Roket

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an office manager for a personal injury and medical malpractice law firm in Toronto, Ontario. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roket?

We hired Roket for their web development and marketing services. Our team needed them to enhance the look and feel of our website. We also asked them to monitor the site’s analytics so we could see where our referrals were coming from and to increase the amount of traffic coming to the site. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Roket has worked on our site’s look and feel by making suggestions based on our likes and dislikes about the existing website. The team has moved things around and added new content that catches people’s attention. The platform hasn’t been doing well on mobile devices, and Roket has worked on fixing that, too. 

They hire third parties to help them develop written content and visuals. I provide them with the basic information of what we need, and they create content in a way that we’re not plagiarizing anybody’s text. In terms of tools, we’ve used InVision and WordPress. They also provide ongoing maintenance for the website. 

For marketing, Roket is currently fixing our SEO efforts. We also use them for our PPC campaigns. As a company, we don’t have the time to follow up on the background details and analytics of our campaigns. Because of that, the team comes in and explains these things to us in plain English. We’re also marketing ourselves on Facebook and LinkedIn.

What is the team composition?

We work with three people from Roket.

How did you come to work with Roket?

Our team researched for companies on Google, and we tried each of the marketing teams we found. Roket got back to us right away, but they didn’t pressure us to come on board — they simply let us take our time, which I respected. We also could afford them. That was the start of our engagement. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $6,000 per month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For success metrics, I receive all new inquiries from any potential clients who call us. As the office manager, I can see how much business is coming in for us. With these things in mind, Roket has exceeded our expectations.

How did Roket perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management has been excellent. I sometimes have a habit of adding on the scope of their work, and they adjust the contract based on that. That way, they can send the additional scope to the next month and avoid overcharging me. 

Roket also sets up regular meetings, and they send us the agenda before the call. That gives us a chance to prepare our feedback and save time during the monthly calls. We also send regular emails, especially when we have any concerns or suggestions. Overall, our conversations flow easily, and I’m happy with that. We use Zoom and Filevine team meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They can show us what’s working on our website and what isn’t. If we’re paying for domains that we don’t need, they help us find those domains and save money. Their suggestions are highly valuable, especially in terms of maintenance and monitoring where calls are coming from — these things enhance our understanding of our audience, what they’re looking for, and what’s interesting to them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend working with Roket. They’re always available, and they keep in touch and hold regular meetings to let everyone know what’s happening — they’re truly good in this area. They pull everyone together on the same page. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Back’d, Inc. We’re creating a mobile application to allows consumers to get ad sponsorship on everyday activities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roket?

We engaged Roket to build the app in iOS and help us get it approved for the App Store.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app functions as a loyalty reward program where customers can patron multiple businesses in one system. Users can earn reward points by checking in at stores or consuming creative content.

I provided Roket with pre-existing paper and sketch wireframes from an outside designer. The team used those plans as a foundation for a complete design. They built the backend to be accessible for brands to upload content and for users to manage their loyalty rewards. They also developed the frontend and then helped us submit the app to the App Store for approval.

How did you come to work with Roket?

I found Roket through online searches. Their portfolio—which included case studies of work with Deloitte and several local colleges—impressed me and matched the aesthetic that I wanted in my application. They also were located nearby our office, which was a plus because it allowed us to meet in person.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from July until December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has received approval and will undergo beta testing soon. We’ve received positive feedback from ad agencies who find the app helpful for the brands they represent, which I was excited to hear. Roket fulfilled all requirements, and I’m highly satisfied with their work.

How did Roket perform from a project management standpoint?

Roket delivered a product that beat my expectations and met our agreed-upon timeline. The collaboration ran effortlessly from start to finish, and they were highly responsive at every step. We used Basecamp to communicate and organize tasks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team delivered a crisp and clean user experience and demonstrated excellent project management along the way. They understood my vision early on, making our collaboration even more seamless. I’ve also received plenty of compliments on the app’s attractive design.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Any advice for potential customers?

