Kona Made

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Austin Venue Collective

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Austin Venue Collective is a local venue marketplace and event management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Kona Made to accomplish?

• Logo Design
• Brand Strategy
• Website Redesign

SOLUTION

How did you find Kona Made?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Kona Made over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Kona Made were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Discovery & strategy 
  • Branding questionnaire completion by Client 
  • Team kickoff call 
  • Brand strategy assessment 
  • Brand foundations 
  • Audience overview 
  • Competitor analysis 
  • Brand personality 
  • High level visual direction (mood board) + color psychology 
  • 1 round of included refinement 
• Brand identity development 
  • Primary logo Secondary logo/brand icon 
  • 1 Submark Typography selections
  •  Custom color palette 
  • 1 custom pattern/texture 
  • Mocked-up touchpoint examples 
  • Overarching brand style guide 
  • 2 rounds of included refinement 
  • Upon completion, Client will receive an organized Google drive including: 
    • Logos, marks & additional brand assets as AI, JPEG & PNG files in CMYK, K & KO color variants, as applicable* 
    • Links to purchase or download licenses for brand fonts 
    • Overarching brand guidelines document 
• Website architecture + design 
  • Website questionnaire completion by Client 
  • Client to supply brand photography to Kona Made 
  • Team kickoff call 
  • Sitemapping 
  • Wireframes of homepage &subpages (desktop & mobile views)
  • Fully-designed AdobeXD prototype of site (desktop & mobile views) 
    • 1 round of included refinement 
  • Copywriting 
    • Website copywriting for Homepage, About page & 1 additional page of your choice 
  • Meta descriptions 
  • SEO best practices 
    • 2 rounds of included refinement
• Website development 
  • Client to create account with WP Engine and invite Kona Made as a user 
  • Kona Made to create Wordpress staging environment for new site build 
  • Theme & Elementor theme builder installation 
  • Filter system plugin install & build out 
  • Development & build out of all pages
  • Mobile/responsive formatting 
  • User compliance best practices 
  • CSS customization 
  • QA & Launch 
  • Backend video tutorials delivered to client

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Finishing all sections of the project on schedule. Deliverables/end result are a new brand and website we are happy with and proud of.

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

Yes, they were very timely and communicative throughout the entire process. If any deliverables were running behind schedule they always made sure to let us know and provide a reason why. They responded to all of our needs throughout the entire project.

What was your primary form of communication with Kona Made?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Christine, the owner of Kona Made is so warm, friendly, and professional and someone I relate to on both the human level and the business level.

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

Nothing I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of an eCommerce company that sells American-made adhesive tapes & protective films.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kona Made, and what were your goals?

As our business has expanded, we have begun to sell to diverse audiences on various sales channels. We hired Kona Made to create a cohesive brand look while effectively reaching two disparate audiences.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had worked with this vendor previously and knew the quality work that they executed.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

To start they scheduled a call to learn about our company and project objectives. Then they followed up with pricing, timing, and scope. They had us fill out a branding questionnaire to inform the project. We then went through a few rounds of draft branding guidelines that we provided feedback on via their project management system. Once we landed on a branding that met our objectives, they created an entire brand package for us. This included a new logo, icons, marketing materials, and packaging.

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

We worked directly with Christine, the owner and creative lead, as well as a writer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because of the project, our products have a cohesive brand that appeals to all of our audiences. This gives us a refreshed look and feel without losing the integrity of our previous branding that longstanding customers are accustomed to.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We used Asana to communicate and keep track of deliverables and timelines. The team was very responsive and had appropriate turn around times which they met or exceeded.

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

Their organization and comprehensiveness of their execution were very impressive.

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

None that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Dearly, a new baby, children's, and maternity retail brick-and-click store that offers hand-selected essentials for little ones ages 0-5. We focus on bringing the very best products and brands - high-quality, sustainable, beautiful - together and marrying that with a truly special and highly-personalized shopping experience both in-store and online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kona Made, and what were your goals?

I started this business as the mother of two while also working part-time, and knew that I wanted to bring in a strong partner to help design and develop a website that would differentiate our brand in a crowded marketplace. With this kind of business, a beautiful and modern website is essential - so I wanted to find a patner who understood the vision of what we were going for.

I hired Kona Made to design and develop a modern Shopify ecommerce website that would reflect Dearly's brand, values, and create a smooth and joyful shopping experience.

SOLUTION

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

I was looking to work with a team that was female-founded and worked with female founders. I did research online and found a few options. I spoke to a few other development agencies and Kona Made stood out immediately because of their diligent communication and grasp of Dearly's mission. I also felt very comfortable working with Christine from the start.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Christine began this project with a one-on-one conversation and follow up with a detailed proposal of our engagement. It walked through a thorough accounting of the deliverables, timeline, expectations, feedback process, and more. Following the proposal and signing of the contract, we began Phase 1 of the project. I completed an in-depth website questionnaire which was to guide the design and vision of the site.

