Airnauts

Please describe your company and your position there.

NOWNESS is a video channel premiering the best in global arts and culture across Art & Design, Culture, Fashion & Beauty, Music and Food & Travel. I am the digital editor at NOWNESS.

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

We selected Airnauts to build the new release of NOWNESS. At the time we had a rather outdated website that felt like a blog. We wanted to build something novel, exciting and something that would be on par with our content.

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

We met through a mutual acquaintance in NYC. Despite being a relatively small agency from Warsaw, we felt a great connection and no cultural gap. They immediately understood what we are looking for and more importantly were able to take a really deep dive into us and proposed a solution that was an exact match to our expectations - and actually managed to surpass them.

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

The project required a re-build of the entire NOWNESS experience from scratch. Frontend, backend, CMS, analytics etc. We worked together to define the final approach and Airnauts decided to provide a very bespoke, custom solution that would match our needs and our workflow - an Angular frontend application, a custom backend leveraging Node.js and a custom CMS.

Later down the road native iOS , AppleTV and Android applications were developed as well. We have also launched different versions of the platform for the Chinese and Asian markets.

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

We've been working with Airnauts for several years and the team is always flexible to match our requirements. We worked with their CTO who personally oversaw all of the work and ensured things progressed smoothly, their PM and their team of developers directly. We really liked their flexibility through our long term partnership, and we love the personal touch that they bring.

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

Airnauts performance in our project is outstanding. Their creativity and dedication made it even better than we thought it would be. They came with specific ideas about how to improve our platform. Additionally, their team is very easy to relate to. With other companies, it’s clear that you’re speaking to an engineer without a lot of interpersonal skills, but with Airnauts, it’s clear that they have both the technical skill and the ability to communicate well with others.

Over the years we have managed to retain a very high quality of the platform and didn’t have to re-build it even though it’s been almost eight years since the original architecture was planned out - it is actually still a modern stack and has been optimized eg via the use of GraphQL to conform to the latest trends in tech. We are proud to say NOWNESS has won numerous awards, including Webby Awards.

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

Everyone on their team has been excellent at keeping me in the loop and helping me understand what we can accomplish, which makes me confident about collaborating with them.

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

They are all technology driven. For Airnauts, there is nothing that can't be done. And all of that is "packed" in a beautiful outfit, they keep in mind that even the most complex project has to be well designed. This combination of technology and design make them one of a kind.

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

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Portfoliobox. A website builder for creative professionals.

For what projects/services did your company hire Airnauts?

We hired Airnauts to redesign our website as it was already more then three years old and did not reflect the current version of the services we provide. We wanted a skilled design firm that could deliver a mind blowing experience that leaves the visitors amazed. In addition to the website we needed a redesign of our brand.

How did you select Airnuts and what were the deciding factors?

We looked for design firms in Europe on different sites and based on rankings, the design and quality of their own website, their portfolio of projects, we decided to get in touch with a hand full of them. After all the interviews and proposals we got we decided to go with Airnauts. One of the deciding factors why Airnauts got the project was that they put in time and effort in the initial proposal they sent us.

They took the time to brain storm ideas they had and what directions we could take. This was more than your standard copy paste design proposal. We where also looking for a firm that had the ability to deliver all the front-end code as well.

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

We provided wire frames of all the pages and blocks we needed. Then we created a mood board together where we put all things that inspires us. Once the mood board was finished they started to show what they had in mind with high-fidelity visuals and animations. What they had come up with was spot on amazing! Almost nowhere in the process did I ask them to come back with new concepts. I think it was due to great communication skills from their part.

They understood what I was looking for immediately. Once the design part was finished they started to code the site for us. We had very specific criteria, such as: we did not want any kind of framework involved, everything should be in plain html, css and optimized vanilla js. And they did as we asked, and they did it great. Their developer was just amazing!

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

In total I believe we worked with 6 people including one of the founding partners, 1 project leader, 2 designers, 1 developer and 1 QA resource. But I think there were more people involved in brainstorming of the concept.

