TWG

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a digital currency exchange company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TWG?

We needed a partner to build our user interface to connect to our backend.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TWG provided design, product management, and development services for our user interface. Initially, the app was web-based, and then TWG built our mobile apps, in both Android and iOS. They built only the user interface that connected to our APIs and backend. They used Radiant and React to build the interfaces.

What is the team composition?

For the web-based project, we had one product manager, one designer, and 1–4 developers. For the mobile project, there was one designer, one product manager, and 4­–6 developers.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $600,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in February of 2017 and end in September.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our user onboarding, based on the consistent amount of traffic, increased by about 300%.

How did TWG perform from a project management standpoint?

I was happy with their level of communication, and we mainly conversed via Slack and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have high-quality people, specifically product managers, who deliver what they promised in the designated timeframe. Their software development is great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was a happy client.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Make sure that you work well with the product manager they assign. You’ll need to hold him/her accountable, so that relationship needs to be strong and comfortable.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the Chief Product Officer at CARROT Insights, a platform that integrates with the health apps on your phone and collects health data, rewarding people for tracking their steps, meeting set goals, and learning about their health.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TWG?

We were looking for a company to create an original version of this app for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a Carrot Rewards app, which is a mobile health app that rewards loyalty points for healthy behavior. They built the entire platform – the CMS, the backend, and the data extraction tool as well as the iOS and Android native apps. The web platform, which was built with Angular, enables us to administer the app, while the reporting database is the query tool for the app. They also did all of the original branding and design for the app.

The app itself integrates the API with the most popular loyalty programs here in Canada, and as a result, has a variety of connection points – we had to build the custom connection for each one of the loyalty programs.

We have a survey tool, which is a content management system enabling us to conduct custom surveys. The app integrates with HealthKit, Google Fit, and, ultimately, with Fitbit. They also built an Apple Watch app.

After launching the app to market, they helped us maintain it in market. In addition, they supported us throughout the entire process of building an in-house development team. When we eventually hired iOS developers, TWG helped us cross-train them.

What is the team composition?

We had a dedicated product manager and a designer, both of whom were part-time. We also worked with full-time iOS and Android developers (in some cases, there were multiple iOS/Android developers), backend developers, and a QA expert. They pulled in the resources as needed to meet our timelines.

How did you come to work with them?

Our CEO knows them quite well, and they have a reputation of being trustworthy. We had to deal with a lot of government contracts at the beginning, so there were many odd requirements for doing things in a certain way in order to fit the contract. They were willing to work with us on this. We liked their partnership mentality and thought they would be a great fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over a $1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them in January 2015–January 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app exceeded all expectations, which was in large part due to the simplicity and quality of the experience. On the day that we launched the app, we ended up trending in the App Store and we were number two in health and fitness in Canada. It was an incredible achievement from the very beginning.

They built a very stable and secure platform, so we didn't have any issues with scalability or stability even though the traffic and load were significantly higher than we had anticipated. Since our inception we've regularly been among the top 10 health apps in Canada, which is impressive considering we're competing with apps like Fitbit and Strava. 

They made the onboarding process simple and seamless. With many apps, people don't get through the sign-up process, but our download-to-registration ratio is about 80%, which is quite high. 

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very organized and thorough. When we engaged with them, we were just starting our company, so they had a part in building us. I didn't have any technical background and they built me into a product manager. They introduced us to Slack, Dropbox, Envision, Zeppelin, and Sketch, and we exported those tools into our business.

We were very flexible from a project management perspective, trying what worked best. We used a combination of Google Docs and Jira, depending on what we were working on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They stay up-to-date and well-informed about the new industry trends, often suggesting that we try new things we hadn't even heard of. Being the leading edge in terms of best available technologies and best practices, they can be considered thought leaders in Toronto.

Secondly, we were impressed with their culture – they're an incredible group of people. They're transparent and easy to work with, which creates a very collaborative and positive experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I haven't worked with them in about a year, so I don't know what they've done in terms of AI [Artificial Intelligence] and machine learning space. That might be something they can focus on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them and let them drive the design process. It's somewhat challenging when you have big ideas and you just want them to execute them. But listening to the design feedback and the strategic insight is the only way to get the best out of the ecosystem.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Canadian Film Center is a cultural institution funded by both public and private-sector entities. We support the acceleration of talent, products, and services in the Canadian media and entertainment industry. I am the chief digital officer of the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TWG?

We had the usual business challenge of most not-for-profits which have been around for over 25 years, namely digital transformation. When I took over the role of chief technology officer, my first task was to transform the organization into a digitally-forward one. The first set of activities included a redevelopment of our communications platform, and making a functional website, able to support our content strategy and hook into our hopefully-transformed cloud-based backend.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our website initially had a custom backend on top of a Ruby on Rails platform. Since then, things have changed dramatically. The site is still easy to use, and we're still building on top of it. We're working with a number of partners around our ecosystem, on projects involving data visualization.

How did you come to work with TWG?

