ThompsonStenning

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Communications and Development Manager of a family support nonprofit.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our organization strengthens relationships between children and families and between families and their communities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire ThompsonStenning to accomplish?

• Create a new website
• Create a new microsite

SOLUTION

How did you find ThompsonStenning?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select ThompsonStenning over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from ThompsonStenning were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

They were to create a new website for us because ours was old, slow, and very bogged down. After we loved the new website so much we also asked them to create a microsite for one of the services we offer with a slight rebrand. They did all our branding, and web development. They have also helped with support whenever issues arise as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The amount of new visitors we were getting on the website, increased form submissions, increased readability, increased speed, better google rankings, etc.

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

They are extremely efficient and well organized. 

They have never missed a deadline, and they would be the ones waiting for us as we would take more time than they would. They were always transparent and understanding throughout the whole process. 

What was your primary form of communication with ThompsonStenning?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Just the overall understanding and vibe of things. They never questioned any of our requests and never made them feel silly or small. They treated everything equally important which was a great feeling, and never made us feel dumb for being inexperienced.

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

no!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Stacey Barr Pty Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provide training and facilitation solutions to help leaders execute strategy and transform organisational performance through evidence-based management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire ThompsonStenning to accomplish?

• A new PuMP brand that modernises and integrates its look & feel
• A new website design that spotlights our core methodology, PuMP
• A new website build that makes it easier to manage all PuMP's programs

SOLUTION

How did you find ThompsonStenning?

• Referral
• Existing relationship

Why did you select ThompsonStenning over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned
• Previous work satisfaction

How many teammates from ThompsonStenning were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of this project was to bring all the PuMP products together under a single brand look & feel, and a single website so that:

1. Customers can easily see the complete range of PuMP products
2. Customers who have memberships in more than one product can more easily access each product from the one site
3. The PuMP brand is stronger with pump.academy
4. The PuMP brand can be separated from the Stacey Barr brand more easily in the future
5. The PuMP products are easier to manage with one website (one change rather than changing each individual website)
6. The PuMP products can more easily share the same online experience (branding, functionality, etc…)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Result 1: Because it’s all in one place, and more professionally designed, the PuMP business is easier to manage.

• Measure 1.1: Website Support Costs = Total monthly expenses for website hosting, maintenance and care support
• Measure 1.2: Website Content Management Time = Total monthly hours for managing shoppingcart, membership programs, content updates and new content additions
• Measure 1.3: Website Content Management Costs = Total monthly expenses for admin support to perform website content management tasks

Result 2: PuMP products are easier to find and buy.

• Measure 2.1: Product Page Views = Total monthly views of product sales pages
• Measure 2.2: Product Page Unique Visitors = Total monthly unique visitors to product sales pages
• Measure 2.3: Product Page Duration = Average time visitors stayed on the page, in seconds

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

Sheldon and Sarah were always on time with meeting both planned task timelines. But they both were also very responsive to ad hoc or unforseen tasks, over and above the planned tasks. I know how busy they are with many client projects, and yet they still treated me like I was their only client.

What was your primary form of communication with ThompsonStenning?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Sarah & Sheldon have a very organized and professional approach to working with clients. But even more impressive is how quickly they could both tune into what I was trying to create, and come back to me with options that were very easy to choose from. They feel like an extension of my own company's team and culture.

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

The only *tiny* thing I can think of, amidst all the tasks in this huge project, is that we both probably overlooked a small step in logo image final production: before finalising the logo files, we could have tested them in more of the documents and locations I would be using them, to ensure they were "plug and play" and not needing any trimming.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Communications Coordinator of North Dakota Domestic & Sexual Violence Coalition (NDDSVC)

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The North Dakota Domestic & Sexual Violence Coalition (NDDSVC) supports and serves as a unified voice for 19 domestic violence/sexual assault (DV/SA) victim advocacy centers across North Dakota.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire ThompsonStenning to accomplish?

• Organization Renaming
• New Logo & Branding
• Website Design & Development

SOLUTION

How did you find ThompsonStenning?

