Research Driven Design and Marketing
Cieden is a digital product design and marketing agency with operations in the United States and Eastern Europe.
We boast a long roster of happy clients, spanning B2C and B2B ventures in govtech, proptech, fintech, healthtech, adtech, e-commerce, APIs and automation, backend dashboards, software interfaces for hardware, and more.
The reason we delight our clients is simple. Our philosophy mandates that every one of them - regardless of industry or engagement type - benefit from our unique approach that weaves together core tenets from business analysis, product management, design thinking, and growth hacking.
headquarters
other locations
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111 NE 1st StreetMiami, FL 33132United States
Focus
Portfolio
Blizzard, Gridics, Exceeders, Sensority, Fiksuroka, Qualizy, ElGrocer
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We are a team of expert UX/UI designers, business analysts, product specialists, and marketers, working together to make products that succeed. We research the market, analyze data, and validate hypotheses to create designs that work. Our designs are not only stunning to look at but are also crystal clear to the end-users.
We do more than cute. We provide real business value through design.?
B2B Recruitment Platform
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/b2b-recruitment-platform
Our customer approached us with nothing more but an idea to build a B2B recruiting app and a very rough-coded prototype. As exciting as our customer’s vision was, it lacked deep marketing and design understanding of its implementation. That’s where Cieden came in.
Empowered with marketing and product research, we turned an idea into a comprehensive, actionable plan to design, launch, and market the product and then executed it.
A Digital Asset Management System
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/blizzard
BlizzCAT is a digital asset management system that handles the metadata, content, and related assets for Blizzard, such as thumbnails, cover, and poster art.
While BlilzzCat has historically provided value to multiple teams, the actual interface was limited in its available functionalities and difficult to use. Thus, Cieden worked jointly with Simran Butalia of Bebop Technology to identify feature gaps, uncover stakeholder frustrations, and both design and program a fresh approach to Blizzard’s media management platform.
As a result, it’s now much easier for multiple teams to track the progress of content as it passes through the digital supply chain while providing necessary metadata to OTT subscription services for end-user consumption.
Real Estate Wireframes
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/real-estate-wizard-wireframes
We had already been working with this client on another UX design project, and the CIO approached us, asking if we could assist with the product discovery for a new solution they intended to launch quickly.
The solution was in the real estate domain, for brokerage and real estate agencies all over the world. It contained three cornerstone blocks of the system: management of property listings, management of leads and clients, and website builder for quick and easy creation of personalized webpages.
It was part of a larger product environment, which shared the same data sources. A solution of this kind is unique, though there are indirect competitors that cover certain features.
IT Solutions Marketplace
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/exceeders-marketplace
Exceeders is an IT Solutions Marketplace that connects businesses with hundreds of innovative IT providers for cost-effective digital transformation.
Great customer experience doesn’t happen by accident. We are not limiting ourselves only to design itself – iterative approach, validation of our solutions with the actual user, and verifying implemented design towards mockups make it possible to ensure the best results.
Telemedicine Tool
Due to Covid, the healthcare system in the UK collapsed as many patients had to wait for 2 weeks or more to see their doctor, Unfortunately, in most cases, they couldn’t wait. Thus, the client came up with the solution to triage the severity of each appointment request and schedule appointments for those who needed medical care more urgently based on priorities.
Our unique telemedicine tool helped a doctor spend just 3-5 mins per patient thus they could help more patients in a shorter time.
E-Learning Platform
Study Flow is an e-learning platform helping students to organize study materials and learn how to memorize subjects effectively. Having this in mind, Study Flow enhances traditional note-taking with interactive study techniques such as Spaced Repetition, Testing, Interleaving and Categorizing.
Together with the client, we were focused on the creation of innovative learning experiences.
As a result, students now have an opportunity to learn in a more effective way, planning the studies to catch up with exams, creating quizzes and worksheets, and much more.
Process Management System
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/enterprise-submission-platform
ESP is a process management system that enables easy digital configuration and facilitation of administrative tasks that require a chain of approvals within a corporation.
An old client of ours approached us with a request to redesign the legacy product. The focus was on improving usability and adding greater flexibility, and the ability to scale the process even more.
ESP was designed to fit in any organization of any size and within any industry. It offers different personas such as user, approver, and admin.
