Anana Studio

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO for BizzyCar. We’re a business solution that matches vehicles with open recalls out in the field with dealerships that can repair those recalls. We then coordinate the pick-up and drop-off to get the vehicle back into good driving condition.

What challenge were you trying to address with Ananá?

I have an engineering background, but we needed someone to work on usability and design. Ananá came up with a couple of prototypes for our product, and it was light years ahead of where we were at.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ananá has developed our entire product and done a bunch of our marketing and email campaigns. When we connected with them, we had a vanilla product that looked like it was years in the past. They were able to construct a modern look and feel for the design.

In the beginning, we outlined a couple of things we liked. We had some color palettes based on our logo, our design guides, and some wireframes. The first thing they did for us was creating a style guide, which we still use today whenever we build something.

Once we got the design down, we redesigned our presentation deck. Ananá built a template for us, and we got into doing landing pages. They provided the look and feel of it, and we went through implementation. We also made an entire email system that went from notifications to feature promotions and everything that goes along with it, and they built all of those as well.

Additionally, they designed a native mobile application from scratch without any prototype whatsoever. We did the implementation, and we now have the app live in the App Store for iOS and Android.

For development, they’ve used Figma so our engineers can easily export the styles. Also, they’ve done a great job separating the projects. We have different login users, so it’s very straightforward to find what we’re looking for and where it goes.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with two people. When we first started, they shared the work, but now we have a primary contact. I connect with her every week. She’s super capable, and she’s able to understand what we’re trying to accomplish with very little interaction. Furthermore, she’s good at taking the user into account and building something to make it functional and understandable.

How did you come to work with Ananá?

They were a referral. Someone I’ve worked with for three years knew a designer, and we were cold on the topic because the area of design can be super particular. They pitched to us without knowing about the project but knowing about what we do. We decided to give them a try, but our gut reaction was that it wouldn’t work out.

Then, we gave them the pitch on who we are, and they took about two weeks to make the style guide and a sample page. From there, they just sold themselves because we were looking at a product that was really polished and well-organized.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our partnership around June 2019, and it’s ongoing.

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

Overall, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive on how the application looks and feels. The product shows incredibly well. We’re in an automotive space that typically feels like a mainframe application, and their team has succeeded at creating something that feels modern, not overwhelming or daunting.

When we demonstrate the product to any of our dealerships, it’s very intuitive. They’ve done an excellent job at organizing a lot of information into a small space without making it feel cluttered. Their work has always been very steady and well thought out, which is the most important part for me. Not only do they put something together that looks good, but they also back it up with how’s it going to impact usability and how it’s going to be intuitive without doing much reading. Ananá has cleared all those hurdles, and they’ve placed our product as an industry leader.

How did Ananá perform from a project management standpoint?

My main contact and I operate with a simple Trello board with a ticket-based approach, and we have weekly check-ins through Zoom on Tuesdays, where we sync up on things. We’re probably on our fourth iteration. I give my input, and then they go back to design the next one.

Ananá is rarely ever late to deliver, and if they ever feel like something is off-track, they always communicate it first. They’ve been super consistent in their meetings, and they respond in a timely fashion even if we’re worlds apart.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Not only did they match our brand, but our space. To me, that was their selling point. The referral was nice, but it didn’t feel like a right fit initially. I was cold right out of the gate, but they broke through pretty quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. Even when they take holidays, they have someone to fill in. They’re professional, and they’re definitely the best in what they do.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them an opportunity to showcase their skills. If you don’t see what you’re looking for on their website, give their team a chance; they did wonders to turn my opinion around quickly. Then, as the relationship continues to mature, they get better and become very reliable. They have many positives working in their favor, and regardless of what vertical you work in, they’re super flexible.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Co-founder of eidos.ai

For what projects/services did your company hire Ananá?

Our brand identity was outdated and in an "MVP" version, we had a terrible logo and a terrible design overall across all our media outlets.

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

We looked for different proposals but Ananá really stood out for their good taste and incredible portfolio. Another key element that pushed the decision was that they already worked with a fellow software company called Neocoast.

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

The stages of the project were clearly defined by Ananá from the beginning and that's something that we value because we cannot be wasting time in go back and forth while we have a business to run. First, we started with a mood board in order to design the brand personality, then we have a later stage where they presented a couple of options and finally we settle for expanding one of those ideas.

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

We worked with Felipe and María which both are the co-founders of the company.

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

We loved every presentation they sent us, they pay close attention to the details and that's why after the brand design we asked if they were able to create a cover letter and some web assets for us.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were super friendly and easy to communicate.

