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    Sibiu, Romania
    +40754372780

We're your front-end development experts.

4.9
6 reviews

Graffino is your reliable front-end development partner. We're very good at what we do, because we simply love our work, and we don't believe in "good enough".

We're based in the wonderful city of Sibiu in Romania, but we're working with clients from all over the world.

 
$5,000+
 
$25 - $49 / hr
 
2 - 9
 Founded
2014
Show all +
Sibiu, Romania
headquarters

Portfolio

Key clients: 

Wolters Kluwer, Flyeralarm, NTT Data, FOX, Travelkeys (now Accor).

TravelKeys

Travel Keys is an elite travel broker representing an enticing collection of 7000 personally inspected luxury villas throughout more than 90 destinations throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Europe, Asia, Africa and the United States.

SurveyAnyplace

Survey Anyplace enables anybody to create a mobile survey for tablets and smartphones.

Omnipaste

Omnipaste is a Romanian startup focused on linking the PC with Android devices.

Evergreen

Evergreen is a British company, that measures and develops online reputation for businesses worldwide.

Reviews

4.9
6 reviews
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Web Dev & Design for Media Production Company

"I felt confident with them, and I listened whenever they gave me feedback or suggestions."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Dec. 2017 - May 2018
Project summary: 

Graffino handled the building of and transition to a new website. The site integrated with Salesforce and MailChimp. It was simple to maintain and populate. 

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Brussels, Belgium
Gabriel Radu
Founder, Levo Productions
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The site looked fantastic and totally satisfied the customer. Graffino kept everyone updated on task status, stayed on top of UI/UX design trends, and explained the rationale behind their choices. Their commitment to artistic excellence and strategic organization was clear throughout. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am one of the founders of a media company that produces videos and content for our clients. We specialize in anything related to 3D video, handling everything from static 3D renders to complex videos. We are expanding our services. I am one of the founders of the company, and I handle sales and general management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Graffino?

One of our customers was transitioning from their old website to a new, better one. Online sales were very important. Since we had a very good relationship with the client, they asked us to do it. We didn’t have that capability, but we knew about Graffino because we had worked with them before and recommended them as a subcontractor.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Graffino did everything. I only handled the account management and ensured that the client provided a detailed brief. I also made sure that Graffino’s managing partner could handle the project.

Graffino was in Romania, our client was in the Netherlands, and I was in Brussels, Belgium. This is not a massive issue in the U.S., but it means something in Europe. I mainly went to the client’s headquarters, kept in touch with them constantly, and periodically visited my team in Romania. I ensured that everything was in order on all sides, and did a bit of stakeholder and account management. Our situation wasn’t optimal. We could have lost information, and communication could have been tricky. I was very happy that it all went well.

One of the client's requirements was minimizing maintenance costs once the website went live. The client had internal staff to handle the website. However, whenever they wanted to change an article on their previous website, they had to call and pay their agency. The costs were too high. We promised to deliver a website that was easy to maintain and populate with new information.

We built the backend from scratch, to make it as user-friendly and easy to update and maintain as possible. Based on their requirements, we made everything editable that could be. 

We created sketches using a specialized software. Graffino made the designs, we submitted them to the client, and we went through three or four rounds of feedback. We agreed on a design and implemented it.

Then we continued with the backend work, and Graffino gave us a simulation of the website. They basically gave the client a working version of the website, where we could test everything and see if it worked as we wanted it to.

After that, we started going live. The process took two days, which was quite amazing. They integrated Salesforce, MailChimp, and all sorts of third-party apps. We had to ensure that all those were integrated. We couldn’t double up those integrations, so we had to switch them from the old site to the new.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with five people from their team, including the designer and four back- and frontend programmers.

How did you come to work with Graffino?

I first worked with their founder when I was part of an NGO and they volunteered to help with our website. I liked what they did, and called them for a project quote when I started working for one of the biggest consultancies in Romania. They gave us the best offer, and I was very happy with the results.

I heard about them again from one of our clients, as if I didn’t already know them. They were very happy with Graffino. When I need web work, I send them an email.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work, including plug-ins and other components, was around €30,000 ($35,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the current project in December 2017, and it launched at the beginning of May 2018. We’re pretty much happy with everything at the moment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We closed the project recently, and our customer was satisfied. We loved the site and it looked great.

The only back-and-forth and tension that can arise in a project like this is during the clarification of expectations beforehand. We always plan three or four rounds of feedback before any major step. The client may want something that isn't in the designs and technical requirements they approved. Graffino was reasonably flexible, adding things that weren't in the initial brief. This can be tricky to navigate, but it went well for us.

How did Graffino perform from a project management standpoint?

