ImageX

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of digital strategy at the YMCA of Greater New York.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

We engaged ImageX to help us update our website and make it more mobile and SEO friendly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ImageX worked with us through a discovery process, meeting with internal stakeholders to learn about our goals and challenges. They then designed and developed the site from scratch using Open Y on Drupal, working through 6–7 sprints before ultimately launching the site. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is a project manager, along with a couple designers, developers, a UX expert, and a digital strategist.

How did you come to work with ImageX?

ImageX is somewhat well known within the YMCA community for their expertise with Drupal, so we decided to work with them based on their previous experience within the company at large.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

ImageX helped increase traffic to our website 15% and session time by 23% in one year. Our users are very pleased with the functionality and mobile-friendliness of the site overall. In addition to simplifying a complex site, ImageX delivered in a timely and responsible manner.

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

They're great to work with–responsive and clear in communications. We mostly organize projects and communicate through Basecamp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsiveness and commitment to understanding and developing solutions to our unique problems has impressed us the most.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They're a very strong development shop, but could improve their design consistency and process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No; Any clients of theirs will be in good hands.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the digital marketing director at the YMCA of Greater San Antonio. We’re a nonprofit that’s been serving our community since 1876. We offer programs that build and encourage a healthy spirit, mind, and body through Judeo-Christian principles. I’m responsible for managing our website, social media accounts, email marketing efforts, and any other digital marketing campaigns.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ImageX?

We needed a vendor with a lot of experience in working with Drupal’s Open Y platform. It’s a content management system used by many Ys across the nation.

What were your goals for this project?

Basically, we wanted a clean site that we could easily maintain. We wanted a strong, user-friendly platform that was compatible with all devices. We were looking to implement more effective SEO strategies and UX/UI elements to improve our community engagement and increase our online sales rates. By moving our platform to Open Y, we hoped to enhance the website’s functionality and more efficiently manage our content. We’d also be able to reduce risks and minimize our technical development costs in the future.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking for vendors that had already worked with YMCA organizations and were familiar with the Open Y platform, so we reached out to other Ys for recommendations. After looking into those developers, we decided on two final candidates. Our marketing and IT teams looked at a proposal from both agencies and had a conference call with each. Based on that conversation, it was clear that ImageX was the best fit for our project. Glenn (CEO and Founder, ImageX) and Brent (VP, ImageX) were very well-versed in Open Y. They took the time to walk us through the project and address any of our concerns. They were receptive to our needs, so we felt comfortable moving forward with them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

ImageX provided a clear and detailed roadmap for the whole process. We started with a workshop to kick off the engagement. We went through a brief discovery phase to put together some wireframes. After we approved the design, architecture, and user journey, the ImageX team started building the site and migrating our content. They custom built several functions that were specific to our organization. There’s a search feature that allows parents to find after-school program locations and another feature that facilitates branch sponsorship promotions.

Once ImageX finished developing the platform, they linked its backend to a local server. After fixing any bugs, their team helped us launch the site. Also, they provided SEO advice and helped us avoid any problems throughout the entire process. Currently, they’re working to streamline our third-party point of sale API and connect it to our site.

What was the team composition?

We worked with Kylie (Project Manager, ImageX), Bjorn (UX Specialist, ImageX), and Nikita (Lead Developer, ImageX). The size of the team was consistent, which gave us the opportunity to build a solid working relationship with each staff member. If we needed an additional resource to handle a specific request, they provided a specialist to take on the responsibility. Nothing was ever lost in translation. Kylie did an outstanding job keeping everyone on the same page.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

After launching the new mobile-friendly platform in Open Y, our website’s bounce rate went from 60% to 20%. ImageX’s complete overhaul of the site’s content and user journey also contributed to our success. Additionally, our net promoter score (NPS) improved by 10 points, and our online sales rates continue to grow.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Instead of email, we used Basecamp to manage the project. That platform allowed us to better organize our information and documentation, as well as streamline communication. We also held weekly zoom meetings to assess our progress, provide feedback, and implement any changes to improve our performance. They were very detail-oriented and responsive, which kept everyone on the same page and helped us avoid any misunderstandings. If we had any questions, they’d address them quickly. Now that we’ve launched the site, we meet with Kylie every other week to ensure our website is on track and make any updates to the Open Y platform.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciated their attention to detail, communication skills, and high-quality work. All of their deliverables function exactly how we hoped. The ImageX team went above and beyond to make sure we were happy while staying within our budget. They were very friendly. I always felt comfortable asking questions, and I never hesitated to reach out to anyone on their team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, I can’t think of a single area of weakness. We had an extremely pleasant working relationship. They delivered on everything they promised, meeting all of our requirements regarding deadlines and budget restrictions. I couldn’t ask for better service. We hope to work with ImageX for any of our future Open Y projects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing VP of a nonprofit dedicated to health, fitness, and youth development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ImageX?

