Fram Creative

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of The Balance Project, a non-profit organization helping families and individuals access mental health support. 

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

As a start up we needed a website that provided the following:

• Who we are
• Mission 
• Team
• Mental health resources
• contact forms for our various personas
• Events page with registration accessibility

Fram also helped us develop a strategic marketing plan across all marketing platforms. To this day Fram consults us on marketing goals and direction.

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

They were recommended to us through s a trusted development company. Fram understood the mission of our organization and their assessment of our needs and recommended deliverables were exactly aligned with what we as an organization were looking to accomplish.

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

Our first meeting with Fram we outlined our short and long term goals. We first needed an organization website. Our website was developed through WordPress. Fram helped us choose a layout and guided us on the design. They created a homepage, about us, events, support, contact us & become a partner pages. Fram also write content and helped in the design. After our website was competed they developed contact and graphics for us to grow a following. They measured our impact and we learned what was impactful and how to better meet the needs of our intended audience.

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

We worked directly with the Founder/CEO and the Head of Marketing.

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

After launching our site we had an immediate increase in our following. Our click rate increased dramatically. With social media marketing plan we learned how to meet the mental health needs of our audience.

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

We have weekly meeting to address timelines and deliverables. The Marketing Manager takes the feedback and needs back to her team and updates us on the development of our request. We use Slack as our formal way of communication.

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

Fram is professional and takes the time to truly understand our mission. They provide deliverables that are aligned with who we are and meet the needs of our target auduence. We are a mental health focused organization and empathy and understanding needs to be conveyed through all our content and social media materials. Fram has conveyed that in all their deliverables and we continue to be impressed.

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

Fram is quick to address any concerns or misunderstandings in a professional and timely manner. All relationships personal and business take work and attention and that is something we recognized early on that Fram prioritizes.

Introduce your business and what you do there? 

I’m the business development director for Easy Credit. We’re a group of banking financial institutions throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fram Creative?

We needed someone to do UI/UX design for two mobile apps.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created UI/UX design for two native mobile apps, which were both available in Android and iOS. They also familiarized themselves with the details of each app and ensured they understood the desired flow and functionality of each. They also made suggestions before implementing the UI/UX designs using Adobe. One app was created for our customers, while the other was created to be used internally.

What is the team composition?

We worked with their owner, project manager, designer, and two UX/UI experts.

How did you come to work with Fram Creative?

They were recommended by a business associate who had worked with them long-term.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $20,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August–November 2021.

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

The design they created was quite modern, and the apps flowed well and met our needs. Overall, they exceeded our expectations.

How did Fram Creative perform from a project management perspective?

They completed the projects within the timeline and budget. We had weekly Skype meetings, and we communicated via email, too.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

The speed of their delivery was impressive. They promised to deliver the apps within a month, and they did just that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they had no areas to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you work with them, you’ll be satisfied with the results.

Please describe your company and your position there.

For over twenty years we have been advising and supporting companies in the media and publishing sectors on their way to the digital dimension of publishing. Behind the scenes, our tools help in the optimisation of production processes; outwardly, we are developing new business models, which optimally exploit the strengths and assets of our customers.

We are experts in publishing processes and develop and shape innovative media formats together with our customers.

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

Fram Creative was engaged to provide new customers a first experience of our Digital Asset Management Product huGO+. huGO+ was explicitly developed for the professional planning, production and distribution of high-quality publications.

Its primary objective is to prepare a large number of different information modules (e.g. texts, images and audio-visual elements) and to optimally adapt them to the respective output channel (e.g. mobile devices, desktop, print). Leading publishers process thousands of pieces of information day by day with huGO+ in order to produce articles, image sequences, e-papers or printed editions of their titles.

huGO+ facilitates the efficient creation and use of your “digital assets” – which by using huGO+ become even more valuable since they are more easily traceable and thus reusable. huGO+ accelerates the search for content and offers your editors a collaborative application environment: from the editing tool to the royalty statement of the content created.

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

We were looking for an agency with the capbilities to imagine, create and innovate user-centered digital products and convey our core branding messages.

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

First we presented the agency our company and product portfolio, then we provided them deeper insights in our value chain and the core messages we want to transport to our audiences. Fram studied our style guide and started with a series of interviews to learn about us and our portfolio.

Then - within a structured design thinking approach - first ideas were developed jointly and tested in a friendly user environment. After assessing the data and concluding the best way to proceed, Fram started to realise the product presentations.

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

There was a team of three highly skilled employees at Fram´s side. They covered all necessary skills to accomplish the task such as project management, technical understanding, concept developments, user experience and graphic design.

