Brave Factor

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing of Community School of Music and Arts

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

CSMA is a mission-based nonprofit that provides high-quality arts education and experiences to students of all ages in the Bay Area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Brave Factor to accomplish?

• Redesign website
• Integrate website with our registration system
• Improve online brand presence

SOLUTION

How did you find Brave Factor?

Online Search

Why did you select Brave Factor over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Experience in our sector

How many teammates from Brave Factor were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Brave Factor worked with us to identify our brand targets and refine our online identity, reorganize our site for ease of navigation, develop a fresh look for the site, help us prioritize content section by section, integrate with our complex registration needs, create several custom page types, build and test site, and create supporting documents for self-management of site content.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Brave Factor created and launched our new website to our satisfaction and according to our agreement.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

We had weekly meetings throughout the project. They stuck to the timelines as much as possible and were very responsive and patient with us, especially when there were delays on our end.

What was your primary form of communication with Brave Factor?

Virtual Meeting

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

Lauren is really a star and went above and beyond at every opportunity. She took the time to understand our complex organization and handled some curveballs along the way with grace. Her team is equally dedicated and I enjoyed working with them. My organization's ED and I were very impressed with the design Brave created based on our feedback. The design and branding process at the beginning wasn't just for show but really did inform the design.

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

Not really -- I think they did as well as anyone could have given the huge amount of back and forth and the large scope and complexity of the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the social media manager and digital communications director for Rise, a nonprofit that seeks to help everyday people pass their own law through various educational avenues.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Brave Factor to revamp our website, which was first built back in 2016. We wanted something that represented the growth our company had experienced, but wasn't able to showcase. We also wanted something that was more modern, fun, and approachable in terms of design and UI.

SOLUTION

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

We looked everywhere for designers that would be aligned with our vision and mission. Many web designers were either too expensive for us as a non-profit, or their portfolio didn't align with what we were trying to create or the emotions/feelings we were trying to evoke.

We ended up choosing Brave because they had previously worked with other nonprofits, so that degree of understanding was there. Their work is incredibly beautiful as well, so that, coupled with their competitive and flexible pricing were the deciding factors.

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

We had several meetings in the beginning to establish goals, mission, vision, voice, and our audience. We wanted to ensure that we hit all the points we needed. Our team was also able to ask for our "hopes and dreams" for the site, so it felt like a truly collaborative effort.

We had weekly meetings from the start through the end of the project. Each week, we would receive updates on the site and review/approve deliverables. Once we established a design, we received periodic updates on the development and design of all the pages.

We worked together on content in gatherkit and approved designs in Figma. Some key deliverables include audience personas, SEO research, various stylescapes, various iterations of the final stylescape, website elements for use on other materials in our organization (presentations, print collateral), a notion page as a comprehensive "how to" for anything on the website, a style guide, and of course, the final website.

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

I spoke directly with two of them (Lauren, Chris - co-founders), and more or less indirectly with another (Alfian, developer).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just launched the site, so we're unable to share any concrete outcome data. However, we can share that all of our programs are currently displayed and our story is told beautifully, so visitors will have a true grasp of who our organization is made up of, what we do, and how well we do it - which we have wanted to do for years!

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

We had a weekly call on Thursdays and we received a weekly update on Mondays. They were always very timely, punctual, and on schedule.

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

I was really impressed by how receptive they were to our ideas, how willing they were to take design/development challenges head on.

I also really loved their willingness to share their illustrative designs, and to provide us with a comprehensive "how to" on how to use and update the website. It's really handy for those who aren't so tech savvy!

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

I honestly can't think of anything, I truly loved working with them. Maybe having emails on fewer threads, so that they're easier to find. Sometimes we had 2-3 conversations at once, but it was manageable!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the communications director for Allies for Every Child. We’re a nonprofit organization for young children and their families. This includes foster care and adoption, mental health services, early education, and other support services that get plugged into those different activities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brave Factor?