Our company recently merged, so we had two websites with declining traffic and lack of attention to UX.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted members and prospective clients to easily find the programs and services that would best meet their needs. We also wanted to increase overall traffic and engagement.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

ImageX came highly recommended by many colleagues. When we met with their team ourselves, we could certainly see why.

Describe the project in detail.

They merged two websites, streamlining content from several hundred pages to just over 250 pages. Each step of the project was done with customer experience at the forefront.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site offers an excellent customer experience for both mobile and desktop users. Traffic to our site doubled within the first week of our launch. Visitors to our site can now find what they need more quickly, as evidenced by the amount of time spent during sessions.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their project manager guided us through the process. Initially, we did an on-site kick-off with the ImageX team, and the face-to-face time gave our teams a chance to build a great rapport. The foundation of trust and the ability to effectively communicate with each other accelerated the pace of our project and contributed to the level of quality. We also had regular check-ins and the ability to add additional meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

ImageX had a high level of UX/UI expertise. We hope we can build our next site with them, too.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Technical Safety BC is an independent, self-funded organization that oversees the safe installation and operation of technical systems and equipment. In addition to issuing permits, licences, and certificates, we work to reduce safety risks through assessment, education, outreach, enforcement, and research. I'm the web development business partner, responsible for managing the website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ImageX?

We hired them to review our website, redesign our site templates, and recommend a plan for upgrading our CMS  to Drupal.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to enhance our website, provide the best user experience, and help our clients find information efficiently and effectively. We wanted a secure, well-supported CMS that was easy to customize. Its architecture also needed to be reorganized.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected ImageX after interviewing a shortlist of interested web development companies. Our selection committee overwhelmingly chose ImageX based on their proposal and presentation.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

After an intensive onsite discovery session, ImageX created a discovery brief and project plan, reviewed user personas, and built user stories and features. Then they reviewed and refined the UX while recommending analytics and SEO strategies. 

They audited our site content and created an editorial calendar and a content governance plan. Through user testing sessions, they shaped, mapped, and prioritized content, then developed wireframes and static prototypes. They developed a home page and internal page templates. They also configured our server, installed our CMS, migrated content, and tested the system.

What was the team composition?

The project team from ImageX included a project manager, a senior business and UX architect, a senior product designer, a lead developer, and a senior digital strategist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They improved the usability and content of our website, which received kudos from external clients. Our traffic and page views increased by 55% in the second quarter of 2018, compared to the same period last year. The website also won gold in the 2018 dotCOMM Awards, an international competition honoring excellence in web creativity and digital communication.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

ImageX's project managers worked effectively to establish goals and requirements, create plans, and implement strategies. They built consensus and dealt prudently with challenges, showing flexibility and adaptability while focusing on the project's success.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by ImageX's pragmatic execution and composed, instructive leadership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I lead marketing and communications efforts for the YMCA of Western North Carolina, a nonprofit that strengthens our community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. We serve more than 60,000 people through seven YMCAs, dozens of program sites, and an overnight camp. We are the largest location for licensed school-aged child care in North Carolina and the first YMCA in the state to become an approved Medicare provider. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ImageX?

Our previous website was developed in 2010 on Drupal 6 when our organization didn’t have a centralized marketing team. Due to the high staff turnover and a lack of consistent training and oversight, the site had become unwieldy and hard to navigate. The redesign was a daunting task, and our small in-house team couldn’t manage a project of this scope alone.

What were your goals for this project?

We had several focal points for this project. First, we wanted a to improve our web presence as a sales tool and to enhance our community positioning. Second, we needed to reduce web development costs and risks by moving the website onto an open platform (Open Y). Third, we were looking to take advantage of new features in Drupal 8 and Open Y, including easy-to-add content management. Fourth, we wanted to enhance site functionality with key technical integrations, including support for online transactions. Finally, we also hoped to reduce our technical burden with a clean, new site for easier maintenance in the future.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Before I joined the YMCA in late 2016, several vendors had replied to an RFP for the redesign. However, as we learned more about the Open Y platform, we decided to change course. I began looking for a development company that understood the Y movement, had Drupal 8 expertise, and could function as an extension of our marketing communications team.

