ExtraHut

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a young and thriving proptech company, developing a complete system for smart office management. I’m the CEO of the company.

For what projects/services did your company hire ExtraHut?

We wanted to create a cohesive Brand Identity and redesign our website to make our product more understandable and clearer to our customers.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to improve the overall user experience of our website to improve lead generation and better explain what we do to our clients.

How did you select ExtraHut?

We have worked with the company before.

Describe the project in detail.

The project started with several meetings to ensure that the company and we are on the same page regarding our expectations. From there, the project took off smoothly, and we have been regularly updated about the progress. ExtraHut first audited our former website and branding and showed us possible directions for our future development in case of the User Interface and Marketing Communication.

We worked in a Scrum Agile methodology with two-week period Sprints. The cooperation felt more like teamwork than agency-client arrangement. ExtraHut followed Object Centred Design approach and showed us a new modern way of creating websites based on modules and the latest cloud and content management systems like Kentico Kontent. After a few months, we had and still have the best cloud solution and content management platform.

What was the team composition?

A team of two senior graphic designers, an art director, and a UX designer worked on this project.

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

The team chose completely new brand colors for our style guide, refreshed the logo, redesigned the UX and redesigned the website entirely. The result is a fully scalable website available on every device or platform. The modularity improves flexibility and allows us to add new pages on demand, and easily edit existing content.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication went smoothly, and they always kept us in the loop. They are both skilled designers and project managers.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

ExtraHut is small but they have an extraordinary team of UX and UI designers. Their approach to a project is unique, as they always try to find a new perspective to look at things we didn’t think much about.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Sometimes they were "overly creative" not taking into account budget and time constraints. But we managed that :)

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a young and thriving proptech company, developing a complete system for smart office management. I’m the CEO of the company.

For what projects/services did your company hire ExtraHut?

We wanted to create a cohesive Brand Identity and redesign our website to make our product more understandable and clearer to our customers.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to improve the overall user experience of our website to improve lead generation and better explain what we do to our clients.

How did you select ExtraHut?

We have worked with the company before.

Describe the project in detail.

The project started with several meetings to ensure that the company and we are on the same page regarding our expectations. From there, the project took off smoothly, and we have been regularly updated about the progress.

ExtraHut first audited our former website and branding and showed us possible directions for our future development in case of the User Interface and Marketing Communication. We worked in a Scrum Agile methodology with two-week period Sprints.

The cooperation felt more like teamwork than agency-client arrangement. ExtraHut followed Object Centred Design approach and showed us a new modern way of creating websites based on modules and the latest cloud and content management systems like Kentico Kontent. After a few months, we had and still have the best cloud solution and content management platform.

What was the team composition?

A team of two senior graphic designers, an art director, and a UX designer worked on this project.

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

The team chose completely new brand colours for our style guide, refreshed the logo, redesigned user experience and redesigned the website entirely. The result is a fully scalable website available on every device or a platform. The modularity improves the flexibility and allows us to add new pages on demand, and easily edit existing content.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication went smoothly, and they always kept us in the loop. They are both skilled designers and project managers.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

ExtraHut is small but extraordinary team of UX and UI designers. Their approach to a project is unique, as they always try to find a new perspective to look at things we didn’t think much about.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There was a moment or two where they went a bit too far with their ideas and creativity, not considering the scope / budget, but we managed to get back on track fairly swiftly. It was fun after all ;)

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product manager and one of the co-founders of an InsurTech startup.

What challenges were you trying to address with ExtraHut?

We engaged them because we didn’t have a website or brand identity established.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us develop a company website by creating a brand book and assisting with UX/UI design. 

We took a few weeks to introduce our business, values, and what we wanted from our design. They sketched an idea of what our UX design would look like, and we went back and forth until we finalized a comprehensive design concept we were happy with. They also helped us develop a click funnel. 

They used Adobe XD and Confluence to provide designs. 

What is the team composition?

