Axented

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a Fintech company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Axented?

They have helped me with product development, and everything related to product development such as UX and UI design. They are essentially my technology team. I have outsourced app development, website development, and software infrastructure to them.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I have been working with them for around seven months now. We started with essentially a pre-project where we defined the infrastructure of the technology, the different features, and everything we wanted to complete. We designed a hybrid app, so it is compatible with iOS and Android. I had a provisional website which they have helped me redesign. I think we are working with AWS in terms of where we are hosting our servers and using our cloud services.

We just launched three weeks ago. It has taken a couple of months to build the platform. They built our payment structure so that it is automated as well.

What is the team composition?

I work with three partners frequently. One of them is the head developer. He is in charge of supervising the rest of the development team but he is also involved in key decisions when it comes to figuring out how to build the infrastructure, how to build all the interfaces of other products, and laying all the groundwork with AWS and the payment integration. He does a lot of the infrastructure, development, planning, and connectivity with all the other platforms. There is another partner that is involved more as a project manager, and the other partner is more on the financial and commercial side. We also have three developers – frontend, backend, and full-stack. We also have a project manager and there are five or six people on the digital marketing campaign side.

How did you come to work with Axented?

I had a few acquaintances that had worked with them before. I had looked around the market and saw a couple of different companies whose branding, image, and product quality I liked.  I asked around, and it turns out that Axented had worked with them and I knew a couple of them, and they gave me very good feedback about Axented. 

I spoke to them and some of the other competitors. They were able to offer project managers and marketing. It was an all in one solution which is very attractive because you only have to deal with one company as opposed to having marketing in one place and development in another. Having to deal with different agencies was something that we wanted to avoid. They offered everything and they had good experience with start-ups that were also very early in the development like us. 

They also really wanted to understand the industry and the process, and so to me, I saw it as a competitive advantage because they were able not only to do the product development, but they could also add a point of view and they could also bring experiences from other projects. Some of the other agencies I spoke to were really just going to take orders and do the coding which wasn’t as attractive to me. 

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent around $400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in March 2020. We are still working together. It is in a more limited capacity because the original project already ended. We are working with a smaller team on different enhancements and rollouts of new versions and new features.

I think we are going to work with them for the foreseeable future. The idea is to bring some of the services they cover in-house, and they actually have some good features where they help with transition. They’ll help recruit and train the in-house team, and we plan on doing that with them.

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

We launched three weeks ago, and we very quickly signed 12 companies. Those are more milestones of our company than specifically with Axented. 

To measure their success, we look at the speed of execution, the usability of the platform against the level of errors, and the functionality of the platform. Progress, follow up, understanding of what we wanted, how quickly we were able to develop it, and the overall functionality and user experience, and the feedback that I have heard from clients is also important. 

Our client’s experience has improved dramatically. Before I worked with them, I had a pilot version that was put together with pieces from different platforms. What we have now is a huge improvement in the sense that the platform now is highly automated, and it is a very seamless experience. The feedback has been great. Obviously, there are bugs but I don’t think that is anything out of the ordinary and part of building a platform from scratch.

How did Axented perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly calls and we have a Slack channel where we constantly communicate. We use a bunch of different tools together. We use InVision for anything related to design and we use Jira for anything related to development tasks. We have multiple platforms where we interact and keep track of the project and bounce back progress and feedback.  Overall, it has been good. I think there were some unforeseen hiccups where some things took a little longer than expected and times where we depended on external providers who were slow to get back to us. I wouldn’t say anything that reflected badly or was a result of a lack of engagement from them. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The client service is really impressive. They are on top of things and quick to respond. They have a very well-trained team as well and use top technology. They are always bringing in new platforms and they are very efficient.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think they are at a point where they have a big team, and it would be helpful if they had more resources. They are very good in my eyes, but if they were bigger, they might be able to have more resources assigned to a team and maybe move a little faster but, I think that is just part of where they are as a company. So, from an external perspective, I think if they had more resources, they would be even better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think definitely having someone with a background in technology would help from the client's perspective. They do a good job, but it is hard for them to deal with non-technical founders. In any technology project, there are going to be bugs and all that, but if you don’t have a technical background and haven’t been involved in a platform creation, it is not that intuitive and something that you take for granted.  

I would recommend that anyone that is starting a project, not just with Axented but with anyone, have someone, such as an advisor, and set the timing as well as expectations for the project. I think for people that are not developers, it takes some getting used to the pace of work. It is natural that there are going to be bugs. You have a team assigned to you and most of the time, they will spend their time coding and not necessarily all their time testing. If there were more resources on the team, there could be someone more involved in the testing and you can maybe minimize the amount of bug fixing that happens after you have launched the features.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a project manager at an entertainment services company.

