Teal Media

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School. We're one of the Kennedy School's largest research centers, so we have multiple programs within the center. Still, we mostly focus on research programs, activities, and student engagement programs related to the study and advancement of democratic governance around the world.

My position in the Ash Center is assistant director of communication. I work on a team of three communicators dedicated to publishing and promoting research, commentary, and other communication products that advance the center's mission.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Teal Media?

Our center has had a few different iterations of website properties over the years. Our last website solution was a Drupal-based website. However, it didn't meet our needs; it was an older website whose design wasn't contemporary. Therefore, we engaged Teal Media to build a new website for the Ash Center, as well as to develop a new website for one of our sub-programs, The Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Teal Media has helped us redevelop our center's website, as well as develop a brand new website for our sub-program using WordPress. Initially, we provided them with a scope of work specific to the needs of each website project. Their work has included UI/UX design, information architecture, and development. Currently, they provide us with website maintenance.

What is the team composition?

Before the actual development project started, we engaged with two teammates from Teal Media, including Jessica (Principal). Since then, we've worked with a project manager and Teal Media's design and development teams.

How did you come to work with Teal Media?

 We had a personal connection with someone on Teal’s team, so it was easy to talk to him about the services that his team could provide. We were also impressed with their internal capabilities, so we decided to work with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first engaged with Teal Media in February 2023, but we didn't sign a formal agreement until April 2023. Since then, we've had an ongoing engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Teal Media completed our center's new website in April 2024. However, the website isn't live yet; we're a couple of weeks away from that. Thus, I can't provide results in that regard. Internally, our new website has definitely had a great impact. There's been a great shift in terms of us being able to move our website architecture, as well as a great shift in our general thinking about our properties forward.

The fact that we've been able to preview the designs and capabilities of our new website has gone a long way in helping us bring programs and call internal clients onto the center site. The new website has done a lot for our internal relationships.

How did Teal Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Thus far, we're perfectly on budget, and our timeline has been extremely consistent throughout the process. Teal Media does a really good job of setting clear expectations for project milestones while also giving our team the flexibility to manage our operational side of things independently. Overall, ours has been a great project management partnership.

I really appreciate the updates Teal Media provides. Every Monday morning, they provide us with a team update on the progress. I've found it really helpful to use that information to manage my own team.

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

Jessica was excellent at getting us on board at the onset of our engagement. The project manager and both the design and development teams have also been fantastic. Especially on the development side, their team has been really helpful in not just creating the websites but also in answering our questions and providing expert guidance.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I want to highlight two things about Teal Media. Firstly, their design services are exceptional. Initially, we didn't have a very specific design vision. However, they've been able to take very loose guidelines and directions and work with almost no notes to create a perfect website for both our brand needs and the general contemporary vision we desired.

Being an education institution with an already well-established brand, we've had to navigate a fine line between wanting to take advantage of the positive brand perception that Harvard already has and having a distinct identity. Still, Teal Media has navigated that perfectly.

Secondly, Teal Media's technical expertise and the ability of their technical team members to communicate with us in a way we can understand have been greatly appreciated. Our team members are communication professionals for the most part. We have a good background in website infrastructure, HTML development, and other things of that nature, but that's not out primary job.

Thus, we've truly appreciated having a technical partner who can speak to us in layman's terms. Their team has never made us feel like we know less, which we really appreciate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything Teal Media could improve on. Our engagement thus far has been spectacular, and we've had an extremely positive experience.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It's extremely important to have a good understanding of what you want to do, as well as to have good internal organization. Teal Media can only work with the materials that you give them, so having your own team organized and a firm understanding of the information that you're able to provide, what your team is able to provide, and when is critical to getting the most out of the partnership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Crime Lab works to reduce gun violence and advance justice. The Education Lab generates education insights to have real-world impact.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Teal Media to accomplish?

• Design and develop our websites
• Design templates and collateral

SOLUTION

How did you find Teal Media?

