Goji Labs

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the SVP, Global Marketing of a consumer products company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company creates and distributes a global intellectual property portfolio that includes the world's greatest Christmas brands. 
We offer consumer products, entertainment, and brand experiences designed to create joyful family moments, primarily for families with children ages 3-13.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Goji Labs to accomplish?

• Create a new website
• Revamp and improve one of our brand's website
• Audit and make design recommendations for our store

SOLUTION

How did you find Goji Labs?

Referral

Why did you select Goji Labs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Goji Labs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We moved away from a static, product-focused site to one that quickly immerses visitors into the heart of the tradition and our goal of creating joyful family moments, giving them reasons to start the tradition, answering questions quickly, showcasing elf ideas, encouraging them to join our community, and helping them find the products they need, fast.

Imagine creating “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” website from scratch in four months. That’s what our team did here. This is your all-access, immersive pass to the enchanted world of Santa Claus introducing fans to our beloved (and growing) list of characters and creating opportunities for endless fandom. Check out the in-depth character profiles, realms, and interactive map. This site will continually evolve and grow as the story unfolds next year and in the years to come. 

Here again, we moved away from the older static site to a more dynamic one that showcases that we’re not just home to the world’s largest Christmas brands—we’re also the best place to work for top talent (like each of you!).  This site speaks directly to partners, the media, and future talent. Pro tip: Look closely—you may see familiar faces in the photos and videos! 

The Updated Store
Finally, we made updates to create a more seamless shopping experience that inspires gift-giving and highlights specific products, collections, and promotions in real-time, while incorporating more lifestyle visuals.

These sites were not created on a whim—there was a LOT of strategic thinking behind the scenes to ensure each one accomplishes specific goals:
Connecting emotionally with our audience.
Helping people find what they’re looking for quickly and easily.
Building fandom and deepening engagement.
Driving sales to support all of our beloved brands.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Improved consumer experience overall. 

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

Outstanding. Definitely a strength. They helped us create the two websites and new e-commerce store design in less than five months.

What was your primary form of communication with Goji Labs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Great audit, insights, and project management skills. Very good design. Fast.

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

Based on feedback from our developers, there could be some improvement on the coding/web development side. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the special assistant to the president at the Council on Foreign Relations. We’re a foreign policy-focused membership organization, publisher, and think tank. We’re a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that’s been in operation since 1921.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goji Labs?

We wanted to create foreign policy-focused trivia and educational games to reach a broad audience of foreign policy-curious individuals. This included experts in the field and middle school and high school students just starting to develop their interest in foreign policy.

We tasked them to build out a game similar to those published by The New York Times, and independent games such as Wordle and Travle. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Goji Labs has helped us design and develop a web-based foreign policy trivia game that can be played on both mobile and desktop.

They have been responsible for everything from the game mechanics' ideation to the game's actual design and UX. They've developed the software that runs the game from a Java stack. We just have to add final features and tweaks based on user feedback.

While we initially provided them with documentation about the game's concept and some mock wireframes, they have played a substantial role in designing the game.

Basically, it's an ordering game, so players are prompted every day with a new puzzle where they’re asked to order different countries. An example puzzle would be to order the top five countries by GDP per capita. Players are given an answer bank of eight countries and asked to organize the top five based on the question of the day. Players are given four attempts to do that.

When they’re done, they get their results via a score graphic, which they can share with other individuals and track their performance over time.

In summary, Goji Labs has built the consumer-facing portion of the game's web app and an admin console for the council to manage the game's content. We handle the game's marketing ourselves.

What is the team composition?

David, the CEO, was the initial engagement manager. Under him, a team of four works on our project. This includes Sean, the project manager, a designer, another product manager, and an engineer.

How did you come to work with Goji Labs?

We came across them through a referral from a friend who had used them for some RFPs. They didn’t end up hiring Goji Labs, but they had a really good experience working with them on app development and referred us to their team.

How much have you invested with them?

