The Future Forward Inc.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Business Development + Marketing Manager of NANO Architecture | Interiors

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

NANO is an internationally recognized, award-winning firm offering architectural and interior design services for a variety of markets, including commercial, residential, educational, and multi-use.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Future Forward Inc. to accomplish?

• Complete Website Redesign
• Hosting Services

SOLUTION

How did you find The Future Forward Inc.?

Online Search

Why did you select The Future Forward Inc. over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

What was the size of The Future Forward Inc.’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

Future Forward provided us with a comprehensive website redesign - they designed a fully custom UI/UX design system that achieved an accurate representation of our firm. Our goal was to be able to provide both an image-forward AND process-forward site - Future Forward successfully designed our site to balance both.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Google Analytics
• New client leads

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

Future Forward was extremely accommodating, organized, patient, and responsive. They always explained everything in great detail and were very fast to reply.

What was your primary form of communication with The Future Forward Inc.?

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

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

We interviewed a handful of firms, but Future Forward stood out to us immensely. Designing a website -- arguably the "first impression" for our company -- is a sensitive process that we knew would be challenging at times. Our priority was to find a company that truly understood our firm's mission, values, attitudes, and ethos.

Future Forward was an exceptional fit. Working with them felt natural. They are well-versed with the architectural industry and how we want to appear to our target markets and potential clients. Working with Future Forward was easy. They understood our goals and genuinely blended well with our team. They were very authentic throughout the entire process, and that mattered the most to us!

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Future Forward Inc. could have done differently?

none!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director for Trapolin-Peer Architects Company, an architecture firm based in New Orleans, Louisiana. We specialize in adaptive reuse, new construction, and interiors for design projects along the Gulf Coast.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Future Forward Inc.?

We wanted to develop an image-driven website made with as much intention and excellence as the services we offer and the structures that we design. Our goal was to accurately represent our firm’s refreshed brand identity, culture, and project portfolio. We were also looking to establish ourselves further as leaders in architecture and design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Future Forward designed and developed our website. They used Adobe XD for the design and MODX to build the backend. We provided a lot of content, including photographs and brand standards that they worked with. Some of our requirements were for the site to be image-driven and easy to navigate, and the biggest feature was our project portfolio. Additionally, they provided SEO services. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with the founder and CEO, a project manager, and a creative director. 

How did you come to work with The Future Forward Inc.?

We found them through a referral from another local architecture firm. I reached out to The Future Forward, and they were quick to respond. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $62,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May 2021–March 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our team was very satisfied with the design and the process that The Future Forward led to getting there. We had a very successful kickoff, and they guided us through the process seamlessly, keeping everything very simple and to the point. 

How did The Future Forward Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered on time and within the budget. The team was very responsive and used email and video calls to communicate. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by The Future Forward’s design aesthetic. They had an outstanding ability to narrow down all of our ideas and deliver a very succinct and thoughtful design that accurately represented our brand. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were wonderful. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We made sure that we had most of our ducks in a row before reaching out to them, and I’d recommend doing the same. Even when we were uploading content, we tried to ensure we had all of our details lined up for an easy handoff, which made the implementation of the site seamless.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture, an architecture firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Future Forward Inc.?

Our website was over 20 years old and very outdated. We were more of a wider spread architecture firm in terms of our services back when the site was built, and we’ve since honed in on the recreation market over the past 20 years. We wanted our website to reflect our new client base and focus of work, so we decided to look for a company that could help us do that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Future Forward Inc. rebuilt our entire site from scratch using MODX. They began the project with a kickoff workshop, followed by site map development, web design, and web development. We’ve already launched the site, but The Future Forward Inc. still provides us with hosting services and technical support.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Nick (Founder & Managing Director), Meg (Project Manager), Jonathan (Partner & Creative Director), and Sandino (Web Developer).

How did you come to work with The Future Forward Inc.?

