MANE

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Woodbine was a small agency in NC with a healthy client list including this travel & tourism client. I was Sr. Digital Producer at the time of this project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MANE?

MANE redesigned and developed a website for Brunswick Island, the official tourism site of Brunswick County, NC. We hired MANE for both front-end design and development as well as back-end integration with a custom CMS and third party tools.

What were your goals for this project?

To provide the agency client with an online destination that supports the efforts of an official destination marketing organization for Brunswick County, North Carolina.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had worked with them on a few smaller projects previously and were impressed with the quality of design, technical understanding, ability to build a custom CMS and integrate other software tools. Even more, we were impressed with their responsiveness, speed of delivery and very high quality work for the budget we had to work with.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We built a multi-functional website with multiple destination pages/sections for each island/town that tied into a main database but with unique content for each section. There were several shared content sections along with vacation planning tools, videos, a blog, and a media room for media resources. MANE provided UX design, front end and back-end development with custom CMS integration.

What was the team composition?

MANE had a team lead (one of the co-founders), project manager, front end UX/UI designer, front end developer and back-end dev working on it. Several other developers were available and involved to help with aspects of the project as it went along.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Easier management of the content on the site
• Performance optimization (the old site was slow)
• Gave it a new and fresh look (site still looks good after 6+ years)
• Optimized it for the marketing campaigns, we were doing in Woodbine
• Optimized it for SEO
• Created lead magnets support for client’s internal team
• Built a custom CMS tailored for client’s needs

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We managed this project with a PM contact on both the agency side and developer side, regular status meetings via Skype, and collaboration software tools including Basecamp and Google Docs. MANE provided professional guidance throughout the project and maintained tight controls on delivery, revisions, schedules and budget, always delivering phases on time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Not only did they have as strong a capability as any dev team we had worked with but their communication was flawless, despite the fact that they were an international developer with perceived language barrier. They even understood our vernacular and initiated the kind of friendly banter that made them quite fun to work with. The site is still intact today, so the design and build have stood the test of time.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I honestly couldn't think of one thing that would have made the experience better. MANE did a tremendous job across the board.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Bull & Beard, an agency collective. We match brands with vetted and vouched-for agencies. I engaged MANE as a digital agency partner on this engagement as I have partnered with them for over 12 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MANE?

The Camp Wonderopolis platform includes:

• Custom Web Design & Development
• Native iOS Mobile Application
• Native Android Application

There are front and back-end for editors to add content which is synced across the devices (web, mobile).

What were your goals for this project?

Camp Wonderopolis is designed to engage students and goals centered around the number of online users, engagement on the site (wonder cards and vocabulary terms), time on site and geographic reach.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I have been working with MANE since 2007 on web design and development projects ranging from 5, 6 and 7 figure builds. They are great communicators, highly responsive and top-tier quality for a reasonable price point. I have trusted them with clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 1000s, like Lowe's Home Improvement and Fruit of the Loom.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

MANE designed and developed a summer learning platform for NCFL called Camp Wonderopolis 2018 (camp.wonderopolis.org). The platform motivated students to learn about new topics and earn cards and certificates. It has gamification elements and it’s aligned with learning standards. MANE was involved in the whole process, from planning and technical consulting, through strategy, design, development, deployment, and maintenance.

What was the team composition?

The project team consisted of the CEO, a project manager, a front-end designer, and several developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Success Metrics:

• + 350,000+ online users
• + 57,000+ campers and counselors
• + Users from all 50 states and 132 countries
• + 36,000 Wonder Cards earned
• + 100,000+ Vocabulary terms mastered
• + 1,264 Days of visitors engaged in learning (more than 30k hours!)

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project was managed via Slack and Basecamp with a dedicated project manager. Proficient and professional every step of the way including delivering on deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They stand out because of the quality of their work and how fun it is to work with them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They would benefit from more of a US presence, but Sasa (the CEO) is visiting on a quarterly basis for a month and that's improving the relationship.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Vibendo: a music, social, streaming platform based in Sweden. Currently, we have a web and Android application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MANE?

We needed a partner to build a live online application, not just a prototype.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MANE developed a live web application on Google Cloud as well as a CMS for our team. They built the backend using HTML, integrating features that allow users to create an account, stream music, and explore a social timeline. Their team also implemented ‘like’ and command capabilities into the platform. MANE used Vue.js to create the application’s frontend, which they also designed. As a base for our Android app, they also developed a mobile API.  

What is the team composition?

Our primary points of contact were the CEO and the project manager.

How did you come to work with MANE?

I found them while searching online for a development company with experience creating a music or social media product. It was important that MANE had built a platform with features such as direct messaging for a previous client. After meeting with their team, I had great trust in their abilities. They offered a competitive price and were ready to start working.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent 60,000 € (approximately 66,700.30 USD) on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We collaborated between December 2016–February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

MANE delivered all functionalities and integrated all design points. After our collaboration ended, there weren’t any mandatory features that needed to be built. In terms of success, the only challenge we faced was concerning the launch date. A few members of their team were sick when changes needed to be implemented, leading to a delay in release. It wasn't much time and we’re a startup, so there weren’t a lot of eyes on us.

How did MANE perform from a project management standpoint?

Development was well structured. The CEO and the project manager led the project effectively; any wishes, requests or issues were handled quickly. We held regular calls and tracked progress via Basecamp, which allowed me to have a constant overview of the project to keep it on track; any delays in the project were expected. As a startup, it was significant that the cost was as discussed. They were dedicated from the beginning.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Whereas previous vendors were hectic, MANE remained calm throughout the collaboration. I appreciated the balance between my stress and their composure. Their team managed any challenges and all my requests well. They also used their time effectively. If needed, MANE worked extra hours to meet deadlines, knowing how important aspects of the project were to deliver on time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have had a more constant team, which had delayed progress due to onboarding. It’s valuable to have a strong core team from the beginning. That’s the only area for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Hire them for CMS, backend, or web development. MANE isn’t as experienced with mobile applications.