We have received a $92,000 quote.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2024, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Over the past six months, the team has successfully completed every game interaction. The game is high-quality and fully functional. After the test launch, the game had a few bugs, but overall, we haven't found any catastrophic issues. The product is now being tested internally.

Our coworkers have found the game to be simple, easy to play, fun, engaging, and intuitive. Goji Labs has demonstrated an overall good understanding of UI/UX design. Besides, they’ve also demonstrated remarkable attention to detail throughout the design and development process.

Not to mention, Goji Labs has had a very holistic process working with us to ensure they fulfill our core needs and align with our mission. They’ve demonstrated high competency with that throughout the project. Ultimately, they have truly exceeded our expectations. 

How did Goji Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Goji Labs has met the deliverable timelines and performed well regarding project management, which has pleased us. Moreover, they’ve walked us through their Jira, and we’ve had visibility into it. We’ve also used Figma throughout the process. As to communication, we’ve combined Zoom and email. We sometimes use Slack for more day-to-day communication with the development team and product manager.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I want to give a shout-out to David and Sean.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their commitment to the project, flexibility, and professionalism have impressed me the most.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have any negative feedback.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set high expectations and communicate very openly with them. When you clearly communicate your goals, they can always meet them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Product of American Kennel Club

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

For 140 years, the American Kennel Club has been the country’s leading authority on all things dogs, acting as the premier resource for dog lovers, from the fancier to the everyday owner. Along with our affiliated organizations, we encourage dogs as family companions; advance canine health and well-being; advocate for dog owner rights; and educate the public about responsible dog ownership. 
We are passionate about everything related to dogs, and we celebrate the joy they bring to our lives every single day. Being a dog lover is not a pastime; it’s a way of life – and we make every moment count.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Goji Labs to accomplish?

• Design a new navigation for our website
• Design screens for app onboarding

SOLUTION

How did you find Goji Labs?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Goji Labs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Goji Labs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

1. The work included in-depth research into our customer base to determine our user needs and develop a report of those user details and perceptions of our site. Deliverable: Detailed report of consumer base and its pain points and expectations for our website.
2. Design a brand new navigation that would drive users to high value areas and create easy access to our products and services for our users. Deliverables included Wireframes, low-fi design, and hi-fi designs
3. Design a brand templates for our content pages and provide context and guidelines for use of these templates. Deliverables included Wireframes, low-fi design and hi-fi designs
4. Design onboarding screens and key app related features for new mobile Marketplace app. Deliverables included Wireframes, low-fi design, hi-fi designs

Goji works hand in hand with each of these projects and holds multiple meetings weekly to do proper discovery, listen for feedback and deliver on results!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They are always on time with all deliverables, very flexible to feedback and new scope and were willing participants and partners in all conversations. 

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

Goji's project management is excellent.

What was your primary form of communication with Goji Labs?

Virtual Meeting

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

Goji is unique in that their process is effective but if there is something ineffective, they are willing to adapt and change the process to meet the clients needs without affecting the outcome. David was always willing to listen to our feedback and made quick and actionable adjustments as needed. It truly felt like partners working towards a common goal!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder of a nonprofit organizations' funding platform

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We offer a platform to help nonprofit organizations raise awareness and funds.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Goji Labs to accomplish?

• Design a mobile app
• Develop a mobile app

SOLUTION

How did you find Goji Labs?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Goji Labs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Goji Labs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Discovery workshops
• UX/UI
• Mobile app development (React Native) for iOS and Android
• Testing/bug fixes/maintenance

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• High fidelity designs
• The mobile app development stages

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

• Overall, the work was delivered within a reasonable timeline. We did go past our initial timeline but that is to be expected in such a project. We were also being very rigorous on the quality of the results and asked for last minute changes, so the delay was partly our responsibility. 
• They took onboard the input, changes and adjustments we requested along the way. 
• The team worked with us patiently and with understanding - and a common goal of making it right.

