Embacy

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the VP of growth for an anime and manga marketplace platform. We're located in Hong Kong.

What challenge were you trying to address with Embacy?

We worked with Embacy to create our main marketing site. Our business is techology-driven, so we have our own development team, but they were focusing on developing our app and setting up our marketplace. Embacy helped us craft the message for our brand and redesign our entire marketing site for our company.

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the start, we had three different concepts, and we went down the rabbit hole with one of them. Embacy helped us craft a visual identity and a visual design. We had a vision in mind when it came to the design, but we didn’t know exactly what kind of aesthetic would represent the look we wanted. We also had a mood board and our own creative director, but we didn’t have the technical knowledge to create a UI ourselves.

They provided two services: first and foremost was a web design for our marketing site. On top of that, we had a few sessions discussing how we could visually represent our brand. This required us to work with designers, creative directors, and a project manager. The second part of it was the actual production. The whole process took around 2–3 months from the moment we started working on the project to the moment they delivered the project.

We mostly used Figma for the design phase and Webflow for the production. We also used a little bit of Loom for tutorial and training videos at the end of the project for our stuff.

What is the team composition?

I would say there were 4–6 people that worked with us. For the design part, we always had one project manager and one designer. There was an extra person in some meetings who acted an advisor. for the production phase, we were in contact with the project manager but weren’t really interacting with the developer. Besides the design and production phase, there was the entire business phase; and at the very beginning —before the quotation — there were two additional resources and an account manager. 

How did you come to work with Embacy?

We found them through the Webflow directory, as we knew that our website was going to be hosted on Webflow. Embacy recurred throughout the list, so we decided to approach them with the goal of building our marketing website.

How much have you invested in them?

I think we spent between $25,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from April –May 2022.

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

We truly wanted the UI guidelines, as we were developing an in-house app on our side that was going to leverage that UI. They delivered what we asked of them, which was three pages plus two extra pages linked to a collection list in Webflow. They delivered everything that we asked for.

How did Embacy perform from a project management standpoint?

I think the design phase was really good. The project management in that phase was outstanding and precise. We went a little beyond the initial budget, but everything was clearly communicated to us. We kept all the communication going through email and Google Meet.

I think the project management lacked a little bit in the production phase compared to the design phase. It wasn’t as precise or as clear when it came to the delay that we eventually had. We assumed that the two units didn’t talk to each other, and when the production went into developing the site, it took a little longer than expected.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a clear portfolio and history of successful projects that have a nice look, design, and layout. They also have good ratings, and that is what we looked at when we chose them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The production phase could have been improved. I was quite happy with what we came up with and was particularly impressed by the speed of the design process. Embacy churned out many different variations, but the production side wasn’t as outstanding. Not to say that it was bad, but they could definitely improve in that area.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that the timeline stays the same or at least adheres closely to the schedule in the original proposal. In particular, it's important to make sure that there are frequent check-ins between the design and production teams because that is where we found issues. We really feel that the design and production teams didn’t talk, so when we got to the production, they said it was fairly complex and that it would take longer than we expected. We were under the assumption that the two teams were talking to each other consistently, and if anything, they should have let us know the true timeline beforehand. My suggestion to other companies would be to make sure that while you are in the design phase, you ask Embacy to check in on the production team to make sure that the timeline doesn’t get delayed.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a cryptocurrency firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with Embacy?

We needed help with branding and website design and development.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Embacy created our site from scratch; they used Sigma to design it and Webflow to build it. It’s a basic site with a home page and other text tabs — it’s mainly an informational platform. 

For the branding portion of the engagement, they came up with everything, including colors, logo design, a brand guideline package, and a presentation template.

In addition to the prior, they also did animation work; the site has custom web animation built-in, which was a very difficult task, but they did a great job with it.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two project managers from their team.

How did you come to work with Embacy?

I found them on a web development awards site.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $25,000 with them on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–April 2022.

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

Since they were familiar with the cryptocurrency industry, they understood my audience well, which made everything a straightforward process. I was very pleased with their exceptional job, and I have no complaints.

How did Embacy perform from a project management standpoint?

They stayed on budget and met our deadlines. They also had a professional project management process, so everything was seamless. Regarding tools, we used email and Zoom for weekly meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I gave them very little direction, and they knocked it out of the park.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — they did an amazing job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend people working with them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Nuanu is a city of the future. It is an international project aimed at establishing and reconsidering many aspects of people’s urban lives through the latest technology and innovation. In Nuanu I am responsible for brand and digital product development.

