Essential Designs

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the General Manager of RENOVA Homes & Renovations

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Renova is an award winning building & renovation company driven by quality and professionalism. We've been building and renovating homes for Calgarians for the past 30 years. We pride ourselves on setting and meeting the expectations of our customers so they can enjoy their homes for many years to come.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Essential Designs to accomplish?

• We needed to transition from our outdated CRM & CPQ system to a modern solution that improved efficiency and streamlined our operations.

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

Referral

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Essential Designs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Essential Designs handled every aspect of the migration, ensuring data integrity and developing custom software tailored to our needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Completed project ahead of schedule
• 100% fulfillment of our requirements
• Fast turnaround on requested changes
• Minimal disruption during the transition
• Significant productivity gains post-implementation

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

They managed the project exceptionally well, delivering everything on time and responding quickly to any requests.

What was your primary form of communication with Essential Designs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their efficiency, attention to detail, and ability to adapt to our needs set them apart. They kept us informed at every stage and executed flawlessly.

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

If anything, a more detailed user guide for our team would have made onboarding even easier.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Vancouver Island HeartBeatz

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Vancouver Island App is your direct link to the businesses, events, and awesome places to visit on Vancouver Island.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Essential Designs to accomplish?

• To develope an App that would encourage travelers to visit the communities and businesses of Vancouver Island.
• To make the App interactive with a gamified aspect where users can earn points.

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Company values aligned
• The communication was excellent.

How many teammates from Essential Designs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The App development was to include the communities of Vancouver Island, and the businesses and locations visitors would want to visit. To make the App unique from other options, it needed to have a gamified aspect that would encourage visitors to travel to those communities, and to stop in and visit the businesses. As well, the backend admin panel needed to have the ability to use the data for creating valuable insights to the business owners.

The Vancouver Island App is free for users to explore, and to plan their travels on Vancouver Island.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There were quite a few milestones identified throughout the project. Each was documented and completion status was updated to completion. 

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

The project management was excellent and timely. The communication worked out really well, and at all times the communication was respectful. My emails were answered efficiently.

What was your primary form of communication with Essential Designs?

Email or Messaging App

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

The Essential Designs team worked well together and seemed to want to make the best product for me.

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

Initially, trying to keep track of the emails was trying, but once I mentioned I was having difficulty, the team lead implemented a very effective alternative. I would recommend that that streamlined process is continued.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Skille

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Skille is a full-funnel growth marketing service agency

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Essential Designs to accomplish?

• I hired Essential Designs to create a user-friendly mobile app for my social media marketing company, Skille. Our main goals were to make it easier for users to engage with our platform, improve their overall experience, and seamlessly connect with different social media platforms.

SOLUTION

How did you find Essential Designs?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Essential Designs over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Essential Designs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Essential Designs took on the job of designing and developing the app. They worked on the look and feel of the app, made sure it worked well on the front and back ends, connected it with social media platforms, and tested it thoroughly to fix any issues. 

They also provided ongoing support to help us after the app was launched. The main things they delivered were an app that was easy to use, looked good, connected with social media platforms smoothly, and had tools to manage marketing campaigns efficiently.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with Essential Designs brought us positive results. We saw more people using our app and staying engaged with it. Our marketing campaigns performed better, and users gave positive feedback about the app's user experience.

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

Essential Designs managed the project well, delivering everything on time and being responsive to our needs

What was your primary form of communication with Essential Designs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What impressed me the most about them was their expertise and dedication to delivering high-quality work. However, there is room for improvement in terms of providing clearer instructions for post-launch support.

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

Essential designs were very impressive, their understanding and execution of the project was top class. They were fantastic!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and owner of a company that provides temporary and permanent staffing solutions to different industries in North America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Essential Designs?

Our company had developed a manual recruitment process, and we needed to automate it into a robust web-based platform and mobile application. We don’t have a development team, so I reached out to Essential Designs to help us with the software’s design and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Essential Designs has designed and developed our web and mobile applications. I initially created workflows of our recruitment process and brief details of how I wanted the UI to look like. I used Microsoft Publisher to create sketches to give Essential Designs an idea of what I wanted. 

During the design phase, Essential Designs used Figma to produce the app’s design and to collect our team’s feedback. Our platform is a database that matches candidates with job opportunities. Clients create job postings, and the platform has a search algorithm that matches candidates based on the role and location. Then, the platform sends a push notification to the candidate’s mobile device, who can declare their interest in the position right there. If the candidate is interested, the client receives a notification to review the candidate’s profile. 

Essential Designs has developed a beta version of our platform and is close to launching it. The mobile app works for Android and iOS devices, and I just signed a three-year contract with Essential Designs for continuous software development, technical support, and maintenance services. I have a 24 hours coverage if there are any technical issues with the platform.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with a team of 12–15 specialists from Essential Designs. A project manager and an account manager are assigned to my project, as well as a web and mobile development team.