ImageX stood out because they took the time to listen to us. Instead of touting their successes with past clients or telling us what we wanted to hear, they asked probing questions and gave thoughtful answers. They worked with us on the budget, and their proposal thoroughly outlined the deliverables and expectations for both parties.

Describe the project in detail.

In addition to handling the project startup and management, ImageX provided discovery, design, and web development services. The initial project—the redesign of our main website—began in May 2017 and concluded in October 2017. The scope expanded to include a standalone website for our overnight camp. This work began in November 2017 and concluded six weeks later.

The project startup included a kickoff meeting, creating the work breakdown schedule, and setting up task-tracking and communication tools. The ImageX project manager was responsible for planning and task scheduling, issue management and escalation, budget monitoring, and status reporting. The project featured stages of agile development in which the team prioritized the scope in defined, time-limited sprints.

During the discovery phase of the project, ImageX fleshed out information we shared and tailored the deployment of Open Y to fit our goals and priorities. They also assisted with user-centric design, information architecture, and wireframing to ensure a strong UX for the end product.

In the first development stage, ImageX implemented a foundational web server and CMS infrastructure based on Drupal 8 and the Open Y distribution and assisted with media and content migrations. Our internal team worked on content updates and images. ImageX performed regular quality-assurance (QA) checks, including design QA, multiple-browser compatibility, and usability testing. For the second stage, they implemented prioritized enhancements to the website and worked with third parties to configure integrations.

What was the team composition?

During the initial project, I led the internal team with day-to-day assistance from our digital marketing specialist. A group of six internal stakeholders also participated in sitemap review, content analysis and editing, and discovery sprints. Before the site’s launch, additional stakeholders reviewed content and provided usability testing. ImageX assigned a project manager, business analyst, Open Y/Drupal 8 solutions architect, lead developer, and QA tester.

The second project was handled by our digital marketing specialist and camp director, along with the ImageX project manager/business analyst, lead developer, and QA tester.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our association website has experienced 152% growth in page views since launching, and the average session duration lengthened by 22%. Total page views on the overnight camp website (which was formerly a set of subpages on the association site) have increased by 129%; the average session duration rose by 340%.

The new camp website has also been a factor in enrollment growth. We reached 75% of our goal within eight weeks of launching—four months earlier than the year before.

How effective was the project management?

ImageX provided exceptional project management. They kept us on track throughout the discovery, development, and launch process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We needed a full-time partner who could hit the ground running while preserving our priorities and values. ImageX did not disappoint. They became virtual team members who were always there for us. Their willingness to listen and think through challenges, rather than trying to apply instant fixes, resulted in a custom website that exceeded our expectations.

We didn’t just build a website together; we built a relationship that has strengthened over time and will contribute to the long-term success of our organization. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director of marketing for Steptoe & Johnson, an international law firm with over 300 attorneys across the U.S.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ImageX?

We hired them to manage our existing website and intranet as well as provide assistance with graphics.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to upgrade our firm's website and intranet.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended by a trusted partner in the industry.

Describe the project in detail.

Over the past several months, they have assisted with several maintenance issues and recommended appropriate security updates. Aside from handling routine maintenance, they’ve assisted with larger company initiatives and worked on special projects as needed. We’ve shared our ideas for website improvement, which they’ve helped turn into reality.

What was the team composition?

We’ve been working with a project manager and lead developer. Occasionally, we’ve received work from their creative resources.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The transition was very seamless and resulted in a more secure website. So far, we’ve also been very pleased with their creative output.

How effective was the project management?

Their project management is very clear. We receive updates on a regular basis, while time and resource requirements are always clear and fair. They always hit their proposed timelines and have a great sense of how long something will take.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’ve embraced our unique culture and how that influences the direction of our website and intranet. They have gained our full confidence. We've learned to rely on ImageX as a business partner—they think for us.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

If you have a problem, call ImageX—you won't regret it. They’ll be honest and won't waste your valuable time. If they can't do the job, they'll say so up front. If they do take on the project, they deliver on their promises.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director of demand generation for Schoology, an LMS [learning management system] focused on the education space. It has more than 20 million users worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ImageX?