We didn’t like our old website and wanted a refreshed way to talk about ourselves. We hired Brave Factor to help us create that new language and build a new website where we could use it. We were looking for a website that was very visual and allowed us to have a lot of photos. We wanted to ensure that our clients were honored and that anyone affiliated with our organization would feel proud of and think we had done them justice. 

We had just completed a rebranding and were happy with pieces like our logo and mission statement, but we didn’t like our imagery and the communications that came from it, so we needed help to refresh that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Brave Factor started with a lot of discovery to find out about our organization. They worked with some of our executive team and interviewed board members and clients to get a sense of how people viewed our services, what they thought was most useful, and what would help us with marketing, especially in growing our foster care and adoption programs. 

Brave Factor hosted workshops where we went back and forth about the kind of language we thought helped distinguish us from other nonprofits doing similar services in our area. The next step we took was in the design process, where Brave Factor took all of the feedback from the discovery phase and created a design for the website. We discussed the colors, styles, and went through exercises to figure out what we were looking for as an organization. 

Brave Factor built wireframes for us to review, and we met with them and discussed what we liked and didn’t. Once we honed in on the style, they built additional wireframes according to those. We went through the refinement process, and when we had agreed on everything, they built the website using WordPress and Elementor. The final step we took was a fine-tuning process.

The website acts as a place for people to find information on our organization and the process in order to streamline them to our social workers for intake. The website is very visual and has a video on the home page. Brave Factor also created a page with photos of all our employees. We worked on SEO terms with Brave Factor, and they reported on the progress. 

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with Lauren (Co-Founder & Creative Director) and a design team.  

How did you come to work with Brave Factor?

We looked at websites we liked and followed up to find who designed those. We found a website we really liked, and Brave Factor was the company that designed it. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $45,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between July–November 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website has been launched, and everybody who has looked at it has given us positive feedback; we also find the functionality beneficial. Overall, we’re very happy with the website and think it looks fresh and modern. 

How did Brave Factor perform from a project management standpoint?

They stayed on budget and hit deadlines. We used Figma for designs and communicated via Zoom and email. We had a standing meeting once a week with Lauren and traded emails back and forth. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’d worked with someone else previously, and we felt like Brave Factor’s designs were fresher, and their designers had a handle on modern design and what the current internet user is looking for. They were responsive to feedback and really took everything to heart and made it work. They were able to take some of our more challenging ideas and get them onto the website cleanly, making things much nicer looking than we thought was possible. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We were very satisfied with their work. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We would highly recommend them, and they’re worth every penny.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Gree Energy makes biogas projects financially viable by unlocking the full potential of carbon crediting programs, renewable energy and green finance. We empower the food industry in emerging countries to cut methane emissions, treat wastewater, and create opportunities for clean energy in underserved rural communities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

The initial project was website revamp, we wanted to make sure our website reflects what we do better. The project evolved to refreshing marketing materials, from logo, brochures, emails to documentations that needed to have the same feel as our website.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for a vendor who understood website development but also could provide feedback in terms of communications & branding as well as copywriting. The fact that Brave Factor worked for mission driven organizations in the past was also a plus.

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

Scope of work includes:

1. Revamping website (Wordpress): brand discovery, copywriting, website design, website development
2. Refreshing marketing materials (AI, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Powerpoint): logo design, documentations design, email signature, brochure design

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

The main people that we liased with are: 3 people (Founder & Creative Director, Chief Technology Officer and also Co-founder & COO). There were other designers & developers cced in the emails/documents we worked in, but they were not our main point of contacts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We recently received more invitations to speak and also received a Sustainability Award. While there are many factors that contribute to this, one of the reasons is because we can communicate clearly on what we do. Brave Factor facilitated a brainstorming session on brand discovery which we also worked continuously internally. This is very important in our advocacy journey in engaging with communities, clients, investors and employees.

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

• Timeliness: we have weekly meetings to ensure the project is on time. The team delivers the timeline as promised and keeps checking in to see how they can help. The team is very friendly but firm during important situations to deliver great results at the expected time.
• Communication: giving feedback is easy as the team communicates well any changes and they have an initiative to provide recommendations if they think there are better alternatives. Whenever we need clarification, the team is there to help. They also provided resources (videos & tutorials) that we can check prior to asking for help.

