Flying Bisons

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of DevSkiller, a SaaS provider. We build our own product in a subscription-based model. It’s a cloud-based solution for HR and recruitment businesses.

What challenge were you trying to address with Flying Bisons?

As we build our own products, we were looking to improve how the product looks and its ease of use for customers.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Together with them, we design the UI/UX of our solutions. We cooperated with them very closely. As we’re defining a new product, we work with them on designing the goals for the product and then designing the user journeys, features, etc. We work with them on the existing products that we developed a long time ago internally as well.

We have two products. First, it’s for developer screening and that’s the first product we developed without Flying Bisons but they help us with it now. We also have a second product that is a skills management platform and talent management platform which we’re building from scratch. They’re involved in the whole product lifecycle.

What is the team composition?

My point of contact depends on the project. We work with a pretty big team on their side. Inga (Digital Project Manager & Operations Supervisor) is one person we closely work with. Adam (Lead Product Designer) is also an important point of contact.

How did you come to work with Flying Bisons?

We found them when they were just starting. They were a pretty young agency but we spoke to them and it was pretty unique how they think about the role. It’s pretty common that companies are trying to optimize what you ask them to. What was unique about Flying Bisons is they were trying to understand why something happens, find a root cause, and optimize the root cause. By using such an approach, you can have much better results than by just grabbing only low-hanging fruit. They’re good about knowing when they should dig into it and when they should just deliver.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $200,000 each year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2018 and the work is ongoing.

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

There are a few different metrics we’re using. We’re getting feedback from users and that’s where our sales team and customer success team and software team are continuously talking to clients. The feedback we’re getting about how the platform looks is pretty good. We don’t have a lot of complaints from the customers. There are just a few things that we can improve that was suggested by the customer. They’re very happy with it.

The second thing is we’re measuring how easy it is to onboard users to the platform and how easy it is for users to understand how the platform works. People are happy with the look and feel of the platform. We were able to close some deals because the platform is intuitive, easy to use, and it looks good.

How did Flying Bisons perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira. We use Figma to work on the designs. We have weekly status updates and meetings to keep everything on track and keep the ball rolling.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They look for root issues and our core value and build a solution according to that. They don’t just focus on the low hanging fruit.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If there’s anything needing improvement, we talk to them immediately and come up with a solution. For example, when we moved some spreadsheets to Jira to manage the work, they were open.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When they started working on the UI for our new product, they tried to get in line with the UI that we already had on the platform to keep the platform looking similar. We told them we were okay with changing it completely. When we gave them that freedom, it looked really awesome compared to the previous one. What’s important is to tell them what their boundaries are for the cooperation.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Innovation and Investment Manager at a major real estate developer in CEE.

For what projects/services did your company hire Flying Bisons?

Delivering a top-notch, nicely designed, user-friendly website presenting the offering of a newbuild mix-use commercial development in the center of Warsaw, Poland. Since our initially planned provider didn' deliver on time a quality product, we asked Flying Bisons to deliver in a week, what would normally need 8 weeks. They not only did stand up to the challenge but also deliver a great piece of work.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed the website to present the concept of a mix-use development with multiple functions, yet stay consistent and cool for our targeted customers.

How did you select this vendor?

Recommendation. The team came recommended through one of our connections, we asked the other people from the market what do they think of the Bisons, and all the comments were very positive. They also made a very good first impression. And most of all, they agreed to deliver in a very short period of time.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Website composed of several subpages, with a CMS for an in-house marketing team.

What was the team composition?

We had a few people responsible for different parts of the project, and one project leader as the main contact.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

140 shops + 20 restaurants project, wouldn't have a digital online representation if not Flying Bisons. We wouldn't be able to check conversion from our internet and outdoor campaigns, that were moving the traffic to the website. Customers wouldn't be able to learn about the place and it's offering.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We literally had a few days to complete the projects, the guys were very responsive and took a huge responsibility to deliver on-time. Every day we had a quick check-in..

What did you find most impressive about this company?

There was great communication, and they're experts in what they do.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing director for Park of Poland, the biggest indoor waterpark in Europe that is going to be open early 2020. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Flying Bisons?

