Shakuro

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Proko, an online art education platform that offers video courses for people to purchase. One of our platform’s most important assets is its community area, where people can have discussions under every lesson. Additionally, users have a newsfeed where they can see their classmates’ artwork, the assignments they’re working on, and the comments the instructor gives to everyone. In addition to that, we have a YouTube channel where we promote our platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Shakuro?

We had a very simple WordPress website to host the YouTube videos with the lessons. However, we wanted to create a complete social networking platform with our lessons, a forum, and a newsfeed with a complex algorithm behind it, so we hired Shakuro to help us out.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Shakuro has built a brand new custom website for us with all the capabilities we need. Initially, I provided them with some sketches and my idea of how I wanted the site to look, and they brought a professional designer to create the site designs on Figma.

Now, Shakuro helps us develop new features ongoingly. I met regularly with their team to discuss questions they might have and new features we want to implement. Then, they do research based on my requests and create designs for the new features, after which we evaluate them together and begin the implementation once the designs are approved.

As for the technology stack, our platform is based on AWS and uses Ruby on Rails and AngularJS. Shakuro handles everything related to its server maintenance, offering 24/7 support. If the site goes down in the middle of the night, they wake up and fix it.

On the site, users can log in and create a profile page. They also can purchase courses and add them to their classroom area, which has a newsfeed. Additionally, they can see the progress they make in their lessons and interact with other students. Instructors are different types of users; they can post courses and get paid.

One of the features we’re currently working on is a livestreaming service. With it, we will allow instructors to go live directly on the site, and we will host the livestream video ourselves. Additionally, students will be able to ask questions during the stream, as well as to message the instructor directly and share private messages.

Moreover, Shakuro is also building a tool to improve students’ drawing sessions. Students can purchase reference packs from us. With this tool, they’ll be able to start a drawing session, and one of the references they’ve purchased will pop up randomly during that session.

What is the team composition?

I work with nine people from Shakuro, including Michael (Project Manager), a backend developer, and a frontend developer.

How did you come to work with Shakuro?

We found them through a referral from another client who was very happy with them. I had several meetings with Shakuro where I explained what I wanted and asked a lot of questions. They seemed very genuine, knowledgeable, friendly, and easy to talk to, and they had a good portfolio, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $1.5 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around July 2017, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Shakuro has created a very powerful platform where other instructors can now come in and run their own businesses. Since we launched it, we’ve gone from another instructor and me teaching on the site to about 20 instructors with published courses. We’ve also grown from six employees to 17, achieving almost a 3X growth because we now have more sales and a better product.

How did Shakuro perform from a project management standpoint?

Shakuro has performed well, and we haven’t had any surprises. Setting a deadline was very challenging because it was a large project with many moving parts, so I never expected them to deliver on a specific date. Still, they launched the site in a very reasonable time. Ultimately, I’m very happy with how long things have taken and how much they’ve cost.

I have video meetings with Michael twice per week, during which he comes to me with questions from the developers and the designer. Additionally, we have an emergency Slack channel where I can message them anytime, and they respond. Michael is also integrated into our internal Slack, so he can communicate directly with anyone from my team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of Shakuro’s work and project management is outstanding. I’ve worked with other development firms in the past, and Shakuro’s codes are better, and their team is more organized and communicative. Additionally, they hire better engineers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve been working together for so long that I can’t think of anything Shakuro could improve at this point. I’ve already discussed areas of improvement with them throughout the years, and they’ve already improved. I’m very happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very specific with what you want and communicate it to them. Shakuro will do what you want, but if you keep changing your mind, it will ultimately cost you more money. Organizing your ideas is very important.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a startup; we run a preschool education and gamified learning platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Shakuro?

We engaged Shakuro to help us develop our mobile app and manage the technical implementation. We knew what we wanted from a business standpoint, but we needed Shakuro to design screens and flows and create technical solutions to accommodate app store limitations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Shakuro has been our development partner since before we had our first round of funding. During the design phase, we described our ideas briefly, and sometimes our conversations only lasted five minutes. However, Shakuro immediately understood what we wanted; they used our ideas as a guideline and filled in the gaps for features we hadn’t thought of. Then, they developed a proposal with several options, and we chose the one that best met our needs. Next, they worked alongside us to build a mock-up of the app that outlined the basic concept and some flows. They also created a mock backend and mock database. We used the mock-ups to help us gain funding, and then we moved to the development and implementation stages. 

