Cyber-Duck

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is a mutually owned, membership organisation providing Network platforms allowing the exchange of Internet traffic between Networks. As Product Development Manager, I own the lifecycle of all of our member facing products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cyber-Duck?

Our main goal is to advance the functionality of our member portal. This project focused around a complete re-design of portal allowing members visibility of their services and order/change/cancel services.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

This was the second phase of the project. We already had selected Cyber-Duck for the first phase. Following the very successful delivery of that first phase, the selection of Cyber-Duck for this additional work was straight forward.

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

The project started with stakeholder interviews, both internal and external (members), followed by a number of sessions developing user stories for the different areas covered by the project. This then lead to the design of wireframes and finally UI designs. During the whole project Cyber-Duck worked intensively with the stakeholders at our organization, listened to and incorporated feedback as the wireframes and designs evolved.

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

We worked with the Project manager and UI/UX designers throughout.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The final outcome of the project consist of a detailed set of wireframes and UI designs that will be used by our internal software developers to implement the new functionality to the existing user portal.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication between Cyber-Duck and our team throughout the project was impeccable. In addition to the dedicated workshops and meetings, regular review meetings were held. In addition, the direct access to their tools throughout the project allowed us to keep involved and up to date at any time.

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

The products and services we offer are rather technical. The Cyber-Duck team manages to build up enough knowledge around the products through the interviews and workshops to propose well executed solutions to the UI/UX design.

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

The amount of work was probably under estimated, and although we managed to address it by limiting the scope in some areas, there are some lessons to be learned.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the digital communications manager for a aerospace company. My responsibilities include the management and development of all digital communications channels incl. website, social media and experience centre.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cyber-Duck, and what were your goals?

Cyber-Duck has been hired for several website services. They do the hosting and service for our company's website. Update the website when necessary and provide monthly analytical reports. Furthermore we are currently working with Cyber-Duck on the development of a new corporate website (new design and content).

SOLUTION

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

The vendor has already been selected before I joined the company.

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

For the new website project we've started with a kick-off workshop and from their have scheduled weekly status meetings. In between these weekly status meetings, Cyber-Duck is managing the project on it's own and reaching out to me for any feedback or certain questions. Besides the new website project, I have weekly catch-up meetings to discuss open topics and tasks. We use click-up to track tasks.

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

A senior project manager + a account manager are our main point of contacts. For the new website project, we had another project manager as main point of content. Furthermore I've been in touch with the website designers and developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As the new website project is still ongoing, I cannot make any comments about specific deliverable. But the design and content that has been delivered so far exceeded our expectations.

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

Agile project management method, with weekly status meetings. We communicate and collaborate via click-up, where the timeline and milestones of the projects are also captured.

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

Cyber-Duck has really taken a lot of workload off our shoulders, which helps us concentrate on other topics.

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

Sometimes the reaction to certain topics could be a bit faster. Nor relevant for the new website project, as reaction on emails and questions is very quick.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an editor of a sports organization. We help people to get physically active and involved in funding grassroots sports organizations in the sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

We aimed for two main elements; we needed to renew our old website, which no longer represented our organization. Secondly, we had the challenge of having several micro-sites, which we wanted to use to consolidate what we do online.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cyber-Duck redeveloped our sports website with a new look and feel, which they completed by doing user research and taking that insight to fit our purposes. The site enabled us to audit its content to constantly renew our platform, which also fed the other micro-sites that complement our online presence. They helped translate our brand guidelines into a new website, which was the primary goal of my head.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 8–10 people throughout the project, including a project manager, UI/UX experts, developers, and designers.

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

They pitched to us through government procurement, and we chose them because their submission was high quality and showed evidence of their experience in redeveloping websites.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from May 2019–February 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a solid uplift in high-quality funding applications for our business. We also experienced an increase in our site’s general traffic, which was massive due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If we didn’t have the site when the lockdown started, we wouldn’t have been able to provide the kind of support that we did because our old site wasn’t able to provide the information and resources we needed.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

There was always someone available from their organization to help us, guide us, and provide a piece of expert advice. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have strong expertise across the board, so we never needed to bring in another expert or agency from outside; they gave the research development and the front and backend to help with every website or digital project element.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d suggest that they keep track of the conversations between parties to ensure that nothing gets lost in translation. We sometimes had meetings where we agreed upon specific actions, and they weren’t locked anywhere, and no one picked them up. If they get tighter on that, they’ll be able to deliver what their clients would like precisely.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be open with what your challenges are, your objectives, and what you need support with. Also, have an available line of communication with them because they have the right people and expertise to help you with any challenge or question you put them through.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We support the UK government in delivering its various policy areas and commitments to the public.