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

We have good engagement rate on our site and the feedback from our users are very positive.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everybody on their team was amazing to work with. We had a slack channel where we could discuss but we also used Figma extensively to leave feedback. I could freely talk to the designer and the developer and they addressed any concerns I had very swiftly.

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

They are one of the best design firms I have worked with. They just went above and beyond to make sure I was happy with the results, even in times when I was undecided or unclear.

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

Not really, keep doing what you are doing and don't change!

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are working on a novel sleep-enhancing suite of products based on years of scientific data that we have been gathering and analysing. I'm the CTO.

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

We have amazing minds on our team, but not enough technical expertise to turn our vision into a final product that could be adapted by a large user base. We contacted Airnauts because we knew they could take our concept and turn it into an actual digital experience.

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

We were connected through a mutual acquaintance. We compared with competitors but we felt the best connection with Airnauts, by far. What convinced us the most was their deep understanding of our mission - which they managed to grasp very quickly - and the ability to analyse and positively challenge it on many levels.

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

Airnauts worked with us from the very beginning of the project, starting off at the conceptual phase, working on the final strategy for the product and translating that into ux and ui. The scope also contains frontend work, Flutter iOS and Android development, architecture and development of the backend stack, infrastructure/devops and all 3rd party integrations.

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

We're in constant contact with Jacob, their amazing CTO who ensures that our grand vision is properly translated into the language of modern technology on every level. We also work closely with their project manager. Internally there is a team of approx 6 developers and a small creative team.

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

Thanks to the amazing strategic work of the entire Airnauts team and great guidance from their CTO we were able to secure the necessary financing to continue with our vision. Currently we are running a closed beta and are progressing into the market. All of the deliverables so far have been of outstanding quality.

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

They are friendly and relaxed but very committed to the final result. The communication is constant and very low profile, in a good way. They definitely feel well integrated with us. Everything is happening as planned and on time.

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

The mix of professionalism and the human-centric, friendly approach towards the relationship with us. We can definitely see working together for many months and hopefully years to come. Their expertise is outstanding, they bring a lot of knowledge from many different sectors of the digital ecosystem. They can truly translate a vision into a real product in a way that focuses on the key aspects and is actionable within the time & budget constraints.

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

I would have started working with them sooner!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a partner at Base Design, and I run interactive projects.

What challenge were you trying to address with Airnauts?

We needed web and app development for our firm.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Airnauts partnered with us on the development side of our project. The work they did was custom backend coding and frontend development of the website and web-based application, as well as comprehensive content. We did the design, and they did the development.

What is the team composition?

The team changed slightly throughout the project, and in total there were 5–6 people involved with three people at any given time.

How did you come to work with Airnauts?

They actually approached us and showed us how they worked, and we decided to work with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them two years ago. The project was half completed because it got stuck due to the pandemic. The project was for a health club and travel business, and as you can imagine, those both were frozen at that time. It was launched, but not fully. It ended at the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020.

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

I am very happy. They were an excellent, thoughtful team. They had developers who thought and didn’t just approach a project by getting the tasks done and delivering them, but they questioned and improved things. 

How did Airnauts perform from a project management standpoint?

It was very good. They were very tightly managed and had a well-established workflow. Testing was well done. They were a very good development team. Given that the work was remote, we anticipated some tension, but there wasn’t any. 

Their English was impeccable, and they all spoke fluently. We are actually looking to work with them on another project right now. Airnauts had a project manager who was truly dedicated to the project. They followed the schedules and facilitated all the required meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We typically work with development firms as partners, and it works well only when they actually act as a partner and not as a subcontractor, meaning that the main drivers are quality of the work and not the fulfillment of contractual scope. That was Airnauts’ approach.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing struck me as an area for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Engage with them and don’t use them as subcontractors. Let the developers be a little bit creative and you will have a better outcome.

Please describe your company and your position there.

INTEGRA Metering’s history goes back to 1928 when the Wasserzählerfabrik, later renamed Aquametro, was founded in Basel, Switzerland. For 89 years, the company strives to gain knowledge, know-how, and experience in the water and thermal energy business while building its reputation on a global scale with 5 international offices in Europe, Middle-East, and Asia.