Christine also set up the entire project in Notion - so every step, every detail was noted and there were helpful reminders for anything I needed to complete. Next, Christine and her team worked through the site architecture. Christine also brought on an incredible SEO team - Propellic - and they were valuable partners from the start in ensuring our site was built with SEO in mind from the ground up.

Following the site architecture and SEO groundwork, we worked together to select a Shopify Theme and then she began work on a full site mock and prototype. We collaborated on the mock using Adobe XD which was very efficient for sharing feedback and commenting on specific areas of the design. We quickly came to a consensus on the design of the site - there was honestly very little back and forth which was nice.

Simultaneously, she began setting up the Shopify Theme and bringing in a copywriter to provide content for key areas of the site. We also met with Propellic frequently during this time for competitive and keyword research, SEO opportunities, and more. Their work was efficient, fast, and extremely well done - it really helped to make the site robust and SEO-driven. When this work was completed, I began product load with Christine's guidance on best practices for doing so. She was also extremely helpful for some of the little things that popped up along the way.

For example, at one point we decided on a feature that required some custom development and she brought in a wonderful and very fast specialist to complete the work. Throughout the second phase of the project, we held biweekly meetings, emailed frequently, and worked in Shopify to build out an extremely compelling and well-thought-out site. Christine performed a very thorough QA, speed test, and really did her due diligence prior to site launch.

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

I worked with Christine who is the Owner and Creative Lead of Kona Made. Additionally, I worked with copywriter Kat, custom developer Cameron, and the team at Propellic - Project Managers Lissie and Teri, SEO Analyst Emily, and their founder Brennen.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Christine and Kona Made delivered a site that my customers can trust. As a new brand - that's crucial. Even though the website hasn't even been live for a month, we've had a good amount of sales, and our even ranking fairly well for a couple of keywords! I've received nothing but fantastic feedback on the site from customers, colleagues, and vendors.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Christine and the team were extremely communicative - we mainly leveraged email and she was always very quick to reply which I appreciated. We also used Notion to communicate specifics around the site which was helpful for keeping everything in one place. We met on Zoom each week as well. Christine and her team worked hard to adhere to timelines and meet deadlines.

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

Christine is a good, kind person, very professional, and easy to work with. I really appreciated the caliber of people she brought into the project. Even though her proposal came in slightly higher than other companies, I wanted to work with Christine because I felt she truly understood (and made a great effort to understand) the vision of the company.

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

Nothing that I can think of at the moment!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Marketing Manager at a B2B digital transformation services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kona Made?

We are a newer company and had just started to build out our marketing team. Our original website lacked forward-thinking branding and was difficult to update without coding knowledge. We were seeking a fresh look-and-feel that could stand next to competitors with an easy-to-update interface so that our internal marketing team could be self sufficient.

SOLUTION

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

We were seeking a web savvy designer who could create something modern and fresh, while standing out from other competitors. Being in a tech heavy industry, we did not want something cliché or overdone with the same old stock photos. We were intrigued by Kona Made because Christine brought a different point of view and background than your standard consultative branding.

We felt her previous clients would help apply something unique while still maintaining a polished visual design.

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

We worked closely with Christine to explain our company and the brand we wanted to communicate. We also supplied a number of competitors to show the kind of legacy companies we were up against, and shared feedback from a branding agency who was helping us in crafting our brand messaging. Christine then drafted a simple wireframe based on our collaborative site navigation.

Our team supplied the copy of each page, and Christine worked to build the site pages with unique look-and-feel and visual branding that included an updated color palette, font selection and photography style. Once created and approved, Christine managed turning on the new site, and held a session to train us on how to update it moving forward.

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

We worked exclusively with the owner, Christine. She was a very positive, kind and easy person to work with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our webpage is built on a modern platform that allows our team to quickly make updates or create brand new pages. Our website has delivered consistent traffic and with zero security or online issues.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Christine was a pleasure to engage with. She was and continues to be a great resource. She responds quickly to emails or calls, and offers a lot of flexibility for our global team as needed.

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

I appreciated Christine's collaborative nature. She really wanted to work to deliver something different in the industry, to stand out and be bold while still maintaining a professional, simply brand.

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

We were very pleased with the outcome of our website and its ability to take us forward as we grow. I might suggest the opportunity to build greater functionality in needed web development/coding that goes beyond what is available in widgets, but it was not something we required in our engagement either.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a nutritional supplement company using an e-commerce business model. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kona Made?

We hired Kona Made to do a complete rebrand of our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our firm needed a complete brand makeover, so Kona Made developed a new logo, packaging, and labeling for us. We already had a color scheme, and that didn’t change. However, they changed our overall brand strategy. They didn’t do any printed materials. 

