What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I don’t have any metrics to share because their work isn’t available to customers yet, but we’ve already seen some beneficial outcomes. We’ve started using their screens during presentations to investors, and they’ve directly helped our sales process in terms of pushing enterprise deals along. Having this improved UX has made a huge difference in our efforts to secure additional capital.
We’re in the process of rethinking the backend architecture to match the new UX. The design should be live in about a month.
How did Fresh Tilled Soil perform from a project management standpoint?
As a former management consultant, I’m well versed regarding project management styles, and Fresh Tilled Soil excelled in this area. They never once missed a call or email and had everything scheduled. We always knew exactly what the team was working on. The team exceeded our expectations in terms of what they were able to get done in the timeframe.
Part of why they performed so strongly was that they were extremely flexible in their communication. We used a combination of Slack, email, calls, and Skype, and they tailored their outreach to our preferences.
To augment some of this more rapid communication, they also used a formal project management tool. We had access to their project plan, and our team was able to comment on and interact with it. This multi-faceted communication approach made the project run very smoothly.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The seniority of Fresh Tilled Soil’s team makes them stand out, especially in terms of their flexibility. Having experienced designers allowed them to be more dynamic and match our demanding timelines.
For example, two members of our leadership team are constantly traveling, and Fresh Tilled Soil was able to adjust quickly and stay in communication. A more junior group of designers may not have been able to do that as effectively. Fresh Tilled Soil shines with organizations that need that extra level of sophistication in their UX team.
I also really valued their holistic approach. They did an excellent job of gathering and considering multiple opinions. We had our own hypotheses going into the project, and they leveraged their expertise to elevate the conversation past our initial thoughts. What we ended up doing, based on their recommendation, was much more of a drastic, foundational change than we were anticipating, which I appreciated.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t have any improvements to suggest, and I don’t say that lightly. Fresh Tilled Soil is one of the few vendors I’ve been willing to jump and the phone and give a five-star referral for, and it’s because they are very good at what they do.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Because their team is very experienced and effective, you should make sure to have a precise idea of what you want them to focus on. That’s how you’re going to get the most out of them. Even a small amount of prep work can go a long way in terms of saving time on the discovery phase. They will be most useful once they get to the core challenges of the project and start solving the thornier issues.
My other piece of advice for potential customers is to make sure that you’re ready for their level of expertise. This is a powerful group of UX designers who will deliver. If you’re looking to keep your budget small, there are other options for that.
Internally, Fresh Tilled Soil's designs received rave reviews, and they made it easy for the development team to take over the project. They assigned a responsive project manager who provided weekly updates, collecting feedback for the team to implement later.