Linkup Studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a project manager at a luxury concierge and rentals company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Linkup Studio, and what were your goals?

We hired Linkup to develop online marketplace for luxury villas rental as well as CRM system for business management. Besides, they prepared for us a pitch deck for the potential investors.

SOLUTION

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

They’re a top company in Ukraine and have a lot of publicity and rewards

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

Service and technologies Linkup provides to us:

• UI/UX design
• PHP back-end development
• front-end ReactJS development
• WordPress development.

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

20

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Very responsible team. Always delivers their work on time and according to the requirements

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

Very well organized

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

Beautiful and sleek designs! Flawless development. They have shown great communication and availability.

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

All is great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of an e-commerce platform that provides a seamless connection with preserving prints, passport photos, frames, and art. We enable interactions with the consumer in terms of ordering anything related to emotional attributes, art, and design.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Linkup Studio?

We needed support to build our mobile application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Linkup Studio has designed and developed our mobile app for iOS and Android using Flutter from scratch. We've provided the team with the initial documentation to jumpstart the process after meeting with their design, product development, and account management teams to present what we want to develop and the products we want to build within the app. Linkup Studio has helped us identify which products we should launch first.

What is the team composition?

We work with Marian-Makar and other three teammates on a regular basis. We also work with the head of design and the head of coding.

How did you come to work with Linkup Studio?

Linkup Studio's business development teammate reached out to me on LinkedIn. I had a conversation with her and then silenced the conversation for three months on purpose. I was researching Linkup Studio's previous projects, their reputation in the market, their prices compared to other companies, and their success ratio. I chose Linkup Studio because of their understanding of our type of business, which was showcased in my initial calls with the team.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2022, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I started an online marketing campaign three months ago and invested $5,000. Our app has over 2,000 downloads and 986 registered users on the admin panel. The registration cost is less than $1, which is unbelievable for everyone in the market. Our app ranked number one globally when it was launched because of its UX and product design. Our sales ratio is still small, but it's okay because I'm currently focused on building other products. 

I've received positive feedback because of the app's development and amazing features. The feedback from the market has been superb.

How did Linkup Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Linkup Studio communicates well with me via WhatsApp and email. Marian-Makar states down all the discussion points via email, and we can always count on a quick response from Marian-Makar within minutes. Linkup Studio has provided me with links where I can attend their internal meetings without prior notice and check in daily or weekly on the project updates.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I want to highlight Marian-Makar, with whom we work regularly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Linkup Studio understands our business, and their process is different from that of other agencies. The team has taken their time in the discovery, analysis, and deployment stages. Linkup Studio is transparent. When I started my engagement with Linkup Studio, people were challenging me about the distance between me being based in the Middle East and them being from Ukraine, but Linkup Studio has a lot of measures to ensure the required transparency. 

I'm happy with Linkup Studio's response time and transparency. Although I haven't worked with other development companies, I've worked at a marketing agency for 13 years. I know what being a service provider involves, and it's difficult to build a relationship like the one I have with Linkup Studio. The team adds value to what we present to them and challenges us when they think it is needed. The team gives us the same attention they provide to their bigger clients. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Linkup Studio can improve their knowledge of the local market and their presence in the Moroccan market. We've had discussions about this because, when looking at my client base distribution, I don't see many users from the Middle East. Linkup Studio has clients in the US and travels there occasionally. I'd like to have in-person meetings with the team, too, since we're close.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about what you want and invest in the brains and time to come up with a more innovative approach to your business. Challenge Linkup Studio to be more creative.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the senior product manager of a company that offers language applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Linkup Studio?

We needed help with UI/UX design and the development of new products. We requested Linkup Studio to redesign our mobile app to have a more modern look.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Linkup Studio supports the redesign of our mobile app because Apple requested that we redesign it. The team has created a dark mode and a new logo and onboarded new features. Linkup Studio supports the app's UX design and works on various websites and web and desktop applications. Linkup Studio is responsible for ensuring our Figma files remain pixel-perfect, clean, and organized in an appropriate design system. Linkup Studio works with two subbrands and 10 different products and manages around 3–4 design systems simultaneously. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Nataliia and another teammate.

How did you come to work with Linkup Studio?

My boss was looking for a development company and learned Linkup Studio had a design branch. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $100,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Linkup Studio in 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our mobile app has around 4 million active monthly users. The team has delivered good design work. After launching the app's redesign, Apple has told us it was the best redesign they've seen among companies they've requested to redesign their apps. The project's outcome is impressive. 

