Slide UX

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of product management at a software vendor for data management and integration. We have a single product, and this product has different modules. Some are more technically oriented for developers, and some are more business-friendly for end users. I coordinated the process of working with people from the development side to gather requirements, and then finding the right agency and explaining the scope of the project with them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slide UX?

We’re transitioning from desktop to web-based software, and we needed a UX agency to help us with that transition. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Slide UX worked on the two most important modules of our platform: the developer studio and a business catalog for business users. 

They did an initial feasibility analysis for one of the products. They helped us conduct interviews with existing users to see their pain points with user flows. They drafted the interview questions, and we made tweaks to cover all the technical aspects. They conducted the interviews and then prepared a summary presentation with video clips of users describing the pain points of the software along with recommendations to address them. Then, we went through a complete redesign of the UI to move from the existing standalone application to a web-based one and to modernize its look and feel.

We had a set of interviews at the beginning of the project and another one halfway through to show existing customers what we were working on and ensure that our existing customer base was understanding and happy with what we were doing.

For the design, we wanted to get an analysis of specific screens, which had to cover a variety of application elements. Slide UX also created a design guide for the basic components. We chose 12 screens for each application totaling 24 screens with the corresponding variations. They delivered notes, comments, and a style guide in Zeplin.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 5–6 people from their team, including a project coordinator, who focused on the overall relationship. We also had a project manager, who was present at every meeting and kept on top of everything. A graphic designer worked on screens and the style guide. The designer had an assistant who joined us for some of the meetings; I also worked with her directly. Two usability experts conducted the interviews and usability analysis, one for each application. 

How did you come to work with Slide UX?

We found them on Clutch, and they came up on the top three list in our research. We knew their name, and we also knew people who strongly recommended that we work with them, especially because they had worked with Slide UX on similar processes. When we talked to them, we could see they had a lot of relevant experience, which tipped the scales in their favor.

How much have you invested with them?

The initial estimation was $200,000–$250,000, but we came in below the estimate at $170,000–$180,000, which was nice. They were accurate with their estimations, but we were working on two applications, and some of the design elements and feasibility analysis were shared between the two, which reduced the individual work for each application significantly.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Slide UX in November 2018 and wrapped up in June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They provided the design and the guidelines for it, and we’re currently working on development. The feedback so far has been excellent, but it’s still too early to gauge the impact on our business.

How did Slide UX perform from a project management standpoint?

They treated it like a proper project with follow-ups and milestones. We had a project file with all the dependencies between tasks, breakdowns, and task assignations. We touched base every 1–2 weeks to make sure we weren’t being delayed or had a critical problem. The project management was surprisingly good. 

They used Microsoft Project to share critical project files with us in PDF form. We used Asana for everyday communication and tracking tasks, and we had informal communication on Slack. They were open to having meetings with screen sharing anytime it was necessary. They provided a status update every week as a single-page PDF detailing how far we were into the project and how much had been spent of the time and budget. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The communication was extremely fluid, and they were nice and helpful, especially in the beginning, when we didn’t know what to expect. They were open to all of our questions. The human factor was an important piece, and working with them was extremely easy. That’s always appreciated.

We liked the quality of the deliverables. It’s always an iteration, especially with a technical product, and it’s hard to capture the nuances of the interface, but we worked that out through several iterations, especially on the more complex screens. I explained the technical aspects of the product to their designers, and they were good at understanding them. 

Overall, we were happy with the human relationship and the results of the work, from the design to the look and feel, the process, the iterations, and how it all worked out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They matched our expectations. The project was extremely technical, so we had to go back and forth more than expected in the beginning. Translating technical terms into laymen’s terms was a challenge, but they caught up quickly. Other than that, everything worked out smoothly. The personal relationship with them was fantastic. They were quick to respond any time we had a question.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should make sure the requirements are clear and understandable, including the use of illustrative videos. We did that, and we made the software available to them. That helped a lot, especially with the more complex parts of our software. Once the scenario was clear, translating our functionalities into particular screens was easy. They were also eager to start with design, but it was good to have the prep work and smooth the complexity.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of MapRight. We provide mapping solutions for farm, ranch, rural real estate, forestry, and other markets. We have a combined GIS (Geographic Information System) team that provides maps that we make available in a web format.

A standard user in those markets can come in and create an appealing map with annotations and different map layers, such as soil, hydro, and topo layers. Any small organization that might need to outsource GIS or mapping work can do so through our web-platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slide UX ?

