve been lucky to find a capable resource because we don’t work in the traditional method of agency workflow. As a result, we didn't really experience the rest of their team’s capabilities. However, I’d recommend offering a test project to a vendor before beginning a lengthy project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I run a startup called STEAM Role. The acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Design, and Math; role is short for role model.

We use a mobile app to guide young students and professionals in career development. The app directs them to online resources that help them acquire professional skills.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PLATFORM?

Our in-house platform team needed support. A colleague urged me to engage an outside agency for supplemental development work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have an internal team of designers and engineers. While we’ve outsourced some design work to them, all engineering is done in-house. Both teams worked closely on the app’s look and feel, but PLATFORM executed the design.

We haven’t used all their services during development. But we’re now collaborating on the proof of progress dashboard. This tool allows investors to monitor users’ advancements and donate to STEM and STEAM organizations in a cryptocurrency. By using the digital currency and dashboard, educational donors can see the impact their investments have on long-term career development.

An alpha version currently exists. The app is not yet launched.

What is the team composition?

The project manager, our main point of contact, works with approximately four other team members.

How did you come to work with PLATFORM?

I researched the company after hearing my colleague’s suggestion. At the time, I had considered hiring more employees. However, their website and previous work impressed me. I didn’t compare them with other companies.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started September 2017 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone I’ve shown the early alpha version to has loved it and the UX. I credit that reaction to their platform design and my creative direction.

Working with them has been nothing but positive. Since I’m pretty discriminating about UX design, I expect others to be happy with the app.

How did PLATFORM perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager’s comprehension of design and UX benefited the process. He’s been able to articulate and relay my feedback to his designers. While I’m used to working with designers and engineers directly, having an intermediary hasn’t been a problem.

I invited them on our team’s Slack account and they’re readily available on it. We also have InVision, which I use to send feedback as we iterate through final designs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understand UX, design, and how to communicate and solve problems. They’re a very strong team and I’m happy to have an ongoing relationship with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although there’s always areas for improvement, I don’t have complaints about the project manager. Given that we work in different time zones, the process is satisfactory.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about objectives because most relationships come down to communication. The project manager and I invest considerable energy and communication skills to make the partnership work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of the Corporate Products and Support Division at Tatra Banka, the third largest bank in Slovakia. I’m responsible for project and trade financing and as well as the management of our IT solutions within Corporate banking.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PLATFORM?

We wanted to build a new web-based portal to assist our corporate clients with cash management and service requests. We hired PLATFORM to provide UI/UX design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They produced a number of PSD wireframes with over 150 screens using InVision. They created a special solution for the layout of the navigation buttons. They also created a unique method for moving between items on a table. They did not program the solution, they only designed the user experience.

They work on an as-needed basis. We contact them whenever we reach a design or UX obstacle.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people in the beginning, including a designer, a project manager, and a general manager. The project manager now serves as our primary point of contact.

How did you come to work with PLATFORM?

They were recommended by our marketing department for a previous assignment. We decided to use them for this project since we were pleased with their results.

How much have you invested with them?

Between €25,000–€50,000 [$30,000–$60,000].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2016 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve done UX testing with our customers and they’ve responded very positively to the platform.

Our development vendor was so impressed with PLATFORM’s designs that they’ve decided to partner for future projects.

How did PLATFORM perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve worked with designers in the past who simply used email to communicate. PLATFORM, however, uses InVision, which allows us to easily make comments about wireframes and workflow. We also rely on Skype to discuss ideas in depth.

They’re highly responsive and typically respond to comments or questions within a single day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their thorough knowledge of design allows them to develop unconventional solutions. They recognize our needs, but also understand how a system will be utilized by our customers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We really enjoy working with them. Every vendor has room for improvement, but I can’t think of anything specific.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When launching a project, we’ve learned to contact them as soon as possible. Their experience allows them to provide unique insights, so the project will run more smoothly if they’re involved from the beginning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

LEAF is the biggest NGO [non-governmental organization] in Slovakia. We are an educational organization with multiple channels. I was a co-founder of the organization and head of one of the programs, though I no longer work with them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PLATFORM?

We had a CRM [customer relationship management] system in place and a campaign that a marketing agency created for us. However, we felt that we weren’t using the full potential of the conversions from the campaign. We brought PLATFORM in to integrate our CRM with the marketing agency’s work. We wanted to get the message across and receive more applications.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a new landing page for the campaign and through this campaign, we find people to come back to Slovakia for jobs and internships. The landing page transforms the interested person into a customer applying for the position we were offering. They did the job of making the conversions and played a key role in orchestrating the campaign. 

