Creole Studios

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a trustee of an international humanitarian charity. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creole Studios?

We wanted to revamp our online presence and redesign our internally built website. The site was outdated, and we wanted to modernize it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a useful discussion in terms of understanding what our site needed in the redesign. Creole Studios provided some examples of other sites in their portfolio, including another charitable organization’s design style, to give us a sense of what we might like to include. After that initial call, they prepared examples, which were very useful. They also explained their process would in terms of the timeframe and the work plan. Then, we started with the wireframes.

They worked on the design collaboratively with our team to understand exactly what we wanted. They were involved with the initial design and supportive in terms of providing advice on including impactful content. I think there were 3 or 4 individuals working on our project. They used Laravel during the project, but I don’t know about the other technologies.

One of the key features was an interactive map of all our project locations around the world. Each location has a link to a description of the specific work. The interactive map is customizable and updatable from our end as well. Creole Studios made sure that feature was optimized for both desktop and mobile. We also needed a better way to track donations. Creole Studios embedded certain tools in the backend to let us track page views, which we didn’t have before.

How did you come to work with Creole Studios?

I think we found them online, but I can’t remember exactly where. We looked at about 6 or 7 companies. We were impressed by their experience, thorough presentation, and pricing.

How much have you invested with Creole Studios?

We’ve invested less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them around April of 2016, and we have an ongoing relationship. They provide support for the website and ad hoc updates. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

Our page views have increased by about 15%–20% on average. Our donation income has also improved, although that may not be directly attributable to Creole Studios. We’ve gotten really positive feedback. The user experience is much cleaner, the site is much easier to navigate, and there’s a wider array of content related our organization.

How did Creole Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very effective. We stay in contact via email and Skype. They are adept and meet all of our timelines. We have a good working relationship.

What did you find most impressive about Creole Studios?

I really appreciated their expertise.

Are there any areas Creole Studios could improve?

I don’t have any feedback in that area. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a firm that develops mobile applications for health and wellness. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creole Studios?

We needed to develop a set of apps for health assessment and management, based on reading heart pulses using a phone camera. One application evaluates stress levels, another assesses the balance of the body’s regulatory system, and the third provides biofeedback to reduce stress levels. Since we don't have developers in-house, we used outsourced expertise. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted a team that could handle our development needs for a single project. We needed Android and iOS application development and backend server functionality in order to collect and send health data to the backend server for review by professionals.

I put together detailed specifications for the project—a description of functionality and mockup of the user interface—to make sure that we got exactly what we needed. They learned our documentation and were confident they could meet our goals.

At first, we did not plan to launch the apps through Google Play since they were designed for an enterprise and for internal needs. Initially, we started this project for research purposes based on a government grant with a university. The project was successfully completed, and the research is in progress. If the research outcome is positive, we may pursue commercialization and publication of the product.

I dealt with 2 individuals from Creole Studios—a project manager and an Android developer with whom we had to communicate extensively during the development phase. A third resource was involved, but we only had cursory contact. There may have been more developers involved behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Creole Studios?

We searched for potential developers on Elance and looked at between 15 and 20 companies. I communicated with other groups during the selection phase. Some firms tried to impress us with low prices, and others failed to demonstrate a good understanding of our objectives.

When I started communicating with Creole Studios, I realized they knew what we really needed. I was also impressed by their previous accomplishments and reasonable pricing.

How much have you invested with Creole Studios?

We spent about $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2014. The project was completed in April 2015. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

Generally, we were satisfied with the development team. They’re professional and responsive and demonstrated a good understanding of our needs. They also provided strong graphic skills in designing the user interface. They were proactive in suggesting better solutions if they felt our requests were outdated, which helped us create a better product.

How did Creole Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

A project manager needs to grasp all the details of communication quickly and put people to work to save time and ensure satisfactory quality. The person we dealt with excelled in these areas. He was professional and patient.

Most of our communication happened through chat and emails. Their English was professional. We talked over Skype a few times, and I had no trouble understanding them. English is my second language, so I understand the difficulties.

We did not experience any problems because of the time difference. Since they’re in India, we adjusted our expectations. We didn’t need them to be immediately available. However, sometimes they worked through the night to provide an urgent change, which impressed me.