Referral

Why did you select ThompsonStenning over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me
• Worked with similar organizations to ours, understood our work and needs

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

ThompsonStenning assisted us in renaming our organization and refreshing our branding. They provided information, guided worksheets, and consulted with us on options for our new name. They created several logo concepts for us and refined those concepts to meet our needs. Once we chose our final logo, ThompsonStenning then delivered us a complete brand package with logo variants, brand guidelines, brand fonts, a color palette, and branded collateral. 

Once the renaming and branding work was complete, ThompsonStenning then designed and developed a new website for us. They consulted with us to plan website pages, organization, and functions. They created wireframe designs and refined the designs and content to meet our needs. They then developed the website and brought the planned functions and designs to life. ThompsonStenning also provided copy editing and refinement services to the website content that we provided.

When the website was complete and ready to launch, ThompsonStenning gave us a training session on how to edit and operate our new website. They are also providing us with ongoing website maintenance and support. 

Key Deliverables:

• Logo & Brand Development
• Brand Guidelines Website
• Branded Collateral (PowerPoint, Letterhead, Email Signature)
• Copy Editing and Refinement
• Website Design & Development
• Ongoing Website Training & Support

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With our new name, we now get less questions about what our name means, who we are, and what we do.

Our new logo is more readable overall than our previous one, and especially at small sizes. The logo variants provided by ThompsonStenning also allow us more opportunities to brand materials, helping us get our name out there more and generate some brand recognition.

With our new brand and guidelines, our brand materials are more consistent and professional looking, making our organization appear more trustworthy.

ThompsonStenning helped us take our website from 85 pages to 39 pages, all without losing essential information. In fact, our website actually has more content on it than it did before. The improved functions, designs, and organization from ThompsonStenning allow us to do a lot more with a lot less. Our website users now have access to more information and have to spend less time digging through pages to find it. 

Our website is also more engaging and interactive for our users. We now have an interactive map tool where we once just had an image. We have custom forms where our members can submit jobs and events to be advertised on our website. 

The new website design also allowed for more photographs on the website, making the it both more visually appealing and people-oriented due to more pictures of people.

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

The project was managed through Asana, email, and Zoom calls. 

ThompsonStenning delivered items within a reasonable timeframe and worked well with us even while being in separate time zones. They were always responsive to our feedback and looked for solutions to our needs. They were very kind and willing to answer all of the questions that we had about branding, website development, and best practices. I also appreciated that they were always very approachable. I know that I can reach out to them and ask questions whenever needed.

What was your primary form of communication with ThompsonStenning?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I greatly appreciate that they create things with the end user in mind. There were several occasions where Sheldon and Sarah took extra steps to make the deliverables easy for us to use, even if it may have been an inconvenience on their end or it required taking a few extra steps to get there. They also respectfully let us know when things we asked for didn't necessarily follow website best practices or would create future headaches for us. They were focused on making their clients happy, but they are not just "yes men". They are consultants that guide you with their experience and expertise.

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

There were a few times where I thought communication could have been better, but nothing major. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the communications manager at the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, the small environmental nonprofit seeking to complete, promote, and protect the 3,100-mile Continental Divide National Scenic Trail.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ThompsonStenning?

After 10 years of poorly-planned growth, our website had become nigh-unusable, frequently crashing, unrepresentative of our brand standards, and generally a tangled knot that was hard to navigate. We were looking for an update to our web design in line with current branding, but with a good deal of help in project management and future planning, as our nonprofit is not large enough to support a long

SOLUTION

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

We reviewed over 30 different RFPs from contractors when deciding on this project. We had a tight budget, but also wanted to make sure that the resulting project could stand the test of time by being of a contemporary but timeless aesthetic with easy upkeep. ThompsonStenning's clean, fresh, and personable aesthetic caught our eye first, but they distinguished themselves with a clear focus on user experience during the interview stage of our process.

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

After a series of initial discussions, ThompsonStenning offered us an untangled and simplified version of our previously awful site map. From there, our project was punctuated with a series of emails and Zoom calls to ensure that our desired functionality for each page was being planned for.