After our thorough work, it ‘now’ takes approximately 5 minutes on average for an admin to create and configure a new process and a maximum of 2 minutes for a user to fill and submit it.
Meditation App
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/meditation-app
The overall concept was to create an accessible and easy way to meditate and learn proper breathing techniques.
Our initial research helped us understand how everyone uniquely adapts to stressful situations. We learned how mental health and proper breathing are critical aspects of coping with stress. In the book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, James Nestor shows the importance of breathing techniques and their positive influence on our lives. We take around twenty-five thousand breaths in a day to survive, so it’s not surprising how important it is to do it correctly.
Following our research, we understood the importance of these techniques and began the implementation of these concepts.
Interactive Training Tool
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/usernurture
UserNurture is an instrument for creating interactive training, it facilitates creating visually engaging content that clarifies software workflows for customers or employees.
The customer approached us with a straightforward task – to redesign an outdated design that had multiple usability flaws. After a quick analysis of the product, we realized that it is missing Points of Difference – a strong differentiator among other similar products in the market. There were many stronger competitors out there on the market.
As a result, we’ve designed an All-in-One tool that meets user's needs and soothes pains of instructional designers, who work daily on creating learning materials and documentation.
Manpower Investment Monitoring
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/manpower-investment-monitoring
Manpower Investment Monitoring (MIM) is a task management system, created by Exceeders, which aims at increasing employee productivity by enabling effective performance management within a company.
The system was initially developed as a separate product, and later it became one of the widgets for the advanced StemeXe application.
Desktop Lie Detector Software
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/desktop-lie-detector-software
Our client is a provider of human behavior analysis and screenings. Though the clients’ platform has delivered high accuracy AI-assisted video analytics functionalities, the actual solution has been divided into several desktop applications and the interface had gaps in usability and experience.
Cieden provided the client with product consulting services, redesigning and uniting separate desktop applications into a single solution.
As a result, the complex interface received more intuitive navigation, and a couple of new features including analytics and incorporating wearables support, and expanded screening capabilities. This allowed the company to provide an all-in-one tool for conducting a screening of people on-site or analyzing video recordings.
Language Tools
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/language-learning-platform
Regardless of your linguistic ability, sharing language is all about connecting. That’s exactly what the Language Tools does.
The app is a vibrant community of language lovers that will help you thrive.
LT helps students with a wide range of educational activities ranging from writing essays to talking to actual native speakers and fellow learners. In turn, with the help of the platform, the teachers can focus only on what matters most – teaching. No need to rack your brains over the payment process, scheduling, or finding students.
Enterprise-level product, Gridics
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/gridics
Gridics is a government and real estate tech startup that seeks to make the world of zoning more transparent and accessible. Its proprietary algorithms translate hard-to-understand zoning codes into actionable software that can be used by governments and private developers alike.
Cieden was retained to provide 360-degree product consulting services, from feature prioritization and UX to branding and UI. This partnership resulted in the launch of two additional apps, a strong product suite brand, and demonstrable client growth with top-tier cities like New York.
Enterprise Collaboration Tool
Here's a sneak peek into one of our projects, that is aimed at creating a communication tool for enterprises. It allows us to keep everything in one place and ensure data security.
Food Delivery App
So it’s late at night, and you’re starving. Aimlessly looking at food pictures on your phone, you discover an app that delivers meals from your favorite restaurants for way less than the normal asking price. Too good to be true, right?
We came up with an app concept that makes this possible by allowing restaurants to sell their remaining food before closing for a fraction of the normal price.
The beauty is that it’s a win for everyone involved. You get a killer deal on a delicious meal delivered to your doorstep; the restaurants sell all food they prepared that day, and it prevents needless waste in the process.
Mobile Sport App
The concept for a social community sports app that allows users to challenge each other and have fun together.
Smart Home System
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/smart-home-system
The application we were working on is a smart home monitoring system based on a network of non-Intrusive IoT Sensors and Software that can send real-time alerts to Host and Property Managers. Not only it helps landlords and tenants keep track of any threats the property might be vulnerable to, but it also puts the vast numbers of properties real estate corporations own at their fingertips.
