Design Womb

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of a food & beverages company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Food And Beverage Company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Design Womb to accomplish?

• Brand refresh
• Brand voice

SOLUTION

How did you find Design Womb?

Referral

Why did you select Design Womb over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Design Womb were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Design Womb's services included a brand voice kit, packaging design, and brand identity kit.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The only success we got from this partnership was a new tagline and some brand voice messaging.

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

Design Womb was timely in their deliveries and very communicative over the messaging app. All communication was done (exhaustively) in writing.

What was your primary form of communication with Design Womb?

Email or Messaging App

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

I selected Design Womb to help us with this project due to their experience working with CPG food products. Also, the owner/founder had many commonalities with our brand's founder and felt aligned. Being both based in California I thought would be helpful to bring our 100% California-made product to life. However, the work on their site reflected a very different caliber and expertise that we ultimately received.

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

The most challenging part of the experience was the creative process that they followed. It is 100% a virtual relationship, including only emails and recorded videos. YOU will have to put together numerous mood boards for them to use and an extensive questionnaire. Then, you get ONE phone call when kicking off the project and we never had another for the remainder of five-month project. 

We encountered numerous creative challenges; and per the owner, everything had to stay virtual. It was a negative reflection of the genuine care for the client's success and poor leadership. The creative process requires dialog, brainstorming, and feeling to understand a brand's heart and vision. This cannot be accomplished through exhaustive emails and recorded videos. 

It was highly transactional, black and white, and left no room for dialog. The creative experience was stale, uninspiring, and disconnected. The creative execution was so far from our vision, spirit, and mood boards that I often wondered if they used designers from overseas or extremely junior artists. Creative might be ultimately subjective, but taste and quality are not.

Company Responses

The vendor responded on December 15, 2023. The response was updated on April 5, 2024.

We're people that put a lot of care into what we do, and it’s important to us that you know that the critiques stated in this review are simply not true. 

We are 100% based in the U.S, and do not currently use overseas outsourcing. We are a team of highly specialized talent with 20+ years of experience. The team on this project included specialized professionals with experience ranging from 8-20 yrs.

We pride ourselves in going above and beyond talking to clients and helping them. We have clients that rave about this exact value you get when working with us.

For this project we had at least 3 hours of combined Zoom and phone calls to start. After multiple meetings/calls where the client decided on a direction only to change their mind after we executed, we requested their input be written to document the decisions being made and avoid confusion overall and before any live calls were hosted to review the input if required.

We presented many beautiful design solutions for this client solving their brief, which we stand behind and which the client also reacted to positively at given points of this project. Later, the client launched a new design using the majority of our hierarchy and design layout work to create a slightly "different label", using details we finalized for print specifications, color setup, and  compliant  production files. They also  tried to get out of paying for the work that was completed.

This single negative review starkly contrasts with the many positive reviews on our website and other 5 star reviews here. We are happy to share references and explain our process if you reach out about an engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creator and CEO of Copow Foods.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design Womb?

I needed help with naming and branding my company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Design Womb helped fully brand my company. When they joined, I just had an idea, so we first had an extensive onboarding process to talk about my vision, my requirements, and the story I wanted to tell.

From there, Design Womb helped me name my company. Then, they designed its branding, which included the logo and color scheme, and developed its brand voice and guidelines. Additionally, they designed my website and product packaging, and they coordinated all the photography work needed for designing the different assets.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Nicole (Chief Creative Officer & Founder) and Zach (Strategist, Copywriter & Director).

How did you come to work with Design Womb?

I came across their Instagram account and loved the creative work I saw, so I reached out to Nicole. At the time, they didn’t have the time to take on my project, but I knew that they were the right people to do it, so I didn’t take no for an answer. I told Nicole that there was no one else I wanted to work with, so we eventually kicked off the project.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this project in January 2020 and launched the new brand in June 2021. Since then, we’ve kept working together on other projects — we’re currently wrapping up our fourth one.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Design Womb, we won the American Packaging Design Awards in our first year in business, which was huge.

How did Design Womb perform from a project management standpoint?

Design Womb’s project management was absolutely impeccable — there’s no other company I would work with again. They delivered every asset exactly on time, meeting all deadlines. The costs were predetermined upfront. Although we went over our initial budget, the overages were caused by work added to the scope throughout the project. We used Basecamp to manage the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Nicole was phenomenal, and her attention to detail was bar-none.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would have been good if Design Womb had been more flexible in their timeline. Nicole always wanted to stay on schedule, which was great, but it was hard for me as an owner to stick to that schedule.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We make organic alcoholic beverages. Our company is almost one year old, and we have 2 full-time employees, as well as 5 contractors.

What is your position?

I am the owner of the company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Design Womb?

We needed help creating a brand, including packaging and graphics. This would be an ongoing effort as we grew and expanded. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Design Womb has helped us create our branding and packaging, including point-of-sale marketing materials, labels, large-format boxes and website design. Specifically, Design Womb created 3 TTB-compliant labels, a 4-pack box, a case pack, a website, as well as a brand name and voice.

I worked on product development prior to starting the company, so I had a good idea of what the product should be. We offered some ideas of what we liked and didn't like, but everything was generic. Design Womb helped us choose a direction and to figure out what worked and what didn't.

How did you come to work with Design Womb?

We looked online for different ad agencies in the Chicago area which handled design. We interviewed Design Womb's principal and looked at their previous work. We liked what we saw of Design Womb’s experience. Design Womb seemed responsive and reasonably priced, compared to other options, placing somewhere in the middle among the companies we reviewed.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The cost of Design Womb's work has been between $50,000 and $60,000 so far. We plan to spend another $50,000 to $100,000 with them in the next year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Design Womb in June 2016, and we have expanded our work since then. The work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We've taken what Design Womb has given us and approached various retailers and distributors in the US. The work has resonated very well with female consumers, which is our target demographic. We've seen a lot of success in getting retailers to buy into our products and propositions, which has come fairly quickly for a startup. We're looking to have a few million dollars in profit this year, based on how many stores we've been able to get into. A part of this is the product that people are tasting, but also the branding and packaging. Without the packaging made by Design Womb, I don't know if we would have been as successful.

We gave Design Womb inspiration and input into things we like and don't like, including the packaging which other people had done, looking at color schemes, formats, layouts, and so on. She incorporated these together and did 5-6 rounds of revisions before we came to a point that we were happy with. I'm happy with how the relationship worked, and we wouldn't have continued to hire Design Womb for other tasks otherwise.

How did Design Womb perform from a project management standpoint?

Design Womb has used Basecamp, which is a great way to get everyone on the same page, but I think that face-to-face meetings are lacking. I'm not a proponent of meeting for the sake of it, but I do think that some things can be covered much more effectively in-person or over the phone, rather than by email. There would be a lot less back-and-forth, especially when it comes to the legal complications associated with alcoholic beverages. We have to report to a few different government departments, as well as the state. It's usually easier to get on a phone call and have everyone talk things through than it is to write things out on email. Overall, though, Design Womb has managed projects well and delivered on-time.

What distinguishes Design Womb from other providers?

Most marketing agencies have their own approach to making graphics and branding, and the topic is opinion-based. I find that Design Womb has done a good job with our material.

Is there anything Design Womb could have improved or done differently?

While Design Womb has done a great job, certain aspects of the naming process for the brand could have been more thorough. At times certain names, taglines, and phrases were trademarked which could have easily been avoided through more in-depth research. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of Dipnotics. We offer vegan dips, including cheesy cashew, spicy, and other flavors. Our audience is made up of people who want to eat clean and don't mind paying a premium for a simple product with whole ingredients instead of processed chemicals. These can be yoga and fitness enthusiasts or just regular people who are interested in the quality of what they eat. We officially started our products 3 to 4 months ago. The company is made up of my husband and myself. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design Womb?

We were looking to revamp our brand identity and logo. We wanted to have an integrated experience and create both branding and labeling for our 5 products. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Design Womb handled our brand voice, logo design, website design, and website development. They also managed photo shoots for our products and created a brand manifesto for copyrighting. I initially intended to only do a rebranding, but, as our relationship progressed, I needed to have a full package of services for our company.

How did you come to work with Design Womb?

I interviewed several design companies that I found through Internet searches. I looked at their portfolios and some of their previous products. I liked the breadth of Design Womb's work and the thoroughness of the application process.

How much have you invested with Design Womb?

I prefer to keep this confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Design Womb in 2015. The work has been completed but we're looking to launch a few new flavors in 2017, so our relationship with Design Womb will continue. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I've received comments from multiple stakeholders on how well-developed and professional my packaging is. Clients tend to think that we've been in business for longer than we actually have because of how it looks. People have come up to me at farmers' markets and tastings, telling us specifically how much they like our design and labeling. Design Womb's work has helped me get my foot in the door within my market.

How did Design Womb perform from a project management standpoint?

Design Womb uses Basecamp, which I've really liked. It documents all of our conversations and allows us to respond either via email or through the tool itself. It is available online and as a mobile app. Although we haven't had many live conversations and there is a time difference between our locations, we have been able to keep in touch using Basecamp. I've had a few delays of my own, but we were good at keeping deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about Design Womb?

Design Womb's designs are very clean. The branding we've received is very strong in terms of messaging, but also very simple. There was a very good balance of ideas. Design Womb offered us various options, allowing us to name what we liked about each one and come to an agreement.

Are there any areas Design Womb could improve?

Design Womb could improve in terms of post-launch support. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the marketing manager of California Olive Ranch, an online retailer of olive oil products. My job consists of anything consumer-facing—social media, our website, advertisements, and new product development. We have around 120 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design Womb?

We were looking to refresh our packaging design. However, we wanted to keep what was working with our current design since it was already well-known. Consumer research showed that our design was a bit outdated and that there was some confusion around the imagery it used. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Design Womb was in charge of helping us design a new logo and refreshing our artwork. We have done a few other projects with Design Womb for our products. They’ve helped us update the look and feel of our everyday and higher-end lines. Design Womb also helped design an advertisement to be displayed on store shelves. We're tentatively starting a food truck project with Design Womb.

How did you come to work with Design Womb?

I was tasked with finding a designer, so I did a Google search for agencies in San Francisco. We had worked with a company from another part of the country but found it difficult to fly back-and-forth for revisions. While Design Womb had recently moved to Chicago, we decided to work with them anyway. The main reason for choosing Design Womb was their ability to create unique and dynamic logos. This is the most important piece when taking a recognizable logo and recrafting it without losing the elements that people recognize. We had a vision for what we wanted and Design Womb had some great examples on the company website for how we could achieve our goal.

How much have you invested with Design Womb?

We have worked on different projects with Design Womb, each one with a different proposal. The total cost of our projects with Design Womb has been between $10,000 and $50,000. Design Womb has given us reasonable pricing. If we went beyond what was written in the original scope, Design Womb let us know and worked with us around the billing.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Design Womb in 2015, and the collaboration is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Going into a redesign for a logo that people are already familiar with is hard. We expected many clients to complain about our new packaging, but they've actually liked it. We received many rave reviews, both externally, on social media, and internally, within our team. We've seen an increase in our base sales since the packaging launched in the spring of 2016.

How did Design Womb perform from a project management standpoint?

Design Womb is using Basecamp for our work. It's a good way to organize our tasks and work remotely. The tool keeps all of our work in one place, making it easy to set timelines. When we were more flexible with the timeline, we saw a few delays, but project management is also our responsibility. Communication is recorded, so there isn't any confusion around what is happening. Calling Design Womb at the beginning of projects and ironing out design queues has worked well for us.

What did you find most impressive about Design Womb?

I've worked with other designers in the past. After giving them an idea, we either received back exactly what we specified, with no creativity put in, or received an interpretation made without really listening to what we wanted. Design Womb's principal was very easy to work with. During our initial conversations, she showed great enthusiasm and shared our vision for the design. She is able to give us many different designs to choose from and she has a lot of enthusiasm for our work. By the time we are shown the second or third round of designs, we will have a wide range of options. Design Womb's designer listens to what we want but also adds her own style.

Are there any areas Design Womb could improve?

Design Womb has a small team, so timelines can be missed on occasion.