More specifically, I work in the early talent department and focus on recruiting graduates into the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

We wanted an agency to create an application for the graduate recruitment program. This app would deliver an assessment to the applicants. In terms of objectives, we wanted to update our approach and increase the demographic diversity of those who applied and were successful with the program at the assessment stage. Our goals were to attract the very best candidates by utilizing and modernizing our recruiting approach.

In turn, we wanted to enhance the candidate experience by providing something that’s positive, interesting, visual, and engaging. To do this, we needed external support to deliver the digital platform. The application would include a number of exercises that candidates would undertake as part of the selection process.

We wanted it built for iOS, specifically for iPads. Through the app, candidates can go through the exercises and provide their responses according to the information, videos, and other media.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cyber-Duck designed and developed the application. We provided an overall view of what we wanted in terms of the delivery of the assessment exercises. Our team emphasized that we wanted the app to be efficient, engaging, exciting, and easy to use. They handled everything and utilized their expertise in terms of transforming concepts into practicality.

What is the team composition?

We had one main point of contact. They steered the work on a day-by-day and week-by-week basis. In the initial phases of the engagement, there were a lot of other parties involved, including software developers and QA testers.

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

We conducted a competitive process where we invited different organizations to submit their proposals, and then we reviewed them against our criteria. After making a shortlist of firms, we met with them face-to-face so they could provide a presentation and answer our questions. It was on that basis which we identified that Cyber-Duck offered the best service. Their product was most likely to succeed, and there was value for our money as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in March 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the end, we had about 4,000 candidates. 

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has gone well, and we mostly communicate through Zoom. Cyber-Duck answers our questions and addresses all our needs. They keep us updated with respect to progress as well as identify difficulties and quickly provide solutions when they arise. Their team delivers on the specific government requirements and make sure the solution is accessible to all candidates.

We held weekly meetings to update and look at objectives as well as ensure the project was staying on course. There was transparency in making sure goals were achieved. Cyber-Duck was supportive and involved throughout the process. Also, they were helpful in terms of obtaining what was feasible within the requirements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m really impressed with the way Cyber-Duck manages the project in an agile way. They’re flexible, fluid, and responsive to requirements as they arise. What’s more, they do all of this in a positive, friendly fashion. It’s been a great experience, and they conduct themselves well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were occasions when the user testing could have been done more comprehensively. It would’ve been especially beneficial if they addressed these onsite rather than in their own workspace. However, overall, they’ve run the project well and with effective delivery so we’re happy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear set of objectives and milestones. Also, consider different options that may arise. There are always many avenues of approach so review the best way forward when you have a number of different alternatives. It’s worth the cost and it helps to work closely with Cyber-Duck in order to get the best from them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Exclaimer. We take an email that someone sends through G-Suite or Office365 and add a signature to it.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

We have a UI component of the production, which is where the admin or marketing person has to set up the application, linking it to their Office365 or G-Suite portal and designing the signature for the email. The UI was very tired. It was the same one as when we launched it five years ago. It was feature-rich and did its job, but it looked dated. We needed an agency to tell us what was wrong, come up with some alternatives, and go through the stages of designing the artwork.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We weren’t sure whether it was the IT people buying our products, in which case you’re talking to a very technical person, or whether it was the people who push it down to the IT people. They helped us understand who our customers were, developing personas through interviews. We also set up a trial where we could track exactly where in the onboarding process we were losing customers. Then, they laid out how they would move forward. We didn’t have an understanding of the solution yet, but we knew what the problem was.

We had a strategic development committed inside our organization, and they would sign off at each stage of this project. They agreed with Cyber-Duck’s process.

Eventually, we reached the design sessions. They locked themselves in a room and presented a range of options to us. This helped us settle onto a general concept and framework, after which they developed what the screens might look like and what the artwork might look like. Their final output was a high number of detailed wireframes of what the application should look like together. We also got a set of branding guidelines including where the buttons should be and what the fonts should be. Additionally, they provided pointers on how to implement some of their non-mainstream ideas from a development perspective.