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

Their solid design knowledge was commendable.

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

As always there is room for improvement! No bad points here... Maybe the only issue that comes to my mind (which is good because they are been solicited) is that we had to wait some time to get the project started because they were busy. Maybe hiring more people is something that can help their business grow.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO of a sports tech startup. Silbo is a digital marketplace connecting game providers to qualified sports officials operating across the USA. Sports officials can see, take, checkin and get paid via a Mobile application for gigs they are qualified to work.

For what projects/services did your company hire Ananá?

Mobile redesign & styleguide update

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to keep the user experience easy, slick, low touch. Keeping all major interactions to 3 or under clicks. Our user base age was older so keeping the designs clean, intuitive and east to navigate was critical.

How did you select Ananá?

We did extensive research on many design firms. I was impressed with the Ananá teams vision, creativity and ability to hit deadlines (based on references)

Describe the project in detail.

The Mobile application needs a refresh/rebrand on how to differentiate across the multiple sports / options. Keeping things fun, fresh but also functional was

What was the team composition?

We worked with 2 designers for the Styleguide and UI/UX. Both were extremely competent and capable in all tasks.

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

Top notch, highly recommend to everyone. Deadlines were exceeded, results were beyond what we hoped for. The collaboration was the best part. We had some ideas ahead of time, working with the team we were able to iterate on them and improve the flow of the application 10x

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Amazing, the communication was top level. Very responsive and understanding of all our needs. We're very excited to work together again in the future.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Innovation & creativity. We mocked up multiple versions of flows to help express the numerous functions available to the user. The team took our feedback and produced ideas we hadn't imagined. The results were extremely well received by all of our users.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of. Top marks all around. Recommend highly for all future work.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Strategic Alliances and Partnerships Manager of a tech and experience company in Uruguay. 

For what projects/services did your company hire Ananá?

We were looking for the right company to help us create our new branding. They supported us by understanding our approach, making several proposals and delivering a great new brand.

What were your goals for this project?

We are at a transformation stage and it was difficult for us to define exactly our new business orientation. Our goal was to define our new business focus and through it create our new brand image, logo and concept that transmits where we are going to.

How did you select Ananá?

In the beginning we asked several references from colleagues and one of them recommended Anana. We have chosen them because of their perspective and flexibility. They looked as a simple and modern company, flexible and adaptable to the companies needs and willing to work side by side to deliver the best value.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

As we wanted to create a new branding we worked in different phases. Firstly, I would say it was a discovery phase, where they told us how the process was going to be done and what they required from our side.

Secondly, we started describing our company, culture, values, mission, vision, etc. This was a relevant information that would create the base to start working. From there, they made several deliverables that included the branding manual with all the brands information, style, colors, designs, among others.

From that first manual, we made changes to define what exactly was the image we wanted to deliver to our clients, partners and prospects.

What was the team composition?

On their side, Anana has Felipe and Maria working and rom our side we supported them with myself and our CEO.

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

We did a new branding launch that was very well valued by our team and directive board. The new branding gave us a new perspective and a broader horizon, which all our team member understand and know where are we going to. It was a modern and fresh design that was exactly what we were looking for!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

There was a constant communication and workflow, we were in contact at any time and without issues. It was very fluent and clean and that helped a lot us to understand this process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We really liked their work. They are young and ambitious professionals, they have a modern approach and they are very easy going people.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No comments.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO at Neurotech Software Solutions.

For what projects/services did your company hire Ananá?

We hired Ananá for the development of the UI design of our Explorer and Emotions platforms.

Explorer is a cheap and useful tool and neurofeedback system for researchers in Neuroscience, Psychology, Medicine, Engineering and Information Technology, while Emotions is design as system for emotion recognition for mental health professionals, both platforms work with portable brain-computer interfaces.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to open to the world the possibilities of researching the brain. So our platform are integrated with machine learning tools and automatic pattern and are able to recognize a wide range of emotions, both an experienced researcher or recently graduated professional can easily explore the brain.

We had workin prototypes but were in need of proper design and improved user experience. This aspect was contributed by Ananá's team.

How did you select Ananá?

We reached Ananá through our software partners: eagerWorks. Ananá's expertise and proficiency were key to address the issues we faced with a new technology that required a new and attractive design.

Describe the project in detail.

We used portable EEG technologies (electroencephalography). The project involved the creation of a web platform for monitoring, recording and processing brain information obtained with the EEG device as a useful interface for professionals interested in studying the brain.

