Black Antelope

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an assistant director for marketing and outreach at UC Berkeley. I work for a program called the Berkeley International Studies Program where we work with visiting international students from around the world, to study at UC Berkeley.

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Antelope?

We needed someone to migrate our website to a new design and a new backend system.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Antelope provides web development and web design services. The first phase of the project was to migrate our WordPress site to Drupal’s infrastructure. The second phase is when we start reorganizing the site’s structure. Additionally, they’re currently in the process of adding Google Analytics to our website for SEO integration.

We had requested Scott to provide us with several recommendations of different sites — so we can identify the direction of the design for our website. We agreed on a more travel and promotional approach, to highlight different cultural events international students could learn about through our website.

Scott (Project Manager & Designer) has shared some ideas on how to utilize Google suites on our site to help us track inquiries, and improve our content marketing moving forward. Right now, we have not asked them to focus on that, as they’ll likely be diving into that aspect during phase two.

What is the team composition?

I work closely with Scott, Eric (Partner, Owner & Lead Developer), and another team member who does the design work.

How did you come to work with Black Antelope?

Black Antelope came highly recommended from the Department of Sociology, who’ve previously hired them to redesign their website. Additionally, they’ve also completed multiple websites throughout campus — which means they were already comfortable with the UC Berkeley system.

They understood that we’re a large university and that there are certain design aspects we have to take into consideration. However, their portfolio is aligned with what we’re looking for, and we felt comfortable with the designs they shared with us.

How much have you invested with them?

I believe it’s around $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking to them in April 2020, but the official start of the first phase was in June 2020. The partnership is still ongoing.

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

The first thing is that they are easy to collaborate with. My teammates and I have very specific ideas about what we want with the site, and Scott and his team are very receptive to all of them. They would offer us different design considerations as we develop the framework of the overall feel of the site — this process is incredibly helpful for us to get ideas.

Their communication is also very quick and thorough. If something is brought back to them, they usually turn it around as quickly as possible. The design aspect is fast, efficient, and top-notch.

There was a lot of trust that was established early on and we felt like we were in good hands. The website launch and backend migration went very smoothly. 

How did Black Antelope perform from a project management standpoint?

We decided to launch the site in the middle of January, so we can be ready for our fall recruitment cycle. It was a fairly ambitious timeline, but they were very open to it. We keep track of everything and establish deadlines through Basecamp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I would say, first and foremost, their ability to communicate and support the client is superb. The delivery itself is also excellent, and we’re very happy and proud of the website. It’s very different from the older version.

They are able to provide the visual for when we explain some of the key things we were looking for. They were also really receptive to the changes we made to the design that they initially shared. They listen and are able to navigate what our needs are.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything specifically, as we just have a very positive experience with them. We’re very pleased with the way everything is going and obviously, we’re going to continue to use them for our phase two development.

I would highly recommend them in the future.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise them to establish the lines of communication early on and determine the goals you need to prioritize.

We initially talked about what our goals were and how to prioritize them. We then discussed what was feasible in the first phase of the development. After a more in-depth exploration, we ultimately decided to break the project into two phases.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of the department of statistics at the University of California at Berkeley.

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Antelope?

We wanted to design and develop a brand-new website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

As a department, we wanted a new website to use as an outward-facing branding and marketing tool. It also had to prioritize user-friendliness for iinternal stakeholders, including students, faculty, and staff. Black Antelope created an overall look that was representative of our branding and a navigation system that was intuitive.

I was direct with them about the ideas I had for the branding. We wanted a photo slider, a particular set of icons and graphics with a statistics feel, and more. The overlays also had to be statistics oriented. We gave them all that as a guide, and then they showed us what they created. They built the site in Drupal because that’s what we were familiar with.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Scott (Project Manager, Designer) and Eric (Software Developer), specifically. Scott was involved with the design and ran the first half of the project. Eric handled the development half of our relationship.

How did you come to work with Black Antelope?

They’d done some websites on our campus already, and I loved their work. The department Black Antelope had previously worked with highly recommended them.

How much have you invested with them?

I would estimate that we’ve spent between $40,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since March 2018.

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

We judged their work by how well our faculty likes it, as the website is a home for them. They’re very pleased with it and say that it is very much an authentic representation of them. We’ve also seen a decrease in emails coming to the department administration about how to do tasks on the website. Finally, in the week we’ve been live, many people have asked us who built our website because they like it so much. We’ve gotten incredible feedback.

