500 Designs

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a co-founder and marketing director for a CPG startup.

For what projects/services did your company hire 500 Designs?

We hired 500 Designs to help us concept and design for a new product launch. We had the name and formulation of a product, and we needed 500 Designs to help us bring it to life within the constraints of our existing product portfolio.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to have a product that spoke for itself on shelves but also still fit in with our initial product and USPs.

How did you select 500 Designs?

We had worked with 500 Designs previously on a rebrand for one of our other product lines. After reviewing a bunch of agencies, we found them to have a firm understanding of how we wanted to move forward, and they also brought wonderful new ideas to the table.

Describe the project in detail.

We had a super short timeline for the new design of our product + launch. 500 Designs was in constant communication. We had a kickoff meeting, where we all shared important information to move forward and made sure we were all on the same page. From that point, we had near daily touch points to make sure things were moving and sign-offs were happening.

They presented our initial round of options in about a week, and we iterated from there. They were always super accepting of feedback, and in the end, I think we ended up with something we were all super proud of. In just a few short weeks they designed new packaging for us + extended it across packaging sizes + flavor varieties.

What was the team composition?

We primarily worked with two people at 500 Designs, who were both very well-versed on the scope of the project, timeline, and deliverables. We worked with the same team for the duration of the project.

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

At the end of this project, we decided to adjust our hero SKU to better match the design of our new product, because we loved what 500 Designs had done. They really have an eye for how things fit together.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Every piece was on time, or even ahead of schedule. Their team was prompt with feedback and making sure we had virtual checkins to talk through any issues.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have the ability to merge so well with our team. They step in and try to fully understand the industry and issues, and they make suggestions from a place of understanding. We've begun to turn to them for all sorts of branding, design, digital / web work that comes up that our team can't get on top of, and they bend over backwards at times to make sure everything is getting done, and that it's right.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Perfectly Tea is a tea brand designed to empower women to become the best version of themselves

For what projects/services did your company hire 500 Designs?

We needed help with the overall strategy and look of the brand, especially UI/UX design and web development.

What were your goals for this project?

To unleash the real potential of the brand by creating an out of the box web design focused on women empowerment.

How did you select 500 Designs?

One of my co-founders referred us to 500 Designs. Seeing the team's expertise and passion on our very first meeting made us immediately sign into the project.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We shared with 500 Designs our overall vision for Perfectly Tea, which was to empower women. Their team then wanted to create a brand that would immediately resonate with our target market. From there, 500 Designs came up with a lifestyle-focused brand story that is reflected on all channels, from product packaging to the website.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with a Creative and Strategy Director, as well as a dedicated Project Manager, but there were several designers, writers, and developers also involved behind the scenes.

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

With their strategic help, we sold out in our first month!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very easy to work with. Whenever we have questions or requests, they are on it straight away. They are also very transparent and always communicative.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team is inventive every step of the way. They really go the extra mile, delivering more than we expect.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Everything worked perfectly.

Please describe your company and your position there.

CliqueMJ is the leading loyalty app for the cannabis industry offering consumers cannabis deals and rewards.

For what projects/services did your company hire 500 Designs?

We looped in Steve and his team in order to enhance the look and feel of our mobile apps.

What were your goals for this project?

Completely redesign the mobile applications to make them easy and fun to use.

How did you select 500 Designs?

We searched online for about two months. We landed on 500 designs and had an initial meeting with them. What we took from that meeting was that their team is very well experienced and wanted to come back to us with a plan of their own. It was great.

Describe the project in detail.

500 designs sent us a couple of options to choose from before we went ahead with the green light and redesigned the mobile applications. Once that was done, they kept in touch with us every week in order to make sure the work they are handing over during the sprints was exactly what we wanted.

What was the team composition?

We were directly in touch with a product manager and the owner himself, Steve. Who is wonderful to work with.