Referral

Why did you select Teal Media over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Teal Media were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Discovery and planning Deliverables:

• Discovery survey
• Learning sessions with Lab stakeholders
• Website analytics and data review
• Presentation and discussion of discovery findings and recommendations
• Website strategy document
• Budget and timeline gut check

User experience and information architecture Deliverables:

• Wireframes and sitemap:
  • Up to two rounds of revisions
• Visual design:
  • Initial design concepts (2)
  • Homepage and interior page templates
  • UI component library
  • Custom graphic production per budget
  • Up to two rounds of revisions
• Content prep and strategic support Development:
  • Website infrastructure
  • Front-end development (fully responsive for mobile, tablet, desktop)
  • Content migration, CMS training and content population Testing and QA- bug resolution Post-launch support
  • 30 days of short-term support on all existing features and functionality
  • 60-day short-term post-launch website evaluation, including analytics review and website audit, to identify areas for continued improvement 
• User-facing features and functionality:
  • WordPress CMS administration
  • Third-party service integrations
  • Privacy and security standards
  • WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility
  • Optimized with SEO best practices
  • Functional and performance testing and quality assurance/control

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Increase in traffic to the site
• Increase in inquiries received from key audiences
• Increase in media mentions
• Increased engagement on site, including:
  • time on site
  • page views per session
  • repeat visits
  • decreased bounce rate
• Increase in touch points with key audiences, including:
  • Email capture
• Provides easily accessible information (about the Labs, latest updates, research projects, etc.) for all audiences.
• Clearly defines the two Labs as separate entities, while also making it easy to understand the ways they overlap and are intertwined.
• Is easy for staff to use, update, and edit.

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

We communicated regularly over Basecamp and regular meetings. They were responsive and timely. I also had monthly meetings with the ED of Teal, which was helpful for maintaining open communication.

What was your primary form of communication with Teal Media?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I worked with Teal Media to design and program our website and our team’s experience was nothing short of exceptional. They embodied creativity, flexibility, thoughtfulness, and a solutions-oriented approach that made the entire process not just productive but also enjoyable. Working with them was like a journey of discovery, where every idea we had was met with enthusiasm and transformed into a beautiful reality.

The final product they delivered exceeded our expectations and has undeniably elevated all our communication efforts. We couldn't be happier with the results; we wholeheartedly recommend their services to anyone seeking to unlock the true potential of their online presence.

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

Teal helped to design our PPT template and this production process lacked some attention to detail.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of communications for ANCOR, the American Network of Community Options and Resources. We’re a nonprofit trade association with around 2,000 members nationwide that provide services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We also have a 501(c)(3) charitable arm called The ANCOR Foundation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Teal Media?

We were in desperate need of an overhaul of both of our company websites: our main site and our foundation’s site. Both websites were woefully outdated and hard to navigate, and their information architecture wasn’t structured well. Thus, we wanted to create more user-friendly websites for our members and visitors, as well as websites that were easier to manage for our staff.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Teal Media has completely redeveloped our websites, integrating a new resource library that allows us to index and categorize reports and publications in a user-friendly and intuitive way so that users can search and filter content. This library also allows us to feature that content in various other parts of the site.

In addition to the website’s overhaul, we’ve worked with Teal Media to do a full integration of our association management system (AMS). Thanks to this integration, our member database is fully integrated into our websites, so all of our users can access them and log in through a single sign-on system.

As for the technology stack, Teal Media has built and completely customized both websites in WordPress. Additionally, we use NetForum as our AMS and Higher Logic as our member discussion forum. Teal Media has been in charge of developing the custom integrations needed so that the three platforms can be linked. Currently, they provide us with website maintenance and hosting services.

What is the team composition?

Altogether, we’ve worked with eight people from Teal Media. Around 5–6 people out of those eight were part of the project team during the development process, and we regularly communicated with Tiffany (Senior Project Manager) and Jeff (Senior Developer). Now, we work with Rebecca (Technical Project Manager) for the ongoing maintenance.

How did you come to work with Teal Media?

Alex (Senior Manager Director) is my friend and former colleague. When he started working at Teal Media, he moved from one city to another, and we got connected again. I happen to mention that we were looking for someone to help us build a new website, and he offered their services.