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

"You can trust Brave Factor to deliver quality work on time. What started as revamping our website, evolved into other projects from rebranding of our logo to refreshing marketing materials. The team communicated well on progress and took the initiative to suggest ideas that we didn't think of. It's an absolute joy working with Lauren and the team, and I hope we can collaborate again someday!" - Nicolas, CEO & Founder of Gree Energy

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

Very, very minor comments as working with Brave Factor was a joy and in the future if we have other website/comms/branding projects, we would not hesitate to work with them:

• Emphasizing more during the introduction call that they also provide brand discovery - important, especially for companies whose business model is not as straightforward as typical companies (although this was later made clear during sending the proposal stage) There were bugs on email html signature, but they were able to fix it and patiently showed us how
• Using GatherKit (to compile content) was easy but we could not show when the comment was made/if it is already resolved.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Communication Manager for La Familia. My lead role is leading on creative outreach strategies in support of our Chief Strategy Officer. I also serve as our primary photographer and videographer as well as website manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Brave Factor?

Our agency was overdue for both a new and fresh website, as well as integrating ease of use for supporting our work through online donations and acquiring our services.

SOLUTION

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

In selecting a vendor, our agency was looking for a company that closely followed the Storybrand Framework and specialized in non-profits. We wanted to make sure that the vendor we picked was familiar with the world of meeting the needs of underserved communities and did not work through from merely a transactional and arbitrary basis.

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

After our initial consultation, Lauren and her team set us up for a series of discovery phases which really helped our team identify not just ourselves, but really locked in to the various "archetypes" that we serve and the best way to do so. After about 3 weeks of that process, Lauren began to walk us through overall content acquisition which entailed really shaving down unneeded information on the old website and replacing each page/section with newly refined language.

From there, we covered all bases to make sure nothing was left with previous states. Next came design aesthetic as we began to work through 3 "style types". After deciding on one we began the process of giving Brave Factor all photo content to work into the new site. After selecting a donation platform, Brave Factor made sure that our site could smoothly integrate using the platform and keep an easy means of donations.

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

Around 4 people including a Co-Founder, Discovery Specialist, Salesforce Specialist, and IT Developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Both internally and externally we have heard that our website is so much more easy and clear to navigate. Not only that but the general community has a better understanding of what our core values our due to our carefully crafted layout and language.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very smooth. The Brave Factor team was extremely responsive with emails and always on time with virtual calls.

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

I felt we were always blown away by their above and beyond mentality that they had when giving us demos of work or ideas. Anything from a surplus of language and details, to the vivid infographics they would use to present. We know personally that those things take effort to do and they always kept the same level of quality.

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

We can honestly say that they were the perfect team to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Impact Frontiers is a learning and market-building collaboration for investors seeking to manage their social and environmental impacts and incorporate impact into investment decision-making. We provide resources, space for community discussions, and a cohort model that supports learning by doing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Brave Factor?

We hired Brave Factor to redesign our existing site, and also to merge a large body of content from another organization's site that we were assuming responsibility for.

SOLUTION

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

We developed an RFP and sent it to several firms in our networks. We received several bids and reviewed them according to expected cost and experience. Brave Factor won the bid because their questions and suggestions even during the RFP process indicated that they were thinking more critically and proactively about the project than the other web designers were.

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

Brave Factor conducted discovery meetings, a brief strategy audit, created moodboards and draft design templates, carefully went through multiple rounds of feedback with us on each until they fully understood our goals and preferences, and finally proceeded to site design, testing, and launch.

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

Lauren Kay, the founder, was the primary point person. She delegated to others on her team but we worked mainly with her.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The final website was absolutely beautiful and better than we could have hoped or imagined. Not only that but it was delivered on time and on budget, despite us providing them a TON of complicated directions and feedback along the way. Finally, they trained our team to manage the site going forward very thoroughly and effectively.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely effective. Lauren kept us posted each week with an email update; a video walk-through of that week's deliverables when appropriate; and a standing weekly meeting. She responded to questions and requests very quickly and did a terrific job of scheduling and task management. Very seamless.