At present, Christine (Owner & Creative Lead) continues to offer her firsthand knowledge on what will best work for our brand. She’s also in charge of any new products we release every few months or so. The main parts of the rebranding engagement have been completed, but there’s always work to be done in terms of packaging. 

What is the team composition?

Apart from Christine, we also work with Logan (Senior Designer). I mainly work with Christine, but Logan has also worked on our logo, color schemes, and font. Christine handles the packaging side of things. 

How did you come to work with Kona Made?

I found Kona Made through Clutch. In my hiring process, I signed five companies for a specific project. I reached out to all of them to get a feel of who’d be the best fit for us. Right off the bat, we knew that we wanted to work with Christine and Kona Made. Simply put, we used Clutch to narrow our choices down, and Christine sealed the deal.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $25,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been getting excellent feedback from our customers — that speaks for itself. Our site’s conversion rate has also increased. 

How did Kona Made perform from a project management standpoint?

Kona Made’s project management is excellent. Christine adheres to all of our deadlines, and the team’s communication is great. In fact, they’re ahead of schedule many times. I have no complaints about their work; Christine does a great job. To communicate, we use emails, Zoom, and Asana.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They care about our project and want to make it succeed; they’re willing to keep making revisions until everything is perfect. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. It’s rare for me to say that, but Christine has been excellent right from the beginning. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared. A lot of time, people go into projects thinking that everything is going to be done for them. However, a creative agency can only do as well as you guide them. It’s your company, so you should know it better than everybody else. As a result, be ready to give them as much information as possible to get the best results. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Marketing for a manufacturing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kona Made?

Our branding, website, email templates, and print brochures needed to be updated and applied across all channels for a cohesive experience. Our website the biggest piece of the project and needed to be completely overhauled and relaunched. It was no longer possible to manage updating elements of the site and it wasn't optimized for the best customer experience.

SOLUTION

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

Our company had worked with Kona Made on a previous branding project. I scoped out a few agencies for our website development project but none of them compared to the quality of work I saw with Kona Made from the branding concepts to the UX of the live sites.

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

The process began with discovery meetings and a branding questionnaire to help Kona Made understand our existing brand, our gaps, needs, and desired outcome. Christine put together a few options for our brand colors, fonts, iconography, styling, and use cases of display ads, and website mock-up with all elements in place to help us visualize all branding elements together. Once we finalized our branding we then moved on to finalizing the display ads. Christine then began developing email templates built in a modular layout that could be used in a plug-and-play format. Christine then started working on the website and we reviewed what the main issues were with the existing website and what I wanted to get out of the new website.

We then began reviewing pages that were no longer relevant, outlining new pages to be added, and developing the site map. Christine then began developing wireframes and layouts and we reviewed what options would be best for our use case. I provided the copy and images and Christine then began building out the pages. Christine was extremely helpful in troubleshooting and exploring options for different functions I was looking to include on the site. Once we were in the QA portion of the site Christine started working on the 32-page product brochure and was extremely accommodating to last-minute product adds, spec changes, and formatting needs. Christine then launched the website and coordinated efforts with my outside SEO agency to make sure there was a smooth transition moving forward.

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

From start to finish Christine, the Owner and Creative Lead of Kona Made, was my point of contact and I talked through all elements of the project with her and she then worked with her resources behind the scenes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our projects just wrapped and the website just launched but it has been very well received internally. Our company is excited to have cohesive branding across all channels in print and digital. The website relaunch has allowed us to provide a better customer experience, be a valuable resource for our sales team, and easily manage updates.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was extremely easy to work with Kona Made and schedule time for one-off calls or zoom meetings. The project timeline was outlined and went as expected and even ahead of schedule at times. It was a pleasure working with Christine to brainstorm, discuss ideas, and see the project come to life.

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

The work and portfolio of Kona Made stood out when selecting a partner. Christine's positivity, communication, knowledge, and work ethic to find the right solutions, were impressive throughout the entire process.

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

No. It was a very positive and enjoyable experience working with Kona Made.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of Story Changes Culture Media & Consulting. We provide PR/comms consulting services and produce independent media projects that advance an inclusive culture.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kona Made, and what were your goals?

We needed to create/develop our brand, which needed to appeal both to buyers and our community/followers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Kona Made had a great portfolio of work that represented our general direction and came highly recommended.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

We met to discuss the project. Kona Made followed up promptly with the proposal and we were able to review and sign electronically. They were extremely prompt and never deviated from our timeline. We meet weekly to review deliverables and they often would send video tutorials or reviews that were easy to watch and interactive.

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

One.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our brand is just getting off the ground but so far the feedback has been 100% positive, we couldn't be happier.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Their project management skills were superior.