Initially, I didn’t think that Teal Media would be a good fit for us because we wanted to go in a different direction technology-wise. Still, Alex introduced us to some people on their team who helped us understand the realm of possibilities. After that, I decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The original project to rebuild both sites cost around $140,000. Now, we pay them around $10,000 per year for maintenance.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2021, and we launched the websites in September 2022. However, we continue to work with Teal Media for ongoing maintenance and hosting.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve heard from several members that our websites are visually stunning and much easier to navigate. In the past, our members had trouble finding things on our website, but we’ve never had that problem again since its redevelopment.

Before launching the websites, we did some user testing to identify their pain points. During that process, we found out that users were able to complete discrete tasks in about a fourth of the time they took to complete the same tasks on our former sites. This result was a clear indicator that the sites delivered by Teal Media had a cleaner UI and a much more well-structured information architecture.

How did Teal Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Teal Media’s project management is fantastic from all fronts. We launched the site on the day we planned to launch a year prior, and we came a little under budget, which was remarkable.

I’ve rebuilt other websites and worked with other service providers in the past, so I was anticipating a much more cumbersome process than it was. Still, Teal Media has done a really good job of alleviating our pain points and facilitating a smooth and easy process, which has surprised me.

During the development process, Tiffany was professional, communicative, open, friendly, and patient — she had all the qualities we wanted from a project manager. Although we haven’t worked with Rebecca as much, she seems to be fantastic as well.

As for collaboration tools, Teal Media uses Basecamp for project management and BugHerd for bug tracking. After the sites were delivered, we had a three-month period during which we populated them with content, using BugHerd to report the bugs we found along the way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Teal Media is patient, kind, smart, creative, and thoughtful — I can’t say enough good things about them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything Teal Media could improve on. Even though I’m always a tough critic, I can’t think of a moment when I’ve felt unsatisfied with their services. The only instances when I felt frustrated or overwhelmed happened because we were working on so many other projects simultaneously.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Nonprofit, public foundation and I am the Communications Director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We have used Teal for several web-related projects but most recently worked with them to build a microsite featuring data from a research project. The site was created using their Archie platform. The project's goals were to create a site that could host data highlights, grantee stories, and allow the viewer to wade through complex information with ease.

SOLUTION

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

I have worked with Teal on multiple websites builds over my career. They are always professional, on budget, and on time while providing creative solutions to meet the project's needs.

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

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss the project's goals, set up a timeline and managed the project in basecamp. We then followed up with weekly progress meetings and check-in emails. There was a lot of space provided for feedback and changes.

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

Three people from Teal's team worked with us. Developer, designer, and project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching the site, major donors reached out to us to share how impressed they were with the site and its usability. We heard positive feedback from multiple stakeholders who shared the microsite within their networks. The site itself has helped us bring in hundreds of thousands of donations.

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

Open communication and always timely in response and requests. They are very clear in their needs and the client's responsibilities to respond promptly to meet deadlines. The team's in-person communication is clear and direct -- I always left meetings knowing who was doing what and by when.

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

They are an incredibly talented team who does what they say they will do. Their staff is dreamy to work with and are experts in their fields. They think outside the box to create websites that meet the needs of organizations and work within an org's budget. That's incredibly necessary when working with nonprofits.

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

When we first launched, there was some funky graphic rendering, which they corrected immediately.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations at More Perfect Union.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Teal Media?

We needed a company that could help us update and migrate our existing website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I hired Teal Media to migrate our website from Webflow CMS to WordPress and expand our website pages. We initially had just a landing page and a home page, and they helped us build out subsequent pages to demonstrate our chapters and our blog posts. They also helped develop some of the images and textured graphics that we have on our site.

Aside from that, Teal Media helped us elevate our SEO by Integrating the plug-in Yoast into the site, allowing us to analyze our SEO. They also gave us recommendations for how to improve our SEO efforts and integrated various forms into the site. They connected our gravity forms to Zapier and then connected that to our CRM.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Ellen (Designer), Jason (Chief Technology Officer), Jessica (Principal), Joey (Developer), Perry (Frontend Engineer), and Tiffany (Sr. Project Manager).

How did you come to work with Teal Media?

I had received proposals from a couple of different agencies. When I reached out to Teal Media, they seemed to be in the same approach that I was seeking, which was switching to WordPress. And when they had proposed their designs, they provided me with some examples and case studies that they had done in the past. 

