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    Boston, MA
    617-418-7437

Better brand through strategy, design & tech

4.8
5 reviews

We are a team of designers, developers, project managers and creatives that specialize in crafting cohesive, clear and visually-appealing brand identities that can be applied across print and digital media. Located in East Boston, we work with local and national clients across a variety of sectors that include clean energy, biotech, marketing and lifestyle brands. We excel at making complicated things easy.

Our work elevates brands so their communicating and presenting their stories with the highest degree of clarity and impact. At ICS, we conduct a thorough Discovery process upfront that provides us with invaluable insights into our client’s brands, goals and desired outcomes. This provides us with a deep understanding of our client’s brands, and informs our work to ensure we’ve captured the tone of messaging and style of design so it is a natural fit for the brand.

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$5,000+
 
$150 - $199 / hr
 
2 - 9
 Founded
2004
Show all +
Boston, MA
headquarters
  • 63 Maverick Square #9
    Boston, MA 02128
    United States
    617-418-7437

Reviews

4.8
5 reviews
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Web App Dev for Online Video Education Platform

"We couldn’t have developed such a beautiful product without them." 

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5.0

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
4.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Jan. 2018 - Aug. 2018
Project summary: 

Image Conscious Studios developed a web app to support video content. They utilized the RAMP stack and introduced live-note taking linked to video time stamps. They also delivered a marketing landing page.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Boston, Massachusetts
Ian Murphy
Former Director of Marketing, Video-Based Scientific Journal
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Users lauded the solutions’ intuitive interface and visuals. Flexible and committed, Image Conscious Studios handled requirement changes smoothly while continuing to push development pace. Customers can expect a communicative and optimistic partner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the director of marketing for a video-based, science education organization.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Image Conscious Studios?

We brought them on to build a web app for video-based online education. After beginning as a video-based scientific journal, we started branching into science education. This web app serves as a video textbook intended to replace large, 2,000-page biology textbooks. As future doctors take their education seriously, we had to earn our users trust by being up all the time and making it easy to find the information they needed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ICS was involved from the get-go, making sure the app’s UI was appropriate for the audience and performing competitive analysis. We used the RAMP stack (Ruby on Rails, Apache, MySQL, and Passenger), and they created all the wireframes based on discovery sessions with us. We’d already worked together, so we were very comfortable sharing our thoughts and absurdities.

We thought up features together, including live-note taking, and they came back to us with wireframes and sketches. Students can pause whatever video they’re watching type a note, and then come back to it later at the exact point in the video that inspired their thought. Taken together, these notes create a personal table of contents with associated notes. ICS also built a one-page marketing site.

What is the team composition?

People phased in and out of the project as needed. We worked with Adam (Partner and Creative Director, Image Conscious Studios), Justin (UX Strategist, Image Conscious Studios), and a dedicated project manager. The three of them came on in the beginning, working with us on discovery, frontend wireframing, and prototyping.

Then, their designers took over and fleshed out those things into live prototypes using InVision. Afterward, an assigned backend team with a team lead set up the servers and developed the backend.

How did you come to work with Image Conscious Studios?

We’d worked with ICS before to rebuild our website from the ground up. For that project, we looked for a local company and were impressed by ICS' price, personality fit, and portfolio. Based on that good experience, we reached out to them again for the web application. Their quote was comparable to those of other groups, so we happily signed with them again.

How much have you invested with them?

The online video platform cost $115,000–$120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from mid-January until August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product is beautiful, and it was the first of its kind. We did a ton of user testing and demo work, and all the feedback was excellent. Users particularly enjoy how easy the app is to use.

How did Image Conscious Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

We weren’t the easiest client to work with, but they were great in this respect. Our minds changed frequently and ICS shepherded us well through the process of determining what we actually wanted to do. We used Basecamp frequently, along with InVision and Google Docs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

ICS took everything in stride and dealt with our nonsense throughout the project. They were always smiling and ready to roll the ball forward. We couldn’t have developed such a beautiful product without them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our project manager changed halfway through the project, which hindered us a bit, but people have their own lives, so I can’t blame ICS. It took a while for the IT and backend teams to get on the same page, but, once that happened, it was smooth sailing. ICS was good overall.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients shouldn’t silo them as just designers or just web developers. Let them in on the concept as early as possible because they’ll have a lot of good insights.

