Qubstudio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the product manager of Klip, a mobile dating app that utilizes video profiles. The app launched in Finland in 2016 and will go live in Turkey this summer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire QubStudio?

We hired them to redesign our mobile app’s UX/UI with our target audience in mind.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a more colorful design that would draw focus to the video feed.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had heard positive feedback about QubStudio and decided to meet them. Since our development team was also in Ukraine, engaging a Ukrainian design firm made sense.

Describe the project in detail.

We met the team and planned next steps, focusing on the logistics of international communication. We then agreed on the project schedule.

What was the team composition?

They assigned a project manager and a designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received positive feedback for the app’s new design, which made swiping and navigation more fun.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflows were effective. QubStudio took time to communicate with our mobile developers to ensure appropriate redesigns. We communicated via Slack and weekly calls. The team always answered our questions quickly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

QubStudio's precise work and communication skills distinguished them. While focusing on the big picture, the team was both detail-oriented and motivated.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the marketing and communications director of the Ukrainian Catholic University. We are based in Lviv in the western part of Ukraine. We provide higher education and offer bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Qubstudio?

Our website was designed and developed in 2007, so we wanted to recreate the site to make it more attractive to current and potential students. We looked for a studio that would respect the mission, ideas, and philosophy of the university.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We split the project into two parts: design and programming work. We have a brand book displaying required colors and themes. We asked them to use WordPress as a platform so that many people could work on it. The design was a bigger project than we anticipated because many of the university ‘s offices and structures required a page within the site. All of these pages had to be integrated and the site map needed to be designed and approved. Once we started to plan out the build and put in the text, both sides understood the enormity of the project. There was about a two-month delay. Qubstudio built the whole website from the design implementation to the coding. The Ukrainian version is complete, and the English version is almost complete.

How did you come to work with Qubstudio?

I had been in the industry for a while and heard about Qubstudio. I reached out for recommendations for an agency that could complete this project for us with emphasis on quality and deadlines. We wanted to have the new website ready for a new recruitment campaign for new students. We wanted the best talent possible, and it was important for us to be able to meet with our designers and developers on occasion. Qubstudio was the best; they were available to begin working on the project, and they are also located within proximity to us at the university.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Qubstudio in October 2016, and the project is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have heard positive feedback about the site. Together, we developed a couple of great services that are new to the site, and people love them. I have already received two letters from other organizations asking who created our site. We feel the site reflects our philosophy, the way we think, and they way we are at the university. It is simplistic, yet there is a lot of depth.

How did Qubstudio perform from a project management standpoint?

Qubstudio was great, and the project manager was great as well. The director was very involved throughout the whole process, and we are in touch with him regularly. Overall, the team responds very quickly and we can chat with them via Skype every day. They are able to fix any urgent issues or problems that may arise.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The designers have great taste, and they fulfill the customer’s needs. Their other strength is that they are very quick in responding, and communication has been great. They are very professional in their systematic approach to running the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are always areas to improve for anyone. There is a demand in the market here in Ukraine for high-quality designers, and they should hire more designers and continue to grow their company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Alfa Jazz Fest is an annual festival held in Lviv, Ukraine in June. The company has 3 employees. I am a PR specialist for the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with QubStudio?

They were involved in the complete process of our website development. The rebranding had been planned for several months. We had renamed our festival and announced new dates, but we needed to update the website itself. The previous page was not very convenient for users in terms of navigation, and we needed a more modern design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We met their team and informed QubStudio about our vision and expectations. They provided ideas on how the website could look, and we chose the design which suited us the best. Following this, they completely developed our website and created all the functionalities currently on it, including designs, banners, surveys, and polls.

We worked with 1 manager who was responsible for the overall project, and who we contacted around any technical questions or issues. The overall team included up to 10 people, but we didn’t interact with them personally.

QubStudio also developed an Android and iOS mobile application for the festival, using our old app as a basis but completely changing the design.

How did you come to work with QubStudio?

We created a tender and invited all providers who wished to take part in it. QubStudio’s proposal was the most suitable for us, not only in terms of their vision and previous work, but also financially.

How much have you invested with QubStudio?

