Eleken

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Cheerity, a marketing technology platform that serves enterprise customers. We also offer a SaaS platform for smaller customers. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

Last year, we started working on the small business version of our product, so we needed to update both the design and look of our marketing website and internal products. We also had to implement SaaS, subscription-based best practices for our external website. That way, people could sign up for our new product directly on our website. To do these things, we needed a designer that could build the website under our direction. We also wanted a provider with a good grasp of  SaaS platforms both internally and externally. That was when we hired Eleken. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked directly with Eleken’s designer for our existing marketing website, and our team provided that designer with examples of what we wanted the site to look like. Creating this new marketing site was part of our requirement structure. 

On top of that, we went through a comprehensive process of mapping out the new functionality of the new product. Our team created a large set of specifications for this. We then provided these requirements to Eleken, and the designer started simultaneously implementing these requirements and creating the marketing website. 

We focused on those things in the first couple of months, and then we transitioned to the elements that we needed for marketing the new product and the existing enterprise platform. Our team worked closely with the designer to identify which sections she should improve. Among the things we needed were new pages for our pricing, enterprise customers, blogs, and other support content. Their resources provided the designs of those elements through Figma.

Over the next six and a half months, they provided us with new designs as we went down our list. We wanted to look on par with the current crop of SaaS platforms in the market. Given that, we also needed animations on the website and more comprehensive designs that showed our product in action. Moreover, Eleken highlighted the notable customers we had in the past. They also took on the task of building out the actual website through Webflow. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with one designer, and she was our main point of contact. 

How did you come to work with Eleken?

I personally started searching for partners in March 2021, and I spent about a month researching firms that worked specifically in our vast space. We didn’t want a big US agency that would charge us excessively and give us a rotating cast of designers — that was the last thing we wanted. As a result, one of our main requirements was to have one main point of contact.

With that in mind, I went through hundreds of potential partners. I zeroed in on Eleken when I visited a site that promoted them along with a couple of other agencies that worked exclusively with SaaS companies. I eventually talked to Ilya (Founder) and was quite impressed with their approach for two reasons. First, their price was at least half the cost of what some US firms were charging. Then, they planned to assign an individual designer to work full-time on our project and exclusively with us. We also had a direct line of communication with that person without an account manager getting in between us — we could work with her to our heart’s content for as many months as we needed.

I did have some worries, such as our time difference since they were in Ukraine. However, they assured me that that wouldn’t be an issue. Finally, they gave us a week with the designer as a free trial. If we didn’t like her, we would have a way to switch the assignee up. That was another reason we decided to hire Eleken. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent just under $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from May–December 2021. We launched the marketing website in September 2021, but we haven’t launched the product. 

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

From an internal perspective, our team, board of advisors, and even our investors were all thrilled with the way the marketing site looked, which was a huge upgrade from what we previously had — it looked much more modern. 

It also highlighted our customer base and showed the product’s functionality in a comprehensive way. Customers could also see the product’s cost based on its versions. Overall, from the internal stakeholders’ perspective, we had nothing but the highest praise and response for the site. 

We haven’t released the product yet, so no quantitative metrics are available. I won’t be able to tell how the website converts customers until we launch the product, flip on the site’s new functionality, and allow people to sign up. However, I’m confident that it’s going to do well because it meets the standards we’ve set. 

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

Eleken stuck to our schedule, and they met our standards. We didn’t feel like the project took an excessively long time to finish or that they were inhibiting something. Moreover, our communication was great. We had a kickoff meeting on Zoom with the designer and Eleken’s design head. From there, our conversations took place on Slack. We could talk to the designer through it as many times in a day as necessary; she was always responsive. 

Meanwhile, I didn’t know what other tools they used on their side to manage the engagement, but I managed it on our side through Trello. We gave the Eleken team access to our boards to let them know what we needed.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

The designer that Eleken assigned to us was truly talented; she was young but not green — she had a firm grasp of the designs that we wanted. In fact, she was dedicated to scouring the samples we sent to make sure that we were satisfied with her outputs. On top of that, we didn’t have to hire a separate firm for our marketing and platform pieces. That was Eleken’s specialty. 