The application seamlessly integrates with the sensor security devices you already have, aggregating everything you need to know on the screen in front of you. Based on the information the app collects, it provides you with analytics and suggestions to cut down your expenses and mitigate potential risks.
Task Tracking for Restaurants
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/qualizy
Qualizy is a startup created by a well known French chef and advocate for food security and HACCP compliance.
Customers mainly used the product to track tasks in kitchens and keep documentation organized. The problem was, Qualizy wasn’t being used to its full capacity – most features were not utilized or used effectively.
The client approached us to help improve the UX of the product, along with creating new capabilities.
Sustainable Food Consumption Platform
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/fiksuruoka
EU food regulations are very strict with product expiration dates, which has led to numerous European supermarket chains throwing out food several days early in order to be safe. Noticing this needless waste and a solid business opportunity, the Finnish food chain Fiksuruoka stepped in.
Now, through the platform that Fiksuruoka created, both eco-conscious and budget-conscious shoppers have the unique possibility to order soon-to-expire food at much cheaper prices.
However, the company needed help refreshing the flows and visuals on their platform, and we at Cieden were more than happy to help. After all, we were particularly excited to work on another ecological product that helps us feel like we are contributing to a bigger cause.
Healthcare Enterprise Platform
The project helps patients reach doctors online in an instant. Not only this way people can save their precious time since there is no commute, but it also helps the doctors to optimise the communication and the management within the medical team.
This particular piece is a panel which helps doctors to see the list of all patients who have contacted the clinic to get treatment. The panel also allows the medical team to examine the notes the doctor made and a few other details to keep records and be on the same page.
An Ecological Platform for Sustainable Landholding Planning
Check out the full case study here: https://cieden.com/work/ecosulis
Ecologists worldwide have been keeping track of species, biodiversity, and habitats on our planet for a long time. Traditionally, observation and data have been logged in notebooks. With the appearance of various technologies, data logging has become easier in the field, and entering numbers directly reduces error in the transfer from paper to spreadsheet or database.
Ecosulis has been working for some time to automate data collection and analysis in the field to reduce the costs and time for surveys. Their biodiversity quality calculator and habitat valuation assessment tool both started as spreadsheet-based tools to analyze biodiversity and habitat in a variety of sites and conditions.
They needed assistance from Cieden to cross-walk these tools to an easy-to-use online platform that was intuitive and efficient.
Desktop App Concept for English Lessons
It's a desktop concept for online English lessons app. The app enables you to study programs with a teacher through video and chat.
Unique Canvas Prints Website
Elephantstock is the website that offers a matchless variety of unique Canvas Wall Art & Framed Prints.
The key feature of this website is the ability to print your custom photo on a high-quality canvas in different sizes. Users have the ability to change their picture in different ways: crop it, flip it, add some effects, etc.
Music Player Redesign Concept
To flex our design muscles, we decided to come up with a new style for Apple Music Player. We've redesigned the "Browse" screen and added a new "Music Queue" section for it. We do not claim any pictures. They were used for strictly learning purposes.
3D Models Printing App
While creating a design for 3D printing software, we tried to make it easy to use and allow users to manage the most essential settings before printing the model.
Reviews
the project
UI & UX Redesign for Online Grocery
"It seems like you can throw them any complex design issue across any industry and they will find a way to get it."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the Founder of an online grocery, partnering with a local supermarket. We pick from store through our micro-fulfillment center and deliver the next day.
For what projects/services did your company hire Cieden?
We wanted to create the best customer experience through our apps and customer service (supported by good internal software). We tasked Cieden to completely redesign the UI/UX of our iOS & Android customer apps, responsive web and mobile site, and internal applications from picking to dispatch.
What were your goals for this project?
Finished Figma designs for all the apps outlined above.
How did you select Cieden?
We wanted to choose a design company that had an excellent portfolio of similar e-commerce/grocery projects. I have interviewed 5 different agencies in-depth and even asked for mock-ups as part of their pitch. Cieden had the best reviews, portfolio and experience for the kind of project that we needed (+ the right price point). Also very quick response times, easy to talk to.
Describe the project in detail.
Cieden worked on the information architecture, flow and overall user experience for all of the apps we needed. They created wireframes and the final UI on Figma. They also helped us conduct customer interviews, design our customer survey and user testing once the wireframes were completed.