Ananá's team addressed the issues of designing an attractive UI and experience. We had some meetings and along the project they always maintained and active and useful feedback.

What was the team composition?

We had an initial meeting with Felipe and Maria. They both worked on the project in therms of the initial look of the interface and the high fidelity designs.

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

The team at Ananá successfully delivered the platforms' designs we expected, they look really well, and were simple to understand and use from the perspective of the user. The products become more competitive and attractive to a broader audience.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Management style and communication were excellent all along the project's duration. We basically worked through email exchange and personal meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their service was highly cost-effective. The were quick and agile at solving the different design issues and finding a way to make sure the user experience delivered well. We loved the ideas and design from the start.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we're very satisfied with the outcome.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the COO and Co-Founder at NeoCoast, a web and mobile development shop that serves clients all over the US and Canada. We started providing our services back in 2016 and are a team of 24 as of now.

For what projects/services did your company hire Ananá?

When we launched back in 2016, we bought a template for our website, which did his job for a couple of years, but we needed to bring our own identity to it. That's when we decided to hire Ananá to design it from scratch.

What were your goals for this project?

We aimed to have a really nice and clean website as the main presentation card of our company.

How did you select Ananá?

We actually knew them beforehand, as they have done some design work for some clients we provide web development too, so we already know they were great at their job.

Describe the project in detail.

We had a couple of meetings for them to get a grasp on what we wanted the outcome to be, as well as what we needed to communicate to the outside world through our site. After that, they moved into a budgeting phase, which ended up working for us, so we moved forward. They then worked with us on a couple of iterations for a couple of months, and in the end, we got the high fidelity designs and animations, which looked awesome.

What was the team composition?

We worked directly with Ananá's founders.

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

The project was a success for sure! We got from them all the assets we needed in order to go and code the site, which is now live and we love it.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was great. We used Slack as the main communication platform and ran a couple of Zoom meetings when needed. They are really responsive which was awesome.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The outcome was impressive. We could not have imagined a better-looking website like the one they designed for us,.I'd say their skill level is out of the roof.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There's always something to improve on every company, but in this project in particular I'd say they did a perfect job.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the design manager of a service company

For what projects/services did your company hire Ananá?

We hired Ananá as contractors for UI/UX design services

How did you select this vendor?

We have worked together in the past

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

Ananá team was involved in all the stages of the project. They've been part of the product definition, wireframing, UI suggestions, high fidelity prototype, and final deliverables as well.

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

2 of them.

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

Wonderful rebranding taking what's already done and improving the brand successfully. Creation of products end-to-end with amazing and highly professional results. Excellent at working with design systems already established and adding new functionalities to the product.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Amazing communication not only between our team but also with the clients. They're respectful and highly professional.

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

Very professional and all-around/full designers. They are capable of building amazing designs while working with teams and clients, quickly adapting to the process. Very reliable managing clients and setting their expectations, as well as capturing their ideas. They provide well thought and solid designs based on UI and UX standards, making them key assets in every team they work with.

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

No. It was a pleasure to work with them. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner and founder of Che Boludo App!

For what projects/services did your company hire Ananá ?

Graphic design for app

What were your goals for this project?

Attractive and user friendly

How did you select this vendor?

Reference

Describe the project in detail.

The app is designed to help the user understand the type of Spanish spoken in Argentina and Uruguay (Rio Platense) using audio samples and videos. It is both entertaining and educational.

What was the team composition?

Anana and Jose Gazzano

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

Beautifully finished product

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Fantastic

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were creative and great to work with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

Please describe your company and your position there.

Co-Founder and Senior Web Designer

For what projects/services did your company hire Ananá ?

They have created the brand for our company

What were your goals for this project?

The brand we were looking for had to reflect the things we do and how we work, we also wanted it to be easy to read and show the fact that we are a young company.

How did you select this vendor?

They were our university colleagues

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

These guys are capable of doing amazing designs and strategy for any customer, because they know how to deal with almost any technologies regarding desing, animation, marketing tools and other stuff.

What was the team composition?

I have worked directly with both founders

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

I think our website and our success shows that the logo is working just fine at the market, because people know who we are by looking to our logo into the marketing local enviroment

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We worked fine. They understood correctly what we needed and helped us to define some very importants things regarding our brand and how to use it afterward

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They found the solution very fast, and this is something we tried to solve with other companies before and it didn´t work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

If they keep working like that maybe their main problem will be how to hire more qualified people to work on all the projects that will keep coming to them