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

Our users love the new look and find it was easier to navigate.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Seamless. We had no problem reaching out to their team and when we did they would respond promptly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The work, clean and straight to the point. They are not expensive in regard to their offering either.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Can't think of any. We wish them the best of luck.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Marketing/ Business Development. We are headquartered in Newport Beach, California. I oversee all partner communications, client relations, and sales efforts for the company.

For what projects/services did your company hire 500 Designs?

We needed to take an already successful business and rebrand the service under a new name, reflecting the evolved product offering.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create individual product solutions and create a hierarchy under one umbrella—the Globally Paid brand.

How did you select this vendor?

I searched for hours and finally came across 500 Designs website and immediately, I was impressed. After I scheduled an introductory call I knew we had found the right partner with the know how experience who was going to take our ideas to the next level.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The process began with multiple face to face meetings. We really got to know their team, their process and their overall work ethic. Their team was with us every step of the way.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with their CEO, project managers, developers, and graphic designers.

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

Since working with 500 Designs, we are extremely satisfied with our new website, branding, logo, coloring, etc. It's everything we imagined and better. We will continue to enhance our image, our messaging, and our overall vision with their team's guidance and help.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their project management process was thorough and efficient. Their team was also flexible with our hectic traveling schedules, which we greatly appreciated.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their team's vision and experience made our team really think outside of the box. They pushed us to think like true marketers.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I am confident their team will continue to acquire great clients through their forward thinking culture and through their genuine desire to help businesses succeed.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the cofounder and head of product at a startup called Humble Dot. We are a team collaboration software tool built primarily around a web application.

For what projects/services did your company hire 500 Designs?

We hired 500 Designs in June when our full-time designer left our company. We used to hire them for 20 hours of work a week. We initially thought they would be a stopgap for a few months until we could hire another full-time designer but their work was so amazing we haven't had to do that.

Six months later and we're still working closely with them. We meet weekly to discuss and review designs for UI for our web application.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed design support for developing our web application UI as well as our landing pages.

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred to 500 Designs by a friend of mine who is the head of product at another software company. He was in a similar position to us and had only amazing things to say about Steve and 500 Designs.

Describe the project in detail.

We had an initial call were we discussed pricing and meeting cadence and then we jumped right in.

We meet weekly on Thursday where Steve and Sheena, our designated designer at 500 Designs, present and walk through their designs from the projects we discussed last week. We give feedback and then we talk about what we need designed for next week.

They always have amazing work and get it finished so quickly. They take feedback very well and ask the right questions to ensure they understand the feature we need designed. We've been so impressed with them.

What was the team composition?

Steve is a founder of 500 Designs and our initial point of contact. Another designer, Sheena, works with us on actually creating the designs and illustrations we need. We meet with both of them for an hour via videocall every week even though it's very late for Sheena as she is located the Philippines.

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

We have loved the work that Steve and Sheena have done for us. They've redesigned our core web application UI as well as our onboarding and landing pages. The results are fantastic. Our signups are up 350% in absolute numbers since we started working together and our signup conversion has doubled.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our workflow was excellent. We meet weekly and we really enjoying and look forward to meeting with Steven and Sheena. We also can tag Sheena in small to-dos throughout the week if something comes up.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I'm very impressed by the level of quality from 500 Designs. They give us the quality of having a full-time designer despite only working 20 hours a week for us. I'm also impressed with their speed. Designs come so quickly! Lastly, I love their attitude. They're friendly and competent—just the kind of people you look to work with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No! I wish we could work with them more!

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the head of medical communications of a prestigious dermatologic medical practice and research group in NYC. I oversee the development and execution of the publication plan, the scientific communication platform and the branding.

For what projects/services did your company hire 500 Designs?

We hired Steve and their team as our website was updated and needed a next-generation website for the practice and the research group.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to have a website that reflected the cutting edge innovation that takes place in the practice, to educate the patients about innovative treatments and the new research emerging from the research group. We wanted the site to be easy to navigate, felt light regardless of the browser/device and was aesthetically pleasing in an elegant/simplistic way.

How did you select this vendor?