The goal is to launch a new e-commerce website with ticket-selling capabilities before the park opens. The current site is a landing page regarding our project and future attractions.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Flying Bisons does UX/UI design and frontend development, and they manage the whole project. 

As the biggest indoor waterpark in Europe, we have a lot of attractions located in different zonas. It is very important for us to present all of the possibilities on the website, as well as to keep the shortest and simplest way to buy tickets and upsell our services.

What is the team composition?

Kamil Lenart (Project Manager, Flying Bisons) manages the project daily for us. 

In strategic meetings and workshops, there are a few main people involved, including two owners of the agency.

How did you come to work with Flying Bisons?

I knew that they were working with one of the largest banks in Poland and KFC. 

The agency I was working with recommended me to Flying Bisons, and then I decided to start a collaboration with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in March 2019 and is set to end in early 2020.

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

We have a clickable version of the website now. I’ll have the first feedback about the project very soon.

How did Flying Bisons perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager has performed well. We collaborate every day with e-mails, calls, and dedicated meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are taking care of the business client. I know that, if we agree on a timeline and scope of work, they’ll deliver on time. We’re still waiting to launch the new  website, but I believe that everything will work excellently.

I’ve had a bad experience before with a similar company, but, as far as I can see, Flying Bisons does their job carefully. They discussed our needs with us during a specific workshop. They prepared strategy, timing, and scope of work in advance, which was very important for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re performing so well on this project that we’re looking to start another one with them for mobile app development.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If the client doesn’t have a specific e-commerce team inhouse, then Flying Bisons can strongly support client needs and challenges with their excellent team.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the e-commerce director for a pharmaceutical company. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Flying Bisons?

We were setting up an e-commerce channel, and we needed UI and UX design for our webpage.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

We hired them to help us design the new web page. They were responsible for everything that is UI and UX related.

They strongly suggested that we start with getting input from our consumers to understand them and see what they were looking for so they could then build a page and design focused on them. That unique mindset was one of the reasons we selected them. They began with a relatively deep study of our users. We defined a few personas with them, and they interviewed people to try and understand their interaction with the company, online shopping, and what they are looking for in an online shopping provider. 

Then, we began the design process. There were several phases to go through all the pages that needed to be designed. There was a lot of discussion about what we wanted and what they thought was best. 

What is the team composition?

One of the partners of the company was involved often. We also had a project manager as well as a senior UX designer, who ended up being more of a project manager than the project manager; he supported us the most. With him, there was a team of three or four that were involved. They worked with us on and off and worked on other projects at the same time.

How did you come to work with Flying Bisons?

For something that is as consumer-oriented as the UX and UI, we needed a local agency that understood the Polish market and consumer. We looked at 5–10 companies, and we interviewed three companies. Flying Bisons came across as knowledgeable and had the experience that was in touch with our target customer base. They seemed like a decent fit for us.

How much have you invested in them?

We have invested around €40,000 (approximately $45,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project went from December 2018–April 2019. We’ve remained connected to them since then, and they have come back with new ideas.

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

Over the past month, we have been doing internal and external user testing. The feedback about the design, navigation, intuitiveness, and ease of use has been extremely positive. The work they produced, the ideas they had, and what we were able to put into practice so far is quite positive. 

How did Flying Bisons perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed quite well. It was a tricky project because we had many different partners that were working at the same time. We had developers, a payment services provider, and logistics companies, which all influenced the design. Flying Bisons were strict, which was great in terms of fulfilling deadlines with the quality of work that they were producing. There were things that we had to change, go back, and review. When it was up to them to control deadlines, they were excellent. When they were subjected to the deadlines of others, it was a bit harder, but I still don’t have any complaints.

All of us, as a team, prefer to communicate face-to-face. We had meetings at least once a week, and sometimes, we met more frequently to go through the designs and discuss the project. They tried a few project management tools, but they didn’t work well for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Technically, they are extremely talented. They clearly stand out from the pack in terms of understanding how a consumer interacts with a digital platform or web page. Flying Bisons were constantly trying to push the boundaries and look at solutions in a unique way. If you want innovation, this team is quite good.

