Christopher Green Design

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a real estate agent and I also own my own brokerage firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Christopher Green Design?

On multiple occasions, I’ve needed someone to help design and develop a website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Christopher Green Design originally built a website for our former company, and when we started our own company he developed that site from the group up as well. At the beginning of the process, Chris (Art Director, Designer & Developer, Christopher Green Design) sat down with us and asked us questions. He figured out exactly what we were trying to accomplish and what our budget was.

Our teams continued to have meetings along the way. Chris would update us as pages were finished, and we could go over them together. He would make any changes we needed, and because we were so busy, Chris also wrote the descriptions for the site. 

Chris created the internet data exchange (IDX) that displayed the multi-listing service properties on the site. He integrated all the searches and properties into the IDX, which was probably the most difficult part since we had the listings of 50 agents. Whenever someone would sign on to the website to look at properties, they would enter their information and email address which would generate leads for us. The site also gave visitors information about the market in Hawaii.

He also designed and marketed a third site that promoted a new single-family home development. Chris manages our social media accounts, bringing in new leads through Facebook and Instagram.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Chris and one other member of his team.

How did you come to work with Christopher Green Design?

At the time, Chris lived on the big island and we had a mutual contact. I got to know him personally and decided to work with him.

How much have you invested with them?

Our first website cost around $25,000 and the second website cost between $10,000–$15,000. The newest website cost much less because it wasn’t as detailed.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Christopher Green Design began in January 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Chris produced high-quality work. The websites have a great look and feel to them. Working with Christopher Green Design was a positive experience. Their marketing and design input has been really valuable.

How did Christopher Green Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Christopher Green Design communicates well. We held regular meetings and Chris would send us updates as we went along.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are really good at asking questions and figuring out what are needs were, even when we didn’t know ourselves. Their team offers solutions and ideas to get us to where we need to go. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything has been great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Chris is very patient, which makes him great to work with. He is wonderful at dealing with customers who don’t know anything about web design and guiding them in the right direction.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the sole owner and proprietor of a consulting business. I operating as a private consultant for small to medium-sized businesses. After 36 years in the business, I just retired.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Christopher Green Design?

I needed a site design partner that could stress my unique approach and business model online.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had a model and business tools that help my clients become more productive and grow their firms. Chris developed the site in several iterations, updating the content as my business developed. He built the site from scratch. After his success with my consulting site, I hired him to build an art site for my watercolor work. 

We actually met yesterday to discuss how to change all my content after my retirement. He’s going to collapse everything into one site that will focus my artworks and my published books.

Outside of his responsibilities with my sites, he also helped me publish my two books online and get them on Amazon. He worked on the cover design for them too.

What is the team composition?

I worked solely with Chris (Founder, Christopher Green Design) on the project.

How did you come to work with Christopher Green Design?

I was referred to him by my son who thought he would be a good fit for me. In our early meetings, he listened and asked plenty of questions. His first proposals were also very creative and specific to my practice, so I looked no further.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together is ongoing, and we started our partnership in the 1990s.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

His sites stand out among others in my industry. Because he was always adding fresh content, it stayed dynamic and continued to fit the direction I was taking my practice. His work was so impressive that some of my clients hired him for their sites. He still works with many of them now. 

How did Christopher Green Design perform from a project management standpoint?

He delivered everything on time and outlined, very clear and concise throughout. We communicated through all avenues: email, phone, in-person, etc. I never felt like I had to manage him because he was always on top of things.

What did you find most impressive about them?

He is a very talented designer. However, his biggest strength is his ability to listen closely to my goals for the project and effectively translate them into a site that impresses customers. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything he could’ve done differently that would’ve achieved anything beyond what I received.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

His quality and overall approach to be beyond what they get from most designers. It’s important to compare and contrast those things because it’ll reveal the true differences between providers.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Executive Director for PATH: Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii. We are a not for profit 501(c)3 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advocacy organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Christopher Green Design?

We initially hired Christoper Green Design to update our PATH website in 2016. After seeing the finished product and experiencing the ease of working with Chris, we did not hesitate to hire him for our Hawaii Island Bikeshare website.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals for the Hawaii Island Bikeshare website are twofold: 1. to keep our constituents (and potential customers, & sponsors) informed about our bikeshare program, new features, and new stations. 2. to create a portal for customers to sign up as members of our bikeshare program.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

For our PATH website, I had seen examples of Chris' work for other non-profits in the Kona area and solicited their comments about how the process of creating or updating their website was for them. For the bikeshare website, it made sense for us to work with Chris because he already had knowledge of PATH and understood our goals and objectives for a website that would support this PATH program.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Chris designed, developed, configured and launched our website and membership portal in 2016 and then updated the site with changes in station location, bikeshare distribution and improvement in our membership portal in August 2019 in preparation for our addition of more bikeshare stations.

