Ester Digital

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Q5.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We build & design software apps + websites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ester Digital to accomplish?

• Help design ResearchHub
• Help design Samarity
• Help design inbox3
• Help design Solestage
• Help design Lobby3
• Help design RealEstateAgents
• Help design AutoCPT

SOLUTION

How did you find Ester Digital?

angel list

Why did you select Ester Digital over others?

High-quality work

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

We've been working with Ester since 2018/2019. They've been a valuable contributor to our company and have done *excellent* designs. Ester has some of the fastest 0 to 1 designers we've worked with, and everything we get back from them is high quality. They've delivered us 5-10 app/website designs over the past few years that we've shipped & implemented. They also help us iterate on the designs and make our products better.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The biggest measurable outcome for us is the time-to-quality ratio. We know it can take a long time to create a good design, but Ester is able to give us something high-quality quickly. When going 0 to 1, the speed of execution is so crucial. The first product you ship may not be the right product. So it's crucial for us to get a product out the door, with a quality design, and then iterate on that product. 

If we spend months designing, then we can't get the product out the door. If the design is low quality, then people won't trust the app. Ester has the perfect middle ground here for coming up with a high-quality design in a short time.

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

Ester is reliable. We work with them to create reasonable deadlines, and they always hit them. I'm always impressed by the quality of their work, given the quick turnaround times.

What was your primary form of communication with Ester Digital?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their visual design skills are top-tier. They make things look good, and they do it quickly.

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

The only downside in working with Ester is that they're located in Europe, so we're in flipped time zones. It would be nicer if they were in the same time zone as us, but the quality of their work makes it worth it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder/Creative Director of Historiart

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We collaborate with cultural institutions to create thoughtfully designed artwork to sell online and in stores.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ester Digital to accomplish?

• To create a dynamic and creative branding for Historiart
• To design a user-friendly webstore
• To assist us in crafting our packaging
• To help us with other design and branding projects

SOLUTION

How did you find Ester Digital?

Online Search

Why did you select Ester Digital over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ester Digital were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

I first approached Ester Digitial to create Historiart's branding. I was drawn to them from their extensive portfolio with a range of projects. Historiart is a creative business and our branding needed to be imaginative, modern, and reserved. Ester Digital knocked it out of the park. They delivered exactly what I was looking for in terms of branding.

 Due to issues on my end, we delayed working on the website for an extended period. They were kind enough to wait for me patiently, and we worked on our website, packaging, and other branding projects. Again, Ester Digital went above my already high expectations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Ester Digital delivered on every outcome I set out for them and above expectations each time. Every deadline was reached, and the team kindly worked with me despite my lack of knowledge in this arena.

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

Ester Digital operates like a finely-tuned machine. They are effective, efficient, and nice. I have little knowledge in this arena, and they were very kind in explaining things to me and sending me educational resources so I could better understand everything so I could make the right decisions for Historiart. Every team member I interacted with was incredibly nice.

What was your primary form of communication with Ester Digital?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What I found most impressive about Ester Digital was the team's creativity. They were able to nail down everything that I asked for often on the first try. I can not stress how imaginative, innovative, and attentive Ester is.

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

I don't think there are any areas for improvement for Ester Digital. Everything has gone smoothly in terms of our collaboration. Everything they have delivered has exceeded our expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a product manager at the regional agency of the Westphalian Ruhr area. Our agency funds social programs, supports job seekers and employers, and provides educational and employment advice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We turned to Ester to create a good portal for job seekers and employers in the Dortmund area.

SOLUTION

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

We searched the internet for local agencies for a long time and came across Ester by accident. We thought their projects were cool, so we contacted the manager, discussed the terms and signed the contract.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The team needed to develop a portal where job seekers could search for vacancies and post their resumes. They also suggested us to choose Laravel. The designers created the design in Figma, and the developers have already got the portal up and running.

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

We worked with the design and development departments. We were also actively involved in discussions about the project with the creative directors, managers and the project leader.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The team did a good job and delivered the result even before the deadline. The work was completed in the summer, so we will be able to use the portal in October this year.

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

There were no difficulties during the project. We are extremely satisfied with the developed portal. The interface looks easy to use.

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

What we particularly liked is how the team treated us. Everyone was really very polite and friendly. We were even asked for our opinion on the little things and all the details were discussed together in detail. We are pleasantly surprised and are highly satisfied with the result.

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

Since we were looking for a local agency, we were a little confused at first that Ester didn't have an office in Dortmund. But the online format was also a good opportunity for successful collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as a concert promoter for the Association of German School Musicians.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ester Digital?

This year we commissioned web design agency Ester Digital to design a new logo and print marketing materials for our association.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found out about Ester Digital through a colleague who knew the agency's creative director. An online session was then organized in which we discussed how they could support us in the project.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The aim of our request was to design a logo. Since we already had a website, the challenge was that the logo should have the same strict style as the website itself. We also needed business cards, brochures, flyers, catalogs and prospectuses. We have given the designers access to our website for their work. All logo designs were submitted to us for evaluation beforehand, so that we could choose the most suitable pattern. The designers have also provided us with marketing materials in electronic form.