They used multiple online tools, including ActiveCollab. They always populated it with all the tasks, deadlines, and project phases. Both the client and I could check the project’s live standing and comment on tasks and open discussions. Coupled with Slack, it helped a lot. We coordinated excellently using those two tools.

The finances were also straightforward. They used online tools, and everything went quickly. Compared to my other experiences, it was easy to work with Graffino. They were well organized.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really like what they do, and they don’t view it as a job. Talented individuals, particularly artists, value the freedom to do what they like. I saw this with Graffino.

During the design phase, the client asked for a newsletter popup dialogue box. Graffino responded by suggesting the latest trends in user experience, gave us an interesting explanation about why this was not necessarily a good idea, and told us that we had better possibilities. Neither I nor the client would have known this. Graffino knew because they read about this every day and understand everything that happens in the industry.

I loved their passion. I felt confident with them, and I listened whenever they gave me feedback or suggestions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I know it sounds strange, but not really. No one I’ve worked with was perfect, but you can solve anything if you understand the goal and adopt a decent level of flexibility to adapt to circumstances. Even if some things seemed negative in the short term, their strategic and communicative approach to the project was great.

I’ve worked as a consultant for five years, and it’s hard to find a flaw with Graffino. They have a grasp on the basic, evergreen principles. If they keep following those, there is no limit to what they can do.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Listen to Graffino’s advice. They are experts, but clients sometimes have fixed ideas about what they want. Suppliers can always just submit to them, but if a client truly listens to Graffino's opinions on web development, they will get great value for the price.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They have very good value for money, compared to other companies.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Frontend Web Design for Software Company

“I’m thrilled with their work and have continued using them.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
2013 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Graffino worked on frontend development, implementing CSS and HTML to produce web interfaces from graphic designs. They also worked on the logo and user experience design.

The Reviewer
 
Sibiu County, Romania
Alex Calinoiu
Founder, Agile Freaks
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Despite higher prices than some competitors, Graffino provides excellent services and the top-quality deliverables. They are dedicated, communicative, and responsive, taking on board regular feedback and demonstrating their skills and willingness to learn.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a software development company dealing with backend services. I’m a co-founder of the company and one of the programmers.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Graffino?

Our backend services were not very impressive visually. From time to time, we need to display elements on a web page or another type of application. The goal was to make things more aesthetically pleasing for the end-user.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They implemented the CSS and HTML needed for turning graphic designs into web interfaces. We used different frontend frameworks for the development. The design work was done by their in-house person, as well as other collaborators.

Their work takes place before the final development of an application, and after the discovery and design phases. Working with them, we determine the functionalities of web pages on a case-by-case basis. I’ve worked with them on logo and UX [user experience] design, but they also can implement UX design from other people.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with four people from their team, including their co-founder, a coder, a designer, and a UX expert.

How did you come to work with Graffino?

When I met their co-founder, we talked about what we did, and he told me about his graphic design company. I needed that type of service, so we started working together.

How much have you invested with them?

The overall cost of their work has been around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them four or five years ago. Our collaboration has been ongoing on an on-and-off basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m thrilled with their work and have continued using them. Based on other designers, I didn’t expect Graffino’s work to be so pixel-perfect. They’re not the cheapest option we could find locally, but they are diligent and deliver top-quality work. 

How did Graffino perform from a project management standpoint?

They are based in my hometown, so I’ve visited their office frequently. I typically handle project management, and I have access to their entire team. We communicate through Slack, Skype, phone and email. We have an Agile process with daily standup meetings and retrospectives at the end of every sprint and every project. We discuss how we can improve the work, if there is something to improve. They are very responsive in this respect.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I have used other designers in the past, but the experience was not that good. I like to continue working with the people I like, and Graffino is definitely that.

They are thorough in terms of implementation. As a developer, I’ve appreciated seeing another team break down problems and solve them bit by bit. We’ve never ended up with big CSS clusters—style elements are brought together one by one in a modular form. It’s a programming approach to frontend work.

Graffino was the first agency that asked for feedback at the end of a project. We met for a coffee, discussed the project and determined what went or didn’t go well. Things have gone better and better with each project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We continue to have feedback meetings, but there was nothing I could identify for our last project. I simply congratulated them on their great work.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to trust the team and talk to them. They may decline to work with the type of customer that comes in with fixed ideas. On our first project, I came in with a set of ideas, but they explained what was wrong about them. In the end, they were right.

5.0
Overall Score We have been working together for five years—one star for each year.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They are worth the money.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I recommend them to everyone.