What was the team composition?

The project team consisted of Chris, myself and representatives from the bikeshare manufacturer's IT team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Without Chris' support of the website, our customers and potential sponsors would not have access to: 1. information about our bikeshare system, and how to access the bikes. 2. the ability to sign up as members of our system. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management has been flawless. Regardless of the day of week or time difference, Christopher Green Design has always responded in a very timely manner to any request for changes to the site and rare technical issues we might encounter.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am aware they have many larger clients, yet I never felt as though my needs were neglected in their favor. Christopher Green Design has always responded promptly to my request for support (most often the same day). In my experience, that kind of customer service is rare out here on an island in the Pacific.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I cannot think of any areas that need improvement at this time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director for my husband’s medical practices: an oral surgery office called David K Hiranaka M.D., D.M.D. and a cosmetic practice called A New Face. I’m also the chairperson for the Kona Hospital Foundation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Christopher Green Design?

Over the course of our relationship, I’ve worked with Chris (Principal, Christopher Green Design) on three websites across our organizations. He handles the web design and regularly provides updates every few years. We’re now preparing to launch the third site for the Kona Hospital Foundation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

When starting a new WordPress site, Chris typically leads us through a comprehensive discovery phase. He’ll ask what we want to include on the page and has us look through similar sites within our industry. Then, we discuss what we like and don’t like so that he can get a better idea of our goals.

Chris spends a lot of time taking notes during those early conversations so that he can fully grasp what we’re about. It’s important to get that down first so that you know what you need to get across to site visitors. 

From there, he designs the site from scratch, tailoring the content to our organization and making it unique to who we are. A common feature between all three sites is a news feed display that draws posts from our Facebook page. This allows us to stay current on content by highlighting our most recent posts.

What is the team composition? 

I’ve exclusively worked with Chris.

How did you come to work with Christopher Green Design?

Chris used to live near us, so we knew each other that way. He was a sponsor for a running event and had his logo on the back of the t-shirts. Whenever my husband would go out hiking, he’d wear that shirt, and I just kept coming back to his logo.

I checked out a website that he’d done for another local business and really liked his work. After talking to him, he referred me to a few other sites he’d done for the industrial industry—which I loved—and things kicked off from there.

How much have you invested with them?

Each has website cost around $6,000 along with regular updates that cost a couple thousand dollars. I see myself updating our sites every few years just because he’s so knowledgeable about current trends.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first started working with Chris on November 2014 for the cosmetic site, and he’s now wrapping up the Kona Hospital Foundation site. So far, he’s added in informational videos and has given us a closed build to review.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I love how professional the sites look. They’re not just cookie-cutter designs—rather, they’re up-to-date and accessible, which reflects well on us. Whenever we ask new patients how they found us, they often mention our well-designed site and say that it answered all of their questions.

For the oral surgery site, we had access to an existing media package from an association of maxillofacial surgeons. It was filled with content to help educate our patients about our services. Chris leveraged that dense material and organized it in a user-friendly way so that it was informative without being overwhelming. 

Likewise, visitors absolutely love the before-and-after page on our cosmetic surgery site. The photos are overlaid on top of each other, so users can reveal one or the other by using a slide bar. That’s a feature that isn’t common in our industry yet, so it makes us look cutting-edge.

How did Christopher Green Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Chris is very communicative. When he used to live near us, we would meet on a weekly basis and email in between. That cadence has pretty much stayed the same after he moved away. He schedules our go-to meetings and sends a recap at the end that lists what each party is in charge of doing next. I also appreciate how responsive he is. If I send him a list of tasks to work on, he’ll always reply back when he’s finished, which helps us keep track of the project status. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Any time I need to do a website, I’m going to work with Chris. His work just looks so professional. Recently, I had a meeting with our chief nursing exec and strategic planner at the Kona Hospital Foundation to go over a site build, and they were ecstatic. Chris included several elements that were really helpful to have. 

Beyond that, I’m always impressed by how quickly he can grasp what we want out of our site. He’ll take our sometimes abstract thoughts and feelings and translate them into something tangible. As we’ve gone through the development process, he’s learned a lot about what my husband does for his oral and cosmetic surgery practices.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. Even if there’s something going on in his personal life, he communicates it so that we understand why there might be a delay.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Tell him as much as you can about your organization and goals. Chris is very good at seeing that bigger picture and turning it into something very tangible.