Habitat

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a digital marketing agency. We do everything from advertising and email marketing to website development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Habitat?

I work with the Habitat team for creative assets. I always have design work; it’s a constant flow of creating new assets, as well as taking existing assets and iterating on them to perform better. The need for designers is very high for me. Also, I need a team that understands not only the design aspect but also the technical backend.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The scope of the projects that I’ve done with them ranges from website design to creative assets. They’ve done both small and big projects.

For web design projects, they brainstorm and come up with a redesign of the site or a brand-new design of the site, depending on the client I’m working with. They do everything related to web design, from the UX/UI to animations. 

Then, they do creative assets for advertising. That includes animations, overlays, videos, and images. They use tools like Figma, Photoshop, and Sketch.

What is the team composition?

On a day-to-day basis, we work with 3–4 people, but once you count designers and animators, it’s at least 10 people. Our main contacts include Victor (Founder & Head of Design) and Helen (Head of Sales). I also speak with some of the designers.

How did you come to work with Habitat?

I was looking for a team that could help me with web design for a new site. I asked around and looked at reviews. I needed to find a balance between cost and efficiency; my client was working on a budget, but the team had to be up to my standards.

I was referred to Habitat through a friend. After talking to them and seeing their past work, I felt very comfortable with them. Also, the founder made me feel like I could trust him, and that’s actually not easy to come by with some design teams. I ended up working with them and have had a really great experience; I’ve referred them to a number of people, and they all have nothing but good things to say about them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested tens of thousands of dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first project together started in May 2017, and it wrapped up in February 2018. We continue to work together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve done design work with Habitat for different brands, and the way I measure success is whether they get the brand vibe and aesthetic and then reflect that properly. They’ve not only reflected the brand really well but also added their own touch, which were things that my team didn’t think of. Over time, I’ve seen them evolve as designers and as a company. Seeing them go from our first project together to what we’re doing now has been amazing. 

How did Habitat perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re done really well. I have so much going on that I can’t keep track of everything, and what I appreciate about Habitat’s team is that they keep me in check as well. We use Basecamp from their side, and then I’m using Asana.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When they say they’re going to get something done, they get it done by that date, and that are no excuses or lateness. That is very much appreciated.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. I think everything has been really good. I’ve worked with design agencies in the past, and they’ve been a mess compared to Habitat.

Any advice for potential customers?

Give them boundaries of what you want and don’t want, and then give the Habitat team the freedom to work within those boundaries.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are the main retail electronics company in Ukraine. I am the Chief Web officer and take care of the web online sales.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat?

We decided to completely revamp our old website taking into consideration that our users needed easy to navigate interface. Metrics have shown that our users started shopping from their mobile phones and we needed a better UX.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main purpose was to improve the existing user experience, keeping the core of the platform and simplifying its certain parts. In the end, our business goal was to increase sales

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have been choosing the candidates for this role on a competitive basis. We chose Habitat according to three criteria: portfolio, communication and price. We were impressed by their portfolio.

Describe the project in detail.

We needed redesign of the website for desktop and mobile interfaces. It included both UX and UI design work. My role in this project was a Project Owner. I was the main communication point betweeen design and development teams.

What was the team composition?

Habitat has arranged a dedicated design team for my project, which consisted of a Senior UX Designer and UX/UI designer and a Project manager. At some point, we were also working with UI and Graphic designers. Victor oversaw the project's progress and provided creative direction.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Once we launched, it was great to receive all this positive user feedback, from both old and new clients. It was even better than we expected. We are more than happy with the redesign.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have been meeting regularly with the team when they presented the updates or when we needed to brainstorm. All the arising issues or suggestions were quickly resolved, as Habitat is very responsive. I enjoyed smooth communication and efficient management.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I can surely say that the design work they do is a top notch. They perceive the client's pain points right away and can quickly respond to them with bright ideas.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing really.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and owner of my own development agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat Design Agency?

We have many projects come through our door that require thoughtful design and complex UI/UX processes.

What were your goals for this project?

When we work with designers we are always looking for self-starters who can quickly grasp the complexities of each unique project we bring.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking for a vendor that would be able to easily communicate with our key stakeholders as well as our team of developers.

Describe the project in detail.

There have been various projects we have worked on with Habitat.

What was the team composition?

