codelab303

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sr Dir of Technology of Upward Projects

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We own and operate restaruants in five states.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire codelab303 to accomplish?

• Modernize website tech stack for scale
• Improve ecommerce operations on website
• Improve UI/UX to align with brand culture

SOLUTION

How did you find codelab303?

previous collaboration

Why did you select codelab303 over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from codelab303 were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We partenered with Codelab303 to rebuild our two primary websites postinowinecafe.com and winecult.com to include a number of improvements:

• Rebuild using NextJS framework
• Implement Contentful for CMS to allow us to independently manage and make updates 
• Deploy with Vercel
• Integrate Stripe API for payments and membership management for the WineCult with Paytronix

We started with winecult.com to address issues we were having with payments, membership management and related CRM challenges.  We reduced the numbe rof payment errors at each billing cycle by more than 50% with the new tech stack.

We moved on to postinowinecafe.com to address issues with brand perception, mobile devcie access, content deployment and management.  The combination of the NextJS, React, Contenful and Vercel have given us a highly scalable product that works on all devices that our digital marketing team is able to update and manage.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• SEO improvements, 
• Google Lighthouse score improvements, 
• latency improvements 
• and payment processing error reductions. 

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

Codelab303 uses agile methodology and works in two week sprint cycles.  We met regularly with our Project Manager and various stakeholders throughout the engagement.  We also utilized Jira and Slack to view deliverables and communicate with the Codelab303 team. 

What was your primary form of communication with codelab303?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Postino is not your average restaurant, we don't fit in a category like steakhouse, Italian restaurant, or wine bar.  We are many things to many people, you can come for snacks, a date, happy hour or a meal.  The versatility of our use case for consumers is hard to translate into a digital product, layer that with a quarterly wine club that offers proprietery wine that you can't buy at a store and you have a complex message to convey to consumers.
Codelab303 took the time to visit our locations, talk with managers, staff, guests and listen to feedback throughout the development process. They delivered an amazing product that resonated with our team and guests; it'll serve us for years to come.

Are there any areas for improvement or something codelab303 could have done differently?

We had one challenge during our engagment and that was the transition of project managers.  The orginal Codelabe303 team member we were working with left for another opportunity.  Normally this could derail a project and lead to delays.  The Codelab303 founder, Anthony, leaned in to the project and made sure that his team didn't miss a beat during the transition.  I can't think of anything that needs improvement, they are a great company to work with. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Vice President of Corporate Communications & PR of a Banking Company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are built on meaningful personal relationships, not just transactions. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire codelab303 to accomplish?

• Manage our external facing website
• Ensure security and use of website
• Update website with new focuses

SOLUTION

How did you find codelab303?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select codelab303 over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fits our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from codelab303 were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Technical direction,
• experience design and software development of approved support, maintenance and feature
• enhancement requests to our public facing website. Work

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Updated design of old website to a modern, new one.
• Improved functionality
• Timely updates to promote new products and services
• Training internal team on how to make simple updates
• Created efficiences in web systems and routine updates 

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

Very timely and responsive! They let us know where there are at during each stage of requests we make and projects. If they have an issue or obstacle, they proactively address it with us. We are very satisfied with their work and collaboration with us. 

What was your primary form of communication with codelab303?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They are able to convey information to us in a clear manner that we understand (even if it's highly technical!). They create realistic timeframes for projects but can also do quick turnarounds (we appreciate this!). They are friendly and responsive. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something codelab303 could have done differently?

We can't say enough good things about them! 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I'm an executive at Custom Brands Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Custom Brands Group (CBG) a division of Hunter Douglas (HD), is an industry leader in manufacturing custom window covering products that homeowners and business across the country choose to beautify their space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire codelab303 to accomplish?

• Redesign altawindowfashions.com to make it more consumer facing
• Improve SEO performance of the website
• Improve accessibility compliance
• Replatform site to mitigate technical debt

SOLUTION

How did you find codelab303?

Previous experience with Codelba303 employee

Why did you select codelab303 over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from codelab303 were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

• Create a world-class, mobile-first, digital platform that will propel our dealers’ businesses and enable future growth 
• Leverage our online platform to support both brand messaging and conversion-driven marketing efforts. 
• Use 2023 to chart our roadmap and begin implementation of foundational components (SEO, GA, Voice of the Customer, etc). 
• Website functionality to include: 
  • Swatch visualization 
  • Find a local dealer 
  • Local dealer pages 
  • Request / Schedule Consultation w/ Local dealer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Website delivered on time and within budget.

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

Project management was great. We had weekly status meetings to review progress, timing and next steps. Members of the team always available via Slack and other channels.

What was your primary form of communication with codelab303?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Codelab303 spent a good deal of time learning about our industry/business prior to making any recommendations. They had a real interest in learning the business and partnering with us to achieve success.