Wojciech (Head of Design) was our primary contact. They engaged additional UX designers from their team as well. 

How did you come to work with ExtraHut?

Our CEO had worked with them previously. We interviewed a few of their employees to see who would best fit our needs. 

How much have you invested in them? 

We spent about €25,000. They were accommodating with pricing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The bulk of the work took place from April–July 2020. They’re still assisting us if we need help, on an ad-hoc basis. 

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

Our CTO has worked with dozens of UX designers. He was very happy with both the design and the documentation that ExtraHut provided. I was really happy with the communication and the design as well. 

How did ExtraHut perform from a project management standpoint? 

We set up a daily call for 20 minutes each morning. We also integrated them into our Slack so we could easily communicate. Everything went well from my perspective. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were super creative and brought a lot of ideas that we hadn’t thought of before. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. The engagement was pretty much perfect. I’m not sure where they could’ve improved. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Let ExtraHut provide you with the CVs of several employees and interview each one so you can see who best fits your needs. The founders of ExtraHut are also open to discussing the terms of the engagement and negotiating rates.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My name is Kamil Sagan. I work as an IT team leader at e-Kiosk S.A. We are a leader on the digital press market in Poland. As the largest Polish distributor of digital content, we sell ePress, eBooks and Audiobooks, currently cooperating with over 400 publishers.

What challenge were you trying to address with ExtraHut?

We were looking for a company that would comprehensively maintain and develop one of our sales systems - Nexto. We needed support in development, providing stable and scalable hosting and services connected with business analysis and UX for the new projects.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had prior work experience with some of the people there. I chose ExtraHut based on that, as well as their knowledge of technology and the functionalities needed for our project. During the talks about the offer, they prepared an affordable offer and recomended agile methodology for most challenges.

What is the team composition?

There are two main points of contact, but up to 10 people have worked on the project at different times.

How did you come to work with ExtraHut?

I had prior work experience with some of the people there. I chose ExtraHut based on that, as well as their knowledge of technology and the functionalities needed for our project. During the talks about the offer, they prepared an affordable offer and recomended agile methodology for most challenges.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2019 and it is ongoing.

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

First of all, nexto.pl and other related websites work stably in the MS Azure environment. Since the start we have launched many new functions on the Nexto website.

How did ExtraHut perform from a project management standpoint?

We plan and track the progress of work as sprints in PM's tool provided by ExtraHut. We have daily talks via phone or Skype with the project manager. They’re always available to answer our questions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are flexible in pricing, and we really appreciated how they pushed us into a better position for future growth. They’re partnered with Microsoft, and while the implementation of the upgrades had many challenges, we are happy with our connection to the cloud. They are good at putting themselves in the role of the client to provide the best services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Describe your needs, make them aware of what you wish to achieve. They have a full-range team that can prepare what to do for the project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief communication specialist at Exatel, a cybersecurity company with an extensive R & D department.

What challenge were you trying to address with ExtraHut?

We needed a new CMS for our website. We had very specific security and usability requirements.

What was the scope of their involvement?

ExtraHut redeveloped our site using WordPress, as we already had many WordPress assets. They built it from the ground up according to our specifications. The team maintained our custom look by copying and recreating the graphical elements of our old site.

The CMS had to be prepared for making a static version of the site because it’s not dynamic. Then, I exported it to the server to prevent compromising the site. 

What is the team composition?

There was a director, a traffic manager, and a frontend developer.

How did you come to work with ExtraHut?

I met them on another project outside of the organization. I decided to include them on my company’s RFP. I sent three questions to three different companies, and ExtraHut offered the best proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent €5,000 (approximately $5,500 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November–December 2019.

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

They developed really quickly, from the brief to the final deliverable. It took them 3–4 weeks with two deployments. We managed to make it in only two iterations. The second one was perfect. The CMS is performing well.