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

Branding & Web Design for Biological Engineering Company

"We have been very impressed by the team’s ability to understand our brand."

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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
 
May - Oct. 2016
Project summary: 

Image Conscious Studios updated existing content to clarify and strengthen the client’s brand. They also transferred the client’s site to WordPress and revamped the UX/UI to reflect those updates.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Boston, Massachusetts
Christina Agapakis
Creative Director, Gingko Bioworks
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The team’s ability to synthesize information quickly and effectively has allowed them to build an accessible and user-friendly site that distinguishes the client within their industry. They were very responsive and worked collaboratively to make necessary changes in real time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the creative director at Gingko Bioworks, a biological engineering company. We work with GMOs, genetically engineering microbes to make products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Image Conscious Studios (ICS)?

With a complicated and technologically heavy background, it can be difficult to talk about GMOs in a way that is accessible and interesting. We needed a company to polish our brand and help us clearly convey what we do on our site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ICS improved the look and feel of our site and elevated our brand by taking the content we already had and repackaging it in a way tells our story more concisely. They also moved our site from an outdated CMS platform to WordPress, which facilitates making changes on our end. The new site is now consistent with our brand and logo design in terms of color and layout, and they added a new splash page, images, and video content to improve the user experience.

What is the team composition?

In the beginning of the engagement, we worked with a creative director that helped us plan and continued to support us throughout the project. We also worked with a designer, a project manager, and one developer. An additional team member also interviewed a number of team members to help us write our career page.

How did you come to work with ICS?

Our IT director had colleagues in Boston who ran restaurants and had used ICS to build their sites. They recommended ICS, so we contacted them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $60,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them from June–October 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone's been really happy with them so far. We’ve heard from people within our industry and similar businesses who say that our site doesn’t look like a biotech company site, and I think this is a great compliment. The work that they’ve done has helped us stand out in the industry.

How did ICS perform from a communications standpoint?

I’ve been really happy with the team. ICS worked efficiently and quickly. They translated our company mission—what we were working on, our brand, and our stories—into the web design, delivering within as little as a week. They've also been very responsive to edits. Whenever we had comments from our team, ICS was happy to accommodate our feedback and fix it for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have been very impressed by the team’s ability to understand our brand. ICS stood out when it came to capturing the essence of our mission, despite its complexity. This understanding has been key to the success of the project. They excel at translating complex information into more accessible content.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing in particular, and certainly nothing that I couldn’t address with the team directly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They're good listeners. If you're just starting out, don't be afraid to show them what you’ve created. ICS can synthesize your materials into something comprehensive.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    We’ve never had an issue.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Branding & Web Design for Small Restaurant Group

"Our company has grown tremendously over the past 10 years and Image Conscious was part of that."

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5.0

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

Spearheading a branding campaign, Image Conscious designed/developed a WordPress website and delivered a full branding package, incorporating multiple opinions from the internal team.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Rachel Muzner
Mamaleh's Delicatessen
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The website received favorable feedback from customers and the business has grown dramatically. Experienced and knowledgeable about the latest trends, they delivered a strong brand, while their personable, down-to-earth approach earned them favorable referrals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm one of the owners of Mamaleh's Delicatessen, which is a small restaurant.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Image Conscious Studios?

We first contacted them 10 years ago when we needed a company to do full branding for our new restaurant.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a branding campaign and built a WordPress website for our first restaurant, managing the design and the development. After that, we opened two more restaurants and they delivered a full branding package for those as well. We're a very collaborative ownership group, but they were able to take all of our thoughts and opinions and produce the style we were looking for.

What is the team composition?

We worked closely with the owner and we also had a project manager and a designer.

How did you come to work with them?

We knew them on a personal level.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000-$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our two most recent projects were between March–July 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We all love the website. They've created a strong brand for us and we've received a very favorable feedback from our customers. In one of the restaurants, our gift shop has elements that are branded with different sayings, which has been a very successful strategy. Our company has grown tremendously over the past 10 years and Image Conscious was part of that.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They met all their deadlines and always pushed us to keep the project on track.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very personable and down-to-earth. They’re very experienced, stay up-to-date with the latest trends, and have enough maturity to keep everything balanced.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They recognize their value, so they're not the cheapest option. But they're absolutely worth it.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    We've referred them to a number of friends and colleagues.

