A Digital Agency For The Future
We create websites and apps that are fully customized, scalable, easy to manage, and have a creative twist.
Everything we build for you at Design in DC is made with the future in mind. We are a boutique agency with a global and local mindset. Our core mission is to business’ digital footprint across the web, using an array of mediums, techniques, and technologies.
We bring a fresh approach to human-centered design and content that best highlights our clients’ offerings.
We’re focused on you, which means we will feel like an extension of your team.
We’re creative and driven – the work we build for you becomes a part of our own portfolio, after all. Therefore, we painstakingly check and recheck every deliverable. Our talented team is our greatest value proposition. We place a great deal of importance in project management, in addition to design and development.
What Do We Deliver?
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Human-centered design and technical quality assurance at the heart of our process allowing us to deliver truly valuable work.
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A flexible, highly skilled and diverse team to work side-by-side with our clients on a daily basis.
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Close collaboration that develops empathy and a real understanding around a client’s business challenges.
Our Services
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Website Development
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Website Design
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UI / UX Design
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Web App Development
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WordPress Website Design & Development\
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Photography & Videography
How Do We Deliver?
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Your team is made up of people who are tailored to the project’s needs.
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By understanding your needs and reducing the risks associated with a project and challenging assumptions.
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You're treated as members of the team, making decisions with us on a daily basis through every step of the process.
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Through a culture of innovation through design, technology and process.
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Our design and development teams will make sure deadlines are met thanks to our project management expertise
Find out about our process and what it's like to work with us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RlUdfpVX9Y

headquarters
Focus
Portfolio
Reflexion, Altumint, Modality Solutions, Twin Bridges

Hutch
Hutch offers an intensive start-up program for businesses looking to gain traction in the government digital services space. We gave them an updated look and feel for their website, and reorganized the content and graphics to create a more seamless and tactile experience for their users.

David Drew Longevity
David Drew Longevity utilizes a computer-assisted, intelligent algorithm that decides how to best use high-tech surveillance to protect patients' health. We revamped their website to become more sleek, narrative, and UX focussed.

Modality Solutions
For Modality Solutions, a cold chain engineering partner, we completed a comprehensive website redesign. This comprehensive redesign included an entirely new style, site structure, and added functionality.
This included Hubspot integration, as well as a resources center to showcase the company’s whitepapers, blogs, case studies, and news.

Reflexion
Reflexion wanted to create a website that displayed their product, a cognitive sports training service, in a way that users could instantly understand and interact with. We achieved this by revamping their entire website.
All of the technical and creative abilities shine in this redesign, assets and all. We started by creating an animated explainer video for the home page, which uses engaging graphics to describe the science behind Reflexion’s unique product. The video was created with Reflexion’s branding in mind, so it integrates seamlessly with their newly designed website.

Omna Tigray
We are very proud of this site we developed for Omna Tigray, an organization that focuses on educated advocacy and economic development for Tigrayans. We designed the website to allow users to quickly understand Omna Tigray's mission, and direct them to key calls to action [more technical specifics here?]

The Russell Group
A lobbying group that focuses on several key policies, The Russell Group had recently undergone internal changes and was looking to update their existing website to better reflect their current mandate.
We overhauled both the structure and aesthetics of the former site, ensuring that the new website properly represented The Russell Group as who they are today. We also added several dynamic features to engage users and encourage them to explore the site further.

Twin Bridges
Twin Bridges Waste Recycling is a leading waste management company in the state of New York. Design in DC revamped their website to better highlight their recycling center and demystify the process of recycling to users through custom illustrations.
We also produced a news segment that was to be launched at the same time as the new site. Although it was a tight deadline with many moving parts, the double launch was successful and very well received by users.

Web Design for Berkeley Dental
Berkeley Dental came to Design in DC looking for a new website that worked on mobile and desktop. Design in DC delivered with a highly responsive, engaging website design that led to increased engagement.

Web Design for DC Camera
DC Camera wanted to highlight their services and products in a clean, streamlined website. Design in DC designed a site that followed contemporary design principles for a thoroughly modern, successful site.

Website for Amr El-Bayoumi
Amr El-Bayoumi needed a website as distinct as his acting and voice roles. Design in DC provided a clean, professional, and flattering site that acted as a perfect portfolio for his work.

Wingo's

Mazique

PRISM

IT Concepts, Inc.