How did Black Antelope perform from a project management standpoint?

We used InVision and Basecamp to collaborate. InVision allowed us to say yes or no to designs, and we communicated the development to-do list over Basecamp. There were about three in-person video meetings throughout the project, which is a pretty amazing number. I hate having to have a lot of meetings, and Black Antelope saved a lot of time by using InVision.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I gave them a sketch of the homepage on a piece of paper, and aside from one other conversation about how I wanted it to look that was all they had. They really heard what I said and translated that into visuals that matched exactly what I asked for. Their instincts about what looks good are spot-on.

Our company has very specific branding guidelines, and I’m not an expert but I didn’t need to be. Black Antelope already knew UC Berkley’s guidelines. That was so helpful for me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This isn’t a negative for them as much as evidence of me not being a website developer. I was expecting someone on their side to set the timeline and take the lead on how we managed the project. We had to contact them a few times to see what was going on or if they needed anything from us. In retrospect, I’d have a conversation with them at the beginning about how we’re going to keep the process moving.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be upfront with them about how you’re going to structure project management. Don’t expect them to be super, super proactive; they’ll assume that you’re busy and that you will communicate with them when you want to. Block out your calendar for your project and have a conversation with them about the timeline; perhaps assign someone from your side to stay on top of the project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the deputy director for the Global Maternal Newborn Health Research Group at the Institute of Global Health Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Antelope?

We wanted to create a website where we could together with our collaborators talk about our work and projects more effectively. If someone wanted to get a snapshot of an individual person, they could go to the page of that person and see what they do and get connected to all of their projects. Then, from there get routed to whatever is most interesting.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Antelope works with one of our very close partners to develop this site. Our partner had already developed the site, but it wasn’t exactly what we wanted. We wanted to leverage that, but add some other features of our own. So, Black Antelope is working on implementing the features we want and the site is based on Drupal. As the website evolves, we constantly think of new things that we want to add to it.

What is the team composition?

We work with about three people including Scott (Project Manager & Designer), Eric (Software Developer), and one other person that was part of the development team.

How did you come to work with Black Antelope?

Our partners had a positive experience with them so when we were looking to do something similar, we immediately went to them. What I think set them apart from other design firms was they spent a lot of time trying to figure out the functionality of what we wanted to achieve. Other design firms may make something really pretty but it may not come with the same kind of functionality and thoughtful design.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $16,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in June 2020 and the relationship is still ongoing.

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

We’re going to just continue working with them because we’re so happy with them. They finished the first draft of the site back in September. We were creating the delay and they didn’t get to the point of finishing their first scope of work until November. It was a big shame on us, but they were very kind and worked with us on that. 

So far, everyone we’ve shown the site to has been very excited. The way that we plan to move forward is that we’re going to get our collaborators to contribute funds toward the continued development of this. So far, out of the half a dozen investors that we’ve shared it with, they’ve all agreed to give us some funding to continue development.

How did Black Antelope perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great. They’re super responsive and are the type of people that get stuff done. The team is able to get things done in a timely fashion, even when we change plans and create delays. Communicating clearly, they were very professional and flexible as well. We communicate mostly through email and sometimes request calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve found that when I get disappointed, it’s because my expectations were just different from what they delivered. They manage their expectations well, so we know exactly what we're getting with every dollar we invest. Scott is really thoughtful about what we’re trying to do and he really wants to understand so that he can let us know the best approach. We’ve had a great working relationship with him.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they do a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you’re aligned with what you’re getting and that everyone is on the same page.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work on the network management support team for the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation.

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Antelope?

The network has been growing a lot over the years, and we’ve been using a website as an online hub for the network’s activities. As we’ve grown, we’ve had different needs from the site, so we hired Black Antelope to redevelop the site to better meet the community’s needs. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team handled both web design and development for our site. The platform is built on Drupal. 

What is the team composition?

We mostly worked with Scott (Project Manager & Designer) and Eric (Partner & Owner & Lead Developer). Scott worked on the account management and design side of things, and Eric was focused on the development. 

How did you come to work with Black Antelope?

Black Antelope had been existing contractors on the site, but we did consider other options when we knew we wanted to redevelop the platform. Black Antelope just had unique expertise and were really responsive and easy to work with. They were uniquely interested and invested in the success of our organization, which made them the best fit for us.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2017–October 2020. They’ve been working on other things for us in the interim, though. 