Most of their work was really clean, mobile-friendly, and easy to use, and this was a really big part of why we chose to work with them for this project. I had also gotten referrals from some past clients that had worked with them in the past.

How much have you invested with them?

We paid $54,000 for the web development project. I have since hired them on a retainer basis.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Teal Media delivered everything on time and within budget. Our website works flawlessly, and there have been no concerns about the content of the work that's been accomplished.

How did Teal Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Teal Media has been extremely easy to work with. They’re very communicative, and I can tell that their organization within their company is top-notch. We use Basecamp to manage the project, which keeps me aware of their progress and what the next steps are. 

The project manager is also incredibly helpful and accessible — they always give me ample time to accomplish what I need to do and keep me up to date with any changes that might have happened. They’re also very flexible and accommodating to our changing needs.

We typically communicate through email and Google Hangouts.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Teal Media has been very transparent and flexible. There were definitely times when we went beyond the scope of the project, but they’ve never given us any additional charge. They’re also really quick to adjust designs when we aren’t happy with them. Just knowing that they’re always willing and able to adjust to our needs is an integral part of our relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have any complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to explain the needs of your organization from a macro perspective so that Teal Media can work towards that and not just accomplish what’s needed at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of strategic communications at Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Teal Media?

We hired Teal Media to handle a complete rebranding of our organization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the beginning of our engagement with Teal Media, they evaluated our existing branding while working in conjunction with another vendor handling polling and messaging research for us. The research from our other vendor drove a lot of Teal Media’s branding process, which meant the branding process started several months after we brought on Teal Media. 

Once the branding process started, Teal Media began developing a new logo, tagline, and color palette for our organization. After three design iterations, our team finalized the branding, and then Teal Media delivered new branding materials, including stationery and social media templates. We did, however, develop several branding materials in-house using the branding Teal Media developed. 

Once the branding was complete, Teal Media designed and developed a new website for us, utilizing InVision and WordPress. The website’s purpose was to educate new users on our central messaging around the importance of supporting the separation of church and state in the US through nonprofit advocacy. We also requested Teal Media integrate a new CMS and migrate the thousands of pages of content from our previous site to the new one. Once the website was done, Teal Media helped us roll out the website and the new branding in one fell swoop. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with Tyler (Senior Project Manager), a research director, and several designers.

How did you come to work with Teal Media?

We put out an RFP and five companies bid on the project, including Teal Media. We researched each company and then hired Teal Media. Additionally, my former digital director had previous knowledge of Teal Media, and I’d received positive feedback about their work from one of their previous clients.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $220,000 with Teal Media. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Teal Media was from September 2020–March 2022. However, they’ll follow up with us in August 2022 for a six-month branding evaluation. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any specific metrics about the success of the rebranding because we only rolled it out two weeks ago. However, everyone in my organization, from the CEO to the design manager, is happy with Teal Media’s work. 

How did Teal Media perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve been working in communications for many years, and I’d say Teal Media was one of the top consultants I’ve worked with in terms of their project management. Their team kept us on track and communicated clearly — they ensured we stuck to timelines even though our very opinionated team often takes a lot of time to make decisions.

Teal Media managed the project in Basecamp, and we had at least one Zoom meeting a week to discuss the project. Most of our communication was through Basecamp, although we emailed as well. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated that Teal Media listened to our needs. We presented them with a very complex rebranding project for an older, loyal audience who liked our old branding. However, Teal Media updated our dated branding to attract younger, more diverse audiences while still appealing to our original audience. Their team was exceedingly creative, patient, and sensitive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Teal Media could expand their in-house messaging capacity because it was sometimes a little difficult to coordinate the messaging development process between two vendors. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise customers to hire Teal Media! Also, I’d suggest that customers learn how to use Basecamp as soon as the project starts to avoid miscommunication. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive vice president of patient advocacy engagement and education for the National Patient Advocate Foundation. We work to provide people access to equitable, affordable, and quality healthcare.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Teal Media?

We needed a company that could help us refresh our website. Our website was old — it was almost five years old and it did not reflect the depth and breadth of the work that we did. It was poorly organized, very difficult to navigate, and not engaging enough for an organization whose focus is on engagement and advocacy.