Are there any areas for improvement or something codelab303 could have done differently?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the VP of marketing for Modern Restaurant Concepts, a platform company that currently owns and operates two better-for-you fast-casual restaurant brands - Modern Market Eatery and Lemonade.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire codelab303, and what were your goals?

Our in-restaurant order experience for Lemonade is not only very different from our online ordering experience it's also very challenging to replicate online.

We asked codelab303 to conduct both in-person and online research to help develop a plan to close the gap between first- and third-party sales while achieving continued growth in overall revenue.

SOLUTION

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

codelab303 has been our website development partner for several years. They understand the brand and the goals we're trying to achieve. Between their history with the brand and their breadth of website development expertise, we trusted they would deliver on the project.

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

SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED; DELIVERABLES/MILESTONES; SPECIFICATIONS; LOCATION OF THE SERVICES:

Remote and in-restaurant market research for Lemonade LA to:

• Better understand the landscape of the Lemonade LA market in relation to online ordering and identify how much can be done through a redesign to grow the online ordering business.
• Find opportunities to make the online experience more native to the in-store, cafeteria-esque experience.
• Evaluate what people are saying about Lemonade LA, how they describe their customer experience.

Sentiment Analysis:

• Perform a sentiment analysis utilizing Sprout Social, to understand how people are talking about Lemonade LA both positively and negatively across areas of their customer journey.
• Ordering
• Pick-up operations
• Delivery operations
• Customer service/staff
• Food quality/taste

Who they compare you to Deliverables:

• A detailed report of the data
• Key insights will be bubbled up into our final synthesis presentation

Market Research:

• The team will perform desk research to identify trends in the LA market vs. the greater US.
• Does this market use delivery more?
• Eat in or out more?
• Order pick up more?
• What delivery services are they partial to and why?
• What has changed in the last two years about a-e?
• Survey
• The survey will focus on exploring gaps we couldn’t close in the desk research, and getting some specific attitudinal data about delivery vs. pick up vs. home prep dinners.
• Set target demos with clear overlap in the MM/Lem core demo.
• Ideally with some affinity grouping or something similar if we can get some useful insights from GA.

Deliverables:

• Google survey
• A detailed report in Google Docs based on the desk research and the survey results
• Key insights will be bubbled up into our final synthesis presentation In-person

Experience Audit:

• Guerilla-style interviews 
• In-person Experience Audit
• Distillation of the recorded interactions, listening, and note-taking on what we hear or see people doing in response to the in-person experience
• Matrix of the guerilla survey results
• Key insights will be bubbled up into our final synthesis presentation

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

Nine people:

• Senior Architect & Tech Director
• Tech-Lead
• Senior Frontend Developer
• Pod Developer Supporting Frontend Developer
• Exec Producer / Technical Project Manager
• Creative Producer / Project Manager
• Quality Assurance Engineer
• Experience Strategist + Direction
• Experience Designer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We now have a better understanding of how guests utilize in-restaurant vs online ordering and the steps we need to take to redesign our website to give guests an experience that closer mimics in-restaurant ordering.

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

We had a weekly meeting with the key players on their team where they clearly communicated the scope, timelines and needs. We used email and Google Suite to communicate and provide deliverables.

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

They went above and beyond to meet the goals of this project - always fully prepared and knowledgeable. They were very thorough in working to understand the "why" behind guests' behavior and preferences, which lead to helpful insights for the right path forward.

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

No, they fully delivered on the project we gave them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior brand manager of a frozen cocktails brand with alcoholic beverages.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with codelab303?

We needed website development and design services. We had an existing website, and we wanted to redesign it for two different objectives. Firstly, we wanted to align its design with our new visual identity that we had established since I joined my role. Secondly, we wanted to integrate a new storefront so that consumers could buy products directly from our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

codelab303 has helped us achieve both of our objectives, redesigning our site and integrating e-commerce capabilities; they’ve been involved from start to finish. Initially, we went through a deep exploratory phase, in which they posed many questions to us to find out what we were looking for, which visual inspiration we wanted to use, and which features we were looking for. After the exploratory phase, their team built out the site’s UX and showed us how it would function.

Next, codelab303 designed the wireframes and mockups on Figma, after which they developed the site. Once the site was fully built, they double-checked everything to ensure that everything worked properly and make the corrections necessary. I also worked with them on uploading the content throughout this process.

Currently, we work on a retainer basis. codelab303 will continue to be our web development and maintenance agency moving forward.

The site is based on WordPress, and it uses a service called Barcart to power its e-commerce side. Technically, it also uses Shopify, but only as a third-party technology service provider.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with about half a dozen people throughout the project, including Laura (Executive Producer & Director of Production), Rebecca (Director of Creative Production), Jeremy (Director of Experience & Design), and Anthony (Founder & CEO). Laura has been our main point of contact during the entire engagement.

