Creative Mules

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Operational Director of Open Kitchen Labs

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We offer flexible lab space for start-ups active in biotechnology and chemistry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Creative Mules to accomplish?

• Create a brand design for our new company
• Create a website

SOLUTION

How did you find Creative Mules?

Referral

Why did you select Creative Mules over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Creative Mules’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

We hired Creative Mules to develop our start-up's brand design and website. Creative Mules were given guidelines on our wishes regarding website content and ideas for a brand logo. They considered our wishes and the project started with presenting their recent case studies. Based on our input, they developed several draft versions of the brand design. We have chosen our preferences and they respected our wishes. Key deliverables:

• Brand design
• Brand logo
• Website design

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Draft versions of brand design and website outlook.
• Final version of brand design and website.

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

The team was incredibly collaborative, creative, and attentive to our wishes throughout the entire process. From the initial consultation to the final product, they were always willing to listen to our feedback and make any necessary changes. One thing that really stood out to me was their fast pace in responding. Whenever we had a question or concern, they were quick to get back to us with a helpful and thoughtful response. This made the entire process run smoothly and efficiently.

What was your primary form of communication with Creative Mules?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

Their creativity and ability to transfer our ideas into tangible results.

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

We were very happy with their working pace and creativity.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Entweder

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Entweder is a Twente-based venture studio. We start, scale, and sell companies innovating the office.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Creative Mules to accomplish?

• New brand identity for HOLD
• Design and develop a new Webflow website for HOLD
• Create first batch of brand assets for HOLD

SOLUTION

How did you find Creative Mules?

Referral

Why did you select Creative Mules over others?

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

What was the size of Creative Mules’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

Creative Mules helped us create a new brand identity for one of our companies called HOLD. In addition to the brand identity, they also helped us design and develop a new Webflow landing page and the first few brand assets for HOLD.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Quality
• Ease-of-use
• Brand perception

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

With a dedicated project producer tightly managing the project, working with the team was very easy and deadlines were met every single time. They even went beyond on a few items, which we really liked. Jumping on a short call never was a problem. Communication was also clear and strict.

What was your primary form of communication with Creative Mules?

In-Person Meeting

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

The Creative Mules team truly tries to dive into the subject matter, which is clearly visible in the end result.

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

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a food-ordering platform. Our organization has three teams: marketing, sales, and software development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creative Mules?

We needed help with our branding. Although we had good branding, we wanted to take it to the next level.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Creative Mules provided us with branding services. Initially, we had a conversation for them to understand what we were trying to accomplish and our essence. They interviewed us, and we filled in a tailor-made questionnaire. From there, Creative Mules created different versions of our logo, typography, and how we could use our assets. 

What is the team composition?

I talked to at least three teammates from Creative Mules.

How did you come to work with Creative Mules?

We participated in a competition to support innovative startups and won the branding award, which paid for Creative Mules’ service. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July 2022–January 2023. Currently, they still give us advice and help us if we need them to. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although we haven’t fully launched the branding yet, the brand has done quite well in testing and has helped us get a large amount of funding. 

This engagement was life-changing for us. We’re trying to build a brand and a movement; without the assets Creative Mules created, that wouldn’t be possible. Overall, this was a really good journey, and the final product stood out to me — Creative Mules did an excellent job. 

How did Creative Mules perform from a project management standpoint?

They had a flawless workflow and incorporated our ideas well. For example, one of the fonts they proposed was too expensive for us, and Creative Mules found another one very quickly. 

We communicated through frequent meetings. Since we became friends with their team, we formed a personal connection. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Creative Mules’ creativity and connection with clients distinguished them from other providers. They provided personalized treatment; the team understood and invested in our brand because they believed in us. As a result, they went the extra step. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their speed. However, as this was an award, I understand why they were busy with other projects. Moreover, the timeline worked out because we weren’t ready to launch the brand yet. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Explain your vision to Creative Mules and focus on that more than what you’re doing now. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Global Product Manager of Exicom Power Systems

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Exicom Power Systems develops industry-leading electric vehicle charging solutions for homes, workplaces, and public spaces.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Creative Mules to accomplish?

• Website development
• Achieve a clean, fresh look for global exposure.

SOLUTION

How did you find Creative Mules?

Online Search

Why did you select Creative Mules over others?

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

What was the size of Creative Mules’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

• Website strategy and design & testing
• CReate new UX/UI for the site with focus on our specific markets
• Develop new product marketing material
• Icon and visual content design

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Delivery of the site pages and project within reasonable timescales
• Error free site on 'go live' day.

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

The Creative Mules team were always responsive, willing and able to respond to queries, help requests and provide the outcomes required. They provided feedback and updates by various and appropriate means (e-mail, Loom, video conf, etc) and ultimately delivered what was required.

What was your primary form of communication with Creative Mules?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They had fresh ideas and were incredibly willing to accommodate our changing requests.

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

Copywriting of content was a challenge however for a new or technically specific product, it is difficult to make this a negative point.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the managing partner of River Venture Capital, a Venture Capital Company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creative Mules?