How did ExtraHut perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was perfect. They were very professional and helpful. They made my life easier.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They had very high availability. Any time I needed technical advice, there was no delay or rescheduling of meetings for another day. I received real-time responsiveness.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could provide better contact with the developers. Sometimes I needed to know some details about HTML and CSS and would have liked to talk directly to them. However, perhaps programmers should be left alone. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be sure to brief them very thoroughly. Once they start working, they’re serious about it. If you make one brief, you’re going to end up with a flawed product. They’re highly effective professionals. Try to be as precise as you can be in your briefing.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an e-commerce business that sells plants online.

What challenge were you trying to address with ExtraHut?

About a year ago, we hired ExtraHut to build our online store.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team at ExtraHut helped us design and launch our Shopify store online. ExtraHut found a template to base the store off of.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with three different developers.

How did you come to work with ExtraHut?

They were recommended to me by a friend with experience working with software houses.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with ExtraHut started in October 2018.

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

Right now, we’re working on the second iteration with adjustments to the platform. Due to the development of our business, we need some additional work functionalities and personalized solutions added.

After that work is done and we have our user experience audit, we should have measurable indicators of how they’re helping us. Our team is pleased with their work.

How did ExtraHut perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, it’s very nice. At the beginning of the engagement, we received daily contact during the build. We have dedicated developer day and night. We can reach out, and they’re responsive.

My partner and I aren’t skilled in software or IT, but as we explain problems in a business mindset, the team at ExtraHut understands. They can translate the problems we face into technical solutions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s hard for me to compare because it’s my first experience working with a software provider. I do really appreciate their communication style and how they approach problems. They eagerly help our business team with any issues we face.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it’s hard for me to pinpoint something because our cooperation has been good. I’m still working with them, so that’s a good sign.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

What worked well, in the beginning, is that we were very well-prepared. When we approached ExtraHut, we were looking to save money. We had all of the designs and what solutions we needed. It was all sorted out.

Because of this, the work with the developers was fast and productive. Right now, we feel like we’re a little less prepared for the second iteration. Clients being prepared and understanding what they want is crucial.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of marketing at a software development company. We provide end-to-end development services for our clients, focusing mostly on mobile banking and payment solutions. 

What challenge were you trying to address with ExtraHut?

One of our clients is launching a new product. Over the last few months, we’ve been conducting user research in the United Kingdom. However, we’re also planning to launch across Europe. As part of that, we were doing testing in Poland. We recruited ExtraHut to help with exploratory and usability testing.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The solution we’ve created in an app that allows users to make international payments in different currencies at a much cheaper cost than most banks allow. We created a profile of people we wanted to interview about the product, and ExtraHut recruited those people. Over two days, they held individual, face-to-face interviews. 

The first half of the interview was exploratory. They discussed with the candidates what they currently use for international payments, pain points, and experiences with their current provider. The second part of the interview was to provide a fully-functional prototype. We asked the candidates to go through the registration process. 

As part of that process, users must take a picture of their ID and provide a verification selfie. We wanted to discuss issues around people’s resistance to doing that. After going through the onboarding journey, we gave them fake data to guide them through the payment process. Then, they discussed their experience with the app.  

What is the team composition?

We worked with about five people, which included a project manager, a tech specialist, and a business manager.  

How did you come to work with ExtraHut?

I was referred to them by a colleague who had worked with them before. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $8,000 so far.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2019, and the project is ongoing. We plan to go back in the new year for additional rounds of testing.

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

The technology they used for allowing us to watch remotely was excellent. They have a new studio that’s very professionally set up. Their two-person interview team was highly specialized, producing high-quality interviews. It’s difficult to find people with expertise in testing apps like ours, but they brought that experience and skill to the table. The technical quality of the feedback was key for us.  

How did ExtraHut perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very proactive, often chasing me for information. Always asking questions that other agencies hadn’t thought through, they offered attention to detail that went above and beyond. They knew the questions they needed to ask, instead of having to wait on me for particulars.   

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their relationship management was professional and proactive. They always followed up with me.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything worth mentioning. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Partner with them.