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

They hit it out of the park any way you look at it, and it is hard to call out any one thing. But if forced to choose, I was most impressed by Lauren's commitment to active listening and questioning until she truly understood our views and goals, and her tenacity at continuing to redesign until the final product fully expressed and achieved those views and goals. There was no point at which Lauren just 'phoned it in' even when she could have.

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

Honestly I cannot think of anything!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the associate director of communications at P.S. ARTS, a Los Angeles-based arts education organization that serves public schools throughout California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brave Factor?

We needed help building our website to enhance our communication with our different audiences. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Brave Factor designed and developed our website from scratch. We gave them inspirational images to use on the site, and we also provided our style guide and reference websites during our initial conversation.

The site’s homepage contains an overview of what we do, and it also has a programs page that schools can fill out to get our different programs. Additionally, there’s a page that features videos of art projects and activities that people can do from home. Lastly, we have a web store and a donation page. 

Brave Factor also updated our design style guide, and they were instrumental in expanding our brand colors. That’s been a big change for us because it elevated our brand in some way. 

What is the team composition?

I worked primarily with Lauren (Co-Founder & Creative Director) and Andrew (CTO).

How did you come to work with Brave Factor?

Someone recommended Brave Factor to me. We hired them because they were very thorough in providing information about their services and what they would do for us. 

Additionally, Brave Factor engaged mainly with nonprofits — we found it appealing to work with someone who knew what we needed. They had clear communication and branding, and they had a hands-on approach to design.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $12,500. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from March–September 2021.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Brave Factor’s website had been very useful for our needs. Just on the site’s first week, we received two inquiries online — that had never happened before. 

How did Brave Factor perform from a project management standpoint?

Brave Factor was excellent at project management. Lauren and I had weekly one-on-one Zoom meetings. Depending on which part of the process we were on, I emailed her 1–5 times a day. She was very responsive and helpful. I had a lot of questions and requests for changes, and she accommodated me without any hesitation.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with Brave Factor’s quality of work, communication style, and thoroughness in every part of the project. I can’t imagine who else I could have worked with who would have done such a great job. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Follow Lauren’s recommendations — she knows what she’s doing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations for the National Foster Youth Institute, a small but mighty national nonprofit organization. We work with current and former foster children aged 18–30 years old to elevate their voices and include them when decision-makers, legislators, and local officials are designing policies around foster youth and child welfare concerns.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brave Factor?

Our former website was built on an outdated platform, so it no longer could be updated. We were able to do some design changes to the site, but we were very limited nonetheless, so we hired Brave Factor after this attempt at redesigning the site to start over.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Brave Factor helped us redo our website from scratch on WordPress. We already had a style guide with the colors and fonts that we used, so we didn’t want to change that. However, they worked with us to design the website’s appearance and guided us through a thought process to make those designs attract the right target audiences. Ultimately, we upgraded the fonts, but we kept the colors and our logo.

Brave Factor also placed a video at the forefront of our site and improved its general layout. Currently, they’re also improving the logo on our letterhead, and they’re working on creating a pop-up box to announce our major events.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with Lauren (Co-Founder & Creative Director). Before working with her, we also worked with another person who helped us identify our target audience. Additionally, we’ve worked with Andrew (CTO) on the development side of the project.

How did you come to work with Brave Factor?

They came highly recommended by the company that hosts our website. For us, it was important not to have yes people on this project; we wanted a thought partner for designing this site. Brave Factor had also designed other sites for the foster care and child welfare communities, so they had a lot of insight to offer us, which would create a great partnership.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $12,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in late January 2021, and they completed the website in July 2021, but we’re still working together to this day.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before working with Brave Factor, our site was very basic. However, our new website has a 2021 feel, and it is very accessible for our audiences. We’ve also gotten great feedback from our board members, our staff, and the foster youth that we work with.