A startup CTO highly recommended 500designs as he had used them to design a logo for his startup under a very tight deadline. They delivered and put the startup on the map as the logo really captured what the company was about. We also checked out the 500website and their mission statement and branding were closely aligned to what we were looking for.

Describe the project in detail.

The project was to design and launch from scratch the practice website and the research group website, with new content, new media, new typology, and layout and integrate features such as online booking, online payments, and patient portal. The project was cost-estimated and projected to take around 3 months from start to launch.

What was the team composition?

We worked with Steve and Vivianne directly from the very beginning, they were our shepherds all the way from selecting the layout, the UI/UX interface, the fonts and stock photos to digging out the right plugins for all the features we required, the two of them worked with us the whole way. Another bright star Christine on the team helped build out some pages and stepped in as needed to meet the deadlines and goals.

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

Absolutely, within 3 months of launch, the website traffic had quadrupled, and we received lots of compliments from other members of the team, patients and even competitors. There was great utility and appreciation of the sites' ability to offer online booking and payment which subsequently helped facilitate clinical operations within the practice.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was natural and seamless, they were easy to work with, fun, fresh and responsive. We didn't need any fancy project management software, email, chat and skype worked just fine.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The passion and innovation Steve and Viv bring to the project is evident, a stark contrast to other agencies that are dry and impersonal. They become part of the team and care about the success of the project long term. They are quick on their feet, agile, and fresh. They are a bubbling pot of smart ideas and solutions to all the problems that can be encountered.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I wish they were closer to the east coast!

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I'm CTO and one of the co-founders of Fit3D. We sell 3D body scanners to health and wellness facilities. People use our scanner to track their body shape over time and view the results through our web platform. We also have a product in the apparel space that uses aggregate data to help brands deliver better sizing for their customers.

What challenge were you trying to address with 500 Designs? 

We're focused on sales and engineering as an organization. We continually need assistance with design. We wanted to build a marketing website that presents a good face to attract leads. On the product side, we need a good UI that works well. We also want to ensure that the design quality is up to the standard expected by our customers.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

We’ll typically approach 500 Designs with a description of a product that we're working on. For example, we have a scanner app and that's going to be used in gyms. Users need to be able to log in, read instructions, and then be able to take a scan. 500 Designs will go through and give us a couple of ideas on design directions. They might show us a bold color scheme and a more minimalist flat design. That’s a typical process from a product design protective. 

In terms of the website, they look at the interaction between pages. They help a lot with UX in terms of how it might be more intuitive for the user. We also ask 500 Designs for help when we have a spot where we want to put a graphic to convey a message. They'll create illustrations or other artwork that we can use.

What is the team composition? 

One of the founders serves as our project manager. We work with one main designer, and then they’ll bring in an illustrator or another expert to do a specific task as needed. 

How did you come to work with 500 Designs? 

We initially needed design help when we were building a deck to secure investment. They were a reference from someone we knew. Once we got introduced to them and found out they do product design and illustrations, we decided to use them for additional projects. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

Work began around the end of 2016. We’ve actually transitioned from doing project-based work to now having them on an ongoing retainer.

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

Generally, it's been great. We’ve been really happy with their product design work. Our strength is making products that are functional. The UX wasn’t amazing but users could look past that to see what the product offered. Once 500 Designs came in, they were able to remake the product by putting a nice face on it. The design of the UX is actually now a positive for users. That continues to be the constant for us, and why we continue to grow the relationship. 