Shortly after that, we were offered three versions of different design aesthetics to choose between — there was a clear winner to us, and we chose one avenue, and the process of updating existing pages for the new plan was undertaken. Each stage of the process had time for rounds of feedback and revision.

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

We worked at times with both co-founders, but primarily communicated with Sheldon Stenning.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For an important start, this was the first kickoff to our End of Year fundraising campaign in recent memory during which the site did not crash! That alone was a huge help for getting ready for end of year. We've also had multiple major donors express their enjoyment of the new experience, and folks in rural/low-cell phone coverage areas have been able to view the updated mobile experience more easily, which was important to us.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

ThompsonStenning's members were both very responsive via email and reachable by Zoom for those moments in which we needed to talk through more complex ideas or concerns.

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

ThompsonStenning had a complete focus on updating user experience, which was a great help from getting us out of our ostrich-in-the-sand "this is how we've always done it!" mentality. They creatively brainstormed ways for us to best showcase existing content and provide resources for our users, such as a searchable database of suggested hikes, which we'd never considered, and vastly simplifying our volunteer registration.

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

A touch more guidance on project management would've helped our small team "sell" the process in-house, but overall, we were extremely pleased with workflow, communication, and the end product.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Communications Officer here at the Goulbourn Museum. We are a local Museum dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of the history of our area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ThompsonStenning?

Our website was quite old and beginning to lose functionality. We contracted ThompsonStenning to assist us with a complete overhaul to both increase its functionality and the aesthetic appeal.

SOLUTION

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

After considering a number of options, the team at ThompsonStenning was determined to be the best fit- they are an absolute delight to work with. We were impressed with the quality of their work going into the project, as well as their ability to help us realize our overall vision.

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

The project was essentially the complete redesign of our website from the ground up. After collaborating and expressing our desired functionalities and outcomes, the team at ThomsponStenning provided us with mockups and wireframes so we could collaboratively move forward. They then created the website and assisted us with its population.

They also integrated external sites, Wild Apricot, into the website to allow us a more streamlined workflow for considerations such as membership signup. Finally, they wrote a technical document to assist us with its maintenance, as well as providing training to our team- they were extremely receptive to any and all questions we had.

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

Throughout the project our points of contact were: Sarah - Co-Founder and Art Director Sheldon - Co-Founder and Digital Director We can't express enough what a delight it was to work with them!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new website has a modern and clean feel to it, while enormously increasing the ease of navigation and functionality.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were enormously impressed with the level of collaboration and coordination between our team and theirs. Sarah and Sheldon are extremely capable and always willing to provide assistance.

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

We were most impressed with ThompsonStennings' ability to understand what we were requesting and make it a reality! As a small museum, our level of technical inclination isn't always the highest, but Sarah and Sheldon were always willing to listen and collaborate.

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

If it's not broken don't fix it! We we're extremely happy every step of the way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief of staff at Population Services International. We’re an international global health nonprofit providing essential health services and products to consumers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ThompsonStenning?

There was a desire by our board to have more professionalized, more enhanced, and better quality products for their three-times annual board of directors meeting. Primarily, we focused on the board briefing book for each of the meetings as well as other materials throughout the year.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ThompsonStenning helps us with all things board book production-related. The books can range anywhere from 100–250 pages of materials. They’re a mix of documents, pictures, charts, and other types of media.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with the two co-founders and the principal of ThompsonStenning.

How did you come to work with ThompsonStenning?

I had a previous relationship with ThompsonStenning from another organization, so I was familiar with their work. Because I’d had such a good experience and observed that they were such responsive professionals who created a great product, I reached out to them to respond to our RFP.

How much have you invested with them?

On any one given project, the cost would be between $1,000–$1,500 CAD (approximately $790–$1,200 USD). Over the course of our work, I’d say we’ve spent $10,000–$20,000 CAD (approximately $7,900–$15,800 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together at least three times a year, if not more, since April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measure ThompsonStenning’s success in a number of ways. One is how satisfied our CEO is with the work product, as well as how satisfied the board of directors are. We get continual, positive feedback about the quality of materials they produce for us, both on the senior staff and board of directors level. 