What did you find most impressive about Creole Studios?

My basis of comparison to other groups is fairly limited, but we were satisfied with Creole Studios’ work.

Are there any areas Creole Studios could improve?

No, I don’t have anything to add. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of Hypnotic Health Media Ltd., a company that creates apps and digital recordings related to my hypnotherapy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creole Studios?

I needed help creating my first app quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I create recordings for people’s health benefit. We decided to do a fun game-style app for both iOS and Android. It’s a hypnotic spiral that users look at while listening to my voice for specific health reasons like stopping smoking or sleeping better. It’s not for people who want true hypnosis but for those who are exploring hypnosis in a fun way.

Creole Studios helped me scope the project and decide what platform to use, which server I needed, how to grow the audience for the app, what design would fit best, etc. We went through a few layouts and picked the best option. We also worked out how I could interact with social media and grow a database of followers through the app. It was important for me to be able to manage and update the app. When I decided to add more titles, I wanted to be able to do that myself. They’re also helping me change my logo and color scheme as well to make it more pleasing to the eye. Three resources from Creole Studios have been assigned to my project.

How did you come to work with Creole Studios?

I posted a job on Upwork, and Creole Studios sent a bid. I had a few people to choose from, but they seemed to understand what I needed. I also looked at some of the apps they’d created before and thought they seemed to have the most knowledge. They had quite a few people on their team.

How much have you invested with Creole Studios?

I’ve spent under $10,000 so far with Creole Studios.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in January of 2015, and the work is ongoing. We’re still working on the project, and I have other items I want them to tackle.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

I don’t have any metrics yet because the app isn’t live. I was expecting a problem with the time difference, but they always answer my questions promptly. We Skype regularly. When they’ve sent me things, we’ve been able to test them live on my phone and devices. They always delivered on time and within budget.

How did Creole Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

We do the project in stages and sign off every time something’s done. I pay them gradually through Upwork for each stage. When an objective is met, we progress to the next milestone.

What did you find most impressive about Creole Studios?

They seem very knowledgeable about different platforms. They’ve got different specialists in web design, SEO, app development, and design. The user friendliness of the app for both the customers and myself appeals to me.

Are there any areas Creole Studios could improve?

There’s nothing I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We operate franchised brands out of the U.S., specifically a sandwich concept. I am the managing director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creole Studios?

The idea was to make online ordering simpler. We wanted to have an integrated system which manages drivers and orders placed by the customers online, over the phone, or orders that are logged into the register. We wanted them seamlessly connected to ensure that we’re efficient and able to turn around our guests quickly at the restaurant.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project was divided into different phases. First, we rolled out online ordering, all the glitches have been solved, and the system is moving smoothly. Now we are working on the driver management system and online ordering app for the guests. Creole Studios did a lot of research into how simple online ordering could be in one or two clicks. Then they designed and developed the product. There is a team of six to seven people who are dedicated to my project.

How did you come to work with Creole Studios?

Creole Studios was recommended by a friend. India is my home country, and I travel there quite a bit. I met them, and we connected. They were aligned with my requirements. It was more like a gut feeling of knowing they would be the right partners. So far, they’ve been beyond my expectations. I did explore other companies, but Creole Studios seemed passionate about the project, and they wanted to expand it. When I gave them the idea about online ordering, they were willing to take it to the next level which was building the driver management system. They are proactive.

How much have you invested with Creole Studios?

The total project has a value of $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Creole Studios in January 2016, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The site is doing well. In Dubai, we’ve got a lot of third party online ordering platforms. We used to have 80% of our business from there. Since we’ve developed the system and made it simpler for the guests, 60% of the orders come from our platform. Monthly, we process about 4,000 orders through that platform. There has been feedback from users to make it simpler, but our complex menu doesn’t allow that.

The development team at Creole Studios can do mobile, apps, websites, etc. There is one product head who is knowledgeable about multiple product categories. It’s not just one product the manager can handle. That makes it more efficient. Since he’s aware of two products that can work together, it ensures that at any given point in time while the research is being conducted and the wireframes are being developed, he’s able to think on both sides.