Today, INTEGRA Metering provides a broad and complete range of solutions and products in the water and thermal energy industries, and builds on its 90-year experience to deliver customized and quality services to water and thermal energy suppliers, utilities, municipalities, property management companies, and building operators. Thanks to its 200 committed employees in Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium, the UAE, and Singapore as well as its long-lasting relationship with business partners all around the world, INTEGRA Metering is the trusted partner for traditional and latest smart technology metering in water and thermal energy products, services, and solutions.

In order to redesign the INTEGRA Metering/Aquametro websites, the Marketing and Communications department has undertaken the websites project's responsibility.

For what projects/services did your company hire Airnauts?

We needed to redesign our three old-fashioned corporate websites completely.

What were your goals for this project?

The previous websites were looking very old fashioned and were not user-oriented at all. In addition to that, the CMS was licensed, definitely overpriced, and terrible to use. The goals were to have three new websites with a clear and easy-to-navigate organization, a fresh design, and a free CMS that was intuitive in terms of usability.

How did you select Airnauts?

We knew that there were a lot of skilled digital agencies in Warsaw, Poland. We then searched on Google, visited many agencies' websites, and compared the offer of three different agencies. Airnauts stood tremendously out of the two other prospects.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we had selected Airnauts, we entered a discovery phase which took place in their office in Warsaw. The goal was for them to understand our company and draft a design of the websites' contents at the same time. Then came the development phase and finally, the content migration. During these different phases, there was a great collaboration between the Airnauts team in Poland and INTEGRA Metering/Aquametro in Switzerland.

What was the team composition?

On the INTEGRA Metering/Aquametro side, we had one person from the Marketing and Communications department who undertook the project and coordinated with the IM/AM different teams internally. On the Airnauts side, the Head of Design & Strategy/Founder of Airnauts and the Relationship Manager initiated the project and were later supported by a team of expert developers and designers.

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

We managed to have our websites' Go-Live only 6 months after initiating the project thanks to Airnauts expertise: https://integra-metering.com/ https://aquametro.com/ https://aquametro.de/

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Amazingly effective! The Airnauts team has always demonstrated exceptional flexibility and efficiency with this websites' project. The fact that they provided us with a timeline beforehand was great as this really helped us to visualize what would go on, when, and what were also the expectations on their side in terms of information/data delivery.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Once again, we definitely appreciated Airnauts' flexibility and efficiency with this project. More than anything, the entire team's professionalism was absolutely on point, they were all highly available to our questions, and it was a great experience collaborating with Airnauts. We would not hesitate to recommend them to others!

Are there any areas for improvement?

The management team from INTEGRA Metering/Aquametro would have liked to have a booklet with a presentation of the project in general, which a more detailed timeline explaining what was inherent to the different phases, who from Airnauts and/or IM/AM was in charge of which task, and also a table detailing the project's price, i.e. a short description of the services associated with the figures, and what were the recurruring costs (plugins, server etc.).

Moreover, we would have liked Airnauts to provide us some examples of the finished project, namely the websites' overall designs so we could have chosen the one we preferred the most.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founded in 1949, ArtReview and ArtReview Asia are two of the world’s leading international contemporary art magazines, dedicated to expanding contemporary art’s audience and reach.

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

We hired Airnauts to develop a new web presence for ArtReview since the old website became outdated and didn't meet our purposes and standards anymore.

How did you select Airnauts and what were the deciding factors?

Airnauts have been recommended to us by various trusted partners. The decision to go with their proposal was based on their impressive portfolio and their experience in developing exciting, fun and user-friendly web experiences.

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

We had various discovery workshops and Q&A's where Airnauts was able to find out more about our readers, what ArtReview stands for and what we were expecting from a new website.

Following the workshops Airnauts delivered design ideas and multiple wireframe options. The scope of work included developing the front-end design and user experience, developing a new CMS, integrating an ad server, develop a Search function, developing an e-commerce section, video hosting, email subscriptions and more.