What is the team composition?

We work in weekly development sprints, and we tried to push them down that road as they did that implementation, so they appointed a project manager. We had a lot of interacting with them, but in the first couple of weeks, we discovered that rather than have them do two weeks of work and then deliver something, it needed to be much more collaborative. That was our mistake. Afterword, the project manager handled the logistics and we mostly spoke to the lead designer on the team. As we moved into the artwork, they brought in different people. All along, we felt like we were dealing with the people doing the work, not this sort of artificial wrapper.

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

I’d used several organizations in the past and knew the kind of agency I was looking for: a UX, usability agency. I had a couple of suppliers a list from a previous life and I was looking on Clutch and some other sites to develop a shortlist. My development head brought the list from six down to four, and then we invited those four in.

Our board met with the top two options, and most people favored Cyber-Duck, and they came across as professionals. When we signed with Cyber-Duck, they told us they had to understand how our product work. And they didn’t just sit through a half-hour demo. They talked to our existing customers to find out how they use our products, our prospective customers, and customers we lost.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $90,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together from June until November 2019. We’re just about to release the first iteration of their work into production.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the things our board insisted on was determining the metrics we’d judge success on. We haven’t pushed anything out into production, but we have 15 metrics to monitor once it goes live, and Cyber-Duck came up with most of them.

There was one screen in the onboarding where we lost 40% of our traffic. The process was slow until then, but there we asked them for all the admin details of their organization and didn’t tell them why. They took it upon themselves to get that number down to 10%. When we go into production, we know what we’re expecting to see.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

They gave us access to the tools, took us through them. Every time they made a change, we could see it. They also put up notes that said “work in progress” so we’d know not to comment on something yet.

Additionally, we were relatively close, only a two-and-a-half-hour train ride away so we could do a face-to-face when we needed. They were accommodating of meeting on short notice if there was a miscommunication on some screens or they didn’t have a handle on one particular area. I don’t think we could fault communication. They had our direct contact details.

The only real issue was the timing. We bought 100 hours, and there was a point where we didn’t think we were getting full visibility into how hours were being tracked. So, we had a discussion about how to improve things and they got on track.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism stands out. We looked at one other agency who seemed very creative and promised to give us exactly what we needed. It was very touchy-feely, and we were conscious of the fact that we are private-equity backed and have very corporate thinkers on the opposite end of the creative spectrum. We needed vendor that would be able to sit in front of our senior financial people and wouldn’t lose them off in left field when they went into the creative mode.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were minor things, but that would be nitpicking. If we found anything along the way we weren’t happy with, we had a discussion and fixed it. We had retrospectives at the end of every week where we fixed things.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to the way they’re used to working. Don’t try and shoehorn your way of working in there. In other words, you’re buying a service and a set of expertise and skills; listen to what they say.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work at a biopharma company focused on oncology-related products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

We hired Cyber-Duck to provide a number of digital marketing services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cyber-Duck manages our website and optimizes it to help with our digital presence. They collaborate with our agency of record, a creative advertising agency that develops our site’s content. 

Cyber-Duck also does behind-the-scene work related to our digital programs, tracking, and reporting. The team manages our Google Ads account, doing keyword planning and metadata tagging. They make recommendations to ensure we’re complying and optimizing our effort.

What is the team composition?

I work with a core group of 3–5 people, which varies depending on how active things are. I’m sure there are backend people that I don’t have visibility to.

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

I’ve personally been working with them since I joined my company about a year-and-a-half ago. However, Cyber-Duck had an existing relationship and book of business with the company. 

What is the status of this engagement?

My company has a relationship with Cyber-Duck that goes back several years, until at least 2016, if not before. The partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We do regular reporting of site traffic, sales leads and referrals, and other KPIs and benchmarks, and we’ve seen an increase in all of those indicators. This increase falls under a team effort of Cyber-Duck’s work and that of our advertising agency.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been fantastic in this regard. They’re wonderful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There are a couple of things. First, even though we’re on two different continents—they’re in England, and I’m in the U.S.—it never feels like it. Cyber-Duck is very hands-on, and their communication is solid and regular. Their updates are also very reliable. 