Web Redevelopment for Travel Broker

“This was one of the better experiences I’ve had. I’ve done a lot of web projects before and this one was the easiest.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Early 2015 - Early 2017
Project summary: 

Graffino rebuilt both frontend and backend for a travel brokerage site in PHP. They coded the frontend with a variety of interfaces, designed the backend UX, and collaborated on the wireframing process.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Atlanta, Georgia
Bobby Gibson
Former CEO, Travel Keys
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Conversion rates for the new site increased dramatically after launch. Though the project was complex, they offered good value and eliminated pain points.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the CEO and owner of a company called Travel Keys.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Graffino?

We were trying to rebuild the front- and backend of our website. We needed to make improvements to the frontend to keep pace with the challenges within search engine marketing. Our backend system was dated and had tech problems.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They rebuilt the backend entirely and did a lot of frontend coding in PHP. They designed the backend interface, which was a heavy UX type of project. We collaborated on a lot of the development. We started with sketches and they helped with the wireframing process.

We had a lot of database needs. We wanted to give users the ability to search in a friendly UI with a variety of functions, including map, video upload, review, and rates and booking interfaces.

What is the team composition?

We interfaced with about three people. We could connect directly to the developers who were working on the project.

How did you come to work with Graffino?

They were a referral. We looked at a few other companies, but they were very efficient and we felt they’d be a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000 and $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from early 2015 to early 2017. They provided maintenance and support after we launched the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our conversion rate went up dramatically after their involvement. I don’t remember the exact increase, but it was substantial. I’ve since sold the company and we’ve merged into a fairly large entity.

How did Graffino perform from a project management standpoint?

They did well overall. Most of our communication was through video calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

This was one of the better experiences I’ve had. I’ve done a lot of web projects before and this one was the easiest. They offered a really good value. They were affordable, delivered in a reasonably timely manner, and we didn’t have to deal with many bugs. They worked with myself and our COO and made the process pretty painless.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any net negative feedback for them. There were a few mild scoping and project management issues on both sides. It was a complex project and there were occasional delivery delays. Given the nature of the project, it was never a problem. They operated within one standard deviation of normal.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 4.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Web Development for Mobile App Site

“They're my number one choice simply because they can actually deliver what I want them to deliver.”

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4.5

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Confidential
 
2013 - 2016
Project summary: 

Graffino provided outsourced programming and development on multiple visual design projects.

The Reviewer
 
Vancouver, Canada
Marius Ciuchete Păun
Director of Design, Deux, Inc.
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Graffino focuses on delivering high-quality deliverables and building relationships with clients. They’re not willing to sacrifice code quality to meet hard deadlines.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and Design Director at Design, Deux, Inc. We were founded in 2013 and tackle mostly visual design problems for clients worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Graffino?

I wanted to try out their firm so stated by asking them to do my personal website. It was an experimental project to see how it would flow. I wanted to see how they would listen to my problem and identify challenges, and if they could do something revolutionary on the frontend development. After they did a great job with my personal website, I needed their help on a bigger project for which our in-house developers weren’t performing well. I needed my designs to be pixel perfect.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They have redesigned multiple websites for me, starting with my personal website. For that one, we had a couple of meetings during which we went through a scenario of how my website should perform.

After that trial, I brought them on board for a bigger project. They’ve now developed several projects and become my go-to agency when I’m starting a new project for which the client has enough financial resources.

What is the team composition?

We work with the co-founder.

How did you come to work with Graffino?

I came to know one of the cofounders when I was living in Romania. His knowledge of programming and frontend development is really good. At the time, I knew he wanted to do high-end work for high-end clients and was struggling to get the right team in place. When he was able to get some of the people that he wanted on his team, I wanted to give them a try.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2012 or 2013. Our work ended in 2016, though I’m trying to bring them onto a couple of new projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we started on my personal website, the number of questions I got from them was overwhelming. They were passionate about the project and wanted to get it done fast.

How did Graffino perform from a project management standpoint?

Their philosophy is that it’s not about what you’re working on, it’s about who you’re working with. They’re very picky about who they work with. They choose projects based on who is bringing the project to the table. They want to engage in long-term relationships. They're not the kind of agency that will just do a website and move on. They're looking for three-, six-, or nine-month long projects that are more than just a regular website.

They take pride in how the code is written. They put quality above money and timelines. They don’t develop from one day to another, and they don’t take on projects that have very tight timelines because they can’t guarantee that their code will be 100% correct. They don’t work towards hard or shifting deadlines because then they’re not able to meet their own quality standards.

We email when we need to share notes or documents but we mostly communicate by phone and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Fairness. I think that describes them. They're also eager to do quality work rather than quantity. They're my number one choice simply because they can actually deliver what I want them to deliver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could work at a faster pace. There are probably certain things that they’re taking a bit longer on than they should be.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be transparent with the people at Graffino because they'll do their very best to help you. If you don’t give them the right information, they’ll make assumptions which lead to mistakes. The more transparent you are, the greater the chances that the solution will be developed faster than initially thought.