For what projects/services did your company hire Embacy, and what were your goals?

Together we worked in two directions, the first one was to create a brand identity for an umbrella brand, the second one - to develop a website.

How did you select this vendor?

It is not our first time working with Embacy, so I had no doubt we would get a great result by the given deadline.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Regarding brand identity the goal was to work out a foundation for a universal brand book to be later used for other brand-related projects. At the very beginning of the project we had only the key points that had to be converted into visual language. We wanted this language to reflect the idea that our project is international, scientific and sustainable. It was significant for the new visual language to show our core ideas: the connection of man with nature and principles of harmony. While working on branding it was important to both work out brand triggers and make them work well together in a brandook.

The challenging task was to combine technical elements with numerous images of nature and architecture. In addition, it was important to see how the new brand identity may work in both digital and physical worlds. Since Nuanu project is a city, it should be seen as a set of projects and related areas, each of which will be branded in the future to be part of this complex system. That’s why the brandbook had several separate functional areas that lay the groundwork for future branding. I believe this task is done well because now we have brand triggers for separate areas of our project that can surely work together.

As for the website, our goal here was to raise awareness about us, i.e., to explain who we are and what we do. And to show that the project has a strong innovative and scientific background.

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

My main point of contact were Maria as project manager and Polina as main designer, but the overall team working on the project was quite extensive, form lead designer to producer. There was a certain synergy when we work together, complementing each other with ideas. I really enjoyed how the project manager kept me informed, helped to keep track of the timing and got priorities straight. After all, prioritisation of the tasks is a great solution.

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

I can say that the project with Embacy is a success: we’ve started to use the new brand identity on different media and it perfectly suits Nuanu without limiting us. The new brand identity is truly recognisable due to the color palette and gradients. And it reflects Nuanu’s deep connection to local culture. The new identity gives a huge field for project scaling e.g. gradients can be used in a number of ways. One more thing that makes the project successful is a wow effect that it had in our team. Completely new level. From my perspective I can say that the team managed to combine technology with nature and all the architecture integrated into it.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The workflow between us was quite effective. Agreeing on the project with Embacy I knew that it would require permanent involvement from my side. And though it might be challenging, permanent involvement is a necessary condition for effective communication and meeting the deadline. You just need to plan your time properly. I also think that Embacy and our team speak the same language. This allowed us to finish the project on time. Plus we have similar work values and views on how to achieve a great result. I have never had such an effective partner as Embacy.

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

The thing that impressed me most is that we met each other halfway when the financial crisis erupted. We optimized costs in such a way that quality and amount of work were not affected because of the budget cuts. One more impressive thing is that you always feel inspired after the calls with Embacy.

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

Since the work pace was so high, some information could get lost in the mail sometimes. But it wasn’t a big deal.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CMO at Slash.com— the first app in the world for creating unique discounts, which used to be exclusively a retailers’ privilege. Slash allows lowering the prices for all goods and services of our partners, among which are: Booking.com, AliExpress, eBay, Udemy, The Body Shop, Converse, and many more.

For what projects/services did your company hire Embacy, and what were your goals?

We needed to create a brand identity, UI kit and website design that would perfectly fit Slash.

How did you select this vendor?

There were several reasons: our colleague’s recommendation, outstanding projects portfolio and excellent reviews from clients.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Upon completion of the project, we received a style guide including branding materials, UI kit, web design and Webflow development for our new website.

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

The team working on the project was quite extensive, but the main points of contact were Denis and Daniel (project managers) and Anastasia and Margarita (design).

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

The majority of our team as well as our partners think highly of our new brand identity. The perception of a broader audience is yet to be discovered since we are only at the beginning of our journey.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We worked really well together — it felt like we were one team and had our own common vibe. This is very valuable. But also I want to point out how attentive the team was to our feedback and requests. I think we were a rather complex project for Embacy but at the same time a relatively simple client. In my opinion, the project went very smoothly.

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

All the processes are really well-structured, I was Impressed. I used to work at agencies myself before, so I know what I’m talking about.

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

Yes, I think there is some room for improvement in terms of web development.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a performance marketing agency that helps companies to acquire more customers from digital advertising. My role is CEO/Founder.

