UX studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief Product Officer and Co-founder of Talent Deck, a staffing agency for the technology sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UX studio?

We had a tool that was not yet a minimum viable product (MVP). We needed a vendor to do research on user needs, the job-matching market, and strategic UX implementations.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to gain new insights into our product, business model, and overall strategy.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I followed their blog for a while before reaching out. Based on the content, they seem like a great fit for our company and values.

Describe the project in detail.

We had a kickoff meeting to define goals expectations to plan the project in detail. Initially, we focused heavily on market research, competitor analysis, and user insights. Working in weekly sprints, UX studio conducted field research and held weekly strategy sessions, making several suggestions about potential directions for the project.

What was the team composition?

The team included a UX researcher and a UX/UI designer. I was their main point of contact on our team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their service met our expectations for quality and price. The team dynamic was great.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The company worked closely with us to bring our vision to reality. Even though we had some time difference challenges, communication was still effective and efficient. In addition to Skype and Slack, we communicated via in-person meetings, which included weekly project reviews.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We appreciated their honesty and transparency, which enabled both teams to challenge one another openly throughout development. We were satisfied with the quality; their team worked quickly.

Are there any areas for improvement?

UX studio made occasional typos and grammatical errors on reports, likely due to the language barrier, but this was only a minor problem. Otherwise, there weren’t any problems. We were extremely satisfied and would work with them again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of a software development company called IncQuery Labs. Our firm has over 50 years of total research and development experience in model-driven engineering. We work with clients from all over the world and are part of the open-source software ecosystem.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UX studio?

We were working on developing a web-based prototype engineering tool. It’s a new generation model-based system engineering (MBSE) technology that allowed users to scale out engineering tools with web technology.

However, the software was 10 years old with major usability issues; and it was in desperate need of a redesign. We wanted to migrate the tool to the web and modernize its look with a friendlier, easy-to-use interface. As a result, we approached UX studio to focus on the UI and user interactions.

What were your goals for this project?

We had five weeks to develop a concept and create a design for a product demo. Given the short time frame, we initially limited the scope to design work. But once we started the project, they assigned a UX researcher to provide insights throughout the process. We expanded their role to include usability testing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Another firm that had worked with UX studio before referred them to us.

Describe the project in detail.

They provided two main teams: the UX team and the UX researcher. Both teams worked in close tandem with our internal developers to finalize the concept and create the design for our product demo. The UX team focused on the prototype and designs, honing in on smaller interactions and functions that would make the software more user-friendly.

While they worked on the interface, the researcher immediately started usability tests. Because the product was interaction-heavy, we decided to conduct user tests in one block. We allotted two weeks for the researcher to lead eight user tests. He collaborated closely with our developers, delivering insights about the tool’s accessibility, which we incorporated into a working demo.

What was the team composition?

Their team consisted of a designer, developer, UX researcher, and an expert. They coordinated closely with our in-house developers, including myself.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Changing an MBSE tool was no easy task; there were strict rules that we needed to follow, so our creativity was limited. With UX studio’s support, we managed to give a fresh look to the interface and improved its usability. Not only did the team allow us to develop and test a mock-up, we were able to test a working demo, which proved to be extremely useful to the overall design process. By the end of the project, we ended up with a highly improved product in terms of usability and design.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They collaborated closely with our team, attending weekly in-person meetings and providing new insights They wanted to ensure that it was possible to develop their designs, so they maintained constant communication with our developers as well as our designer and business leaders. We used an agile methodology, which suited our workflow well. While they clearly defined their process, we were able to modify it based on our project needs. In terms of daily back and forth, we used Slack and Skype to coordinate.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Compared to other design firms that we’d worked with, we were satisfied with UX studio’s professionalism and quality of work. Not only were they flexible and communicative, they took the time to understand our product in order to give the best solutions. Despite limitations in our methodology, they were able to bring creative ideas to the table. Their teams also worked in pairs, which allowed for productive, quick interactions and more in-depth observations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There were times when I felt that they could have made more creative/artistic decisions, but they ultimately delivered an exceptional final product.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder and vice president of engineering of ArcSecond, a technology startup that combines wearables and internet of things (IoT). We have teams of engineers based in San Diego and Budapest, with a few other team members in the UAE. With a focus on building frictionless and visceral experiences from a user standpoint, our wearable and IoT platforms consist of cutting edge hardware, software and cloud-based products that support multiple markets. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UX studio?

