THOR Design Studio, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of communications at Colorado Bar Association, a legal services association.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with THOR Design Studio, Inc.?

We needed their team’s print design expertise.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve hired THOR Design Studio, Inc. for two different projects so far, mostly revolving around our association’s monthly flagship publication called The Colorado Lawyer.

We’ve kicked off our engagement with their team through a discovery phase, wherein they’ve helped us formulate design strategies. Additionally, we’ve taken that process as an opportunity to highlight our project goals, which centered around achieving a professional yet creative scholarly publication.

Their team has helped us pursue our redesign efforts for our print publication by implementing different design solutions, which they’ll then send over for our team’s approval. Upon completing that stage, we’ve decided to task them with handling our branding efforts to optimize our online presence. 

What is the team composition?

We work with two resources from THOR Design Studio, Inc.

How did you come to work with THOR Design Studio, Inc.?

I reached out to THOR Design Studio, Inc.’s team because I was impressed with the quality of the work they did for a different association’s publication.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $100,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with THOR Design Studio, Inc. commenced in July 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

THOR Design Studio, Inc. has successfully transformed our once simple and black-and-white publication into a sophisticated and colorful one. We were initially worried that the rebranding approach was too much, but we haven’t received a single negative comment from our 18,000 readers — everyone’s thrilled to welcome our publication’s refreshing look.

How did THOR Design Studio, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been an excellent partner — they respect our deadlines and feedback. I only have good things to say about THOR Design Studio, Inc.’s project management approach.

What did you find most impressive about them?

THOR Design Studio, Inc. has a thorough understanding and visualization of current trends and what readers want to consume, and that’s well reflected in their deliverables. They’re a team of experts that guide us in the right direction.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything — we’ve been satisfied with everything they’ve delivered. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them with an open mind. THOR Design Studio, Inc. are experts at what they do, so make the most of your partnership by having their creative recommendations in mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the COO of NIRI: The Association for Investor Relations. NIRI provides professional development, credentialing, advocacy, etc., for the field of investor relations (IR).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire THOR Design Studio, Inc.?

We began working with THOR Design began over a decade ago to overhaul and redesign our member magazine, IR Update. We have subsequently worked with THOR on a variety of other design projects.

SOLUTION

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

We relied on testimony from highly experienced professionals that had worked with THOR previously.

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

Regarding the magazine design work, the project workflow includes an initial overview of the creative direction based on the topics, followed by a design meeting to review and select digital imagery. For other projects we have used online project management tools.

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

We've worked with one or more THOR team members depending on the specific project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Several data points highlight our satisfaction and the success of THOR Design's work including the variety of awards IR Update magazine has received through this period and the fact that we've continued and expanded the scope of our relationship for over a decade.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between our teams is effective and well-managed by the THOR project lead.

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

We have done a wide array of projects with THOR, and remain impressed by their consistently high quality and creative work, flexibility, reliability and professionalism.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an associate editor for a magazine. We publish articles about aerospace engineering.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with THOR Design Studio, Inc.?

We wanted THOR Design Studio, Inc. to develop our website from the beginning.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

THOR Design Studio designed and developed a WordPress site for us. We provided photos and content, which they applied to the site. One of the functionalities we asked for was to make it easy enough for our internal staff to load content into it. After developing the site, we then asked for help with other design needs. Currently, the team designs pages for our magazine.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager, a developer, and a designer

How did you come to work with THOR Design Studio, Inc.?

Someone recommended them to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly $250,000–$300,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in July 2015 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The overall feedback has been positive on the website. And our audience really loves their page designs.

How did THOR Design Studio, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

THOR Design Studio has done a great job of responding to our needs. We use Trello to track the project and email and phone calls to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team is willing to do anything they can to solve a problem. Furthermore, we appreciate how personalized their work is.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could hire more employees and expand.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Express your requirements well.