Harpswell Studio

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a historic building where we host weddings and events.

What challenge were you trying to address with Harpswell Studios?

I’ve been in business for 15 years and have put a lot of time and energy into my service, but I felt like my online presence didn’t represent the heart of what I do for people. I needed a refresher on that aspect, so I’m working with Harpswell Studios.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I started by telling Harpswell Studios that I needed a new logo. It was a simple conversation that tackled branding and what that would entail as opposed to simply changing my logo. They went on to review my business and my website and advised what message they thought it all conveyed, which was very spot-on.

The team then moved into creating mock-ups and started rebuilding my website according to my new brand. New fonts and color palettes were employed across the site’s design and even my Instagram page, which Harpswell Studios now manages. I created texts that they’ve also formatted and put into the website.

They’ve also taken two years’ worth of data from my website and are now keeping track of the traffic. In order to boost our numbers, the team also put tags on the photos in our gallery.

What is the team composition?

I have contact with two people, with one overseeing the other.

How did you come to work with Harpswell Studios?

I had seen the name Harpswell Studios around had personal references that pointed me in their direction, so I moved forward on that avenue and decided that they were a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

Between the branding and the website, we’ve spent a little under $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Harpswell Studios in January 2021. The website has been launched just last March 2021, but I am still working with them.

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

From the time that they took over, I’ve started observing the number of calls and tours that we would get. I noticed that over a six-week period, I’ve done 20 tours and turned 19 of those into booked events. 

Everything Harpswell Studios has done for me has captured and consolidated the essence of my business. They are really outstanding. I felt, for the first time, that my business has the identity that it deserves. I started out this project only wanting to have something to put in my emails, but their output has thrilled me. I’m so excited and I love my new website and new logo.

How did Harpswell Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

We are primarily communicating through email. As we were putting the final pieces of the rebranding together, we began holding meetings over Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really like Harpswell Studios’s personality and workmanship. They’ve given me a well-spelled-out contract and were absolutely dedicated to the timeline, which is really impressive. Right from the beginning, their team has been spot-on with their work and their delivery. 

I don’t know a lot of marketers, but I’ve worked with different organizations that went through this same project and just disappointed us with how poorly they communicated and delivered. However, this is not the case with Harpswell Studios. They completely exceeded all of my expectations. I didn’t expect the branding to be that comprehensive but now I understand what I’m paying for. It really is great value for my money.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and upfront with your goals. If you don’t know what you want, you can always communicate what you don’t want and, by process of elimination, point Harpswell Studios in the right direction. You can trust their expertise to put together the right elements to capture the essence of your business. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a lifestyle brand, selling bicycle equipment and accessories

For what projects/services did your company hire Harpswell Studio?

We hired Harpswell studio to redesign our top-selling products

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Harpswell studio is a company we have worked with in the past. The owners have a fabulous guy for detail and pay attention to the customers needs

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We gave the design team an idea of what we would like, and they marked up what that would look like. They also designed packaging for this design. We communicated back-and-forth with them weekly for multiple months. They are able to take direction, and able to explain and articulate why they made the decisions that they did

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with The design team primarily

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

The product has entered production and has been successfully launched

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team was easy to meet with and had flexible hours and solid communication

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

Most designers I understand design lingo, but I'm not able to communicate that in a way to the client. However, at Harpswell, they are able to communicate in a way that is customer-focused

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

Nothing.