Overall, having one designer and main point of contact working on our products was a huge time- and money-saver. Ultimately, this created a more consistent look across all of our properties. Eleken was excellent in doing that. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. Whenever we identified anything that needed to be corrected, the team took care of it immediately; they always prioritized their responses to me.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your homework upfront and come to the engagement with a well-thought-out project specification. Apart from that, provide a good range of examples of what you’re trying to achieve. If you give Eleken good inputs upfront, their team will be highly capable of creating something in the same vein for you. In other words, know what you want; don’t just leave it to them. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a social consumer app in the App Store. We allow people to create short, micro-podcasts to share with their network.

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

We had contacted them before and we exploring a separate storytelling app. Our team needed upwards of 75 templates to be designed to make our product competitive. We hired them to get those templates done.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project needed templates that were outside the scope of traditional app design. For instance, they needed to have detailed, beautiful backgrounds with patterns and gradients. The idea was to beautify the templates similar to how one would present themself on a visual social media platform. While my co-founder and I have experience designing app components, we have less expertise in the more artistic realm of design. 

They took our artistic design needs and formatting requirements and designed the templates for them. We started with a general outline, and they took the project from there. The final app is for iOS. 

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with a manager, a lead designer, and an additional contributing designer.

How did you come to work with Eleken?

We found them on a web platform while searching for design help for an initial version of our MVP. Ever since we’ve kept up a working relationship with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2020 and wrapped up in a few weeks.

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

In our most recent project, we’re still in the testing phase and haven’t launched yet. Qualitatively, those who have seen the templates have really enjoyed them. 

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been responsive over Slack, email, and Zoom calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s hard to beat the quality they offer for the price that they charge. They can create strong work at half the cost of similar design firms. For that reason, they’re great for startups that are on a tight budget.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d love for them to think about our projects with the entire scope in mind, not only for longer-term collaborations but for short-terms ones too.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and founder at Venue Genie. My job was to create a team to help me build an easy to use platform for event planners to find venues to plan their events.

For what projects/services did your company hire Eleken?

I had the idea in my mind to create the Airbnb of Event Space. I was looking for an agency that can help me create the perfect UX/UI for my clients.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a website design that was easy to use and also beautifully designed, which can be scaled easily. Event Planning is a very sensitive industry and finding the right partnership was very important.

How did you select this vendor?

I searched online within different platforms such as upwork, behance, and dribbble. We narrowed down our candidates to the top 10 UI/UX from all 3 platforms. We then interviewed them all until we were left with the top 3. The top 3 was very hard to decide on, but the customer service, attention to detail and the personal care Eleken's team had after our first interview we knew it was the best agency to work with.

Describe the project in detail.

There were a few stages in the project.

1 - branding the website

2 - the user experience

3 - designing the website in a way we can add different services easily as we grow.

From one meeting to the next the Elken team understood more and more my vision and with their experience and expertise was able to create what our team at Venue Genie call the perfect platform.

What was the team composition?

The team was composed of myself, users to give feedback of their user experience and a consultant that made sure we are heading in the right direction. On my end it was me, on their end they had 1 project manager, 1 senior designer and also 1 senior illustrator designer.

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

The UI/UX work was so amazing that we found it very easy to sign up and add venues to our website. Users came in and used the website much quicker than anticipated. Most of the time when a design is done a lot of changes are made during and after the launch. As you can tell on our website nothing has changed.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Since using this agency was one of the first things on my to-do list when building this start-up, I found it super easy to communicate and didn't have to worry once on any missed information. We used communication tools such as slack, skype and invision. It was perfectly executed. Thank you Ilya.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I loved how experienced the team was and also how fast they worked. We had amazing chemistry that we would go back and forth very smoothly and the talent in that agency is absolutely amazing wow! In my entire start-up process, I think I enjoyed working with them the most.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The answer is no. Why do I say that because the Eleken team have studied very well what clients look for in order to make sure the client is always happy and make sure the client aims for success.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CMO of a digital marketing company. We collaborate with other companies and guide them with all aspects related to SEO, growth, and content marketing.

For what projects/services did your company hire Eleken?

