Visit Website

Become

4.7
3 reviews

A modern design studio offering branding, web development, SEO and video production services. We offer a strategic approach that encompasses brand, online presence and traffic development —to fuel the growth of our clients’ business. We get great things done, and people say we’re nice to work with.

 
$25,000+
 
$100 - $149 / hr
 
2 - 9
 Founded
2002
Show all +
Salem, OR
headquarters

Reviews

4.7
3 reviews
Sort by

Web Development and Design for Civil Engineering Company

“I loved how responsive, organized, and creative they were. They really helped bring our website to life.”

See More

5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
4.5
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Jan. 2019 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Cardwell Creative developed and helped design a new website for a civil engineering and professional services firm. The site is built in WordPress and uses CSS for content management.

The Reviewer
 
201-500 Employees
 
Anchorage, Alaska
Jennifer Payne
Chief Marketing Officer, DOWL
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The site recently went live but already enjoys positive user feedback. Cardwell Creative ensured that the user experience was pleasant, and they managed the project well. They were reliable communicators, and were open to changes in the scope. There were no surprises, and the project ran smoothly.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a civil engineering, professional, and related services company. I'm the chief marketing officer with the firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cardwell Creative?

We had an outdated website and wanted to redo it. We recently completed a merger, and the website was a disaster.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed the backend of the site and did a lot of the design for the frontend. They took all our collateral pieces and set up a prescribed process to come up with the wireframes and design for the site. Once those were nailed down, they started development. They had a lot of experience that was very helpful in this build. It's a content managed site, and some of the technologies included Jumpchart, CSS, and WordPress.

What is the team composition?

We have one main point of contact and a lead developer that we interacted with directly. There were a few other designers and developers behind the scenes at different points of the project.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was probably around $40,000-$45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in earnest in January 2019, and the site just went live in August 2019. We'll put them on retainer and work with them on maintenance and SEO going forward. We have options to make changes and grow with every part of the site, and we may contract them for our third-party projects in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site has only been live for a few days, but we haven't seen any bugs after launch. We addressed all the issues before we went live, and we improved a lot of the user experience based on their suggestions. We have a ton of great feedback from users already, and the look and feel of the site is really pleasing.

How did Cardwell Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was excellent. They stayed within our budget and deadlines at all times, and their communication was wonderful. We emailed a lot, and we had a collaborative platform to meet with them. We only met in person once.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I've worked with at least four other developers, but Cardwell was the most reliable. Their expertise was critical in this project. They gave us best practices, and I really appreciated their insight. I loved how responsive, organized, and creative they were. They really helped bring our website to life.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything. Everyone pulled their own weight, and they met their end of the commitment. There were no surprises, and they were open to changes in the scope. The whole project was well-organized, and I have no negative comments for them. I would be happy to work with them again.

5.0
Overall Score After our merger, the whole project was disruptive, but Cardwell made the process as painless and easy as possible.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    All the schedules were met, and they picked up slack whenever we slipped.
  • 4.5 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    It was certainly an investment, but the value was very good.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    They were top-notch.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I've recommended them already.

Website Re-design for Engineering Firm

“Cardwell Creative blew us away with their design aesthetic. They impressed us every step of the way.”

See More

4.0

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
4.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
4.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Feb. 2017 - Jun. 2018
Project summary: 

Cardwell Creative redesigned a hand-coded website that was five years outdated. They replaced the initial version with a mobile-first WordPress site. The user-friendly CMS is easy to update and modify in-house.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Portland, Oregon
Matt Sevits
Webmaster/Graphic Designer, OBEC Consulting Engineers
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Along with the sleek new site they developed, Cardwell Creative gave insightful consultation and supported internal process improvements. They streamlined a disorganized workflow and offered end-to-end support and rapid responsiveness. The end product is both technically advanced and user-friendly.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the webmaster and a graphic designer at OBEC Consulting Engineers, an Oregon-based civil engineering company. We focus on transportation and provide a lot of design for roadways and bridges. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cardwell Creative?