Habitat employs an agile design process. While there were always main project managers and points of contact within the firm, we are also able to talk directly with designers to keep collaboration simple and effective.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything we have done with Habitat has been amazing. Their team is dedicated, smart, and motivated. They never miss any of the small details that matter so much with development.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow is seamless. We have never had any trouble getting in touch with anyone from the Habitat team and have regular scheduled calls to ensure we are all on the same page about timelines and expectations.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Habitat can quickly pick up on all the multi-facet design challenges for each unique project. While we always have calls and documentation, it is always great that we do not need to micro-manage the Habitat team. We can give them a grand vision and they always come back with complete work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None. Habitat is a great firm to work with and I will continue to work with them for all my project needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and COO of Dogiz. Dogiz is an on-demand platform for urban pet owners. Dogiz helps pet owners connect with the best local service providers in their neighbourhood and track and pay for their services in real time.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat Design Agency?

We hired Habitat to help us with our UI/UX, but were so impressed with their work ethic and design skills that we ended up using them for a wide variety of digital designs for other marketing material.

What were your goals for this project?

To redo our UI/UX for both our app and our web platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them on Upwork and they were really impressive when we interviewed them.

Describe the project in detail.

We spent a long time with their design team explaining the flow that we needed and a bit about the design we would be looking for. They immediately understood what we needed and we started to see the results straight away. Working with Habitat is such a pleasure, that they have become an integral part of our company. We now use them for any design material we need as they are now so familiar with our brand and message.

What was the team composition?

Initially we would work with Victor, and he would coordinate with their designers. But now as we have more projects we also work with Helen and some of the individual designers for specific tasks/projects. It has been a real pleasure working with the whole habitat team as they are so friendly and helpful.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped us build the flow and ui/ux for our new web dashboard platform which has allowed us to optimise and streamline our business for our companies. They have been an integral part of all our online digital marketing as well as helping us design material for investors/other marketing events. Over 70% of our users are recurring customers and we believe this is due to the amazing job Habitat did in helping us build such an amazing user-friendly experience.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication has been easy and they have been a pleasure to work with. They quickly learned to understand our design goals and the mood and tone of our branding. We have used Asana & slack to stay in touch and do video calls when necessary for specific jobs/tasks. All of the Habitat team are professional, polite, diligent and a lot of fun to work with.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their work ethic, design ability and creativity are second to none. They are always up-front and honest with when they feel tasks will be finished, and are always in close and constant communication with us for feedback about their work. Viktor and Helen have been such a pleasure to work with and they have become integral parts of the Dogiz family.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No- they have been a pleasure to work with and we cannot recommend them highly enough!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Senior Marketing Manager at a SaaS company. Our company provides Artificial Intelligence services to direct-to-consumer and e-commerce businesses in the United States. I am responsible for the company's marketing strategy and its implementation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat Design Agency?

We were running a website that was created when we were an early stage startup. The website was very basic and was neither serving the lead generation nor the thought leadership goals. We needed to change that. Our internal team of product designers and developers was too small to take them off their primary tasks so we decided to outsource the website's design and development.

What were your goals for this project?

We asked for a modern looking website that would help us represent our brand better and serve our lead generation goals. This was crucial for us as we were looking to scale our business and needed to reshape our go-to-market strategy.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We ran a vendor selection process. We received 30 applications for the task, shortlisted five and selected the Habitat Design Agency. We also received very good recommendations from another business that we personally know.

Describe the project in detail.

The agency was given an outline of the desired website. They helped us determine the stylistic perspective by generating the so-called mood boards from many different examples of live website's and their features. Once we developed our direction the vendor worked on every page one by one. We started with the homepage, which had to determine the overall style of the whole website. The homepage went through multiple reviews and iterations - not because the vender's work was poor, but because they provided us with some additional ideas on the go. After the homepage was finalized, we turned to other pages which was a similar, but better streamlined workflow.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a project manager and a designer who led the workflow from the vendor's side. They were my main point of contacts, although I am aware there were more people involved at some points.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's too early to list the numbers, but after launching the new website we started seeing some increase in traffic, users started spending more time on site and the bounce rate went down. Overall, we are happy with the change we made.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicated via Slack, which ensured quick turnaround. Task scheduling and delivery deadlines were always clear and on time. Even the spread of global pandemic did not affect the project delivery.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

During the selection process I was impressed by their professionalism and expertise. The Habitat Design Agency were always there to advice and help, not only to deliver the tasks. It felt like having an expanded team, who care, rather than a paid vendor.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing specific to note here - keep up the good work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder of a SaaS platform for personal data management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat Design Agency?

To design our wireframes and improve the user journey.

What were your goals for this project?

To have the design hierarchy and branding for our product as well as a clickable prototype for presentations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Through upwork.

Describe the project in detail.

Design

What was the team composition?