Franchise Cannabis

Why Us?
Learn more about the unique Design In DC process through client testimonials and company leadership.
Reviews
the project
Web Design & Development for Lobbying Firm
“I’m happy to refer Design In DC — I’ve already recommended them to another organization.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the chief of staff at a lobbying firm. We do lobbying and consulting work for various companies, trade associations, and coalitions.
What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?
Our website hadn’t been updated for 5–6 years, and we wanted it to look more modern, a little fresh, and more tailored toward prospective clients.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We had a series of calls with Design In DC where we described what we were looking for and what we needed. Then, they designed the site, and we went through several rounds of edits and gave them our feedback. They completely overhauled our existing website, and the process took 9–10 months.
What is the team composition?
We worked with about three people from Design In DC, including a project manager, the CEO, and someone in charge of development. A few other people popped in and out of the project.
How did you come to work with Design In DC?
I did some research and reached out to several web firms in our area. We’re a small team and have no capacity for website development or management, so we needed a partner that could do everything for us — that’s why we selected Design In DC.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent just under $15,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project lasted from July 2021–March 2022.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We really appreciated Design In DC’s hard work and how they took the project and ran with it. We didn’t have to be too involved in the day-to-day development of the website, which was what we were looking for.
How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?
They were pretty good at project management. We used email and Zoom to communicate. Sometimes communication was slow, and I had to remind them of certain things. However, their performance was satisfactory on the whole.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Design In DC was the sleekest and most modernized firm we spoke with.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They could have been better on the communication front. Also, the team could have gotten a better feel for our desires and needs when it came to content or media on the website. There was a little bit of a disconnect at times because we’re in vastly different industries, and they could have worked a little bit harder to connect the dots. Other than that, everything was fine.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I’m happy to refer Design In DC — I’ve already recommended them to another organization.
the project
Web Design & Development for Management Consulting Firm
“Design In DC’s willingness to be collaborative was their biggest differentiator.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I operate as the CMO for a management consulting firm headquartered in Laurel, Maryland. The majority of our work is in the government contracting space, working with local, state, and federal governments.
What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?
We were going through some growth, and we needed to update and refresh our online presence, so we hired Design In DC to help us redesign and build a better website for us.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Design In DC helped us revamp our website. Their main task was ensuring that the users could easily find what they were looking for. The process included content design and layout, page layout, and development.
What is the team composition?
We worked with three people from Design In DC, including a project manager and a web developer.
How did you come to work with Design In DC?
I had know Design In DC for a couple of years, but we still did our due diligence and looked at other companies before choosing them. We wanted to compare them to other local web designers familiar with government contracting sites. Ultimately, we chose Design In DC due to their quick turnaround times and their pricing, which was more in line with our budget.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent around $20,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together around October 2021, and they finished the site in March 2022.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Design In DC developed a site with an improved user journey and UX, and they made it more SEO-friendly to help us appear higher on search engine rankings. Given that the site was just recently launched, we don’t have any metrics to provide.
How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?
Design In DC’s project management was good. The project manager was very communicative and responsive. Regarding the deadlines, we missed the first one. Our objective was to launch by January 1st, but we came across the holidays and other challenges. However, we were able to get back on track, and Design In DC delivered the site in a timely manner.
Still, the experience of working with Design In DC was great. They used a lot of innovative tools to communicate with us and ensure that we kept involved and engaged in every step of the process. Additionally, they were very willing to go back and make the changes we requested without any hesitation or questions. Overall, it was a very cordial and easygoing relationship.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Design In DC’s willingness to be collaborative was their biggest differentiator. They were very willing to listen to us and accommodate our demands. They were excellent team players and facilitated a very collaborative process.
Are there any areas they could improve?
The number of technology pieces that Design In DC used was high, making it difficult for us to follow the process. Regular customers have to focus on their job while following the process and getting up to speed on the different platforms they use. If they could streamline their process a little more, the project would be easier for their clients.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Tell them what you’re looking for, bring some ideas from similar sites you like, and discuss which features you would like to see on your site. Design In DC is very open, collaborative, and patient.
the project
Web Redesign for Solar Power Provider