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

Originally, our goals were based on user feedback and a user needs assessment. We got really feedback from users who saw their concerns and needs being addressed through the launch of the redesigned site. 

Their work has allowed the network to continue to grow its activities to train climate communicators across the country. Over the years and with Black Antelope’s support, we’ve been able to train hundreds of climate communicators who communicate with millions of people as a result. Their team’s support in making sure our site could operate and meet those needs was an integral part of the project. 

How did Black Antelope perform from a project management standpoint?

It was really easy to manage the process virtually with them because they had a lot of great systems in place. We used Basecamp to manage the workflow and InVision to share, comment, and approve design concepts. We also did web conferences for longer discussions and they were available by phone or email if something more timely came up. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of investment in our goals made them unique. They went the extra mile to understand our goals as an organization and thought of the website in terms of how it served those goals. That was very impressive and not necessarily something I’d expect from any web design studio. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that really comes to mind. We were really satisfied with their work. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They are people who you can just consider partners on your projects. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and editor-in-chief of the World’s Best Wedding Photos. We promote wedding photographers and we have an extensive database that allows us to tag and put all the information for their images. It’s essentially a subscription model. People who are posted pay for the exposure that we give them, but it’s by invitation only.

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Antelope?

There are a lot of wedding photography businesses that have an old school look. I chose Black Antelope to design my site.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with design and then moved into development. One big challenge was our database, which was quite robust. So they worked with the backend and the way that it interacts with the website. Things went quickly. We had a ton of changes, and they did a great job getting into the photographer’s mindset, and into our mindset, about what we were trying to create and how it was different.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Scott(project manager & designer)  and Eric (owner & developer), and they brought in another team member for graphics.

How did you come to work with Black Antelope?

I met Scott in a coffee shop and we talked for like an hour. I liked the work they had done. I felt like he was a super nice guy. Very approachable, they responded quickly, and offered a good budget. Once we went back and forth over the numbers and what they could provide, I decided to go with them. We received bids from four different companies, but they delivered a timely and detailed proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in June 2019 and we launched in January 2020.

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

A lot of the developers I’ve worked with in the past haven’t put in a lot of effort for SEO, but Black Antelope really built that into the site. Within a few weeks, we were on Google for the search terms that we were looking for. It was much faster than I anticipated.

I couldn’t be happier with the site. We haven’t had any bugs and it’s been clean since the launch.

How did Black Antelope perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Trello as our management system. They methodically went through things as we put them up. We communicated efficiently and things were done really easily.

They were available, so I could call them whenever I needed them. When things weren’t clear, I was able to get ahold of them. And they were very patient with me, even when they were super busy.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The database is amazing. And really the whole thing. I love the look of the site and the ability to go into the database and come up with editorial ideas for both my own business, and also for media aggregates. Now I have visual and editorial content ready to share whenever I need it. Now we can create content very easily and keep things running.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. We had zero problems.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Get your three-year business plan together, understand what you want to do after you launch, what your next markers are. For example, we’re going to be launching other sites with them as well, and that was all built into our site, so it could easily be duplicated for other purposes.  It’s all standard business advice—think big.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Script Haven is an digital marketplace used to buy and sell scripts in a variety of formats including film, television, theatre, and short form. Our mission is to empower young college students and emerging screenwriters to breakout earlier in their career and be able to sell their scripts to producers who are looking for their next project. As Co-Founder and CFO of this startup, my responsibilities encompass all facets of business development and growth from ideation into operation.

For what projects/services did your company hire Black Antelope?

We needed an online multivendor type marketplace that required very specific features needed due to the nature of the industry. Black Antelope was responsible for the entire development of our website/online marketplace, and has worked closely with us since its completion to make new additions.

The challenge our business is aiming to solve is the high barrier to entry in the entertainment industry. Through digitizing the transfer of intellectual property with a site that has 0 barrier to entry, we hope to provide the opportunity to writers everywhere to get their name out there and sell their work. This project was immensely integral to our business as our launch was dependent upon the completion of this platform.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed several features such as a live messaging system with a built in negotiation component for users to make deals in real time through the site, as well as a unique signatory process which allows for the near instant transfer of intellectual property once a price has been agreed upon. Our site operates as a multivendor marketplace with a full contract process and checkout function.

How did you select this vendor?

I used various sources, such as Clutch (primary source), to find and contact several full stack developers who could take on this project. Throughout the month of April 2019, I spoke with hundreds of companies about this, running through the features we need and receiving proposals to see which firm would be the best fit to work with, for the best price.