What was your primary form of communication with Goji Labs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Goji Labs' vision and approach when delivering projects were most impressive. They take your ideas and input onboard, but also offer their point of view and critical thought. If you let them, the team won't hesitate to advise and challenge your assumptions, which turns into a healthy productive environment.

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

A lot of the infrastructure was set up on Goji Labs' own environment, which meant we did not have ownership of the database and other services that our app relies on, including the codebase. I think that they should offer the infrastructure and hosting ownership to the client, and let them decide how they prefer to set it up (owned by the client or by Goji Labs). Or at least discuss this upfront, this was something we felt was not very transparent and we were not given any options.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Gaido

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an international travel app that allows users to discover curated reccomendations and book services with local tour guides in cities across North America (Mexico only), Europe, and Asia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Goji Labs to accomplish?

• Develop our idea into a product and Identify a GTM strategy
• Design the platform and customer journey
• Develop the application

SOLUTION

How did you find Goji Labs?

Online Search

Why did you select Goji Labs over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Goji Labs were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

The project started with a two week strategy sprint to develop our idea for the product, into a platform with a clear identity and value proposition. 

Once the idea for the platform (Gaido) was conceived, we conducted a competitive analysis, set of user interviews, created a low tech prototype, and lastly conducted usability tests over the course of a few weeks to better understand the industry landscape and what travelers want.

With the results from these tests, we honed the idea further and developed a GTM strategy and ideation for the MVP. We then engaged in design work over the next few months and mapped out the application and its initial prodcut features.

Lastly, was the development stage which lasted around 2 months. Through this time period, we have tested the product features we created and prepared for a soft launch, and a full release of the MVP (slated for July 2024). This included collaborating on product testing, bug fixes, and ideating on future product features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product has yet to launch, however we have been able to create a powerful product that will fully release in the next month.

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

The team at Goji has kept me informed of the product timeline throughout the entire process, and kept me up to date on any changes whether good or bad. They even completed several features ahead of schedule. We set a hard launch date a month or two in advance that they have honored and kept us on pace to meet.

When reporting issues or bugs to their development teams, they often have a fix or solution in place within 24-48 hours.

What was your primary form of communication with Goji Labs?

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

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

Their ability to quickly pivot and implement change is impressive. There have been several instances where issues have come up (whether in design or development) and we need to implement a quick, scalable solution that won't delay development, or compromise our user experience. Time and time again, their team has assured that we meet our goals and never sacrifice quality even in moments of uncertainty. 

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

Goji always stayed within the budget range we received, but they could have done a better job keeping us up to date on where we were currently at as far as costs go. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of Superfeel, a social media company. We’re still a bit in stealth.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goji Labs?

We designed a first and a second version of the app and were about to launch it officially on the App Store. However, we wanted to ensure the app was robust enough from a design perspective. Since we didn’t have an in-house designer, we needed to outsource these responsibilities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Goji Labs to redesign our application. We initially provided our designs and some documentation, but it was a standard iOS and Android app. They opened our designs; we had them in PhotoShop. Then, they helped us implement them in Figma and redesigned most of the app.

Additionally, Goji Labs helped our engineers implement the changes in the frontend.

What is the team composition?

We had some contact with the CEO, especially in the early stages of discussions and negotiations of the collaboration. The CEO also oversaw our weekly meetings and the work. Additionally, they assigned us a designer, 2–3 engineers, and someone working on animations.

How did you come to work with Goji Labs?

I looked for outsourced UI dev shops and found them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $45,000–$55,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted eight weeks in total. We started the first or second week of April 2024 and finished in May 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We finished a few days ago, so we don’t have any results yet. Since we’re still developing some new technologies, we’ve paused the collaboration. We need to think about integrating those technologies and then decide when to launch on the App Store. However, we were very happy about the results of Goji Lab’s work.

