Wildebeest

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was a digital producer at a San Francisco-based agency called Eleven Inc. I worked directly with Ran and his team as well as with the client, Google Cloud.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Wildebeest, and what were your goals?

To build anything on the Google platform requires a huge amount of planning, research and a lot of security reviews. We knew we had to find a team with that experience already. It was a challenging client and it took our creative team a while to figure out what we were going to do. Wildebeest stepped in for the creative and technical aspects of the website. The site needed to connect with live stats and generate compelling predictions of NCAA team performances during March Madness.

SOLUTION

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

Wildebeest had the chops to make this a slam dunk based on experience and technical expertise. They have partnered with numerous agencies before and we could tell they would work hard on everyone’s behalf.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

After kicking off, they designed and developed a live dashboard showing off machine learning predictions. Based on the highly vetted technical design doc, they came up with a secure way to manage content without a CMS. They used Python and AngularJS to create a web app fueled by Firebase. Editorial predictions were submitted in a Google Sheets-powered text editor then exported them as JSON that could be uploaded to Firebase. The infographics needed to update instantly with predictions had over 80% accuracy.

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

We had a dedicated Project lead, designer and multiple developers working on this project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The client was pleased with how the project came out. It went on to win a 2019 Gold Cannes Lion for best use of real time data.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Their proactive project management style helped me communicate to my team and client as the agency producer. Daily standups and creative touch points kept the team and client aligned during this tight turnaround project.

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

The sheer amount of brain power at Wildebeest was mind-blowing. In my extensive years working with agencies and technical teams, they are the best I’ve encountered.

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

Highly technical dev projects are never without some issues. We were always kept in the loop when things would be fixed and were able to immediately validate bug fixes. It was stressful to ensure the demanding client was always happy but they kept me positive and believing that it would get done!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of an AI search engine company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

We needed their team’s game development expertise.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Wildebeest developed a mobile- and web-friendly game to support our marketing efforts. We wanted to launch an interactive platform, which introduced our business to our target market through a 90s-inspired virtual adventure. The aim was to help our users get to know our brand while playing the game and lead them to our website upon completing the mission.

Wildebeest developed our platform based on those requirements and applied creative solutions to build its UI. We closely collaborated with them during the implementation stage to ensure that they integrated our target functionalities. Our creative team then delivered succeeding design solutions before our go-live.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was Ran (Managing Partner), and we also worked with Kuba (Creative Director) and their developers.

How did you come to work with Wildebeest?

We were introduced to Wildebeest’s team through a referral. They immediately showed an inherent understanding of our needs and what they had to do to meet those, so we were happy to choose their team.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project ran from April–June 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn’t set a definite target, but Wildebeest definitely drove a robust rate of initial engagement by building an interactive and captivating game. Improving the platform is my team’s responsibility, so we’re currently working on optimizing its UX. Overall, I could confirm that the project was a success. Wildebeest met our initial expectations because our target users were intrigued enough to give the product a try.

How did Wildebeest perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicated via Slack. Wildebeest was a communicative and professional team that successfully met our deadlines, no matter how challenging they were.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re most impressed with Wildebeest’s collaborative and solution-oriented approach — their work ethic was truly pivotal in our project’s success.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their future clients could benefit from a more structured and scope-reliant workflow. Wildebeest is a great partner, but there were instances wherein we had to make adjustments due to abrupt timeline changes.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear in communicating your expectations and business needs. If their team has a concise understanding of these from the get-go, they’ll be able to deliver your needs in a more streamlined manner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Bread Head is a nonprofit that empowers individuals and families experiencing housing insecurity with food literacy, life skills, and positive relationships. I am the Deputy Director of the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Wildebeest?

We hired on Wildebeest to design and develop or website.

What were your goals for this project?

To have a visually appealing website and blog that represents the work that our organization does. This includes but is not limited to pages on our programs, organization history, links to donate or get in contact, and events pages.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Recommendation from a colleague.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed both a desktop and mobile version of our website and blog, SEO, WordPress, troubleshooting time, training, and technical support.

What was the team composition?