Internally, we had several conversations about rolling out new pricing. Our product is almost five years old, but we had never adjusted pricing, despite providing tremendous value with each release. Our goal was to think through a pricing strategy. We hired SlideUX to think through the challenges related to rolling out a new pricing scheme, as well as how we would go about actually designing and making that interface as appealing as possible.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The process was pretty seamless. We have two paths that we’re concerned about. First, is the new user workflow, in which they sign up for a trial, they use it, and then we pitch them on one of our pricing plans. Second, is for existing users, who might want to upgrade to an unlimited plan.

They created some mockups, and we went back and forth on various calls to discuss those options. They provided all of their information through a development collaboration platform called Zeppelin, which was great for us because at the end of the day we weren’t interested in Slide UX doing any sort of development; we wanted to allow our team to take the work that was done and implement it within our system.

What is the team composition?

Megan (Senior Consultant, Slide UX) was our main interface as it relates to the project side of things. She helped keep things organized and handled a lot of the communication. Cat (Senior UX Designer, Slide UX) was our project lead, as it related to actually doing design. She was on every call and understood our challenges; bringing our ideas into the design was where she worked a lot of her magic.

How did you come to work with Slide UX?

We used another group in Austin, previously for a larger project, really centered around our mapping tools. We wanted to have a definitive scope around our pricing rollout, and we found Slide UX on Clutch.

Their reviews on Clutch had a main input into our decision-making process. The other factor that we evaluated was location. We wanted someone local, even though we never met their team face-to-face. We understand that this kind of work can happen anywhere but I think it was just nice to know if we needed to get together face-to-face, we could.

We reached out to them, had a few calls to explain the scope to them, and they provided a proposal. Then, we kicked off the project and had an information gathering call.

How much have you invested with them?

It was a $25,000–$30,000 project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work started in January 2019 and wrapped up in April 2019.

Some of that time was spent trying to figure out where we could best fit this design period in amongst our other competing priorities. Slide UX was definitely finished with this project before April.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re about one week away from deploying the design, and we’ve been doing tests.

Obviously, there’s a lot of challenges that they helped us think through, such as a flexible plan of having an easy way of billing a customer by scaling up or down. In terms of design, Slide UX did a great job in helping think through issues like that, but from with implementation, there was more work to tie that design into a billing system. They did a great job, and from a testing standpoint, things have gone well so far.  

How did Slide UX perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great from a collaboration standpoint. We were able to reach out to them with questions or feedback, and they’re very responsive. The ball was in our court more than it was in theirs. We have other priorities we’re working on, so from my point of view, they were very quick to respond to various tasks in question.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with a lot of designers over the years. Slide UX’s design and expertise was great, of course, but where they really came through for us was in understanding the problem and what we’re trying to solve. We appreciated how they interviewed, researched, and understood our needs before starting the design process. That’s where they really shine.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing that comes to mind. We would definitely work with them again.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We put a lot of thought into this process and spent well over a year talking about it. We put together a document outlining all of our challenges; we found that the more information you can provide to Slide UX, the better armed you’re going to be when you go into the project.

Based on the amount of research, conversations with customers, and internal discussion we had, we allowed SlideUX to understand the problem. The fact that we didn’t go over budget is a testament to SlideUX, but also the pre-work we had done to establish the problem we were trying to solve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice-president for marketing and communications at a higher education firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slide UX?

We engaged Slide UX to provide usability insights into our website and how we help prospective students and their parents navigate the college search process. The project expanded into a longer engagement where we updated the site while Slide UX provided consulting services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Slide UX first helped us organize the usability study. We set up direct user interviews with parents and students; their team remotely conducted every interview for us and summarized the information collected. They also created wireframes for a new homepage. Slide UX gave us several options to consider and iterated those versions until they landed on something that matched our vision and met our needs.

The results of the study led to a larger website update project. Slide UX served in a consulting capacity throughout the development process, making sure we continued to iterate based on user feedback from the initial usability study. They helped us navigate the balance between providing information and encouraging site visitors to transact with us using calls-to-action.

What is the team composition?

We worked with their principals, account management, and UI/UX designers.

How did you come to work with Slide UX?

I had worked with Erin (Founder & Principal Consultant, Slide UX) and other team members at Slide UX in the past, so I was familiar with their firm before starting this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website has seen more engagement with its web content, more conversions from site visitors, and more efficient transactions. Slide UX has helped us increase the right behavior among the site’s core users.