The Shakuro team initially built the app using Swift for iOS, and we did the first implementation exclusively for iPad. We’ve since moved to Unity to develop the app for iPhone and Android, and we’ve used PostgreSQL and Ruby on Rails for the backend. The team has been responsible for designing the UI/UX, building screens and flows, and moving the app from a mock backend to a functional end-to-end system. They’ve also created a database within the backend and added various business services to the app. Furthermore, they’ve helped us with app store optimization (ASO).

During the development and implementation stage, they also brought in experts on an hourly basis to help us solve more complex technical problems. For example, they brought in an automation and DevOps expert to build delivery pipelines and set up a production system. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 10 team members in total, but they’ve scaled up and down depending on the project stage. We've primarily worked with a team of five individuals, including a project manager, designers, developers, and DevOps folks. 

How did you come to work with Shakuro?

We had a contact at Shakuro, so we engaged them when the opportunity arose.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together since February 2020, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have much to share in terms of metrics, but we’ve been pleased with the application. So far, we’ve garnered 90,000 users, which is great, but since we’re a startup, it’s not sustainable yet. We’re looking forward to turning our app into a functional business.  

How did Shakuro perform from a project management standpoint?

I couldn’t ask for anything more when it comes to project management; Shakuro has been very flexible and responsive. Even when a teammate has been on vacation, they’ve helped us with emergency situations. Furthermore, we’ve really appreciated their willingness to involve specialists who have niche technical expertise.

We’ve used a Jira board to keep track of tickets, plan releases, and make comments. Additionally, we’ve used Notion and Google Drive, which has been convenient for us. We’ve primarily used Zoom and Skype to communicate and meet for video calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Shakuro has been a valuable resource throughout our engagement. We’ve built a trusting working relationship, and they’ve been there for us at all times. Furthermore, they know their stuff and they’re always open to discussions and constructive dialogue, which is one of their core strengths. They’ve consistently asked the right questions and filled in the gaps for things we’ve overlooked. Shakuro has taken over the thinking process for us, and we haven’t had to worry about whether we’ve missed something. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing Shakuro could improve on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder of Skodel, a wellbeing platform headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Shakuro?

We hired them to do an animated emoji slider. As people slide the dial different animated emojis would appear.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Found them online through Dribbble

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We simply gave Shakuro a basic brief and they then went through a series of design stages, keeping us up to date each step of the way. Research phase, draft stage, multiple options to select from, first animation and then continued from there. They were always good with communication and the work went beyond our expectations. We didn't have to guide them at all...

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

A few graphic designers and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The designs were brilliant and we are really excited to use them on our new interface!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Great workflow, communication was very good, sharing files and also just understanding the requirements. They brought their own flair to it which is what we wanted.

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

That they aren't just a company to follow instructions, they put forward their ideas and get creative. They're specialists and they brought a lot of good ideas to the project that we otherwise wouldn't have thought of.

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

Not really... everything was good. You could probably find cheaper but I doubt you could find someone cheaper that does it to the same quality.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a co-founder of a consumer marketplace built on Shopify.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Shakuro?

We were trying to create a new brand identity, platform UI, and different pages of our marketplace.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The engagement started with a full revamp of the feel and overall aesthetic of our website and brand. We iterated the different pages of our website based on Shakuro’s designs and worked with them to create a lot of the digital assets on the website. 

We gave them a lot of free range when it came to the overall design so we'd come back to them with different layouts for one of our products, an NFT wallet which they're able to refine to meet our expectations. We sell physical products that are authenticated with NFTs and when a user purchases a product on our website, it's presented in a way where an item is very elegantly put into a nice shiny box.

We had our messaging already created for the most part, but they did help with brand guidelines in terms of coming up with the new color palette and the new font structure.

They took a look at our previous website and had an initial discussion with them about where we are and where we want to go. We really described the type of brand that we wanted to create; the type of aesthetic and user interface that we wanted to create. They then really came up with the design and aesthetic, and a lot of the tweaks on the platform were small updates and changes that we had asked for, suggested, or wanted to see.

What is the team composition?

We have one project manager with whom we interact at least once per week.

How did you come to work with Shakuro?

We were referred to Shakuro by a friend who had used them for their platform design. And my partner was the one that decided on Shakuro because of the referral.

How much have you invested in them?

