Contrast Studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Emporia Research

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

B2B Market Research Technology Platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Contrast Studio to accomplish?

• Brand Refresh

SOLUTION

How did you find Contrast Studio?

Online Search

Why did you select Contrast Studio over others?

Good value for cost

How many teammates from Contrast Studio were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

We hired Contrast to redesign 3 decks for us. Before kicking off, we filled out a survey to better define our brand identity. Next, Contrast put together a moodboard to help us align on what our brand identitty could evolve into. Finally, we started working on the decks, which turned out great.

Collaboration and communication was done via email and Figma comments. Contrast did a great job for us so the back-and-forth was minimal. To make it more efficient, we also had edit access to the Figma file to make minor changes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our marketing collateral was all done in 2 weeks and we have a vision of how our brand identity could mature and evolve. The sales and pricing decks helped us make a great impression on our corporate clients.

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

We worked fully async over email and Figma. Contrast Studio worked quickly, shared updates every couple of days, and delivered faster than we expected.

What was your primary form of communication with Contrast Studio?

Virtual Meeting

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

Calin has a great eye for design. He also just quickly understood our brand identity and how to evolve it.

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

Nothing to mention. Contrast knocked it out of the park!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm a senior product manager of a data-for-rewards platform. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Contrast Studio?

We hired Contrast Studio to bridge the gap between our transition from one in-house designer to another. We required a temporary solution until we found a new full-time designer. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Contrast Studio helped us ensure our engineering team stayed up to speed and had what they needed to finish building our product's MVP. Contrast Studio created a Notion board with templates for all the required tasks. We had to fill out those templates to request work from Contrast Studio. 

What is the team composition?

We only worked with Călin (Founder & Designer). 

How did you come to work with Contrast Studio?

We found Contrast Studio through a community newsletter that we're part of.
How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $5,000 for that one month of work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged Contrast Studio from January–February 2024. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Contrast Studio helped us get our product's MVP to the finish line from a design perspective. We needed external support to ensure we finished our MVP functionalities, and the team designed last-minute things. Contrast Studio was very accommodating and helpful. 

How did Contrast Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Contrast Studio delivered work on a weekly basis and always on time. The team respected the project's cost. Contrast Studio's Notion templates made it easy to request exactly what we needed. I just filled out those templates, and then Călin knew exactly how to design the pages and what our vision for the screens was. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I want to highlight Călin's work; he was fantastic to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Contrast Studio had an incredible design eye, and all the UI screens designed were beautiful. The team was able to catch our design system and our brand in such a short amount of time, which was impressive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for Contrast Studio to improve. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

They’re a perfect match for early-stage startups that are looking for the skill set of an experienced designer at the cost of less than one designer.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Former CMO of SquareBook

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

SquareBook is a digital platform for companies to raise equity capital

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Contrast Studio to accomplish?

• Design a new UI for our SaaS product
• Provide a comprehensive UI kit
• Design a new marketing website
• Give better definition to brand look and feel

SOLUTION

How did you find Contrast Studio?

Previously worked with Calin from Contrast Studio. It was an easy decision.

Why did you select Contrast Studio over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• I knew how good Calin is

How many teammates from Contrast Studio were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

We worked with Contrast on the design of our web platform and landing page. Our aim was to refine the product by fixing low-effort-high-impact UX issues and improving the UI’s look and feel. The main deliverable was a UI design. After a kickoff call, this was the revised scope of work: 

• UX audit - List of recommendations for MVP 
• UI - the best-looking UI possible with the structure, task flows, and functionality we currently have
• Mock-ups for three screens, effectively comprising a base design system

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Contrast produced UI designs that we were very happy with, and all stakeholders at our end agreed they were excellent. We implemented them immediately. Contrast knocked it out of the park for us. Communication flowed seamlessly, and the designs were top-notch. We collaborated effectively throughout the entire design journey, with Calin consistently quick to address our feedback. It was the ideal working experience.

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

We started with a kick-off meeting. After that, we worked async with occasional meetings to discuss feedback and make changes. Contrast delivered everything on time and managed the project efficiently, always responding immediately to emails and messages and taking quick action whenever needed. The project took about two months.

What was your primary form of communication with Contrast Studio?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They didn't just deliver superb designs; they were well-organized and professional throughout the entire process. While I'd worked with other design studios in the past, Contrast impressed me with meticulous attention to detail and dedication. Their quickness to respond made a huge difference to the success of the project, and Calin is simply an outstanding UI designer with an unusually good ability to intuit user needs and to know what will and won't work. He also asks great questions.