They are also tremendously consumer-oriented. They always had our consumers in mind, and their opinions were typically grounded in examples about the way our consumers interact with the platform or what they heard in the research. Putting the customer front and center for this work is exceedingly important, and they have done that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They had to operate in an environment where they were not the sole participants. They presented ideas that we said yes to, but the platform could not cope with them. As we were building an MVP, it had to be simpler and easier to deploy. It seemed that sometimes they felt they were being challenged, and they didn’t like it.

It took time for them to understand that this was going to be the process and to adapt their process on their side and to find the best way to do things given the constraint. They managed to do it quite successfully. They wanted to have a strict process from beginning to end which is great, but when you clash with other people within that environment, it is tougher, and you have to show some agility and flexibility.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure that they dedicate the necessary amount of time and quality people to the success of the project. We had an excellent design lead, and he stood out from the rest, not only in terms of technical capabilities but also in terms of commitment. He wanted to work with us to help us solve problems. It is important to not only look at the company but at the people that will be working with them. There needs to be a fit between the culture of the company and the person sitting on the other side, independent of their technical capabilities.

Additionally, always plan for the unforeseen. Don’t try to scope 100% of the work, because new issues will come up. If this is clear from the beginning, and if there is a clear way of dealing with it that is understood from the beginning, the process will be much easier.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-owner of Gymsteer, a gym mobile app platform. It’s an app for gyms and fitness clubs to maintain their business. The software allows us to sell classes or passes to those places. Users don’t have to buy a pass to one place but can go anywhere they want. It’s like pay-per-view. Users only pay when they go.

What challenge were you trying to address with Flying Bisons?

We needed a business solution in an app to help us boost our conversion rate.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started out with a discovery phase so they could get to know our business and what we do. They asked a lot of questions. We had some workshops to brainstorm and create personas with potential users. We mapped out the customer journey, the flow, and how the app should look and work. They then started designing and developing the app.

What is the team composition?

We worked with UI designers, UX designers, developers, project managers, and owners.

How did you come to work with Flying Bisons?

A friend recommended them. They’re one of the best companies in Warsaw and I found that I liked them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $25,000-$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March—June 2019.

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

They did a really great job. We’re now testing the mobile app and we’re launching soon. All the people that have seen it are very impressed.

How did Flying Bisons perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager is very communicative. We used Figma and Jira to make sure the screens were okay. They met deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I would definitely recommend them to someone.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the COO of Veriori S.A. We’re a research and software development company that supports business process management using blockchain, AI, and cryptographic and steganographic security mechanisms. 

For what projects/services did your company hire Flying Bisons?

We needed to develop our app’s UX/UI and design our company’s brand and brand book.  

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to give our app users and customers the best possible UX, ensure proper design quality, and use professional analysis as a basis for the design.

How did you select this vendor?

We’d worked with Flying Bisons on a previous project and were amazed by the quality of their designs and creative. Due to our previous cooperation, we didn’t consider any other service providers. Once you start working with Flying Bisons, you won’t think about switching. 

Describe the project in detail.

We've intentionally left the whole process to Flying Bisons because of our previous experience with them. They delivered a complete GUI and UX process for our web and mobile application, as well as a brand design.

What was the team composition?

We worked with two UX/GUI designers, a subject-matter expert (SME), a project manager (PM), and a graphic designer.

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

Stakeholders’ feedback has been very positive, focusing on the extraordinary quality of Flying Bisons’ design. Constant communication with Flying Bisons’ UX designers and subject matter expert allowed us to tailor the interface to our users’ needs. Our corporate clients always mention design as a strong feature of our solutions. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Flying Bisons' project manager handled communication and scheduling according to an agile methodology. Thanks to their top managers’ and SME’s involvement, we were able to work through any needs that came up throughout the process. Our PM kept us well-informed regarding the time and effort spent on our designs, our budget, and our timeline. As a project management professional myself, I place great value in their operational management efforts.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They add value beyond what’s expected. If you’re looking for special dedication and a constant desire to add value for the customer, you'll be amazed by Flying Bisons’ commitment. They’re constantly proposing new, creative solutions and ideas.