What was the team composition?

During our work we mainly communicated with the creative director Tanya. We also had to contact the design team who worked on the marketing materials on several occasions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Work on the project is still in progress. The logo has already been handed over to our company, but some of the marketing materials are still a work in progress. Full completion of the project and delivery of the remaining marketing materials to us is expected by the end of this month.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We are satisfied with our cooperation with the agency. The logo was designed according to our requirements. Even the leaflet and brochure designs provided to us look elegant.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Since we did not have sufficient knowledge about the logo design, the employees kindly advised us and explained the most important aspects to us in detail. So our meeting was not only productive, but also instructive.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

Unfortunately, the agency's prices seem unreasonably high, especially when compared to similar offerings on the Austrian market, which are much more affordable.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Senior Designer at Multi Corporation. Multi Corporation is a leading, pan-European integrated service platform for retail real estate assets, managing about 80 retail assets across Europe.

We offer a full spectrum of services, including active asset management, shopping centre operations, redevelopment & refurbishment, leasing, marketing, legal and compliance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ester Digital?

To add languages option to the current website, which then evolved to adding drop-down menu and improving the website in general.

SOLUTION

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

Through Clutch reviews

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

Through a number of meetings, the brief was outlined, Ester Digital then provided some design options through Figma which was shared with the stakeholders. Ester Digital also gave editing rights on Figma so I could make some minor changes internally and get the language selector approved internally.

Ester Digital kept us informed at every stage to meet our expectations. Ester Digital helped in training a few people on how to upload the new languages as each page had to be translated to 12 languages. Once that process was complete and minor issues fixed, the language selector was made live.

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

2 team members work with us, a Creative Manager and Development Partner.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Languages and Drop Down menu is live on the website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Slack was set-up for quick communication and responses were quick.

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

Their knowledge, patience, and quick communication were all impressive. If they couldn't look at a task then they would let us know when they could and therefore were able to meet our expectations. They also helped with other queries that were not part of the brief.

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

The new additions to the website could have been made faster, however due to technical issues it was done as quick as possible.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a VC that invests in early-stage companies. I run the firm and oversee processes internally and externally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website was old, outdated, and static. Moreover, it didn't represent the identity we wanted our firm to have — modern, engaging, fun, and dynamic. Because it was so outdated, we often missed out on important leads, opportunities, etc. We needed to start from scratch and build a new website and system from the ground up.

SOLUTION

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

Ester was the only agency that went out of their way to help us redesign not only a new website, but a demo site that we could prop up in the meantime. Their team was friendly, open, accessible, and compelling.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had several kickoffs to discuss our goals and build a design system from the ground up. They were thorough in user research and understanding our needs, both from a design and a development perspective.

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

I worked primarily through a project manager, although I had visibility into their whole team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The project was a hit. They were amenable to even our smallest changes and helped accomplish all of our goals.

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

They were incredibly timely, responsive, and quick to react to issues when they inevitably came up.

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

They completed the project in an accelerated timeframe and still brought deliverables to the table ahead of schedule. It was an ambitious timeline, and their team went above and beyond to meet our needs.

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

A more consistent means of communication — we relied mostly on email.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a marketing manager at Brokeree Solutions. We are industry experts in MetaTrader 4 and 5 solution development and platform servicing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ester Digital?

Our previous branding and a website were introduced about 4 years ago and it was time to update it, make it modern and inclusive of our business growth.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for a full-service agency that will be able to create new branding, design UI/UX for a new website and most importantly develop one. There was not as many offers from agencies that specialized in Wordpress development and have such a strong portfolio.

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

After an introductory call/interview where we have presented our current branding and plans on where we would like to take it, Ester Digital team followed up with several concepts. Then a team prepared 3 different versions of new branding for us to choose. Once the branding concept was chosen, they proceeded with the website design and development. Ester Digital team was moving through stages rapidly and follow up meetings were held on weekly basis.

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

There were at least 6 people from different departments involved in daily communication and I believe there were a couple more that worked on the project as well. We had a contact person from each department a branding/communication team, developers and UI/UX designers, plus a project manager for each stage.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Old website was receiving very low score (less than 40) on desktop Google Page Speed test, the new website developed by Ester Digital always gets a score of more than 95.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication was done via Slack with weekly meetings in Zoom to go over the latest updates. The team was quick to respond to feedback and delivered on time.

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

Ester Digital works at an incredible pace delivering interim results in a couple of days after a meeting when usually you would expect such progress in at least a week time.

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

Sometimes it was difficult to keep up with a progress as the team was going through stages rather quickly. A shared calendar/GANTT chart for a project would be convenient. Other than that you may rely that they will do the job, do it quickly and on time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the principal as a business consultant and coach.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ester Digital?

I required an interpretive website for my new role as an executive coach. Earlier web developers were disappointing in their lack of creativity and time delivery.

SOLUTION

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

Ester was recommended by a tech start-up founder. I decided based on their response following a reading of a brief about what I wanted to achieve with my website.