For what projects/services did your company hire Embacy?

We worked with Embacy to improve our branding and web design.

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

Our goal was to have a more professional web design and branding that will allow us to acquire more high-ticket customers.

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

For our project, we decided to start with the branding in order to set strong foundations and then move with web design. Our team is pretty confident that the new design of the website will convert better and help our company to scale much faster. We are very impressed with the different versions that the Embacy team was able to create so we could have a variety of options to choose how our branding and web design will look like.

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

The team composition was with so many people that I am not really sure of their specific role but I would say a few people were working on our project with experience on how to craft flawless design. I'm very happy with the project managers I've worked with - Amalia & Karina, both are doing great!

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

I would say the design is truly impressive and I believe in our space we are having one of the best websites & branding after working with Embacy.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their team was super talented. No delays on calls, clear agenda on what we will be speaking about.

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

What is more impressive is the process and how invested the whole team was in our project. It's very difficult for an agency to build a process that works on a high level but this is something we saw that the Embacy team has nailed. Good job!

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

I'm not sure if there was an area for improvement, pretty much everything was on point with our project.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Co-Founder & Head of Product

For what projects/services did your company hire Embacy, and what were your goals?

We hired Embacy to overhaul (and create) our brand identity. We wanted something which would appeal to a large audience, but showcase our uniqueness as a brand - while staying true to our core values.

How did you select this vendor?

We compared a number of companies but ultimately chose Embacy through a referral from one of our partners. Many design company portfolios tend to look homogenous. With Embacy, that was far from the case - it was clear that each brand they took on was assessed individually in order to create clever & unique designs. They described themselves as the perfect firm to create unicorn brands and based on the results we'd have to agree.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

They started by interviewing our team in depth. We went over everything from the business itself, to our core values as a team, to our aspirations for the future - and even our personal inspirations. Next we discussed in broad strokes existing designs that we liked, and shared with their team different inspiration images and brands for comparison. Embacy took this information, analyzed our competitors & the space, and iteratively prepared for us a brand vision and three potential directions for our re-design. We focused on one direction and spent several weeks reviewing new designs and refinements until we had our finished product - new logos, a brandbook, a pitchdeck, SEO images, and a preliminary website re-design.

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

We worked with two or three members from Embacy's team - but time was spent chiefly with their Project Manager and their Designer.

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

Embacy were absolute rockstars. They analyzed the market to find a visual niche, developed an illustration-based concept with supporting graphic elements, designed for us a universe with illustrative metaphors, created dynamic key visuals for our website & branding, developed headshot graphics for the team, and created a brand-book with associated mock-ups. We started with a loose set of ideas and ended with a concrete brand that we can carry forward for the rest of the business.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We met with Embacy weekly, primarily leveraging Figma and email to view and iterate on designs. Timelines were clear with upfront projections on what was to be accomplished week over week. Though we needed a few extra weeks to finish the deliverables, the team was transparent about the work and fees needed and had the bandwidth to accommodate the stretched timelines.

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

Embacy has an incredible ability to turn loose feedback and rough ideas into compelling, unique designs that resonate with the core needs of the project. It's often difficult as customers to describe exactly what it is that we're looking for. They were talented and experienced at reading between the lines and turning our rough visions into pleasing realities. This coupled with the low cost and quick response times left us very impressed.

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

It felt that 1-2 extra weeks to refine the design were somewhat inevitable given the scope and the way the project was laid out at the beginning. I'm unsure if it's often the case that a few extra weeks are needed - but if so it might be helpful to factor that into the initial estimate.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Managing Partner & COO of Nexio Projects. Nexio Projects is an international sustainability consulting firm based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

For what projects/services did your company hire Embacy, and what were your goals?

We approached Embacy for a new brand identity and web design that would reflect our mission to guide organisations through their sustainability journey and support them in transitioning from compliance to purpose.

How did you select this vendor?

We chose Embacy out of a pool of 10+ branding agencies and web designers. We finally opted for Embacy due to their highly organised and professional approach as well as their 'out of the box' mentality and innovative spirit.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Embacy started early in gathering as much data from our side as possible to understand our offering, our values and overall DNA. Next, they conducted a market scan and went through 3 iterations to give space for feedback and choose an overall brand direction. The team delivered a fully updated brand identity as well as a design for a new website.