How did Slide UX perform from a project management standpoint?

Slide UX managed our expectations, kept us up-to-date on the project’s status, and measured the budget burn rate, which was helpful to understand our progress. They ran a predictable workflow, meeting all deadlines and delivering to expectations. We used Zeplin to navigate proposed design changes and Basecamp to streamline communication. We’ve even taken their methods and applied them elsewhere in our own teams and working with others.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Slide UX’s cross-industry experience and reliability have made them a trusted vendor for future projects. They were knowledgeable and enjoyable to work with from start to finish.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we didn’t run into any problems throughout the collaboration.

Any advice for potential customers?

New clients should try to be as open and direct as possible throughout an engagement with Slide UX. We had candid conversations with them about which wireframe iterations worked best for us, and they were responsive from start to finish.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director of project delivery for a services provider in the oil and gas pipeline industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slide UX?

We engaged Slide UX for several third-party clients’ projects. One involved improving the user interface of an iOS application and its associated web portal.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a piece of software that helps with project management of large-scale construction projects. It allows users to create daily reports in the field, digitizing a paper process. These daily reports can distill into weekly and monthly reports. A web portal displays these reports in a dashboard that also show graphic interfaces of the progress done within a time period.

Slide UX redesigned the software’s user interface on iPads. They made it more accessible and streamlined for users. The team also helped modernize the dashboard tool. They helped us pick colors, lay out the navigation, and determine the overall look and feel.

What is the team composition?

Erin (Founder & Principal Consultant, Slide UX) and Brant (Founder & Principal Consultant, Slide UX) served as team leads over the various projects. Another team member took notes at meetings and sent out overviews of decisions made, technical aspects discussed, and tasks to do for the upcoming week.

How did you come to work with Slide UX?

My former manager brought Slide UX into our company. I was not involved in the decision-making process.

How much have you invested with them?

We started working together in early 2017. We wrapped up our most recent project with Slide UX in October 2018.

What is the status of this engagement?

We spent between $100,000–$200,000 in total.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Slide UX significantly reduced how long it takes to teach a user how to use the app and to go through essential processes. Some processes that previously took 50–60 clicks now take 10–15 clicks.

How did Slide UX perform from a project management standpoint?

The team was excellent at reporting on budget and time spent every week. Their constant status updates allowed for transparency from start to finish. We used Basecamp for communication, Zeplin to convey technical details to our development team, and InVision to mark up and storyboard user interfaces.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our clients were often directly involved in our projects with Slide UX; they attended meetings and were looped in on decision-making processes. Slide UX handled the third-party client relationship from their side extremely smoothly. They excelled at managing client expectations about what’s possible within a given timeframe and budget. They also regularly met those time and budget constraints very closely.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some clients in the past have balked at the cost of an in-person onboarding meeting. Slide UX could offer the option to kick off a project remotely. However, as someone who does freelance work myself, I understand the value of having that initial part be face-to-face. We’re otherwise thrilled with their work.

Any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you know exactly what you’re looking so that Slide UX can manage your expectations and deliver an outcome that satisfies you. Having a well-defined scope and end product reliably leads to successful engagements with Slide UX.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of product management for a technology firm. We’re a protein trading company moving into the technology field.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slide UX?

We’re creating an automated trading platform and didn’t have enough in-house resources or experience to improve our product. We needed help performing a usability audit on our app to make it better for users.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began the project by briefing Slide UX on our needs and gave them a beginner-level training process. From there, they performed an audit and scored our app. They gave us multiple recommendations for improvement. Their team suggested we change our color contrast, standardize our format, and update our naming conventions to be more consistent. Overall, they helped us identify our gaps and find solutions.

What is the team composition?

Our first interaction was with the CEO, who then introduced us to the rest of the team. We had two primary contacts and two additional teammates for support. They provided a billing lead and project lead who kept us on track. We also worked with a lead auditor and a secondary auditor who we worked with daily.

How did you come to work with Slide UX?

We sent out an RFP to five companies, not initially including Slide UX. After reading an article that mentioned their company, I was attracted to the local, smaller feel of their team. We extended an RFP to Slide UX, and they were the best option regarding scheduling, cost, and previous experience.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent between $10,000–$50,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September–October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Slide UX team provided the exact results we wanted—their recommendations were great and we are currently implementing them. Our users reported the app is easier to use, more consistent and better overall. We’re satisfied with the work they produced, and they did a great job staying on task.

