Communication Crafts

Please describe your company and your position there.

My name is Steve Lucin and I am a creativepreneur. I am also the founder and CEO of Stevelucin.com, Halcuinated Designs, Legacy Greek. I also have a non-profit called Support Creativity.

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

Our team has been working with Communication Crafts for a couple of months now, and the experience has been incredibly rewarding. We use their social media, graphic design, and video editing services for our own brand and for our clients.

How did you select Communications Crafts and what were the deciding factors?

We had a great conversation with Idris and then we met the team. They were all very helpful and willing, and most importantly they understood what our vision was. We reviewed some of their work and we were impressed with the quality.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

Communication crafts has done numerous videos for our client’s virtual galas. They have helped design a stage for a virtual graduation, along with videos announcing student’s college acceptances. They have also designed posts and videos for two different social media accounts.

They have edited recap videos of livestreams, events, and vlogs. Our team will assign the Communication crafts team with the instructions for the video and provide any asssets that are needed. Once we get a draft we will send over any edits, if necessary, and the team will work on those until we approve.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

Our team communicates and meets directly with the project managers. If there are any questions regarding the project the project manager will let us know. Our team uses Click-Up for project management and Communication Crafts has adapted to our system and they have been great at it!

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our clients have been very happy with the content that has been produced. They have helped us with a Virtual Senior celebration, recap videos from events, and social media content. Our social media account has never been more active. It’s not filled with awesome and informative content.

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

Our workflow is very efficient and effective. We communicate using Slack and have meetings over Zoom. We assign projects using Click-Up and the Communication Crafts team has adjusted to our workflow over Click-Up very well.

If there are any questions they will ask us to clarify. All assignments are done professionally and promptly.

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

Our team was immediately impressed with Communication Crafts from the first project. They are fast and have understood the task at hand. There were very few edits that were needed because the project was so nicely done.

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

So far, it’s been a great experience.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Client Success Manager for a global advertising agency.

For what projects/services did your company hire Communication Crafts?

Communication Crafts is our in-market production hub for ideation and production of our client's user acquisition campaigns in India. These campaigns require original ideas, high-volume production, in-market insights, and translation services.

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

We were looking for an in-market creative agency that could execute high-volume digital UAC campaigns at a a fast pace in multiple languages, while also bringing a high level of creativity to the table. It was critical that this agency have a team in place that could execute quickly while also bringing insights to the table and have a critical understanding of the project briefs. And also a team that could scale up quickly and effectively if needed. CC fit the bill for all of these requirements.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Stages of the include:

• Review of project brief with a strategic eye towards in-market needs
• Ideation and development of creative campaign storyboards from scratch, meeting the requirements in the brief
• Execution of digital campaign assets in master sizes for client review and approval, including effective application of app UI and features.
• Execution of digital campaign resizes and cutdowns for client review and approval
• Delivery of working files

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

Our day to day contacts a project manager and creative director who supervise a design team. We do not have direct contact with the design team as the PM and CD effectively manage the designers on our behalf.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have had an approximately 50% increase in demand for assets from the client in this market, and data analytics shows massive growth for the app in this market ever since we engaged with CC in Q1 of 2021.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow is very effective. We definitely had to smooth out some rough edges on process when we first started engaging with CC, but that was more due to the fact that we were all figuring out process as we go. We are now at end of Q3 and process is seamless.

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

They continually demonstrate a high level of creativity and eagerness to satisfy us. Their in-market insights are essential to our success in this region as well.

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

At this time, none that we can think of.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Vice President of Development for a production company. We primarily produce unscripted television series.

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

We wanted to create a video to explain our dating series concept in a succinct and entertaining way. Our goal was to visualize the concept without building out a full-scale set to pitch the project to potential investors.

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

They came highly recommended through a mutual connection. I have experience working with a variety of companies with expertise in animation and was looking for something different. After an initial meeting to discuss our vision and their service, we immediately knew they were the right team for the job.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

We started with an introductory meeting where we explained the concept of our project. They were very attentive and had a sharp understanding of our vision. They helped polish our script before providing multiple storyboard options indicating different tones/styles for the video. The 3-minute animated video they ultimately created brought our vision to life, making for an effective pitch process.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked with the film team including Vivek, Dhrumi, and Gunjan. They approached each step with a laser-like focus, making the need for notes minimal. Any notes we did present, they examined with great precision, making for a streamlined and high-quality result.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We showed off the new video to our company internally, which garnered great enthusiasm and support. As we've begun to share the project with prospective investors, they have found the video/concept to be both very easy to understand and exciting to discuss further. In our line of work, clarity is key, and this video accomplishes just that.

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

The team was very communicative through each step of the process. We never questioned when we would see the next deliverable. We communicated via video chat and email and the team was always readily available to walk through any notes.

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

They truly cared about our project. We felt that they were just as enthusiastic about the work as we were, which made the process feel very collaborative and inspirational.