"Everything gets taken care of very readily and very patiently, even when we change our minds on certain decisions."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the SVP of administration for Summit Ridge Energy, a solar power provider. We are in the community solar space and we create projects that we then sell to residents — such as apartment renters — who cannot have solar power in their homes.
What challenge were you trying to address with Design in DC?
We don’t have a retail business; we sell to other financiers, developers, and utilities who then use different means to get our products to actual residents. Because of this, our biggest challenge was to establish credibility and represent ourselves properly online. We had an existing website, but it was a bit archaic and didn’t tell our story very well, so we hired Design in DC to redesign the whole thing.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Design in DC managed the process from start to finish. We familiarized them with what we do, who we are, and the different messages that we were trying to communicate. They then put together a skeleton or a framework for how we could best lay out our content. They also offered to set up a splash page while they were bringing down and revamping the old, more ramshackle website.
What is the team composition?
The two owners were engaged throughout the whole process. There were also various developers and coders behind the scenes as well as a project manager who helped us craft our story to be more legible and attractive. In total, we interacted with 7–8 folks from their team.
How did you come to work with Design in DC?
I found them when I was looking up ideas for best practices at Clutch. They were one of the several companies that popped up in that search.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together in November 2021. We have launched the site, but I expect that there will have a continued relationship with the team for our site maintenance needs.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
People from within our company, who were loath to pass along our website to potential clients, are quite pleased with the redesign’s outcome. They think it’s very attractive and clear. Potential partners have also given positive feedback about our website.
A marketing agency that offered to do our branding has even expressed that they don’t see renewable energy companies having web pages that good. It was all really pleasing to hear.
How did Design in DC perform from a project management standpoint?
They always adhere to timelines, even when we’ve had to move stuff back due to certain changes from our side. Other providers were a bit inflexible when it came to these situations, but Design in DC rounded together the necessary resources in order to meet every deadline.
What did you find most impressive about them?
What really stands out to me is the engagement of their leadership. We appreciate that we’re not just designated to the technicians and designers but are kept in touch with the people who could actually solve the problem. Everything gets taken care of very readily and very patiently, even when we change our minds on certain decisions that have already been set prior.
I also like that we’re able to have a relationship with them where we can discuss issues very candidly. I can talk about the concerns that we have on our side and they can talk to me about theirs — all while still maintaining businesslike communications.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t mean to cast aspersions, but a lot of the copy-editing responsibilities fell towards us, which was a bit of a surprise. We checked the spelling, punctuation, and tenses of their writing and did more corrections than I expected. It hasn’t been a problem, though, and they could’ve been intentionally leaving misspellings to make sure that we were thoroughly checking the website.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Don’t hold back and don’t keep secrets. Be candid with Design in DC and tell them all about what you want to accomplish. A lot of other providers will try to fit you into a box, but their team will change their box to fit your needs.
the project
Web Dev, Design & Branding for Engineering Firm
“I’m impressed with Design In DC’s willingness to go above and beyond to give us results that would make us happy.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the president of Moment Engineering + Design, an architectural and structural engineering firm specializing in custom residential home design.
What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?
We needed a company that could help us with our rebranding efforts. Our goal was to project our image in a more modern way than before.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Design In DC designed and developed a new website from scratch and created a new logo for us. I initially gave them some sample websites just to give them an idea of what we were looking for, but they more or less took the ball and ran with it. We were able to give feedback along the way to hone in on the site’s final design.
What is the team composition?
I’ve worked with four people from Design In DC.
How did you come to work with Design In DC?
I found Design In DC through a Google search. We ultimately went with them because I really liked their website and some of the other website designs they’ve done.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent around $25,000 in total so far.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in October 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The website’s only been operating for a short time, but it’s working well. We’ve been getting a lot of organic searches as well as more leads coming through the site, so I’d say that it’s been a positive experience overall.
How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?
Design In DC has performed really well in terms of project management — everything has been delivered as per the dates outlined in the beginning, and they’ve been in constant communication with us throughout the whole process.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I’m impressed with Design In DC’s willingness to go above and beyond to give us results that would make us happy. There have been a couple of misfires along the way, but they’re always willing to give everything another shot and come up with something that fits exactly what we were looking for.
Are there any areas they could improve?