I mostly worked with the Managing Partner, Ran, and he relayed work to the rest of his team. As a new nonprofit, we don't have a lot of technical expertise when it comes to web development. Wildebeest's team helped us through each step of the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website went live yesterday and we already have both members of the community and clients reaching out to us. Having a web presence is critical to get support to achieve our mission, so with such short time being live I would say this is a big success.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project Management was arranged through one in person meeting, emails, and conference calls with screen share.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The ability to create a website that looks beautiful, and is interactive with the community to engage with our mission was impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Wildebeest did a great job. The only feedback I have is that when training us on how to maintain our website and navigate WordPress, that they provide a written user guide or video recording. As an organization that has a small staffing size but has the potential to grow very soon, it would be useful to have a visual training for future staff and as a refresher for current staff.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for the C++ Alliance. Our goal is to evolve and facilitate C++ by making it accessible on open source libraries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

Wildebeest designed our website. They did the whole design from scratch, including the front- and backend graphics.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used JavaScript, CSS, and integrated a GitHub repository. We had them build a standard design that presented us as an open-source platform. They were able to utilize all the technology we were interested in. After completing the site, they have continued to provide maintenance and updates as needed.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two staffers from Wildebeest.

How did you come to work with Wildebeest?

We found them through one of our board members that lived near Wildebeest’s office. One day, he stopped by and took a look at the operation. He spoke with Ran (Managing Partner, Wildebeest) and was impressed with their abilities in website development and graphics. They were proficient in all the technologies we wanted to use.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $36,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in January 2019. The website has gone live, but they still work on maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did a very good job. It’s viewable on every format—iOS, Android, Windows, Mac. We haven’t anybody tell us there’s a design flaw with pages not loading or offset. They do tremendous work, honestly. They were ahead of schedule and on-budget.

How did Wildebeest perform from a project management standpoint?

Wildebeest mostly communicated via email. There were no issues with responsiveness any time we ask for a maintenance change. They’re not a small company, but they’re willing to put in the time for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to get the job done to our specifications was impressive. We had some unique aspects to the project, such as implementing GitHub functionality, that some developers weren’t able to process. However, they were able to incorporate everything we wanted.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are no complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Beforehand, I would have a clear plan or at least some kind of rough outline of what you want to accomplish. I think that makes the process much easier. We had an idea of what we wanted for users, and they knocked it out of the park.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for the Disney Music Group as a digital producer. I collaborate with agencies to design and develop websites, and then I coordinate with the Disney technology team to get them on our servers. I have to navigate several approval processes to launch each site.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

I hired Wildebeest to create a web-based holiday greeting card generator. Essentially, we wanted a website that would let users enter the email addresses of their friends and family to send them cards built from various templates. Users can also choose playlists for each card.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Wildebeest designed and developed the product from scratch.

How did you come to work with Wildebeest?

I’d worked with Wildebeest on a couple of other projects. They had designed a website for an artist on one of our labels, and we kept in touch.

When the meeting card idea came along, I thought they would be the right partner for the project. I called them up, they pitched me on what they thought they could build, and we gave them the green light.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $35,000–$40,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April of last year and ended the project in July.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to successfully push the project through each Disney approval. We had to navigate several challenges in terms of how we wanted to collect data, as well as other security and personal information concerns. Wildebeest was great about handling the legal requirements, and they were able to make changes on the fly to meet Disney’s demands.

How did Wildebeest perform from a project management standpoint?

They did an excellent job.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their design work is strong, and their technical solutions for problems are often unique. They’ve always delivered superior products for us, and they’re creative on the development side.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Most of the roadblocks that we hit during the project were from our side, and Wildebeest was able to work through them. They were plenty of unexpected changes that came about as a result of Disney’s compliance regulations. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come into the project knowing what you want, but make sure to let Wildebeest come up with creative solutions. They will probably have ideas that are better than what you imagined. Give them that leeway, and they’ll deliver.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of HYFN, a full-service digital agency that provides creative amplification and technology services to mid-market companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

My company didn’t have the internal capacity to complete a technology project. We needed to outsource development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Wildebeest has provided development support to a few tech projects. Most recently, Wildebeest helped us develop a website for one of our biggest client’s B2B e-commerce sales operations. They built the site on BigCommerce and HubSpot using webpack, gulp.js, and ES6. The team implemented the design that my team created, including templates, pages, and modules, into the platform as HTML, CSS3, and JavaScript in the frontend. They built the BigCommerce template with a custom UI design.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Ran (Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Wildebeest) on 4–5 projects. My team has also engaged with Kevin (Web Developer and Partner, Wildebeest). For the most recent project, we worked with Eric (Software Engineering, Wildebeest).

How did you come to work with Wildebeest?

I believe we learned about Wildebeest through word-of-mouth. We hired them because they were local and did high-quality frontend and visual work. They were also pursuing interesting work in machine learning and AI.

What is the status of this engagement?

My company hired Wildebeest in September 2015, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since they’re developing from scratch, there aren’t KPIs that demonstrate a clear before-and-after measurement. However, they helped us get our last project done at 50% under cost.

How did Wildebeest perform from a project management standpoint?