UX Design for Sports Lifestyle Brand

“They've met our every need. … We've built a very good relationship with them.”

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4.0

Quality: 
4.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
4.0
The Project
 
Confidential
 
Apr. 2016 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Taking charge of the user experience, Image Conscious redesigned a home page, added a new navigation feature, and made the site mobile responsive. They’ve also supported the testing and launch of the site.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Boston, Massachusetts
Colby Sears
Associate Manager, User Experience, '47
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The navigation function allows users to select their sports team using a team's logo. Highly responsive and reliable, they’ve been instrumental in helping the business grow rapidly, while their transparency and proactive approach contributed to the ongoing relationship.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I manage e-commerce user experience at ’47. We’re a sports lifestyle brand founded in Boston and make licensed headwear and apparel for all the major sports teams and leagues

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Image Conscious Studios?

We were looking for a local agency to restructure and improve the whole user experience on our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I work with them on a daily basis. They helped us fix technical issues, redesign our home page and site templates, and make the site mobile responsive. We switched to Shopify a few years ago, but some of the technology we were using wasn't adapted to Shopify, so they helped us address that. They restructured a lot of our site search and navigation, which was important to us since we have 15,000+ products on our site They also provided full support with testing and the launch of the website.

What is the team composition?

We usually work with 1–2 members of their team on a day-to-day basis. In total, we've worked with five people over the course of the project.

How did you come to work with them?

They were already working with our company when I came on board.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2016 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It used to be hard for our customers to get to their team on the home page. Image Conscious created a feature that allows users to select a team using a team's logo as soon as they log onto the home page. In addition, Image Conscious has given our website a more modern look and feel.

They've been very reliable throughout the whole process, from our first brainstorming session to the implementation phase. We have a lot of pressure to grow our business in 2018 and they're definitely helping us grow rapidly.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very responsive and get back to us within 5–10 minutes if we have questions or if there is an issue with the website. They meet all their deadlines even when they're working on 3–4 big projects for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciate their responsiveness and their proactive suggestions in terms of improving the user experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They've met our every need.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep communication open and be transparent about your goals. We've built a very good relationship with them. They're local, so we can have face-to-face meetings to make our relationship more personal, which is important to me.

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

Web Dev & UX Design for Research Institute

“I liked their overall professionalism and efficiency with which they handled everything.”

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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
 
Nov. 2016 - Apr. 2017
Project summary: 

After developing wireframes, Image Conscious integrated new features into an existing Plone CMS and designed a dynamic layout and landing pages to assist with style update.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Washington, D.C.
Digital Content Manager, Research Institute
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The internal team and external users love the look and feel of the site. Highly responsive and professional, they established a smooth process from the get-go, while their ability to work as a team both within their own company and with in-house developers made them a true partner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a digital content manager at a research institute

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Image Conscious Studios?

We switched over from an HTML website to Plone CMS. We had a few features on our website that were developed after the site was initially designed, so we wanted to bring everything into a stylistic harmony. We were looking for a company to help us with that style update.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed wireframes, integrated new features into the Plone CMS, and designed a dynamic layout and landing pages.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager, who was our main point of contact and we worked with five other members of their team, including developers and designers.

How did you come to work with them?

They were a referral. We went through an RFP process and loved the work they had done for other companies. We also met them at an annual conference for Plone CMS, so we got a chance to hear their presentations and talk to them afterwards. We liked their approach, so we gave them a chance.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between November 2016–April 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is live and we've received good feedback both internally and from external users. If there were any bugs during the testing phase, they addressed them immediately.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They were flexible and able to meet all of our requests, even when we were changing those requests in the process. We used Basecamp to communicate with a larger team and share files. They met all their deadlines, including the deadline that we shifted back about a week. They continue to be very responsive and answer our questions, even after the launch of the website.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked their overall professionalism and efficiency with which they handled everything. They worked very well as a team and included all their designers, developers, and project managers in each conversation from start to finish. So developers could let designers know if there would be any issues down the road and designers could have their own input during the development phase. They also communicated with our in-house CMS developers to make sure there were no issues with integration or deployment.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was happy with the process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and bring everyone who will be working on your project together as early in the process as possible.

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