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

We could use the results immediately after delivery and noticed already in the first week an increased demand for our offerings. The client feedback was thoroughly positive.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We never worked before with an agency with such outstanding speed and dedication. The project was time-wise under high pressure and Fram showed in every stage that they could perfectly cope and deliver in high quality.

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

Fram has an exceptional great leader and a highly dedicated team with outstanding skills. The team could adapt to the spirit and USPs of our company in light speed and translate our demands in a great user experience.

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

We can only recommend to collaborate with this team - nothing disturbed us - even the bill was moderate compared to what has been delivered.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior product manager at Emerchantpay, an online payment service provider and a one-stop shop for everything online-payments related.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fram Creative?

We offer a virtual terminal to our clients and we needed help with the UI/UX design.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us with the UI/UX mockups and wireframes to prepare the mobile-based version of our app, because we wanted to make it more usable — we also improved the web version of this solution with their mockups. We wanted to be able to use it on all handheld devices including smart POS devices.

We told them our problem and showed them what we currently had. In an iterative fashion, they sent us suggestions, mockups, and wireframes. We used Adobe XD for them sharing the results of their work and it was our developers that took it onwards.

What is the team composition?

There are three people assigned to the project. Initially, there were UI/UX designers involved and the CEO who is also a chief designer.

How did you come to work with Fram Creative?

We found them by chance. A colleague of mine was searching LinkedIn for people who deal with UI/UX in Bulgaria. We did a POC with Fram Creative and chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2020, and the partnership is still ongoing.

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

It was very easy to work with them from the start. They delivered in a timely manner and the results have been good — we still use their designs. The user feedback has been positive as no one has complained.

How did Fram Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is great and the communication is very easy — they’re well organized and responsive. We communicate via email, Skype, and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication and speed of delivery are impressive — they’re a breeze to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re doing great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give it a try. They’re still a relatively small company in the Bulgarian market, but you’ll be pleased with the results.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of ITIDO. We’re a software development company based in Bulgaria that helps startups develop products. We also work with enterprise customers, helping them digitalize processes, improving existing products, and more.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fram Creative?

We don’t have a UI/UX department in-house. Because we specialize in technical projects, creative work isn't our strength. We outsource this activity to partners like Fram Creative.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked on multiple projects with Fram Creative, typically collaborating as one team. Currently, we're focused on creating an IoT product with them. Fram Creative is developing the whole UI/UX while we’re implementing the front- and backend software.

Fram Creative is also helping us with our corporate identity, brand book, and the design of our new website.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with almost everyone on their team of 6–7 people.

How did you come to work with Fram Creative?

One of our partners in Bulgaria recommended them. Our partner is also outsourcing their UI/UX work. We couldn’t develop a department in-house and found it would be better to find an external partner. We got in touch with Fram Creative.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost so far is more than $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Fram Creative in early June 2019, and it’s an ongoing project.

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

We evaluate their work based on the feedback from our customers. Creativity is also a key criterion, in terms of focusing on small details to find new ways to present things. They’re very creative, which is one of their key advantages. Fram Creative is focused on quality, which is really important to us.

How did Fram Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re in frequent communication with Marina (Founder & Chief Design Officer) and other executives and designers. We communicate via email and phone, using project management tools like Jira. We use Google Hangouts for web meetings. Their design platform is Adobe XD.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re really impressed by their attitude and honest feedback. When they see that something isn’t a good idea, they propose different approaches. They have strong creative skills.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Most of their customers are coming through referrals. Fram Creative could improve their sales process and use other channels to attract new customers. They’re more focused on the creative side of the work, but the sales part is important for any business.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I recommend giving them a chance on a small task. Fram Creative will prove that they’re great at their job. They just need a chance to show what they can do.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Sphera International is a boutique consultancy company, specialising in helping clients to take advantage of the opportunities available to their businesses through the adoption of new technologies, technology. I am the owner/director of the company.

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

There was a need to completely redesign the company website in order to adjust for the market focus moving to digitisation and digitalisation. Sphera remains a technology strategy and tech led transformation company, but the website needed to re-centre on prospective customers change in business driver.

How did you select Fram Creative and what were the deciding factors?

We were comfortable in our focus and capabilities, but very aware of our short-comings in creating a website that is visually attractive, logically designed and provides clear messaging; not just purely functional. Fram have excellent design capabilities. They were able to demonstrate their knowledge of design options and to explain the advantages of each approach, offering a tailored choice of approach - not a cookie-cutter.