They went above and beyond just delivering the final piece (Figma designs), as they really took it upon themselves to understand our users' challenges, the actual use cases for the features we wanted. They challenged our thinking to create the best user experience.
They managed to break down our complex business processes into VERY clear, and actionable solutions that can easily be understood by all stakeholders in the operations team.
What was the team composition?
There were 3 people involved: a UX Researcher and 2 designers.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
This is still an ongoing project, but so far they have submitted an AMAZING UI design for our customer apps and the information architecture that goes with it. We have conducted 10 hours of user interviews and another 10 hours of usability tests together. Finally, they have submitted wireframes for our new picking app!
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Super great! We had a video call every Friday to catch up on the week's work. Throughout the week, they are very great at communicating - easy to talk to and acts on feedback QUICKLY. Also I've been terrible with scheduling sometimes especially during peak times in our operations, and they've been very accommodating!
What did you find most impressive about this company?
I am coming from a Business Development perspective and Cieden doesn't just create something beautiful but actually USEFUL too - I mean that in the nicest way!
No overdesigning, they always have the user first in mind - what they actually need + what challenges they are facing. From an operations perspective, they understand very well how technology can increase efficiency and cut out liabilities in our process. It seems like you can throw them any complex design issue across any industry and they will find a way to get it.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Perhaps if our project was assigned more manpower? However, I'm not sure this would have sped up the process or added more complications. So far so good.
the project
UI/UX Design for Healthcare Company
"Their scope of knowledge and ability to execute to our satisfaction is most impressive."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the director of a health tech company. We create a number of applications to improve communications between patients and care providers. We help with clinical load management.
What challenge were you trying to address with Cieden?
We were tasked with creating a comprehensive patient interaction platform. These solutions are fairly common outside the UK but are a relatively new concept here. We needed someone to create a platform from scratch that would allow patients to access their medical records, book appointments, and more.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They do our UI/UX design and smaller branding tasks. We provided them with wireframes and general design ideas. They were responsible for creating the entire user interface for the platform.
What is the team composition?
We worked with two designers. One of the designers was also the project manager.
How did you come to work with Cieden?
We found them on Upwork. They’ve done design work like ours in the past. We had a screening interview to determine if they could handle our specific requirements. They knew what they were doing, so we hired them.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about $17,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from May–July 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The system isn’t live yet, but we’ve had multiple tests with active doctors, nurses, and administrators. They’ve been extremely impressed with the product. The design has been widely accepted.
How did Cieden perform from a project management standpoint?
We were very satisfied with the communication. We had bi-weekly meetings when the project was at its busiest. Progress was never impeded as a result of lack of communication or poor management. We were always on top of things.
The length of the project did extend a little bit because of changes in requirements. They did a very good job of getting on top of things. We have no complaints.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their scope of knowledge and ability to execute to our satisfaction is most impressive.
Are there any areas they could improve?
The only real problem that occurred while creating the UI. There was a significant issue with the language that was used while labeling UI forms.
A number of times, members of my team had to go back to correct UI screens that they had passed to the final draft without our approval. They could improve their approval phase by waiting for us to give a thumbs-up before anything is released.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
They’re brilliant at what they do. You need to provide them with clear instructions. They’ll figure out a way to solve it for you. Ask them for suggestions because they have a good idea of a wide variety of design processes and user experiences. They provided a number of suggestions that we were able to implement which helped us.
the project
Website & Collateral Design for Business Services Firm
"Their standards of excellence continue to rise, and we look forward to their on-going growth."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Clarity Ventures is a B2B eCommerce, Custom Web Development, and Multi-Faceted Back-Office / Front-Office Integrations company. As our Director of Marketing, I help oversee all our marketing initiatives and the development of our internal website.
For what projects/services did your company hire Cieden?
With a steady increase in website traffic and a slow decline in conversions, we knew we had to do something about it. Thankfully Cieden was there to help. They have redesigned almost every aspect of our website and are designing all of our new initiatives.
Not only that, but they design our whitepapers, videos, images, banners, and all other marketing collateral.
What were your goals for this project?