We worked with UX studio on a wearable health-tech solution. We hired them to conduct an extensive user research and field study in multiple UAE hospitals, then create a user-centric design based on their findings. 

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to have a better understanding of our target audience’s needs. We wanted to use the insights from physiotherapists and patients to design an end-to-end minimum viable product, including the UI and an interactive design. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

UX studio’s mature online presence caught our attention: each blog post, video or other publication offers valuable information not just about UX, but about building business in general. We have quickly learned that their frequent tips and the quality of their content prove not only that they follow the latest trends, but that they are also learning the foundations of building a sustainable business and leading by example for other companies.

Describe the project in detail.

After an initial meeting with our CEO and UX lead, the UX team was introduced to our development team. We discussed the characteristics of the technology we would be working with and they presented us with their working methods and expected outputs. Our cross-functional team, which included developers, UX researchers, and designers, carried out field research collaboratively. Multiple methods were used to explore user needs, such as engaged interviews, observation, and user tests. It was amazing to see real users interact with our product. After the field study, the UX team continued mapping out the user workflow, building prototypes, and conducting user testing. Ideas and product iterations continued to evolve based on test results, but we kept the team structure throughout the whole project, working in bi-weekly sprints. Every week started with a product planning session attended by the whole project team, and the UX team presented their progress in bi-weekly product demos. After careful consideration at the conclusion of the product discovery phase, our company pivoted toward a broader product strategy, resulting in product and workflow improvements.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of two UX researchers and one UX designer from UX studio and, from ArcSecond, a project manager (PM), UX lead, development team, and the CEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

UX studio’s highly valuable user insights from the field research and user feedback helped us shift in a better product direction, and their core interaction design allowed us to create a more seamless experience. Their introduction of design thinking methodology to our development team was eye-opening, especially among the engineers; it had a positive impact on our workflow, overall communication, and the final product. Throughout the whole process, they were flexible and responsive to changes and open to feedback.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We established a collaborative relationship with UX studio early on. The PM translated our company’s mission statement into product strategy and high-level product specifications and incorporated our technical and UX feedback. The UX lead then developed those specifications into the design strategy, working closely with the UX studio design team. The functional prototypes we built with their UX team resulted in more reliable user test results, and they constantly communicated with us, our designer, and our business leads to make sure their design was feasible.  

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are a solid, flexible, and professional team that provides efficient communication and delivers highly valuable research results. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

Involving members equally in the process was difficult due to the size of the group, and there were some initial mistakes in the mockups. However, their effective communication and proactive approach allowed us to get back on track and we now see progress every week. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a co-founder of Payment Courier, a fintech startup. Our solution allows merchants to easily integrate split payments and delegated payments into their  checkout flow. We allow customers to invite their friends to participate direclty in their checkout and share the costs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UX studio?

We needed to update our software demo based on user research, as well as refresh some aspects of our branding.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to have all the findings and updates completed in seven weeks, in time for an upcoming financial conference in the U.S.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I read the book that the CEO of UX studio wrote a while ago. He seemed to understands how to UX research properly, and we needed all this done in a very short timeframe.

Describe the project in detail.

We started with a full-day, kick-off workshop to go through the main assumptions, goals, and issues to be resolved, as well as to plan the project accordingly. The UX team started with analyzing our demo and by doing user tests, the results of which served as a basis for later work. We iterated the demo together, and then they presented the first “look and feel” designs, which allowed us to start prototyping a new version of the software. They tested not only the functionalities, but the UI as well. In the following two weeks, they created a wireframe for the desktop and mobile versions. In the end, the UX team gave us a fully functioning prototype, and a collection of new design elements.