The cost of the mobile app development was $5,000, while the website cost $16,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with QubStudio in December 2016. The website and app took 1-2 months to complete. It launched a couple of weeks ago. All the changes have been implemented at this point, but we maintain a collaboration with QubStudio for updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The main indicator of an improvement for our company is that we’ve received positive feedback from the festival guests. It ended several weeks ago, and we’ve seen much higher website traffic and app downloads, up to 3 times those of the previous year.

How did QubStudio perform from a project management standpoint?

We had regular active communication for both the development and the content updates. We’ve been generally satisfied with the collaboration. QubStudio was able to complete all the tasks we assigned them.

What did you find most impressive about QubStudio?

They stood out in terms of punctuality. QubStudio managed to meet all tasks and deadlines on time.

Are there any areas QubStudio could improve?

It’s difficult to say, since nothing is ideal. The project could have been done better in some ways, but it’s difficult to say how.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a Ukrainian outsourcing software development company focused on Java. We create bespoke applications for clients in industries like healthcare, fintech, and new media. I am an engagement manager for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with QubStudio?

We provide software development for clients, however, we lack expertise like user interface [UI] or user experience [UX] design. This was our main challenge, and it’s why we started looking for a supplier of such services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

QubStudio has provided their services on a couple of projects, the biggest one being an HR platform. They designed the user interface screens for both the web and mobile versions, and also provided UX design, specifically information architecture, user workflow journeys, wireframes, and mockups.

They have also helped us at the early stages with client communication and requirements solicitation, acting as a consultant for UI/UX.

We have worked with 3 members from QubStudio’s team: a user experience designer, a user interface designer, and a frontend developer.

How did you come to work with QubStudio?

Their company is based in the same city as ours, L’viv, and they’re one of the most well-known companies in the region offering UI/UX services. QubStudio’s prices worked well for us, so we decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with QubStudio?

The cost of their work has been between $5,000 and $15,000 for the HR platform. The overall cost has been a bit above this range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with QubStudio on January 3rd, 2017. We are still partners.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

QubStudio’s work has helped us a lot, and has brought added value to our services. Our clients can receive everything in one package, from design to software implementation. There is no longer a need for them to look for other vendors besides us. This has increased customer satisfaction. In short, the partnership with QubStudio has led to an increased number of clients.

How did QubStudio perform from a project management standpoint?

Usually, the project management is done on our side. QubStudio has acted like an extension of our team, and worked with our project manager. There is still some management being done on their side, and we have been satisfied. There were no delays in response, and they’ve stuck to the timelines promised. They are good at making estimations for the work, and were always involved in the process. QubStudio holds ownership for everything, not just their own work.

They have used online collaboration tools for the entire distributed team. This allowed them to work effectively and keep us updated constantly. QubStudio can work very well as a geographically-distributed team.

What did you find most impressive about QubStudio?

Being creative. They’ve looked at things from different perspectives, and have been flexible in the solutions offered. QubStudio has listened to what the client needs, and they weren’t rigid in their approach, although they have led the process. We knew where everything was going, and what task was next in the UI/UX process, what we would be receiving at the end of the collaboration. Effective communication is one of their strengths.

Are there any areas QubStudio could improve?

There probably is something to mention, but it’s hard to think of it. I would improve the English level of some members, but this only applies to a part of the team, with whom I’ve worked. Their overall English isn’t bad, though.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're a fintech [financial technology] startup combining financial services needs and technology.

What is your position?

I'm a cofounder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with QubStudio?

We had a branding agency help us define our corporate identity and visual identity. We needed to translate the results into all of our products like websites, letterheads, and presentations. That's the point at which we engaged QubStudio. We asked them to help us with the user experience of our application.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They did the wireframing of the website based on the style guides. They created the whole website, everything other than the style we were giving and the content in the text form that we gave them. They did the technical implementation like installing WordPress, applying templates, filling the content, creating the little pictures – all of that.

How did you come to work with QubStudio?

We found them on the Internet based on their location because they are in the same location where we have our offshore development team.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Total spend is between $10,000 to $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The website took between six to eight weeks and was completed in March 2016. We don't currently have much for them to do, but we're working on our mobile app and intend to use them as our development partner. UX [user experience] and usability is the next phase for that.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We've received occasional feedback from people, but it's more of an accomplishment that we're finally online and that the site looks good. We don't have any metrics because we don't go for mass markets. The site represents our vision and the investors' visions because they were heavily involved in the creation.