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

We worked with two different teams for the rebranding and the web design stages, including a project manager and support design teams for each.

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

We are very happy with the result as both employees feel stronger connection to our brand and our unique DNA and our customers complement the clarity, consistency and professionalism of final deliverables in the new branding.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Project managers were incredibly responsive, and communicated clear and detailed notes from our weekly meetings per email. Continuous collaboration on Figma also made our work very streamlined.

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

We appreciated Embacy's ability and willingness to test and trial ideas based on feedback from our team. Their dedication to develop a brand identity that was unique and that truly reflected who we are as a company was also exactly what we were looking for.

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

Perhaps some more time could have gone into developing a deeper understanding of the context and sector we operate in.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Malaa is a FinTech company that operates in the MENA region, we develop data-driven products that support financial decision-making across saving, lending, and investing. I am the co-founder and chief strategy officer and I oversee strategy, finance, and growth at Malaa

For what projects/services did your company hire Embacy, and what were your goals?

We engaged Embacy in branding and website design and implementation scope.

How did you select this vendor?

We have drafted a simple RFP and started reaching out to agencies. We stumbled upon Embacy through their expert Webflow directory and reach them out through Webflow forms.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

The project is divided into two stages (branding and web design respectively). The branding exercise kicked off and included three steps starting with the research and understanding Malaa segments and brand pyramid overall. Then, we started the visual part and we received three different visuals and we have selected a unique direction that is most friendly with the desired brand architecture. After that, we have refined the final brand direction and received the brand book. Finally, the Web design stage started and we have defined the site map and agreed on low-fi designs. Then, we approved the hi-fi designs in Figma and received the final implementation on a Webflow.

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

We have worked with many professionals from Embacy side, to name a few (Denis, Asya, Anton, Banu, Amalia, Nikita, and others), from Malaa side it was only founders (Faisal & Ali).

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

We have not launched yet, awaiting regulatory approval. But, we received many compliments (online and offline) on the brand identity and the website.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

It was fantastic — we faced minor issues with translation but everything worked well in the end.

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

We were impressed by how original and creative they were.

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

Branding side (a little brand strategy incorporation can be very beneficial for better outcomes, the current branding process is conceptually driven rather than strategic.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner and Managing Director of The Cornerstone Advisory. The Cornerstone Advisory is a business advisory based in the UAE designed for forward-thinking CEOs and Leaders, helping their businesses by crafting resilience through innovative solutions.

Our differentiator is that we address the whole of business problems from a strategy alignment, people and process perspective, delivered through practical solutions that add real impact.

For what projects/services did your company hire Embacy, and what were your goals?

Embacy was hired to develop our brand identity which was then confirmed through a style guide and formats created for different mediums including presentations, reports and social media samples. Embacy was also hired to design and develop TCA’s first website in line with branding.

The key aims were to have a unique brand that could readily be applied to different contexts and formats. And to have a simple, effective and dynamic website that serves to inform and engage both existing and new customers.

How did you select this vendor?

Embacy was selected mainly for its collaborative yet intensive working style; keeping clients informed yet accountable through sprints made it easier from a deadline perspective. Their working style became evident through the review and negotiation stages, so it was clear for us from the start how they structure the process. Even though they were more expensive than other contenders, it was this and their practicality that won us over.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Embacy worked in two sets of four-week sprints on each project and a 2-week sprint on website production.

Brand identity:

• 1st week: a review of competitors, discussion of design references, dive into TCA and the market, develop a brand message, work on the ideas/concept metaphors for the brand and create 3 main concept metaphors.
• 2nd week: finalise and present 3 concept metaphors for selection
• 3rd week: develop the style and create the deliverables
• 4th week: brand book development and presentation

Website design:

• 1st week: dive into the product, benchmark competitors and create a sitemap. Create a prototype for the main page and create 3 styles.
• 2nd week: develop and select the style directions. Finalise homepage design.
• 3rd week: design the Services page, the Why choose us page and the About Us page
• 4th week: Design Our Insights and Talk To Us pages, create adaptive versions for mobile and the UI kit and prepare the pages for Webflow production.

Website development: 2 weeks development, shared site for testing and review. All comments were resolved within 4 weeks.

