Visual Design Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of the organization. We sell old furniture that isn’t selling anymore. Our target market is middle-income households and people who can’t afford brand new furniture. We’re based in San Francisco.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Visual Design Inc.?

We were getting competition from companies that sell new furniture. They sell at a competitive price and offer good discounts, so people are motivated to purchase new furniture. Also, we didn’t have any social media exposure or website. We approached Visual Design Inc. to develop a website for us and help us improve our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Visual Design Inc. is developing the website on WordPress and working on the UX/UI design and interface. It's a six-page website with a simple design. The contact numbers and email are on every page of the website.

They have plugins, which are free in WordPress. Initially, they gave us a few options for the logo, color combination, and navigation. We chose the best from that, and it’ll be all displayed on the homepage.

Additionally, Visual Design Inc. mentioned we’d need one blog per week, and they’ll write it for us. Once the blog is updated, the website will be optimized after six months or one year so we can get a high Google ranking.

What is the team composition?

We’re in direct contact with one person from their team, the key account manager. He coordinates with the developers and designers.

How did you come to work with Visual Design Inc.?

A friend suggested Visual Design Inc. to me. He gave us the URL, and we visited their website. There was a chat option where we sent them our contact, and we received a call from them. We got connected to the relevant person and explained our requirements.

What is the status of the engagement?

We began our partnership in February 2022 and are still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They understand our product quite well, so they’ve gained our absolute confidence and trust that they also accurately understand our requirements. They’ve assured us that the outcome will be great, and we feel confident about it.

So far, they’ve exceeded our expectations, and we’re pretty satisfied with our engagement. We have a positive outlook that the website will take our business to the next level.

How did Visual Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They've done pretty well up till now, and we’re impressed. They’re great with scheduling and always prompt in taking tasks. Also, the team is helpful and cooperative. We’re happy with what they do for us.

We communicate through regular phone calls.

What did you find most impressive with them?

They're quite responsive. Visual Desing Inc. is there for us whenever we need them, even during weekends. We’d be very happy if they worked with us 24/7.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything requires improvement, but so far, we don't have much idea because we’re in the development phase. 

Any advice for potential customers?

If you have a business that has hit rock bottom or it's at a saturation point, you can count on them. They know what they're doing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of eBelong.co, an application development company. The applications we build range from a simple web app to a complex customer login in an e-commerce application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Visual Design Inc.?

We needed help designing the UX/UI and look and feel of the applications we create and a website redesign.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Visual Design Inc. did the UX/UI of our applications and helped with other individual assets. They asked me to fill out a form according to my needs, and then they gave me some initial designs.

Currently, we’re working on a client’s application; they're helping with the development and designs using Adobe Photoshop and Premier, depending on the project. We've also asked them for animation projects because sometimes my clients ask for videos — Visual Design Inc. can also handle video editing and audio mixing.

The website is still under development from scratch. We asked them for an information platform that drives sales to a funnel to generate leads. We expect them to create a design that encourages the traffic to follow down a specific path and convert them into potential leads. They've been guiding us through the whole process, and we work together on the designs to make it happen.

What is the team composition?

My sole point of contact is the project manager, but I get in touch with their leadership team as well.

How did you come to work with Visual Design Inc.?

I did a Google search for logo and web designers, and Visual Design Inc. came right on top in the search results. I engaged with them and looked at their portfolio of work, and I felt comfortable choosing them — they have a pretty impressive portfolio with video designs.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $25,000–$30,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Visual Design Inc. is persistent and consistent in the results. They dive deep and research the industry from medical to simple e-commerce clothing apps — they have a really good research team.

How did Visual Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They always deliver on time, and if there’s a delay, they're great at communicating it to us. In terms of tools, we use Trello and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re professionals that put their money where their mouth is — they guarantee their work if  I'm not satisfied by giving me 100% of my money back. Also, I needed them to sign an NDA for some clients, and they were willing to do so.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think there's anything they can improve on — they’ve opened a new revenue stream for us regarding video animation designs. We’ve never been able to do that ourselves because we don’t have a team on hand to do so. In addition to that, they've even improved their delivery times.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust the process, heed the project manager's suggestions, and ask them about things you don’t understand.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the sole owner of a new marketing agency. I get in touch with companies and help them market their products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Visual Design Inc.?

I needed someone to help me create my logo.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Visual Design Inc. is doing graphic design for me. I first filled out a form about my industry, the designs I liked, my competitors, and what I had in mind about the font, the logo's typeface, and a theme. They then came up with designs, finalized the logo within a week and a half, and began working on a WordPress website project for marketing.

What is the team composition?

I'm currently in touch with a project manager and a marketing lead from their team.

How did you come to work with Visual Design Inc.?

I did a Google search, and they showed up at the top. They looked like a good company, and I looked at their portfolio. After that, I reached out to them and spoke to someone who guided me through the process. I felt comfortable with them and decided to go ahead.

How much have you invested in them?

So far, I have spent about $2,500 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in January 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They've been good and responsive; whenever I give them a call, the project manager picks up and guides me through the process of how to use the website properly. Initially, I planned to have a website that would only show my information, but they also demonstrated how to make a complete sales funnel and then drive the traffic from there, which would convert into potential leads. Overall, it's been an educational process for me.