I myself track how many rounds of revisions various projects take and how quickly we get through them. ThompsonStenning hits the mark every time. 

ThompsonStenning does a great job of working within my organization’s brand guidelines to create really captivating and accessible materials for our board members. They’re able to take all different types of materials and bring them together into a very aesthetically pleasing and accessible document for all of our board members to consume.

Their team really helps us to be able to make a lot of complex, lengthy information digestible. They have a great eye for design elements, and they do everything with respect for our organization’s colors, logos, and everything else. It’s so aligned with the kinds of products we create in-house, no one would even know that an outside firm is behind this work. 

How did ThompsonStenning perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is always available and super responsive. They work quickly and respond and adjust to any requests I have, no matter how big or small.

Now that we’ve been working together for awhile, they’re even quicker. They anticipate our needs and are able to fit into the style and outputs we want. ThompsonStenning really has become an extension of our own team.

We primarily use email to communicate and DropBox for sharing files, which is my preference. I’m sure they’re very adaptable to lots of different communication styles, but this is what works for us. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

With so many big design firms, you have to wait for days, if not weeks, to even see a first draft of a project. With ThompsonStenning, the turnaround is extremely quick, which is something I’ve really come to rely upon and appreciate. 

On top of that, the quality of the work they do is amazing. They’re able to produce really beautiful books for our board of directors. That, combined with how quickly they’re able to manage the projects and get through drafts for us is excellent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only area that comes to mind is that sometimes there can be small details of a project that are overlooked. I think that’s just general human error, and they do an overall great job and I value the speed with which they work. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Definitely strongly consider working with ThompsonStenning. They’re a great, responsive, kind, energetic, and talented team. They know the mission-driven social organization space well. For anyone that wants great quality, great value, and great working relationships, along with having a design firm that actually cares about what your organization cares about, you can’t go wrong with ThompsonStenning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the public affairs director at the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. We’re a statewide membership organization comprised of domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, and other allied professionals. Although we don’t provide direct services to survivors of domestic or sexual violence, we do work on public policy initiatives and help provide education and resources to the service providers at our member agencies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ThompsonStenning?

We wanted to redesign our website to make it more accessible and inclusive. We wanted not only the website but also our social media platforms to be ADA compliant. That’s why we wanted to work on our brand guidelines because we wanted to incorporate that compliance throughout all of our communication channels.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ThompsonStenning initially familiarized themselves with our current website, communication channels, and publications. Once they grasped our brand message, we started talking about what ADA compliance would look like on our website. They needed to make a clear path to our online resources, which includes our research publications and directory of service providers. Their team’s still building the website completely from scratch.

Their team also worked on our brand. They put together a new brand package for us, including a logo, colors, and typography. Their team helped us streamline all of our communications.

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with two people from ThompsonStenning.

How did you come to work with ThompsonStenning?

ThompsonStenning responded to our RFP. What stood out about their proposal compared to the others was their organization’s mission. They closely worked with other nonprofits and municipal governments to develop brands that would help them stand out and tell their stories. Their team came up with innovative and striking designs for other nonprofits.

How much have you invested with them?

We accepted their proposal that came in at just over $16,000, and we’re still on budget with that.

What is the status of this engagement?

We released our RFP in June 2020 and officially began working with ThompsonStenning in the fall of 2020. We’re still working with them and planning to launch the new website in spring 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with Sarah (Co-Founder) on our branding guidelines was a successful and productive process. She learned more about our organization and then gave us realistic options. It was a collaborative process, so she didn’t force any branding on us. Rather, she provided us with options after getting to know us better.  

I also appreciate their style of communication. We have open communication channels and collaboration, which you don’t always have when you contract out for services. They’re open and flexible to feedback.

How did ThompsonStenning perform from a project management standpoint?