We hired them for routine website maintenance. They’ve also worked on special projects such as landing page development and other ad hoc tasks.

What were your goals for this project?

We always wanted to have a web development partner who could support our digital marketing initiatives and give advice as needed.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Initially, we evaluated several other agencies. We selected this vendor after reading a number of positive reviews on various review sites and speaking to references they provided.

Describe the project in detail.

In the past year, they’ve completed a variety of projects for us. Recently, we launched a landing page aimed at furthering our brand and highlighting user stories. This page has a number of CSS animations and other elements that were implemented without any issues.

What was the team composition?

For the past 9 months, we’ve been working with a project manager and the lead developer. They assign additional resources based on the scope of our projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To date, they’ve delivered all projects on time and within our budget. They’ve analyzed our specifications and provided feedback on the best way to accomplish our goals, which is helpful. Aside from solving business challenges on the web, they’ve also provided strategic guidance on implementing our ideas. As a result, we can easily grow and scale our web presence to meet future business needs.

How effective was the project management?

Their project management has been exceptional. All communication happens through Basecamp and a biweekly virtual meeting. They are always up front with requirements and resources required. At the end of each project, they share a full rundown of the actual resources used.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

As a development partner, ImageX has always met or exceeded our expectations in terms of timeline, quality, and general collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a web producer at an IT monitoring software company. We work with the world’s largest companies to ensure their IT services and applications are always functional. As the global leader in hybrid IT monitoring analytic software, we provide complete visibility for cloud, virtual, and physical IT environments. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

Our company was going through a rebrand and needed a new website. Our existing website was built quickly and poorly before I came to the company. It was made internally and didn’t work well or look good, so we needed a new site. I am the only person handling this project from our end, so I knew I couldn’t do the whole thing by myself. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started building the site from the ground up. ImageX started by planning the site infrastructure and organization. Then, they handled wireframing before they did the development. We’ve continued to use them after the site was finished with a service agreement for ongoing development.

Everything was built to the best practice standard. Our old site’s code had just been hacked together and wasn’t scalable or customizable. ImageX designed the new, responsive site based on what we knew we needed, allowing us to expand it in the future. It’s a content-based website with demand generation.

ImageX did a large integration with us. Because we have a lead-generating website, we use the marketing automation software, Marketo. All of our forms are built in Drupal, but they’re actually Marketo forms, so there’s 2-way communication between Marketo and Drupal. That’s huge for us.

We didn’t have a search function previously, and our documentation portal is now really robust. We just had PDFs before, and now we have PDFs as well as downloadable and viewable HTML files. We had ZenPack catalogs that are WordPress plugins for our product. It’s open-source, so you can build them yourself or use our pre-made ZenPacks. Our ZenPack catalog was hosted on Wiki but didn’t have a good UX, so ImageX built an entire new ZenPack catalog for us by working with our documentation team.

We worked with a project manager, a lead developer, and 2 or 3 other developers from ImageX. At different stages, a business development planner helped us with the site architecture. We have an internal designer, so we came up with the design, but ImageX offered creative input.

How did you come to work with ImageX?

We wanted the site to be built on Drupal, and we wanted it done well. I started researching Drupal agencies that could be a true partner, not just a development shop. I made a list of 20 agencies and conducted phone interviews with all of them. I narrowed our options to 3 companies. ImageX felt more like a partner than the other choices. They also understood what we needed. They came to Texas from Canada to explain their services and give examples of work they had done before, which was impressive. Their development results were second to none.

How much have you invested with ImageX?

I don’t remember the cost of the project. We have a 50-hour per month service agreement with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with ImageX at the beginning of last year, and the relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

ImageX helped us design the site with our end-customers in mind, which hadn’t been done previously. We have only gotten positive feedback about the site. Our company used to look at lot older but appears much more modern now. The site is the face of our company, and it actually matches our personality.

We had a problem before where people weren’t able to find information. The new site has a much better UX and a stronger brand presence because it’s laid out well. From an admin experience, it’s great.

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

They don’t take shortcuts just to finish tasks quickly. They finish work on time and are flexible. ImageX doesn’t make excuses, and they’re easy to work with.

What did you find most impressive about ImageX?

They have the best developers that I’ve ever worked with. Their team is collaborative. Their head developer is able to speak to my manager as well as other developers, which is unusual and valuable. We used different agencies for marketing automation and SEO, and they worked well with all those teams.