I believe we've spent around $25,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had our first intro call with them towards the end of July 2022, and the engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The success metrics are a bit anecdotal as we're still in the about-to-launch phase, so we don’t have a ton of activity on our marketplace yet. However, the feedback we've received so far has been very positive.

Our brand now has a new look and feel, which we're very happy about.

How did Shakuro perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management has been very good as they're always available to meet, even if it means interacting after work hours. Although, there have been some weeks where I think the engagement could've moved quicker, so there are still areas of improvement in terms of speed. Nonetheless, we're still happy with our ongoing partnership.

We all share one platform called Figma, where we can actively see the design process and we also communicate via email and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their design prowess stands out. We've worked with a few other designers in the past, and this team has a very good understanding of modern, trendy, and culturally relevant designs. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

My only feedback is that deliverables should be executed with more speed and efficiency.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as clear and concise with your expectations and what you want out of the engagement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief Technology Officer at a crypto-powered retail banking application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Shakuro?

After raising some venture capital, we wanted to bring in a team that could deliver a user interface and experience parallel to Apple. After interviewing tons of design firms on Dribbble, Shakuro stood out to us the most. Thus, we had them design our entire mobile and web interface— illustrations, user experience research, and so on.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We went through Dribbble, and interviewed over 20 design firms. We decided to choose Shakuro as we were most impressed by their team.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Shakuro first developed our brand (logo, kit, etc...). This was done through intensive research on the symbolism of a Pebble, why has received many positive outlooks as a name. After we created a powerful brand, Shakuro and the team began designing our entire mobile and web interface, with over 500+ iterations, and hundreds of hours spent. In roughly 6 months they accomplished designing over 100+ mobile screens, 20+ illustrations, 5-7 pages on a website, and much more.

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

Our company had roughly ~3 people assigned — creative designer, illustrator, and user interface designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The largest outcome that has come of the project is the abundant pleasure that our customers have felt when interacting with the interface. We have an average of ~4.7/4.8 rating on the App Store, with many of our users commenting something positive about the "modern" interface that was designed by Shakuro.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between our team and Shakuro was perfect (literally). Everyone relevant spoke English very well, so we had no problems communicating back and forth. We leveraged telegram, Figma comments, and emails. I wouldn't change a thing about our communication methods.

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

I think the most unique aspect about Shakuro is the ability to take constructive criticism. As a product-oriented company, we made over 1000+ iterations on the designs developed by their team. Yet, there was never a complaint that our behavior was excessive. You could truly tell that Shakuro cared just as much as our company about the final delivery.

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

The only area of improvement that Shakuro could have done better is relating to speed of work. Though, the final delivery was always quality, it sometimes took an extended period of time to finish what was assigned.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a co-founder of a fin-tech company from India.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Shakuro?

We are building a fin-tech application that offers a trading platform to our customers, we also need a website to attract and engage users with helpful content. So we were searching for a suitable company that could design a fresh, clutter-free, clean design for our website and mobile application and our search ended with Shakuro.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online for the best UI/UX designers. After looking at the portfolios of many companies and freelance designers we liked Shakuro's portfolio for its clean and fresh design language.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Shakuro's team swiftly contacted us after our inquiry. We discussed the project in general and they assigned a Creative producer to us. We started off with the website design first and later moved to app design. They set up a meeting with us to understand the Project goals, objectives, and expectations in detail. After the meeting, the creative producer submitted a creative brief which is like a project plan. The next week they came up with the sample screens. They took our input and feedback, and add their experience to them to create the designs.

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

A total of 3 members were part of the team. A Creative producer who also filled the role of a Project Manager and 2 UI/UX designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are pleased with the deliverables from Shakuro's team. Both the website and mobile app designs are stunning in their looks and well optimized in terms of their UX flow. We have shown the designs to our internal team, our investors, and some potential users and the feedback has been fabulous.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The creative producer was excellent in her approach and communication. She was easy to reach and provided us much needed updates frequently. We have created a Slack channel for quick communications and file sharing and used the Zoom app for our video conferences and presentations.

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

Their design skills truly amazed us. They captured our objectives and expectations quickly and perfectly. Did their own research on our competitors, and delivered an impeccable product in the end.

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

I didn't find any shortcomings during our engagement with Shakuro, everything went well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a Startup software company based in Oslo, Norway

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Shakuro?