Second, we set out the terms of the project at the beginning, and I never feel like we’re being nickeled and dimed. They’re willing to get the work done that’s been scoped out, and they’re easy to work with. The team is flexible and customer-minded, and their prices are fair. They’re also very collaborative with our partner agency; I’ve worked with other agencies where one party is always trying to get the business of the other one, but Cyber-Duck seems very supportive of the arrangements that we have.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I can’t think of anything. I’m very satisfied.

Any advice for potential customers?

Lay out your strategic needs upfront. I’ve found that the Cyber-Duck team will work to scope out the project, and they usually provide some additional ideas or value add. Just be clear about your objectives, and Cyber-Duck will execute. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the digital marketing director at Essentra, a manufacturer of various metal hardware and plastic components. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

We were in the process of migrating 47 websites across six different platforms and replacing them with one platform, consisting of 30 transactional websites in the markets we operate in. We reached out to Cyber-Duck to develop the UX from scratch, so we could provide the designs to a different vendor to develop. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cyber-Duck designed the UX of our new platform from scratch, providing specifications for third party developers to build from. We also reengaged them to help with some usability testing with internal testers, as well as an external group of users used as a proxy for customers. They recruited engineers to act as prime examples of our target audience in the process. 

What is the team composition? 

I worked with a couple primary contacts, including David (Project Manager, Cyber-Duck), a lead designer, and the Chief Production Officer. 

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

We researched and shortlisted a number of different UX agencies, and ultimately brought two firms in to present a proposal to us. Based on their brief, we felt Cyber-Duck was the best company for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested £60,000–£70,000 (about $78,000–$91,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from February–December 2018. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've received a lot of positive feedback from users after launching our first site. Although we're still waiting on more data, it's performing very well and delivering as expected thus far. 

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed well; we had regular meetings with their team and used Teamwork to track milestones and progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They took a much more pragmatic approach to the project compared to other vendors we considered. They were able to turn around quality UX designs under our tight timelines, applying a level of flexibility in their approach that allowed us to add to the scope of work as needed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some of the communication and documentation of their work could've been improved as we made changes to project requirements.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about project goals, requirements, and timelines from the start. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of external affairs for a railway company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

Our company needed help developing a website that was compatible with the brand we’d already had an agency create.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cyber-Duck developed our website from scratch. We provided them with very high-level wireframes. During the initial build, they interpreted and changed the designs based on the intended functionality.

They’ve also provided ongoing services that range from hosting and AdWords to SEO and day-to-day web support.

What is the team composition? 

A project manager is our day-to-day point of contact. A couple of developers handled the coding and built the website. A UX resource worked with us in the beginning of the project, and they added a user acceptance testing (UAT) person towards the end. The team also included dedicated people for SEO and senior staff members to facilitate our discussions.

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

We put out a tender to our subscription list, and Cyber-Duck made the shortlist. They were the most successful of all the agencies we brought in for consideration.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $50,000-$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2018–March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone loves the website Cyber-Duck delivered. We haven’t had a single complaint. Recently, we recently launched a public consultation for our project. 

When the site was brand new, we weren’t yet ranked the highest on search engines like Google and Bing. After Cyber-Duck started using Google Ads, we were at the top of the search rankings.  As we’ve been tracking the website through Google Analytics, we’ve seen an increase in traffic.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

Cyber-Duck added a level of granularity to the work and tracked everything we needed to get done. They’re very rigid, sent detailed timelines that outlined what they were working on, and stayed on top of everything. Project management was very good overall. 

As a design agency, our collaboration had an interesting structure. On minor occasions, we had to chase them down, but generally speaking, they met all the timeframes we set.

Cyber-Duck provided timelines and scheduled daily and weekly calls. They were always free to take a call or have us visit their office. They met with us at our office, as well. Not all their staff is in London. It’d be ideal if they were all local so we could meet in person a bit more.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Cyber-Duck set up the project very professionally. They kept us on track and clearly identified issues in advance. Their work approach was very structured, which is exactly what we needed. I have complete confidence in their ability to manage multiple deadlines, timelines, and project elements.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our website development had compressed timelines, which required an increased pace and degree of flexibility. Cyber-Duck is very structured, which made it harder to flex whenever we needed. This isn’t necessarily a negative since they had everything under control. They were able to make changes on the fly right away.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear and upfront about what you want.
 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the product and marketing manager for Ximbio. We’re the commercial arm of Cancer Research UK, a UK-based charity, focused on reagents research.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

We decided to spin off from Cancer Research UK and create our own brand for the reagents part of the business. We needed a partner to build our website and consult on the brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cyber-Duck designed and developed our website. They also advised on branding and user journeys.