TextMagic is a business SMS company that has been providing services globally since 2001. We want to launch a new product line that will also change the architecture of the site. The challenge was to refresh a stale design, make it look more modern, while keeping the identity of the old site, its navigational structure, and its current SERP rankings. Furthermore, the new design had to feel familiar for returning customers, but also attractive enough for new clients.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to find the best way to integrate the new tools into the site's current architecture and refresh the design, without making major changes that would negatively impact our users, conversion rates, and SEO.

How did you select this vendor?

From previous projects and through recommendations.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected this vendor, we had a few calls regarding our project. We discussed the current website, its products, and architecture. We also discussed the new tools that are being made and how they would be implemented on the current website. I shared a sitemap, research, landing page content, and several mockups with the Eleken team. After that, we began the ideation and wire framing phase. In total, we created two design versions for the website: one that is extremely close to the current design in terms of colors, typography, and icons. For this we created multiple pages. We also created a more modern and updated design for the website that included all the design blocks we would need.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a designer and a project manager. I only discussed with the designer, who was extremely responsive and receptive to my feedback.

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

Both design versions were well received by our team. We have not implemented them on the live site yet, but the design version that is closer to our current design was also delivered with a "style guide." Although the changes aren't major, we consider that as a huge plus because we can make site-wide adjustments to the design without having to manually update every type of page and without negatively impacting our current SEO performance and conversion rates. Furthermore, both designs that were submitted were designed in the same design style as our tools, so they will provide a cohesive experience to our users.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The designer assigned to this project was easy to communicate with and extremely effective. We scheduled calls easily, the designer had a very good understanding of the project, and provided updates extremely fast.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their knowledge of our company and their ability to adapt to our requirements.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is always room for improvement, so I would add that, in my opinion, the best companies do nothing at random when it comes to design and branding. Every design choice has a purpose and no shape is randomly added.

Since I am not a designer, I cannot envision some elements, and I would have loved to understand the reason behind some of the design choices. That being said, we are very satisfied with the final result.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Co-Founder and CTO of a Telecommunications company. We offer a PaaS Cloud Communications platform to Service Providers and IT Distributors.

For what projects/services did your company hire Eleken?

Eleken has been acting as our go-to 3rd party Design Studio for the UI/UX of our product from the start of our company, they have been responsible for all aspects of our product from Web Application Interfaces to Mobile Apps.

What were your goals for this project?

The B2B PBX market has been plagued by interfaces with poor user experience, our task for Eleken was to help us revolutionize the way SMBs manage their communications. Our product needed to be extremely easy to use, to allow the customer to manage its own reachability instead of relying on system administrators or third party support.

How did you select this vendor?

We searched dribbble and Behance for designers that fit our style. Eleken sprung out because of their previous works and strong visions.

Describe the project in detail.

As this was an ongoing project, with continuous work on improvements, features and new products, Eleken was seamlessly included in our own project management processes. We would provide them with the details needed for discovery upon which they would come with a first mockup.

After several revisions they would provide us with the final designs and guidelines. During the implementation of the UIs we would keep them actively involved to verify if the implementation was according to design and discuss any changes that may have been required.

What was the team composition?

When we started out Eleken was just a one-man-show, and we've seen them grow year after year. The founder has always remained our main point of contact, whilst a group of designers did the work behind the screens.

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

Our product has grown to one of the main players in our home market, as well as showing good growth abroad. The feedback on the ease of use of our interfaces is always positive, and to this day remains one of our main selling points.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were always able to easily communicate over Skype and Slack. To dive deep into discovery we were also able to frequently have in-person meetings at our own R&D offices in Kyiv. We were being kept up to date on time estimations and project planning to make sure our schedules aligned.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Eleken never ceased to impress us with their amazing designs and nifty solutions to make a complex task easy for the user.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Over years of working together some minor issues can always prop up, but those issues were always resolved quickly. I see no major areas of improvements.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the lead experience designer at a UX design firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

We were looking for help with the UI of our company website

What was the scope of their involvement?