4.5
Overall Score
  • 4.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    If they can increase the pace of delivery, that would be awesome.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    They're my number one to go to.

Platform Migration for Web App

"They are highly focused on quality; their code was well written and well documented."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Jan. 2017 - Jan. 2018
Project summary: 

Graffino assisted with a web app’s migration from DotNetNuke to WordPress, as well as with design and QA. They focused on making it easy to customize and deploy for the end client.

The Reviewer
 
1,001-5,000 Employees
 
Sibiu, Romania
Cantemir Mihu
Head of Business Unit, NTT DATA
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The resulting product met the end client’s expectations and was delivered on time and within budget. Graffino’s collaborative and meticulous approach complements their vast WordPress experience, resulting in a supportive relationship marked by helpful suggestions and regular communication.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the head of the business unit for a company that offers nearshore IT services for customers in Germany.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Graffino?

We needed to migrate an existing web app from DotNetNuke to WordPress. The web app manages electronic documents for notary offices and lawyers.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main goal was to undertake a platform migration. The WordPress application was supposed to be deployed onsite at the notary office, therefore it needed to be highly customizable and easily deployable.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had collaborated with their owner previously before he founded Graffino.

Describe the project in detail.

Graffino took over the analysis, design, implementation, and quality assurance of the project. They were in permanent direct contact with the main beneficiary of the application.

What was the team composition?

They assigned two resources for this project. Both were involved in the same areas, however, one of them took the leading role and was the main point of contact for our client.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

Our customer is happy with the delivered solution. The project remained within scope and budget and all the main challenges were tackled. The web app had dependencies to different web services developed by our client; these web services needed adjustments based on our input, but through a tight collaboration and communication we managed to get them to work with our web app.

How effective was the project management?

Project management was easy. The client communicated regularly via Skype with the involved resources and all tasks were managed via Collab. We also handled source code tracking via Github. Graffino came with different suggestions about tools to better organize the work.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are highly focused on quality; their code was well written and well documented. Their team expects all details about the functionalities to be implemented beforehand and have a critical-thinking approach, which helped us clear out some inconsistencies in the user stories up front.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

They should keep up doing great work!

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They were always responsive and supportive, even at late hours.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    The whole project was completed within budget.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    All bugs were solved quickly and their code coverage through unit tests was good.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    They have a lot of experience, especially with WordPress.

Personal Brand Website Development

"They met my needs perfectly."

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5.0

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
4.5
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Aug. 2016 - Jan. 2017
Project summary: 

Graffino created a WordPress blog to help a personal marketing brand generate more traffic and followers. The team specifically worked on integrating dashboard functionality.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Romania
Robert Katai
Content Marketing Strategist, Bannersnack
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The completed website met the needs and standards expected of the engagement. The team was reliable and communicative throughout the project, instilling confidence in their work. They have since been asked to continue working on website maintenance.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a content marketing strategist. I educate people through long-form content and high-quality articles on a variety of topics related to marketing, social media, and online advertising.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Graffino?

I wanted to create a website where people could easily find my content and connect with me. It was difficult to create a personalized website that allowed for the freedom to create a landing page that would convert readers into subscribers.  I hired Graffino to develop my new website.

What were your goals for this project?

My goal was to create a personalized Wordpress blog. I needed a flexible and professional development team that could make custom integrations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The deciding factor in my decision to work with Graffino was their professionalism. When I discussed my website with Zeno (Co-Founder, Graffino), he clearly understood my needs, which was what I was looking for.

Describe the project in detail.

They developed, configured and integrated my Wordpress dashboard solution. We had a web designer start the project by creating wireframes which were sent to the Graffino team. The functional version was ready in a few weeks. Honestly, it would have been completed faster, but I was not able to answer all of their questions quickly enough, which delayed the development.

What was the team composition?

The project team had four people, but every individual had their own responsibility. I mostly talked with the account manager, who created a workflow scenario to help me understand the work going on behind the scenes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

After Graffino finished the website, we asked them to continue helping us with maintenance work.

How effective was the project management?

The project management was very good. Every 2 or 3 days, I received feedback on how the website was going, what they needed, what should I think about creating, etc. We also had a weekly call set up. We communicated via Skype, e-mail, and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The project manager was easy to contact and, as a whole, they were very responsive. When they showed me their process, I felt comfortable and confident in them. They also contributed some great ideas as to how to make the site better.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

I don’t have any recommendation for them. They met my needs perfectly and understood how to talk with their client, send feedback, and work on different tasks.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.5 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 4.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer