q30 design inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the marketing manager for a nonprofit organization in the healthcare space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with q30 design?

The association wanted to put some brand guidelines and standards in place. We had a very diluted brand at the time, without a clear direction or presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

q30 design helped us look through all our material and define our look-and-feel, brand standards, and visual presentation.

Several sub-brands are part of the association branding. As part of the engagement, they’ve also worked on the sub-brand guidelines, designed a look-and-feel, and produced outgoing materials. Those include email templates, direct mail pieces, web advertising, and other tools to be used on a continuing basis.

q30 also designed our main website and sub-brand pages. They sat down with us, understood what we were looking for, made a flow and needs analysis, and proposed a design and feel for the website. They worked directly with our developers to make that happen.

We looked through best practices and identified what we liked and disliked about other sites. We had a large internal team and multiple facets, with a lot of hands in the pot, but q30 listened to all our feedback and chose the elements that met all our needs at the time.

What is the team composition?

The team changed over time. We were typically assigned a person to assist with the design component. After that was finished, q30’s web team worked out the other details. We’ve had different points of contact during our projects, but I’ve typically worked with three designers and two web developers from their team. I usually contact one of their two principals about new missions, after which they assign my task to someone.

I’ve appreciated having a direct line to the designers and developers without needing to go through an account or project manager.

How did you come to work with q30 design?

We went through a request for proposal since we were asking for sub-brand work and a full overhaul of our association’s brand. They were referred to us by someone who had recently joined our organization and had previous experience with q30 design.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had a long, iterative process for building and modifying two websites. They they worked with us for six months, but we called them afterward for additional requests. q30 design became our partner and stayed with us for the entire process. As such, it’s hard for me to provide a start and end dates. Our newest website was launched in early 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

q30 design is a great team. They set us up for success by developing our initial branding. As projects progressed and our needs changed, they adapted to support us. They’ve been a true partner in our communication strategies as well, especially with general branding, marketing communications plans, and on-site structure design for trade shows.

We’ve been able to create a much stronger brand and visual impact. We typically receive positive feedback about the new experience and visual elements after a brand refresh.

We asked q30 to help us design a very different user experience for a trade show exhibit we held in November 2017. It received very good feedback for its unique, bold look. They help us push the boundaries we set for ourselves; their perspective shows us what’s possible. It was a powerful message for us to send around the launch of a new division.

How did q30 design perform from a project management standpoint?

Working with them has been easy. They assigned small teams and didn’t constrict us with account managers. Once the job is set up, I know my designer. If I need to make any changes or ask a question, I can reach them directly by phone or email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The fact that they go above and beyond sets them apart. q30 design always offered additional suggestions to my requests. They can understand what I’m trying to do and offer me suggestions I may not have thought of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Director of Communications for a coeducational private school that teaches students from preschool–university prep.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with q30 design?

We needed a print design vendor to help launch our inaugural magazine. There was an enormous amount of anticipation surrounding the project, so we needed a competent design firm to deliver a high-quality product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To differentiate ourselves from other schools, we launched a significant branding effort the previous year and needed the magazine to reflect our new direction. q30 listened to our agenda and gave us a lot of direction on how they could reflect that through design excellence. They designed the magazine per the agreed upon specifications. The first publication indicated where we’ve been, our current brand, and where we’re going in the future.

What is the team composition?

We had regular contact with their founder and also the project manager/designer.

How did you come to work with q30 design?

We heard good things about them from someone on our staff. We considered three companies during the vetting process and decided on q30.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with them took place February–September 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback to the publication was outstanding as it was different from anything in similar markets. The size, the look, the feel, and the tone surpassed our expectations. To have the community see it so quickly after production and embrace it with open arms was very gratifying. People absolutely loved it.

How did q30 design perform from a project management standpoint?

There are a million details involved in a project like this and q30 paid attention to every aspect. One of the defining parts of the project was when met to look at the first draft design. This took place before editorial was complete and the pictures were finalized. Even at that early-stage, everything looked how we’d hoped. They were incredibly responsive and constantly checked in to see if we were happy with the latest proof. Having that consistent level of professionalism and customer care was important.

What did you find most impressive about them?

q30 is a professional pleasure to work with. They hold themselves to a high standard and genuinely care about providing a great product. They were hands-on through every step of the process, which was important to us for the inaugural publication.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You can tell by the first two to three meetings if a team matches your professional standards and if you’ve made the right decision. They should align with your core values, work ethic, and vision so you can withstand the bumps that happen during big projects.