I found it helpful to have a clear idea of my project and goals from the get-go. I used sketches and paper wireframes to explain my concept, but any well-defined document works well. Roket can take that and work with you to bring it to life.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the director of marketing at Thread International. Our company turns plastic trash into fabrics. I was responsible for the branded marketing, initial logo design, communications, and creating marketing strategies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roket?

We needed a complete website overhaul. We needed to develop a scalable e-commerce platform, as we were shifting to a B2C model. We wanted a great UX/UI and easily manageable backend.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a clear vision of certain aspects of our requirements but were unclear on others. Roket conducted a discovery phase to solidify our specific needs. They guided us on some options through open-source technologies and scalable strategies. Their team set up the frontend of our website using WordPress as our CMS. They integrated our social media and higher value content in a seamless way. From a technical perspective, they made sure we were able to tell a visual story without bogging down the UX. Then, they set up our backend e-commerce processing system using Shopify and developed some plugins.

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with their co-founders. We worked with other team members occasionally.

How did you come to work with Roket?

We found them through word of mouth. At the time, we were looking for an experienced local vendor that could work with a flexible budget, and Roket met all our requirements.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in Summer of 2015 and finished in 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In our first online product launch, we sold out our entire inventory in 46 hours. Everything worked seamlessly, and we easily fulfilled our orders. Our online traffic doubled in our first two quarters of 2016. Our website had no significant downtime and did everything we needed it to—from a business perspective. Our content was flexible and easy to post and change.

How did Roket perform from a project management standpoint?

They conducted project management really well. During our first month, we figured out how to communicate, and they were easier to do this with than other companies I’ve worked with in the past. We communicated through occasional emails and phone calls, but mainly through in-person meetings.

Their co-founder has an intuitive approach to the customer service. They were calm about delivering their work and deadline driven, but never pressured us for anything. They were fun to hang out with during meetings and brainstorming sessions. Their team explained their full development process for us, so we could better understand what they needed from us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their balance of expertise across a small but flexible team was phenomenal. Their co-founder’s ability to think about the greater scope of our business and the brand itself was great. The other co-found did a great job of explaining the technical aspects of the site beyond my normal understanding—how things fit together. This balance of technical and business perspective was excellent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were some miscommunications with scope, but this was easily resolved.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that you have a clear vision of your scope, but also have some flexibility to allow Roket to show their strength. Realize why you hired Roket in the beginning, as it’ll avoid a lot of issues later.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of Magpie Meat & Three, a restaurant in North Carolina. We serve a lot of barbeque and southern-inspired food.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roket?

Our restaurant needed branding and website design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to roll out a lot of brand-specific elements. They developed our entire brand theme and website design, including our logo and supplementary logos, colors, and fonts.

I relied heavily on their co-founder and technical lead for the website design. He taught me how to use WordPress and how to update the website on the Site5 backend. He still helps with technical support as well.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Alex (Partner, Roket) and David (Design Lead, Roket). David designed the logo and branding, and Alex built the website. They had another staff member working with them, but I didn’t work as closely with them.

How did you come to work with Roket?

I had a personal connection with Roket because Alex is the partner of one of our best friends. It was clear early on how incredible their company is and what a good fit they would be.

It was initially a personal reference, but they are highly professional and extremely talented. Finding them was a great win for us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2015, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our branding is incredible; I am extremely happy with our company’s presentation. Restaurant branding is very important for recognition, so that was great. We use the branding on many materials and merchandise items. We’ve gotten great feedback about it, and it’s been awesome for our brand recognition.

The website is easy to use and extremely user-friendly, which is always great for people who are trying to find our restaurant and see what we’re all about.

How did Roket perform from a project management standpoint?

Alex is extremely helpful if I have questions about the website or have trouble with uploads. He can take a quick look and help me figure things out.

We primarily used Basecamp to manage the project and submit feedback. There was a lot of back-and-forth communication. It was very easy to use and allowed us to share files easily. They are always available through email and phone as well.