How did you come to work with Essential Designs?

I started searching for companies in September 2022 when my company decided to develop our platform. I wanted to work with a Canadian company that wasn’t very large, so I created a list of candidates. I wanted to cultivate a partnership relationship instead of a client-based relationship, and that’s why I chose Essential Designs. 

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested $150,000 CAD (approximately $112,000 USD) with Essential Designs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Essential Designs in November 2022, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Essential Designs developed a beta version of the platform, which we showed to our current client base and potential clients, and we’ve received nothing but positive feedback. Our clients are pleased with the platform’s design, functionalities, and UI. 

How did Essential Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

We set the project’s budget at the beginning of the project with delivery dates associated with it, and Essential Designs is four weeks ahead of schedule. Essential Designs makes sure to have my approval before they start working. They’re clear about the budget and provide time estimates. I’ve never felt Essential Designs adds time to increase the project’s budget. Essential Designs’ development process has been very transparent. 

Essential Designs’ project manager is responsive to my questions and considerate of our three hours time difference. They adapt to my business hours and never book a meeting early in the morning or late at night.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for Essential Designs to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have as much preparation for your project as possible before you engage with Essential Designs. The more preparation you have as a client, the better the process will be, and you can save time and money. I found that this was helpful to accelerate the process because I was prepared. I had a clear idea of every single functionality I wanted in the platform prior to starting the development process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a company that is developing an app, so I handle the operations on the back end.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Essential Designs?

Essential Designs is helping us develop our app — we work very closely with their team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Essential Designs is in charge of coding and putting together our app for us. We initially went through a discovery phase, where we discussed the app's idea, defining our needs and what features we required to be on it. After that, we did a full design process, where we designed the overall look and feel of the app, as well as its UX.

Now, we’re in the development phase. Essential Designs broke down and laid out all of the features that were going to be implemented into milestones. That way, we know when we can expect to see each feature, as they’ll become available at every milestone.

What is the team composition?

Luke (General Manager & Sales Director) was our initial main contact with Essential Designs. After that, we worked with two graphic designers on the UX and the overall app’s design. Lately, we’ve been working with 2–3 developers, but I think that a couple more of them are working on the back end, coding the app.

How did you come to work with Essential Designs?

We were looking around for many different developers in Vancouver, and we went into a discovery and introduction phase with some of them, including Essential Designs. I really enjoyed working with Luke. He was very knowledgeable, open, and transparent about everything, which was a good sign. Additionally, I had read their reviews on Clutch, and I got a good feeling about them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $100,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I really like Essential Designs’ work methodology because we can test each functionality and give feedback instead of testing everything at the end.

How did Essential Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m happy with the Essential Designs’ process. We interact with their lead developer, which is great, and we have a good system in place for staying in touch and communicating.

We haven’t been able to meet in person due to the pandemic, but it would be good if we could do that. Essential Designs actually had a COVID-19 outbreak, which delayed our project by four months. However, that was not their fault, and it was just an unfortunate incident.

Aside from the COVID-19 situation, they’ve been very consistent with their deadlines. Additionally, we’ve needed to add a few features, which has pushed things back. However, they’ve been very accurate with their estimates.

From a project management perspective, they get in touch with us whenever they need anything from our side, and they also get in touch as soon as a milestone becomes available. Essential Designs is also very easy to reach via direct messages.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Essential Designs’ communication skills are one of their strongest suits. Although I hadn’t worked with other developers in the past, I’ve heard complaints of people working with other developers, saying that they don’t hear about delays until they’re already happening. However, that doesn’t happen with Essential Designs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be good if their developers were more informed about what is requested during the design phase. As Essential Designs has separate teams for each project phase, we had to clear some things up when the development started.

Aside from that, I have no constructive feedback for them. Obviously, the delay wasn’t ideal, but we couldn’t plan around the pandemic.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep a constant stream of communication open. Although Luke is very involved in the actual coding and development process, he’s very easy to get in touch with. Thus, I recommend you stay in touch and check in with the developers and the rest of the team throughout the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an on-demand handyman services company, and I’m the owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Essential Designs?

We wanted a web application with easy and efficient booking services for our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built an app with a smooth UX. It also has a feature that collects information in a way that’s easy for me to distribute to my workers. Additionally, It has a very esthetically pleasing frontend interface that draws clients in and allows them to move them along the process smoothly and efficiently — which was our goal.

What is the team composition?

We worked with around 8–10 people. Our main point of contact was the owner, but there were also UI/UX designers and project managers.

How did you come to work with Essential Designs?

We worked with a few freelancers beforehand, but it didn’t work out so well in terms of skill and ability. We needed to get the business moving forward, and we came across with Essential Designs. I reached out to them, worked together on a couple of projects, and they were very engaged with the project, which I thought was cool. 