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

Contrast nailed this project. From start to finish, everything went well. They delivered great work *and* they were a pleasure to work with. Honestly, there's nothing I can think of that should’ve been done differently.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of cogny

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Cogny is developing a workspace for knowledge workers (analysts, consultants, auditors, researchers)

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Contrast Studio to accomplish?

• Contrast primarily helped us with a major redesign of our app. This included feature planning, wireframing, prototyping, and writing documentation for developers
• Contrast provided designs for various branding and web design projects

SOLUTION

How did you find Contrast Studio?

Referral

Why did you select Contrast Studio over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Contrast Studio were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Contrast helped us with multiple projects, but the main one was the redesign of our app and continuous development based on user feedback. We started with knowledge transfer and alignement to make sure we’re all on the same page. We quickly explored different featureideas at the low-fidelity wireframe level that would address different needs we discovered from the previous version of the product. When we started working with Contrast, Calin worked well with our CTO and together they defined a design and development process that works well to this day. 
We work with Contrast on a rolling basis, defining goals and deliverables periodically. Designs for features are being delivered weekly with everything we need - prototypes, demos, and documentation. Calin also works well with the development team, providing quick responses when questions arise.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work Calin delivered helped us gain augment UX/UI for user in top league audit - consulting - companies. We highly recommend Contrast to start-ups that need a fractional senior designer.

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

Working with Contrast was a game-changer for us! Their asynchronous workflow was seamless. Using Slack and Loom for communication, Notion for documentation and project management, and Figma for design assets streamlined our process like never before. Our weekly check-ins were valuable—they were the hub for setting priorities, exchanging feedback, and planning our next moves. Calin was not just prompt in his responses but very clear in communication, offering us the peace of mind we needed.

What was your primary form of communication with Contrast Studio?

Virtual Meeting

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

Contrast Studio is the real deal when it comes to design work. Consistently delivering top-notch quality at lightning speed, he requires minimal management—a rare gem in the design world. Being able to count on someone to take charge and simply make things happen was a huge relief for us.

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

Sure, we hit a few bumps along the road—no process is flawless, right? But here’s what mattered: we tackled every issue head-on and found solutions together. What really counted for us was partnering with a team that’s both dependable and adaptable, someone who could seamlessly adjust to our needs and keep the momentum going. That’s exactly what Contrast delivered.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the former COO of Mochary Method

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Executive coaching for c-suites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Contrast Studio to accomplish?

• Create brand identity
• Create branding designs and assets
• Create website mockup

SOLUTION

How did you find Contrast Studio?

Prior worked together

Why did you select Contrast Studio over others?

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

How many teammates from Contrast Studio were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

The scope of work, for the most part, had to do with developing our new web app - companyOS. Contrast was our only design contributor on the team, so they handled everything:

• helping define feature scope
• interviewing users
• wireframing solutions
• testing usability
• designing high-fidelity visual assets
• writing development documentation
• collaborating with our dev team to get designs implemented as intended. 

Contrast helped us ship dozes of new features and improvements on our app. We had a long-term engagement with them, so it’s hard to define a list of exact deliverables. They did everything, from early wireframing to final design, time and time again.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Over the span of about 18 months, Calin from Contrast Studio helped us design much needed improvements on our v1 app, and then design a v2 app from scratch. We ran several development cycles and successfully launched features and improvements that where pivotal in getting closer to finding product-market fit.

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

Contrast works async for the most part. We used Slack and Loom for communication, Notion for documentation and project management, and Figma for design assets. We had weekly check-ins to discuss priorities, share feedback, and decide on next steps. Calin was always quick to respond, communicated clearly, and gave us peace of mind that we can rely on him.

What was your primary form of communication with Contrast Studio?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Calin is one of the few designers that can walk the walk. He delivers high quality, fast, day in and day out, with minimal management. It was great to be able to rely on someone to take ownership and just get things done.

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

We had regular feedback sessions over the time we worked together and we always worked out any issues that came up. Calin from Contrast did a great job for us!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the former CEO of Havr

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

HAVR develops cloud security solution.Everything started by a product called BrightLock (the first LiFi smart lock

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Contrast Studio to accomplish?

• Hardware Product design
• SOftware product design

SOLUTION

How did you find Contrast Studio?

Online Search

Why did you select Contrast Studio over others?

• High ratings
• Company values aligned
• Professional ethic

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

As the sole designer in the company, Calin played a crucial role in bridging the gap between the product and marketing departments. Calin's work was primarily product-focused, with a key responsibility in shaping and designing significant new features and enhancements for the various apps that constitute the BrightLock system, including iOS, Android, and web applications. 

Additionally, Calin was instrumental in a website redesign project for havr.io, aimed at improving conversions and creating a more engaging user experience. This website redevelopment was executed using Webflow, showcasing Calin's expertise in web development and responsive web design. Calin also contributed to branding efforts by refreshing the company logo, which helps maintain a consistent and cohesive brand identity across the various products and marketing materials. 