We primarily communicate via email and Zoom. To share materials, we use a Dropbox file. Our communication has been absolutely fantastic. They’re quick to provide us with updates as soon as any happen. I told them that I tend to let my inbox pile up, and their team diplomatically follows up when I don't reply to them.  This ensures I review updates and request a time to chat.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What’s most impressive about ThompsonStenning is their honesty. In the beginning, I asked direct questions about what changes their team would make to our website. I asked for critiques and appreciated their honest answers. Their team didn’t placate or give us compliments to secure the contract.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be aware of the time change because ThompsonStenning is a Canadian company based in Vancouver. We also have to pay close attention to our funding sources for this contract because we’re working with an international contractor. For other nonprofits or government entities based in the US, pay attention to that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a communications and events manager at the Aurora Cultural Center. We’re a nonprofit charitable organization delivering cultural services to the town of Aurora, Ontario.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ThompsonStenning?

We initially needed to outsource design services. Our organization has multiple community focuses, including performing arts, education, and galleries. We needed some expertise to bind that vision through design.

We also needed to move communications about some of our programs into more of a year-long offering, which dovetailed with what a lot of performing arts organizations were doing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ThompsonStenning started out by providing a lot of print collateral, including posters, brochures, and ads that went into our town guide and local media. That collateral helped to promote all of our gallery shows, performing arts exhibitions, and classes. They also redesigned how we communicate with our community about all of our seasonal offerings.

After delivering that collateral, they began to help us with brand cohesion. One of the things they noted was that they really liked our brand, but they felt it needed to be refreshed based on our organizational goals. They wanted to have an in-depth conversation.

We’re located in central Canada, and they’re located on the west coast. They actually flew in to meet with our team and really get a feel for our organization. Since we’re a community organization, they wanted to see how we worked within the community and how our team delivered, given that we're multi-purpose. They got to know our team and met with our board of directions. After aggregating all of the information they collected, they suggested doing a brand refresh. 

At that time, we were launching into online ticketing sales, so we also wanted to refresh our website. Another organization was developing the website. ThompsonStenning led a really robust persona exercise. Then, they incorporated that into creating a better web experience and a complete brand refresh. They created sub-brands for the various programs that we deliver, which included iconography and brand colors. The team created new brand standards. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with the two principals.

How did you come to work with ThompsonStenning?

We did a national RFP. A lot of locally based designers responded to our RFP, but ThompsonStenning’s response took us by surprise because they’re halfway across the country. I hadn’t considered working so remotely, but the fact that they wanted to start by understanding our organizational culture and goals meant that they were a listening organization.

I asked one of their principals how they found us, and she said that they’re always looking for RFP opportunities. I liked the fact that they were business-focused and interested in expanding their business.

What is the status of this engagement?

I sent out the RFP in February 2019, and we awarded it to ThompsonStenning that May. We’re in the midst of a three-year contract.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our team’s response to the cohesiveness of the brand, particularly as it now pertains to the digital realm, has been positive. We really noticed the fruits of ThompsonStenning’s labor after about a year. There is such cohesion across everything that represents our organization.

We’ve also been able to level up in terms of the professionalism of our reporting, and a lot of that has to do with the dialog. We need to do reporting to town funders and organizations that give us grants.

How did ThompsonStenning perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management skills are excellent. Since we’re a very small organization, we have a lot of direct email contact with them — we don’t need to use Slack or anything like that. For file sharing, they use Dropbox.

We also meet regularly on Zoom to discuss quarterly design needs and yearly goals. They always come with their thoughts well-organized. They have an agenda and are respectful of time, but they also allow for a free-flowing discussion. We share our thoughts first, and then they come back to us with advice and what they’re thinking. After the meeting, they promptly follow up to reiterate what we covered and how they want to move forward. Part of their success is that they’re so organized. 

They provide really robust and current design practices and ethos. For instance, they have let us know that we can get our message across better with edited copy and a couple of graphics, rather than using too many pictures. My team and I have really appreciated those types of conversations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their fresh design work stands out. We did the best we could with our design in-house, but outsourcing our design to ThompsonStenning has really leveled up our organization and how our brand is presented to the outside world. They helped us look a lot more professional and polished. They’re also really good communicators. The team is prompt and unfailingly upbeat.