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

It would have been nice to meet them in person simply because we enjoy spending time with them. They're smart, creative, and fun to be around. Despite being in different countries, communication was never an issue.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of an Animation & Video Production Company.

For what projects/services did your company hire Communication Crafts?

We needed an animation to clearly display what we do for ESG and how we can help other companies present their ESG policies. Animation was the clear route to go down as it allows for these core messages to be displayed effectively.

What were your goals for this project?

By utilising animation we hope that the core principles of the video are displayed clearly and in an engaging way.

How did you select Communication Crafts?

We discovered them through word of mouth. After reviewing their past work we felt confident in their ability to produce high quality animation.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

Once selected, Communication Crafts were with us at every step of the journey. The initial brief was outlined (Including all guidelines which needed to be followed) and these aspects were verified over a Zoom meeting. An in-depth storyboard was then provided which provided ample information which gave a clear image of how the animation would look before it was ever produced. Once the storyboard was signed off, the first draft was provided. After supplying feedback the team then implemented these changes into the second and final version. The final product encapsulated our image for the project perfectly.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

They were there every step of the way. Feedback was encouraged and acted upon fast.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Animation is a far more accessible medium, especially for a topic like ESG which would traditionally be presented through text. Because of this, the animation garners far more engagement with our audience.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team had strong communication and a clear scheduling process ensuring the project was kept on track whilst never keeping us in the dark.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed at how well they understood our brief. They have a wealth of knowledge of the industry. Thus, they know the standards to produce top-quality animation. This knowledge is then transferred over to the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, the whole process went as smoothly as possible.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m part of the R&D branch of an IT company. We have several offices, and our main one is in Singapore.

What challenge were you trying to address with Communication Crafts?

We were looking for someone who could provide development support for an application.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Communication Crafts developed part of our web app.

What is the team composition?

I was in touch with a project manager and a developer from Communication Crafts. I believe there was also an additional developer working in the background.

How did you come to work with Communication Crafts?

We’d worked with them on a similar project a year prior, but I don’t know how they were found initially since I wasn’t part of the company at that point. Communication Crafts was recommended to me by the previous project manager so I chose them. 

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was between €12,000–€15,000 (approximately $14,600–$18,200 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

This project with Communication Crafts ran between October–December 2020.

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

We used an internal system to record all the bugs found during development, and the completion of the fixes was 100% by the end of the project. The work delivered by Communication Crafts was perfectly in line with our expectations. 

How did Communication Crafts perform from a project management standpoint?

We had Skype calls with their team and used email to communicate. We also had a ticketing system in place.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We needed a certain amount of flexibility, and Communication Crafts provided it. We’d worked with other companies in the past, but they couldn’t provide the same flexibility as this team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were fully in line with our expectations.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients need to be very clear with the initial specifications and have periodic follow-ups on the project status. There also needs to be a ticketing system in place to track both improvements and bugs.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder & CEO of CBN Expert. We’re a startup company that provides software to measure, manage, and report carbon emissions in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

What challenge were you trying to address with Communication Crafts?

We had the first version of software developed to MVP by another company, and then I moved that version to Communication Crafts to build it out.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Communication Crafts has been working on taking the MVP into a commercialized first version of the dashboard. They’re building the admin panels and physical commercial workings in terms of how people access it.

We’re putting in additional functionality and correcting issues that we had in the first phase. The nature of the assignment is to make sure that we have a product that works well and is scalable.

What is the team composition?

We primarily work with two teammates, and 2–3 others come in as needed.

How did you come to work with Communication Crafts?

The partners who recommended the company that developed the MVP were the ones who found Communication Crafts and introduced me to them. I interviewed them and got some quotes, and we agreed that we would try out the relationship.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about £25,000 (approximately $34,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in July 2020. We finished the first version, and we’re in the phase of agreeing on deliverables for the second version.

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

We took on 16 new partners in the last quarter of 2020 who have hit the ground running selling the product to their customers. They’ve all signed up and have been through the dashboard, and they’re happy to sell it to their clients. I see that as a big positive. 

How did Communication Crafts perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a relatively small project. I had to educate Communication Crafts on what the commercial drivers of my business are, which I expected to do. I had to make sure that they understood that any clunkiness or anything that didn’t follow logic would damage the end user’s impression of the software.

What they did was very well aligned with the principle that the more successful they can help me be, the more money I will spend with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In terms of value for money, there’s a significant difference between Communication Crafts’ price and that of the company that did our MVP. Even though they’re four hours ahead of us, I still get responses outside work hours, and they’re willing to learn. When I need access to people higher up the chain, I can get it easily.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re software development hands, so it’s always tough to get them to understand the commercial side of the business. It’s not their job necessarily, but what they’re delivering is designed to be a commercial product. 