How did Linkup Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Linkup Studio has redesigned the app in three months, which is a great achievement. Nataliia has various designers on her team and can easily scale up and down as necessary, which is one of the main reasons I still work with the team. We collaborate with Linkup Studio through Figma and a shared Notion board where we add tasks and update their status.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Natalia is a very good designer.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Linkup Studio can scale their team easily.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Linkup Studio can integrate more engagement with the users in their design process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend having a good product-market fit before working with Linkup Studio. I didn't work with the team in the discovery phase, so I'm unsure if they're good in this area.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CPO of Peerplays, a blockchain technology company with about 40 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Linkup Studio?

We're building a new political activism app and hired Linkup Studio to help us design that application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Before the engagement, we had our user personas defined and research completed. We also conducted five workshops internally before we were ready to proceed with the project. 
We needed to determine what makes a good application interface and how it should work, so we hired Linkup Studio to help us with that part, create the screens, and the UX/UI design. 
I gave them all the workshop materials. We had early discovery meetings to make sense of it. We mainly worked in Figma. 

What is the team composition?

Usually, 3–5 people, including graphic artists and UI designers, were on the project at any given time. One business analyst also served as the project manager. 

How did you come to work with Linkup Studio?

I was trying to choose the best design agency for this project.  I went through a whole process to find nine candidates, three in each price point: three top-tier, three mid-level, and three entry-level firms. I sent all of them the same material, a Loom, and some background information, and then I asked for a quote. 

I chose Linkup Studio because they've been recognized in their field and have won awards. In the sales conversation, they showed a lot of empathy and understanding. They expressed why they cared about what we were trying to build. The sales materials and project plan provided to us were tailored to include everything we had discussed. It was evident that they were attentive and focused.

They've also worked on many apps involving text, including some very cool apps for dictionary companies and similar organizations. Our app also focuses heavily on text, so I wanted somebody with that experience. 

How much have you invested in them?

The total cost was between $50,000–$60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Linkup Studio from May–July 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality was top-notch, and everyone was completely blown away. The entire Linkup Studio team did fantastic work. 

The app looks cool, and it's easy to use. Linkup Studio captured what we wanted. We also work together really well. Overall, it was a great experience, and we had a lot of fun making it happen with them.

How did Linkup Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We had daily work sessions. Everything was on time and within budget. There weren't any surprises; it was smooth like butter. We primarily used Google Meet for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Three people asked where we found Linkup Studio because of their outstanding work, especially for what we paid. Linkup Studio just knocked it out of the park.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are no areas for improvement. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It helps to know what you want. One of the things that made it work so well for us was that we already knew what we wanted and what the application was about. In that case, you're asking them to do the design, not the whole business. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the system advancement manager for Resolute ERA, a startup specializing in government grant assistance. We have a certain foothold in the industry, but we’re advancing our technologies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Linkup Studio?

We needed help with UX/UI design. We were working on the functionality, but we needed to make it look and feel good.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Linkup Studio works on the frontend appearance and feel. We initially gave them references for similar software. They made an amalgamation of different areas and some of their interpretations to present a few options. Along the way, they’ve introduced logos and color schemes based on our ethos and what we’re trying to convey. The team has created the look and feel based on that using Angular 2.0.

What is the team composition?

Our weekly contacts are the designers, but we’re also in direct contact with their project managers and supervisors.

How did you come to work with Linkup Studio?

We found them through Google. I did a lot of research on foreign and domestic UX/UI design companies, and Linkup Studio was highly rated on many sites. When I spoke to the project manager, she immediately understood our needs. Moreover, their portfolio was impressive, and they were the most responsive in terms of getting back to me with the information I requested.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2022, and our relationship is ongoing. We intend to make it a long-term partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any direct metrics yet because we’re still in phase one. However, things have moved faster than expected; it’s hard to keep up with Linkup Studio.

How did Linkup Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent. They’re true to their word and clear about what they’re working on or when they need more information. Moreover, there aren’t any delays; the team is phenomenal.

We use Slack and Figma for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work is excellent, and they’re incredibly efficient.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Maybe they could have alternative options for the tracking tools; I’m not a huge fan of using Figma.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a software development analyst at an electronic research company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Linkup Studio?

We needed help with UI/UX design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Linkup Studio does UI/UX design for us using Figma as their main tool.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with their marketing team, product managers, and UI/UX designers.

How did you come to work with Linkup Studio?

We found them through a Google search. After interviewing a couple of other providers, we chose Linkup Studio based on their presentation, how they addressed our needs, and their reliability.

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

So far, we’ve spent around $75,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our company’s president likes the look and feel of the platform.

How did Linkup Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great at sticking to deadlines and budgets. Regarding tools and communication, we use Slack and the Figma platform — they’re very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication and willingness to assist with whatever we need are great, which is a huge perk of working with them. In addition, we weren’t familiar with Figma, and they helped us understand how it works.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes the language barrier with their team can become a bit challenging, but it isn't a big deal at the end of the day.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a great team to work with, so I recommend people working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a social media marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LinkUp Studio?

