The Atlanta Innovation Agency
MaxMedia is the best design and development agency in Atlanta.
Strategy, experience design, custom development, content, business intelligence—whatever the challenge, we create with empathy. Because knowing how our users feel and knowing what they need makes us better designers. And because knowing what’s important to you makes us better partners.
And we’ve been the best for 24 years.
For over 24 years, MaxMedia has created exceptional experiences—exceeding both user and client expectations—while delivering on-time and on-budget for startups, Fortune 5s, and everything in between.
We only bring our A-team.
We don’t off-shore, we don’t outsource, and we never bait-and-switch after the pitch. And because we’re smaller than the giant design conglometates, we also have less overhead. That means our team is more senior and more available. We hold ourselves and our work to the highest creative standards, prioritize craft, and make everything we create with love, right here in the ATL.
But don’t just take our word for it.
We’ve been repeatedly recognized as a top-rated B2B consultancy and as a national leader among design, development, and strategy partners.
Contact us for a free consultation
At MaxMedia, we understand the challenges your business is going through as we band together to tackle the biggest crisis in a generation. And we’re excited to show you how our nimble and diverse team of creative problem solvers is the right team to help.
Contact us for a free remote consultation with our design and innovation leaders to see how we can help you and your company navigate these uncertain times and come out the other side stronger, healthier, and more innovative than ever.
Focus
Portfolio
AT&T, Aio/Cricket Wireless, Andersen Windows & Doors, Beats, BoxLock, Chevron, Cisco, Coca-Cola, Cox, Cricket Wireless, Deloitte, Digi, Driven Brands (Maaco, Meineke, Take 5) The High Museum of Art, The Home Depot, IHG, Kanoo, LexisNexis, Lockheed, The Magnificent Mile Association, Mellow Mushroom, NBA, NCR, NEC, Powerade, Pepper, Samsung, Shell, The Smithsonian Institution, Surterra Wellness, T-Mobile, Tempur-Pedic, TruClear, Tyson, Vision Source, W Hotels
Take the customers’ word for it.
Enterprise business intelligence design for AT&T.
AT&T’s Customer Insights groups brought MaxMedia in to help them create Spotlight, a dashboard that aggregates customer feedback data into a world-class portal. The platform’s varied data types and sources required equally varied visualizations to make the data intelligible, actionable, and scalable. A library of on-brand data visualizations were created and coded to service the platform on devices ranging from large NOC screens all the way down to tablets and smartphones.
Data tells a powerful story if it’s visualized in the right way. It paints a complete picture of the customer’s experience and is further accentuated by the enterprise user’s ability to drill down into the underlying data, where trends become discrete details and actionable intelligence that serves both the business and the customer’s needs.
Check out this business intelligence experience for yourself at our innovation lab in Atlanta.
Turn the site you need into a site they’ll love.
Customer experience design for Maaco.
Faced with an unprecedented pandemic, Maaco, America’s top auto paint and collision repair service tasked MaxMedia with revamping their customer-facing online estimating tool. Our solution makes it easy for customers to securely share their information, paint/repair needs, and book an appointment—all from the safety of their home. But, more importantly, our algorithm behind the tool creates a more accurate breakdown of costs for paint, repair and labor giving the customer a more reliable estimate and the franchisee the peace of mind that the customer understands the estimate they received.
Big data. Big screen.
Enterprise business intelligence design for a top-five consulting firm and a national defense contractor.
A top-five consulting firm engaged MaxMedia to tackle a unique data-visualization challenge: How to turn a defense contractor’s 1,500-step process for building and maintaining the bleeding-edge combat aircraft into a relatable and easy-to-understand executive-level interface. And all that on an 84-inch, high-resolution multi-touch screen. The result shows how processes, projects, and systems can interact in new and profitable ways.
MaxMedia's solution allows users to drill down though various levels of complexity while visualizing only those metrics that are meaningful or have affect other process. This ability to see dependencies, gauge impacts, and measure shared resources gives both consultants and defense contractors tremendous transparency into their operations and the power to make smarter decisions about the road forward. The platform even allows users to create scenarios where they can model alternative data-sets against the current state to demonstrate tactical value.
The marijuana mind shift.
MaxMedia helps platform Surterra Wellness for rapid scale in the $8.5+ billion dollar medical cannabis industry.
The cannabis industry is growing exponentially, but it’s not all about getting high. For Surterra, a $100 million medical marijuana startup, the key to capturing the burgeoning medical marijuana market is rapidly shifting consumer perceptions and providing a clear path to wellness. It’s about helping to naturally regulate and improve everything from mood, to the ability to focus, to stress, and pain levels.
MaxMedia partnered with Surterra to redefine its brand experience, de-stigmatize the category, and build an e-commerce infrastructure that could serve as a hub for their omnichannel experience despite the unfriendly legislative environment. As an innovation agency whose nimble and diverse team of creatives and technologists use empathy and design-thinking to create killer solutions for real problems, MaxMedia’s scope of work for Surterra included:
Branding: Activation planning, brand positioning, brand story, brand system, customer personas, value proposition.
Content: Content strategy, explainer videos, process instructions, testimonials, web/app copy.
Digital experience: Backend development, front-end development, hybrid app & website development, journey mapping, user-experience design, user-interface design.
Retail experience: Experience design, interactive design & development, journey mapping, retail analytics, store design, testing & measurement.
Keep ‘em coming back for more.
Enterprise user experience design for NEC.
NEC came to MaxMedia several times to help design and develop customer-facing solutions. Be it an experience with intuitive navigation, quick access to a searchable knowledge base, and end-to-end order cycle tracking or a robust device ordering platform that helps users manage multiple accounts and locations, MaxMedia’s unparalleled focus on customer needs helped NEC achieve increased sales and higher customer satisfaction scores.