We needed an initial design concept for our app idea. The concept was required as UI design as well as to be presented on our website, pitch, to investors, etc.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched on dribbble for designers in the hope of hiring them. That's when we came across Shakuro/Conceptzilla. We felt that their designs corresponded with what we wanted.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Their team started the week with an interview where they took notes and tried to learn as much as possible. After that, we got a written creative brief including concise info about the company, the design and what we want achieve. A few days after we got our final design, which was spot on what we needed.

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

We have worked directly with their Account Executive and their communication coordinator which took our input to the designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very pleased with the outcome. The design concept we got serves as a foundation and a guideline for the development we do. We have used it consistently across all landing pages and presentations.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I would say one of the things Shakuro is very good at is communication. They were able to get our message and understand it very clearly. We have used email, online meetings, and mostly Slack.

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

They are solution-oriented. We presented them with a UI/UX challenge and in a very short timeframe, they were able to come up with a solution that even gave us a competitive advantage.

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

Nothing much.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to develop several MVP mobile apps and the goals were to have Shakuro do both the design and development for these apps.

SOLUTION

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

We spoke to over 20 agencies and Shakuro's combination of great design and development skills stood out. Its hard to find an agency which does both well. Their past work stood our and was in the style that we were after.

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

Design Phase: wireframes, UI designs, clickable prototype, 3D renders, app icon designs, animations in Figma, Development Phase: iOS app built with Swift.

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

We have worked with around 10 people from their team so far across multiple projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For the mobile app MVPs the final results were great and the apps are highly rated on the app store. Each MVP took around 6 months in total For the mobile design concept service, each design was done in less than 2 weeks!

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

The team is great at communication and are very easy to work with. You can rely on them to get the job done without much input from your side. If you do both the design & development with them, its even easier since the designers can speak to the development team in house, and you don't need to be the bridge.

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

Their mobile designs skills are very very good, especially when it comes to branding assets and designs. It also feels like you are part of the team with them when working together. With normal agencies, its usually a 'colder' experience, however with Shakuro they also care about the product as much as you do.

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

No suggestions. I think they are great.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the content director at eggheadio. I over see the design and production of the courses that we launch.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Shakuro?

At the end of the year in 2021 we had a gigantic sale that we were preparing for. To launch a course we need a course illustration that represents the knowledge, skills, and metaphors that would be learned in that course. Shakuro turned the ideas we had for illustration into reality.

SOLUTION

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

We looked for illustrators on dribbble and other websites where designers post portfolio pieces. When finding Shakuro's profile, we could tell they have an eye for quality and know how to execute.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Our project with Shakuro started with a kick-off meeting to discuss scope and process. I came to the meeting with creative briefs that detailed what illustrations we needed. We had several that were needed. Each brief contained concepts and metaphors for Shakuro to use as a starting point for these illustrations.

The project lead took these briefs and did research the concepts and technologies that were covered and came back with several ideas for us to discuss and move forward with. When we identified illustration ideas that worked well, their illustrator took the idea and produced delightful designs that showcased the quality of our courses really well. The Shakuro team was on top of communication the whole project and was a delight to work with

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

I worked with 3 Shakuro team members. The project manager, lead, and illustrator.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

These illustrations make the course landing pages pop.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager was on top of communication and easy to work with. They were receptive to feedback and iterated quickly.

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

They do their research and keep communication open really well. It's the small things like that that produce quality products.

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

They were on time and efficient, nothing I could see that should be done differently.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm an individual looking to build an app

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Shakuro?

I needed help with UI/UX for an app idea that I had. I needed help with some UX guidance and the actual designs.

SOLUTION

How did you select Shakuro?

I was looking for freelancers on couple platforms, and was looking at Dribble profiles as well. I came across Shakuro's profile and was impressed with every single one of their mobile app projects.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We went through very thorough UX ideation process with defining the right user personas, documented their needs and down to the the brass tacks of color schemes and fonts to be used. Hanna particularly was phenomenal with her communication and organization. The team overall had strong criticial thinking into the problem and were able to provide guidance more than simply following the asks.

How many resources from the Shakuro team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with Hanna (UX strategist) and Arthur (Designer)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I'm extremely pleased with the how the designs have turned out and looking to test it with few users to iterate and move forward with development

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very smooth. Hannah handled almost all of it. And use of Figma helped as I could clarify some comments directly to Arthur as well.

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

Critical thinking and partnership on projects -- They have equal interest in the output being a good product.

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

None at this point