Magnet Co

Please describe your company and your position there.

The English Department at UCLA carries out UCLA's mission of world-class teaching and research. I am an Associate Professor in the English Department.

For what projects/services did your company hire Magnet Co?

We hired Magnet to design, develop, and implement an innovative annotation tool and content management system for use in classrooms across UCLA.

What were your goals for this project?

We had a detailed but partial vision for both the annotation tool and the back end. Magnet helped us clarify our expectations, while also vastly exceeding them.

How did you select this vendor?

The English Department put out a call for bids, and then interviewed a series of developers. Magnet's communication skills, and, frankly, their excitement to tackle the design and development challenges posed by the project stood out.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Magnet designed, developed, and launched a student-facing annotation tool, along with a custom instructor-facing content management backend that integrated with existing UCLA infrastructure, including shibboleth login, Box.com. Bug-testing and a variety of new features were also added.

What was the team composition?

The contact leads, Gavin and Sarah, were outstanding. Some communications with a particular developer were also key in solving issues as they arose.

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

UCLA has ambitions to continue to develop the UC Annotate Tool. After adding additional features, we hope to encourage its use across other UC campuses. It has been used by thousands of undergraduate and graduate students across multiple departments.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Outstanding, at every turn. Organized, clear in communications, honest when there were issues and responsive to our needs for timeliness.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Working with a bright, eager team, their passion for their work, and their passion for _our_ work, was truly remarkable. Issues we thought that were intractable were solved with elegant and innovative design ideas. Integration with legacy systems proceeded much more smoothly than anyone anticipated. At every turn, their work was professional and exceptional.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None come to mind.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Schoen Media Group consults with clients on content distribution.

For what projects/services did your company hire Magnet Co?

We hired Magnet Co for support developing two sites - one for contract disputes and one for the launch of new products.

What were your goals for this project?

Educate customers about contract disputes to calm them down and keep them as satisfied customers.

How did you select this vendor?

We worked with Gavin before and were very happy with his work as well as skills working with clients.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Website to educate customers on issues around public disputes with networks. Gavin provided us direction on site design and functionality.

What was the team composition?

My client, 2 members of my team and Gavin/MagnetCo

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

We had a very satisfied customer who in term had sizable traffic to the site which minimized calls to their call centers and retained customers.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We identified a point person on my team, my clients team and we worked closely with MagnetCo to provide needs which they in turn

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were always able to provide solutions to our needs and problems.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really

Please describe your company and your position there.

Gotham Soccer League is national network of adult soccer leagues. We are a premium league with great media and management. My position as Director of Operations and Marketing is to oversee both our physical and digital operations and functions. This includes the website.

For what projects/services did your company hire Magnet Co, LLC?

We hired Magnet to completely redesign our frontend and help make big improvements to our backend without scrapping it. This included but UX and UI overhauls.

What were your goals for this project?

To provide a website that our customers actually found useful and to make major improvements to our sales funnel via the website. It's our biggest and most important tool.

How did you select this vendor?

We sent out an email blast to our entire CRM and vetted each of the responses. In the end we had some really productive conversations with Magnet Co. both on the phone as well as in person and decided they were the best for the job. We certainly made the right decision!

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Magnet Co. provided a multi-phase redesign of our frontend and backend. This included an extensive prototyping phase with lots of back and forth to ensure we got this right.

What was the team composition?

The project team had two project coordinators who helped through the entire prototyping phase. From there they reported back to their team of engineers to execute the following phases along with executing some of the work themselves. They were very willing to set up time for us to chat with the engineering team when needed and provided a transparent process.

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

We are still putting on the finishing touches but this will have an immediate impact on our revenue stream once finished. We expect a much more streamlined service for our customers and we are very grateful for the new site!

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project was broken up into phases and a rational and easy to follow process. We prototyped everything through figma which I found to be a nice tool for both the developer and myself. We had constant communication amongst teams and met in person several times to discuss the vision for the site.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were impressed by how well they took our very complex and unique service and made sense of it. That allowed us to make drastic changes to the UX and UI that were necessary.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the founder and managing director for a retail business selling newborn baby products.