Eleken provided UI designs for our brand new site. We had written the content ourselves and done the UX work. After providing them with wireframes and a number of sites that we liked the look and feel of, they ran with it and came up with some concepts for us. We chose the one we liked the best and worked with them to refine it. Eventually, they delivered the final designs to us for implementation. They have recently done a few minor refinements or updates that we’ve asked for.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we had one point of contact in the form of our project manager, but as the project went on, we began working directly with the designer. That process worked well for us because we understood what was required for the design phase.

How did you come to work with Eleken?

We were referred to Eleken from an acquaintance of ours that had worked with them in the past after putting out feelers to various people we trust. Once we reviewed their site and had an introductory phone call with them, we determined they would be the best partner for us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested about $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement ran from June–August 2019.

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

While the site has not yet launched, it was a pleasure to work with Eleken. They were very responsive and extremely adept at UI design. Their team can take a concept and really run with it. 

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

Eleken was great at meeting deadlines. Our ultimate deadline was a bit loose, but they communicated with us on a daily basis. If there was gonna be a two or three-day lag because they needed some time to work on a task, they were very clear about that. Our teams communicated over Trello and through comments and Sigma to refine the design.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Eleken has an understanding of modern design aesthetic and they tailor that to a client’s needs. If the client wants something more basic and less experimental, they can do that, but they can also do edgy designs as well. They are also very thoughtful about the mobile experience first, which is crucial for a lot of businesses.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing I would suggest is that they involve the client in their internal review process It’d be interesting to see them sort of experience with that. I don’t know if they’re doing that internally, but it wasn’t shown to us. They may have been doing it, but we would have liked to see it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The thing that worked best for us is that we were explicit with handing over wireframes. We already knew what we wanted and were very particular about the design direction they should go. Providing them with guidance helps the design team give you the best results possible.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner at a product studio that designs and builds digital products. We work on strategy, business development, planning, and more.

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

We hired Eleken for UI design on various projects.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Some projects have wireframes, but every project has a Google Doc that goes over the product overview. The document outlines the product, what the client is trying to achieve, references to other websites they like. It also has a list of tasks or phases needed during the project. For example, it could say that a module needs to be developed or three concepts related to its homepage design.

For each engagement, the document is clear about the tasks that Eleken’s team needs to accomplish. For deliverables, their team provides page designs done through Sketch or Sigma.

What is the team composition?

There was a project manager who dealt with the project at a high level. For the most part, my interactions are with a designer.

How did you come to work with Eleken?

I believe I found them after working with a development firm based in Ukraine. Because of the successful relationship I had with them, I started looking for design shops.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we’ve invested between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Eleken started in 2015.

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

We work together as projects come up. They’re proactive to situations. We’ve received great feedback from our clients that have worked with Eleken. They’ve either hired us again or referred us to their own clients.

The designers were thoughtful whenever I presented new or interesting ideas. Their work was quality, always within the requirements that I outlined. We’ve used a number of their designs as a reference when pitching new clients, which we’ve won over. We’ve been successful in obtaining new work because of Eleken.

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they perform well. Having a main designer to talk with worked well because of my design and development background.

They were responsive to the way I outlined the projects. They were also good at making updates when requested. Their organizational approach when it comes to the project and its deliverables is top-notch. We mainly use Trello for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team was knowledgeable about the current design techniques. When we let them know that they have free rein, I’m always impressed with what they come up with. They’re also able to abide by what the client wants. If I go to them with a new project and say that I want a modern look, their team can do that. The team at Eleken understands the current design aesthetic while producing something scalable for mobile and desktop.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There is an almost 11-hour time difference. It would be helpful if they worked more hours that coincide with mine. I’m willing to wake up early and overlap with them. There’s a 24-hour turnaround window. It would be nice if they worked up until noon my time, for instance.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

First, clients need to outline the project and what’s required clearly. Then, let them know if they need to follow a specific aesthetic or can have free rein. You can give them sites to reference, so they have a better idea of what you’re looking for.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder and CEO of Wavecut, an internet and technology startup. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

My co-founder and I have some design background, but we’re not designers by trade. We felt that we needed a strong design team to take our product to the next level.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Eleken designed our mobile app. The app is a voice-based social app that records a user and allows them to add emojis or change their voice using creative filters. It required a lot of design assets. Their team designed the app from scratch, providing us with wireframes.