We had a great experience working with them, and communication was very easy. They were very professional and clear about deadlines and scope.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was very impressed with the design elements of our branding. We were so excited and surprised to see what they had come up with based on our feedback. It turned out better than we could have imagined.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of TrackNet. We develop end-to-end solutions for low power wide area networks [LPWAN].

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roket?

We needed someone to develop our tabs consumer solution, which elevates smart homes to smart neighborhoods. Each one of the homes now covers a neighborhood, and each one of those hubs is now part of a network. This network incorporates many more features and benefits than traditional smart homes. Our challenge was to create a brand around that solution and to develop the positioning, user experience, and everything else necessary to bring it to market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Roket was instrumental in helping us create the solution, which utilizes wireless technologies like LoRa and Wi-Fi. They developed the app, designed the web platform and user experience, and created the marketing materials.

What is the team composition?

They had four developers on the project. David [Co-Founder & Design Lead, Roket] was the primary project manager and lead.

How did you come to work with Roket?

They understood the solution we were trying to develop. Working end-to-end, they completed the marketing, branding, and user experience of the app. It was very important to us to have a partner who could take the project from concept through the complete marketing design, brand definition, and trademark registration, all the way to the web design and app user experience.

How much have you invested with them?

$200,000-$300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With their help, we fully completed the tabs development and launched the product. They delivered everything they had committed to at the beginning of the project. We were extremely happy with their performance and the final product.

How did Roket perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good about setting up tools, including Slack channels and Basecamp. They were good at delivering on our deadlines and milestones. They were even willing to help with tasks that we hadn’t defined from the beginning and jump in on new projects we hadn’t projected, like creating specific tradeshow marketing collateral on a last-minute basis. They were even proactive in their management, ensuring that we gave them what they needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They did an incredible job at creating the brand and crafting a user experience for the app.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some of their designs were meant for online sales and weren’t always built with retail in mind. Considering those potential channels would be one area to work on in the future. Overall, we were extremely happy with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the director of engineering for a consumer electronics firm. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roket?

We had to define an entire ecosystem of user experience [UX] across mobile and web, including shopping cart and 360-degree video items for a new camera and related accessories. We needed a systematic design across all of those assets for the entire ecosystem.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Roket was instrumental in the design and development of our UX.

What is the team dynamic?

Our engagement with Roket was small. They had 2–3 developers and designers working with us. Our internal team was made up of 30 people in total.

How did you come to work with Roket?

We profiled and interviewed half a dozen firms in Pittsburg. Roket was a local and fairly new company. We were drawn to them because they seemed eager and very creative, although they didn’t have an online portfolio. Throughout the engagement, we found this original assessment to be true. From start to finish, Roket was committed to our success.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was between $100,000 and $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Roket from the middle of 2014 until the middle of 2015. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have quantitative results, but I can say that the entire ecosystem was successfully launched with a holistic feel across all vendors because of Roket. We were able to offer a product for mobile (both iOS and Android) as well as web e-commerce, video hosting, and playback services. We also launched marketing briefs on the physical product we were selling (the camera and its accessories), with a single look-and-feel across all platforms.

The product is now available through retailers. I am not with the company anymore, but our engagement with Roket enabled this result.

How did Roket perform from a project management standpoint?

Roket brought Basecamp to the table, but we use JIRA heavily, so they worked alongside our teams on this platform. They used many standard design tools, including the Adobe suite (Photoshop and Illustrator), as well as advanced JavaScript design tools. I don’t know about everything that was used, but the results were great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Compared to other design firms I’ve worked with, Roket is extremely talented. Of course, talent will only get you so far, so I was impressed by how they really dove in and made our problems theirs. Roket conducted workshops and tried different solutions, attacking our problems with ownership. This unique trait is something that I hope they’ll continue to demonstrate as they grow. It’s a true differentiator.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our collaboration was earlier in their career, so Roket did a good job but didn’t have the portfolio depth of an established company. That made them a bit of a harder sell, but we took the risk. It wasn’t really a fault, but not being able to see their accomplishments or capabilities made it harder for us to get started.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there

Matt Zeiger is the former vice president of a company in Pittsburgh that provides resources to non-profits.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roket?