Conversion Rate Optimization. Regardless of the traffic on your website, if users aren't converting, what is the value in all that traffic? This is where Cieden comes into the picture. We needed to redesign our website, build out new whitepapers, fix the old ones, and create engaging videos.
How did you select Cieden?
With months of research, reading reviews, and internal discussions, Cieden stood out above the rest. We hired a few different companies to help design a website for a client of ours. Both the client and our team all agreed that the designs Cieden produced were of much higher quality than the rest.
Describe the project in detail.
Our project is the on-going development of our website and marketing collateral. Cieden has not only redesigned almost every aspect of our website, but they have also built our whitepapers, videos, and an extensive library of custom images and banners for us to use throughout.
What was the team composition?
Currently, we are working with one designer from Cieden. A couple of others had helped with specific projects throughout our time working with Cieden when the workload increased significantly.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Here are the statistics comparing the year before working with Cieden and the year working with them: Website Traffic increase 35%, Total Sessions increased 45%, Bounce Rate decreased a total of 12%, Average Session Duration increased by 24%, and most importantly, Contact Form Submission increased 119%!
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
The workflow has been very efficient and direct between our teams. We hold a weekly meeting where we review the week's work and plan for the upcoming week. They are swift to make any changes and communication as needed in a Microsoft Teams group.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
What we find most impressive is their flexibility and knowledge of our company. We are constantly building new sections on our website that vary greatly in design specs, whitepapers of varying lengths, topics, and architecture, as well as demonstrable videos that engage our viewers.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Every company can improve in any aspect of their deliverables or process. There are always endless possibilities and initiatives a company can take. With every project, Cieden has set the bar higher each time.
Their standards of excellence continue to rise, and we look forward to their on-going growth.
the project
UI/UX Design for Real Estate Technology Provider
“They took a lot of work off our plate but kept us informed throughout the project.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CIO of Immobel, a real estate technology provider. We have a few SaaS and custom-built products for a real estate tech platform.
What challenge were you trying to address with Cieden?
We hired Cieden to help with a new build we were working on.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They supported UI/UX development and helped us think through user flows. Our system is multilevel, so they have to think through how we would breakdown the project. They helped us kick off the new build by creating clear documentation and wireframes. They used ClickUp, Notion, Figma.
What is the team composition?
Our main contact was Anastasiya (Associate Product Director), but we occasionally interacted with some of the other designers.
How did you come to work with Cieden?
We’ve worked with a few different outsourcing companies, but we liked Cieden because they were both focused on the project. They brought a new perspective but they worked really well with our internal team as well.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about $62,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project lasted from June–December 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The project was very successful. We now plan to work with them again on another project.
How did Cieden perform from a project management standpoint?
Communication was great. We had weekly calls, but we also used Slack and Miro.
Our business analysts and design team really loved working with them. They took a lot of work off our plate but kept us informed throughout the project.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They thought through our business needs. They asked very specific questions that helped us identify what features we needed to accommodate all of our users. If we hadn’t thought that through, we would have had a difficult time mapping user flows.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There wasn’t really anything they needed to improve.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Communicate with all of the members of the business team to align on what you need.
the project
E-Commerce iOS & Android App Redesign for IT Company
"Their organization and timeliness provided us with a satisfying working experience."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the owner and general manager of an IT company, which has a number of e-commerce apps.
What challenge were you trying to address with Cieden?
We needed a partner to help redesign an existing app.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Cieden completely redesigned an existing e-commerce app for Android and iOS. Their team didn’t work on any technical specifications regarding functionalities. Rather, that was provided to them based on the existing application. They focused on redesigning the platform and working with our team to launch new features. Cieden gave us feedback on how it should look and how the customers might react to it.
What is the team composition?
We worked with a designer and a project manager.
How did you come to work with Cieden?
After finding them on Upwork, we reviewed their portfolios on Clutch and other websites. That’s how we made our decision.
How much have you invested with them?
We invested $3,500 in this project.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked on this project between April–August 2020. However, we plan to work with them again on other projects.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Unlike many other design and development companies, Cieden was strict about timelines and deliveries. We were happy with the outcome and the amount of time it took to be delivered.
We’re implementing the design, which has gone smoothly. We haven’t faced any issues with the design.
How did Cieden perform from a project management standpoint?