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

Both teams were led by a separate Project Manager; the branding team had a design director and supporting staff. The web design team was overseen by two PMs and supporting staff. Production led by production lead.

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

The brand identity looks fantastic. The team articulated the various and at times opposing ideas into a great look and feel for the brand. This has translated well in online mediums such as the website and the initial look of social media channels (although these are yet to fully launch at the time of writing this review). The website also fulfils its objectives; the brand identity is well-used – it is simple yet dynamic and different from typical management consultancy websites.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The structure of communication was particularly effective during the branding stage of the project; the team was proactive and responsive. They had clear objectives for every session, and they were on top of their PM and design game – every query was dealt with effectively. They reviewed requests/comments/ideas, they effectively considered what would work and what wouldn’t work, they found alternatives that worked better. This was a complete dream team – Denis and Anastasia were brilliant.

The web design team was structured the same way and discussions were productive. At times, they didn’t always hear what was being requested and didn’t respond with solutions. We had an intervention in the second week where this communication barrier was understood and predominantly resolved through the rest of the project. Web production: Nikita was a star. He delivered with minimal interaction as this was a conversion of the design into Webflow and when it was time to review, he responded quickly and got things done.

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

We like their working style and output. They delivered and kept us accountable.

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

I suggest that they also translate designs into the non-Figma form so that they can be effectively utilised elsewhere. This was really difficult for PPT presentations as we have a number of existing files we would have liked to adapt but we either had to put more effort in to get them into Figma format, or more effort to get the Figma designs into PPT format. The web design team could have been more effective by addressing queries, as I sometimes had followed them up with some queries. Probably this was so palpable in contrast to the Branding team, which had set the bar real high.

Please describe your company and your position there.

My name is Nadya Blau. Since April 2021, I have been working as Head of Tech Brand Development and Internal Communications for the Digital Tech department Magnit company. Magnit is the largest Russian retailer with the largest geographic presence.

Now our trading network has more than 22,000 retail outlets - Magnit, Magnit Cosmetic, Magnit Pharmacy and others. It is also the largest private employer in Russia, more than 300 thousand people are employed here. Inside Magnit there are more than 600 information systems and services, the technological stack includes more than 200 technologies, the number of employees in Tech teams is more than 3500 people

For what projects/services did your company hire Embacy?

Embacy was our partner in two tasks: the development of a brand book and a brand platform and the development of an HR website. After successful cooperation, we engaged the Embaсy team to develop the concept of corporate merch.

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

For us, it was important that the partner be set up for the result at a limited time, just like us. Embacy team moved at high speed, showed interest in quality solutions and ensured 100% project transparency. Figma of our project was available to us from the first step. One of the most important criteria is scalability and easy support of the created base of both branding and website.

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

The project began with a detailed task brief and a definition of the scope of work. In the first week, together with the agency, we reviewed the UVP of the Magnit brand and collected the positioning of our competitors. In the second week, the Embacy team developed 3 concepts, then we chose one on the basis of which the brand book was developed. The fourth and fifth weeks were devoted to the development of the website.

Then the website was launched. After a while, we returned to Embacy with the website backlog to develop new pages. Embacy adjusted to our limitations each time - due to remote work, our teams have a meagre photo bank of professional photos. These are mainly photos taken with a phone. We made it our feature - no photos from photo banks.

A separate project was the development of merch. Here we also thought out 3 concepts and checked each step with production, so that the creative could be guaranteed to be embodied in a physical medium. In three weeks, we finalised layouts for five mediums.

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

We worked with the project manager, design and web teams - 4-5 people all in all.

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

As a result of the project, we were able to launch not only a website but also our own blog on habr.com, emailing and a Telegram channel. The number of responses from candidates has increased, which we receive not through cold searches and agencies. Our speakers perform at IT conferences with a recognisable presentation style.

The website has become a source of relevant and reliable information for everyone who talks about vacancies in the Digital and Tech teams of Magnit

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was 100% effective. Guys are ready to work as one team with the client, they always think about how to solve the problem and are ready to help 24/7.

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

The speed of delivery of the result, the quality of the solution and communications, clear and transparent pricing

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

Embacy works only with Webflow, but paying for an account there is difficult for a public Russian company. And another limitation - it is not possible to make integration with our internal CRM systems. Therefore, we began to develop our own backend - while we are doing it, our vacancies will be processed on the website in a manual mode.