We were looking for someone to lead the design of a complex web platform, a community competition and investment platform to help drive innovation in the social sector.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I was the lead on the project and they assigned resources. They were tasked not only with developing the platform but also developing the entire brand and the entire look and feel of the process and product, so it was quite a large undertaking, and they were just excellent.

How did you come to work with Roket?

There are many people in the technology industry and startup community in Pittsburgh who had high regard for Roket, so we came to know about them from word of mouth.

How much have you invested with Roket?

The total project was close to $1 million, but Roket’s component was probably $130,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was about a year-long project beginning in mid-2015, running through summer 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In their first design of the logo, the brand, and the initial platform, they hit it out of the park. There was very little critical feedback they needed from us. They were really spot on with our
vision for the project and were excellent in executing it under a pretty short timeframe.

How did Roket perform from a project management standpoint?

They were pretty rigorous with their project management system. We had to do quick turnarounds on approvals and edits, and they worked through holidays and through some really
challenging times under a short timeline that we had during the project. They were able to get everything ready for launch just how we needed it. They were great on deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about Roket?

They were incredibly creative and really took that process as their own. It really felt like they had ownership and wanted to execute on something really excellent and then be able to carry the platform forward. I thought that was a real benefit to the whole process that we weren't and didn't feel like we were just hiring an outside partner. They were really part of our team and they really believed in the product and its continuation, just as much as we did.

The second thing that I always remarked on about Rocket was that, unlike a lot of other firms, they always said yes when we gave them a really complicated question about something that we wanted to do. If we had some idea, they would say that's possible and here's how we're going to do it. They would actually be able to put together the technical backend to make it work. We were asking them for some pretty complicated interactions on this platform and they were able to always say yes. They were always able to really execute on what we asked them to do.

Are there any areas Roket could improve?

We asked a lot of them, and I was really happy with their work, so I wouldn’t give them any critical feedback. I thought they were really just an excellent partner along the way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Roket?

We wanted to address the lack of mental health care for adolescents and young adults with a focus on urban, African American youth, because they are the least likely to receive the mental health services they need. They’re also least likely to get a referral even when they are identified as having mental health needs, and when they do gets referrals, they’re least likely to use them to get said services.

We were working with a firm before Roket that had more of an outdated style. They weren’t communicating well enough with us as people with non-technical backgrounds.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Roket is developing a web application for us to do brief, comprehensive screening for mental health problems in adolescents and young adults in urban environments, with a specific focus on African American youth. We needed it to be diverse so that it would appeal to other youth as well. We wanted it to be youth friendly, aesthetically pleasing, and interactive.

Not only did Roket develop a screening for us, but also brief mental health education software. Our aim was to bring therapy sessions to broader audiences. Very few people get that first therapy session where they actually talk about mental health problems. This includes what mental health is, what wellness is, what the risk factors are, and how to get help. We wanted to bring this service to diverse young people without them having to go to therapy so they could gain awareness, which encourages them to get help.

Roket was instrumental in helping us take a lot of information around this subject and focusing on the key parts. They helped us think about design and how to appeal to our audience, which was very helpful because we didn’t know where to start.

I needed to make sure Roket could appeal to our target audience, and I felt they did a good job with that. It was even more reassuring when we got our usability group of 9 ranging from 14-24 years of age that included 2 White, 1 Native American, and 6 African American youth. It was a diverse audience who was broad in age and developmental phases. It was impressive to see the youth react to the images and flow of the app.

Universities move slowly, so that was challenging for Roket. I’m not a clinical social worker, so I had clinical consultants who I was working with to help me. My grant is focused on patient and family engagement, so it’s concerned with youth, parents, community members, and clinical consultants along the way. We had to design the project and send it through some channels before it went to Roket. It was a learning process for them as well, because not every client will be able to give what is needed right away.

Roket built the app using Ruby on Rails and Heroku. They also gave us a couple designs to select from and made it to where we can easily make changes if needed. They also built a provider side to the app where they can see screenings of young people, which has been extremely useful.