We found The Future Forward Inc. online when we were searching online for development firms with prior experience working with architecture firms. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $70,000 on the website design, and we pay them $1,000 per year for the hosting and support.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the site launched, our site’s bounce rate has gone down from 90% to 8%, which we’re really happy with. Our time on site has also gone up almost a full minute, and we’ve seen a 7% increase in our sessions per user.

In terms of the quality of their work, I think they’ve done a great job. We wanted the site to be the perfect balance between colorful and sophisticated. We wanted it to be out of the box, but not wacky and unapproachable. The Future Forward Inc. managed to find the perfect balance in terms of the site’s design and look and feel.

How did The Future Forward Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

The Future Forward Inc. has performed well in terms of project management. They’re always very responsive to all of our emails. Because of our schedule, we set up all of our workshop dates at the kickoff, and we managed to adhere to all of those schedules throughout the project. We didn’t need to reschedule any, which was great.

We primarily communicate through email and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I admit that we weren’t the easiest client to deal with. We were very particular about what we wanted for the site, and we went through a whole lot of iterations to get to where we wanted. 

The Future Forward Inc. has been very patient with us throughout — they listened to us, showed us a lot of different concepts, and went above and beyond to give us what we wanted. It was evident that they really wanted us to be happy. They definitely understood our culture in terms of who we are and what we were trying to represent, and it showed in the final product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Once we finished the project’s design phase and moved on to the development phase, the communication got a little bit weaker. There were also a few things towards the end of the project, especially with regard to the site’s launch, that I wish they communicated more clearly with us.

I also think that we really could have benefited from meeting in person, even just once. We originally planned our first kickoff meeting to be in person, but because of the spike in COVID around that time, we ended up not doing it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t hold back — be honest and speak your mind about what you want and what your goals are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director of a Connecticut-based investment management firm with over $8b in assets under management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Future Forward Inc.?

We had an old and basic website that we needed help updating. We wanted a professional-looking platform that communicated that we are a trustworthy, modern firm.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Future Forward helped us design our website, including helping us select what pages and content to have as well as developing the website’s graphic and aesthetic style. They elicited feedback from us and generated different designs options for us to pick and iterate from. We already had some branding, such as a logo, for our firm which The Future Forward used and presented in a way that reflected our company and values. The site’s look and feel went through several iterations during the process.

They helped us crystalize our ideas into the site’s final format and design. After the design was finalized, The Future Forward proceeded to develop the website from scratch.

We launched our website in October 2019, and since then Future Forward has been hosting our site. They’ve also created a CMS so we can update the site autonomously.

What is the team composition?

We worked with The Future Forward’s managing partners, their head of design and branding, their senior technical lead, a client services person, and a developer.

How did you come to work with The Future Forward Inc.?

We ran a RFP and shortlisted companies. We invited each company into our office to present what they could do for us, checked examples of their past work and asked for cost and time estimates.
From the shortlisted companies, The Future Forward’s bid stood out.

The work they had done previously was very impressive, and we also saw the time and care they would give to us. Just looking at their body of work told us they were operating on a premium level of design that we didn’t see in other bids. 

In addition, the number of design iterations and in-person meetings that they were planning to have with us were superior to what their competitors were offering.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $110,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2019, the website was launched in October 2019 and website hosting is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s tricky to provide statistics regarding The Future Forward’s work because we didn’t have any analytics running on our previous website. Additionally, our project’s goal wasn’t based on numbers, but rather it aimed for a qualitative result — we wanted to communicate our brand to our clients and potential clients with a high-quality website. 

We have a significant presence in our industry and having a professional-looking website was important to us. Since launch, we have received a lot of very positive feedback on our website. After industry speaking events and engagements, for example, we always see an uptick in web traffic and clicks. 
In addition, the CMS The Future Forward developed has added allows us to update the website without their help.

The website is very reliable, and we’ve had no issues with it since it went live. Our cybersecurity partners have also told us that it’s a very secure and robust website. Overall, the website The Future Forward has developed for us is precisely what we wanted and needed as a firm.

How did The Future Forward Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

The Future Forward is excellent in project management. They stuck to their scope and timeline; the project was on time and budget. There was great communication throughout the process. 

