What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Divami Design Labs has always delivered within the defined timelines and budget as well as at the right quality. Deadlines have shifted here and there because sometimes we’ve changed the requirements as we’ve progressed.
We received a lot of user feedback on how the site could be improved. After discussing the feed with Divami Design Labs, we rebuilt and improved a lot of the critical internal pages. They’ve had great flexibility around change requests. We’ve had to add and remove resources.
How did Divami Design Labs perform from a project management standpoint?
I’ve always told them that they feel more or less like a co-founder to me. They’re based in Hyderabad and I’m in Mumbai, but we discuss everything easily.
They send me weekly reports with the number of hours put in by every team member; this is great. It really helps instill my confidence in them. We have weekly calls, they give me detailed task breakdowns, and they’re always reachable. I’ve had calls with some of the team members at 4 a.m. when something was really urgent.
Expertise is a must-have when it comes to technology partners. They should be able to write code, debug, and know their jobs well. However, the difference for a client like me comes in terms of project management.
If something was misunderstood or we weren’t on the same page, Divami Design Labs is always forthcoming about it. Their team is very approachable, and we’ve sat down for 30 minutes to sort out any discrepancies. They’ve been very meticulous in breaking down tasks.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re very approachable and understand the criticality of the matter at hand. If we have a strict deadline, they’re always there — whether it’s on the weekend, at midnight, or early morning. Whenever we start a new project, we have our own ideas and run our own research, but I’ve gotten some great suggestions from the head of their design team, as though this was her own startup.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Their team is getting bigger, so their team leads could be even more fine-tuned on how the project is progressing.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
I advise communicating everything clearly, in terms of requirements, budget, and timelines. Clients should be transparent and treat Divami Design Labs not just as an external agency, but as an extension of their own companies.
If there’s any problem at all during the project, clients should pick up the phone and clarify things with the team. They will let the client know when they don’t have the expertise for something, and they’ll provide suggestions on how to do things when they do have the expertise.
Divami Design Labs’ work met all the client’s expectations. The speed of their delivery and the team’s strong design skills were very impressive. They had regular meetings with the client, and Divami Design Labs responded quickly to change requests.