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

The Ester lead and I had a few in-depth discussions about my business and what I wanted in a website. Shortly thereafter, I met a team (virtually) with their first proposals. There were three. Each different and each highly responsive to my brief. `I was very impressed. We then had two subsequent meetings to refine the choice I eventually made.

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

In total there were four people involved. I am not familiar with their technical titles!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I am very happy with the result. I can manage the site as well as rely on Ester as needed; and the site was built with the growth of my business in mind. So the site will easily evolve. My site will go live soon and I anticipate a positive response.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent and effective. We worked exclusively virtually and that was fine. I had one point of contact with streamlined the process. There was no confusion.

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

Extremely creative with a business profile that is essentially business modest. Ester's work captured the concept of my services in a visually engaging way.

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

Following each meeting, it would be helpful to have a checklist of what was agreed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of Economic Democracy Advocates. We’re an organization that promotes advocacy for legislation that supports equitable and sustainable food, water, and energy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ester Digital?

We came to Ester Digital to replace our old website. The main objective was to develop a more compelling platform that could attract members and potential clients to our organization. Overall, we were trying to create a new persona.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ester Digital had access to our old website, but it wasn’t really a great place to start. Instead, our RFP itemized all the steps that we needed them to utilize. Based on that, they did an estimation of all the project’s steps, in terms of how long it would take to accomplish each of them and how much each step would cost. One of the technologies they used was Figma, which allowed them to create the wireframes and UI designs.

What is the team composition?

A general manager, two designers, and two developers worked on our project. They also had assistants who supported them.

How did you come to work with Ester Digital?

We had a team of four people who searched for 15–16 web developers. We raised money so that we could have the opportunity to think larger. Out of all the companies we saw, Esther seemed like the best choice considering what we could get in exchange for our money. Their reviews were also fantastic, and we interviewed them twice.

After we requested Ester Digital to join our RFP process, they gave us an offer. When they said they could do what we wanted, we came to a conclusion and signed their contract.

How much have you invested with them?

We paid them $33,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our collaboration ran from February–August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The price that they quoted was 30%–40% less than other vendors who would do the same amount of work — we thought that was one source of great value from the engagement. Once they completed our project, we liked their high-quality work and their ability to maintain a good relationship with us.

Over the course of our project, we had 15 meetings with their design team and 30 meetings with their developers in a span of 26 weeks. They gave us a lot of attention, and we were very impressed by their willingness to produce excellent deliverables. Overall, they answered all our questions and produced more than what we expected from them.

How did Ester Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Slack during our engagement, and it was very useful in helping us have a good communication relationship, especially when conveying large amounts of information in different forms. For our meetings, we used Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very innovative, and they were friendly. They were also willing to help with all of our requests. Moreover, they were very sincere and had a lot of integrity.

On top of that, they were very thorough in ensuring that everything we needed was accomplished. We estimated that the project would be done in June, but we couldn’t complete it. We were thankful for Ester Digital’s willingness to extend the contract to August, and they didn’t charge us any extra fee for that extension. It was very nice that they were able to do that for a startup like us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were times when they were a little fast for us, and we couldn’t keep up with all the changes that they were making. Due to that, a few errors crept into our work because we had to keep up with them. They could’ve gone a little slower, but it wasn’t really a major problem for us.

It wasn’t really their fault that we weren’t equipped to go at the speed that they were going. Despite that, we got used to it after a while, and we were very pleased to have worked with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You shouldn’t hesitate to work with Ester Digital. They’re a young and capable group that could keep your costs down while giving you high-quality deliverables. The team is still establishing themselves, and they’re continually growing. Overall, they could offer you a great package.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a Chief Executive Officer at wilder.dev, a mobile app development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ester Digital?

We wanted our website to reflect our approach to mobile development: experimentative and conceptual. We were looking for a company that can cover such areas as branding, logo, color coordination, UI design, and animations.

SOLUTION

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

We were searching for a vendor on several platforms, including Linkedin and Dribbble. We came upon Ester Digital’s profile on Clutch, browsed through their website and their portfolio. We were impressed by how they approach their work and how professional, creative, and easy-going their team seem to be.

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

We began working with the Ester team in April. We shared our expectations in terms of budget and deadlines and presented our view on how we want our website to look. The design team provided different variations of logos and branding within several weeks. After several iterations, we decided on the options that we thought fit our company more.

Ester designers were very quick to respond to any feedback and implemented all of our last-minute requirements straight away - from a brand style guide to different animations and portfolio covers and images. We finalized the design in May, and the work was officially over in June.

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

Primarily, we communicated with their Creative Manager Alex.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is not launched fully yet. Ester’s avant-garde vision has been widely appreciated by our whole team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their workflow was incredibly effective and quick. They were very understanding as well. The designers responded to our feedback immediately and always provided their creative insight into the work.

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

What we liked the most about working with Ester Digital, apart from their design knowledge and professionalism, is the customized nature of their work. They listened to us and created exactly what we wanted - exclusive design and branding that would make us stand out with a hint of Scandinavian minimalism.

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

We haven’t found any.