The only thing I could mention is that Design In DC uses Slack quite a bit. I’m not really a big fan of Slack, so I found that a little bit annoying. Other than that, I think the back and forth process between our teams has gone pretty smoothly.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
The more information you can provide them, the better. If they don’t hit the target in their first attempt, they will stick with it and make sure to give you what you want.
the project
Interactive Website Dev for IT & Hybrid Cloud Solutions Firm
“They’re superb once they’re fully engaged with the project.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m one of the founders and the COO of VSO, an IT and hybrid cloud management company. Our IT services are focused on automation, standardization, and operation of hybrid cloud environments; we aim to do things faster and in a more standardized way. We also provide managed IT services. Meanwhile, our hybrid cloud services focus on providing legacy, virtualized, and cloud solutions.
In terms of our differentiators, we are designed towards a goal of 75% of our delivery team being composed of US military veterans. To be clear, we’re not there yet, but it’s our aspiration. We recruit and train military veterans for careers in IT. This way, we can help them transition out of the military and acquire new careers. This also gives us cost competitiveness in the labor market.
What challenge were you trying to address with Design in DC?
Our leadership team knew the markets we were focused on, and the solutions we had developed to meet those market needs. However, we knew we weren’t experts in how to portray that vision through our website. We hired a great team at Sawgrass Marketing to find us a web development team that had done innovative things in the past and that could think outside the box. We were introduced to a lot of firms, but we thought Design in DC demonstrated the most imaginative skills, so we hired them.
What was the scope of their involvement?
In our engagement, I was able to give Design in DC the concept and general look of what I want and they would then show me multiple ways that that idea could be illustrated. For instance, I’ll tell them that I want a picture to look a certain way, but it should also be modern. The biggest advantage they brought to the table was bringing to life our desire that the website be as interactive as possible. Design in DC met that night with animation, code, and expansive experience in UI design.
What is the team composition?
We work with two people from Design in DC, namely a UX lead and a senior project manager. We’ve also collaborated with one of their founders. Occasionally, we talked to some of their developers.
How did you come to work with Design in DC?
Initially, we hired a marketing company that was owned by a spouse of a veteran. That company helped us pick Design in DC based on their website, which wasn’t like the other websites we’d seen. Other vendors’ sites simply showed what they had done for others through their portfolios.
Design in DC had an interesting perspective as shown on their website, and we wanted VSO to have a site like that. We wanted our site to show that we’d done interesting things around IT. Beyond that, we also needed a team that was expert in design and development. That way, we wouldn’t have to do a lot of thinking. That was the reason we decided to hire them.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in April 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Some of our IT services are complex and difficult to understand. However, the website that Design in DC has designed has allowed us not to worry about this complexity. We can simply send people to our website, and they understand our services right away. As a result, it’s helped us cut down training time for new employees. The site has also accelerated our sales cycle.
For example, when we’re meeting a new company or client that’s never heard of us before, they say that the website has helped them understand our business. For comparison, our past website didn’t help much; customers would still be trying to figure out what we did as a business even after looking at that website. At present, we don’t have this problem anymore.
How did Design in DC perform from a project management standpoint?
Design in DC’s project management is great. They’re superb once they’re fully engaged with the project.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re willing to work to meet my needs. Even though they hear a bizarre idea from us, they still go for it.
For context, we’ve fired a predecessor company to them because that firm had a cookie-cutter approach to website design.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They could’ve done a bit better in the beginning in terms of communicating what their entire process was. For instance, they told us they needed some things, but they weren’t entirely clear about the timeline. As a result, we had a couple of slowdowns in different parts of the process. I didn’t realize I had to engage them in a different stage before I gained access to their lead developer.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Spend a significant amount of time at the beginning of the project to plan with Design in DC. Tell them what you want to see. They’re not consultants, but they’re excellent developers, so you should know what you truly want them to do.
the project
Web Design & Development for AI Traffic & Security Company
"We’ve been very satisfied with what we’ve seen."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder and president of an AI traffic and security company. We mainly service public entities such as municipalities, counties, local governments, and so on.
What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?
We had an outdated website and needed a professional designer and developer to build a new one.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Design In DC has designed and developed our website. We initially provided them with preexisting marketing materials, and they came up with their own language and graphic design. The team used a little of our initial material, but they put a lot of creative effort into it.
We went live in July 2021, but we have a retainer contract for upgrades and maintenance. We’ve also engaged Design In DC with other projects. We have software that our customers use, and we hired them to do the UI for some of that software. Also, they’ve helped us with logo design and some graphical work outside of the contract. They’ve done animations for us, and we plan to use them in the future for some product demonstrations. We also plan to enhance our website with them since all the videos on the site are commercial right now.