They’re not bad at it, but it would help if they remembered that the product will be sold. It’s not necessarily criticism because they’re not commercial people.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be proactive in building the relationship and invest time in them. Make sure that what you’re asking them to do has as little ambiguity as possible. Additionally, share user feedback with them and tell them what you want to do, but be open to their suggestions as well.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Jobsetter, an agriculture job placement company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Communication Crafts?

I needed them to develop my website. I had all the hosting on my domain, but I needed them to develop the site and fix some of the code.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They started with extant work, but they did a fair bit of code alteration. They didn't start from scratch, but they did a fair amount of work. The website is on WordPress. There's a login for both those posting jobs and those recruiting for jobs since it's both a resource hub for employers and those seeking work. There's also a map feature to filter jobs by map, which is difficult because some of these farms don't have addresses since they're really far out.

What is the team composition?

I worked with three people mainly.

How did you come to work with Communication Crafts?

I worked with them a few times with some other jobs. They did some really good work for me when I worked for another company.

How much have you invested with them?

I think it was about $2,500 AUD (approximately $1,800 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began work in July 2020, and the relationship is ongoing

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

The site functions well. They're quite speedy and knowledgeable. Whenever I was unsure about something they helped me navigate the decision-making process. They're willing to work on the project until it's done, and they've never told me to stop making requests. I like working with them more and more the more work with them.

How did Communication Crafts perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very communicative, if I ever had a question they answered it. We mainly communicated by email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their willingness to help stood out. They went above and beyond to help me understand what was needed. I'm not an expert on websites, so I'd frequently ask them if it's possible to do this or that. They would always come back with a really great answer. They're very easy to work with and flexible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I'm never quite sure what's in scope. I don't want to ask for things that I didn't pay for, so I'm always afraid that I ask for more than I paid for.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you really know what you want, they'll do a great job. If you're unsure, they'll take the time to understand but it's always easier to have a clear vision.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Business Development Manager of Blu5 Labs. We provide innovative solutions to support businesses in their daily challenge to prevent cyber attacks.

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

We hired developers from Communication Crafts to support us in the design of the User Interface for a Management application. Our goal was to reduce time-to-market.

How did you select Communication Crafts and what were the deciding factors?

We had already worked with Communication Crafts in the past and had a positive experience.

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

We prepared the project specifications, shared them with Communication Crafts team. Defined and agreed on the project plan (deliverables and schedule).

Uploaded the tasks on our Project Management System to track project progress and adherence to plan.

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

There was a project manager and two developers.

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

Cannot measure now since the product has not been launched yet. Just by showing it to customers, I can say that the feedback is positive in terms of user experience and usability.

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

The project was divided in Sprints of one week each. Every Tuesday the team would publish the new code. B5L would revise it, leave feedback on PMS.

Every Wednesday we would have a call to discuss tasks of next sprint should there be anything to clarify further.

In case of any issues arising while programming, we would jump in a call immediately to tackle the problem as soon as possible and avoid delays in the roadmap.

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

Surely the flexibility and great efforts to achieve what was required.

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

Timely communicate if the project may suffer delays from force Majeure events. Eventually adding developers if needed.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a real-estate development company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Communication Crafts?

We hired them to create a lifestyle video.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We tasked them with coming with a lifestyle video. We gave them a brief and a timeline of two weeks. They collected what we provided, purchased other lifestyle videos, and edited them for us.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people from their team, including a creative director.

How did you come to work with Communication Crafts?

I put out an RFP to a couple of companies and chose them.

How much have you invested with them?    

We’ve invested $6,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work took place in March 2020.

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

I was impressed. I would definitely recommend them.

How did Communication Crafts perform from a project management standpoint?

They were given two weeks but they came back in just a week. We communicated on WhatsApp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

 We were only allowed two changes, and they accommodated much more than that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we were pretty happy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re an organized company, so you need to know what you want to achieve with them beforehand.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a small engineering software company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Communication Crafts?

We were trying to build a web application and needed a development team to help us do that.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The application we built is cloud-enabled, so we are working with .NET technology. Their developer helped us to turn our business plan into a working application from the ground up and is continuing to support its operation.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with one .NET developer from their team.

How did you come to work with Communication Crafts?

I originally engaged with a consultant to find the best solution for my development needs. He suggested using an out-of-house team and connected me to them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in March 2018 and are continuing to work together.

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

The application was rolled out at the end of 2018 and has been successful so far. Communication Crafts has worked very well with our team over the course of the project so far. They are hardworking and provide really top-level work, but more than that they bring an excellent attitude to the job every day.

How did Communication Crafts perform from a project management standpoint?

I communicate directly with the developer, so project management has been relatively simple. They’re always very responsive and helpful when we’re dealing with any issues. It makes my job a lot less stressful in that regard.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provide really good work at an even better price point, which was really important to us. Having that reliability at a price you can afford is pretty rare.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their management could probably take a little more interest in the actual product outcomes rather than just the completion of the work. More regular catch-ups could help with that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have very detailed specifications, including the technology you want to use and what budget you have to do it, before you begin the engagement.