They showed us deliverables on Zeplin and always came prepared for our meetings. Their team was always on time too. Cieden gave us ownership of the project and went above and beyond.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Cieden was punctual. Their organization and timeliness provided us with a satisfying working experience.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, they went above and beyond.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I recommend working with Cieden. There are only a few companies that come close to them.
the project
UI/UX Design for SaaS HR App
"They took an incredible complex (and abstract) process and truly understood it."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
We are a SaaS based data management solution for a specialized function within HR. I'm the CEO and Co-Founder.
For what projects/services did your company hire Cieden?
We needed to make our initial design clean and powerful while also making it "pop" for end-users. We had a rough design that I had put together, but it wasn't very intuitive or clean.
What were your goals for this project?
Fully build out a design prototype for our SaaS app. We then re-engaged later on for more work around design of our more advanced functionality as well as our consumer facing website. All of the work was really well done.
How did you select Cieden?
Through an Upwork job posting
Describe the project in detail.
We are a SaaS app that helps customers manage and manipulate large data sets. Users need to interact with lists of hundreds of items, and map them to multiple data sources. They also need to do this in multiple currencies with various data elements included for decision support.
What was the team composition?
We had a lead (Halyna) and a designer (Val). On our end it was myself and another Co-Founder.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The initial design was meant to be just our MVP, but the overall navigation framework for our app was needed. Cieden worked with us to come up with a really nice interface, not just for normal navigation but for a table with a lot of complex functionality.
The design really pops, everyone finds it visually appealing and very clean. The feedback has been universal and we really love the way the final design came out.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
It was good. We'd do a design sync once a week where they would show us what they've been working on and we'd give comments. We also would sometimes explore the design between meetings and provide comments. Even with 8 hours of time difference between us between eastern Europe and US west coast.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
They took an incredible complex (and abstract) process and truly understood it. This allowed the team to actually think like a user and understand their objectives. It was almost like they became mini-experts on the job function of users, which really allowed them to design some interactions for, again, a VERY complicated subject.
Are there any areas for improvement?
The user testing sessions were a little awkward. It was painful to listen to recordings of a user trying to do a function with no guidance...i.e. can they figure it out on their own. Partly, that's just how user testing goes, but it felt like it could have been done a little less coldly.
the project
Web & Mobile App Development for E-Commerce Developer
"Workflow was very effective as Cieden was using tools that helped communicate what they were thinking and proposing."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Verve Commerce is an agency focused on web applications and ecommerce websites.
For what projects/services did your company hire Cieden?
Cieden helped us especially with phone app improvements for an exercise and food tracking application.
What were your goals for this project?
We were redesigning aspects of the app which had grown beyond its initial design and UX limitations. Before we did that, we had to bring the design project into one set of softwares, since it was scattered across several design platforms.
Assets were not being kept in the right formats making it very difficult to share the project in a meaningful way.
How did you select Cieden?
We selected Cieden after several conversations with them. They were knowledgeable, curious, capable, willing to think constructively about our needs and flexible enough to work within our constraints.
Describe the project in detail.
After the initial project kicked off and was successfully completed, we continued to use Cieden with additional updates to the design.
What was the team composition?
We had a very knowledgeable and communicative design lead who was our main point of contact throughout the project. She assigned the project within the team as she saw fit, but was the spokesperson for her team.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Application has more than quadrupled its audience since we started working with Cieden and when from an unprofitable venture to a profitable venture. The app has continued to grow on the valuable UX / design foundation that Cieden helped create.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Workflow was very effective as Cieden was using tools that helped communicate what they were thinking and proposing.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Clear, effective communication. Ability to quickly provide value. Nice to work with.
Are there any areas for improvement?
We were very satisfied with their work.
the project
UX/UI Design for Education Startup
"They were enthusiastic about the product and excited to give suggestions regarding features and subtleties of the app."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder of and software developer at a startup in the education industry.
What challenge were you trying to address with Cieden?
My biggest challenge was that I needed some UX/UI support for our app.
What was the scope of their involvement?
For the first phase, business analysis, Cieden did market research. They compiled information about competitors.
For the second phase, they did user research, including a survey. Lastly, for the final phase, they did the UX/UI design for the app.
What is the team composition?