Our website hadn't been updated in five or more years and needed a refresh. We needed a local firm we could collaborate closely with, rather than a larger out-of-state company that would be hard to contact. Cardwell Creative was a perfect fit, so we chose them to redesign our entire website. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Early on in the process, Cardwell Creative compiled user profiles to fine-tune our redesign strategy. They took the time to understand our company and who we were trying to attract with our new website. We'd been using an ineffective, haphazard method internally. Cardwell Creative planned a measured and organized approach that gears our content toward our ideal user base. As it turned out, job seekers are better to pursue than just anyone in the engineering industry. 

After creating designs for a new WordPress site, the team implemented them on the development side. I had hand-coded our old site from scratch and was excited to have a better platform with a CMS in place for easy maintenance moving forward. Most notably, they made was making our website mobile friendly. The previous version hadn’t been at all, and we lacked the resources to improve it in-house. As a mobile-first platform, it actually looks better on a phone than a desktop.

What is the team composition? 

I interacted with 3-4 people at Cardwell Creative, but the president was always my main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Cardwell Creative?

We found them through one of our employees who knew Duane (President, Cardwell Creative) from college. We were soliciting firms for proposals and put them into consideration. Cardwell Creative blew everyone out of the water in terms of likability and personability. Based on their approach, they really seemed to know what they were doing. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $60,000 on their services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2017, and our collaboration just ended in June 2018. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Cardwell Creative blew us away with their design aesthetic. They impressed us every step of the way. We've seen a significant boost in both traffic and the length of time users spend on our site. These results have been excellent, and we're pleased with the way everything turned out. Cardwell Creative is a team of excellent collaborators

How did Cardwell Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They managed our project very well. Duane (President, Cardwell Creative) worked as our project manager. I could reach him whenever I needed to. The project was seamless and well-run from my perspective. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated that Cardwell Creative was technically knowledgeable, but never pretentious about it. They simplified concepts for our less tech-savvy users. There are many complex components of web design these days, and our goal was to make it as unintimidating as possible for all our in-house employees. They did a great job of keeping it technically accurate and also approachable. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

For a few minor design tweaks, we had to push them a bit to think outside the box. Some of their choices for plugins were slightly outdated, for example.

4.0
Overall Score
  • 4.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 4.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 4.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Website Redesign for Hospitality Organization

"They’re always in your corner making sure you get what you need to help your website or project."

See More

5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Dec. 2016 - Jan. 2018
Project summary: 

Cardwell Creative designed and developed a new website to better organize its content. They conducted data analysis and a focus group to find areas for improvement, and they suggested SEO strategies.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Oregon
Nan Devlin
Director, Visit Tillamook Coast
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Click-through rates have tripled since the implementation of the WordPress-based site, and bounce rates had dropped. Cardwell Creative was communicative and approachable. They took a disciplined approach to the development, and they worked well within scheduling guidelines.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the tourism director of Visit Tillamook Coast in Oregon.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cardwell Creative?

Our website was overloaded with content and not well organized. We looked for a vendor that could organize our content and make the website more mobile-friendly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We discussed every page on our website and talked about our marketing campaigns and focuses, and how we would like the new website to look and feel. Cardwell Creative conducted a focus group to gauge the user experience. They designed and developed the new site, which is built on WordPress and includes custom coding. They made suggestions for new SEO strategies to ensure that we were promoting the proper pages.

What is the team composition?

I worked mainly with the creative director.

How did you come to work with Cardwell Creative?

Two other Oregon-based companies had worked with Cardwell Creative, and they both recommended them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve worked on several other projects, as well, but altogether, we’ve spent close to $68,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in December 2016, and the site launched in January 2018, but we have other ongoing projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen our click-through rates triple since the implementation of the new site, and our bounce rates have decreased dramatically.

How did Cardwell Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very professional. They provide me with quarterly reports, so I’m always well-informed. They clarify any questions I have. They’ve exceeded my expectations. They’re always in your corner making sure you get what you need to help your website or project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their process utilized data to show us what we could do to improve. It wasn’t just a creative approach, but it was a research-based approach as well. They always delivered on what they promised, and their work is at the highest level of thoughtfulness and creativity.

Any advice for potential customers?

They operate like a small company, with a lot of one-on-one communication, but if you have multiple projects for them, they are willing and able to scale up to meet your needs. They also coordinate closely with any other vendors you may be using.

5.0
Overall Score They are one of the best agencies I have ever worked with.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer