DEZGN Studio

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Initial Partners. We build enterprise web applications and mobile applications for large companies

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DEZGN Studio?

We’ve worked with them on various projects but initially hired them to design an app that will help retail businesses schedule their employees at multiple store locations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the beginning of the process, we shared our requirements, wireframes, and user stories. We also discussed why we were building this product and the general roadmap we had in mind. They were very collaborative and worked closely with our team to figure out what we wanted. They also contributed to product ideation after talking to some of our clients.

Then they quickly came up with a few ideas on how to approach the project and put together design prototypes rather quickly. They used Adobe XD to create the UI/UX design that is interactive. For example, the site is responsive when users hover over certain features with their mouse.

After that, we worked together in sprints. One week they designed the UI for a particular component, and then our developers used React and Go to implement their designs. Then we provided feedback, and the cycle would begin again.

Since the website launched, they’ve provided ongoing maintenance. Outside of this project, they also worked with us on branding and logo design.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a team of designers.

How did you come to work with DEZGN Studio?

I found them through Clutch.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in March 2020 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re very good at critical thinking and problem-solving. As a result, they’re able to address user needs and turn them into a functional design. They’re very creative and are able to handle anything we throw at them.

How did DEZGN Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They worked incredibly fast and delivered the first iteration remarkably quickly. They were able to come up with a design in a day or two. In a week’s time, we were able to get a significant amount of work done.

They’re flexible, efficient, and easy to work with. They’re responsive and professional and they always deliver on time. We don’t have to micromanage them because we’re in contact with them every day. They proactively let us know when they complete something and ask us to give them feedback.

We’re only working on one small chunk of the project every week, so it’s easy to manage. They usually do their sketches on their own and then chat with us before uploading them. We manage our sprints in GitLab, which helps us track specific features.  

Additionally, their invoices are reasonable and they appropriately assess the effort required for each project as well.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re hard-working and creative. Their designers always do research and think outside of the box. They don’t just meet our requirements, but they pull inspiration from multiple sources and propose ideas that I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We are in the process of developing "micro-designs" that we can use across projects without needing to redo common components every time. DEZGN Studio has been very collaborative working with us on finding efficiencies.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I don’t know if I have any advice; they’re able to handle any client.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is a software studio headquartered in Hong Kong, developing products for clients and partners around the world.

I am the founder and CEO, responsible for strategy, business development, and overall growth of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DEZGN Studio?

We had a number of Software as a Service offerings, for which the folks at DEZGN provided critical elements of UI design and branding for the offerings

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to develop an initial experience that was fit for purpose, and reflected the design goals we envisioned for the project, together with our development partners.

SOLUTION

How did you select DEZGN Studio?

We did an online search, and found them on Google. We looked at a number of their references and awards, and decided to give them a try.

Describe the project in detail.

We held an initial kick-off introducing our requirements, and settled into weekly design cycles, in sync with our agile development sprints.

DEZGN was embedded virtually on our team, and attended key weekly status meetings, standups, and sprint reviews.

What was the team composition?

We had one designer and one manager from DEZGN, working with our development team of 4, 3 front end and one back end developer. We also had our product team of a manager and analyst.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had many early iterations before finalizing the front end designs, which we were able to review and develop iterations with the development partners.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Although we were all a remote team, our coordination was satisfactory, and we found DEZGN responsive and able to deliver good design and innovation, despite not having the opportunity to meet except online.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have quick turnaround, and are able to generate many options. When our briefs are not clear, they are able to help us think through and clarify our design intentions.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Consider adding more capacity to grow with your clients. Also find ways to support basic implementation of your web designs (as html and css)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Head of mobile commerce at GoQuo, company specialized in building websites and mobile applications for airlines and travel partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DEZGN Studio?

Design a new mobile application for travel packages including flights and hotel.

What were your goals for this project?

We were looking for attractive design, more in line with market expectations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We reviewed several vendors and we liked their portfolio and the way they worked.

Describe the project in detail.

Design all views of a mobile application for dynamic packaging bookings for airlines clients.

What was the team composition?

The team has two people, one in charge of the administration, requirements and sales and the other designing the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was delivered to our developers and we didn’t have to request any changes. Their work was complete and professional. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were using slack and WhatsApp to communicate. Easy and efficient.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We could feel that they were not working only on the design itself but were thinking it through using users expectations. It seems normal but most designers we’ve worked with didn’t take the time to understand the user.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder & CEO of Pod, a fintech startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DEZGN Studio?

We needed an agency to develop a mobile application, along with designing the UX.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DEZGN Studio was responsible for the UX/UI design for our consumer-facing app. Their team worked on the user journey all the way through. They were also involved in the creation of our backend. We started with a hybrid app for iOS and Android. For the second phase, we used the same UI.

People like having the ability to monitor where their progress is at. The main functionality of the app is to track and showcase previous milestones. The second feature is for expense tracking. It color codes expense items to give users visibility on how much they’ve spent without looking at the features. The automated process limits the effort it takes to save and deducts on a periodic basis from bank accounts. The app controls all the times when money is removed from the bank.

What is the team composition?

We work with two people.

How did you come to work with DEZGN Studio?

Our previous CTO worked with them in the past and recommended them to us. We had a few contenders but realized DEZGN Studio was the best. I was impressed with their background research when it comes to executing an app build. Other designers generally don’t do that.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $5,000–$7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with DEZGN Studio began in May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While there is minor tweaking that needs to happen, everything has been great. The app is live, and users are enjoying the functionalities. The entire engagement with DEZGN Studio was smooth. They integrated feedback extremely well for every iteration we’ve had.

How did DEZGN Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

There were no missed deadlines. I admire that their team can negotiate. They’ve squeezed things in that weren’t part of the contract.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I felt that DEZGN Studio’s proactiveness was noteworthy. We give them the features, and then they find the best way to deliver them. Rather than delivering only what I described, their team does a bit of homework to provide the best solution possible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I can think of that they can improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients need to be clear about what they want delivered. If they’ve never had a fintech client before, it helps give them a comparison for the app or platform’s requirements. That will give a bit more perspective and will lessen frustrations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-founder and CEO of a startup social platform for foodies to recommend unique dishes around the world so both the locals and tourists can savor it. My role is to head user acquisition and user feedback.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DEZGN Studio?

We were looking for experienced UI/UX designers that could help us create a visual look for our mobile application.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to make the application as clean and simple so that it wouldn't take away from the contents created by our foodies. We also need to make sure that new users can easily understand the concept of our application and easy navigation in our platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were using Behance and Dribbble to look for UI/UX Designers. There's roughly 5-6 companies we contacted and consider. The selection process was head by the founding members and the deciding factor that led us to this vendor is their portfolio, quotation, and personality.

Describe the project in detail.

The project was to design our application's UI/UX. We explained our application's concept so DEZGN STUDIO could understand our application and create a stunning UI/UX.

What was the team composition?

DEZGN STUDIO consist of two real good designers, where 1 heads the UI/UX design while another heads the Branding.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within 3 months, they manage to create a stunning UI/UX design and a logo that is really unique and minimalist. Our beta testers were really amazed at the design as compared to our prototype.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were really easy to talk to and we meet up once a week to get updates and feedback on their designs. Overall, I was really impressed by their skills, communication and their timeliness when getting things done.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I'm really impressed by their knowledge and skills when designing. As it is our first time working with UI/UX designers, we manage to learn a lot from them as they explain their workflow and thoughts on things. Also, they still provide us with support in terms of design even after the handover is done.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None. It truly is a great experience working with them. I'll always recommend them to others who are looking for a UI/UX designer.