Black Antelope impressed my partner and I during the search process with their professional yet friendly/personal attitude, high level of efficiency and technical skill in terms of project completion timelines, feature execution, etc, as well as a genuine excitement for our project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Black Antelope was responsible for the full development of our business' marketplace platform. Once we agreed to work together on this project, after receiving their proposal, etc, we began with a design phase. Black Antelopes lead designer provided us with remarkable designs for all pages to be included on our website that aligned with our brand vision.

After an approval process with the proposed designs, we moved to the development phase, in which I worked very closely with the lead developer in a very transparent and highly communicative process as the website progressed. After initial development rounds, we were provided with a test site in order to further trial features and find spots for improvement.

What was the team composition?

Black Antelope is a boutique firm that operates with a small team size. Their personnel were a true pleasure to work with.

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

Our startup could not launch without the completion of this project as our business is dependent upon the function of this platform. We are now fully operation and are no longer pre-revenue in just a short period thanks to the successful completion of the project.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Through coordinating with their lead developer and designer, we set several deadlines depending on which items had upcoming completion requirements. More often than not, Black Antelope completed asked assignments before agreed upon times.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have an incredibly high level of communication and take a personalized approach with your project. The platform they built for us exceeded my expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is very little in which i would recommend improvement at this point in time. Perhaps in the future simply to increase team size should they wish to grow their client base and provide their great services to more businesses.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am one of the communications officers and the multimedia editor at a research institute at UC Berkeley. I also manage the website.

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Antelope?

We needed someone to maintain the website for our institute, which we already had developed. Originally, we hired Black Antelope to perform some tweaks here and there and support us with maintenance issues that arise. 

We eventually took them on for other projects. Just a few hours ago this morning, we announced an update to a 15-year-old PBS website that serves as a companion to a documentary series that came out in 2003 called Race: The Power of an Illusion. The producers approached us about hosting it.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Antelope resolves any bugs we encounter. They develop the custom templates we need for our website, which is built on Drupal 8. Regarding design work, they've given some pages a facelift. They’ve also tweaked aspects of the CMS to provide it with further functionality. They provide everything we need in terms of web support.

We first brought them on to maintain our main website, but our institute runs several platforms and has released new ones since then. Another developer had built the site beforehand, but it still needed a ton of work after our contract ran out. Based on notes from the other vendor, Black Antelope felt confident they could finish the job, so we handed it over to them.

We updated the site with a new look and content because its themes are still relevant today. It's much more complex in nature than our than our institute's website and requires several different types of development tools including the React programming language. Black Antelope has also worked with our other partners on campus at UC Berkeley to develop brand-new websites. 

What is the team composition? 

From what I understand, the team only includes two people. Scott (Project Manager and Designer, Black Antelope) took care of the business side while Eric (Partner, Owner, and Lead Developer, Black Antelope) focused more on the technical aspects. I think they both work on the development, though, and deserve equal credit. 

How did you come to work with Black Antelope?

One of our contacts at UC Berkeley referred us to Black Antelope. I know they work with a few different departments on campus. The reference we found them through was really happy with them, so we got in touch. We're very thankful we did. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together about a year ago in March 2018. Our engagement is ongoing. We renewed our contract with them and are definitely happy with their services. 

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

We've gotten very good feedback from our partners. We set up analytics for the new site they just finished after we announced it, and we've been getting quite a few hits. Everyone who has reviewed their work has been really impressed. They should be very proud.

Black Antelope did a phenomenal job of developing our website, including the CMS and design. They were able to work with anything we threw at them, and the finished product came out perfectly. 

How did Black Antelope perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been great. I appreciate how Black Antelope communicates. We used to send them tasks by email, but they transitioned to Basecamp. As an online tool, it helps facilitate interactions between the client and the vendor. 

Now, we use it to put in all our requests, and they always get back to us quickly. We have running threads within the forum that include comments, posts, and images. This tool has streamlined our process and been very successful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm most impressed by the level of one-on-one personalization they offer. They have excellent design judgment and provide better alternatives to our suggestions for placement and functionality. 

Black Antelope is such a small team that they feel more like a family-owned business than a bureaucratic corporation. We never get automated ticket responses to the task requests we send. 