We needed a brand identity for our new company because we were attending a Roadshow in Israel and had nothing but our brand's name.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We called Creative Mules and told them we had four weeks to create a full brand identity. Although it was a very short timeline, they agreed to deliver it on time. 

To jumpstart the process, we only gave them our name, and they made the logo, a landing page, and a pitch deck for us, including the full layout. The content came from us, but they delivered everything with a more impactful look through their expertise. In addition, Creative Mules provided us with a LinkedIn page with the content to present ourselves to the market. They put everything into a concept using brand positioning and identity tools.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Corbinian (Co-Founder & Project Strategist), Gleb (Co-Founder), and Rafael (Graphic Designer).

How did you come to work with Creative Mules?

Someone from our management team that knew about their work referred them to us.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around €9,000 (approximately $9,600 USD) with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September–October 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The presentations we did with the pitch deck that Creative Mules made were very positively received, and people clearly understood what our objective was, who we were, and what we wanted to achieve. The pitch deck only has five slides, but these five slides could transmit the message we wanted to give. Overall, the impact of the presentation was great and easy to understand by our audience.

How did Creative Mules perform from a project management standpoint?

Creative Mules' communication was excellent. Moreover, they delivered exactly on time and didn't miss a deadline, including the timeframes we set for conferences or deliverables. Regarding tools, we used Zoom and Microsoft Teams — the meetings were very short, concise, and efficient.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team executed the project extremely professional and with very high efficiency. Creative Mules provided excellent value for money. It is a truly amazing team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

A friend is setting up a company, and I told him to call them if he needs something efficiently delivered without lengthy meetings.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founding producer of Flywheel Film, a media production company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creative Mules?

We needed someone to redesign our logo and website to portray us as a more creative agency.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Creative Mules is our primary web development and design partner. They create mock-ups through Figma and provide us with graphic design services for logo and web page iterations.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with a project manager, graphic designer, UX specialist, and web developer.

How did you come to work with Creative Mules?

We found Creative Mules on Clutch.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested somewhere between $10,000–$12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in January 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched the website yet so it’s hard to gauge the success, but they’re able to clearly communicate and provide a comprehensive breakdown of the process, timeline, and budget. The team is confident in executing their objectives and adhering to our requirements.

Moreover, they creatively resolve our issues thanks to their experience and design knowledge.

How did Creative Mules perform from a project management standpoint?

They perform well from a project management standpoint because they consistently stay on budget and make their timelines.

We typically communicate through email and virtual meetings and guide us using walkthrough videos to explain some aspects of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like the fact that they’re intelligent people who know exactly what they’re doing. They’re also competent, creative, and technologically proficient.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Maybe they could improve on the rigidity of their process, such as making smaller scale changes and implementing our feedback.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise you to have a clear vision and objective and communicate openly to make the partnership run smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the manager of a brand consulting firm. We advise clients on brand related topics to help them grow.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had a DIY website in place for the starting phase of our business. This year was the time to adapt the appearance of the website to our company growth and bring it up to level.

SOLUTION

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

We searched online for suitable firms and found a project we really liked on bechance. For us it was important to see that the company we choose would understand UI & UX design and we could align with their process of work.

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

We had a kick off meeting, wireframes, UI & UX, web development. We were updated at all times through figma and loom recordings, as well as meetings for crucial discussions.

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

• A project manager
• an account manager
• a UX designer
• UI designer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Its only a day after launch so we can't see any measurable results yet. But the initial feedback has been positive.

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

Straight forward, clearly structured, kept us informed at all times. (Email, Figma, Loom)

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

We got a site that is easy to manage for us moving forward and the whole team was very professional throughout the process.

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

Not really. We were happy with what we got and especially how we got it. The process was actually enjoyable.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Belassi is the manufacturer of the personal watercraft Burrasca - with its high quality, the Burrasca is a true marvel of modern marine engineering. This hypercraft was designed by people who love the sea.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Creative Mules?

We had the need to have a digital solution to share our Events and give the chance to our clients to get in touch with us and reserve their presence.

SOLUTION

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

The deciding factors were timing and clear understanding of the needs and also clear understanding of what the result should be. The whole communication was very efficient.

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

Likely for the project the process was pretty straight forward - in a few meetings we had the final page online.

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

We had communicated only with one contact person, behind were involved UI / UX Designers as well as graphic designer. We also get some extra suggestion on how to organize the next events and how to structure them under in a smart way.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Visitors were happy from the simplicity and good design of the page.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The overall workflow was maybe the most efficient and least complicated project we had.

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

Beside delivering an excellent product, they keep in focus the overall picture of the project and give advice and not only concentrate on the execution.

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

There is always room to improve - but in our case, we were totally happy with the result.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder and CMO of a startup called GoodTreats; we formed two years ago. We manufacture handmade vegan and vegetarian dog treats and exclusively distribute them. We produce them in our bakery in Munich, Germany.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creative Mules?