Iryna (Co-Founder/Lead UX/UI Designer) was my main point of contact, and she served as the project manager. There was also a business analyst and another UX/UI designer working on the project.
How did you come to work with Cieden?
After searching Google to find design companies, I chose Cieden because their portfolio really caught my attention. The team was transparent, describing their steps and timeline on different projects they had done. They responded quickly and had affordable pricing.
How much have you invested with them?
We invested $12,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from December 2019–March 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The product isn’t live yet. While I wish a few things were different, the end product is very close to what I had envisioned. The way they made the design was easy for me to implement as a software developer. In addition to consulting me about everything the designers came up with, they were open to feedback.
How did Cieden perform from a project management standpoint?
The team did very well. The project manager was incredibly responsive to my emails and kept me updated on the progress. They shared a tool that allowed me to see everything they were working on, as well.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They were enthusiastic about the product and excited to give suggestions regarding features and subtleties of the app that I hadn’t considered.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There were a few times when they didn’t understand my requests. Perhaps I could’ve been clearer in my explanations.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I don’t think this is confined to just Cieden, but be prepared for the cost to exceed the initial estimate. This is to be expected when changes are made, or additional elements are asked for, especially when the rate is hourly.
the project
Create App for Startup Recruitment Platform
“I liked how detail-oriented they were and that they took the time to understand what we were looking for.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder and CEO of a startup that helps candidates find jobs and create profiles with references and verification. On the other hand, the recruiters can find qualified and verified candidates.
What challenge were you trying to address with Cieden?
They helped us design the application.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Primarily, their services were around UX and visual design. In addition to designing the platform, they helped with marketing. They did some market testing once we had an MVP.
What is the team composition?
I was meeting with one person at a time.
How did you come to work with Cieden?
I found them through word of mouth. The person who was initially involved with the project recommended them.
How much have you invested with them?
I spent about $50,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in 2018 and it’s an ongoing relationship.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The quality of work is definitely good. We don’t have very many problems. There were a few times when we thought they could have done a better job, especially when we get feedback from users. It’s definitely solid work, but there’s room for improvement. Some of our users have shown us other applications that are easier to use, and we realized we could have done things a little differently. So I went back to them to tell them what we wanted. They could have done a little more research before providing the design.
How did Cieden perform from a project management standpoint?
They’re pretty good on the project management side. They met timelines and are pretty informed. I was satisfied on that part. Their availability is good, and they were always accommodating when we needed them.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I liked how detail-oriented they were and that they took the time to understand what we were looking for. They tried to provide solutions for or specific needs. They also don’t mind taking feedback and making changes when needed. I like that they’re patient, take their time, and the quality of work is very good.
Are there any areas they could improve?
One comment I have is on their language. They misspelled some things, so if they improved that, they would improve the quality a lot. They could also be a little more creative as well. They could be open to more unique solutions.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Give them some constructive feedback. You also have to be clear about what your expectations are.
the project
Competitor Research for Banking Services Company
"I really liked the professionalism and speed that they showed."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
We are a financial services company, which provides next-gen banking services to retail and institutional clients. I work as a Product Manager there.
For what projects/services did your company hire Cieden?
We wanted to do an in-depth research of some of our competitors.
What were your goals for this project?
Get UX flows of the different competitive products.
How did you select this vendor?
We found them on Upwork, asked them a few pre-qualifying questions and then we did an over the phone interview in order to see whether their process matched what we looked for.
Describe the project in detail.
We wanted to do an in-depth research of some of our competitors. This included mapping their UX flows, as well as video recordings of the products' behaviors.
What was the team composition?
A project manager who kicked started the process and two people who worked on the UX reasearch and business research.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
They successfully mapped close to 10 UX flows of competitors, this allows us to use them as a reference when we think of new services. 2 new projects have already benefited from this intelligence.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
It was very easy to kick-start the process. The people from cieden were quite flexible in terms of the way we can structure out communication. I really enjoyed working with them. They delivered a high quality work at a great speed.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
I really liked the professionalism and speed that they showed.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Nothing I can think of right now.
The project is still ongoing and Cieden continually provides strong UI design services. The team conducts catch-up video calls every Friday. They are accommodating, communicative, easy to talk to, and their workflow is great.