During the design iteration, we had a lot of back and forth about the landing page and website flow and layout. The Future Forward was very game to discuss any changes that we wanted and communicated clearly how long any changes would take to implement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Future Forward has provided us with white-glove and premium service — that’s reflected in how they executed the website's design and development and how they communicated with us throughout the project. They’ve remained available after the website has been launched and helped us with our CMS-related questions.

Additionally, The Future Forward’s attention to detail is impressive. Our logo appears in three dimensions on page transitions and we have a home page with impressive moving graphics — little things like that adds to the premium quality of the site. Our website exudes our brand and what we wanted for our company.

The site also looks beautiful on mobile devices. We didn’t have to ask The Future Forward to make it mobile-friendly; they just made the site responsive, functional, and amazing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We can’t think of anything. There haven’t been any missteps in this engagement, and it has been a collaborative project from the outset.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to know your goals and try putting them all on a piece of paper from the outset. Be very clear on what you want to achieve and what’s important to you as a business. Once you’ve done that, you can trust The Future Forward’s process and you should follow their advice. 

You can rely on The Future Forward’s keen eye for design in all aspects. Be open to communicating with them because they will be very open to your ideas and to speaking with you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and design director of Bunsa Studio, an interior design business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Future Forward Inc.?

I hired The Future Forward to help us with our branding needs and to help us in creating a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had several meetings where we discussed our ideas, and they listened to what I wanted. They provided recommendations, too. The branding process they spearheaded includes creating our logo, color palette, and more. They also helped us launch our website, and they'll continue to provide annual maintenance.

What is the team composition?

I’m working with two people, including Nick (Founder & Managing Director) and Jonathan (Partner & Creative Director).

How did you come to work with The Future Forward Inc.?

I reached out to The Future Forward many years ago when I first started my business. I was based in New York City at that time, and they did web design for one of my favorite design firms. I liked that their team produced clean and simple work, which led me to reach out to them for a quote many years ago. However, their quote was more than what my budget could allow at that time. As a result, I had it in the back of my mind that I'd work with them once I could afford their services.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in April 2021, and we continue to collaborate.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to The Future Forward’s straightforward process, our colleagues and other people have been telling us that we have a great website.

How did The Future Forward Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

The Future Forward team has an excellent project management process, and they’re very professional. They schedule well, and they send me meeting invitations ahead of time so that we’re all on the same page with deliverables. They usually share their screen to show their outputs on Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re great designers. I’d highly recommend them to all of my peers and colleagues.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t know anything they should’ve done differently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Save up your money because they’re not cheap, but they’re worth every penny.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Cosine. We’re a complementary lighting design agency. We design architectural lighting layouts and procure the products for the projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Future Forward Inc.?

We already had a strong brand identity, so they helped us build out a website using that. Then, they also pushed our brand forward by taking the preliminary design handbook and changing things to elevate our overall aesthetic.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Future Forward has built the WordPress website, including the layout and function. They’ve also created a couple of brand components that we’ve ended up using on all of our identity and collateral.

Initially, they did a lot of preliminary research on the content that we ultimately selected. We provided them with raw images, and they edited them to post them on the website.

The site is a basic portfolio site, but one key piece is lead capture. They’ve developed a typed form that captures leads as people navigate the site, so we’re pushing them to convert and submit a project.

Also, one of our concerns was contacting them to publish content or teaching our marketing team how to post on WordPress, which were both undesirable options. Instead, they connected our database with the website. The images are tied to Airtable, so the site fetches the content every five minutes and publishes it.

What is the team composition?

The owner is involved, and we have a project manager and a design person. I’m not sure how many people are behind the scenes; we’ve never met them.

The project manager is our main point of contact. They collect information, set appointments, and more.

How did you come to work with The Future Forward Inc.?

They reached out, and we took a look at their portfolio. We noticed a couple of mutual connections with some brands, so we called our contacts. Everyone gave great reviews about them, so we decided to go forward.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve done some work outside the initial scope, so we’ve brought it above $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in February 2021, and our partnership is ongoing. They don’t do maintenance, but we can reach out to them if we need them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s been amazing to work with them. Creative companies often lean on their clients to direct the project, which hasn’t been the case with The Future Forward.