After careful deliberation and by keeping the key deliverables in mind we decided to go for a Wordpress platform and to use Shopify for the shop section.

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

We mainly communicated with one dedicated project manager and there was a team of four developers & designers in the background.

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

We received only very positive feedback from our audience so far. Our readers are enjoying the fresh and minimal design of the new website and its user-friendliness.

Pages are loading quick, texts are easier to read, the website is more visually driven with bigger images and more options to display video. Our editors appreciate the newly developed CMS which makes their work flows more efficient.

Advertising sales went up since the launch of the new website due to having more advertising inventory available.

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

We were in a regular exchange with the project manager and had meetings on a weekly basis, we always felt kept in the loop about the development process. With Asana we were able to monitor Airnauts progress and share requests & comments in an efficient way.

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

We were impressed by the seamless development process and didn't experience any major bumps along the way. We also very much appreciated Airnauts' willingness to learn more about the arts & culture industry in order to provide us with the best service possible.

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

The training sessions on how to use Wordpress in general, how to deal with the new CMS and the ad server could have been slightly more in-depth.

Please describe your company and your position there.

At XO, we work on classic ski designs that are constantly evolving, focusing on durability as we refine every detail. It’s the same with our graphics: an XO should have a look that remains identifiable year after year.

For what projects/services did your company hire Airnauts?

Our brand needed a website that reflected our personality, focus on quality and detail as well as making it easy to find information about our products.

What were your goals for this project?

The website needed to be appealing to visitors, functional and cost effective for us. The solution Airnauts proposed ticked all these boxes

How did you select this vendor?

We came across their Clutch profile and reviews. It was important for us to work with a company that would take the time to understand us and our vision, where we could build relationships. So we didn't want a huge, expensive corporation. We reached out, they got back to us quickly with reasonable questions about our needs, and we took it from there.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Starting the formal process with a thorough questionnaire about our strategy and business goals, Airnauts guided our project through the entire process of wireframing, designs (+ iterations) and the actual development work with these priorities at the forefront.

What was the team composition?

The team was made up of their Creative Director, a Project Manager, a Developer and a QA tester, so 4 persons in total for various aspects of the project.

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

Going from not really having a website to having a beautiful, functional one is a big change for us. The most noticeable impact is an increase in interest, resulting in an increase in sales

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their PM was the primary point of contact, thought at times we wanted to speak directly to the designer / developer and Airnauts made this possible.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their flexibility and transparency set them apart. Most companies have a set way of working, but they adapted to our needs quickly. Communication was clear and fast, costing was predictable and fair.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I saw. The one thing that took slightly longer than expected was shipping products to their HQ in Warsaw for a photoshoot, but the delay was minor and not their fault.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder of a dating app that has a social networking component. We enable users to find (1) soulmates, (2) friends, and/or (3) roommates based on certain criteria such as location and age.

For what projects/services did your company hire Airnauts?

We hired Airnauts to develop our iOS app. Not only did they develop it magnificently, they also provided product and design feedback that dramatically improved the app.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to deliver an incredible V1 experience - an app that not only is fully functional but highly performant as well. Since launch, we've had almost almost hundreds of couples and friends match and connect.

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed numerous vendors and they stood out by leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else. They also came highly recommended by the VP of Product at Dribbble.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Airnauts provided three critical aspects:

1. development of our iOS app (both front end to spec, and back end in a smart and scalable manner)
2. Great PM that was easy to work with and prioritize features 
3. Roadmap planning so that we can figure out what best to work on for the future (for example, when we would build our Android app, requirements, etc.).

What was the team composition?

We had a stable project manager the whole time as well as one dedicated front end developer, and a dedicated back end developer. Others would jump on the project as needed. We always felt like they have our back.