Since the developers run the project themselves, there are never layers of divisions to communicate through. They respond very quickly, even though I work unusual hours including after 10:00 PM. Even at night, they usually get back to me right away. They’re willing to support us beyond the standard workday whenever the need arises. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really have nothing to complain about. Black Antelope has been doing a phenomenal job. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We always let them know our priorities and which less important items can wait. Since we know we're not their only client, we respect their time. Make sure you’re addressing what's most important. Delineate urgent matters like deadlines and be clear about what you need the most, so they don't get bogged down. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of marketing and communications for SPCA International. We are a U.S.-based nonprofit and are active worldwide.

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Antelope?

We initially hired them to do ongoing site maintenance and some design improvements. We later hired them for Salesforce integration work and email template builds.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They integrated multiple technologies into our website. We needed them to build modern, good-looking CSS donation pages that worked well with our new donation app. They designed beautiful, mobile-responsive pages that we’re very happy with. We had a difficult time finding experts in concrete5—the software we use—but they do a great job with our system maintenance. They do their research and find the solutions we need.

We have small, weekly projects and we go to them when we have a problem with our website or our Salesforce database. They’ve cleaned up our database, optimized email templates, and do a lot of technological work for us.

What is the team composition?

Scott (Project Manager, Designer, Black Antelope) and Eric (Partner, Owner, Lead Developer, Black Antelope) are our main contacts. They are both very responsive. We typically work with Scott on the design side and Eric acts as a developer. They work well together and their skills complement each other. They’re a very good team.

How did you come to work with Black Antelope?

I found them on LinkedIn ProFinder. They were local to our area, so we had our first meeting in person. Since then, we work remotely.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $25,000 at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

The initial phase was from about February–July 2017. We’re now in the second phase with them. We have them on a retainer and work with them on other projects.

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

We leverage the email templates they built for us on a daily basis. We can easily access things and make changes on the backend of our website and email marketing platform. With their help, we reach hundreds of thousands of supporters each month.

How did Black Antelope perform from a project management standpoint?

They know their stuff. We work with them through Basecamp, which is their preferred platform. They do a good job.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re responsive to our needs and requests and are so knowledgeable. They’re really easy to work with, creative, technically savvy, and willing to fill gaps in our staffing. All of that is really helpful and we don’t know what we would do without them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for UC Berkeley, a public research university. I managed a research center that is part of a group of academic centers and teaching departments.  

For what projects/services did your company hire Black Antelope?

We needed a new website that would update our image and information for external and internal audiences. We had several separate, smaller sites that we wanted to combine under a single umbrella.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to update our image, refresh content, and create a more functional tool to disseminate information.

How did you select this vendor?

We asked other departments about the vendors they had worked with. We contacted several and solicited proposals.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Black Antelope designed, developed, and implemented a new website. We uploaded the content to save money, as we could hire students to do this more economically. They are also responsible for ongoing security updates to the Drupal site.

What was the team composition?

Black Antelope’s two principals and a programmer worked with our project manager and several students, with input from other UC Berkeley center directors.

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

We look better to the world. People contact us with questions based on a visit to the site. Also, we now know what our site visitor stats are.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was somewhat effective, although it could get messy at times. We used Basecamp.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were accessible, decent to work with, and responsive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I wish we would have collected more input on what was needed going into the project. We could have done more on our end. I also would have liked not to use a template based on another site, as we ended up with a lot of extra legacy stuff that just confuses things. It’s best to start clean.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a yoga instructor. I offer studio classes, private coaching, and all-inclusive retreats.

For what projects/services did your company hire Black Antelope?

I had a basic web presence, but it was proving difficult to update without embarrassing glitches.

What were your goals for this project?

My goal was to have a user-friendly platform that would allow me to easily and frequently add updates.

How did you select this vendor?

Black Antelope was highly recommended by my sister, who works in social media management.

Describe the project in detail.

Scott (Project Manager/Designer, Black Antelope) helped me select a WordPress (WP) style that complements my business aesthetics. After he moved all pertinent copy and images from the old formatting, Scott created a navicon, set up the new WP site with my pre-existing host, and updated its SEO.

What was the team composition?

I worked exclusively with Scott on this project.

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

Scott designed a beautiful site. I feel confident sharing it with existing students and thru social media marketing campaigns.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I’m extremely satisfied with the level of communication and enjoyed collaborating with Scott on this project. He checked in with me frequently, fine-tuned the content based on my preferences, and made useful editing suggestions along the way.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I’m impressed with all of the work thus far, especially the ease with which Scott has translated my requests, concerns, and vision into an attractive and easy-to-navigate site.