Are there any areas ImageX could improve?

They could move to Texas. In all seriousness, I think they’re great. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I am the Web Master and Administrative Coordinator for Educational Services at a small, Jewish university on the east coast of the United States. We offer mostly graduate programs, and it’s almost entirely online. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

One of the biggest issues with our old CMS-driven site and hosting provider was that they were proprietary, which meant we totally relied on them for any changes to the website– even for the minor things.

I’m not a developer, but I have some basic web skills and I’m a pretty quick study. It was frustrating that, as the client, I didn’t have access to certain parts of the site where I could try to make changes myself. Because of that arrangement, everything would end up costing more money than we had within our approved annual budget, and our site was rapidly getting out of date. I had done some research and thought Drupal and Acquia, specifically, seemed like something we would want to try. At the end of the day, we needed a completely new design done within a very limited budget. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

There were a lot of things that were broken on the old site. It was really old and really bad. A lot of the content is similar but the way that it is presented has been completely overhauled. The new website is now mobile friendly and no longer fails on a lot of the web accessibility points like the old site did. The actual usable course listing functionality is different.

We’re hoping to retain them for a service agreement. I’m trying to convince the people in charge of registering vendors, that it’s a good idea. I’m in the process of signing a service agreement with ImageX for a few hours a month for the Drupal security updates and whatever I can’t do. Though I’m feeling pretty confident in the backend. They’ve been really helpful in terms of training me.

How did you come to work with ImageX?

I was given the go ahead, after an extended amount of begging, to begin researching ways to make a new website for grads. The problem was we were super limited in terms of budget. About a year ago, Acquia had done a demo for us and I thought Acquia seemed cool as a host. I thought Drupal seemed really cool too.

When I was given the go ahead, I asked Acquia about designers I should talk to and they referred me to a couple of different places that priced out something completely out of our budget for designing a new site. Then, I told them it seemed impossible and asked if they had anybody who could meet us with our constraints. They directed me to ImageX primarily because of the open EDU. I talked to Brent Wilker [VP, Business Development at ImageX] and told him that I knew a lot of the high cost was associated with designing everything from scratch, as opposed to using the out of the box stuff, as well as the content migration being expensive. I told him I would rather do the content migration myself if there was a way and for us to use the open EDU framework, and then customize from there. We were able to come up with a way to do it that was within our budget, which was pretty exciting.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them December 2016 and the site went live June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The new website really is different from top to bottom. Visually the website looks a lot better, but it also works very well. The search function actually works the way it should and isn't prone to error.

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

I had a dedicated project manager throughout the whole engagement. There were 22 people in Basecamp. About 18 of them were ImageX resources and the rest of them were internal employees. I only interacted with 4–5 resources on a regular basis and it depended on the skills necessary.

I don’t have any complaints about the process. I’m thoroughly satisfied with the new site and they’ve been tremendously thoughtful partners. They were highly responsive and incredibly helpful. They were also excellent at training and enabling to be more self-sufficient. We used Basecamp extensively for communication, which made it seamless. I never had a difficult time getting in touch with ImageX or getting responses to my questions.

What distinguishes ImageX from other providers?

ImageX finished our project ahead of schedule and under budget. Every other designer I talked to thought our launch schedule impossible.

Is there anything ImageX could have improved or done differently?

I only have positive feedback.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the associate vice president of digital products and innovation for a large nonprofit entity in North America. We’re part of a loosely federated organization that’s driven from the bottom up; we have over 800 locations across the United States, and each is independently owned and operated. Our network includes 900 different websites. I answer to the SVP of all of digital items, who answers to the chief experience officer.

My job is split between working on projects specifically for the Twin Cities market as well as working on this new distributed initiative. I’m responsible for leveraging digital resources and making enhancements to serve our audience in the best way. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

As an internationally recognized nonprofit, we can’t operate with the strength of a cohesive unit to capitalize on our 2,200 fitness facilities and 20 million gym members in the United States. We’re spending a lot of money on duplicating digital efforts 800 times over. This means we have less money to invest in what’s core to our mission, which is fostering Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility.

It is essential that we invest our capital in a way that fostered collaboration across our network to bring down costs. We wanted to drive a philosophy of sharing and open collaboration. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re helping us build a solution. ImageX is one of the lead agencies on our collaboration platform. ImageX has been our thought partner in creating a system of choice with different technology providers.