What is the team composition?
We’ve mostly interacted with three people regularly, but 5–6 people are on the team.
How did you come to work with Design In DC?
I searched online for web development companies. When I found Design In DC, their website and demo work demonstrated their superior creative capability and technological expertise. We’d contacted some large firms, but they were way over our budget and intent.
Design In DC was way above the rest, and they were a small group, so it’d be easy to work with them. Also, they proposed reasonable timelines.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent $15,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in March 2021, and our relationship is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The site has been visited by both customers and potential investors, which was one of our primary intentions. Since then, we’ve started a process for investors, and they’ve clearly visited the site and the materials we provide. Overall, the feedback has been positive.
How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management is excellent. They stick to the schedule quite well, even if sometimes we’re behind in our deliveries. They’ve delays here and there, but they’ve been minor.
Overall, it’s a smooth process, and we haven’t had misunderstandings. Their communication is excellent and very clear. The whole process is managed through Slack, and the exchange of documentation has been relatively easy.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Considering how small they are, they have an excellent team. The founder comes from the film industry and is a video creator, so they’re exceedingly graphically gifted. They also have great programmers; they know the technology and how to exploit it. We’ve been very satisfied with what we’ve seen.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t know how they could improve. We’re satisfied with what we’ve got. As a small company, they’re busy, so they’ll have an easier time as they grow. Right now, they do well on what they’re doing.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Work with them.
the project
Website Design & Development for B2B Food Technology Company
"Their design team took our ideas and brought them to life."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am the head of marketing at a B2B technology company that provides product data to consumer packaged goods brands and other last mile delivery providers in the food and grocery industry.
We use a combination of machine learning and AI technologies to digitize product image information, including nutrition, ingredient, and brand name information. We also add additional data points, like gluten-free labeling, to help consumers find products online.
What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?
We had a website, but it wasn’t very good. We brought Design In DC on board to help us create a new one to tell our story better.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Design In DC developed a custom website for my company. We gave them a clear idea of what we wanted to show on the homepage, the website content, and what pages we needed. I worked closely with the Design In DC team to craft a custom animation for the home page — their design team took our ideas and brought them to life.
We did all of the copywriting in-house, and then Design In DC was tasked with visualizing and designing the layout of each section. Then, they developed the website on WordPress using a Beaver Builder template. They also created a sales demo video as part of our overall website package.
What is the team composition?
Our main point of contact was Isabelle (UX Lead & Senior Project Manager), who worked with a larger team of designers and developers.
How did you come to work with Design In DC?
Design In DC was already working with my company when I came on board, and I thought they were an excellent choice for our needs once I started working with them.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve invested $9,500–$9,800 with Design In DC.
What is the status of this engagement?
My company began working with Design In DC in January 2021 and the partnership is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We’ve received a lot of positive qualitative feedback on our customized website that tells our story well. Members of my industry have said it was a very fresh take on the problems in our industry and our unique solution.
How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?
Design In DC ran the project very smoothly — they’re in the top tier when it comes to project management and communication. Isabelle was very clear on their deadlines and what was needed to move forward at each point in the process.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I’ve worked with other web development companies before, and Design In DC was among the best regarding project management. They executed a very customized vision of our website within the set timeframe. I was honestly shocked that they could build exactly what we wanted since they hadn’t done anything like it before.
I also felt like I had a natural collaborator in Isabelle — she was always around, and I knew I didn’t have to worry about Design In DC misunderstanding what we wanted.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t have anything for Design In DC to improve.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
As a marketer, I have a lot of experience creating content so I could provide some to the Design In DC team. However, I’d advise a customer that doesn’t have that same experience to still work with the Design In DC team because they’ll guide customers through every step of the process.
the project
Web Dev, Branding & Photography for Construction Company
"They took on our project and got very personal. Design in DC showed that they cared."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the office manager for Loraygroup. Our business is building and development in the construction sector.
What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?
We hired them to rebrand our company and build our website. Along the way, we also added photography services. We used those three services.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Design in DC built our website from scratch because we had specific needs related to our trade. We previously had a website through Squarespace, so they went off of that, but they provided content curation as well.
