Zencat Studios

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the founder of Futurecam (https://kartickvad.github.io/futurecam-website/)

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zencat Studios?

Our UX was poor, so we worked with Zencat in an advisory capacity to identify what needs improvement, when, and to what extent in order to reach our next milestone

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I worked with Sahil in another company, and developed respect for his insight from our conversations there.

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

We had an app that was great in engineering terms, but broken in UX. So we worked with Zencat, and asked for advice on getting to the next milestone as a company. We had periodic review meetings, plus we were challenged by Zencat (always constructively) when something was missing on our side. Ultimately, the startup failed for no fault of Zencat (lack of marketing success).

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

Sahil, the creative director, worked with us

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The UX was a notch higher in quality at the end as compared to the start.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Zencat communicated with us in person, over calls, and over messaging, being flexible to suit our convenience and the task at hand. We had periodic review meetings, and ad-hoc conversations regarding things not covered in the meetings.

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

Sahil, the creative director, worked with us as at a strategic level, guiding us on what level of investment was needed in UX, and when, and when it was good enough for now. He was a partner and not a vendor.

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

No area of improvement -- everything was as expected or better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a manager at a B2B e-commerce marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zencat Studios?

We hired Zencat Studios to help with the UX/UI design for our platforms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our team did the initial research, and we shared our findings with Zencat Studios. From there, they assisted us with the UI/UX design using Figma. I would give them a brief, they’d provide a UX proposal, and we’d have multiple iterations. Then, they presented the final UI designs.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we worked with one teammate, and then two more people joined the team. In total, we worked with three people from Zencat Studios. 

How did you come to work with Zencat Studios?

We found them through a freelancing portal where we posted our requirements. Zencat Studios reached out to us, among other freelancers. We interviewed a few providers and ultimately narrowed it down to Zencat Studios based on their portfolio and the availability they promised us. 

How much did you invest with them?

We spent close to 2.5 million Indian rupees (approximately $33,000 USD) on the project.

What is the status of the engagement?

We worked together from June 2021–January 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although I don't have the metrics to share, we were satisfied with Zencat Studios’ work.

How did Zencat Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They had great turnaround times; they were quick with their UX proposals and final UI designs. Most of our communication was through Zoom, Microsoft Teams meetings, emails, and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by Zencat Studios’ speed and responsiveness to the brief, which differentiated them from the competition.

Are there any they could improve?

They could have had a deeper understanding of our business and product platform rather than just working off the brief; that could have improved the product. Additionally, they could have come up with multiple options. For us as a business, more options for UI designs and color palettes would have been desirable. 

Any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to get the briefs ready and create a proper timeline for how you want Zencat Studios to generate the output. Be proactive; create a project plan and manage it yourself rather than expecting timely responses.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Dāsubhāshitam, a Telugu Audiobooks company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zencat Studios?

We were planning new content formats and segments. We were also looking to upgrade our App's experience. We specifically hired Zencat for the UI&UX work.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A friend who was Zencat's client recommended the firm to us.

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

Initially we gave them a strong brief of our existing app, what is working and not, what are the changes we'd like to see and so on. Zencat's team completely owned the project thereafter. They did the wireframes, gave us 4 visual options to choose from, helped us in making the selection, and delivered the designs on time.

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

One Designer and a Project Manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are yet to implement the designs but initial trials with users indicated that they like the new design direction of the app. It is more modern, sophisticated, and much easier to use.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The design team used Figma. Though we weren't familiar with that platform it didn't disrupt the workflow. We had weekly zoom calls and they also set up a WhatsApp group for quick feedback. They were very responsive and delivered on time.

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

They have the UX/UI chops of course but what impressed me most was that they take their motto seriously. They indeed delivered on their tagline — save time, move faster, ship sooner. People worry about using messengers like WhatsApp but design is a highly iterative process. The design team needs to work like they are an in-house team. So communication has to be fast and responsive. Although we had formal weekly calls, the design team was available on the phone and on WhatsApp too. All decisions were confirmed by email so there was anything missing.

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

Ironically, their website doesn't fully capture their talent or capabilities.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Partner

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Mental health workshops

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Zencat Studios to accomplish?

• Branding

SOLUTION

How did you find Zencat Studios?

Referral

Why did you select Zencat Studios over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Zencat Studios were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Branding guidelines, logo design, business card design, and designing brand elements

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

good turn around time, prompt accommodation for feedback

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes,

What was your primary form of communication with Zencat Studios?

Virtual Meeting

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

Prompt with feedback and quick outputs, They helped bring my vision to life 

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of an education company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're an edtech startup

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Zencat Studios to accomplish?

• To create a logo and basic brand identity
• To design and create a figma click-through prototype of our product
• To Help with a pitch/presentatio deck

SOLUTION

How did you find Zencat Studios?

Referral

Why did you select Zencat Studios over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Professionalism and timelines

How many teammates from Zencat Studios were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Zencat helped us think through the logo and basic brand identity and then went on to assist with UX and then the visual design for our product prototype. Beyond this, they also assisted with designing our product/presentation pitchdeck.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The figma prototype was developed as expected, and the pitch deck was designed.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The team was quite responsive and most deliverables got done in the timelines proposed. The team exhibited a bias for action, that seemed to be a differentiator from other firms we were evaluating. Since this was a small project we didn't need a structured project management, but through constant discussions, we were kept informed of progress and had regular reviews and check-ins.

What was your primary form of communication with Zencat Studios?

Virtual Meeting

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

Quick to respond. Good Design Work. Focused on customer-centricity. Quick turnarounds.

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

Nothing that comes to mind

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Co-Founder & CTO of sam42.com where we are trying to enhance online learning with AI assistance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zencat Studios?

1. SAMBOT: an AI bot that identifies the in video attention, they designed and developed the UI components of the alter system of the BOT.
2. Live Classroom: They designed the whole UX/UI components of web application for both desktop and mobile browsers. Zencat also developed the same application in HTML / CSS / JS.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Through reference from an old friend.

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

SAMclass is an online learning environment that uses state of the art AI to assist the Educator during and after the class. Zencat Studios built the UX/UI of the web application involving all major components as listed below:

1. Whiteboard: optimised for both desktop and mobile browsers
2. screen share
3. presentations
4. live videos placement
5. live group chat
6. AI alerts
7. Login screens
8. Camera permission screens

Zencat Studios identified the best user experience by experimenting on various screens and eventually built the front-end application (HTML) optimised for various devices.

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

3 resources:

• 2 in design
• 1 in development

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The application was successfully used in production and currently part of our SAAS offerings

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team was responsive and professional. The communication was regular and effective.

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

Agility and Skills

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-founder of the company developing products for financial sector in India

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zencat Studios?

The industry inside Fintech where we operate is Capital Markets. It's notoriously confusing to new customers. Through Zencat, we wanted to develop a new simplified experience to further the penetration of capital markets in India. They built multiple UI and UX for our various products and consult on-going basis on how best to reach customers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The team is very experienced and have a instinct of understanding us. They are able to quickly match our understanding and sometimes even help see our own products in a new perspective. Superb attention to detail & Silicon Valley level execution.

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

Multiple brain dump sessions right at the beginning Draft a plan & scope of work Start UI & UX development Open to multiple improvement & changes

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

5 Juniors to seniors

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to catch multiple enterprise deals due to the product they helped build

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. They are open to joining our Slack so that the teams can communicate properly

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

We're impressed with their patience and quickness in understanding our deep requirements.

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

None so far