Design Shifu

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder for a SaaS product geared towards helping trainers/coaches/counselors have an increased impact.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Design Shifu?

We need collateral for a trade show.

SOLUTION

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

We worked with them in the past and found them on a random google search. They've been handling 100% of our creative for about three years.

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

There have been so many projects over the years. We've done everything from "random idea with no detail" to "Super detailed with sketch" and for a whole range of things. They've upgraded their interface to make it even easier to add feedback and have more valuable iterations of design development. Generally, it's:

1. Here is what we need.
2. Here is the concept behind how it should feel.
3. Here is the brand it is for and how the brand feels.
4. Get the initial design, and select the version that matches, or redirect.
5. The next iteration of the design is usually what we run with.

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

No idea. They operate as a team and essentially all operate as "DesignShifu" staff.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They have literally been 100% responsible for creating the branding for the software business. I gave them a feel, they came back with a look and we've been rocking it ever since!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow is seamless... Honestly I don't think there is ANYTHING they can do to improve it!

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

Being able to turn on and off the art department is huge, especially for a small startup like myself where we cannot afford to have someone on staff.

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

Please don't change a thing. You guys are awesome.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the President and Creative Director of a full service advertising agency. My client list ranges from consumer packaged goods, retail real estate, health care, non profits, to entertainment and hospitality.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Design Shifu?

During Covid-19, it was difficult to find and retain a diverse design staff that was willing to work. My schedule was too busy to vet talent. I needed an array of designers that I could choose from, who could work under creative direction, understand our vision and execute on time within budget.

SOLUTION

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

There are several other services that offer similar services. However, Design Shifu offered the most flexibility and their company's vision aligned better with my own. My company is a minority owned business, I tend to support other women owned businesses. I also love the fact that they see "design as a language." I am constantly challenged to perfect the art of communication through innovation and creativity, and they are the back office staff to help me do that.

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

The process is very simple. The dashboard is intuitive and user-friendly and serves as "project discovery" - where the Design Shifu team learns about my wants/needs. I can show them inspiration, mood boards, share copy, mock-ups, notes and photos. Most importantly, this is the space where I can communicate what I am NOT looking for.

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

I have an excellent project manager Suvin, whom I adore. The project manager is the engine for the process. My contribution is the fuel and the design team are the internal mechanics (pistons, transmission, etc.). My project comes out on the other end like a brand new shinny car. I have no idea how many people touch my project in total - but if they keep doing what they're doing, I'm not sure I care!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have been able to make deadlines that I would have otherwise missed, due to backlog of projects in the office. This is key when you are juggling multiple projects.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The dashboard that they use is very effective at communicating, especially because I can always clarify with a visual image with the upload option. If there is ever a problem, my project manager is only a phone call or email away.

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

The work ethic of their employees is unparalleled. They offer 24/7 customer support for all kinds of queries and a 14-day Money Back Guarantee without any commitments. Their purpose is to deliver creatively crafted designs at affordable prices, and they deliver.

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

I have been very pleased thus far.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a software development and marketing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design Shifu?

We initially provided the graphic design services ourselves, but there were times we couldn’t handle the amount of work we had. Hence, we decided to look for a white label partner who could do some design work on our behalf whenever we got too busy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Design Shifu provides white-label graphic design services to us. We submit jobs through their dashboard, and they deliver within 24–48 hours, which is the turnaround time we promise our customers. The design team always provides multiple versions for us to choose from. Once we receive their work, we send it to our customers.

What is the team composition?

Our primary point of contact is our account manager, but we also work with a project manager and a designer.

How did you come to work with Design Shifu?

We were looking for another white label partner because our current one had poor customer service. After doing some research, we ended up finding Design Shifu through a Facebook ad. Initially, we had considered them a competitor and didn’t reach out immediately. 