Our whole system is easy to use, which makes everything more efficient. We’re still working through some things, but the overall feedback is very positive.

How did Brave Factor perform from a project management standpoint?

Brave Factor’s project management is great. They’ve always been on time, and they’ve kept us abreast of any changes or issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Brave Factor is a thought partner for us. I don’t think we would have gotten this far without their leadership and insight.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the beginning, we had a little problem with the process. It was a good process, but we hit a glitch regarding time management. However, Lauren came in and addressed it promptly. Ultimately, everything came on time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Brave Factor has a lot of knowledge, so be willing to listen to their advice. For example, they’ve brought up a lot of issues along the way, including things that we hadn’t thought about at all because we didn’t know better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Principal and Creative Director for Vidi Global, a design and content marketing firm based out of Orlando, FL. I lead top-level operations, business development, and creative direction for all major projects that flow through the agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We partnered with Brave Factor to redefine and create an updated brand and digital strategy for a national association. Our goals were to establish a brand platform for the association which could guide all future branding and marketing efforts - including a website redesign, content overhaul, and long-term goal setting.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After meeting Brave Factor through a shared professional group, we aligned on different values and their work really spoke for itself. Lauren is a highly skilled facilitator and goes the distance to make sure Brave Factor's clients receive an end-product that will be impactful for their investment.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

To begin, Brave Factor worked with us to define and make the client's goals tangible/achievable. Afterwards, Brave Factor led a few discovery sessions and workshops to draw out the client's main priorities in regards to their brand moving forward.

Once discovery was complete, Brave Factor synthesized our learnings into an actionable brand strategy document as well as provided an in-depth guideline and assessment of the client's website - granting them a priority list of next steps with development. The brand strategy document was the milestone necessary to move into the next phase of digital marketing strategy - which was my firm's responsibility in the engagement.

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

I worked directly with Lauren, the founder and principal.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Being that the client is a national organization, there are many board members with influence who must be bought into a project such as an updated brand approach.

Our client POC, who is the current Marketing Director, shared that the brand document provided really helped convey visually and reputably the developed direction for the organization's brand moving forward. The presentation of the brand strategy was so successful, that the client's now have a sense of urgency to jump into implementation as soon as possible.

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

Brave Factor was on time to every meeting, despite being on the opposite side of the world. They were organized and effective in their communications.

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

Their commitment to going above and beyond to make sure the client gets use out of the strategic work. Brave Factor isn't just a design and development shop. They really brought intuitive solution-based thinking throughout the process and made sure the client's goals were always top of mind. Also was very impressed with their ability to work with us in the United States from Asia.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am founder of DAO Products

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Brave Factor?

We where looking for an agency the support us along the way of discovering our brand.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found Brave Factor after a search of different types of agencies. Their connection with social enterprises, combination of strategy + design and great chemistry in our first meeting was decisive for our choice to work with Brave Factor.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The proces Brave Factor used was thorough and detailed. Our team members where asked to complete a questionnaire which was input for our first meetings. From there we went into the samples, but really important details of the DAO brand. In the following meetings the Brave Factor team presented strategic insides of our brand and the market in which we operate. Finally resulting in on point copy and great designs for our company. The process from beginning to final steps was unbelievable smooth, great communications and really punctual.

What was the team composition?

We worked with several team members, from the founders, strategy consultants and designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The efforts of Brave Factor gave us the ability to present us as a professional and distinctive company. This resulted in new investors to bring us to the next level in the growth of our company.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The work flow was easy going and a good combination of face-to-face and online meetings. Details, updates and feedback was also sherd by e-mail. from beginning to end a punctual proces.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Brave Factor is just a great company to work with! The insights we got in the process of working on the essence of our brand were really useful. We then continued to translate these insights strategically into design and content for our website. The results ended up to be extremely useful and beneficial for our company and brand. Highly recommend working with this fun and knowledgeable team!

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

In our collaboration we did not miss anything in which we think they need to improve.