How did you come to work with codelab303?

Our creative agency had worked with codelab303 on previous website development projects, and they referred them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2021, and codelab303 completed the project in April 2022, but our engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although our new site has only been up and running for about a month, we’ve seen an increase in its traffic. Qualitatively speaking, we’ve gotten great feedback from our B2B partners. Additionally, we’re very impressed with the clean look of our site, its increased speed, and its greater functionality.

Our new site makes us look like a much bigger brand than we actually are, demonstrating the great work that codelab303 did to make us look as professional as possible.

Overall, I’m 100% satisfied with codelab303’s work. They went above and beyond in doing things outside of their scope to achieve everything I was looking for. They now feel like an extension of our team, and we’re looking forward to continuing working with them.

How did codelab303 perform from a project management standpoint?

codelab303 has performed perfectly. They did an incredible job throughout the process, and they were very meticulous in their approach upfront. The team paid great attention to detail and met with us on a frequent basis.

The only reason we didn’t launch by the end of March 2022 as originally planned was that we had content loading issues on our end. Otherwise, the development project would have been fully on target. Throughout this process, their team reminded us on a weekly basis about the deadlines. Regarding the budget, codelab303 came exactly on point; we didn’t spend a penny more.

Communication-wise, the team is very accessible in multiple ways, and they’re available day and night. We typically communicate via email. Additionally, I communicate via text messages with Laura for updates. She also calls me, and I can call her as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

codelab303’s strength is their ability to embody each product and brand they work with and act as an extension of their team — working with them doesn’t feel transactional. Additionally, they’re a very lean team themselves, so every teammate from their end works incredibly hard on the projects.

Furthermore, codelab303’s attention to detail is incredible. I’m a perfectionist myself, but they’ve caught things I wasn’t even aware of. Their quality work demonstrates their excellent ability to deliver what they promise.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’ve handled everything in the best way possible.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t hesitate to be open about what you want. codelab303 is always willing to make things work and create the best website possible for you. They’re never going to say no to you, and they will deliver exactly what you want.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

VP Marketing Strategy & Analytics Local credit union

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire codelab303, and what were your goals?

Our website was created years ago and we needed a new one, built from scratch. It needed a new back end and a new front end. We need to enhance the UX, the content, and have it represent our new brand.

SOLUTION

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

We reached out to a few vendors. We also had our creative agency recommend some potential vendors. Ultimately it was clear that Codelab had strong UX, back-end, and project management practices. They were able to review the problem at hand and put together a recommendation within our constraints.

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

The project began with a series of stakeholder interviews. They asked key questions and truly listened to learn the context of our individual business. They designed the navigation and put together wireframes for feedback. They used a tool called Figma which was a huge help for us to gain alignment internally and provide feedback for revisions. The process was smooth. They guided us.

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

Roughly 5.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched on time despite multiple unexpected hurdles along the way.

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

They worked with our creative partner to help keep us on track with timing and adapted to tools that worked for the three entities on the project collaborating.

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

They had a great combination of expertise from each discipline.

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

I wish we had worked with creative vendors that specialized in web. This was improvement for the project as a whole and not a reflection on Codelab.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I lead the marketing team at a CPG company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire codelab303, and what were your goals?

We were going through a re-brand and wanted a new website to help bring the new rebrand to life as well as highlight our products and purpose.

SOLUTION

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

They're experience in working with numerous clients and focus on UIX. They were very knowledgeable about what needed to be done as we migrated to a new site and new platforms. They also were accustomed to working quickly within tight budget constraints.

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

We kicked off and then they conducted a discovery session with key stakeholders in our company. At first we had a DTC business so they were building a site with that in mind. We then made a business decision to remove DTC, and they had to pivot. We then went through a couple design directions and they were extremely flexible and helpful making sure they addressed feedback even though our timelines were crunched.

They provided us a full new website and made recommendations to use on our tech stack to ensure everything ran smoothly. They also were instrumental in content upload and revisions.

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

We worked with a team of 3-4 at any given time that ranged from project management through development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was a wonderful process and we're so grateful to them! They were very kind and easy to work with, and delivered great dedication to the project and the multitude of steps involved. We're really happy with how it all turned out!

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

Very clear, open, concise, and specific. They kept us on track and on budget despite the pivots and shifts at the last minute. We loved how "on it" they were and their planning skills were awesome!

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

The combination of collaborative partnerships, experience, expertise, and time/budget management. We are so thrilled!

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

Nope - they were great!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I oversee the corporate marketing and communications for a Buy Now, Pay Later solution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire codelab303, and what were your goals?

Our company went through a rebrand and needed a new website that better positioned the company to expand and scale.

SOLUTION

How did you select codelab303 and what were the deciding factors?

Our design agency chose them.

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

The first website development company our agency chose did not have the capabilities to complete the job. Codelab303 stepped in and was able to develop the website in a matter of weeks on Wordpress.