How did Visual Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They always reply to our inquiries within 24 hours and instruct me on what would look good and what wouldn’t. They're also proactive and follow through on what they commit to doing. Additionally, their team explains everything and even shares resources with me, such as YouTube links to help me understand what they're talking about. In terms of communication, we use phone calls, emails, and Trello.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are snappy with their work; it can be a bit difficult to get a design ready because I ask for multiple changes, but they've never complained. Their consultancy services are also good because they dive into my industry and give us helpful intel on social media marketing specialized in our area.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They made a WordPress site, but I hoped to get a custom-designed PHP platform. The price for PHP was quite steep, so I think they could beat their competitors by lowering their costs. However, I'm getting what I'm paying for, so I'm happy with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Learn more about the services you're getting; you need to understand and go forward with the team since they deep dive into technologies. I would suggest doing some research first and then stepping into it with them — they're great at what they do, but doing your homework first is always a plus.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We offer business services to solopreneurs and small businesses

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Visual Design Inc.?

We hired visual design inc to redo our website and our logo

What were your goals for this project?

We had an idea and design in mind when we contact Visual Design Inc which we provided multiple examples of.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My husband and a business partner found Visual Design Inc while he researched web design firms.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We hired Visual Design Inc to do an update and give our website and logo a fresh look. We sent over detailed documentation as to what we were looking for with numerous examples. The first drafts came over and they were in far left field from anything that we had asked for. We sent back notes with even more examples and details with what we were looking for.

We received 4 logo choices and we were told that's all we had to choose. None of them were out of this world but do able so because we felt forced, we picked one. The second round of edits came - and again, nowhere close to what we had requested. Same with the third round after even more details and explaining what we wanted both in email and over the phone.

We spoke with James and said that obviously there was a disconnect with understanding what we were wanting can we please just cancel the order and process a refund. He wasn't having it. He wanted us to give them just 'one more chance'... we put it in writing that it wasn't working out and per their 100% satisfaction guarantee and we would like a refund.

Keep in mind - we paid Visual Design Inc over $2500 for this IN FULL. After they refused, we disputed it with our bank. We found out about 2 weeks later that the dispute was settled in their favor. This was April 9, 2020. I found out later on that they supplied FALSE documentation that we still owed them money and supposed proof that we received the digital product that they promised.

Which we downloaded their drafts that had watermarks on it and was not even in the format that we needed. Since we were out the funds and our bank wasn't helpful - I decided to try and get SOMETHING for the money we spent.

I contacted Visual Design Inc and was told that in order to work with me/my company again we would have to pay them an ADDITIONAL $650 due to the fact that they hired an attorney because of the dispute.

I was trying to be professional and courteous when I spoke with James on the phone and explained that we no longer needed the services and that I would agree to deduct the 'Lawyer Fee' from what we paid if they would just refund the rest. Considering we were still taking a loss, I thought it was a reasonable ask. I was told that he would pass it up to management and would get back to me.

After 2 weeks of not hearing back - I sent yet another offer of the lawyer fee plus an additional 30% for them to keep... still, radio silence. Two weeks went by and no update. I would call and get sent to voicemail. I would chat on their website and when I said my name/company the chat was disconnected. Emails were read (which I have proof of) and never responded to.

I finally called from a friend's cell phone and managed to get through on one of the many numbers that they have. Since it was a different number, I wasn't blocked and sent straight to voicemail. I was told that since they had been dealing with my husband it was HIS MONEY and they weren't going to discuss anything with me.

It didn't matter that my name was on the account as well or anything else - the bottom line was I was a female and they weren't going to deal with me. I went and got my husband on the phone and they seemed like they were going to work with him. He just asked for something to show for the money that we paid them.

Here we are again over a month later... all numbers disconnected, mailboxes full, no return calls or emails. If you actually want a quality product and service... keep looking. Visual Design Inc is not the company for either.

I have documentation proving that they fraudulently acted like my husband using a login that they provided him to their project management tool stating that the work was received and approved. While the correspondence that I have that was the date, time-stamped and can be verified through or GSuites.

Account shows us asking for a refund because the designs were not what we were asking for.

What was the team composition?

We talked to James Smith and Ryan James - pretty sure they were both the same person.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We paid them $2528 for the services to only have to turn around and pay another company to actually perform the work for what we wanted.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Everything about this company was a horrible experience.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Absolutely nothing

Are there any areas for improvement?

They need to improve everything about their business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the supervisor of Digit Electronic, a sales equipment company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Visual Design Inc.?

We needed help with web design and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Visual Design developed our B2B website on WordPress. Their consultants asked what our requirements and budget were, so I specified everything. They helped us choose a good color palette and recommended the right number of pages for the site. They also advised us to display our contact information on all five pages of the website, so we agreed.

Their team ended up creating a simple website design, which was what we wanted. Apart from web development, they also provided logo design services.

What is the team composition?

We’ve interacted with one adviser, one developer, and one designer.

How did you come to work with Visual Design Inc.?

We searched for web development agencies on Google and contacted a few companies. Visual Design reached out to us and was willing to work within our budget, so we went with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $450.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2022, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have yet to see the initial design of the website, but so far, they’ve met most of our expectations. I’d say we’re 85% satisfied with their services.

How did Visual Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Visual Design is doing a good job so far. They’re responsive and receptive to our input. They also constantly update us on where they’re at with the project. We typically communicate via phone calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciate that they’re not greedy; they didn’t keep raising the price even as they offered to include three plugins for our website. They’ve won our trust and confidence with that alone. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their target clients are usually technically knowledgeable people, so it would help if they also had some manuals for non-tech-savvy people like myself. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Visual Design is quite flexible when it comes to providing affordable web development services. They have competent consultants, so make sure to explain each of your requirements well.