We have people calling on the basis of the website. KPMG found us and gave us an RFI [request for information], which we would have not known about.

How did QubStudio perform from a project management standpoint?

We spoke with the CEO of QubStudio [cofounder Lyubomyr Koval], and he was really hands on and showed us how he would implement our vision. Then, he handed us to a project manager who worked with the developers. In the beginning, they worked very well but, later on, we had quality issues where we iterated over the creation of the website. They didn't always do QA [quality assurance], so I wouldn't give them the best rating there, but I think it was also due to their size. If we do a bigger project, we will hire or engage specific QA personnel.

What distinguishes QubStudio from other providers?

QubStudio is close to their development team, which is a plus. They also have a bit of business knowhow because they work with similar clients to us from the same country.

Is there anything QubStudio could have improved or done differently?

We had to manage their creativity a bit. That way they stick to the task and then, once the task is fulfilled as defined, creativity can be added on top.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a security services company, and I’m the owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with QubStudio?

QubStudio is working in conjunction with another developer, doing the UX and UI for software that we needed built to manage our resources, so that our staff could manage when they work, where they work, and how they work. It’s like a scheduling system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They are handling the full UX and UI process; in other words, they are responsible for how the software looks, how it operates for the end-user, and much more. I would have built it myself if I had the technical capability. Essentially, QubStudio did all the design work.

How did you come to work with QubStudio?

We hired a company called YouTeam which, in turn, uses QubStudio, along with another company. There’s a team of companies working together to complete the software for us. One company manages all of them together.

How much have you invested with QubStudio?

It’s going to be a work in progress, so eventually it will be quite large. Up to now, the investment has been about £60,000. I foresee the total cost being probably around £150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project officially started in January of this year. I expect this project to go on for at least a year, perhaps a year and a bit. The initial phase should be complete by August, and then we’ve got further phases that we’ll move on to, so it’s going to be quite a while.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The software being built will be used by staff, by management, and also by our clients, so we’ve consulted everyone involved in the whole process in order to ensure that it’s usable. Everyone loves it.

How did QubStudio perform from a project management standpoint?

They don’t project manage the software; another company handles the project management, so I can’t comment on them in this regard. But in the work that they do, in regard to the design of the user interfaces, QubStudio is very good.

What did you find most impressive about QubStudio?

They’re just great people. They work really quickly. They take comments on really well, so even if I don’t like something, they don’t take it personally. They always find solutions, even though sometimes doing so may be difficult. They always provide multiple variants in the designs so that we are able to choose, and that’s nice. It was never a matter of “Oh, do you like this,” and then that’s it. There’s always a choice of three or four different options. I’ve met them; I had to fly over to Ukraine to do so. Overall, they’re just really nice. You need to work with them.

Are there any areas QubStudio could improve?

Not really, to be honest. No, nothing that comes to the top of my head. If they were closer, it would be nicer, but you can’t have it all.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a management consulting company that works primarily in healthcare, aerospace, defense, and security.

What is your position?

I am the managing partner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with QubStudio?

We wanted to create an iOS-based app that could be used by people in a home care environment easily.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

QubStudio provided UI [user interface] design consulting.

How did you come to work with QubStudio?

I found them through YouTeam, which is a startup consultancy of project managers for software development.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total cost is between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them at the beginning of 2015, and our engagement ended in March 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We haven't launched the app yet, but we have received some internal feedback. Everyone has said it is very intuitive, easy to use, and better than what's out there now.

How did QubStudio perform from a project management standpoint?

YouTeam served as the project manager in our situation, so I don't have any comment about how QubStudio did.

What distinguishes QubStudio from other providers?

This is the first app we've developed, and it was a good experience. QubStudio was very easy to collaborate with. They worked quickly and their designs were intuitive and easy to use. We're very happy.

Is there anything QubStudio could have improved or done differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Shelf.io is a SaaS [software-as-a-service] content management system.

What is your position?

I am the CEO and founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with QubStudio?

We have six developers, but none of them is trained in UX [user experience]. We needed help making our system more usable and easy on the eyes.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

QubStudio helped us with our rebranding. They designed our logo and our corporate identity, edited our pitch deck, created promotional images for our website, and designed our blog. They also went through our entire interface and analyzed each module to determine what needed to be redesigned. From there, they did the whole UX and updated almost every module we have.