We wanted to quickly find high-quality development resources that could work closely with our own developers on cloud-development tasks.

They needed to do backend development, and we also needed a flexible, dynamic team When you’re building a prototype, you need to move from 0% to 200% quickly. Then, when there are no changes to make for a month or two while you’re retrieving data, you need to be able to slow down on the resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LinkUp provides offshore development and management services. Sometimes they provide full-on prototypes and mockups step by step, and sometimes they deliver on much simpler needs — brainstorming with us to find the best solution. We’ve even brought them into strategy discussions and shown them the vision deep inside our company. We’ve been focused mostly on web applications so far, and we’ve used their advice and consulting on UI/UX.

What is the team composition?

We’ve had moments where there are five frontend developers working on quick and intense projects, and then other moments when there are two developers in maintenance mode. This type of flexibility is a highlight of working with LinkUp.

How did you come to work with LinkUp Studio?

At the time, we were looking for an outsourced company to provide our required flexibility. It was hard to find the right developers, but we ran different tests with a number of options on UpWork. After working with a few developers that weren’t quite good enough, we found LinkUp. This is one of the reasons I’m so happy to review them: so I can help other entrepreneurs find a trustworthy partner. In the end, you need someone you can trust.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since around January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our success is measured by the number of users we serve, and we’ve opened up several different markets over the past few years.

They started as a young company doing outsourcing six years ago, and we’ve seen them become more understanding and professional around startups’ needs. The LinkUp team I work with today is a whole different company than they were five years ago. I see them make a lot of positive impacts especially in their management of resources and handling of details. We want happy developers that are pleased with their work environment, and LinkUp has very much improved in this area.

How did LinkUp Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Asana for project management and communicate daily or weekly depending on the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re taking care of the administrative and management sides, which allows us to focus on what’s important on the development side. Startups are rollercoasters, and, at times when we really needed someone trustworthy to have a business-oriented discussion with us, Andre (CEO) has never failed us and has always come through. We’ve worked with other companies for smaller projects, and it isn’t the same type of warm and intimate relationship that we have with LinkUp.

Their trustworthiness stands out, and they’re very understanding of our business and needs. There are human resources that we can always speak with on the other end when we call them, and they’re always reasonable as well, which helps us take everyone’s needs into account.

In crucial situations — where a server goes down or we face a security attack — we know we can count on them like we do our own employees. LinkUp will work on it all night to figure out how to solve a problem.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything is so well-communicated that I don’t think there’s ever been an issue. Our needs, wants, and resources, are always coordinated correctly and in conjunction with us.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Speak openly with them, their developers, and Andre. The more open you are, the better their coordination will be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of an educational platform for all things related to the beauty industry. Both professionals and consumers alike have access to products, knowledge, information courses, certifications, and other resources. There’s also help for business management and beauty guidance, tutorials, tips, and tricks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LinkUp Studio?

I am not skilled with technology, so when I was turning my idea into a platform, I ran into a number of challenges. I’m quite artistic, so I needed someone who was going to understand my visions; when I drew my ideas on paper, no one really understood them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They do UI design, and I’m also working with them now on AR technology. We just started, but we’re trying to develop an app for facial recognition to help professionals and people interested in beauty services see the effects on their face before the procedure is done.

For the website, I provided them with hundreds of wireframes that I drew; we sent design PDFs back and forth.

What is the team composition?

Initially, I worked with 2–3 designers to find the layout of the solution. Then I worked with two heads of the project, before transitioning to just one head. I worked with 3–4 backend developers and two frontend resources. Andriy (CEO) oversees everything.

How did you come to work with LinkUp Studio?

My business partner had worked with them a bunch.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve paid around $75,000–$80,000 to date, but the total cost could be up around $175,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since October 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their quality of work is amazing. They’re on top of everything at every hour of the day. If there’s an important task, then they’ll stay up with me to figure it out. If I have an issue, they’re very responsive, quick to respond, and attentive. They walk me through every part of the work in detail, and I sign off on everything.

They give me options at different price points and timelines as well.

How did LinkUp Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

I have a weekly call with them; initially, we looked at wireframes and now we review staging.

The fact that they’re doing their own due diligence and trying to help figure things out and learn things for my project is great. They’re very organized as well; when we get off calls, they send feedback based on what we discussed and what’s needed moving forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been great at designing and developing because they understand what I’m trying to create and actually give me suggestions. This is what keeps me working with them for everything I need. If they don’t understand something, then they’ll educate themselves and work through the issue to help me.