What challenges were you trying to address with Axented?

We hired them to develop an e-commerce website. We created experience products that could be bought online and needed a website that allowed customers to learn about the experiences and make purchases.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used Shopify to develop the final e-commerce website for us.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with four people.

How did you come to work with Axented?

We were referred by a friend who completed a similar project with them. We really liked their pitch as well as their interest and enthusiasm. Their professionalism helped us make the choice of hiring them.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent about 100,000 Mexican pesos (approximately $4,700 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2020, and the project is ongoing.

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

The results were great. They were able to find a solution that was perfect for our budget and provided just what we needed. They met all deadlines and delivered solutions that were best for our needs.

How did Axented perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Slack to communicate, and they were available all the time. We used InVision for real-time changes, where they taught us to make adjustments ourselves. In general, they're very professional in their project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communications were outstanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I couldn’t say anything, I am very satisfied with their work.

Introduce your business and what you do there

I am a business development manager at Linkx, a software development company the specializes in logistic processes.

What challenges were you trying to address with Axented?

They’ve done different projects with us, including developing our website and implementing different digital marketing campaigns.

What is the team composition?

It’s changed depending on the project but we work with an average of five people.

How did you come to work with Axented?

We were referred to them by a company we collaborate with and it has been a very good experience. They have performed better than other companies that we have worked with.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent between 200,000–300,000 Mexican pesos ($8,900–$13,300 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them last summer and are continuing our collaboration. 

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

We’ve had very good results. The website is very good; it’s optimized, loads very fast, and has a great design. As for digital marketing, the campaigns they manage for us are doing very well in terms of content and the number of prospects they attract. In general, they are very professional and their work is very good. 

How did Axented perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been very clear and serious with deadlines since the beginning. Whenever there are any possible delays they let us know in advance but we’ve never had a significant one. They are very well organized.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the beginning of the website creation project, we asked them for a platform that we could continue adding information to and the one they chose wasn’t the easiest to use. I have already talked about this with them personally, however, and my feedback on that was that they could provide us with a sort of manual to make it easier to edit the site for better positioning on search engines. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO at Joffroy Group, a venture capital firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with Axented?

We mainly hired Axented for web development services.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Outside of web development, their team has helped with branding-related work.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked directly with one person, but I know there were others involved in the project.

How did you come to work with Axented?

I found them through a web search. What I found interesting about them was the bridge between the brand and digital sides. I had worked with other branding agencies that promised a technical aspect but ended up leading me in the wrong direction.

Axented was clear about their expertise in technology, coding, and design.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with Axented for a year.

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

Axented has exceeded our expectations. Whenever we’re unhappy with something, they’re always available to make the necessary adjustments.

How did Axented perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great at managing projects. Everything was clear, from costs to schedules, from the beginning. Their team uses Microsoft 365 and SharePoint. They’ve always been on time and met deadlines, as long as we provide them with our feedback and resources.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with their understanding. I also appreciated their digital and design skills. Axented has a great way of connecting everything in an organized way that provides a sense of security for their clients.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve done a great job.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of corporate branding for Cemex. We’re one of the major building materials companies in the world, providing cement, aggregate and ready-to-mix cement in nearly 50 countries.

What challenge were you trying to address with Axented?

We needed to complete a few branding projects, mainly related to positioning the company in front of different audiences.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first challenge we tasked them with was to develop the brand. That entailed the creative part of naming, logo design, and brand guidelines. They identified that brand for our customers.

The team at Axented developed creative materials for internal offices, and the production of different elements in our global newsletters. They also provide original content for that magazine.

They also help in global marketing in different languages. They develop creative communication, helping maintain consistency across brand guidelines.

What is the team composition?

Bernardo (Co-Founder & Experience Director) is our main point of contact. He’s the creative head that assigns tasks to his team. During projects, our team also communicates with them directly.

How did you come to work with Axented?

In the past, we had worked with Bernado at a different company.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $250,000–$300,000. This includes the retainer, one-time projects, and support with creative elements for events.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Axented started in May 2017.

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

Axented goes above and beyond, without charging extra. We appreciate the high-quality creatives they produce. Their turnaround time is excellent. After working with us over the years, they also have a clear understanding of how to make it easier to communicate our desires on projects.

How did Axented perform from a project management standpoint?