How did Goji Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They did everything on time and were proactive in managing the relationship. They had excellent processes, so we have nothing to complain about.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were all very professional, and communication was great. Goji Labs had a very proactive process and reached out to us, recapping the outcomes of calls and ensuring they got what they needed from us in time. Overall, they managed us really well, instead of us having to manage them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really can’t say anything; we were happy about their job. Communication and development were great. To be honest, we were pretty satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d definitely recommend Goji Labs. I’d advise you to tell them as much as possible about your design or development work preferences. On the first few calls, Goji Labs worked on understanding the user persona of our product. They already have that as part of their product process because they want to figure out as much as possible about who the client is, what they are building, and what it is for so they can tailor their services to each product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and co-founder of an infrastructure as a service (IaaS) company that supports building more empowered gaming experiences for kids and teens.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goji Labs?

We needed support to build our core platform's MVP and go-to-market strategy. We were looking for a development company that had deep experience in building IaaS and the regulatory environment.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Goji Labs initially scoped out the building of a proof of concept for an iOS application that demonstrated how the system related to kids and parents would operate. The team subsequently moved forward on an MVP and expanded to a more comprehensive build of the iOS app. Goji Labs also built a developer portal necessary to support the app build-out for the integration of games within the system and an admin portal through which publishers could manage core functionality and configuration. 

We also worked closely with Goji Labs on product and UX design. Typically, we provided our specs and some wireframes, and the team supported us in iterating into initially low-fidelity screens and then high-fidelity visions of the UX and then, subsequently, building out the system's front- and backend. 

We leveraged Goji Labs' expertise to support other admin and associated functions that we set up to support the web development and design, including maintaining mailing lists on our website and building different functions that sit with our online portal.

What is the team composition?

We initially started working with four teammates from Goji Labs: David (CEO), Adam (Founder & CTO), April (Product Design Manager), and Artur (Frontend Developer). By the time we transitioned the project to our in-house team, we had a team of 12–14 Goji Labs teammates working on our platform.

How did you come to work with Goji Labs?

We went to the market to find a development firm with a unique combination of experience to support our vision. We compiled a list of 20 software development firms from around the world based on referrals. We shortlisted that and interviewed various companies. We went through different processes and ultimately decided to work with Goji Labs as they had a unique mix of experience that would benefit our initial go-to-market strategy.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Goji Labs from November 2022–January 2024, when we turned the project to our in-house development team to continue working on it. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Goji Labs' support, our company transitioned from that initial MVP phase to a go-to-market product. We already saw meaningful connections with market players in the gaming space and saw that our product resonated with game publishers and platforms. Our company grew directly as a result of all the hard work and support provided by Goji Labs' team. 

We didn't experience any issues, and our system was architected in a scalable and modular way for our team to build on top of the core foundational infrastructure. Every interaction we had with Goji Labs was such a fantastic experience because I loved ideating and walking through all the development phases with the team. I was a fan of the entire Goji Labs team. 

How did Goji Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

One of Goji Labs' core strengths was project management. We were very impressed with the team's ability to take a spec, road map it, determine a timeline and milestones, and then work with us to calibrate that to any key announcements or milestones on our end. We communicated via email and Slack. We also used different project management tools as part of the development process and heavily relied on Notion and Figma as day-to-day tools.

Overall, Goji Labs was incredibly responsive and a fantastic project manager. Everything the team built was more than we originally anticipated, and the speed at which they adapted to our support requirements was incredible. 
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

David and Adam were fantastic. I was a big fan of their hard work and interest in ensuring the product became successful. We were heavily engaged with April and Artur on a more day-to-day basis. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was mostly impressed with Goji Labs' willingness to take on my vision. The team bought our vision when it was just an idea, and as they built our platform, I felt they were connected to it in the same way we were. Goji Labs worked incredibly hard to bring our vision to life, and we were fortunate to find a partner in the team who bought into our vision for safer online worlds. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for Goji Labs to improve — I had a fantastic experience working with them. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

The most important thing is to start with an overarching vision of your project and collaborate with Goji Labs on the project plan and milestones that can support it. One of the team's core strengths is working towards the client's vision once they understand it. Goji Labs will help you articulate the project's road map, and we benefitted hugely from that proactive approach. I imagine anyone working with Goji Labs would similarly benefit from the team's vision.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Web Development Manager of Educated Choices Program

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Educated Choices Program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides food-related education, empowering students and community members to recognize the importance and responsibility of making informed decisions about their food, building a healthier, more sustainable future for everyone.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Goji Labs to accomplish?