I haven’t worked with too many other companies to this degree to this extent, but no one has understood what I want and what I draw up like they do. LinkUp has been so good to me that I’ve stopped shopping around for other agencies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing really needs to change, as they’re on time or ahead of schedule with anything. Even with COVID, we only feel one week behind schedule. They’re responsive as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of Impactive, which offers digital organizing tools to campaigns, organizations, nonprofits, and unions to help them expand their supporter base and engage and mobilize supporters during elections or legislative events. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LinkUp Studio?

We hired LinkUp Studio to help us develop our software tools. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LinkUp Studio is doing end-to-end product development for our firm — they've worked on mobile and web applications and administrative portals. Their project managers help us build-out project requirements that are then communicated to the design and engineering teams. My team handles most of the research, working directly with our clients and relaying relevant information to LinkUp Studio's team. Once we collaborate on the design, their team brings our projects to life. LinkUp Studio codes projects in Ruby on Rails, React, and JavaScript. Our in-house team works closely with LinkUp Studio — the projects are very collaborative. 

What is the team composition?

We've worked with about eight teammates from LinkUp Studio, including project managers, a QA teammate, designers, back- and frontend engineers, 3–4 engineers, and a member of LinkUp Studio's leadership team.  

How did you come to work with LinkUp Studio?

Our head of product had worked with LinkUp Studio previously and recommended their services to us. We brought on LinkUp Studio to do a small project and gradually scaled up the partnership. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested over $200,000 with LinkUp Studio. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in January 2021, and it's ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don't have anything specific that I can point to that demonstrates LinkUp Studio's success. However, I'd never hesitate to recommend LinkUp Studio's services. It's great to be building a product alongside a team that really cares about what they're working on. LinkUp Studio understands the intent behind our products. We've grown from 1–2 teammates working on small-scale projects to an eight-person, full-time team, which speaks to their success. 

How did LinkUp Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

The project is being managed very well by LinkUp Studio's team. Typically, we use Notion and GitHub to track projects — LinkUp Studio is plugged into our project management system. We primarily work with their engineers, who've coordinated well with our in-house teams to track projects. We never have to worry about managing LinkUp Studio's team. They're very responsive and their QA is very strong. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

It's hard to find talented resources in the software industry that care about the product and its results. Their team will walk us through every step of the design process to highlight potential pitfalls, which is super helpful because then we don't develop a bad design. It's rare to find firms like LinkUp Studio with affordable, scalable teams. Their founder is also very impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

With any vendor, it's essential to learn how they work. We had some initial communications issues, and I think we could've formally established communication methods to avoid misaligned expectations. I don't have any strong critiques of their work — I think LinkUp Studio is doing a great job. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd advise customers to have internal stakeholders providing projects structure — that's how to set up a successful partnership with LinkUp Studio. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a technology company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LinkUp Studio?

I had terminated my design team and needed a design and frontend development agency for our app. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LinkUp Studio designed an app for us. We started the process with a thorough discovery phase where the team conducted some business analysis and research. Then, they came back with user-driven ideas that were on-trend and popular.

Then, the team proceeded to create the UI/UX design, starting with the wireframe. They first sketched out all the cards and screens. Once they finished the wireframe, LinkUp Studio injected various branding elements into the design, like our color scheme, logo, and fonts.

We reviewed the design and approved it for development. LinkUp Studio is currently handling the frontend side of things.

What is the team composition?

I work with three designers, including a lead designer. I’ve also worked with a business analyst and Andriy (CEO).

How did you come to work with LinkUp Studio?

We found LinkUp Studio on Clutch and reached out to them. They showed us some phenomenal design and development work, making it clear they were a step above the competition. 

Additionally, the team seemed highly professional, so we went with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $450,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in April 2021, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We still haven’t launched, so we don’t have many metrics yet. However, we’ve seen some users already engaging with the product. It’s also helped us raise some capital.

How did LinkUp Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

The entire team has been phenomenal — they set clear deadlines and meet them. Furthermore, LinkUp Studio is keen to let us know what they’re working on to ensure that we’re on the same page.

In terms of tools, we use Figma, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Slack. Whenever I reach out, they usually get back to me in 20 minutes, regardless of what time it is.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There’s still work to be done, but their services are well worth the price. LinkUp Studio has become a valuable part of our team.

Furthermore, I initially found their research process too thorough, but it definitely paid off because they came back with suggestions that I didn’t think of. 

They’ve taken my vision and suggested a strategy to get the results I want faster and more efficiently.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t really have anything critical to say — LinkUp Studio has done a great job executing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear with your requirements and make sure to have written communication with them. Additionally, if they have any advice, be flexible and hear them out — they’re a very knowledgeable team.