We stayed in contact with Essential Designs and felt comfortable moving forward with them because they knew our project from the beginning and what the goal of our business was.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $14,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked from March–April 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their involvement is not very quantifiable, but their team was enjoyable to work with. The app is very functional, and it made my life easier — they understood the purpose behind our project.

How did Essential Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

They gave me a schedule of when the project was going to be completed and met the timeline perfectly. We used emails and Basecamp to communicate, and we also had calls and meetings with everyone involved in the project. It was a smooth, clear, and straightforward communication process. I don’t have a background in technology nor web services, and they were able to explain everything in detail for me after I told them what was important to me in this project. They also answered my questions along the way — I had a lot of trust in them, everyone knew their job, and they worked very efficiently.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Based on my prior experiences, I’d say that the trust and communication skills they provided to the project were what distinguished them from their competitors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — I’m looking forward to working with them again.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’m confident that they’ll get the work done for you if you understand what you want and communicate it clearly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Sponge, which is going to be an online peer-to-peer marketplace for rentals. People will be able to upload items that they want to rent out, so they can essentially create their own rental business through Sponge.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Essential Designs?

We hired them to design and develop our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They started with the basic design of the website and then developed it. I went to them with the concept and was very particular about what I wanted. They had additional ideas, such as integrating Google Maps and being able to search for certain users. 

They did the website in milestones. Once they completed a milestone, they’d send it to me for approval, and I’d request any changes.

What is the team composition?

They have their own design team that I’m super impressed with. For the design phase, there were 2–3 people. It’s really cool that they have different divisions within their company; in addition to the design team, they have a software team as well as a communications manager who I can go to if I have any problems. It has kept everything really simple and easy.

How did you come to work with Essential Designs?

I’m from Alberta and had outsourced a company here, but they were very incapable of communication or meeting deadlines. There was a general lack of effort. I used Google to look at other companies. Essential Designs’ website stood out to me; it was very professional, clean, and simple, which I like; some of the other websites lacked information or seemed amateur. 

I considered four other software companies – two in Vancouver and two in the United States – and went through a whole interview process. From the minute that I had an interview with Essential Designs, they stood out in every way process. It was unbelievable. When I reached out, they responded instantly. 

How much have you invested with them?

The budget was $43,000 CAD. The website was almost complete, but then I asked to add a few features and make some changes. That was another $7,000, so I believe we’re at $50,000 CAD (approximately $37,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in March 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything has been so positive. It’s so amazing that they’ve been able to bring my vision to life. They really listened and understood, and there were no problems with making changes to anything; there was no hesitation. For the design phase, they continued working until it was absolutely perfect. The same was true for the software phase; there have been little changes here or there, with no questions asked. It’s been so efficient. There has been no time wasted with them, which I’m grateful for. 

How did Essential Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re super hands-on, and they have great communication and pricing. The design team was so knowledgeable and even had input that I hadn’t thought of. Their ideas were so brilliant, and I was so grateful to have their feedback. I can say the same about the software team – they were always one step ahead of me. It’s been such a great experience working with them.

They’re able to deliver quickly, which is important to me. I was slightly nervous since we’re not in the same city, but there have been no issues. They sent little videos for updates on the website. We communicate via 2–3 emails each day, which I appreciate, and there have been a few phone calls, which have been really efficient.

They worked in milestones and provided estimated deadlines and what would be achieved during those milestones. They met every milestone. The website should’ve been done the 15th, but I wanted to make some revisions, and there were no questions asked. They’re on the ball and are already working on it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism and communication stand out. Whether it’s the 2–3 emails a day, phone calls, or videos they’re sending to show the progress of the website, they’re so on the ball with communicating, and I’ve never once had to wonder what they’re doing. They’re always providing feedback. They’re also so professional to work with. Nowadays, it’s hard to find people who are fully invested in being professional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I don’t think so. Any questions or issues we’ve had, they’ve worked with me and bent over backward to resolve. In the beginning, I asked whether they could break down the billing. Without hesitation, they worked with me to figure it out. We created a different budget and eliminated things that weren’t important to me. 

Any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend being available. When they’re ready to work and are sending things that need to be approved, you need to be available for them to be able to continue doing their jobs. Also, be open with them regarding what you want. They’re so understanding. I’m very certain of things that I like, but by being open-minded, I feel like they brought my project up a level with their input and feedback. They’re such a knowledgeable team, and I think people should be open to their expertise; this is their trade. If you haven’t designed a website before, they’re so helpful. I feel like they went above and beyond.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the mineral and crown coordinator at Millennium Land Ltd. We’re a land broker for oil and gas companies. Our crown reserve app allows clients to confidentially reserve crown bids. I run the backend of the app to ensure our clients’ bids are being processed.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Essential Designs?