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

There were 2 initial meetings used to understand Sphera's business model, typical clients and our USP. We were also presented with a range of existing websites to review and comment on. There was then a meeting where a high-level design concept was presented by Fram - and then reviewed and evaluated by both Sphera and Fram consultants together. After this we moved to a WordPress prototype and then a series of iterative short meetings, both in person and on-line, adding content and adjusting the design. This culminated in a sign-off meeting to approve the website going live.

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

Over the development of the website we worked with Fram's CEO, a designated project lead/lead developer, plus two additional digital artists who assisted in creating some of the graphics in Adobe XD.

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

The final website is an excellent mix of design, creative graphics and useful content. It perfectly represents our company to the market, it is engaging to look at and use, and is still functional. Website traffic and linger times have been many times greater than we had previously achieved.

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

Project management was relatively informal. Once we had completed the first two meetings at Fram's office, the project lead took control and kept us regularly updated on progress, asking for clarification as and when it was required. This project approach mirrored the iterative approach to designing and building the site itself.

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

The team were both creative and technically skilled. They listen, reflect and add ideas very professionally, and can then quickly realise decisions taken in the product itself. Professional engagement without pragmatism.

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

Honestly no. They dealt with us as an "I'm not really sure what I want" client exceptionally well. The process felt natural and facilitated, but always that we were moving forward.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the president and will be managing director of a software ERP product we've developed for our market to the next level. We expect to scale this product to work across any platform and any business.

For what projects/services did your company hire Fram Creative?

We need to take a strong Windows Forms based application and redesign this to be come a fully responsive, progressive, mobile first application that works across any device/platform and be occasionally connected. We hired Fram to not only design the UX experience to also consult with us the roadmap to achieve our goals.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals are both business related and development related. The dev goals were to design all aspects of the UX and create the underlying display standards that could be walked right into the hands of the coding team.

Fram achieved this with flying colors. This in turn will help us to reach our business goals of raising the bar of ERP products within our industry and drive our revenue 20x of what we currently enjoy within 3 years. We are on track to achieve this thanks to our work with Fram.

How did you select Fram Creative?

We utilized reviews and personal references. We looked at many companies. Fram came very highly recommended and I can attest that they did not disappoint. The Fram team has been a pure joy to work with. It was more like they were partners on our project rather than merely subcontractors.

Describe the project in detail.

We needed to take a mature Windows Forms application and primarily port this to a modern design architecture from the ground up. We also had to either improve the UX or create entirely new elements based upon the evolution of ERP within our industry. The project consists of Analytical/active dashboards that dynamically adjust by role.

The software drives workflows for normal business processes and logistics including Stock Control, Asset Management, Asset Maintenance, HR planning and maintenance, Regulatory compliance, Expense and purchasing reporting/control all through work flows driven through a common work list.

All of these mini-apps have to conform to a very dynamic user environment integrating the ability for the end user to drive layouts, views and choice of collation tools (kanban, draggable grid views, self-referencing trees, etc...) all while isolating the user from themselves in the sense of employing the underlying business rules to ensure the integrity of the data/work-flows.

Additionally, we tasked Fram with integrating modern collaboration tools into the product which helps the end user but also opens up the product to future growth in that we can create api's that expose data/UX to channel partners and outside users to drive additional revenue.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a lead and two additional UX designers. The Fram team answered to myself as the internal project lead and another subject matter expert that shared some of these duties with me. I have never worked with a tighter, more productive team!

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

Our product is deep and of very broad scope. Even though it is ultimately and ERP product of which there are many to review, our product is designed (initially) for a very small, niche industry. Fram had to understand this at the most important level and design the UX to account for our special niche.

At the same time, they were equally tasked with accounting within the design the ability to scale beyond our initial markets. Fram worked with us across time zones, during COVID. They accelerated our design curve, delivering ahead of time and under budget. They brought to the coding stage with an incredible degree of confidence.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

In a word? AMAZING! Again, we had to work against considerable barriers/hurdles including 3 or 4 time zones, different management input and designing a oversight system that allowed both collaboration and independent productivity. In fact our workflow was so successful that we realized we needed to model aspects of our workflow and tools into our product designs. It was magical.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their team. The personalities allowed us to work as partners or a healthy family. They used their experience and intuition to help us help ourselves. This allowed them to take our crude concepts and refine them to exceed the vision from which we were originally aiming for.

Are there any areas for improvement?

From our perspective. None. Fram was truly a dream to work with and I will relish greatly any opportunity I can to work with this amazing company and team!