Overall, Calin's skill set includes a diverse range of design abilities, from interaction design and user-centered design to web interface design, branding, and user experience design. Calin's proficiency in various tools and technologies, such as Webflow, prototyping, and cross-team collaboration, further highlights their capability to deliver high-quality design solutions that contribute to the success of the company's products and marketing efforts. 

Calin's multi-faceted contributions have been vital in driving the success and growth of the company's cloud access control solutions, making them an invaluable asset to the organization.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress and success include: 

1. **53% Quarterly Growth Rate**: Calin's contribution in shaping and designing critical new features for the BrightLock system's apps (iOS, Android, and web) resulted in a significant 53% quarterly growth rate. This growth rate indicates a substantial increase in user adoption, engagement, or revenue, showcasing the positive impact of Calin's work on the company's success. 
2. **Increased Conversions on havr.io**: The website redesign project that Calin led for havr.io resulted in improved conversions. This means more visitors to the website were successfully converted into customers, subscribers, or users, leading to enhanced user acquisition and business growth. 
3. **Enhanced User Experience**: Calin's expertise in user-centered design and responsive web design contributed to a more engaging and user-friendly experience for customers using the BrightLock system's apps and the havr.io website. This improvement likely led to increased customer satisfaction and retention rates. 
4. **Streamlined Product Development**: By delivering critical features in a timely manner, Calin helped streamline the product development process. Faster delivery of new features can lead to quicker iterations, better product-market fit, and more responsiveness to customer needs. 
5. **Consistent Brand Identity**: The refreshed company logo and cohesive branding efforts by Calin contributed to a more consistent brand identity across different products and marketing materials. A strong brand identity can improve brand recognition and customer trust. 
6. **High-Quality Design Solutions**: Calin's proficiency in various design tools and technologies, such as Webflow and prototyping, enabled the delivery of high-quality design solutions. This likely resulted in improved user satisfaction and usability of the products. These measurable outcomes clearly demonstrate the progress and success of the project, highlighting Calin's valuable contributions to the company's growth and achievements.

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

• **Project Management Approach:** Calin's project management approach underscores a strong emphasis on a collaborative and adaptive work culture. Their written culture likely reflects clear communication and a focus on documenting project progress and requirements, ensuring effective team collaboration. This approach contributes to a shared understanding among stakeholders and promotes a streamlined workflow. 

  Moreover, Calin's flexibility at work is evident in their ability to quickly adapt to changing project needs and timelines. Their willingness to accommodate evolving priorities and respond promptly to emergent requirements demonstrates a valuable trait in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment. By blending a communicative written culture and a flexible approach, Calin is well-equipped to navigate project challenges, foster effective teamwork, and consistently deliver successful outcomes.

• **Delivery On Time:** Calin's ability to fast deliver critical features that led to a 53% quarterly growth rate suggests that they were likely effective in meeting project deadlines. Their focus on product-centric design and proficiency in various design tools, such as Webflow, may have contributed to streamlined workflows and timely deliveries. 
• **Responsiveness to Needs:** As the sole designer in the company, Calin may have been highly responsive to the needs of both the product and marketing teams. They likely demonstrated good communication skills and a willingness to understand the requirements and feedback from different stakeholders. Being responsive and adaptable to changing project needs is essential for successful project execution. 
• **Collaboration:** Calin's experience in cross-team collaboration likely played a significant role in their ability to respond to project needs effectively. Collaborating with different teams, such as product development, marketing, and other stakeholders, can help ensure that design solutions align with overall business objectives. 
• **Adaptability:** Given the diverse range of design abilities listed, such as interaction design, user-centered design, branding, and more, Calin appears to have been adaptable and capable of addressing various project requirements. 
• **Proactivity:** As Calin contributed to major feature improvements and website redesign, their proactivity in identifying opportunities for enhancement and taking initiative to propose design solutions might have been key to delivering successful outcomes.

What was your primary form of communication with Contrast Studio?

Virtual Meeting

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

What impressed me most about this company was the exceptional combination of their written culture, great execution, and the overall positive experience of working with them. Their written culture was outstanding, emphasizing clear communication and documentation, which facilitated seamless collaboration among team members. This practice led to a shared understanding of objectives and milestones, contributing to efficient project management and successful outcomes. 

The company's commitment to great execution was evident in their ability to deliver critical features promptly and achieve a remarkable 53% quarterly growth rate. Their focus on high-quality design solutions, led by Calin, showcased their dedication to excellence and customer satisfaction. 