For what projects/services did your company hire Magnet Co, LLC?

Magnet Co, LLC designed and developed an e-commerce platform. The team relaunched the site twice as the business grew in the following years.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted a visually appealing, user-friendly website. The platform also needed to support specialized shipping demands and customized products.

How did you select this vendor?

After receiving a personal recommendation, I did research on Magnet Co, LLC and found they were suited to meet my needs. As an e-commerce novice, I wanted a vendor that understood my lack of experience. Their proposal format was easy to navigate, and the price fell within my budget.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The team custom built an e-commerce website. It was created to fit the needs of a growing business, allowing the easy addition of new products and pricing. They also designed the site to be compatible with a local payment gateway provider.

What was the team composition?

Gavin (Co-Owner, Magnet Co, LLC) was my main point of contact. 

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

The website played an essential role in growing the company from a small online store to a multi-million dollar business.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

I believe they used Basecamp to manage project development and communication. The team documented key decisions, providing timelines for each stage of the process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It was convenient to have direct access with a company owner. Gavin understood both the technical aspects of site design and my business requirements. His expertise informed key conclusions, and he offered helpful advice throughout the project lifecycle.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of any areas of improvement. Companies will find Magnet Co, LLC to be a personable and professional business.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder of an online auction house for Thoroughbreds in America.

For what projects/services did your company hire Magnet Co?

Magnet is developing a website for us and building our auction platform.

What were your goals for this project?

The solution has to be extremely reliable because users will be bidding live monthly on an auction. The auction system also has to work seamlessly with our buyers and sellers.

How did you select this vendor?

We found them online. They were one of seven possible developers, but were by far the most professional, knowledgeable and passionate.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Our project is web based and dependent on the technology behind it. Magnet is creating an auction system for us, front & backend web development, UX & UI.

What was the team composition?

Gavin and Sarah are based in Cincinati. They also have four engineers who work remotely.

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

Magnet has been there from the start to ensure our website and the operations related to it are seamless and effective. The business has not yet launched, but they have been instrumental in every step of the process. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Magnet gave us a clear timeline from the begining, which they have stuck to and included us in every step. They have welcomed us to their office a few times which has been wonderful. This is an extreemely efficient team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They took a great interest in our idea from day one. Even though we are young entrepreneurs they have always taken us seriously and collaborated very well.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an independent actress living in the Cincinnati area with experience in theater and film.

For what projects/services did your company hire Magnet Co, LLC?

Magnet designed a beautiful portfolio site for my acting career in a very short timeframe.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted a high end, professional site to show off my headshots, video, and resume, based on the standards of my industry.

How did you select this vendor?

I was recommended Magnet by a friend, and after a phone call was confident that they could accomplish what I wanted for a price I was comfortable with.

Describe the project in detail.

After several discovery meetings to learn about what I wanted, I was presented with an outline of the site, kind of a blueprint so I knew what to expect. I sent all of my photos and videos and Sarah even helped me touch up some things and upload videos on Youtube. After a few weeks of design, I finally saw the site and we did two rounds of edits to swap out some pictures and move some things around.

What was the team composition?

Sarah, Gavin, and Alex helped me with the site.

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

I went from not having a site at all to getting traffic from, and now I use it as my portfolio and resume. Sarah restructured my resume and made it look so professional and that's visible on the site now as well. It's such a great tool and really sets me apart from other actors.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was so easy. I'm not web savvy at all, and they not only helped me navigate through the design process but taught me enough to allow me to make my own updates as well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their willingness to walk me through the process stands out, taking the time and effort to explain everything. How I could empower myself to drive more traffic to my site was great. They were so nice, which was very comforting because I was really intimidated walking unto the process.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't think of anything that could have been better. Magnet was professional, helpful and built me a website that looks much more expensive than I could have ever dreamed.