• We asked Goji labs to help us modernize our video library and content distribution system.

SOLUTION

How did you find Goji Labs?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Goji Labs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Goji Labs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Our organization's work has evolved quickly from scheduling in-person classroom presentations by hand to offering globally-focused digital video content. We needed to pivot from a complicated booking system to an easy-to-navigate, sortable, accessible, on-demand resource library that would suit the needs of both our long-term users and new visitors. 
As a global operation, we also needed the library to offer several language options. Our work is continuous and frequently updated, so we need a partner who can flex with us as we regularly reassess our project's scope. We asked Goji Labs to design and implement our new on-demand library, one that could accommodate the frequent additions of new content and languages, and they have delivered beautifully on our request. 
We officially launched the library this week, right on time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were looking for a fully-functioning application to replace our current video presentation booking system. We needed it within a six-month timeframe, and we hoped it would provide all the options our users already expect while expanding the available features to make the user experience even more rewarding. This project has completed on time and meets our original objectives.

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

We have been impressed with the communication and availability of all the Goji Labs team members assigned to our project. They laid-out a reasonable time table up front, and gave us a line-item breakdown of the work to be completed each week. Throughout the project, we have never been unable to reach any of our contacts at Goji Labs and have always felt well-informed and updated as to what to expect. 
We feel that each Goji Labs team member, from project lead to UX designer to CEO, has performed with impressive skill and professionalism, and they have always been responsive to our questions and requests.

What was your primary form of communication with Goji Labs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Our experience with the Goji Labs team has been rewarding, not only because they have delivered on their promises and have demonstrated a deep understanding of our project's diverse (and sometimes unusual) technical needs, but also because they were good listeners and worked with great respect for our underlying mission and values. 
We have never felt like a mere client in our interactions with Goji Labs, Rather, they have felt like another arm of our own organization, which makes all of the strategic planning, communicating, testing, and updating a very smooth process.

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

No, I can't think of any enduring feedback for improvement. Goji Labs has been so responsive and flexible to our questions that any potential for misunderstanding or disappointment has been avoided.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Partner of Generez

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We help sales teams develop referral partners by providing them a process that allows consistent touches to their partners so they stay front of mind.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Goji Labs to accomplish?

• To provide a software in the form of an app that allowed us to share with sales teams that wants to increase self generated leads. This software would need to give the sales person a process that they could follow that allows them to build out and develop referral partners helping to create consistent lead flow that closes higher than traditional leads sources.

SOLUTION

How did you find Goji Labs?

Online Search

Why did you select Goji Labs over others?

• High ratings
• Company values aligned
• Felt that Goji could deliver a top notch product

How many teammates from Goji Labs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Create a mini CRM that is app based that the sales person will use. This will also allow a sales manger to log in on the web or desktop and see the activity of the sales person. Helps create action items for each new potential referral partner that is entered into the system.

Send post cards through the app Send videos Reporting function on activity levels Creates reminders Allows multiple ways to reach out and touch a prospect to stay in front of the prospect. Must be able to receive payments. Provide a back end system that an admin can access. Many other details

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The software worked as agreed

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

We met weekly with the project manager and every other week with one of the founders. If there was an immediate need we used slack and these items were handled quickly.

What was your primary form of communication with Goji Labs?

Virtual Meeting

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

We felt they were more of a partner than a vendor.

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

Nothing comes to mind.