How did Slide UX perform from a project management standpoint?

We were kept fully informed throughout the project and were copied on all information in Slide UX’s project management tool. Documents and messages were easy to transfer between teams and there was never confusion around the status of the project. Communication over the phone was minimal because of how effectively Slide UX managed the project through their tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Slide UX stayed on track from beginning to end and they offered a speedy delivery. The timelines were adhered to and the team kept a consistent pace.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It could have been better if we met their entire team at the beginning of the project or during the initial calls. However, Slide UX hit the mark with their audit and did everything we asked for. For their benefit, they should be more visible in their market so more customers locate them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s worth trying to get to know all the teammates as early in the process as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of Sales & Marketing at cFive Solutions, a company that provides software for the criminal justice space. We specifically work with supervision agencies that oversee probation parole and community corrections.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slide UX?

We were developing a new behavior change and rehabilitation platform for offenders and officers in the field. We wanted to address the UI of the mobile and officer portal components.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We engaged Slide UX to develop the UI for both components. Their team went through numerous sessions to better understand the personas using the app and other essential information. After mapping that out, they put together the wireframe, designs, and flows of the screens for both applications. The next phase of the project is on hold until we’re up to speed and finished implementing all the features from this phase.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Erin (Founder & UX Architect, Slide UX), Cat (Senior Producer & UI Designer, Slide UX), and Lindsay (UX Designer, Slide UX). Erin worked through the contractual portion, and Cat focused on the mobile app whereas Lindsay concentrated on the portal.

How did you come to work with Slide UX?

We found them through Clutch. We interview about 20 agencies and found the company list on Clutch. In companies my marketing manager interviewed, we found discrepancies in what they wanted to do and how they wanted to do it. When we engaged with Slide UX, we were comfortable with their approach and how they were as a company.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $60,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Slide UX between August–October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still implementing the developments. I’ve shown the screens to potential and existing customers, and they are excited about the changes. Slide UX is a firm that cares about every detail. Their team looks for any opportunity to engage the user. There’s a dramatic difference between the old and new screens.

How did Slide UX perform from a project management standpoint?

Slide UX followed through on every aspect of the project. They were on time and budget. I couldn’t ask for more than that. We received weekly reports. Every Tuesday morning, there was a report in my mailbox. We shifted plans, and their team was able to adapt quickly and update the project. Working with their team was easy. They accomplished everything they set out to.

We had weekly meetings to go over the status of the project. Everything was done remotely. We used Zoom to engage where we were able to see screens and have audio. We used Asana for all communication and collaboration. They uploaded everything to Zeppelin where we could see how the displays were built and their thought process throughout.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their understanding and dedication to every inch of our project were impressive. We didn’t build this application for the average person; someone under court order is using it. Their team presented work that they felt fit our clientele. They also were innovative in bringing conversational English to our UI. It was specifically for the mobile component and changed the output of what our team did. Slide UX embraced and adapted to what we laid out for them. Our target audiences could be anyone from the age of 10 to 65, or someone will little to no computer experience. They were able to take everything in stride and work accordingly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s interesting because companies hope never to have issues, and in this case, I’d have to say we had no problems. Looking at this project from a practical standpoint, their team understood the audience better than an everyday programmer. Slide UX got up to speed fast and hit the nail on the head.

Any advice for potential customers?

We received a wide degree of proposals from companies during the experience, but no deliverables. In these cases, tie-down deliverables and resources. When negotiating our contact with Slide UX, we looked for specific resources and identified needs when talking to Erin and her team. This project was successful because of the collaborative approach Slide UX displayed. They worked with our team during sessions and explained their reasoning for cost and other insights.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a division of a university that produces online versions of on-campus courses. I’m the digital communications and marketing manager who oversees the web property where those online courses are housed.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slide UX?

We wanted to refresh the web portal and bring it up to date. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They worked on our homepage, course catalog page, and individual course pages. They clarified labels attached to the courses, resolved wayfinding issues, and uncovered some hidden calls to action. They looked over the site and did some user research to evaluate any potential problems and come up with solutions.

What is the team composition?

Their principal responded to the RFP and helped us kick off the process. Then, she oversaw the project on a higher level while we interacted with a designer and a research lead.

