Select Creatives

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Lead of Strategy & Partnership of ATÖLYE

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

ATÖLYE is a design and innovation consultancy specialized in community-powered transformation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Select Creatives to accomplish?

• Developing a bilingual learning platform

SOLUTION

How did you find Select Creatives?

Part of our community

Why did you select Select Creatives over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Select Creatives were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Tech Strategy
• CMS
• Beta Website Build
• Content Integration
• Alpha Build
• Quality Assurance Testing
• Launch and Live Testing
• Bug Fixing
• Product Management

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• On-time and high-quality delivery 
• Consistency between designed screens (UX/UI) and developed website 
• Responsiveness to Main Client needs

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Deen, the owner of the studio, possesses a comprehensive understanding of both design and development. Throughout our design process, he generously shared his expertise, enriching our collaboration. We encountered a challenge when utilizing TypeForm due to its lack of support for Arabic language. Deen promptly provided alternative solutions, and ultimately, he took the initiative to develop a similar platform from scratch. 
Throughout this endeavor, he diligently addressed all client inquiries alongside us, successfully meeting their expectations. This was particularly challenging, as the client desired seamless integration of a TypeForm-like feature into our learning platform. Their proactive approach and expertise have been instrumental in achieving our goals.

What was your primary form of communication with Select Creatives?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

This project proved to be quite challenging, particularly due to the complexity of stakeholder management, especially within the governmental sector. SelectCreatives stands out as more than just a development studio; they operate more as a digital and technical consultancy. Their adeptness at managing expectations and tailoring proposals to suit the precise needs of both the client and the market is truly commendable. 
Deen, the owner of the studio, exhibits visionary leadership and possesses indispensable business acumen skills, which are paramount in the design industry.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Select Creatives could have done differently?

There could be more closer and in person engagement with Main Client.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Strategic Design and Innovation of kyu Collective

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a collective of creative agencies and design firms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Select Creatives to accomplish?

Create a custom event website

SOLUTION

How did you find Select Creatives?

Referral

Why did you select Select Creatives over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Select Creatives were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Designing a custom website for a series of events at COP28 in Dubai:  
  • Homepage
  • event registration
  • editorial and articles
  • contact page
• UI / UX Design
• Web Development
• Ongoing support 

Completed over a very short amount of time and with many global stakeholders from the US and Europe.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Event registrations
• People showing up in person to the events
• Article views and shares

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Deen and his team were extremely efficient with their time on a very tight project window. We needed a website designed and built extremely fast (about 2 weeks), and they were able to accommodate our difficult schedule to produce something beautiful and effective. They delivered the project quickly and on time.

What was your primary form of communication with Select Creatives?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their ability to work quickly and around our needs. They combined great design and technical skills, being able to produce something on-brand and functional within two weeks. They were willing to dive into the problem head first to figure out solutions.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Select Creatives could have done differently?

The website was sometimes a bit buggy and could have been QA'd more thoroughly. This was partially because we worked on such a fast timeline, but it meant we needed to occasionally fix things.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the general manager of Nomads Hotel in Jordan. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Select Creatives?

We needed a hotel website. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Select Creatives developed our hotel website. I provided them with the concept and held a meeting with them to review it. After that meeting, they began working on the site.

Their team now offers maintenance services, which are contracted for a year. 

What is the team composition?

I'm not sure how many teammates were assigned to my project. 

How did you come to work with Select Creatives?

I met Deen (Founder) a few years ago and saw some of his work. I trusted his work, so I hired his team when I met up with him again. 

How much have you invested with them?

I spent 7,000 dirhams (approximately $2,000 USD) with Select Creatives. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from June–July 2022. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Select Creatives delivered the entire project within just three weeks. I was impressed with the quality of the website Select Creatives delivered. We've gotten a lot of conversions through the website — we relied on hoteliers to bring in customers before getting the site, but now about 15% of our bookings come through the site. 

How did Select Creatives perform from a project management standpoint?

Select Creatives delivered the project on time with minimum interference from me. Typically, we communicated through email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The design features that Select Creatives included were impressive. I was afraid of having a traditional-looking website, but their design offerings were better than their competitors. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there is nothing for them to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Customers should give Select Creatives clarity about what the developers need to execute. That way, customers can get the exact result they want. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I´m a founder and CEO of Prime Event Oy. We are event marketing specialists and consultants that helping event agencies and professionals around the world to succee.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Select Creatives, and what were your goals?