Worked with the founder, project lead and design team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Clickable prototype on invision. Zeplin file Dropbox files with all deliverables

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. We used slack for day-to-day communication. Every evening Habitat shares their update/work from the day for the client to review for the next day. Response rate has been always super quick. If there were questions we'd either jump on a call right away or organised a vid conference for the next day depending on schedule.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Efficient, Willing to go the extra mile, Keen to learn all about the product to create a better experience.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Could sometimes be even bolder in their suggestions to improve the experience. On the other hand, our product is also quite detailed and not easiest to understand if you're not a subject matter expert in the field, and considering that, they did well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Digital Marketing Manager. Our company is about 3D content, meaning we have a large marketplace of 3D models in various formats for people to buy, sell, or download for free.

My sole focus was the other part of the business, which is the enterprise part B2B services for online retailers wanting to transform the items they sell online to 3D models where people can interact with the model or even engage in augmented reality and see them the items in in their place, for example, for furniture. So if you want to buy a sofa, you can see how it would look in your room using a mobile device or tablet.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Habitat Design Agency?

So, this is practically a new industry, and my company had no web presence in a huge marketplace. It was difficult for people to find us. Even though we’re based in Lithuania, we compete with American-based companies, so we really needed to develop a bigger web presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided us with the design for the website. We have them content and images, and they designed a site for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets. They developed some of the visuals, particularly animations.

What is the team composition?

We had five people–the owner, project manager, two designers, and a 3D designer.

How did you come to work with Habitat Design Agency?

I found them online. I looked for designers close to Lithuania and found them online.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was a one-month project from December 2019–January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did an excellent job. They came up with some great ideas. We have a short animation on our homepage, it started from us, but they developed it to what it is. It’s beautiful and it does exactly what we needed. They kept suggesting ways to enhance the look of the website and the navigation. It was more than anything we could expect from a new partner.

They provided us with what we wanted. The web presence that we need to be noticed and support our business with SEO and paid campaigns. They’re amazing. I’m so glad I can do this review for them, because they deserve every compliment that  I give them.

How did Habitat Design Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They provided us with a solution in a crazy timeframe. We kept changing our minds, asking for addition, modification, corrections, and edits, and they were very accommodating.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very flexible and creative. They felt like an extension of our internal team. They were committed and excited about the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not at all.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them as a resource for ideas and innovation. Trust their experience. They’re professional and have many experts.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a MLaaS startup tackling perfume discovery. We build a suite of retail tech products that help perfume retailers improve their experience, omnichannel marketing and store operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat Design Agency?

We wanted to re-design the UI & UX to one of our products based on user feedback.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to design an experience unlike anything out on the market that also is as intuitive and easy to use as possible. A recommendation experience in brick & mortar.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We opted to work with Habitat based on a shared approach to solving human-centered design problems. One that uses design thinking and human-centered service design, championed by IDEO.

Describe the project in detail.

At the start of the project, Viktor, the team leader, requested docs relating to persona, journey maps & qualitative feedback. We used an iterative process of wire-framing and prototyping while checking with users on their thoughts.

Everyday we had calls to discuss the progress, talk about user challenges pertaining to the experience and in the real world where they operate; the brick & mortar beauty store. The team were a great group of communicators, clear thinkers, capable of empathy, fast responders, and hyper involved.

What was the team composition?

The team that worked on the project comprised of an art director, a graphic designer, and 2 UI/UX designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are in the process of committing the design to code. However, users have loved the new update as it is a major step up to our current product.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everyday we had calls to discuss the progress, talk about user challenges pertaining to the experience and in the real world where they operate; the brick & mortar beauty store. The team was a great group of communicators and clear thinkers who were capable of empathy. They were fast responders and hyper-involved.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was really impressed by the iconography and the design aesthetic which was under a lot of constraint, given that we use AI to solve a problem for a product that is highly emotional, ephemeral, luxurious, and for the longest time governed by humans. The balance that we achieved is communicated elegance, simplicity, credibility &sensuous.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I cannot pick on anything beside price. But I am scrappy and biased. And they deserve to be paid for such value. They went above and beyond delivering more than the scope of work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Major Favor. Major Favor is a delivery app that allows users to buy and deliver items to each other from local stores.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Habitat Design Agency?

As Major Favor is about to make its debut we felt that the current look and feel of the app design lacked a certain professional look and feel and did not project the standard that Major Favor was striving for hence reaching out to Habitat.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals for this project was to create a more simplistic user interface and improving the user experience throughout the app. We wanted something beautiful and easy to use.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The first thing that stood out to me when choosing Habitat was that they took their time in understanding the brief before presenting their process of how we would get there. I was particularly impressed by the level of detail in painting a picture of what their process was in ensuring the project was a complete success. It was methodological and tailored to Major Favor.