Through a daily video call, our team worked closely with their designers. We went through the constraints and allowed them some creative expression. Every day we would go over the work from the previous day and iterate from there. Their team provided design and typography work within the brand’s design style. Eleken also provided UI components for the app.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one administrative person and two designers from Eleken.

How did you come to work with Eleken?

We looked for designers on the internet. After having conversations with a few other design firms, we took a look at Eleken’s portfolio and decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested about $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Eleken took place in March 2019.

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

Our app is currently live on the App Store and was featured by Apple in two prominent locations. They are well known for their design and them picking out our app to feature is a good way to determine the quality of Elenken’s work.

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

Elenken is very amenable to feedback. Their team interacted with us daily via video call and provided us with updates and comments. They were easily able to plug into our framework.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were great from a cost-benefit perspective. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be helpful if they could institute an improved payment system, such as Stripe or Bitcoin.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you are open to collaborating on the design, they have talented designers that can help you achieve that. I was very happy with our process of us giving them inspiration and general guidelines and them bringing that to reality.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of marketing and design and CoderByBlood. We're a software development company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

We were releasing a new product that is a private online diary or journal, and we needed a vendor to help us develop it.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They managed the entire process from helping us develop the concept to creating a website and making sure everything works the way we wanted. They also designed the look of the website, created our company logo and the product logo, and helped us with branding. They continue to update and maintain the website.

What is the team composition?

We mostly work through a project manager, but we've also had contact with their technical lead and the design team.

How did you come to work with Eleken?

The relationship had started before I joined the company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in summer 2017, and the relationship is ongoing.

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

Our internal team is happy with the logo design, and we got very good feedback from those people who have seen the product. Eleken is as invested in the success of our product as we are. We could rely on them to get it ready for launch.

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

They've never missed a deadline. We use Jira and Microsoft Teams to manage the project, and they've been very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their work is very high, and their prices are reasonable. Also, they're very organized, so they've helped us keep the project on track.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Many of them are not native English speakers, so sometimes we have to edit the copy to make it flow a little better. However, they're very open to feedback and willing to make changes when we ask them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear idea of what you want when you go into the project. Some of our delays were caused by us getting the product the way we asked for and then realizing that wasn't what we really wanted.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the managing partner of an SSO solutions provider.

What challenge were you trying to address with Eleken?

We didn’t have any mobile apps which we would use for authentication purposes during sign-on, and we didn’t have that expertise in-house.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a mobile application for both Android and iOS platforms that supported multi-factor authentication purposes. We came up with the design on our end. It provided push authentication as well as time-based one-time password (TOTP) authentication. They also integrated the app with the Apple watch and made enhancements to the product.

What is the team composition?

I only worked with Roman (Frontend Developer, Eleken), who shared the information with their developers and testers.

How did you come to work with Eleken?

We had reached out to a couple of development companies. The first one we were going to go with came in with a reasonable estimate, but when we started our discussions, it turned out that wasn’t really the estimate. Eleken was the next company we reached out to and they have been good. They met the timelines and were accurate on cost and timeframes for each phase.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them on this project from December 2016–March 2017. They have been doing different phases of the application since that time.

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

Their delivery of a stable solution in a timely manner was very helpful to us. It ticks off another box when clients are looking at someone that is in our space. We typically get good feedback from users.

The app is rather simplistic and it doesn’t have to do a lot. There are some key features related to authentication, but there aren’t a lot of moving parts, so there haven’t been a lot of issues.

How did Eleken perform from a project management standpoint?

They have been very good. When we pushed out the app, some users were having issues, but they jumped right in and worked with us to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

We mostly used email and phone calls to communicate. As we typically supply them with the design of exactly what we want, they take care of the development and give us a timeframe for delivery.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Roman has been very responsive. He delivered what he promised to deliver and delivered on time. It has been a good relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I couldn’t ask for anything better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It is important to define your requirements. If you want to get exactly what you asked for without any surprises, mark everything down in a document detailing exactly how you want it. When things are vague, it leads to misunderstandings and misinterpretations and then it takes further iterations to get what you actually want.