During the e-commerce site development project, we had standups with Wildebeest’s team three times a week to check on progress. They interfaced closely with our project management and creative teams in a white label capacity. Eric was an outstanding and knowledgeable project tech lead. This was his first experience working with BigCommerce and HubSpot, and he learned the platforms quickly. The team delivered the project within six weeks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The fact that Wildebeest is local is very helpful. We have in-person meanings, and they’re easy to talk to. They’re incredibly thoughtful and considerate when taking on a project. The team wants to know the particulars and have a deep understanding before they start working.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really, but they should continue to invest in their employees. They have a good team that’s relatively small, and it could be useful if they had more developers with a broader range of capabilities. For instance, they could use backend developers and another lead developer. Beyond that, they’re doing great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I'm the creative director at Uproxx Studios, a publishing platform owned by Warner Music Group.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

We create executions to tell a story pertinent to a variety of brands. We were working on a campaign for a car company around making adventures accessible for everybody in local places. One part of the campaign required creating an interactive map, which is a bit outside our skill set. I needed to find a vendor who was capable of helping us execute an interactive online experience that ties together the campaign. I needed somebody who could create a site that’s interesting, sharp, and makes sense for users.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

First and foremost, Wildebeest functioned as the vendor primarily responsible for building the interactive site. However, they also took our high-level vision for what we wanted and executed it with a skill set that nobody at our company had. They took a simple write up and figured out how to articulate both our technical and creative vision. 

Our existing website is WordPress. It's a bit antiquated but we felt like we had no choice but to execute this project in WordPress as well. Wildebeest immediately determined we had to circumvent WordPress. They felt that creating a custom site would be the best solution. They came up with a system that worked best for the campaign and wasn’t too complicated for our site. Our in-house designer created the initial framework and mockups for the site. Wildebeest expanded on it by taking basic 2D elements and turning it into a web-first design. 

What is the team composition? 

Ran (co-founder & managing partner, Wildebeest) was our main point of contact. There were at least 2–3 other people involved, including a designer and coder. 

How did you come to work with Wildebeest?

I've known Ran for a while socially. I respect the way he thinks. He's a level-headed, even-tempered person. Knowing that this was a complicated project, I couldn't hire a vendor without having a personal relationship that allowed us to speak frankly. I knew Ran could be a collaborative partner to help me execute a site that was smartly utilitarian so that we can do more things like this in the future. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

The project took place from April–May 2019. The campaign isn’t done but our work with Wildebeest is wrapped, apart from any emergency site fixes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the short term, their execution of the campaign was great. The long term impact is that it shows our internal stakeholders that we’re capable of making high-quality experiences that aren’t couched in an antiquated website structure. That was accomplished because of the effort Wildebeest put in. I haven't heard a single negative thing about the site. It looks really nice and provides a smooth experience for users. 

Wildebeest’s performance exceeded my expectations, and sets us up for bigger and more interesting projects. It was a very graceful collaboration. I'm very happy with what they did. Ran served as my trustworthy right-hand man. They went above and beyond to help us find and implement the best solution.

How did Wildebeest perform from a project management standpoint? 

The Wildebeest team was great. They’re so smart and good at coming up with creative solutions. They built an entire CMS system in Google Sheets for this campaign, which is a testament to their ability to manage a project. They identified what was going to be a massive challenge—the central control of information and who was going to maintain that information—before we were aware of a problem. Then they fixed the issue before we had a reason to suggest it needed to be fixed. We needed a system that we can use internally without their help. It’s a real game-changer for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're more of a solution company than a development company. They're trying to make technologies that solve problems. I think that's really interesting. I hope at some point we have a need to use them for that because it’s a strength of their portfolio. We actually under-used use them by only engaging them for site design. It’s a really nice site and it works really well. Ultimately, to see them at their best is to take advantage of how they think about data and use it solve problems. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

No, not really. Some people on my team were frustrated about them not letting us know certain things about web design. I don't think that’s a criticism of them because we didn't have anybody on our side who could ask the right questions going into the design process. That would've made it easier for everyone on the team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of digital content production for Eleven, Inc, an ad agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

We were doing a big campaign for Google Cloud for the March Madness basketball tournament. We wanted to build out an enticing digital experience that showed off the capabilities of the Google Cloud platform, tying together real-time analytics and prediction systems using big data.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Wildebeest built the site and the backend system to handle all of the data. We worked with them from the inception of the idea. They managed the design and UX. They developed both the front- and backend including the information architecture to make sure we could implement on Google’s platform. We just went live.

From a features perspective, there are several frontend pages with content that serve as a campaign landing environment. Those pages are purely informational and integrate audio, video, copy, and images. There’s a robust system that displays real-time insight based on predictions and performance of the people in the tournament.