We had a vision to create online & realtime platform for measuring the results of different kind of events. The task was demanding since no such a broad level or sophisticated service or metrics were existed. We created more than 300 metrics by ourselves, but we needed an expert who can make this as a digital platform, that automatically creates infographic reports.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We started the project with a Nordic IT company, but the project was too demanding for their knowledge and resources. We found Select Creatives via a recommendation of our network. Select Creatives made a very good expression from the very first steps, and made pro-actively suggestions for improvement.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

UI / UX development, planning & execution of landing page, webshop for licenses, dashboard planning & executions, metrics & functionality & report generation programming. Whole nine yards.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had one contact person who took care of all issues and aspects from day one to the final.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Schedule was extremely tight, but Event Metrics Pro (eventmetrics.fi) is up and running. Further development (creating & implementing new metrics) has been under discussion.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Select Creatives created a good project plan and followed it. Communication was mainly done via email and telcos, but also some applications were used for validations and data transfers.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Flexibility, innovative touch & keeping promises & schedules.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

For the phase II, we will reconsider the communications channel use for even smoother cooperation.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Designs Inspired. We’re focused on computer-generated imagery, 3D designs, and exhibitions. A very big portion of my work has to do with weddings, especially in the Middle East.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Select Creatives?

One of my clients was preparing an event for people with mental health disabilities, including those who suffer from depression. They wanted a very specific animation, but it was something out of my scope of work. However, I wanted the job because it also included other elements, so I hired Select Creatives to help.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I shared the information that I had with Select Creatives and they were able to give us a proposal. They created the drafts and storyboards in the top-of-the-line Adobe After Effects and other associated software. 

I realized they have a great team for coding and online services and they’re my go-to team now for anything that has to do with those services — I’ve used them for website design and more.

What is the team composition?

I worked with the founder and a designer on this particular project. My communication was 80% with the founder.

How did you come to work with Select Creatives?

I met the founder when I worked on other projects in Saudi Arabia, and I kept in touch with him. I knew he was a genius when it came to graphic design, visual meetings, and animations. I decided to work with Select Creatives because they had a competitive price and instant responses when I contact them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $1,500 on this project. They stuck to a budget and had no issues regarding payments. There weren’t any other costs added on. It was very comforting that we worked within the budget.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project with Select Creatives in August 2020. Our partnership went on from there, and we’re now on the fourth project together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any specific KPIs in place because I was working as a middleman between my client and Select Creatives. They were aware of the outsourced project and always kept me in the loop on what was happening.

Despite only having 20 days to complete this rendering and animation project, the end result was very professional. They were fantastic and made the project very easy. My client has used Select Creatives multiple times since that successful work.

How did Select Creatives perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication was very good and thorough. They were great at responding to me by email, text, or whatever way I contacted them. We didn’t do video or call conferences, but we used WhatsApp to share videos and audio tracks with the group.

The first week, we gave them feedback and they had a day to work on it. During the second and third weeks, we communicated on a daily basis — around 4–5 times a day. By then, we had already started with the draft animations, sketches, and audio aspects.

It was difficult to work remotely with lockdown and reduced working hours, but it was very smooth collaborating with Select Creatives. They definitely met our deadline and were on the ball the whole time, which was the crucial part.

The team was flexible; they received feedback almost instantly and worked on it in the same way. We had a very short time frame and it was amazing how their team was able to put aside some of the work and push forward our projects when we needed them.

My client gave feedback about how quick and understanding the team was with the materials and the requirements submitted. They were handing over letters and asking for a full-scale and solid buffet. We gave Select Creatives a little information and they came back with so much — my client was very pleased. 

Select Creatives filled in the gaps with their experience and knew what would or wouldn’t work visually. They were able to amend the storyboard in a way that we couldn’t predict; it worked out to their advantage.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Select Creatives was impressively clear with everything they did. The team was honest about how their product works and what we needed. In addition, they were open about the sources and software they were using. It was really nice because it showed their character and confidence in their product; there wasn’t any mystery. 

Select Creatives was also very professional and informative. I’m not experienced in animation, so there were a lot of times when I didn’t know what needed to be done. They filled in those gaps and told me what the industry standard was.

I understood everything and they made sure I had full comprehension of what was going on. They would show me online samples or other projects they had worked on, too. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

This is related to the culture in Finland, but if I can have a service without needing to interact with another human being, it is easier for me. This is a very prominent characteristic for Finnish people and we've talked about it before. I suggested to Select Creatives that they create a way for us to send job orders without having to actually communicate directly through using an online software.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear and honest, and show all your cards. Select Creatives will always give you one more card than what you have on your deck. They’ll give you an extra edge, more information, and extra work.

The founder is a bit of a perfectionist, so he’ll only submit something he believes is ready and good. Ask him about everything you don’t know. He has a good way of explaining things to people who aren’t in the profession.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a cosmetics company called Beauty For Less.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Select Creatives?