The site is similar to an e-commerce one. Our customers are able to register on the website and establish both company and personal profiles. Users can upload new products and data, link the products to our suppliers, and send inquiries.  

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

They were already working for Cancer Research UK on a small project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent upwards of £200,000 (approximately $258,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2014, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We release new features every year, and the user feedback we get has always been positive.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very helpful and flexible. We have a close-knit relationship with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They take a personal interest in their clients. They don’t wait for you to tell them what you need. They’re always happy to give advice or input, even if that's not part of the project they’re being paid for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our project is a lot smaller than other projects. It's not always clear how much time and resources are allocated to us. It could be helpful to have more information about how these things are calculated. Otherwise, they’re great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend time describing the business and the project. If they understand every mission and goal, it will help them offer better advice and better solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a digital marketing manager for an insurance tech company. We provide an IoT platform for insurance companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cyber-Duck?

Our main business challenge came from having multiple clients and products around the world, requiring us to consolidate content, improve UX, and develop a more appealing digital customer journey.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have a main global website, and we needed help improving not only the general customer experience but also the content and navigation. We also needed to make some technical changes to the site. Cyber-Duck provided both design and development, and they helped with our CMS. We use Acquia Cloud for hosting, and they ensured better flow with amendments to the backend code. They gave us their opinions on what could improve from a visualization perspective and worked with our head of branding and communications in order to jazz up the style.

They also did training sessions with our team members to enable us to make our own changes. Interestingly, those services weren’t part of the package, but one of Cyber-Duck’s members went above and beyond by working closely with me to get me trained well enough to train my team members.

What is the team composition?

We had a main technical contact, who spoke the same language as many of our colleagues. We had five main people working on the project including two technical designers. The project manager and the main tech contact were available 24/7, and their co-founder/client services officer joined them from time to time.

How did you come to work with Cyber-Duck?

Cyber-Duck came highly recommended by a partner of the company worked with them previously. Five companies pitched to us, and we made a choice based on budget, skillsets, and the team vibes. We were impressed by Cyber-Duck’s work samples. They were local to us, which was also a big help. We have teams globally, and Cyber-Duck was able to accommodate that better than other providers.

How much have you invested with them?

Cyber-Duck’s costs were reasonable and in line with expectations.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them for a couple of months, finalizing around December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the most important metrics was people’s responses to what the website looked like, and those were extremely positive. Having been the one who was most involved in the project, I was very satisfied with the site overall.

How did Cyber-Duck perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great in this area. Our company is complicated to work with having various teams in multiple time zones, some of whom don’t speak English well. In some instances, there was some miscommunication and misalignment between Cyber-Duck and our team, but, once that was acknowledged, we were able to get back on track, so it was never detrimental to the finalization of the project itself.

Cyber-Duck was flexible in accommodating different time zones. We required a lot of last minute changes and flexibility. Our company was in the middle of a lot of changes, requiring some extremely important news releases, and Cyber-Duck had to be flexible during this complicated time. This meant working extra hours and doing additional testing and development work. They responded well to such challenges.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The main developer stationed on our project went above and beyond what the contract said in order to assist us. This included making updates on weekends and jumping on additional calls in order to clarify the training sessions. We value working with people who make extra efforts like this.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The one instance where there was miscommunication regarded the graphic side of things, which is always personal. Everyone has an opinion regarding the brand identity and how it should look. It was perhaps the fault of both parties. We needed to establish clearly what the brand identity criteria were, so it’s not necessarily something that Cyber-Duck needs to improve. Were we to repeat this process, we’d need to provide clearer expectations at the beginning.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to be vocal. Cyber-Duck is proactive about organizing touch points and meetings, but companies need to be vocal as well in order to maximize the team’s performance. That’s key for any company wanting to work with them as they are willing and able to adjust and amp up their conversation, but we need to be proactive in organizing and pushing it forward.