Are there any areas for improvement?

When we first started working with Flying Bisons, we had some minor comments about project and operational management. Due to a high level of professionalism and flexibility, however, they were able to reshape their project management model within a month. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the e-commerce manager for Amocarat SA. We manufacture and sell lingerie.

For what projects/services did your company hire Flying Bisons?

We engaged Flying Bisons to lead an audit of our current e-commerce website’s UI/UX.

What were your goals for this project?

We were looking to revamp our site and improve its user experience and conversion rates. We wanted Flying Bisons to identify our weak points, discover how users found the site, and set a list of priorities for us to improve the UI/UX.

How did you select this vendor?

We knew a member of Flying Bisons’ team beforehand. We considered them and two other companies for this project; Flying Bisons’ concrete approach convinced us to go with their team.

Describe the project in detail.

We first held multiple meetings and teleconferences. We conveyed our company’s background and goals to Flying Bisons. They then helped us prepare a roadmap of the project. They developed user personas, user journey maps, led user testing, and provided expert analysis. Once they delivered the audit results and recommendation, we met to discuss what further steps we should take.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a dedicated operations manager who led a larger team behind the scenes.

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

We’re now implementing Flying Bisons’ recommendations on our site. It’s too early to determine its success, but the team satisfied our requirements.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our communication was smooth from start to finish. We met twice in-person and had many teleconferences throughout the project. Flying Bisons provided weekly updates on progress, so we always knew where the project stood at any given time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Flying Bisons provided a talented and personable team with in-depth knowledge and experience. We appreciated their enthusiasm and high level of customer support.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing and e-commerce director for NN Investment Partners. We provide investment solutions and manage assets for individual and corporate clients.

What challenge were you trying to address with Flying Bisons?

We’re working with them on investment solutions targeting individual clients.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Flying Bisons has helped us across multiple projects, utilizing original research to create information architectures and UX/UI designs. Initially, they worked on our corporate website and then moved to specific projects involving UX/UI design. Currently, they’re developing a proposal for a new business we’re starting. While we have our own CMS and partner with another vendor to develop web modules, Flying Bisons implements those solutions into our interface. They’ve also worked on landing pages.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with two people, Michal (Senior Product Designer and Partner, Flying Bisons) and Lukasz (Co-Founder and Senior UX Consultant, Flying Bisons), who's responsible for UX and research. I believe my colleagues are working with two more people from Flying Bisons as well. 

How did you come to work with Flying Bisons?

We were looking for an agency that could help us redesign our corporate website. After organizing a tender and meeting with several agencies to review their ideas, we chose Flying Bisons.

How much have you invested with them?

Our initial spend with them was $25,000–$50,000, which I consider to be a low cost. We’ve started three other projects with them, and we plan on spending more time and money with Flying Bisons.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since September 2017.

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

Flying Bisons is making our website easier to use and more logical and convenient. Customers have a simpler time accessing the information they need. Internally, they’ve refocused our UX to be more sales-oriented. This is critical. Although we do some e-commerce, we also work with banks, insurance companies, and brokerage houses. We’ve seen good growth in investment product sales.

It’s difficult to pinpoint specific metrics, given how many factors influence our performance such as market conditions and political events. Generally, however, Flying Bisons contributed to a successful 2017 and softened the blow of a difficult 2018, which affected our entire market. We’re satisfied with their performance.

How did Flying Bisons perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is agile and flexible, and we’ve developed a nice chemistry. We communicate through phone, SMS, email, Jira, and Skype. They’ve been a pleasure to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They truly care about the work. They’re engaged during meetings, and they look for solutions that would work best for us. They may sound critical at times, but their suggestions make sense and pay off in the end. Even though we’re currently working on a large project, one that will require more time, people, and money, we’re not worried about small things slipping through the cracks. Flying Bisons addresses all those things.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d like them to hire more people. We’re looking at more and more projects, and there’s a possibility their team won’t have the capacity we need. Because Flying Bison’s is so skilled, there’s also a chance their responsiveness will drop as they get more clients. It’s great right now, however.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If your business allows you to experiment and try new options, Flying Bisons is a great partner. They’ve got knowledge and expertise and they’re open to new ideas.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Hoard, a platform connecting the blockchain community with game developers and players. Using blockchain technology, we can monetize secondary markets, give ownership to the players, and implement some security measures.