For the website, they created a contact page where our clients could upload their construction plans and another one where subcontractors could upload their insurance information, W-9, and a description of the trade they work in. It also had a blog page for us, and Design and DC integrated MailChimp and our calendars to the contact page so our clients could schedule their appointments.
Additionally, they created our logo and brand guidelines. For photography and videography, Design in DC sent a crew on-site. They did a video for our website and took headshots of our team. Also, they took photographs of our projects, company vehicles, and so on.
Overall, it was a year-long project. We went through a long exploration stage because they wanted to know us and what we wanted to do. After that, we moved to implementation. For the process, they’d come up with ideas, and we’d decide where to go from there. However, we brainstormed for a while, especially because it was during COVID-19.
What is the team composition?
We worked with Ziad (CEO), a lead creative, a project manager, and someone on content curation throughout the process. I think they subcontracted the photography team.
How did you come to work with Design In DC?
My boss found them by looking online. We got proposals from other three companies, but Desing in DC seemed like a good fit for us. It seemed like they’d provide personalized attention, and they understood what we wanted to accomplish. They were very creative and personal, so we decided to go with them.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent $24,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in October 2020, and we ended the partnership in September 2021.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The website is now easier to navigate thanks to all the features they added. Since we launched it, we’ve received great feedback from our clients. Also, after we announced the rebranding, we saw a change in the way the clients see us and interact with us.
How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?
The team was very communicative. They had a channel on Slack, and they added us. Every time we had a question, they were there for us. Overall, Design in DC was attentive, and they managed the project well.
Within our organization, we communicated via email and text messages. It was the first time we used Slack, but we liked it. Their team would share documents, and everything would be in there. It was a great form of communication.
What did you find most impressive about them?
What made them different from other companies was that they took on our project and got very personal. Design in DC showed that they cared and wanted to give us exactly what we asked for. In summary, they took the time and were detail-oriented.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t know, honestly.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
When they communicate or send something to review, do it and answer back immediately. Our project dragged on for a year, but it was mostly on our part. We weren’t in a rush, but if you don’t want the project to be that long, just communicate as soon as possible.
the project
Website Updates & Maintenance for Nonprofit Organization
"The Design In DC team truly cares about their clients. They treat us well, and they love what they do."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the COO of American Friends of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. We’re the US-based nonprofit partner of the Humboldt Foundation in Germany and promote the foundation's programs to US scholars and scientists.
What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?
We had gotten a new website in 2018, but the maintenance cost of our previous vendor was getting too high. As a result, we went to Design In DC to provide a maintenance package that was a perfect fit for our needs.
What was the scope of their involvement?
In the beginning, Design In DC looked at the front- and backend portions of our website. Their assessment was that the site was in good shape. At the same time, they had ideas for further improvements.
At present, Design In DC has taken over the updates and maintenance processes of our Duda website. Meanwhile, we’re not looking to completely redesign the site, but we’re making regular updates to its pages; we add videos and images, switch out prices, and more. Apart from that, we also have a quarterly electronic newsletter where we require Design IDC’s assistance. Their team puts together the template we’ve created, puts it into MailChimp, and blasts it out to all our alumni.
Going forward, we’re considering them for a larger redesign project when the time to do that comes.
What is the team composition?
We have one main point of contact for day-to-day work, Luke, and Ziad (CEO) and Rob have been involved in our planning discussions. Luke receives our update requests and does the layout for our newsletters and anything else we need him to do.
The Design In DC team truly cares about their clients. They treat us well, and they love what they do. That’s clear in the way they communicate with us.
How did you come to work with Design In DC?
We were required by our funder to do an RFP process, so we evaluated three vendors, including the incumbent one. A lot of factors went into our decision to hire Design In DC, but we liked the fact that they were a DC-based firm with staff located around the world. They were also a minority-owned business with teammates from different backgrounds. On top of that, they’d worked with plenty of small nonprofits and understood that we couldn’t just blow our budget at the drop of the hat.
Overall, we were impressed with the work they’d done for their nonprofit clients, and their price for the maintenance package was highly competitive. As a result, hiring them was an easy decision to make.
How much have you invested with them?
So far, we’ve paid around $12,000 on their services. We’re going to pay a bit more in the coming financial year, plus we’ll invest a few thousand dollars for any additional needs or projects that may come up outside of the maintenance package.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with Design In DC in January 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Our newsletter continues to be well-received by our alumni. Every time we send it out, our traffic goes up significantly, along with the visits to our fundraising page, which has also been improved and updated. It’s now in the top 10 most viewed pages on our website, up from two years ago. Moreover, the fundraising page’s credit card portal has once gone down due to a problem with another third-party vendor. The Design In DC team has jumped in and reconnected everything.