We had meetings with them every Monday, they would update the designs on Tuesday and Wednesday, and we’d discuss the changes on Thursday, after which, they went on to testing. They carried out two to four user tests every week, and based on the outcomes of testing, they would iterate the product by the end of the week. We would discuss outcomes the next Monday and then the next sprint would start.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a UX researcher and one other team member.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very satisfied with the final design. By the end of the process, we got a clickable, functioning prototype, for both mobile and desktop, along with a final UI kit. We also have a refreshed brand image and a new logo. We're happy that we’ll be able to present the demo, with great confidence, at a very important international conference.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We found Invision’s commenting function really useful, and we used it a lot, along with the Agile process. Outside meetings, most communication was carried out via Slack. UX studio works in weekly design sprints, which made planning easy and constantly brought new results.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The user tests resulted in really helpful feedback. We also loved the flexibility with which the UX studio team looked at our software, and their daring to change things that we thought were rock solid. By tearing down the obsolete parts of our UI, our software became much better. We were also 100% satisfied with the team’s communication and transparency, and the agile and proactive approach they worked with. We enjoyed how they tried to understand the needs of our customers, and tried to make the product better for them.

Working with UX studio and answering their questions during the meetings helped us think things through. They completed all the tasks with great professionalism and enthusiasm, but they did more than that: they helped us with additional strategy and design-related suggestions. We now have a lot of additional user insights that we can implement later. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

They should’ve involved more of their team at the beginning of the project so we could go through some of their ideas. It might’ve helped us find solutions to our problems quicker. We also felt that copywriting should be a more core part of their business. These are, however, only small observations. On the most part, we were extremely satisfied and would definitely work with UX studio again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Digital Marketing Manager at TRIGO Group, a global player in the quality automotive, aerospace, and transport solutions industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UX studio?

We needed to redesign our global website. We were also looking for business analysis to better understand the needs of our target group.

What were your goals for this project?

We aimed to create a new online presence that not only communicated our value proposition and service range better than our current site does, but also pleased visitors with an easy and understandable structure and visual design.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We wanted to have a better overview of why and how people use our website, and what we can do as a company to improve this experience. This is why decided to hire an experienced UX company, instead of a normal web design team. We had heard about UX studio before, and they have a reputation for precise and good-quality work, no matter the industry.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

We wanted to gather a large number of user insights before we actually designed the UI, so the researcher from UX Studio did interviews and usability tests to understand stakeholders’ and customers’ needs. After each round of research, they incorporated the findings into weekly prototype iterations.

What was the team composition?

We worked with one designer and one researcher from UX studio.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The new website is under development, and the launch date is set for May 2018. The new website restructured the content and services provided by the company. It brought significant change and incorporated new business objectives.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Thanks to weekly sprints and iterations, we felt synchronized from the beginning of the project. UX studio’s team helped us look at web development in a more structured and organized way. We hope to continue utilizing the Agile methods they showcased for us during this project.

During the whole process, their team was in regular communication and collaboration with our developers, making sure that the final design could be seamlessly integrated into our already existing IT solutions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their flexibility and agility took us by surprise. They consistently delivered more than expected, and did so with a flexible and open attitude, as well as very clear communication. The team at UX studio has mastered idea-generation and finds solutions to problems within a limited timeframe. They not only advised us from a UX point of view, they also took the time to gain an understanding of our industry, business model, and the challenges that come with it. We also liked how transparent their team was.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

During a project this long, it’s normal to sometimes doubt the progress you’ve made or the distance yet to go. We sometimes had miscommunications or disagreements within the team, but given the realities we had to work with, we couldn’t be happier with the result.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m Online Marketing Manager at Libri-Bookline, a large bookstore in Hungary that features Hungarian and foreign paperback and e-books, audiobooks, music, and films.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UX studio?