How did Creole Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Initially, there was a lot of miscommunication. As time passed, it became simpler, and they would know exactly what we wanted even before we asked. The work has been delivered on time and on budget. There were times they have gone beyond the scope of the work. They don’t work during the weekends, but they supported the system when there were issues over the weekend. They gave us really good support. They respond within 24 hours to our requests even during the weekend. We communicate through phone and email. They travel to Dubai to understand the market so they can get the research and the product right.

What did you find most impressive about Creole Studios?

When Creole Studios’ team develops a product or works with someone like me, they don’t look at me as a client. They’re really passionate and want to get a deep understanding of the product and its use. When they do that, they’re able to produce a really good result. They go the extra mile to ensure they understand the project.

Are there any areas Creole Studios could improve?

There’s always room for improvement. The team at Creole Studios could haver better communication. When developing a product, communication is key.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are Rubik Cube Co Ltd, a startup company which engages in operating mobile apps located in Hong Kong. I am the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creole Studios?

The main challenge was the design of the app. The app must be user-friendly, without bugs, and sustainable.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app provides a platform for connecting people who need to buy particular items with those willing to sell and deliver the items. Creole Studios provided app design and development to us.

How did you come to work with Creole Studios?

A friend referred creole Studios. I saw their portfolio before making our decision. Their design is colorful and user-friendly. Besides, I have searched their Facebook page and found that they have participated in RISE conferences in Hong Kong. The comments from other users on Facebook are also good. All of the above gave me confidence on selecting Creole Studios.

How much have you invested with Creole Studios?

We have invested $20,000 with Creole Studios.

What is the status of this engagement?

 We have worked with Creole Studios for five months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

My app will launch in May 2017. I can share the results with you later.

What did you find most impressive about Creole Studios?

This is my first time participating in app development, but I feel Creole Studios is efficient, innovative, and easy to communicate with.

Are there any areas Creole Studios could improve?

There are some bugs in the app, but Creole Studios' team is willing to adjust it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an Executive of ASGTG Inc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We work with Amazon Sellers and help them navigate the rough terrain of compliance

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Creole Studios to accomplish?

• Web site
• Branding

SOLUTION

How did you find Creole Studios?

Online Search

Why did you select Creole Studios over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Creole Studios were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

I needed a new web site and branding. They have been my go-to team for many years always helping me in urgent situations. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The web site and rebranding is great and the AI bots work well

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

Yes they communicate in a timely manner and they always communicate in a professional way

What was your primary form of communication with Creole Studios?

Virtual Meeting

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

They always find ways to get the job done and are eager to please us.

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

They are great

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Lead, Integration Business of Suprema

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Suprema Inc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Creole Studios to accomplish?

Develop the middleware by API to communicate our device with 3rd party ACM platform.

SOLUTION

How did you find Creole Studios?

Introduction from our team

Why did you select Creole Studios over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Creole Studios were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Devlope the middleware platform by using API to communicate Surpema device with 3rd party access control management (ACM) platfrom. Additionally, there have been many diverse customer's requirements to use  the middleware so there was a the scope of work to develop the features that is specified for the specific customer. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have got good projects using the middleware that Creole team developed. Thanks to their technical support, we solved diverse issues raised by different partners. 

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

They deliver the items on time. Their feedback and response wer fast. 

What was your primary form of communication with Creole Studios?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Whenever we faced a new technical issue or work scope, their attitude was to solve it and improve the features.

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

If they could have more experiences in the security field, it would be more helpful and efficient for other work in security industry. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive of Ourish Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Assist UK SME businesses benefit through outsourcing and offshoring.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Creole Studios to accomplish?

• Bespoke software development
• Website development
• Migration to new infrastructure

SOLUTION

How did you find Creole Studios?

Referral

Why did you select Creole Studios over others?

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

How many teammates from Creole Studios were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The project scope included a complete overhaul for a business software for a recruitment and training business in UK.The legacy software was working on 10+ years old technology with limited room for development without exponential ongoing costs. 

The team at Creole (Anant, Bhargav and others) worked with us in defining the best approach forward to move away from .Net application, segregate the front and back end software functionalities into Wordpress website and backend using Node and React. The segregation using latest technologies allowed new features to be developed and have a future ready software with integrated CRM.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Wireframes, Development releases, Video recording of developed features.