Also, the design they came up with is very impressive. The background with moving gradients on the homepage is something that we hadn’t come up with in our original design package, and it’s so compelling that we’re now using it for all our branding.

How did The Future Forward Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They had a clear process from the beginning, and they’ve adhered to the schedule to keep the project moving forward. The team has been diligent in taking our feedback and processing exactly what we said. If they miss something, they solve it quickly. Overall, they’re excellent to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re tremendously organized. When they ask questions, it’s clear they’ve asked them a hundred times to different clients over the years. They know the answer they want and how to drive us to that answer. If we push outside the requirements, they’re able to figure out how to incorporate something new.

Additionally, their ability to grasp what we try to accomplish with our branding is extraordinary. It’s been a great experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It took them some time to deliver the final product, which we would’ve liked to execute quicker. I think the delay was due to an outsourcing issue — they were going through iterations with a third-party developer, so it took longer than expected. However, this is our first project of this magnitude, so we’re not sure how long this usually takes.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just do it. If the way they’ve worked with us is any indication of how they work with others, then it’s an easy sign-up. We can’t speak highly enough about The Future Forward.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work with AE Works, a building design and consulting company. We are headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with offices throughout the mid-Atlantic region including Washington, D.C. and State College.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Future Forward Inc.?

We were looking to reimagine our very outdated WordPress website in order to support our subtle rebranding and repositioning.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Future Forward set the design and development direction, but we had already set our vision and goals for a website with a high-end design experience. We moved out of WordPress and put our new website up on MODX, with Future Forward providing the hosting and integrating Google Analytics.

We’ve just finished up on the rebranding of our logos and templates. They’re now offering ongoing support for our website.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with three people: their two partners and the project manager. There were three more members that came in during the development phase. 

How did you come to work with The Future Forward Inc.?

I looked into the website of other companies in our industry and found Future Forward in the footer of one of them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in October 2020 and we’re still working with the team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website traffic has increased significantly, which has us excited. We’ve also been very impressed with the design of the website; it’s really high-end, intuitive, and makes it easy for me to create and post blogs. Future Forward has done a super thoughtful job of putting everything together according to our brand standards.

How did The Future Forward Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a very condensed timeline but Future Forward was very responsive and understanding. They came to every meeting prepared with items for us to discuss, which helped us effectively navigate the challenges for this project. They set a clear schedule for our meetings, responded to all of our questions, and accepted our feedback. We communicated via Google Docs and email.

It was clear to see that they had confidence in executing the design vision. It made this experience so much better than the website development processes that I've been through before. It's easy to go off the road on projects like this but they did a great job of keeping our teams aligned.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their design vision is impressive. We came to them with an idea of what we wanted to achieve and they created options and designs for us to look through. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were great to work with. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let Future Forward do their work. They’re experts in website design and branding and they have a lot to offer in terms of creativity and vision.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of a 60-person architecture firm in Denver, Colorado. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Future Forward Inc.?

We wanted to redesign our website, which was old and dated. As a result, we hired Future Forward to update it while reinforcing our brand. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Future Forward rebuilt our website. For this project, we wanted a website that users could more easily navigate. They should be able to find information few clicks. Overall, we wanted them to simplify the site’s UX design so end users could access our content in a better way.

To do that, they built a series of prototypes that highlighted the content we provided. The site also had sections where we spoke about our processes, principles, and ideas that drive our brand. They must also highlight that information.  

Currently, the website is live, and the team provides ongoing maintenance services for us. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Nick (Co-Founder & Managing Director), and he has a project manager and a content developer. 

How did you come to work with The Future Forward Inc.?