We decided that it was time for a total refresh of the website. We wanted to reorganize the content that we were presenting, and we wanted the site to mirror the work that we do instead of just being a repository for our materials.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Teal Media did a total redesign of our website, which involved changing the way people navigated the site, what the user experience looked like, and what content we wanted to highlight.

They redesigned the site on a WordPress platform. They also updated the site’s technology and content management system, making it easier for our team to load content on the site and keep it updated.

What is the team composition?

We worked with at least seven people from Teal Media. 

How did you come to work with Teal Media?
We sent out an RFP, but we actually found Teal Media through my niece, who had worked with them before. We chose Teal Media because we loved their thoughtfulness and the rigor with which they approached the RFP. Their responses were very personalized — they even showed us sample websites based on how they were planning on approaching the project.

We also loved the work that they had done before, and the chemistry with our team and theirs was excellent. They were very open, creative, and curious. Most importantly, they actually spent time learning about our organization prior to working with us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent somewhere around $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from March 2021-November 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After we launched the site, we saw more visitors than we had ever had before. The anecdotal feedback that we've been getting is excellent as well.

One of the things that we really wanted to do was drive more people to our homepage. We wanted people to not just get to the different parts of our website through a Google search, but to actually go through our homepage to see everything that we offered. With that in mind, we saw a significant increase in the number of visits to our homepage as well the time spent on it.

How did Teal Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Teal Media performed excellently in terms of project management. We stayed on schedule and everything was very well done.

We used Basecamp to manage the project. We also had regular meetings as well as learning sessions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Teal Media listened to us. They tried to see things through our lens, and they used their expertise to take the goal that we articulated and turn it into action. I’ve done a lot of websites throughout my career, and oftentimes companies had just told me what they thought we should do based on their perspectives. But this wasn’t the case with Teal Media. Their biggest asset was the way that they listened carefully to us to be able to understand our perspective and goals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything that Teal Media could have done differently — everybody on our team was extremely happy with them and their work. In fact, we’ve already hired them again to do some more design and development work for us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to really be clear about what you want, what your goals are, what issues you want to address. It is also your obligation to prepare for the project and commit the necessary time and resources for its success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State; we’re a nonprofit organization that advocates separation of church and state for religious freedom.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Teal Media?

We wanted to rebrand our company, create a tagline, revitalize our mission and vision statements, and create a new website to modernize our cause and ensure that it resonated with a broader and more diverse audience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Teal Media did rebranding and website design and development for us. Currently, we’re in the testing phase to ensure that everything is functioning properly.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with eight members of their team, including a project lead and project coordinator, which are our main points of contact.

How did you come to work with Teal Media?

They were referred to us, and we chose them because they had great reviews from their references. We also read that they understood the progressive movement, which enabled them to get concrete results from their collected data. Additionally, we clicked and connected with them during the pitch.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re delighted with their work; they’ve provided us with incredible results on our website and the new look and feel of our cause. They’ve been helping us attractively present ourselves to a more diverse crowd without shaking our identity in a profound way for our old-time supporters. Overall, we appreciate their products and are delighted by their processes, and they’ve executed perfectly all along the way from step one — they’re pros on what they do!

How did Teal Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project handling is above the norm; they’ve always been on time, managed us gracefully and firmly, and reduced anxiety levels around what could’ve been a blow-up. 

They also make the process easygoing, enabling the product to be as good as possible — every person in our staff deeply appreciates and is aware of their expertise.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They know how to understand our cause to make it come alive in a beautiful and accessible way in modern times — they do all that exceptionally well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I ask myself the same question all the time, but I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — they’ve been responsive, cooperative with our other consultants, and have guided us gently but firmly. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Talk to them to see if they’re aligned with your issue; they’re experts on their work, but them being all-in is an added bonus.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of communications at The Colorado Trust, a private philanthropic foundation based in Denver with a statewide focus on Colorado.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Teal Media?

We had the same website for six years, and it was time to refresh its look and streamline the path to our popular pages. We were looking for someone to revamp our website. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Teal Media conducted a comprehensive redesign of our website. First, we had planning meetings to figure out our strategy and approach. They spent a lot of time learning about our organization and target audiences. We also discussed what we were hoping to achieve with the redesign. 