We approached Creative Mules with the goal of giving our company a face to match the name. We also wanted their advice on anchoring our core values and visual identity, with the critical goal being future growth.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ultimately, they help us with our marketing strategy as a whole. 

Before the project, we filled out type forms that described our needs and briefed them on our company and core values. They have developed our corporate design, including packaging, cross-media assets, and visuals. They also strategize with us on combining the core values with our visual identity. They help us define the wording and names of our products. we are developing the website ourselves, but they provide the visual assets we include on the site. 

Creative Mules uses Adobe Creative Cloud programs such as Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Lightroom to edit images.

What is the team composition?

We work with four people: a project manager, a creative director, and two other designers. Their skillsets include defining a visual brand, creating packaging, and designing graphics. 

How did you come to work with Creative Mules?

We found them through a personal recommendation. 

We had high expectations for what we needed out of a creative partner. It was essential for us to find a partner who didn’t just see us as another customer. Rather, we were looking for a partner to help us accelerate our unique brand through close collaboration. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around €15,000 (approximately $15,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in April 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To evaluate the brand and measure its success, we asked Creative Mules for guidance, and they gave us multiple options to start user testing various brand designs. We had a big user testing session with many people from our target group. The feedback we gathered from our target group showed that our branding completely matched our core values, which is critical because that was our initial goal. 

They have been valuable in helping us build the foundation of our brand, which is necessary for a company to have a successful start. Creative Mules has really proven their worth, and I know we’ve chosen the right partner for our brand.

How did Creative Mules perform from a project management standpoint?

They've performed well. To start, we’ve set three milestones together based on our available timeslots and scheduled specific meetings to go through designs and review progress. We have several ad-hoc meetings in between via WhatsApp, phone calls, and a video calling tool. They are there for us whenever we need support or have questions. They always respond very promptly, within minutes or hours. We use Figma for design feedback sessions and other things. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I am most impressed with their team spirit. They are always excited whenever they come into a meeting, whether they are presenting their work, giving feedback, or discussing ideas. It’s always refreshing to talk to them; they answer our questions and every meeting is pure success. 

We had lots of discussions with other agencies, but it was essential for us to have a strong creative partner in the early stages of our company. During the initial meetings with Creative Mules, we could feel their excitement and enthusiasm for the project. It was immediately apparent that we had finally found the creative partner we were looking for. They don’t just work among themselves; they also guide us.

Other agencies told us we could only have a project manager and a designer. We are impressed by the resources that Creative Mules has dedicated to our project; four people are working alongside us, which is quite amazing.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing they could improve on. My only suggestion would be for them to expand their headcount because they guided us really well. I hope they grow in the future to help more startups.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Whether you are a startup or an established company, Creative Mules will be a creative partner you can rely on in any situation. 

The beginning stages of the project are the most important, so make sure that Creative Mules is aware of what your company stands for and what the core values are. Tell them what message you want to present as a company, and they will do their magic with branding and design. 

Companies should also be aware that they need to collaborate closely with the team for them to do their best possible work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a co-founder of unetiq and order.link. Unetiq is an agency focused on bringing Data Science and AI solutions to clients throughout europe. We identify use cases and implement solutions from the first prototype to a final application.

Order.link is a product of Unetiq and allows companies to automatically process incoming order requests and create respective sales orders in their ERP system.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Creative Mules?

For the launch of our new product order.link, we were looking for an agency that can supply as with a complete package, from the brand identity to the final web page as well as assets such as a sales deck and white paper.

SOLUTION

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

Create mules convinced us early on through their reference clients that operate in a similar sector and region as us.They also convinced us by their commitment to our challenging deadline.

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

A critical aspect of the project was time. We only had around 2 weeks to move from the initial idea to a branding + landing page of the product.
Creative mules structured the process really nicely.They started off with an initial branding workshop where they proposed 3 potential styles that fit to the industry that we are operating in.Just two days after, we were already presented with a fully developed branding and logo.

After that, we had an initial discussion workshop for our salesdeck and whitepaper. In a separate meeting, we discussed a wireframe for our landing page. After that we continuously updated each other in an asynchronous fashion without additional meetings – which we really liked.

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

To my best knowledge they were working with around 4 people in their team.They had separate people working on the branding, UX, UI and weblow implementation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The branding, logo, whitepaper and landing page is publically available under https://www.order.link

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Overall the communication and workflow were great. A dedicated project manager handled the communication with us and was our central point of contact.

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

What we really liked was their transparency throughout the engagement.. We always had access to the WIP resources and had the change to provide our feedback in real-time.They had a great sense to what fits our company. There were almost no additional review iterations necessary because the presented work convinced us immediately.

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

It’s hard to come up with a point here. If I have to put one thing here I would say maybe slightly more testing before delivering the end product. However due to our very challenging schedule of just 2 weeks it makes sense that there was not plenty of time to do so. Also we communicated early on that we are expecting just an MVP level, the testing was sufficient.