What challenge were you trying to address with Flying Bisons?

We needed a professional team to workshop with us in order to determine our approach to the MVP stage, and how we would market that.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They organized several extensive workshops with our team. We went through a discovery phase on what we wanted to do, consisting of discussions, notes, and presentations. We identified personas and the most important factors to present to the outside world on our web page. They also introduced us to external parties that were potentially relevant to our project. We’re mainly a technical team, and we didn’t have a clear idea of what to do in terms of the product itself. They helped us plan our deliverables—how we could box our work into a product.

What is the team composition?

We were in direct contact with three people, including Kamil (CEO and Senior UX Consultant, Flying Bisons) and a project manager. I believe they had additional people working on the prototype of our web page.

How did you come to work with Flying Bisons?

We identified 10-12 candidates after extensive research. They impressed us with their experience with other companies in ICO (initial coin offering) and they showed us their interest in the industry. Their approach was professional from the start, and that made us choose them.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was above €10,000 (about $11,300 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2018 and the engagement concluded in January 2019.

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

They helped us ensure that all of our teammates were on the same page, despite some slight differences. We weren’t just a bunch of people working on the same task, which was refreshing. They also directed our focus for marketing, as we identified our target customers and how to communicate with them. We learned what should and shouldn’t be featured on our web page.

How did Flying Bisons perform from a project management standpoint?

It was refreshing to work with a partner that was so proactive. I don’t remember having any delays.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They care about our project and our product. Their team was responsive and available across multiple communication channels. Also, they explained things to us in simple language whenever we needed them to.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re completely satisfied.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the content marketing manager at a corporate clothing company. We have stitching and textile printing production sites all over the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Flying Bisons?

We wanted to digitize the whole corporate wear market and wanted to build digital solutions to make purchasing corporate wear easier for our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They relaunched our website and transferred it from Magento to Shopify. We planned out user stories, and they proposed a third-party designer to redo our branding. As of now, we’re developing an app that lets users create their own designs. There wasn’t anything in on the market that suited our needs, so they’re creating a bespoke app for us. Next year, we plan to optimize our website’s UI/UX and start an analytics process. They’ve proposed some big projects for 2019, and we’re very happy with their suggestions.

What is the team composition?

At the beginning, we worked with a UI/UX team and a few different project managers for the design team and the development team. In the future, we’ll add an analytics team as well.

How did you come to work with Flying Bisons?

The textile industry has a strong foothold in Poland, so we regularly work with Polish companies. I don’t remember how we made the connection with Flying Bisons, but they may have come to us through one of the other production partners in the area.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $20,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2018 and the work is ongoing.

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

The relaunch had some bigger issues and didn’t go as planned. We hoped to launch in September, but discovered that the product design function and the Shopify app as a whole didn’t fit our needs. We had to reevaluate the whole task. Ultimately, we decided to create an entirely new app, but are still facing some issues with that process. The new launch date should be in December or January.

We’ve received a lot of inquiry forms, so the market interest is definitely there. We have eliminated some old pages on our site that were no longer useful or lacked conversion potential. That cut the number of sessions each day by several hundred, but that wasn’t Flying Bisons’ fault.

How did Flying Bisons perform from a project management standpoint?

They were always available. We went to their office once for a kickoff meeting and use appear.in for video calls or screensharing. We also use email and have calls every other day. Sometimes, I have to wait a while to hear back from them via email, which isn’t ideal, especially when we’re working on something with a short timeline. In spite of that, they always deliver on time and invite us to view scheduling breakdowns in Outlook. We receive weekly reports, and are planning to change our management software from ActiveCollab to Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Flying Bisons stands out from other companies we’ve worked with. They give us the display and designs we want, and we’re perfectly happy with every wireframe they deliver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their response times to emails could be quicker.