I didn't want to work with an advertising agency, as I didn't see them as having the software chops for coming up with a solid platform strategy, and would rather create a front-end design one. I looked for software developers with a design sensibility, which could build something that would last and which could be expanded upon.

How much have you invested with TWG?

The cost of TWG's services has been between $200,000 and $250,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe we started working with TWG in 2011. We have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I mostly appreciate the fact that we have a functioning site. There are still some backend issues and there can never be a perfect system. I don't mind a good-enough solution, as long as it's actually expandable. We plan to, over time, bring our platform as close to perfection as possible. We have been able to figure out a workflow around this, and will determine how to evolve the site over time.

How did TWG perform from a project management standpoint?

The deadline was under our control, and it was more important to get the work as good as possible rather than to launch at a particular time. Despite this, we still managed to launch it when we thought we would, so TWG was great.

What did you find most impressive about TWG?

I appreciated TWG's software development background.

Are there any areas TWG could improve?

TWG could improve the process of creating a perpetual client relationship, taking into consideration that the technology will change over time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a home textile and product design company, selling everything from fabrics, wallpaper, pillows and home goods. I am the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TWG?

Our online business has grown a lot, becoming our most important revenue channel. We needed our website to reflect this and be something which people could easily use. At the time, it wasn't mobile-friendly, which was a primary reason for reworking it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TWG performed an entire site redesign. The old site was based on WordPress and Shopify, which was a bit of a nightmare, but that was the standard practice at the time. We evaluated how Shopify could be used more extensively.

How did you come to work with TWG?

I reached out to a number of people, asking for references. I also happened to post on Twitter that I was looking for a developer. TWG's business developer followed me on the site and reached out, which was serendipitous.

How much have you invested with TWG?

The total cost of our project was $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with TWG in May 2016. TWG has done a small update for our website, and we'll continue to use them for this type of work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We're definitely happy with the website. It was exciting to see an increase in mobile traffic and engagement right off the bat. It used to be something which we were lacking before. Many people have told us how great the site looks.

How did TWG perform from a project management standpoint?

TWG shined in terms of project management. As a small business owner, a typical challenge is that I have to drive everything. In this case, TWG ran the project and was upfront about calendars and material that was required from us. TWG made it easy to get through the process and moved quicker than many other web development projects.

What did you find most impressive about TWG?

TWG took the time to think outside the box. One of the things that I like most about our site is an interactive image, which was something that we'd never seen before. TWG took the time to figure that out.

Are there any areas TWG could improve?

The only hiccup with our project was on Shopify's end. We were supposed to upload our new design into the old shop, but because of the way in which Shopify works, that wasn't possible. It was frustrating, but TWG ultimately resolved it and made the integration as seamless as it could be. Shopify will eventually need to fix this on their end.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a media network in Canada. I was in charge of digital products for the company and was second in command during our collaboration with TWG.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TWG?

We needed to create 2 standalone, single-sport, native applications for iOS, focusing on hockey and golf. We have one multisport flagship app but found a sales requirement for these other types of applications.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TWG brainstormed the design, developed, released and managed 2 apps for our company.

Our second project with TWG involved creating a content management system for long-form storytelling and digital content. This included 7,000-word articles, along with visuals, audio, video, and so on. TWG handled much of the creative process for the first version. We had rights for the Women's World Cup of soccer, which was hosted in Canada. We produced some content around it, describing young girls in the slums of Brazil, the conditions that they were living in relative to the rest of the world, and how they were using soccer as their escape and joy. That project won 10-12 awards and was nominated for a number of others. Working with TWG on it was a great experience, and we had a lot of fun.

We used that CMS for creating additional long-form stories, but TWG was less involved, given that the tools had already been built. We have a huge in-house creative agency which can do this type of work.

How did you come to work with TWG?

I knew someone who worked for TWG in a project management capacity. He introduced me to the director of business development, and we started a conversation. A pitching and specifications process ensued.

How much have you invested with TWG?

We'd like to keep this confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with TWG at the end of 2013. TWG continued to manage aspects of the code for the 2 apps, and worked on 2 additional projects, one of which was more of a strategic, benchmarking process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

TWG is a great shop, which is why we went back to them. I challenge anyone to find a vendor that would receive a perfect rating, but TWG was overall good.

We've had a bit of a pivot in strategy regarding our applications' purpose on the larger roadmap, not related to TWG's work. The apps are still in the market, but we've had some rights issues especially for our hockey one, but the apps were good in terms of performance.

How did TWG perform from a project management standpoint?

They have experience with project management, and we had no major complaints.

What did you find most impressive about TWG?

TWG is a very creative and fun group. They felt like what a California-based product design shop should feel like: modern and accessible. I especially appreciated the fact that, after we closed the deal with TWG, the partners didn't disappear. Bigger development shops, with 150-200 employees tend to push down the hierarchy of who manages the work on a day-to-day basis. TWG was great in this regard, remaining accessible.

Are there any areas TWG could improve?

Nothing material stood out. Everyone in our group is still trying to figure out the best way of inputting and outputting requirements in the clearest fashion. I'm sure that TWG will also continue to work on their processes.