What is the team composition?

I interface directly with their managing director. We have a team of 10–15 people working on it from design to engineering.

How did you come to work with Wildebeest?

I met the managing director years ago when I owned another small digital agency. He had impressed me back then, and we’d stayed in touch. For this project, a friend of mine who works at Google recommended that I reach out to them. I did and liked their philosophy and style. It seemed to fit very well with what we needed to do.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The clients are very pleased with the work. They did a fantastic job.

How did Wildebeest perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via phone, email, Slack, and Google hangouts. We also meet in person. They were good constant communicators. They were good at escalating things up if necessary. If they knew they needed my involvement, they didn't hesitate to reach out and would do so at the appropriate time so that we could still affect the changes to make sure the project was successful.

The team was very flexible. It was a challenging project on an aggressive timeline with lots of different types of changes along the way. The team handled it well with a high level of professionalism. There are very few partners that I've worked with in my career that are as great to work with as them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Wildebeest is on my top five list for vendors I've ever worked with in my entire career from a digital perspective. They did incredible work, were very amiable, and were able to handle a challenging project on a short timeline incredibly well. I would definitely work with them again and highly recommend them to friends and colleagues.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I think a lot of the improvements could have been on my side, but they weren’t in our control at the time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would get them involved as soon as possible. The earlier they're involved, the better. Embrace them because they're very good at what they do. I also think that their style of agile design and development aligns well with teams that understand how to work in agile.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Tact and Stone, a sustainable menswear brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

I wanted a well-designed and functioning e-commerce site that directed consumer sales. Wildebeest seemed like the right fit for the job.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Wildebeest built the Shopify platform from scratch. The team covered all design elements and assisted with SEO. We worked together customizing the site based on the options Shopify made available. A personalized aspect they integrated was a water savings feature.

We’re fully sustainable and plan on being the top sustainable menswear brand on the market. The water savings tracker monitors savings for the customer on a per garment basis and the lifetime savings of each consumer.

What is the team composition?

Ran (Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Wildebeest) was our main point of contact. We talked to the development and design teams, but everything came through to Ran.

How did you come to work with Wildebeest?

Wildebeest was referred to our team by someone we worked with on branding. We interviewed several studios and a few individual developers. We felt that Wildebeest was the perfect fit and could execute what we wanted.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $26,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Wildebeest from June 2018 to January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re launching within the next few weeks. Our experience with Wildebeest has been excellent. The website came out how we wanted.

How did Wildebeest perform from a project management standpoint?

Ran was on top of everything, making the process move seamlessly. He was readily available and clear in his expectations. We communicated mostly through phone and email but used Google Hangouts and screen shares when necessary.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated how customer-focused Wildebeest was. Their team made sure we were satisfied throughout the entire process. They set expectations at the beginning and understood how we were going to work together throughout the engagement. It’s also fantastic that their design and development teams are under one roof. Other agencies we reached out to didn’t have this, which isn’t efficient. Wildebeest owned the project from start to finish.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. I was pleased with Wildebeest and their team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I suggest spending time with Wildebeest and making sure they’re the right fit. They worked well with my company. I enjoyed having every service under one roof and having set expectations. Their team communicated timelines and other aspects of the project efficiently. It was an excellent experience working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a partner and the VP of digital production at Marcus Thomas, a full-service marcom.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

We engaged Wildebeest to assist us with building an Amazon's Alexa skill for one of our clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Wildebeest executed our concept within the Amazon Alexa platform, allowing users to access weather data and create schedules based on their preferences. We provided wireframes, userflows and specifications, and they provided the full development and technical consulation for the project.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people, mainly the project manager. The others included strategy/creative and developers.

How did you come to work with Wildebeest?

Brady Hurt of Obsidian Reps connected us.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested approximately $90,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around December 2017, and it went live in early May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our client is very pleased with the Alexa skill Wildebeest developed. Even though we haven't started promoting it, it’s in public beta, the skill has been well received. We look forward to working with Wildebeest for the next iterations.

The experience they brought to the table in helping us navigate through some of Amazon's approval issues was invaluable. They were a great partner and helped us be successful in an area we were previously unexperienced as creators/publishers.

How did Wildebeest perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. They were very proactive from start to finish; their team was better about reaching out to us to follow up on tasks than we were, and able to maintain timelines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work ethic and craftsmanship is exceptional. They genuinely invest themselves into their work and are very detail oriented. Their QA goes beyond basic fixes; they're meticulous about ensuring the functionality of the final product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I've been very happy with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more complete the premise of the idea and scope of work is going into the relationship, the faster their team will be able to bring it to life with fewer complications. This is universal for any team you partner with.