How did 500 Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication is excellent. We mostly use email and Google Docs. 500 Designs is always available at whatever time of day we reach out. They’re supremely responsive even if we have little tweaks after they’ve delivered the final version. They’ll quickly follow up with an update. Even though we don’t meet in person, it's nice to know they're always ready to hop on the phone or video chat.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

500 Designs’ dependability is a huge benefit that keeps us coming back. They continue to deliver better and better results as they learn more about our business. We’ve been able to work with the same set of designers for a long period of time. We’ve seen an upward trend in their work, which is great. That makes it even easier to extend the relationship into other areas of design. We feel confident they can take on more of what we want to do. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

Nothing really comes to mind. In early projects, we were still learning the right amount of project definition to put in place. That was more on us to get right on how to convey exactly what we want. It's actually been a really positive relationship throughout. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

They're open to as much communication as you like, so definitely take advantage of that. The biggest thing we've found is that they produce better outputs the more they’re integrated into our products. You will get better results if they’re involved in every piece of the design of your product.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Bid Ops is a SaaS negotiation platform for procurement teams. We're an 11 person, post-seed stage startup and I'm the Product Manager.

For what projects/services did your company hire 500 Designs?

We hired 500 Designs instead of a full-time UI/UX designer. When we learned that Steve and his team could function/work with us in the same way a full-time designer would (and at the same cost), but with the added benefit of being a full-service consultancy (with skills in a variety of specialties) we jumped at the chance to bring 500 Designs on board. They've worked with us to redesign our entire product, launch several high-value/high-complexity features, and refresh our marketing materials.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to deliver a best-in-class, modern, professional-looking product experience to our users while still moving at breakneck speed. Working with 500 Designs has allowed us to do just that.

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed several full-time candidates and talked to one or two other design firms. We were put in contact with Steve via one of our seed investors. From the very first meeting, we knew Steve and 500 were the right choice.

Describe the project in detail.

For each of the features we work on together, I put together a detailed product specification (research, problem statement, user stories, acceptance criteria) and present it to 500 for discussion/feedback. 500 then starts UI/UX design and delivers mocks via Zeplin. The mocks are almost always of extremely high quality -- if there's anything that needs tweaking, I leave comments in Zeplin. Typically, after one or two iterations, we're good to go and the designs are ready for engineering to start implementing them.

At the outset of our engagement, Steve and the team ran us through an awesome branding/voice/tone exercise to better understand our business and our desired brand message. One of the things I've enjoyed most about working together is how flexible/available Steve and his team are -- at times where we need them to be very high touch, they are; when things are quieter, they're able to operate independently. They truly care about our product and success, so they spend the time getting to know us and our business -- it's a true partnership.

What was the team composition?

Steve is directly involved every step of the way and Louis Boo has been an absolutely amazing partner on the UI/UX design side -- doing all of the actual design and delivery of assets. At various times we've worked with many other folks on the team -- 500 has individuals who specialize in emails, presentations, web design, and marketing materials. Whenever we have a spot need for something, Steve usually has a dedicated resource for us.

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

Since we've refreshed our product, we frequently get feedback in demos, pitches, and sales calls that our product is the best-looking procurement software on the market. User tests we've run for features that we collaborated with 500 on typically score extremely high in terms of usability and delight. On top of all of that, we've been able to scale up the number of users on our platform and reduce user reliance on customer support. Our product is indisputably easier to use than it was before we started working with 500 Design.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely effective. We handle most of our communication through a dedicated Slack channel and designs/feedback are exchanged via Zeplin. We also have a weekly check-in call (on Mondays) to review priorities for the week and go over any new product specs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

There are many things that have impressed me about working with 500, but the most impressive two things are:

1. Steve and the team's dedication and commitment to understanding the product, problem, and business on a fundamental level
2. 500's ability to deliver extremely high-quality work on short timelines

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing comes to mind

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a project director for GSVlabs, an organization that facilitates rapid prototyping and product validation for large enterprise clients. My role is to work with new product teams to understand their goals and co-create a digital product concept that we then prototype, test, and validate.

For what projects/services did your company hire 500 Designs?

We hired 500 Designs to help create marketing mockups and functional prototypes as part of our prototyping sprints.

What were your goals for this project?

We want to understand how users interact with the product ideas that we've come up with and if the solution will ultimately serve their needs.

How did you select this vendor?

Our team knew Steve (CEO & Co-founder, 500 Designs) from his previous company and had seen his design skills firsthand. When we launched this service and needed design support, reaching out to him was a no-brainer.