Please describe your company and your position there.

I run a small software development company, based in Sofia, Bulgaria. We help businesses and entrepreneurs on 4 continents realize their innovative ideas and use technology to become leaders in their fields.

For what projects/services did your company hire Fram Creative?

Visual design of an existing product, that needed emergency work on new features without changing the overall look and feel.

What were your goals for this project?

• support the vision of the product owner
• support the work of a 5-6 person development team with a very tight release schedule and very aggressive new features development
• support the right-to-left, left-to-right internationalization standards
• support the full responsive design of the product

How did you select this vendor?

1. strong recommendation from a former client
2. in-person talk with their leader Marina
3. small-scale pilot tasks

Describe the project in detail.

on-going project - very complex product, which has been in constant development over the past 6 years. we are using Fram to help us with interface designs for 3 different parts of the system - tasks include new interface in existing visual style and building completely new interface on a new front-end technology

What was the team composition?

- main designer for clarifying the concept - one or two supporting designers depending on the volume of work.

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

Specific numbers are confidential. the product has seen significant increase in revenue, as well as much higher conversion rates. development work continues smoothly and we have been able to use design style guides developed by the Fram team to create reusable front end elements save our client tens of thousands of dollars in development and deliver new interfaces in a fraction of the time that we would normally quote.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

pretty effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

As the lead developer for this product, we are very satisfied with the Fram team's work. We have worked with a number of different international design teams in the past and Marina is one of the best. Unlike other designers I've met, they understand how to work effectively with a development team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Fram is growing pretty quickly, so their areas of improvement include all the usual for a growing small business - version control, clarifying requirements, etc. - all growing pains.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and CEO of Pro-Bit major Slovenian IT company. Our primary activity is the development, distribution and maintenance of business information solutions like ERP, HR and Payroll systems. We have been in business since 1989 and we have more than 1000 clients.

For what projects/services did your company hire Fram Creative?

We are successful on the domestic market, but we are looking to expand abroad and add more services to our offering. For this reason we needed a major overhaul of our brand and visuals so that it presents our company in the right way.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a new website, new brand materials and new brand strategy.

How did you select this vendor?

I met the Marina, the CEO of Fram Creative on a conference in Germany. She told me she could help us with the task and presented several useful ideas and past case studies.

Describe the project in detail.

They organized several meetings in our premise at Slovenia to understand our business, culture and things that made us successful. Several workshops were organised in order to audit our target personas,customer journey and experience. They also researched competitors and found what works for them as well as gaps that could be exploited.

Based on the results, Fram proposed a new brand strategy that encompassed all digital interactions with the brand. As a first step they went to redesign our website. We worked with UX and UI designer for that. They also reworked our sales and marketing materials. What was the team composition? We worked with a PM who managed the project and conversation. Also we had interaction with an UI and UX designer for their team in the process.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a PM who managed the project and conversation. Also we had interaction with an UI and UX designer for their team in the process.

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

The cooperation has been great! The new website design looks stunning! We are now working on implementing the design with our inhouse resources. Also the new sales and marketing materials have greatly helped us on meetings etc. Finally we have a more clear vision and concrete steps on how to develop our brand digitally.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was smoothless. They did not save effort to come to our offices for even smaller tasks like organising a photoshoot of the team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The speed and quality with which they work are amazing. The team is really talented and well organised. From idea to high fidelity prototype takes less than a week. Also they are very pro-active and challenge us on some assumptions and offering better ideas.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CEO of company that service online retailers

For what projects/services did your company hire Fram Creative?

We contracted Fram for a design of mobile app for one of our customers, online tire shop

How did you select this vendor?

We got recommendation from a fellow software company that has worked with Fram before.

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

We made a meeting in Fram office and discussed the project requirements in the space of 1-2 hours. Fram's CEO selected the designers suitable for our project and we briefed them about our requirements. In about 3-4 days they submitted back the first design proposals, there were 2-3 possible ideas to chose from. We liked one of the proposals as it was very close to our initial expectations. In next 2 weeks we worked closely with the design team to finalize the concept and it took just about 3 weeks total from first meeting to getting the final files.

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

We worked with a small team (1-2 designers) lead by the Fram's CEO personally.

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

We are fully satisfied with the design we got. The product is not yet life, so we can not judge its success, but Fram creative fulfilled all our requirements.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very very effective, we rarely have finished a project so fast. We expected the project to take 2-3 times longer, but Fram Creative delivered it quickly.

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

They are very on the schedule, constant daily communication and never miss deadlines.

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

Not really. We did not have any complaints.