They always comply with our time requirements. If we request something urgently, they can deliver in 1–2 weeks. The team is transparent and easy to work with; there’s never been an issue with their management or resources.

We communicate using email or WhatsApp. We ask them to visit once or twice a year to discuss changes or any other updates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In contrast with other companies, they produce quality content in a very short turnaround time. That’s impressive to me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could increase their creativity and think more out-of-the-box.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide a very clear brief that details your vision, expectations, and challenges.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a communications and engagement analyst at Hagamoslo bien — a legal NGO.

What challenge were you trying to address with Axented?

We wanted to upgrade our website to fit our current organizational objectives.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Axented designed and developed a new website for us from scratch. Their team also hosts and manages our platforms because we have several websites for our programs. They manage our domains. Their team continues to provide customer service and renovates our domains as needed.

What is the team composition?

I work with 4–5 people including the CEO and the project manager.

How did you come to work with Axented?

At the time, I wasn’t in my current position. However, I believe that a colleague recommended Axented.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $3,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began in January 2019, and it’s ongoing.

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

Axented inputted all of the information on our website and presented that information to our audience clearly. The quality of their work and customer service is excellent.

How did Axented perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via email and phone calls. Their team makes deadlines clear. We’re privy to that information. They’re efficient, so there isn’t wasted time. When we don’t understand an aspect of a project, their team explains it well. They’re transparent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication is impressive. They answer our calls and emails quickly. When a feature doesn’t work, Axented fixes it quickly. Their team’s always on time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything has been excellent.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about what you want.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of internal communications at a financial intelligence organization. We’re an information sharing and analysis center. As a nonprofit member-driven organization for the financial services sector, our mission is to safeguard the global financial system by reducing cyber risks.

We do that through a number of tools we offer to our members that help them share intelligence with each other. Our organization hosts a lot of in-person and live peer-to-peer events that help to promote correspondence.

What challenge were you trying to address with Axented?

We need Axented to help with our branding and web design efforts.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Axented built our new website, created our visual identity, as well as adjusted our mission statement and how we communicate about our company. Their team also updated our website’s UX design. They did all of the design work and helped us devise concepts for the visual identity, which went through quite a few changes.

Axented designed our new logo and a new set of brand guidelines. Their team creates our signage and all kinds of mediums. The total number of assets is in the hundreds. They use the Adobe Creative Suite in producing these deliverables.

What is the team composition?

We work with about four main people.

How did you come to work with Axented?

My company hired a new chief communications officer and she had worked with Axented in previous positions. She wanted them to come on because she was leading this project of creating a new website and crafting a new visual identity. Because she had a previous relationship with Axented, she knew they could be trusted and were really good with sleek designs.

What is the status of this engagement?

The ongoing engagement began in February 2019.

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

The quality of their work is always stunning, not to mention creative. Axented has brought a mark of professionalism and a very high quality of work. Their team members are all great and easy to work with. They’re always very accommodating and quick to act. Our identity went from outdated and cumbersome to sleek, modern, and vibrant.

There are times when we give our ideas and bounce them off of the Axented team. Other times, they’ll come up with or create concepts on their own and send them to us to look at. Their team is reliable and quick to respond to our little requests.

How did Axented perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re communicative, and we correspondent through Slack. They may be using a project management tool on their end. Axented always meets deadlines, and sometimes even delivers earlier than expected. At times when we communicate that we need most of their time focused on a bigger project, they’re always quick to act and get moving.

It’s important to note that they’re doing all of this in a second language — it’s extremely impressive. Not just that, but they’re effectively communicating through design language, not just regular vocabulary — which makes it even more impressive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their quality of work in bringing a different spark of creativity to not just our department, but to our organization as a whole. Axented has really helped in building our organization’s brand directly because of their design work on our new visual identity and the assets. They’re a hallmark of professionalism, timeliness, and creativity.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything big. There are a select few times when we tried to explain something via text and because there’s a lingual difference that correspondence was misinterpreted a little bit. This is due to the design language, jargon, idioms, and expressions.

We’ve learned to devote a little bit more time to handle this. Our team has to be more concise with our feedback and keep in mind that this isn’t their native language. A good bit of this is on us too. This has been the only hiccup.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the global head of marketing operations and analytics at FS-ISAC. We’re a nonprofit member-driven industry consortium for the financial services industry and we do information and intelligence sharing.

What challenge were you trying to address with Axented?

We were unveiling a new brand identity, so we needed branding assets and a website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Axented designed and developed our website from scratch. After presenting a more conceptual version of the website, they came to us with wireframes. They also created a new logo for us as well as assets for print, visual, and digital. They were working with other vendors in a non-competitive environment to help push the project along. The team is now acting as our design firm.