How did you come to work with Slide UX?

Clutch was one of the places we looked for potential vendors. We did other web searches and asked colleagues for recommendations as well. We were looking for firms that had usability and UX expertise who could do user research. Ultimately, it was the evidence of their expertise in UX and the quality of their design work that helped them stand out from the crowd.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from about April–August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve completed the research and design and are currently in a development phase. The site isn’t live yet but the designs are well-received internally. The developer is very impressed with Slide UX’s work and we’re very happy with the product so far.

How did Slide UX perform from a project management standpoint?

They did very well and captured a lot of intricacies. They understood the detail needed right away and were transparent about expectations. They set a good baseline and were consistent throughout the process. They were generally available through email and Slack and were very responsive. They were always up-to-date with invoices and time tracking; everything came in on time and under budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their unique potential is in a specialized combination of research and design and their ability to connect the two. They did excellent user research and translated their findings into appropriate design decisions. They went beyond purely aesthetic choices and based everything on the data.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There weren’t any sticking points with our arrangement. They’re very flexible but also firm when they believe strongly in something.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s wise to have a clear sense of what you hope to achieve, but they can help solidify your goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of marketing for Spanning, a cloud-to-cloud backup platform for Google Apps, Salesforce, and Office 365.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slide UX?

Initially, we needed help creating templates for responsive emails, and landing pages on our website for our marketing automation system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Slide UX has worked on several projects for us, including setting up the templates for our responses, emails, and landing pages on our website. They also helped us rebrand the company, which included the design of a new logo and reworking our website. They redesigned workflows on the site, allowing users to sign up for demos and book times on a calendar. Their team not only provided all the wireframes, but also created a content strategy and provided recommendations as well.

What is the team composition?

I mostly work with Chad (Creative Director, Slide UX), Hanna (Senior Producer, Slide UX), and Megan (UX Researcher, Slide UX) who led the research and did user testing of the demo sign up feature on our website.

How did you come to work with Slide UX?

I've worked with Chad in the past, so I already had an established relationship with him.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them based on time and materials per project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together since the end of 2017 and the relationship is ongoing. They were able to finish all deliverables for the website within 12 weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Changes to our website have been very well received overall. Thanks to improvements Slide UX made to user experience, more users are requesting demos. It's also helped our sales team get in touch with customers during an ideal time in the buying process.

Their team helped us launch a strong brand, which is especially important to us since we've had a long history of brand changes and confusion in the marketplace. They've helped us start fresh in a positive way.

How did Slide UX perform from a project management standpoint?

Hanna does a great job of communicating with us and letting us know where we stand in terms of hours used against our budget as we progress. They often come in under budget and are good at determining the requirements of each task without investing too much time in areas where it isn't necessary. Overall, they're responsive, accessible, and receptive to any feedback we provide.

What did you find most impressive about them?

As a company focused on user experience, I love that they're open to working with me on whatever project I need them to work on. They've developed a thorough understanding of what we do and what we're trying to achieve, so they continue to be a great partner to have by our side. They're also fun to work with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of IT at HomeWAV. We provide video visitations for correctional facilities and are in about 15 states so far in the U.S.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slide UX?

We needed help with UI/UX on several projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did three projects with Slide UX. The first one involved designing an inmate login page before authentication, which is the very first page that inmates see on our kiosk. They created everything, including the wireframes and five to six pages.

The second project involved redesigning our visitor app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices. We asked them what aspects they thought would generate more money for us. Also, some of the features of the app weren’t clear enough for the visitors, so the revamp was necessary for the whole platform. It was about 40 pages of design.

The third project is the inmate login page after authentication. They used Sketch for their work, which was cool because it allowed me to show the designs to my developers. It was really important to us to have professional designs in place before starting build more applications.

What is the team composition?

Their founder is our main point of contact, and a group of five to six people has been involved in the work.

How did you come to work with Slide UX?

We found them by searching online and looked at their reviews.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them on a project-by-project basis.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together at the beginning of 2017 and the collaboration is ongoing. We have a couple of different projects we’re looking to use them for. We also want them to redesign a couple of more features in our application.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We showed our inmate login page to a couple of our clients and they really liked it. It was a successful project and we’re very pleased with their design. It’s fancy and attractive for inmates as well.

The second project helped increase our revenue, which was really impressive. The president of our company was so happy with it that he let them do our third project. My team is also extremely satisfied with them.