We wanted to redesign our platform, mainly the UI but also a few functionalities. We had collected a large amount of user feedback over the years that we wanted to incorporate.

What were your goals for this project?

We were looking to achieve a more youthful look and increase our conversion rates through improved usability. We needed the platform updated for different devices—desktop, mobile, tablet.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected them via a tender.

Describe the project in detail.

They helped us redesign some of our flows and layouts—we created a more modern look and more user-friendly surface.

In the beginning, we had a kickoff meeting, which was very useful because we had the chance to walk them through our business model and the pains our users were experiencing. They wanted to understand our business objectives and also any potential technological limitations. 

The project then had two phases.  From November to December, we focused on the redesign of the desktop version. Then, from December to March, we moved onto the mobile app and improving its processes, especially the checkout process. 

What was the team composition?

We worked with two people: a designer and a researcher.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They managed to redesign our existing platforms for multiple devices. They improved the layout and menu structure, as well as our checkout processes. They made suggestions and plans for the future that we can later implement. We’re satisfied with the design.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

During the project, they worked in sprints, so they gave us updates on the progress every week. This was useful because we had a better overview on what was going on and they also brought new research findings to us each week. The workflow and communication were good.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We liked the fact that they work in couples. This makes balanced communication easier and we didn’t have to rely on only one person. We also liked the weekly meetings and research. What they designed one week, they tested the next, which was great for fast iterations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Although we understood that their main focus was on the design, some of the suggestions they made were not entirely valid from a business point of view. Also, their administration of each individual task could be improved—maybe some better tools could be used for this. Problems didn’t occur very often though. Most of the time, communication was good.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a product officer at InSimu. We’re startup developing an app that is a healthcare education tool, where users can simulate medical care by diagnosing virtual patients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UX Studio?

We had an MVP, but in order to fit the product to users’ needs, we wanted to redesign the UI and refresh the brand’s identity. 

What were your goals for this project?

We needed all our user flows and the whole UX revisited, then paired with high-quality UI design.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor? 

We attended a conference where their CEO was one of the speakers. We really liked his speech about the importance of research-based design as well as the case study he presented. We went to talk to him and eventually decided that we would like to work with them.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They did the UX and UI design for our mobile and desktop apps, as well as the UI design for our tablet version.

There was a one to two-week discovery phase, where the team got to know us and the product, gathered user insights, and presented some mood boards and sketches. We then started wireframing the mobile and then the tablet apps. After the UI phase started for these platforms, they started focusing on wireframing the desktop version. They created high-fidelity prototypes and a full design to handover to our developers. 

Meanwhile, we also held one or two strategy workshops where we looked at customer pain points and then discussed feature prioritization. The UX studio team was very proactive, helping us with different techniques. They also helped plan future steps making suggestions on how to further improve the product after our collaboration ended.

What was the team composition?

There were four people closely involved in the project, two from their team and two from ours.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Collaborating with their team was very easy. We were always informed about everything and the weekly meetings were great. They delivered very high-quality work that we are still using to this day, all on a tight schedule. We also liked that they were proactive, constantly coming up with new ideas. We would definitely consider working with them in the future.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were very efficient with time. New developments came every week and we managed to synchronize our schedules very effectively. The team was very transparent and kept us informed about everything.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were really fast at getting up to speed with the requirements of building a product for such a specific market. We appreciated their agile approach—they like getting things done, just like we do. They should definitely keep this speed and their youthful enthusiasm.

Are there any areas for improvement?

As we are mainly focusing on a foreign audience, we would have appreciated more customer insights from these groups, as well as more user insights coming from our specific target markets.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the technical director a company that hosts events on the future of work. Our events are held in London, Las Vegas, and Paris, attracting thousands of decision-makers in the industry. We are proud to be the market leaders in this field.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UX studio?

We have been struggling to create a website plan that fulfills the requirements of both our employees and end clients.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a world-class product that would help us become the number one online platform for the future of work.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our team searched for talented web and UI designers with absolute references. UX studio was the top candidate.

