Brilliant Systems

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Amy Malkan

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Amy Malkan uses visual awareness to draw out the potential of the individual through various art processes.  She uses different art techniques to encourage people to take the first step outside of their comfort zone, creating an awareness of their blind spots and recognizing possibilities that are available to them. Through these art process clients have the tools and resources to communicate effectively, lead and inspire people around them and become a better and effective leader within their respective role.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Brilliant Systems to accomplish?

• We hired Brilliant Systems to develop a mobile app to replace an existing one because of poor UX design. Our previous platform didn’t give us the capabilities to move forward and build upon the existing app.

SOLUTION

How did you find Brilliant Systems?

Referral

Why did you select Brilliant Systems over others?

• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Brilliant Systems were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We initially had a kickoff call with Brilliant Systems and had a design workshop afterward. The workshop involved several sessions over a month. We designed the new mobile app’s UX and did a high-level requirements gathering and persona definition. After that, we worked on the use cases and eventually created workflows inside of the app. 

Once the design phase was completed, we moved on to the development stage. Brilliant Systems led the process. They worked with us through the design and deliverable reviews. Together, we tested the solution and completed the necessary refinements. Occasionally, challenges arose between what was designed and what was practical, and we worked together to resolve those issues. 

Finally, their team delivered a working solution, which we tested. They handled the necessary refinements and addressed bugs. From there, they handed off the completed project to us. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our key success metrics were the speed of delivery and conformance with our timeline , Brilliant Systems met both of these factors. Their adherence to our quality standards was always 95%. 

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

Brilliant Systems’s adherence to our timeline was 95%, and they 100% met our budget requirements. For tools, they used Basecamp as a platform for communication. We also had meetings through Microsoft Teams. During the development phase, we had regular stand-ups and check-ins with them.

What was your primary form of communication with Brilliant Systems?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The entire process was great. They were great at soliciting design requirements, understanding them, and developing the product.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Superhuman

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Follow us to get daily AI news, tools and insights to boost your productivity and accelerate your career. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Brilliant Systems to accomplish?

• We had built a software platform for crisis management, but it didn't have a good UI/UX. Therefore, we hired Brilliant Systems to assess our vision and what we wanted and create the UI/UX designs so that then our engineers could implement them.

SOLUTION

How did you find Brilliant Systems?

Referral

Why did you select Brilliant Systems over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Brilliant Systems were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We started our engagement with a discovery session so that Brilliant Systems could see what we were doing and what we were looking for. Then, their team put together the designs on Figma. Throughout the project, they had meetings with us to go over the different processes and steps needed for the user flow and the features we wanted to add.

We also had weekly sessions with  Brilliant Systems to review their work and provide our input as required. Once they were done, they provided us with the designs for our team to implement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't implemented the designs they delivered because our platform's backend isn't entirely in place. However, we knew that from the start. We wanted something that would carry us through for when we had enough engineers to build the rest of the pieces.

We were able to take their designs and implement ideas for now so that we could launch our product this year. Brilliant Systems 's designs were a crucial part of our platform. Without them, we wouldn't have a great product for our customers.

We've been doing some demos, and some customers are paying for the development work, so we've shown those designs to others. The reviews we've received have been great, demonstrating that Brilliant Systems  delivered great designs.

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

Suzie was fantastic and kept us on track. Throughout our engagement, we switched the project's terms. Initially, we threw everything in, but halfway through the project, we switched to a model they call "Innovation Lab." With this model, we received 10–20 hours of dedicated time each week, and the work would be done within those hours rather than spending a lot of time each week doing multiple things.

Suzie always kept us on track and accurate regarding the assessment for the planning and the number of hours required. Even when we had last-minute priority changes to address our customers' needs, Brilliant Systems  came through and gave us exactly what we needed for those customers.

We held our meetings via Microsoft Teams. Having a regular meeting cadence scheduled allowed us to review what they were doing and provide feedback. By the time we had our next follow-up meeting, the requested changes had been incorporated. Then, we would review their work again to make sure it was what we wanted or adjust as necessary. Overall, it was a really good cadence for us.

What was your primary form of communication with Brilliant Systems?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The quality of Brilliant Systems’ work was outstanding.

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

 Brilliant Systems's billing department could have been improved. There was a small challenge when they switched billing companies. From the start, I asked to receive bills via email, but the bills didn't always come in when they were supposed to. In some cases, we received notifications of billings overdue when they had been paid.