Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?
We saw an overall increase in our audience for the New Orleans Entrepreneurial Week. In 2016, we engaged around 12,000 people, and we had over 14,000 in 2017. This spoke to both the quality of the marketing we were able to do around the site as well as the better data overall. We implemented a new tech vendor, and LookFar was critical in making sure that the infrastructure worked properly. We were able to communicate our offerings more clearly, which contributed to the uptick.
People loved the site, and we received nothing but positive feedback. Repeat visitors appreciated the simplicity of finding information and the ease of RSVP’ing to events. Building a custom schedule can be challenging to do in a digestible way. Many people appreciated the decisions we made, which were primarily driven by LookFar.
How did LookFar perform from a project management standpoint?
Our project manager got to the core of what we needed and managed the teams appropriately, making sure the work finished on time. Like all tech projects, we had a few twists and turns, but we never encountered a problem that LookFar didn’t have the expertise to solve, even if that meant leaning on other members.
We were impressed with their UX expertise. They did a great job of revamping the branding on our core website and presented multiple solutions to problems. In the past, when dealing with other tech vendors, we were usually given only 1 route. LookFar made multiple recommendations but left decisions up to us.
They were timely with deliverables. We met on a weekly basis for sprints and refining the monthly scopes of work to keep the project on track. This included an assessment of the work to be done, the price tag, a breakdown of the tasks, and expectations of us as the client.
The communication was clear. We used a tool called Asana to keep the project moving, coordinate approvals for key elements, and determine the acceptance criteria for functionalities.
Our project manager was always available. I could shoot her a text even at 9 p.m. and figure out what needed to happen the next day. Overall, it was a seamless process.
What did you find most impressive about LookFar?
They are willing to go the extra mile, which isn’t true for everyone. Because we are a nonprofit, working with us may be a little different than building test platforms for high-gross startups. LookFar has many clients who fall into the second category, but they were willing to be flexible and research topics that were outside the realm of their existing expertise. Having worked with a lot of tech firms, I can say that we don’t always get this level of service.
Are there any areas LookFar could improve?
The biggest area of improvement, which is on us as much as it is on them, is making sure that we’re adhering to the monthly scopes of work, particularly on the budget side. As a nonprofit, we track items to the dime, and we went slightly over for a few months. This didn’t impact us terribly, but it should be avoided if possible.
With the prototype released, the application is being tested and is well built, performing excellently. They communicated well and managed the project effectively, adhering to the timeline and cost estimates. They collaborated smoothly throughout the project, providing suggestions and assistance.