Describe the project in detail.

Initially, their team interviewed our stakeholders and collected requirements. Based on employee and user interviews, UX studio created a detailed and insightful report about the problems we were facing. Their UI designer then worked closely with our designer to create spectacular website mock-ups. The project is now in the development stage.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a UI designer and a UX researcher, but the entire UX studio team was involved in our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were completely satisfied with UX studio’s work. For one thing, our development team gained a lot of motivation when they received the new website mockups. Company morale has increased, thanks to the work of Zsolt (Author, UX studio) and Bence (Author, UX studio). Overall, it was a great experience.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were available at any time for questions and updates. We mostly communicated over Slack. Working with agile methodologies, we had weekly meetings with organized agenda and reporting.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We learned a lot from working with UX studio, so we plan to reach out to them for future projects. They adapted well to rapidly changing requirements.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the product development manager of the Pay-TV division for Antenna Hungaria, one of the biggest players on the telecommunications field. We offer national radio, television, satellite program broadcasting, and distribution and infrastructure services. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UX studio?

We hired UX studio to solve several digital challenges. We wanted to redesign existing products and create new ones while having a unified but refreshed brand identity. We wanted to base this all on solid research. 

What were your goals for this project?

We need to adapt to the technological advancements of the 21st century and make our digital content available everywhere. It was a priority for us to design products that our viewers actually want to use. We wanted to offer a wide range of streaming and over-the-top (OTT) content on different platforms. Our aim was to create a new, more enjoyable, and fully personalized viewing experience for our customers. With a sports app, we are targeting a specific segment in Hungary, sports fans who do not want to solely rely on TV channels.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We heard of UX studio before, so we decided to reach out to them directly. They previously worked on HBO’s streaming service and other telecom apps as well, so we knew that they had experience in this business. We were very content with the outcomes of our first project together in the beginning of 2017, so we decided to stay with them for a total of four different projects.

Describe the project in detail.

At the beginning of each project, the UX team started off by analyzing the current market situation, business goals, and users' needs. They met with us every week to define user personas and relay researched consumer behavior done mostly through user interviews. As they started the design phase with wireframing, they came back to us every week with new research findings to make sure we are always in the loop. UX studio redesigned our HbbTV platform for different devices, including smart TV. They also designed an on-demand video streaming service from scratch. They worked for two-to-three months on each project. 

What was the team composition?

UX studio provided a designer, researcher, and a developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are happy with the outcomes so far. Most of the applications and platforms designed by UX studio are now implemented and available for our customers. We now possess Hungary’s first sports streaming app. With these new products, Antenna Hungaria is apt and able to compete in this market. We were really happy with UX studio after each project.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

UX studio’s approach and work methods brought a nice change to our existing workflows. As a state-owned company, their dynamic and flexible way of work was refreshing. We liked their idea of “design sprints”, which brought novelties every week. The team was also very fast in incorporating new ideas. They were also very proactive, suggesting ideas about not only design, but our business model as well. They made collaboration was easy.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

With decision-making within the team being slow at times, we liked that the UX studio team brought a new approach to us. They often made several versions from one thing, and they brought new ideas to the table all the time. For example, based on the data analysis, they suggested a completely new subscription strategy for us. It is no surprise we came back to them with multiple new contracts as we were very content with their work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could improve their documentation of designs. It was sometimes hard for us to follow what changes happened when. This was a minor issue and on the whole, we were completely happy with UX studio’s team and their performance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is a flight search engine that buys airline tickets from multiple partner sites, including the biggest Western European travel agencies. I am the product manager, which means I'm responsible for solving the highest priority problems, UX or business-wise, improving the user experience, and creating new features or adjusting current ones.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with UX Studio?