Future Forward was recommended to us by a peer who had worked with them at another design firm. Initially, we interviewed 3–4 firms that we sourced through an RFP. Our team identified the firms through the high-quality websites we’d seen and through word-of-mouth references. Future Forward was one of those companies, and we ended up choosing them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We formally had them on board in June 2020 — right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic — and the relationship is ongoing. The website, however, was completed by December 2020 and formally launched in January 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Future Forward’s designs are strong and well-synthesized; they’re simple, clear, and very well done. Team members also have a wonderful emphasis on typography and the basic details that drive good graphics. 

How did The Future Forward Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is good. We have an internal project manager who serves as a person-to-person contact between our teams. That manager follows up on our meetings, schedules, to-do’s, content, and deliverables. Future Forward also had a project manager, and their relationship with our manager works out quite well. To communicate, we use email and Zoom. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The clarity of their process is impressive. It’s highly organized and well-thought-out in terms of discovering the narrative that’s necessary to build the website. On top of that, Nick has proven to be an exceptionally articulate, engaging, and compelling team leader. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

As architects, our team imagined that the design phase of the project would have a bit more discovery and iterative explorations. Instead, Future Forward’s team quickly proposed a design direction and moved forward with that. It wasn’t a bad thing — after all, it’s worked out well for us — but a slightly broader discovery process at the outset could’ve been more beneficial for the project. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear internal team structure around content development and decision-making. Having a one-person team is easy, but if several heads are contributing to the project, a clear team structure is necessary. On top of that, you should have a clear process of gaining consensus. This way, you can communicate with Future Forward in an organized way, which is highly beneficial to the project. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of a women's fashion store. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Future Forward Inc.?

I was looking for a vendor to develop a website and a web store for me.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Future Forward designed and developed a Shopify website. We met once and then, they presented different design options to me. After I decided which direction I wanted to go, they finalized the design and moved on to the development phase. 

What is the team composition? 

I mostly worked with Nick (Managing Partner, The Future Forward Inc.).

How did you come to work with The Future Forward Inc.?

I was referred to them by someone who had worked with them previously.

What is the status of this engagement? 

I worked with The Future Forward for about six months in 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Nick is a very reliable, responsive, and supportive partner. He continues to improve and update my website on a regular basis.

How did The Future Forward Inc. perform from a project management standpoint? 

We mostly used email and phone to stay in touch. They kept me up-to-date with the progress, so we didn't have any issues. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was happy with the solution that combined both design and development.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. It's been an overwhelmingly positive experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and co-managing partner of a real estate design and development company, which is the parent company for an interior design studio and a workspace operator. We invest in our own proprietary real estate projects, including small residential holdings and shared workspaces.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Future Forward Inc.?

We hired The Future Forward Inc. to create our brand identity and develop websites for our three businesses.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Future Forward Inc. designed our original brand identity, from our logo to our websites. We provided them with inspiration for the look and feel that we wanted to achieve, and they ultimately came up with a brand new, unique identity.

When they worked on the subsequent companies within our parent company, they developed those brands so that they were consistent with the overall aesthetic of the parent company. They built our three websites from scratch.

What is the team composition?

My team worked with a designer and a developer.

How did you come to work with The Future Forward Inc.?

We did a decent amount of market research into branding and development firms that had worked for other design studios, and The Future Forward Inc. had done the brand identity and web design for a local design studio whose work we admired.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we spent around $40,000. The last project they did for us cost about $25,000, which was more than we’d spent on the previous projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from June 2013–June 2017 on a project-by-project basis. Each project lasted 3–4 months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They accurately captured the brand image we wanted to convey to clients.

How did The Future Forward Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Not only was the quality of their creative output great, but they did a great job managing the projects. They were focused on budget, process, and timely delivery. The final creative result was always excellent, and the journey to get there was invariably stress-free. We didn’t have to deal with complications or roadblocks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Future Forward Inc. builds websites from scratch. They don’t use templates or pre-existing tools; they’re actually coding and developing sites, which is what sets them apart.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

No; I’ve continued to work with them on three consecutive projects, which is an indication of how satisfied I am with everything they offer.

Any advice for potential customers?

As with any agency, set clear expectations about what you’re looking for from them. The Future Forward Inc. was good at listening to the brief and delivering on it, so the process ran itself.