Describe the project in detail.

We needed a complete revamp of the entire application. So everything from the colour choice to the very layout of the app was improved. They first started by providing different mood boards and mock ups which really help in the decision making from my part and I was able to quickly say yes or no to any concept choices.

They also kept in touch everyday (which is what I asked for) with questions on any key design decisions. I wanted to be as involved as possible so it felt like a joint partnership which they gladly allowed me to. They also came up with alternative methods which contributed to the functionality of the app which was impressive to me as it meant they were working for what was best for the app rather than simply designing for the sake of it.

Their design team were really great to work with extremely professional and talented. I have a direct link to the design team through slack which made communication seamless and was a ease on my mind if I needed to request any iterations.

Even after the project I was followed up with an open line to contact them if anything needed changing which I saw as a huge bonus and goes to show the level of customer service and aftercare they are willing to provide. I would like to thank everyone at the Habitat team for their amazing work I am extremely pleased with the results and will definitely be using them in the future for any and all services they provide.

What was the team composition?

I initially was in touch with the founder Vitya who was great at finding out my vision for the project. I was then essentially given a team of designers with a project manager, UI/UX designer and an illustrator. All worked together seamlessly no issues at all. Communication was great and the work they produced were second to none.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I first thought that this project would take at least a month to 6 weeks to complete. The project took 2 weeks for full completion! That includes iterations and any new functions that we thought of along the way. This was extremely helpful to us as I wanted to get the designs to the developers as soon as possible. I felt like I had a design army!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager was easy to communicate with and I had direct access to each designer that were working on particular elements. They were all very responsive and would always answer immediately. I was essentially given a presentation of the progress they had made each day which gave me the confidence that I had made the right decision.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was blown away with the speed at which they worked and the level of communication was impeccable. Their willingness to make suggestions for the betterment of the app displayed their wanting for the success of the project proceeding their efforts. I asked for a collaborative effort and they gave me just that.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can honestly say I did not have any issues whatsoever. My time with Habitat has been pleasant and also a learning experience of how a great design team should work. My expectations has now increased since working with Habitat and would expect other companies to have the same level of care and professionalism.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing co. of Arius Gilstrap LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Help you or comany degital footprint 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Habitat to accomplish?

• When we started working on our smart home energy management app, we knew the experience had to be seamless. The app wasn’t just about turning devices on and off, it needed to give users meaningful insights, help them cut down on energy waste, and make smarter decisions about their consumption. Our backend was already in development, but we needed a design partner who could bring it all together in a way that felt intuitive and polished. That’s where the Habitat Design Agency came in.

SOLUTION

How did you find Habitat?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Habitat over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Habitat were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Habitat’s team approached the project with a mix of strategy and creativity. They took us through an in-depth research phase, breaking down competitor apps, analyzing industry trends, and running a JTBD workshop with us. That part was a game-changer. We thought we had a clear vision, but they helped us refine the product even further, making sure we weren’t just building another dashboard, but a truly useful tool that people would want to use every day.

The design process felt collaborative and well thought out. They mapped out the entire user journey, ensuring the experience was simple enough for everyday users while still offering advanced analytics for those who wanted to dig deeper. The energy dashboard was one of the highlights — it provided real-time consumption tracking, carbon footprint reports, and actionable recommendations. Since we didn’t have a set brand identity yet, they explored multiple visual directions before locking in the final UI. The dark mode design gave the app a sleek, modern feel, but they also suggested customization options so users could personalize their experience. Even small details, like UI animations, made the app feel polished and intuitive.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One thing we really appreciated was how well Habitat worked with our development team. They stayed involved, making sure everything was feasible and aligned with the backend architecture. The clickable prototype they delivered was incredibly helpful, not just for testing but also for showcasing the app to investors. 

They also created a marketing landing page to support the app launch, and it was clear they understood the importance of conversion. It was structured strategically, with strong messaging and well-placed CTAs to drive demo bookings. On top of that, they provided a pack of UI animations that added an extra layer of refinement to the final product.

The real validation came when we shared the prototype with potential users and investors. One investor commented that the app looked “market-ready,” and test users loved how simple it was to track their energy consumption without feeling overwhelmed. That kind of feedback made it clear that the design wasn’t just aesthetically pleasing — it was effective.

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

Habitat was an amazing partner throughout the project. They were organized, proactive, and always met deadlines. We did not even notice the timezone difference

What was your primary form of communication with Habitat?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What really stood out was Habitat’s ability to think beyond just visuals, they truly understood the product and helped shape it into something stronger. It felt like they were just as invested in making it great as we were.

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

It was a really good collaboration. I wouldn’t change anything.