ImageX is closely aligned with our mission, produces great quality, and is a fantastic partner. They recognize that we’re a nonprofit. They know we don’t always have robust technology teams and we often need a lot of help. Nonprofits can have half of the available budget and twice the needs of a for-profit organization.

ImageX’s role mainly involves our distribution in Drupal, which allows any of our locations to get an enterprise-grade, fully responsive, mobile-optimized website within a few minutes through just a few clicks. They’ve helped us to determine a long-term approach from a strategy perspective in tandem with a few other agencies.

ImageX also provided code for our open collaboration specifically. We launched the distribution publically in January 2017, and then we worked with ImageX to develop specific code for social media integration and search engine optimization (SEO). They built some innovative integrations with Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager that make it very easy for a content admin who may not have any technical expertise to get started with Google Analytics, allowing them to view site performance in real time.

ImageX is impressive because they delivered great quality on time, within our budget, and with no issues or defects at all. Working with them was an absolute pleasure. In addition, I asked them to collaborate with our other agencies, and they did phenomenally well. As you can imagine, collaboration between agencies could have introduced a variety of potential conflicts, but that didn’t happen at all. If we had any issues, they openly and with transparency communicated with other agencies to find the solution and resolve the problem. I did not see any friction between ImageX and the other agencies. We liked them so much that we’re looking forward to working with them further on our open distribution in addition to those other agencies.  

How many resources have been assigned to your project?

I don’t know exactly how large the team was. I’ve worked primarily with a lead technical architect, Yuri, and with Brent, our account leader. They give suggestions to guide our long-term strategy. I also worked with a project manager to make sure that the work was on schedule and that we were invoiced appropriately. I’m sure they had a handful of developers writing code at the direction of Yuri.  

How did you come to work with ImageX?

Yuri actually used to be at another agency that was an original founder of the project. When he moved to ImageX, we followed and started talking to ImageX. We had a summit in Houston, Texas in February of 2017, and we invited partners that were interested in our open platform. Brent and Yuri came to Houston to meet with us. Once we learned that they were interested in working with mission-driven organizations and were aligned with our goals, it was clear that they’d be a great partner to try. We started by asking them to write a bit of code. What we got was great, and now we’re planning to have them do more.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February of 2017, and the work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

We’ve gotten good press because of the quality and the caliber of the partners writing the code. ImageX is among the top providers that we’ve worked with. The number of associations that are either interested or are committed to this initiative is growing daily. Right now, different locations are in various states of launching new websites. Many sites are in development and will launch this year. Another 25 associations have committed to either launching a site in the imminent future or leveraging a portion of the open code to augment their current web stack.

Because they wrote code for a distribution, the work from Image X will not have the standard KPIs associated with a web project. Instead, we looked holistically at the open platform itself. One of our associated locations in Seattle has 19 different branches. They spent 6 figures when building their initial site, which was an early prototype of our open platform. With the new distribution and working with partners like ImageX, our associations have been able to reduce their costs by up to 70% and increase their speed to market by 75%. Some of our associations don’t have the funds to set up a Google Analytics account that integrated with their website. That’s why we have our out-of-the-box solution that enables easy setup and integration via the interface that ImageX built.  

Over time, each association will gather usage information to continue to optimize their experiences at lower costs than using a proprietary platform. Through ImageX and the other agencies, everything worked properly. We didn’t have to go back to them with bug defects or things of that nature, so it saved us a lot of time.  

Did ImageX make themselves available to organizations that had questions about their work?

Our organizational movement in Australia has 34 associations. They just recently voted to consolidate 99% of those locations. Because they’re looking for a new web platform, I connected a decision-maker with Yuri at ImageX, and he helped them build an entire prototype site to be shared with their leadership. It’s important to be aware of the time difference between Vancouver and Australia. Yuri made himself available for hours at a time, often late at night, giving essentially free consulting to make sure our Australian counterparts were set up for success. ImageX showed that they believe in this platform. It was fantastic to connect a colleague with a partner like ImageX and know that they were in good hands. Our Australian colleagues had only positive feedback after their interactions with ImageX.  

What did you find most impressive about ImageX?

The productivity gains and ease of management are impressive. It was so easy to work with them. We truly feel like they are a partner. If we ran into an issue, they made it easy for me to trust them. Their communication was proactive from the start.  

Are there any areas ImageX could improve?

It’s been great so far. We’ve only been working with them for about 6 months, but I haven’t seen anything concerning.