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

Without Airnauts, we would not have an app - the core technological aspect of our business. Suffice it to say: they're critical to our business.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project manager is a rockstar. You're honestly in great hands: he's very timely and cogent in his prioritization.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The thing I found most impressive is the amount of care they put into the work. Even though it's "our baby," they treat it like it's theirs as well which means a lot to us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is very little they could improve, if anything at all.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We sell a library of ready-to-use video game assets that developers can use to quickly develop their games. I'm the founder of the company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Airnauts?

We were at a place where we had funding to grow. We didn't have the budget to hire our own developer, but we had enough to move the project forward to realize some of our initial goals. We wanted to upgrade our original website and use some new tools and functionality to help our site shine.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We developed several tools on our own, but they helped us create a strong API on the website to connect to. The site is built with Next.js, a React framework. Airnauts built a custom backend in WordPress and added a few custom tools that plugged in through AWS. The backend does all of our image processing and packages all our products in ways our customers need. There are also custom caching solutions to accommodate our package delivery. We built all our billing, e-commerce software, plugins, download managers, and custom formats with their help.

What is the team composition?

Over the course of about two years, we’ve worked with a team of six to seven people.

How did you come to work with Airnauts?

I signed up for a website and worked with local companies previously, but the quality of work we received from those companies was under par. I interviewed several agencies, but Airnauts took a huge interest in our project from the beginning. They came with a real proposal, and they had clearly researched our company, our needs, and our existing stack. They had experience with game development, and they had a good understanding of the technologies our clients use. There was no question that they were the agency we wanted to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

They’re always respectful of our budget.

What is the status of this engagement?

I contacted them initially in July 2017. We spent a year completely rebuilding all our backend infrastructure, and we launched in June 2018. We recently launched a new version in June 2019, and we still work together.

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

Due to some issues on our side, our initial launch was a little rough. We’ve since recovered, and we’ve had great growth ever since. Airnauts found all the problems and fixed every issue. Our customers are very happy with the result.

How did Airnauts perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is excellent. We share a Skype channel, and they always take the time to take calls on my schedule, even though we’re in a very different time zone. They always come to me directly, and their communication is very good. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their commitment to a small, elite team is impressive. They are passionate about their projects, and the experience with them is personal and intimate. We went out on a limb to partner with them, and we've brought together a lot of unique things with them. That's against the norm for outsourcing. They did a lot of strategy work with us and really came to understand our customers and our brand before we started. Whenever they come to us with a new idea, they are clearly excited about the work. They synthesize our ideas and brainstorm on top of them. They always come to us with new suggestions, and their creative solutions are excellent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They are a small shop, which means that sometimes development can be slow. That said, I don’t think there’s anything major they should improve.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the Product Owner in charge of this project, and I was responsible for Communications and PR in the SME Dept. at Santander Bank Polska S.A.

For what projects/services did your company hire Airnauts?

We hired Airnauts for the creation of a platform where self-employed people could find complete information on all aspects of setting up their own business in the Polish reality

What were your goals for this project?

The goals of the project were: to present users with clear and concise information regarding the registration and operation of their own busiess entities in Poland.

How did you select this vendor?

We chose Airnauts for their professionalism, UX/UI expertise, culture of open collaboration and relatively short lead times.

Describe the project in detail.

The project aimed to provide those wishing to open their own business entities in Poland with all relevant information on doing this in Poland, including complete information regarding all legal and tax aspects of the process.

What was the team composition?

Airnauts provided all personnel necessary for the completion of the project, including a project manager, who supervised the team and acted as a liaison between Airnauts and the bank, a team of UX/UI experts, software engineers (both frontend and backend) as well as QA testers.

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

From our perspective, the project was a success. The site achieved the goal of understandably presenting users with useful information on the creation and operation of business entities in Poland.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was excellent, and they had a very positive impact on the project, offering lots of advice; their expert knowledge was clear and invaluable. The cooperation featured timely communication and a realistic, down-to-earth approach.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team are clearly experts at what they do, and they were quick to share their expertise with us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The team was flexible, they adapted to the evolving concept of the project. The only area for improvement that we saw was that at times different people were assigned to maintaining the platform after handover, which slightly decreased the efficiency of communication. That was all, though, very happy overall.