We wanted them to create and streamline the app in order to make work-life easier for ourselves and our clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Essential Designs created the app so it operates on iOS, Android, and desktop. We provided the content, and they handled the platform’s design and development. They conducted a few updates after the app launched.

What is the team composition?

Their team consisted of three people, but we maintain regular contact with two—Kyle (Project Manager, Essential Designs) and Anthony (Project Manager, Essential Designs).

How did you come to work with Essential Designs?

The person who started the process is no longer with our company. I got on board when the app was launching.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $76,000 CAD (approximatively $57,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from October 2017–March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our crown base has tripled, and we have lots of returning customers. We’ve received positive feedback that the platform is easy to use.

How did Essential Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

We used email for communication and Basecamp for project management. Their team was very professional and understood our needs. Their team didn’t know much about our industry background but learned and adapted to it. They respond to emails right away and issues are usually fixed within 24 hours.

After launch, we had a few issues, not to the fault of Essential Designs. They changed some coding to comply with website issues on our end. Their team was quick to resolve this.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Essential Designs was great at communication. They took the time to understand and resolve issues.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I had no issues with them, they did great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear on what your needs and goals are for the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of product at a startup that offers custom payment solutions to institutional customers, such as higher education facilities, corporate campuses, and hospitals. We provide open-loop, Visa-backed, or stored-value products, depending on the scenario. We can also include promotions, offers, and loyalty programs in our solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Essential Designs?

My company decided to outsource front- and backend development to free up our in-house resources. We hired Essential Designs to be our frontend developers and build our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Essential Designs is responsible for our product’s frontend development. They interact with a couple of our other outsourced development teams to produce the end product. 

Essential Designs’s initial project was to build a web-based admin UI, or a web account center. My team provided documentation and presentations around the goals of our product and what was important to our buyers and users. We also had remote sessions with their UX designer discussing use cases. Their team built out full UX mockups based on those sessions and the information we provided. They’ve also developed an iOS and Android app for our end users.

What is the team composition?

I interact with three people, including a UX designer and two project managers. The project manager works with the developers, so we don’t have to deal with the developers directly.

How did you come to work with Essential Designs?

I did a Google search and came across Essential Designs as well as other Vancouver companies. After talking with a couple of them, I had a better feeling about Essential Designs fitting with our culture. I was confident about moving forward with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The original project was around $260,000. We’re continuing to do more work with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in December 2018, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Due to circumstances outside of Essential Designs’ control, the product isn’t yet on the market. This is a big project, and there have been a few changes along the way. The product is currently in QA. We hope to have our first real customers using the product within the next few months. So far, the results are good. The functionality in general works and matches what we’re looking for. The team grasps the requirements.

How did Essential Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve been really happy with the process they’ve taken. It’s good to have two project managers so that if one is away, the other one can provide coverage. We have weekly meetings with them, and we use Basecamp for written communication on different topics.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to immerse themselves in and understand what we’re doing sets them apart. They provide suggestions, especially around UX, and have even improved upon our ideas, which is not something you generally get with outsourced developers. I think we are getting value for having a local Vancouver company.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. We changed the project a couple of times in the latter part of this year, and that really slowed down our progress. However, that was our own doing. 

Any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to understand what you want and be able to communicate that. Have written documentation, whether that is a flowchart or a PowerPoint, and spend time going through those things with the project managers and UX designers so that they have an understanding of what you’re trying to achieve. Also, be available to respond to questions. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product manager for Schneider Electric, a company present in more than 150 countries. We have a solar and mobile department in Vancouver, where we produce for different kinds of markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Essential Designs?

We had an app, but it hadn’t been updated in several years. We needed to work on the source code and make minor changes to the interface.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took our app, updated its code to the latest Google API, and changed its font. Updating features wasn’t required in this particular project.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people, including Scott (President, Essential Designs), who organized the work. I worked with him on setting the scope, and I then worked with one of their project managers.

How did you come to work with Essential Designs?

Since it was a small project, we didn’t invite too many companies to apply. I checked Essential Designs’ portfolio, and after discussing a scope of work, they were ready to work with us. They were a good fit.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September–October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a minor problem after publishing, but it only required a few changes in the settings. They did those changes right away after I gave them the feedback.

How did Essential Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

The process was pretty smooth; they were responsive and happy to make small changes that we required but hadn’t described in the beginning.

We had a timeline for the project, but we didn’t provide any documentation. We used a standard project management tool, Basecamp, which allowed us to send replies using email while providing an online interface.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was a pretty small project, and I didn’t interact with the whole team but generally, I was happy with their efficiency.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the beginning, they suggested we use their agreement model, but they were forced to review ours since we were the bigger organization. They did so without any problems; they’re pretty flexible in this sense.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

No.