Describe the project in detail.

500 Designs creates marketing mockups, including one-pagers and website landing pages. They also design functional prototypes for user testing on browser and mobile. For each project, we usually require mockups for 3–10 different product concepts with 3–5 product iterations. Our projects with them run anywhere from 3–12 weeks.

What was the team composition?

We coordinate with 1–2 individuals on the 500 Designs team, but I understand that other people are also involved.  

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

The 500 Designs team has helped us complete numerous projects that have received great reviews. We've also seen a few client products go to market.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication is extremely streamlined and efficient. We have a team Slack channel set up for feedback and comments.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I’m impressed with their ability to deliver exceptional results regardless of the industry.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We have created a mobile application on both iOS and Android that allows customers to make payments against their holiday booking balance. At the moment, to make payments towards a holiday booking, you have to take a trip into the Travel Agency / Tour Operator, possibly have to take time off work to do so, ring up and pay via credit or debit card over the phone, or send bank transfers etcetera which are all incredibly inconvenient. Our mobile application eliminates all of that. Once a Travel Agent / Tour Operator is signed up to use our service, and a customer books a holiday, they will be automatically signed up to use our service also. Once the customer downloads the app, they can log in using their credentials and their remaining holiday booking balance will show. They can then begin to make once off or scheduled payments anytime and anywhere. It's just convenience.

I am a co-founder.

What challenge were you trying to address with 500 Designs?

We needed help with designing a pitch deck and our financials.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Before the pitch deck was actually made, they gave us a questionnaire and we filled out all the information. From there, they went and created the pitch deck and images. Once they got started, we sent it back and forth on a weekly basis to let them know what changes we wanted and what we wanted to be added.

How did you come to work with 500 Designs?

It was by chance we got in contact with them. My business partner came across Steve [Brett, founder] on LinkedIn. He just contacted him via LinkedIn, just because he saw he was Irish and living in San Francisco. He's an entrepreneur and my partner just texted him, as you do, to get some advice and see how he was doing over there. The relationship just grew from there, to be honest.

It grew over the course of a couple of months. Messages came back and forth and as the relationship went on, we realized 500 Designs could actually help us with our pitch deck and our financials. That worked out really well for us.

How much have you invested with 500 Designs?

That is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them roughly three or four months ago. We're still working with them at the moment.

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

Not yet because, as I've already said, we're still working on things together. The pitch deck has been sent out to people here and there. It is finished, but at the same time, we're just cleaning one or two things up.

We have spoken to a few people about it and the feedback we've received has been excellent.

How did 500 Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

It's been pretty straightforward for us. As you can imagine, the communication on a daily and weekly basis was mainly done via email. When help was needed, we reached out to them. We also held a Skype call every single Thursday and depending on what progress had been throughout the week, they could range from one to two hours. We covered a lot of work on these calls.

They were really helpful, but it was on the Skype calls that we got a lot of the work done because we discussed everything that went on in the week and what changes needed to be made. Once they were discussed, the guys went off and made the changes that were necessary and did the work on their side. Then, we followed up with a call the following Thursday again. We just kept working along that way.

What did you find most impressive about 500 Designs?

The level of work they do is extremely good and their communication skills are fantastic.

The pitch deck and financials are excellent. We're pretty confident we wouldn't have received the pitch deck and financials up to the standard that we've got from 500 Designs from anyone else. We're exceptionally delighted with the work they've done. They've been really helpful. If we had a question on the deck, or we wanted something changed, or we weren't too sure about something on the financials, they always cleared it up in an instant. If we sent them an email, they came back to us straight away. Changes were made very fast. There was no delay in the work to be done.

Are there any areas 500 Designs could improve?

Not at all, no. As I said, we don't think we would have gotten the same service from anyone else. The relationship we have with them is pretty fantastic. It's natural. Obviously, we didn't know the guys before we started working with them, but they're so easy to work with and they're very, very helpful and understanding. Their knowledge and what they do is at an extremely high level as well, so that definitely helps with the content.