How many people from the codelab303 team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Our project manager and front end developer were the main point of contact.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team was awesome to work with and was able to develop a beautiful site under a very tight timeline. They have gone above and beyond to get the project done on time and within budget.

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

We had weekly stand ups and used slack for real time communication. They were fast and responsive and stayed on the very aggressive timeline of just 2 weeks.

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

Some urgent changes needed to be made on a Saturday and our project manager and developer responded quickly and spent their entire Saturday making the changes and pushing the updates.

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

The QA process was rushed because of our tight timeline but they were quick to respond and fix issues as they arose.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of visual product and technology for USA Cycling. We are the governing body for the sport of cycling in the United States.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with codelab303?

Being a nonprofit, we’re always experiencing budget constraints so we have to augment a lot of our technology teams and outsource some of those products. codelab303 augmented a team for us to fill the talent gap and knowledge gap that we don’t have in-house.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Codelab303 built a web application where users can apply for a membership to our association. They also filled out the application process to enable members to acquire a license to bike in the United States. The web app is a Laravel and Angular based product that’s on a PHP platform.

codelab303 was heavily involved in the discovery process where we spent three weeks identifying solutions within our organization to get a broader picture.

What is the team composition?

I’m in contact with Anthony (Founder), Laura (Project Manager), a UX designer, and a web designer.

How did you come to work with codelab303?

The relationship started before I joined the company so I don’t have a perspective on how it happened.

How much have you invested with them?

I believe we’ve invested roughly around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The ongoing partnership started in September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback from our users has been generally positive. They let us know that the process has been much easier and more streamlined, and they have a better UX in terms of purchasing a membership and joining USA Cycling.

One thing that codelab303 is actually good at is doing the discovery process. They delivered us a scope of work that was really strong and the collaborative effort and thought process we needed was really impressive.

How did codelab303 perform from a project management standpoint?

Laura is fantastic and keeps the trains running. If deadlines are missed, it’s more our fault than theirs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

codelab303 is forward-thinking and they sit between the bleeding edge and cutting edge of technology in terms of how to deliver the best UX for the website.

The way they’re thinking about content and how to apply that UX, as well as UI, and make that more open, welcoming, and stickier to our users, is something unique. They’re out there a little bit, so it’s good to have that kind of expertise on any project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be more affordable, but they have the expertise that nobody else has so we pay for that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would say have your business goals aligned internally with your organization. The process slows down when your business goals are disparate.

One of our challenges was we had to align the goals and benchmarks of the different businesses within the organization and it took us a while, so it slowed the project down. Basically, get your ducks in order because you’re burning time and then paying for it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a membership-based organization that fosters Olympic cycling teams for the United States. We also do a lot of grassroots racing and facilitate cycling events throughout the nation.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with codelab303?

We worked together on several initiatives, most notably to redevelop our membership product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were aiming to broaden our reach to those who enjoy riding a bike but don’t necessarily wish to compete. Previously, we had a smaller audience composed of competitive cyclists. They worked with us to redesign our membership product to include a new audience. That involved altering the purchase path flow. 

Our teams started with a discovery phase, where they got to know our organization and goal. Then, they built up wireframes in the UX phase. Then, we provided feedback on how the adjusted website could work to accommodate new groups. From there, they helped us with the development and launch of the final site, using Laravel and Shopify. The site was built on a sub-domain of our existing site, still integrating with its look and feel.  

What is the team composition?

I worked with about six people, including the principal, project manager, and several developers.

How did you come to work with codelab303?

We originally did an RFP with them to redo our results and rankings website, but our team but that effort on pause. Because we were also looking for help on this project, we hired them. They are located in our time zone and had enough resources to scale to our needs.

Their team was also small enough to be able to prioritize our project. We had a very aggressive timeline, and they were willing to take on that challenge with their talented team. We’re a nonprofit organization without a huge budget, but they rolled with the punches for us. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them on this project from Septemeber 2019–March 2020.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were able to create a membership product website in six months, whereas it took our larger organization for about three years to accomplish. They kept us on track and drove the project toward a completed, functioning result. At this point, we’re seeing new membership metrics outpace returning memberships, which is something that we’ve never experienced before. Their work allowed us to reach our new audience.  

How did codelab303 perform from a project management standpoint?

They're great project and product managers, building out logical, realistic roadmaps that satisfy all parties involved with the development. We communicated through Asana and Jira. They were flexible in adapting to our preferences for project management tools. I believe they use Clubhouse internally for ticket tracking. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a tight-knit, talented team. All of their teammates are incredibly adept, intelligent individuals. That allows them to accomplish big things as a smaller team. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. They had developers in other time zones, which increased productivity. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust their suggestions. They like to hand discovery and planning upfront, and your team will benefit from trusting that process.