I hired Select Creatives to build my website and help me with marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Select Creatives developed my website using WordPress. I had a design in my mind but the one they provided was much better.

I recently signed an agreement with them, so they will now help me with marketing and SEO.

What is the team composition?

I mainly deal with the owner.

How did you come to work with Select Creatives?

I knew the owner because we worked in the same company. He was the IT manager at the time, and I was in retail. He then founded his own business. His services were more expensive than other companies, but I didn’t want to get a poor quality service somewhere else — money wasn’t a priority as much as the project itself. My business idea was unique for the Middle East, and I wanted it to be presented well, so it was all worth it in the end.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with them has been an amazing experience. I sent the website to my friends and they all said it was beautiful.

How did Select Creatives perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication has been good and constant.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like the creative side of their business and how they come up with new ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I had a design in my mind but they built it better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go for it. Their service is pricey but worth it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Amadal

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We make healthy treats and snacks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Select Creatives to accomplish?

• Website
• E-commerce
• Layout

SOLUTION

How did you find Select Creatives?

Referral

Why did you select Select Creatives over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Build an e-commerce website using the brand guidelines and list all SKUs with their variations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Website readiness to take orders.
• listing of all SKUs.
• Using brand guidelines and illustrations.
• ordering mechanism.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Very responsive and supportive, even outside of working days and times, beyond the contract and scope. 

What was your primary form of communication with Select Creatives?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Flexibility and knowledge about different fields that added to our project success.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Select Creatives could have done differently?

Get more creative in website layouts and website marketing ideas. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of The Why

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Why is a strategy and innovation consultancy

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Select Creatives to accomplish?

• Reframe our positioning
• Better position our achievements

SOLUTION

How did you find Select Creatives?

Referral

Why did you select Select Creatives over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Passion and dedication

How many teammates from Select Creatives were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Select Creatives helped us to articulate our brand, designed and built an amazing website optimized for both web and mobile

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Feedback from customers and partners has been very good

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were very responsive

What was your primary form of communication with Select Creatives?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was impressed with their sheer passion.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Select Creatives could have done differently?

Honestly, they are excellent. From the design, to the output, to the service, to the client management. I don't have any recommendations to improve. It was an incredible experience

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive assistant to the director of Rabdan Developments, a real estate development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Select Creatives?

We needed help with branding services for our company. We had previous experiences with other providers and struggled to find something original because most designers just make something generic and repetitive. We were in a rush for this task because we wanted to launch the company as soon as possible.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Select Creatives provided branding services for our company. Regarding the process, we started by introducing our company and our vision to them, stating what we were looking for in terms of brand and design. We also asked them to submit at least three options for us to choose from, and in less than two days, they provided us with those design options.

After that, we reviewed those designs with our leadership team, shared our input and change requests with Select Creatives, and then agreed on the final designs for the project. They got all the work done in less than two weeks.

Regarding our requests, we asked for a logo that incorporated an Arabic design and elements related to buildings.

What was the team composition? 

We worked directly with a salesperson and Select Creatives’s marketing department, but Deen (Founder) was in copy for every email, overlooking the project to ensure that everything was getting done.

How did you come to work with Select Creatives?

A friend referred Select Creatives to me, and we sent them an email inquiry. We decided to go with them because they showed me their portfolio, and I saw they had creative designs. 

How much have you invested with them?

For this project, we spent around $12,000 with them. We started by giving them a down payment of 60% and then paid the rest when they completed the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together throughout July 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Select Creatives's logo was perfect. It was very original and had all of our requirements integrated. In addition, our customers and partners gave positive impressions of it, saying it was unique because it had a mixture of Arabic and English letters.

Moreover, we had a LinkedIn and social media event, and the log got a lot of interaction. We also put the logo on a billboard, which brought much engagement.

How did Select Creatives perform from a project management standpoint?

Select Creatives delivered the work on time and within budget and communicated well with us. Regarding communication, we mostly used email and phone calls, but we also had a couple of meetings via Microsoft Teams with their management team.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review? 

I'd like to give Deen a shout-out because he was helpful and supportive, responsive to my calls, and involved throughout the project. I'm also grateful that he sped up the process because I was in a rush.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The logo received such a good response because it had a unique design. In addition, their customer service and communication were great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn't think there was anything they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Share your vision and exact requirements with them. Give them as much information as possible so you don't have to go through revisions or changes. In my experience, when I explained everything and gave them an idea of what I wanted to have as branding, including colors and fonts, we went through only smaller revisions, and that was because our partners were changing their minds, not because Select Creatives didn't understand our vision.