They also had to learn about university requirements for data security, and they work with our University of Pittsburgh servers. We’re about to pilot the app with certain clinics, and they’ll be interacting with the IT departments for those clinics on medical health information protection.

What is the team dynamic?

Alex [Co-Founder & Technical Lead] is the main coder, Jennifer [Senior Visual Designer] does design, and David [Co-Founder & Design Lead] does some design work along with branding.

How did you come to work with Roket?

We were increasingly dissatisfied with our previous developer because they weren’t giving us enough guidance about what they needed. We got the sense that they weren’t developing the app with an eye towards engaging and appealing to our audience. We received a couple recommendations from people within the university, and also did a Google search, which brought up a site with a list of firms, including Roket. The website may have been Clutch. We looked through some work from different firms, and interviewed two of them, but kept coming back to Roket. They were willing to meet with us in person, which we really liked. One thing that was nice about them was that they weren’t trying to change everything we had already done.

I had already come up with the name, AskMe.HearMe, which was an acronym for what we were doing. It was important to keep the name because it represents our vision of kids being asked important questions about mental health, and also kids feeling empowered in asking their own questions. Roket wasn’t quick to suggest changing the name, whereas another group we considered wanted to make changes instantly and also charge us for a consultation. We had already lost money with another group, so we didn’t want to pay someone for something when we didn’t know if they could deliver what we needed.

Roket gave us some ideas of what they could do, which was very helpful. They were flexible in understanding that we didn’t know how soon we could get out of our other contract. They even proposed a way they could completely design the app or design pieces in case we had to keep the other contractor. They also gave us guidance on how to communicate with the previous groups in order to end the contract. David [Co-Founder & Design Lead] also gave us advice on the work the previous contractor had done. They were able to build our trust even though we’d been burned by another firm.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2016, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When our usability group saw the design and content of the app, they resonated with the images. We were expecting there would be more dislike, but they actually loved it. Jennifer [Senior Visual Designer] did a great job in choosing images. They used card stacks and educational cards, which the youth also loved. The most important change the group wanted was less reading and more video, and Roket was willing to hear what our usability group wanted, then they responded appropriately. I’ve also been showing it to different people, and everyone loves it. We’re just about to embark on the pilot phase.

How did Roket perform from a project management standpoint?

They use Basecamp, which sends any message directly to our email. They upload documents that are easily searchable if I need to look back later on, and you can change the view to see documents, comments, and progress. Alex [Co-Founder & Technical Lead] was great at keeping our timeline updated, and when we changed something, he’d send us a clarification email instead of having us remember it. This helps me keep things under budget and prioritize things according to estimates. They also give us suggestions on features that could wait for a later time.

We communicate via email, phone, in person, and through Basecamp. Alex [Co-Founder & Technical Lead] sends an update of what each team member will be working on throughout the week. They’re very flexible, and they come to meetings to make sure things work for the target audience. They’ve been able to refer us to other providers, including a videographer. It helps that they have a good reputation with other vendors in our community.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re all great to work with, and they work really well as a team. They’re very pleasant and approachable, and they’ve welcome us to use their office space if we need it for things like testing. The videographer was a really important piece of the puzzle, and because of Roket’s reputation, they were willing to work within our budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have no suggestions for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of Covalent Creative, a video production and advertising firm. I act as a producer and manager on most projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Roket?

We partner with them to provide our clients with app and web development resources.

What were your goals for this project?

We always want to connect our clients with the best possible partner to meet their needs.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We initially selected them based on a personal recommendation from a trusted colleague who’d worked with them in the past. We knew they’d be the right fit after just one meeting.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

It varies from project to project, but they’re able to facilitate almost anything. They even designed our company’s website.

What was the team composition?

We typically work with their co-founders who act as design and technical leads, but their entire team is also great to work with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They’ve directly affected positive change in our business.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They thoroughly map out all details and always hit their benchmarks.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They create great work consistently and are always able to rise to our clients' app and web development challenges.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.