How did you come to work with QubStudio?

I met them in person in the Ukraine. Their office is elegant and slick, I could tell that they practice what they preach. They have an incredible design environment, and that's why we chose them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We have spent more than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We essentially have them on a recurring retainer for two people's worth of work every month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We don't have statistics yet because of the timeline, but I'm sure I'll have them in four months. What I can say is that I'm extremely pleased with the work they've done, and I'm excited to roll it out.

How did QubStudio perform from a project management standpoint?

Our working model with them has us as the project manager. We control the amount of work that they do and what they are working on. I believe this to be the best possible model based on my experience.

What distinguishes QubStudio from other providers?

QubStudio has been a pleasure to work with. They are very responsive, professional, and on top of things. They definitely understand the United States culture of needing to get things done, and they go above and beyond. Their designer stays late without me asking her to, and I've been able to call them on the weekends when necessary. They have been extremely professional.

Is there anything QubStudio could have improved or done differently?

I don't know – that's a tricky question. I think they do really well with the things that they say they do. Obviously, everyone can improve at something. We're happy so I'm not going to put any comment. They do a great job. For what you pay, you're getting a lot.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

TechMagic is a mobile development studio.

What is your position?

I am the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with QubStudio?

We don't have an in-house UX [user experience] team because we're more on the development side, so if one of our clients is looking for design elements, we introduce them to QubStudio.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We have done three projects with them. In most cases, they start with mockups and draw the interface out. They discuss their ideas with the clients and then develop the UI [user interface]. They pass that off to our mobile team, and we develop the product.

How did you come to work with QubStudio?

I met them at a technical conference because we are from the same city, and we discussed a partnership.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Total cost for all of our projects has been $10,000 to $50,000

What is the status of this engagement?

We've had good experiences as partners so far, so I plan to continue working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

In most cases, clients are happy to work with QubStudio.

How did QubStudio perform from a project management standpoint?

They perform very well. We are comfortable having QubStudio communicate with our clients, and they are professional and timely with their work.

What distinguishes QubStudio from other providers?

Before QubStudio, we worked mostly with freelancers. It's very hard to organize and manage a team of designers, but they do quite well. They have very good designers on staff, and we definitely prefer working with a company because they are truly a team.

Is there anything QubStudio could have improved or done differently?

I think designers always take too much time to develop a design, so I would be happy if they could do it faster. It's OK for now, but they can always improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

You Team is a digital product development consultancy based in London with offices in Amsterdam and Ukraine. We leverage our network of development and design houses to build and deliver an end product for our client.

What is your position?

I am one of three partners. I work with our vendors and providers, mainly engineers and design studios.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with QubStudio?

We first used QubStudio to design our website, marketing materials and logo. We now use them as a key partner for user experience and graphic design services that we offer to our clients.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

About 80 percent of the services they provide for us are user-experience related. Of these interaction design services, it is split evenly between mobile and web platform work.

How did you come to work with QubStudio?

I have known QubStudio for about eight or nine years. They designed some graphic stuff for me before I founded my current company.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We have done more than 20 projects with QubStudio, totaling somewhere around $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have an ongoing engagement with them. They maintain our site and are currently working on some graphic materials that we are using for our marketing. We also have a couple projects with our clients that QubStudio will be involved with on the design end.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We launched our new website at the end of February [2016] and our conversion dropped. During the next two months, we implemented a series of updates and tweaks and are now seeing 15 leads per month compared to zero.

How did QubStudio perform from a project management standpoint?

QubStudio performed well and delivered on time. I don't have any critiques for them in this area. The main reason that I continue to work with them is because of the quality of their design. Their quality is indisputably high and, sometimes, we are willing to sacrifice some time for the sake of getting a better result.

What distinguishes QubStudio from other providers?

Quality, first of all. From the quality perspective, QubStudio is unrivaled compared to other Ukrainian studios and probably all studios in the region. They are definitely above the level of most agencies.

Is there anything QubStudio could have improved or done differently?

This is hard to say because I'm not very involved in the design side of the business, but we've been satisfied with everything so far.