They played with the UX [user experience] a little. It was important that they managed to get the creative elements from the marketing agency to work with the current version. They also used research on customer behavior to ensure the landing page was effective. 

What is the team composition? 

I communicated with two people, the CEO, Lukas, and the IT person from the team, but I don’t know how many people worked on the project in total. I worked out the specifics with Lukas and then handled the technical side through the other person.

How did you come to work with PLATFORM?

We met with Lukas on a business trip which was organized by the Slovak President. I didn’t consider any other companies. Before I called them, I had our CRM, our internal IT, and the marketing agency. Lukas introduced me to new research and they had good references so we started talking to them. They told me how they could develop the project and make it more efficient.

How much have you invested with them?

The project was worth $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was from October to December 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback was generally very good, but we didn’t do a specific survey. We found that it was much nicer than it used to be.

They were able to do work that our IT team told us was impossible. We had a technical problem and they solved it. I was really amazed. We reduced the clicks that the customer had to do in order to register. They reduced it from 5 clicks to 2 clicks.

How did PLATFORM perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very professional. I met with them in their offices. They have a specific tool that they manage the communication with the client. It was very organized.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They know what is going on in research of online customer behavior. They presented me with the newest ideas I could find and multiple case studies. I trusted them. They know what they're doing and they’re in the game. I’d never encountered a company before that was quick with so much data and research.

They could actually connect the creative elements and the spirit of the campaign with the technical part that translated into conversions. They were able to develop the web page and connect it with our CRM.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I appreciated that they were very interested in our business and our customers. They developed a custom-made solution for us and they cared about our business. It’s very important in the pre-project phase to let them know what you do, why you do it, and who your target group is.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a brand manager for AnswerForce. We are an answering service company that helps small to medium-sized businesses in the USA with their telephone needs. We work as an extension of their team and we take care of their after-hours calls. We take messages, process them, and send them back to them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PLATFORM?

Answering services are a niche industry. It’s not a well-known market. People understand call centers well, but not answering services because it’s more like a subset of the call center industry. Our website was 5–7 years old. We needed PLATFORM to help position our brand and redesign our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They completely redesigned the website along with the rebranding the logo. They developed and enhanced the design aspects, the color stains, and the visual engagement. People came to our website and they didn’t have a clear understanding of what we do and they clicked off right away; we overcame this challenge with the new design.

Then, once we had established this relationship, we started lining up the other projects and brands that we have internally. They helped on a mobile app design and on marketing collateral. They did a bunch of work for us, but it all started with the redesign project.

What is the team dynamic?

The people we work with are consistent. I interact with Filip [COO, PLATFORM] and a lead designer named Stano [Director of Design, PLATFORM]. Their CEO also reviews the work. Those are the three people who I lean on.

How did you come to work with PLATFORM?

We looked at a bunch of designers, but PLATFORM replied first. We were on a call within a couple of hours. They did a wonderful job of understanding what we wanted.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested $30,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2015 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our bounce rates are down by 50% and conversion rates have increased by 40%. Our potential customers say they appreciate our website and the time that was put into it. Our site also creates credibility because, in our industry, our competition doesn’t spend a lot of time and money on design. PLATFORM’s design has completely changed things because it stands out from our competition and provides the answers that customers are shopping for. They did an amazing job redesigning our website.

How did PLATFORM perform from a project management standpoint?

They manage tasks well in close collaboration with us. We use Basecamp, and we also invited the PLATFORM team inside our internal communication tool as well. The thing I like about PLATFORM is the transparency; they tell me what they are going to stack at the beginning of the day and they send me an end of the day update explaining what they’ve completed, what they are planning to do the next day, and if there are any pending actions from my side. PLATFORM made it really simple for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understand the client’s needs, especially Filip; I give him a lot of credit. At first, there was a language barrier and their understanding was not what I asked for, but Filip stepped in and from there, it was spot on. The rest of the team has stepped up a lot from how they used to be too. Their understanding is key because, when we worked with other agencies, we felt like they prolonged it purposely just so they could be with us longer. PLATFORM’s process management, honesty, and transparency are impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

So far, I’ve been extremely happy with them. They are meeting my needs. I can’t think of anything for them to improve.