After seeing more of their ads, we decided to fill out a questionnaire on their site. We then spoke to a wonderful team member who set up our account. Initially, we only gave them a few jobs to test them out.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $1,000 each month.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in July 2021 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The speed of our services has increased dramatically, and our customers have been extremely satisfied. The team’s turnaround time is within 12–18 hours, so they definitely meet our expectations in terms of deadlines. We’re usually able to send their work to our clients the following day.

Design Shifu’s services are so good that we’re considering having them do all of our design work. Their deliverables look like something we would create, which is truly impressive. Furthermore, they almost always get the design right by the first iteration. We send out surveys to our clients, and Design Shifu’s average satisfaction rating is 9.7. That’s actually a bit higher than our internal team’s rating, which is 9.65. 

How did Design Shifu perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is pretty good. Our account manager has made the experience great. I typically have phone calls with our account manager, but I can speak directly to the designer or project manager if I have any issues. 

Design Shifu is highly flexible, but we don’t really like their dashboard. It doesn’t ask the right questions; it’s just a basic form where we can type in what we need. If we forget to include some requirements for fonts and so on, we have to go back with that information. However, it works fine if we can put in every detail.

The dashboard also doesn’t indicate whether a job is complete, so we track that ourselves. It’s also hard to search for specific jobs, but we’ve devised a naming process to solve this issue. Despite the subpar dashboard, their phenomenal customer service makes up for it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Design Shifu is incredible, and I’m really impressed with how they work. Before hiring them, we tried various white label partners who provided poor customer service and didn’t like being asked questions. With Design Shifu, it’s a different story — whenever I raise issues with the team, they fix the problem in a blink of an eye. Furthermore, they always make sure to ask for our input. 

They truly understand our business and make us feel like we’re their only customer. The design team produces precisely what we want without us having to give them a lot of details. It’s hard to find vendors who work closely with us on improving their services, but we genuinely feel that Design Shifu wants to build a strong relationship with us. They’ve even learned how our company functioned to better align with us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’ve never had a bad experience with Design Shifu. Their dashboard could be better, but the quality of work they do makes it worth it. They’re a phenomenal team with the best customer service.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be upfront about what you need, and Design Shifu will make sure that you get it. They’re an excellent partner who will do whatever it takes to take care of you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president of a nonprofit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design Shifu?

We needed help designing and creating weekly flyers for some of the activities we wanted to promote. As a nonprofit, we generally rely on the charitable service of others, but it wasn't reliable enough for our design needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I inputed all the information they needed to create the flyers on their website (i.e., photos, text) and they designed the materials from there, including a logo. If I wanted to make changes, they'd implement my feedback and send a few design options back to choose from. 

What is the team composition? 

I was in touch with several different people. I generally reached out through their chat feature on their website whenever I needed assistance. 

How did you come to work with Design Shifu?

I believe I found them through a Google search and decided to give them a try.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $200 for 10 or so flyers.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from October 2018–January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Design Shifu helped us significantly improve our brand awareness in our community. The flyers they've created have also likely increased event attendance. We're very happy with the quality of their designs overall. 

How did Design Shifu perform from a project management standpoint?

Being able to chat with their team at any time through their website was very convenient. Any time I reached out for help, I'd get a response back almost immediately by chat, phone, or email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their execution was great; everything was delivered quickly and they were very responsive in communications. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we had a very positive experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I definitely recommend giving them a shot. I believe they offer a trial period as well, which is worth taking advantage of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner of TeXas10er Music, an online jazz music academy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Design Shifu?

For various graphics I needed for my business.

What were your goals for this project?

To be able to get designs done quickly.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I Googled them and found they had 10 or so designs I could get done for $99. 

Describe the project in detail.

I got cd covers, t-shirts, flyers, and headers designed.

What was the team composition?

They had designers who would handle each design.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I got them done fast and they were good designs.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective and easy.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They put out good quality at a fast speed and a great price.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I guess they could provide more design options to choose from, but they did for most.