Additionally, it was a delight to work with the team. Their approachability, receptiveness to ideas, and willingness to adapt to changing needs created a collaborative and positive work environment. Such a friendly atmosphere fosters creativity and mutual support, making the overall experience of working with the company truly enjoyable.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Product and Engineering Manager 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We build financial tools for early stage entrepreneurs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Contrast Studio to accomplish?

• UX design and development of the MVP onboarding flow
• UX design and development of the MVP primary financial tool views
• UX design and development of the MVP third party integrations pages

SOLUTION

How did you find Contrast Studio?

• Referral
• Worked on previous projects together with great results!

Why did you select Contrast Studio over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Contrast Studio were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Contrast was hired to help us design the MVP of one side of our 2-sided marketplace app. We’re developing an all-in-one solution for start-up founders to manage everything about their company - finances, tracking KPIs, getting funded, and more. Our goal was to get the MVP done by end of April. Contrast did a great job to help us reach our goal - fast iterations, constant communication, and efficient project management on their part. 

We are building a super-app for founders and investors. It will be an ecosystem where founders have all the tools they need to run their start-up (project management, financial modeling, education, etc.) and investors will have more information than ever before on the start-ups they invest in.

We started with a strategy phase to lay out the entire system on a mind map. We met a few times and worked async to collect the information we wanted to present in the app and organize it in a way that’s easy to understand. Next, we broke down the app into sections and worked to get one from low fidelity to ready for dev.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We set a crazy goal to get this done in a short period. Contrast was instrumental in getting this project across the finish line. The design looks great, is well thought out, and is consistent with the look and feel of our brand.

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

We mostly worked async but we talked multiple times on video calls, especially in the strategy phase when we were piecing together the project. Calin was great. He sent updates every 1-2 days and delivered the work on time.

What was your primary form of communication with Contrast Studio?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Contrast is a small shop that can produce world-class designs for a fraction of the price big agencies charge. We also loved how well they communicated. With “classic” agencies it takes too long to hear back from an account manager and things get lost in translation between the client and the people doing the work. 

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

Nothing I can think of. Contrast was great. I’d recommend them to any startup in need of a capable design partner!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of infomunca.ro

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

In brief, www.infomunca.ro could be defined as an online workforce recruitment system in Romania. www.infomunca.ro is a jobs website in which the employers or the recruitment companies have the possibility to post recruitment ads and the applicants, those who want to get hired, can apply online to the work offers, directly on the website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Contrast Studio to accomplish?

• Improve our brand identity
• Make our web app easier to use
• Designed a new modern UI that matches our new style

SOLUTION

How did you find Contrast Studio?

• Linked in

Why did you select Contrast Studio over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Contrast Studio were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

The scope of work included:

1. Definition of the brand identity, with deliverables such as: logos, mottos, e-mail signature, color palette, fonts & in general the visual language to use.
2. Redesign of the infomunca.ro web application user experience, with design artifacts such as: mock-ups, psd files, UI components, which would need to go into development (including design specifications)
3. User research & competitor analysis for specific features (such as the CV editor)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Contrast Studio did a great job for us. Good communication, great designs, and were highly adaptable. We provided them feedback multiple times on design and front-end development, to which they where always quick to respond. In terms of measurable outcomes, we noticed a significant improvement in our app's usability and overall design. Contrast's work helped to modernize our app and make it more user-friendly, which we observed has contributed to an increase in user engagement.

Metrics which uplifted: CSAT, Conversion, Registration funnel conversion

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

We worked async with occasional meetings to align and share feedback. The entire project took 2-3 months. We began by developing our new company's brand identity. We had a call with Calin from Contrast Studio, during which we discussed our target audience, what sets us apart, and how we want to be perceived by others.

In just a few weeks, we were all in agreement on how we wanted to present ourselves. Calin then presented us with logo and brand identity options. We were thrilled with one of the options and worked together to refine it, ultimately adopting it as our new company brand. Next, we shifted our focus to improving our app.

We held several meetings to brainstorm ideas and review wireframes until we had a clear vision. Calin did an amazing job of applying our new brand to the wireframes and giving our app a much-needed update. Finally, Contrast Studio provided front-end development for the new designs which we were able to implement seamlessly. The deliveries were on time, and Calin from Contrast Studio didn't shy away from iterating on the designs, based on our or the customer feedback.

What was your primary form of communication with Contrast Studio?

• Virtual Meeting

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

In addition to delivering awesome designs, we also appreciated how well-organized and professional Contrast was. We have worked with many service providers, but few have been as diligent about their tasks as they have been.

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

Can’t think of anything. We were satisfied with the service, and considered their service for upcoming projects as well. We would highly recommend them to anyone looking for outstanding branding, UI, and UX design services.