How did Slide UX perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very responsive. I’m a picky person and when I requested a couple of changes, they were quick to deliver. All their work has been done in a timely manner.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re experienced people that know how stuff should be and provide great suggestions. I requested some changes on a few occasions and they convinced me against them. My advice to potential clients would be to take their suggestions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Planview is an enterprise software company. I’m the director of digital marketing and operations, so I’m responsible for our web properties.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slide UX?

We didn’t have an in-house UX designer, so we started using Slide UX as an extension of our team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They take care of all of our UX work. We have multiple web properties that are the result of various different acquisitions we’ve done.

Slide UX was originally brought in a couple of years ago when we were in the process of redesigning and updating our core site in order to represent our full product line. We needed to transform it from a brochureware-type of site to a transactional demand site focused on explaining our company and products. We also needed to architect the site in a way that captured our demand well. We’ve used them as our UX team as we’ve continued to improve the site.

We’ve really integrated them into our sprint process and do development sprints every two weeks. In conjunction with those, we’re also doing design sprints in order to create the backlog of designs that will go into future development sprints. We really work with them as if they’re employees of our company.

As part of that project and the ongoing work, all of our sites need to be responsive and enabled for all screens. Even though our website was partially responsive when we first started the major redesign, one of the key requirements of Slide UX’s work was to provide a 100% responsive design.

We’ve also been going through a rebranding during the past two years. We’re incorporating the new brand as we redesign portions of the site. They’ve been very involved with that process as well.

Additionally, we went through a big consolidation of our Marketo and Salesforce backends last spring. We used that as an opportunity to also redesign all of our emails. Slide UX designed a modular email template system for us to use specifically with Marketo 2.0, which is a relatively new technology.

What is the team composition?

We routinely work with two designers: Brant (User Experience Architect, Slide UX) and Chad (Creative Director, Slide UX). They both primarily do the same UX work for us on different projects at any point in time. Chad managed the email template design project. We also worked with another user experience architect early on who was very instrumental in defining the site’s new architecture.

How did you come to work with Slide UX?

I used to work with Brant at a previous company where he was one of the designers on my team. Planview’s CMO brought them in right before I joined the company because he’d worked with them at another company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in May of 2016 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The percentage of our form fill has increased significantly since we’ve implemented various redesign phases. The original site was very difficult to maintain since every page was slightly different and because we didn’t have standard designs for page types. From a maintainability standpoint, the designs they’ve provided have definitely helped increase our productivity. Our overall operation is much more efficient because the site sections are standardized and not a new experience for our development team every time they access them.

How did Slide UX perform from a project management standpoint?

I can absolutely count on them to finish what they promise on time. I can’t recall a single situation where they’ve missed a deadline, which is extremely important to us because we have a timely model around design completion. If they were to fail to hit a design deadline, it would impact our own development sprint. Their promptness enables us to run a pretty tight process from design all the way through to QA.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility is the most impressive thing. They often have to start work with a fragmentary specification that we’re still iterating through. They’re very good about being involved with that process and working with us in an iterative fashion. Other designers often require complete specs so they can just start the design process. We don’t like this because if we need to change something along the way, it causes the project to start over.

I really appreciate that Slide UX works like they’re a part of the team and can adapt to a process that isn’t extremely structured. That kind of sequential approach wouldn’t work with the rest of our processes.

They have a fantastic attitude. It’s probably somewhat frustrating to have designed 80% of something and then have to go back and change things because of the end client. Neither Brant nor Chad treat that as taking a step backward, but instead treat it as part of the iterative process. They really seem to value and prefer the way we do things because it gives them the ability to iterate with us. They’re a part of those discussions as we work through projects. It gives them the ability to provide a level of value not possible in situations where clients give them concrete specs.

They do a really good job of keeping me updated on our spend so that I can track things to ensure we’re staying within budget. They also send invoices on time. I’ve been in past situations where agencies didn’t have any kind of fixed invoice schedule, which created a lot of issues on the client side when we had to go back and ask for them. I really appreciate that Slide UX is a relatively small agency that has their accounting under control through a very structured approach. They can always tell me what we’ve spent in an estimate between invoices if I need it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything has gone pretty smoothly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Prepare to work with them in a similar way that we do (i.e., make them an extension of your team). Involve them in the conversation as you’re planning the project as opposed to pulling them in after a lot of discussions have taken place.