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

Dedicated PM assigned and regular updates provided through the development. Very responsive to the needs.

What was your primary form of communication with Creole Studios?

Virtual Meeting

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

They were an impressively professional and responsive team. Great culture across the team and very accommodating to customer needs.

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

Nothing that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Medical Student of n/a

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

I am a medical student--no company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Creole Studios to accomplish?

• Translate a medical communications app from Python to JS
• Develop a UI that is compatible with both web and mobile devices
• Host the web app online

SOLUTION

How did you find Creole Studios?

Upwork

Why did you select Creole Studios over others?

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

How many teammates from Creole Studios were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Translatation of code from an existing Python-based project to Node.js so that it may be hosted online. The app is designed to provide clinical communications practice across various clinical scenarios. Upon finishing the clinical scenario, the app provides AI-generated feedback and AI-generated SOAP notes at the user's request.

Deliverables: 

• Front-end UI 
• Backend transcription
• text generation
• text-to-speech
• memory implementation for GPT
• Hosting app online

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Completion of the major deliverables/milestones. 
• Hosting of the app online.

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

Yes, they provided all deliverables on time. They were flexible with calls and were able to adapt to my requests throughout the project. Excellent work overall.

What was your primary form of communication with Creole Studios?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their ability to adapt to my requests and fulfill the original project requirements was impressive.

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

Their work was excellent.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of ModTod. We’re a peer-to-peer marketplace where parents can buy and sell clothing their children have outgrown. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creole Studios?

I wanted to create a mobile app for our marketplace, so I needed to find an app development team to help me.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they walked me through their proposal, which mapped out the app’s narrative and visual elements. I drew wireframes for each page of the app and described my desired functionality, and they created a capabilities sheet and project timeline. We had ongoing conversations regarding my goals for the design and functionality of the mobile app, which we used to develop various customer workflows. Then, they shared their plans to bring the app to life from a technical coding standpoint and built it from scratch. 

The app is available for iOS and Android and enables users to log in via email, Google, or Facebook. Customers can create a profile with a picture and a short bio. They can also upload photos from their phone or take them directly within the app and make minor edits. The app features a picture-driven product feed, allowing users to scroll through and see the available items for purchase. There’s also a search and filtering feature.

Customers can create a referral code to share the app on other platforms, such as WhatsApp and Facebook. They can also complete and track purchases directly within the app via Canada Post. Once a user makes a purchase, they receive tracking information and can confirm when they’ve received their products. 

Although the team has already delivered the app, they continue to support us from a maintenance standpoint. 

What is the team composition?

I work with the founder and a project manager, but a team of five people supported our development needs.

How did you come to work with Creole Studios?

I initially found Creole Studios on Upwork. I reviewed 103 proposals, and theirs stood out to me because they catered their response to match my project. The team demonstrated their capabilities and included case studies for previous projects, which made me confident in their ability to execute my needs. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $20,000 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2018, and they delivered the core project in July 2019. Now, they help us with maintenance. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Creole Studios has produced a well-designed mobile app, and we’ve received positive feedback regarding the aesthetics. We’ve experienced several bugs and crashes, but Creole Studios has assigned team members to fix them when they’re available. 

How did Creole Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve really enjoyed working with them from a project management standpoint. Our project manager has been the conduit between Creole Studios and me. We’ve had several calls where she’s translated my non-technical language into requirements for the developers using Trello. We communicate via email and meet virtually.  

The initial development took longer than expected, but my naivete with development projects played into that. The team has stayed on budget for the most part; the only exception is our ongoing maintenance contract. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Creole Studios is a communicative, flexible partner. Despite the time difference, they’ve responded to requests promptly and made themselves available when necessary. Furthermore, they’ve been able to create something that only existed in my mind. The team was honest about what was and wasn’t realistic from a development standpoint concerning my desired functionality for the app. They’ve done a great job translating my ideas on paper into something that exists in real life. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Trello has a significant learning curve, so they could improve by using a more familiar project management tool.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend factoring in the cost of maintenance because things inevitably break, so it’s worth continuing to update the app and fix bugs.