What is the team composition?

We work with Bernardo (Co-Founder) and about five other people.

How did you come to work with Axented?

My boss had worked with them previously on some other projects and they came highly recommended. Once we saw what they proposed, there was just no question. Their work was leaps and bounds above what I’ve seen and I’ve been working in marketing and graphic design for more than 20 years. They brought some of the best creatives to the table.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in January 2019 and the collaboration is still ongoing; however, they launched our full rebrand in June 2019.

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

Within a year, we saw about a 150% increase in direct traffic and have had a lot of positive feedback from our membership. Across the board, the new brand has brought so much value and it has changed the perception of being kind of old school to being fresh, innovative, and successful. It’s because of their concept of vibrant colors and the brand they’ve built for us that has helped us move into that next level with our membership and we’ve been looking to expand because of how much we’re growing. What we’ve been able to do with our current brand, we would’ve never been able to do with our old brand.

How did Axented perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re really easy to work with and their designs are always on time. The team is very conversational and they ask all the right questions. They use Slack and other programs to keep in touch. It’s a great working environment. We know that if we sent a note it would be taken care of and they’d come back to us with comments. We never feel like we’re waiting or that we’ll never get feedback. They’re super responsive and the whole team comes with this amazing professionalism and creative tact. They’re always available and willing to jump on calls if we have questions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re good at what they do and everybody on their staff gets it. Being a designer is challenging because there are so many opinions to fit into one product that expresses them all. Everyone that I’ve worked with is so smart and their goal is to make the client happy and give a product that not only makes the client proud, but that has a life off the shelf.

There isn’t a language barrier at all and their designs are able to reach all languages. They’re able to take our ideas and expand them. I can’t think of any design they provided, even in draft form, that didn’t have the elements we were looking for. This has been one of the best relationships with a vendor in my 20 years in the industry; they’re phenomenal.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I really can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open, honest, and don’t be afraid to tell them you don’t like something. The more you can do that, the more you can get exactly what you want from them. Have a working dialog and ask questions.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of a jewelry company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Axented?

I needed help with the development of my online shopping website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the beginning, they asked a lot of specific questions about what I wanted. I gave them two examples of websites I loved, and I told them how I wanted the site to flow. They merged ideas from both the sites I suggested, and we exchanged images and discussed colors.

They designed everything from the ground up for a Shopify site, and they added a blog, a facts page, and a helpful dropdown menu. They gave a lot of useful advice about what would work best, and we made some small changes after the site went live. It's a really good concept, and we haven't had any problems in years. Four years later, the design is starting to look a little dated, so we're discussing working together on a new one.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with three members of their team.

How did you come to work with Axented?

One of my main contacts there is a relative of mine. I had no idea how big Axented was, so the project grew to be much bigger than I originally thought it could be.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent approximately $1,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together for about two months in early 2015, beginning around February.

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

After they developed my site, online sales went through the roof. The design was very approachable and user-friendly, which led to some really impressive increases in revenue. I loved the look of the site and was so happy with the result.

How did Axented perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was perfect. They had access to Shopify, and they dealt with everything quickly. We communicated through email and occasionally met in their office in Monterrey, Mexico.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They delivered exactly what I wanted, and continued to provide excellent service after the project was finished.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I'm excited to remodel the page. My only regret is waiting so long to work with them again. I don't have any recommendations for improvements.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your research before you hire them. The whole process will be easier if you have a clear, specific idea of what you want.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of a construction materials company. We use recycled materials for decoration.

What challenges were you trying to address with Axented?

I hired them to work on a variety of our digital efforts.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve worked on our website and marketing strategies, as well as personalized our Shopify site.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with the founder and commercial director for the most important items. Their team followed up on other more basic tasks. 

How did you come to work with Axented?

They are very well known in Monterrey. I personally know some people that have worked with them, so I knew they were one of the best options in the city for web development.

How much have you invested in them?

I don’t have an exact amount yet because we haven’t finished the project, but we’ve spent less than $10,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in June 2018 and continue working with them. 

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

Their services have been excellent. They’re always responsible and available. The designs have been great, and they’ve really adapted to what we need.

How did Axented perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly use email and WhatsApp. They’ve met all deadlines and their team is always on its way to meeting everything we need. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything is great. They’ve provided excellent service from the first moment. Specifically, they’re patient enough to explain all the process to us with detail so we can understand the concepts easily

Are there any areas they could improve?

I haven’t had any bad experiences with them.