From there, Teal Media created wireframes and conducted UX testing. After finalizing the design, they proceeded to develop our website.

We’ve already launched the site, and Teal Media currently provides us with post-launch support and maintenance. They’re working on some lingering QA items and post-launch enhancements.

What is the team composition?

We regularly work with six teammates, including Jessica (Principal), a project manager, designers, and programmers.

How did you come to work with Teal Media?

We had an RFP process and gathered 40 proposals from firms across the country. We had 8–10 finalists, narrowing it down to four. We ended up choosing Teal Media over their competition. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $140,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve started working together in March 2021, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Teal Media’s work has received nothing but positive feedback from all of our stakeholders. 

How did Teal Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Teal Media is outstanding at project management. I’ve been part of several website redesign projects at various jobs over the years, and they are the most efficient agency that I’ve ever worked with. They’ve stayed under budget and on schedule the entire time, and we’ve encountered a few surprises along the way.

We use Basecamp to collaborate. We’ve never had a meeting last longer than an hour — they come in with clear agendas. They are responsive to any questions and concerns we have. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m stunned by how efficient Teal Media’s team is. The process they follow is clearly time-tested and well-honed that I never have to worry about anything. 

We never encounter curveballs — they’re confident with their abilities and good at listening to our concerns. They push back when needed, and they’re pretty much right about everything. They’re a well-oiled machine through and through. 

We find ourselves leaning into their expertise and advice whenever possible. It’s amazing how they guide us into different solutions that we have not been aware of. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. We have nothing but positive feedback for Teal Media.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust Teal Media’s team — they really know what they’re doing. Be open-minded and respect their expertise. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital lead organizer for I AM ALS, a nonprofit that works towards finding a cure for ALS. We empower and mobilize patients to lead in the movement for an ALS cure, and we also provide direct resources to those who are living with ALS and their loved ones.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Teal Media?

We had a website from when we officially launched in January 2019. It allowed us to introduce ourselves to the community, but didn’t necessarily connect them with the services we offer. 

We wanted to build a really innovative, user-friendly hub where people could go and easily connect to the resources they need, while also still letting people figure out who we are.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Teal Media updated our branding and the visual design of our website, as well as carrying out the development for the new features to make it function in the way we wanted it to. The site is based on WordPress.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a total of about seven people, including Jessica (Principal) and Jason (CTO). We worked with Austin (Web Developer), Anna (Project Manager), and Liz (Director of Client Services), who helped do the initial research. We also worked with Ryan (Associate Creative & Experience Director), who informed us on UX and how we could improve our design elements.

How did you come to work with Teal Media?

We found Teal Media through one of our board members, who had worked with them previously. They were one of five different companies that submitted proposals to our RFP. 

At the end, it came down to two different teams, including Teal Media. We had a session with each team to really talk through our challenges and see who might be a better creative partner for us. 

We felt certain that Teal Media would be able to provide us not just with a really innovative solution, but also with an understanding of the community we were trying to serve. 

What is the status of this engagement?

They worked on the website from March–October 2020, but we’re still working together since they’re responsible for maintaining the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen an increase in our website traffic by over 200% percent this year. More people are coming to our website, and they’re staying there longer. 

Something that’s not quite as tangible is the positive feedback we’ve been getting from the community, who find the site to be an incredibly useful tool. 

Teal Media went above and beyond in creating something that’s making a difference in the movement. They helped us provide a different model in the rare disease space in how we can provide resources and develop tools to mobilize communities.  

How did Teal Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. We had a deadline, and the team knew how important it was for us to meet it, and they ended up beating it. Teal Media put measures in place to keep the project on track and make sure we delivered ahead of time.

We typically communicate through Basecamp. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Teal Media is a creative partner throughout the entire process. They came to us with ideas that allowed us to think outside the box. The team also did a really good job of taking our feedback in things that didn’t seem like the right fit and coming back with a solution that continued to innovate, but also met our needs. They were and continue to be incredible at that. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. They’ve been excellent throughout the process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come with a clear understanding of what you’re trying to do, present them the problem, and ask them to come back with solutions. Teal Media will be able to come back with options that accomplish what you’re looking for.