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

Christine is extremely responsive and a real partner. She feels like an extension of our team. She was great at following our direction/vision but pushed back respectfully when her expertise warranted it. Her design skills are beautiful, amazing. Coupled with timely project management and great use of tools to share concepts for review, we couldn't be happier.

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

Not a thing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Culturati, the leading conference and media company on corporate culture. I am head of marketing and steering committee member.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kona Made?

We had established a brand and logo 6 years ago when we starter. However, as we moved to the virtual conference world we need to refresh our look and appeal to a larger and more vibrant audience.

The new conference brand needed to work across the website, social media channels, sponsorship materials, and our new immersive experience conference platform. It was a tall order, in a short time frame.

What were your goals for this project?

Grab C-level attention and broader audience. To build trust and appeal as a progressive event and community. Massively increase registration, reach and sponsorship support. Yet, maintain our intimate and real brand ethos.

SOLUTION

How did you select Kona Made?

By referral. We know someone that had worked with Christine and her team. Checked out their impressive portfolio and experience. Then met Christine and instantly saw her creative mind and methodical approach to out project charter.

We really clicked. Of course we vetted several agencies, but Kona Made came out on top based on our criteria.

Describe the project in detail.

Rebrand the conference, website, social media, promotional campaigns and new immersive conference experience platform.

What was the team composition?

Our team is lead by Christine, creative lead and owner and Logan Kees, senior design.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new brand has been impactful and captured interest. You know you have something special when your keynote celebrities positively comment on your design, as well as anonymous registrants and board members.

We are driving toward record registration, sponsorship support, web traffic and social engagement. Now design is only a contributing factor to our increase, but it matters. And we're proud of our new look.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

How the Kona teams works is what makes them special. We are a fast moving, multi-headed leadership team. It was not only that they can keep with up with us, but more importantly how they guided us to the right direction.

Every curve ball was received with thoughtful response and new thinking.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their work style and design sensibility are impressive. It was beautifully creative ideas that made business sense. Always appreciated.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Only wish out budget was bigger so I use them full time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a new Medical Aesthetics Spa in Downtown Austin.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kona Made, and what were your goals?

I hired Kona made to help me with branding/logo and Website Development. for my new medspa in Austin. I am a healthcare provider and I have never owned a business before. Kona made helped me to create a vision for the brand and developed a gorgeous website that mirrored exactly what I wanted.

SOLUTION

How did you select Kona Made and what were the deciding factors?

I really liked the owner Christine's aesthetics of her own website- it was along the lines of what I was looking for. Upon meeting her via zoom she seemed down to earth, knowledgeable and skilled in areas that I was clueless and needed that exact guidance to execute my goals.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

After having 2-3 zoom meetings and filling out an initial questionnaire for branding visions- Christine issued 3 options to start with. She was very on point from the start and I loved how she explained in the slides how she came up with and executed the vision.

We chose a direction and she issued another round of more focused branding with different color pallets and different plays on the brand. She issued me a full set of Logo assets in different formats to work with for future growth.

(More than I was expecting) She really took the time to listen to me as a client and heard the changes of what I wanted and once again hit it out of the park with her professional artistry. Christine also had a questionnaire regarding the website and we discussed over zoom what the vision was for the project.

She delivered some gorgeous files just to make sure it was what I wanted- and she sent a beautiful few pages with the content I created along with her help. She was timely, flexible in her approach, always available to answer questions as they came up- and anything that she was unsure about she figured out within that day and communicated effectively.

She created my website on WP engine and promptly build me an ecommerce through woo commerce to sell on my website- which was not part of the plan. She created how-to videos on loom for my and my office manager to view and learn how to make changes ourselves for our monthly specials.

She went above and beyond and was one of the most professional people I have worked with in a long time. Very talented and efficient.

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

I believe that she did 99% of the leg work herself. She did bring in someone to help with content design that i ultimately decided to do myself. She also has helped me to interview some marketing teams for different marketing approaches that she will hopefully collaborate on the digital media design for future things. But ultimately Christine was my only point of contact with Kona Made

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Kona Made by far met my expectations. She rendered the deliverables onetime in multiple formats, She gave us access to all accounts on how to make changes ourselves. She created an ecommerce for us by an earlier due date then expected.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

organized and direct email, zoom, Loom, phone, and in person. timely, professional, communicative,

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

I hired Kona Made to put her own spin on my vision and I am in love with what she created. She kept things simple, worked with us through hickups of a new company, made sure that we were taken care of and truly was our first advocate from a professional standpoint. I couldnt be happier with my decision to hire Kona Made

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

honestly no and I am fairly critical and have high expectations of people. She was very professional, heard my requests and made changes appropriately, and timely- what more could an owner want?