The brand refresh was like a bonus for us; it went beyond the brief, but it really responded to what we ultimately needed. Since I take care of communications, I’m responsible for messaging, and ThompsonStenning guided me so that I understood messaging is different from design. This was a learning experience for me. They helped me understand the parameters and what I needed to do and provide. It was a very iterative process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

For my purposes, I can’t think of anything.

Any advice for potential customers?

Trust the process. They really do take a partnership approach to how they’re going to work with you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm Director of Community Engagement at a not-for-profit Foundation based in Santiago, Chile, that works to build sustainable, child-friendly cities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ThompsonStenning?

We desperately needed a logo and brand package re-do.

What were your goals for this project?

Develop a new logo and visual brand that represents the Foundation.

SOLUTION

How did you select ThompsonStenning?

I came across Sarah after posting in a Facebook group for Vancouver-based communications and design professionals.

Describe the project in detail.

Following our initial "get to know the Foundation" meeting, we went through a series of design rounds. First, Sarah offered options for text identities. We selected and moved on to black and white logos. We had a number of rounds of back-and-forth, tailoring it to our tastes. Once settled, we were able to jump into colour palettes.

What was the team composition?

Sarah was our point-person for the full project. On our end, she conducted the initial meeting with me and other Directors. For subsequent activities, Sarah and I met.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sarah was able to generate a brand package for us within about 2.5 months, taking into account delays from our end.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Highly effective. Sarah was always communicative, proactive (advising ahead of time of vacation, etc.), and did a wonderful job managing our team by breaking down the steps of the process into manageable chunks.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The process; we had previous experience with another designer trying to develop a logo, and we ended up running in circles because too many variables were placed before us at once. They handled this beautifully, setting clear expectations from the start and helped us collaborate in a useful manner.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of Kitsilano Neighbourhood House. We’re a central hub for the neighborhood that provides child care, senior, and family services. People also come and share ideas for local advocacy initiatives. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ThompsonStenning?

We had a logo for probably 10–15 years. The colors were old, and it was hard to create posters and designs. For a while, we thought about recoloring our logo.

We initially designed a new logo with in-house expertise, so we had a feel for what we wanted at this engagement's outset. We wanted to stick to the traditional brand because it was well known in the community.

We considered two options. One option was to recolor the existing logo. The other was to find a more different look.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ThompsonStenning gave us a couple of options for a new logo. We chose our preference and then worked through the design process with them. Their team came back with our preferred design and then we looked at colors. Again, they gave us options.

They provided a new logo, color standards, fonts, and layout to make the brand collateral more modern without being corporate. Their team also provided guidelines and recommendations for our marketing efforts.

What is the team composition?

Essentially, we worked with Sarah (Co-Founder).

How did you come to work with ThompsonStenning?

We found them through a referral. One of my former colleagues looked at their website and saw that ThompsonStenning takes on a pro bono project every year. We had a chat with them, and their team offered to create a new logo for us.

How much have you invested with them?

Their team provided this work pro bono.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with ThompsonStenning in May 2020, and they wrapped up the project in June. I took the designs to the board for them to make some hard decisions, which caused the biggest delay.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Some people didn’t want to move away from our existing logo. Other people preferred the first or second design and then some people didn’t like the first set of colors. ThompsonStenning listened to our concerns throughout the process and produced a final product that excited us. Their team was able to get a sense of what we wanted to achieve through the feedback process.

How did ThompsonStenning perform from a project management standpoint?

All of our communication occurred online, primarily through e-mail. We had our initial meeting via video chat. If we wanted, we could follow up with online chats as needed. We were able to talk about our needs with them.

They followed a clear project structure and communicated openly. ThompsonStenning was right on time and helped me to make my deadlines. The whole project flowed smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They didn’t expect us to stick with their exact design, so there wasn’t a sense of ownership. Their team was open about the designs throughout the process. When we asked for additional color options, their team didn’t have problems providing them. ThompsonStenning clearly listened to what we needed and made it happen. They also gave pointers when I went to the board and community for feedback.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was happy throughout the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them as much material as possible. Be open with them about what you want to achieve. If you’re not sure about what you want, tell them your goal because their team can help you draw out a vision.