Simply put, Design In DC has organized our pages well, and the work they’ve done has pushed our web statistics in an upward direction, which is great. They also don’t upsell us anything that we can’t afford. Overall, while this isn’t a massive project, the regular maintenance they provide has been absolutely fantastic.
How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?
Design In DC’s project management is great. Their Slack channel is fantastic; we can send whatever documents they need in there. Moreover, our point person is super responsive. The team gets things done within a day or two even if none of the tasks are truly urgent. Overall, their work has been excellent.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We’re a small business compared to other organizations they work for, but the team gives us the same time, care, and attention they give to those customers. We appreciate this a lot. On top of that, I haven’t had to worry about website updates and maintenance this year, and that’s truly valuable to us.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, there aren’t any.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be clear about your immediate needs, and have a rough idea of your needs in the longer term and larger projects down the line. In our case, when we have our monthly calls with Design In DC, we tell them what’s coming up in the weeks ahead of us. Our team also tells them our plans six months in advance. Then, they give us ideas on what we can do and how we can do them.
Likewise, you should also know exactly what you want, and be clear on how much you want to change on your current site.
the project
WordPress Design & Dev for Consulting Company
"The quality of their work was top-notch. Everything we received was excellent."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder and CEO of a Maryland-based government consulting and contracting company. We provide IT and management consulting services.
What challenge were you trying to address with Design In DC?
We needed help articulating the services we provide to our clients in an intuitive, user-friendly, and creative way. We wanted to communicate complex messages in a simple format while at the same time being able to do it in a visually-appealing way.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Design In DC started by asking us a lot of questions about our business. They wanted to learn more about our target audience, work experience, goals, objectives, and the message we wanted to convey. We shared with them information about our organization. They tried to capture our company culture so they could use that on our website.
After that, Design In DC came back with a mood board, which gave us a glimpse of our thoughts and ideas based on our earlier conversations. We reflected on that and provided feedback. We then decided on the site’s layout and content.
Once everything was finalized, we came up with a project schedule and plan, and we chose what to include on the site. Design In DC then proceeded to design and develop our WordPress website, and they tested the platform before fully deploying it.
Additionally, Design In DC helped us put our mission statement together. They didn’t just work on the website; they made sure our design team also transitioned to other aspects of supporting our business. They also helped us design our brochures and trade banners for an event.
What is the team composition?
We worked with an executive sponsor, some project managers, and some designers.
How did you come to work with Design In DC?
I searched online for companies that did website design. One thing that I was particular about was I wanted my website to be different from others. I didn’t want a vanilla website; I wanted to stand out.
Design In DC’s website caught my attention — they were very different in how they projected themselves and their work and how they designed their platform.
I first reached out to companies in Silicon Valley, but I couldn’t find any that appealed to me. I happened to find Design In DC, and they were the only company that fit my requirements. I reached out to them, and we got engaged.
How much have you invested with them?
I spent upwards of $15,000–$20,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our engagement lasted from June–December 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I had been delighted with Design In DC’s work. I also received a lot of positive feedback from my clients, employees, and partners about how unique and appealing our website had become.
How did Design In DC perform from a project management standpoint?
Design In DC’s project management was on point, and they were very responsive. They always put things in motion. If they wouldn’t be able to meet a deadline, they provided an explanation.
We communicated through phone calls, emails, and Zoom meetings. Design in DC’s project managers were very efficient, and they were able to coordinate communication between their team and us effectively. They set up review sessions when necessary.
Design In DC did a great job capturing what we wanted to communicate in the way we wanted to communicate. They gave us several options for themes, design elements, and color elements to choose from.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Design in DC’s ability to understand our needs and apply that to their work was impressive. We didn’t have to do a lot of rework — we had less than two iterations on any given design aspect of the site.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I can’t think of anything.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Have a clear plan and scope in mind for your project. If you don’t plan budget-wise or don’t know what you want, you’re going to spend a lot of money over time.
Plan well in terms of what you want to do and your budget, and negotiate on that upfront. Define your scope very clearly so that there wouldn’t be any misunderstanding.
The client was happy with Design In DC’s work and their ability to work on the site independently. The team had good project management and satisfactory communication. Their modern and sleek design approach distinguished them from other providers, contributing to the partnership’s success.