When I arrived at UX Studio, we didn't have actual user feedback, and we realized that we were basically flying blind without it. We wanted to hire a UX researcher, but the market is unsteady, so we decided to hire an external agency instead. We had our platform in place, so we just needed someone to come in with a user experience perspective to help us redesign some of the aspects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have an iOS app, but it’s quite old, and we haven't touched it from a UX perspective. Right now we’re focusing on our web and Android apps. UX Studio has worked on multiple projects with us, and our Android project was either the first or second project we worked on together. We built the Android app from the ground-up. We didn't keep anything, design or technical-wise, from the previous application, so UX Studio had to redesign the whole user flow for web and mobile devices, which means that every step of the user flow had to be redesigned.

They made major refurbishments to our web flight results page, which had to be responsive, so we had to do different screen resolutions and use different use cases. UX Studio basically helped us define how we should build up, how we should define the information hierarchy, and how to make sure we drive the user’s focus where we wanted. They didn't just help us with the user research; they helped us get design resources as well.

They did initial user research where they identified the problem, and then they came up with wireframe-designed solutions and worked closely with the engineers to make sure that what they test and design is the deliverable we needed. Once our engineer delivered the modifications, then we tested them on real users. Basically we had quick iterative loops, once or twice a week, where we got feedback on what we delivered on the website and what we were planning to deliver.

How did you come to work with UX Studio?

It didn't take us long to find UX Studio. We felt like one of our partner agencies, a design agency, wasn’t giving us the necessary effort on our UX, and we also needed the research component. So we started researching Hungarian UX agencies. One of our colleagues had a friend who owned or founded UX Studio, and we had a couple of interviews with them. They convinced us that they were good at what they’re doing, and they had what we were looking for. We also found that UX Studio had the best potential. We had a pilot project, which included a rewrite of our Android application. The pilot ended up quite well, so we continued to work with them.

How much have you invested with UX Studio?

We had different contracts and people involved during our work with UX Studio. We spent between €4,000 ($4,600) and €7,000 ($8,000) a month, and we’ve worked together for about 18 months.

What is the status of this engagement?

I think we have been working together for at least 1 ½ years now, and we’re still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We managed to increase our booking per lead 100% to 200% through our application, which is quite good. Now we’re working on increasing the business we do through the web, which is already doing quite well. We’ve had a fairly significant increase in conversions.

How did UX Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Depending on our contract and how much research we needed, we had one or two part-time designers and UX researchers, or some kind of combination of part-time designers and researchers. So we usually had meetings with 2 people from UX Studio. I think they hold meetings on a weekly basis with their colleagues and brainstorm about problems with which they are struggling. I think it was really helpful in some cases.

It was a bit rough in the beginning, because it was new for us to have that level of involvement in our processes, so we also had to change and act accordingly. As I see it, when we had any kind of feedback on what we wanted to change or what we missed from their process, they acted immediately. They were very responsive and proactive, and they had a lot of suggestions for how we could improve our design and design workflow. They also introduced us to a tool that would help with that. Now we are feeling a better cooperation with both UX Studio and our own internal designers.

What did you find most impressive about UX Studio?

What I really like about UX Studio is that they rotate their designers to make sure that any member can easily be replaced by anyone else in the studio. I noticed quite often that if one of the designers or UX researchers had to be away from work for a certain period of time, then someone else could jump in and easily catch up in a few days or a week and continue to be a full and valuable member of the team. They’re flexible, and I think that adds great value. They also give great insights on how we can improve our designs and business. They were also quick to understand our business.

Are there any areas UX Studio could improve?

As I mentioned, they have multiple designers who work for them, and there is a big difference in terms of personality and proactivity among these designers. Everybody is equally good at everything we needed, but some of them are better at reorganization or proactivity. Some of them push us to change our processes, and some of them are more proactive than the others. Their latest designer was to improve our design processes and suggest new ways of working.

Sometimes they have problems with getting users who are good matches for our user group. Because we are working mostly in the French market, we need French people or foreigners who travel. But in Budapest it’s quite hard to get the usual French people. I think this is one problem they face a lot and they have to solve.