Reinventing intelligent retail.
The strategy for AT&T’s ‘crown jewel’ store helped redefine how customers shop for and learn about wireless technology in an increasingly interconnected world. Creating a store that is as much an innovative educational space as it is a retail space, “One Powell” as it’s called is an embodiment of AT&T’s new entertainment-based philosophy. From a connected bike experience to a seven foot tall hologram, and a signature 48-foot generative “coded-art” screen that changes with the music, this flagship store is a feast for the senses.
The art of mellow.
Website design and development for Mellow Mushroom.
Mellow Mushroom and Fitzco engaged MaxMedia to bring their Art of Mellow online sweepstakes and advertising campaign to life. This digital campaign is the largest Mellow has undertaken and it’s objective is twofold: to expand the Mellow audience and customer base while increasing online ordering sales.
Art has always been a part of the Mellow Mushroom experience and, for a limited time, online orders included a chance to win art prizes ranging from enamel pins to a one-of-a-kind sculpture.
Prosperity as vibrant as the islands.
Brand design, user experience design, and launch strategy for Kanoo.
MaxMedia created a name, brand strategy, brand identity, brand system, user experience, and launch strategy for Kanoo, a new financial payment app that empowers people in the Bahamas & the Caribbean to handle money at the speed of life.
MaxMedia collaborated with CaribPay on a product launch strategy based on feature sets, key audiences, actionable tactics, KPIs and a strategic roadmap. The product strategy evaluated how the features should be viewed in the eyes of the marketplace and how features would be expressed during the activation phase.
The launch strategy defined how the product launch would be executed across different segments (merchants & users), how to best utilize different channels, and how to address key messaging requirements.
Take control of trending.
Enterprise business intelligence design for AT&T.
MaxMedia partnered with AT&T’s PR and IT teams to create a social media command center called the Public Relations News Operation Center (PRNOC). The PRNOC aggregates real-time data from over 150 million online sources and alerts AT&T to trends, potential issues and customer sentiment. These data enable AT&T to swiftly formulate smart business decisions and implement strategic plans of action. And the large-scale implementation gives the whole team a single point of reference—at 16,588,800 pixels per frame at 220 frames/second to provide 1080p resolution across eight 55” monitors! The hardware uses gaming software to provide data visualizations that are compelling, informative, and immersive. Individuals from all levels and departments utilize the PRNOC and find it easily understandable, on big screens and small.
A new business. Delivered.
User experience design for BoxLock.
Already a successful parcel-security startup protecting major carrier deliveries at homes and small businesses across America, BoxLock needed to scale their website and content to support their newly-developed enterprise solutions. And, in the process, to illustrate how their inventory, access, and security solutions integrate into existing supply chains and help businesses be more efficient, accountable, and reliable at any point where assets are transferred.
MaxMedia’s design and content specialists expanded BoxLock’s web presence in coordination with trade show schedules, while integrating updated branding, and without re-platforming the website from the CMS their internal team was already accustomed to.
Design for metamorphosis.
User experience design for AutoIMS.
AutoIMS—an automotive software company in the auto-auction and auto-remarketing industries—brought in MaxMedia to redevelop their website and blog using a new CMS that prioritizes easy changes and updates. The resulting website keeps pace with the innovation and growth of their business and internal stakeholders praise their new website’s advertising potential and enhanced ability to communicate a message to customers.
Brick-and-mortar intelligence.
Business intelligence prototype design for Cisco.
MaxMedia’s designers and technologists helped Cisco prototype their Mobility IQ retail analytics product, a revolutionary suite of business intelligence tools which employ Cisco’s network hardware to detect shopper behavior and help retailers transform their brick-and-mortar experiences—all with a with a clear path to ROI.
The Mobility IQ platform provides store health at a glance and keeps track of shopper traffic while proactively detecting shopper mobile behavior as it passes through Cisco’s shopping center, stadium, or convention center network infrastructure.
Process the opportunity.
Enterprise business intelligence design for a top-five consulting firm.
A top-five consulting firm asked MaxMedia to help them visualize the complex non-linear processes that retail giants use to bring products from all over the world to your neighborhood. The result embraced visual metaphor to contextualize processes and business opportunities at the highest and the most tactical levels.
Complex business analyses—many of which defy conventional visualization—become accessible through relational interfaces that use either clever illustrations or interactive graphs. Giving users the ability to view the same data sets in various ways helps them contextualize and understand what the data are saying. And as the data changes and grows, so do the visualizations representing them, letting retail executives and consultants keep their eyes on the opportunities and impacts that matter the most to their business and their customers.
Motion on the street
Content strategy and motion graphics for EPB.
Outside of EPB’s Chattanooga headquarters, passersby see a wide variety of content—interactive timelines, live feeds from the Tennessee Aquarium, the latest weather updates, seasonal events, and motion graphics illustrating Chattanooga’s “Gig City” fiber-optic network. Each composition displays across four portrait-oriented 4K displays, stitched together across a curved exterior wall.
MaxMedia designers and animators even brought EPB's animated storytelling to Chattanooga International Airport. Our weather-data solution translates EPB’s role as the hub of America’s first Gig City by providing data air travelers need, regardless of where they’re going to or coming from.
The Hollywood of the Northeast.
Branding and omnichannel experience design for Supor Studios.
Experience design for the Smithsonian. MaxMedia redefined the museum experience by creating a beacon-driven and augmented reality experience for The Freer and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian's national museums of Asian art in the United States. Our solution starts with capturing the visitors' interests and guiding them through the gallery with proximity-based way finding until they approach target artifacts and unlock interactive stories with 3-D immersion, videos, and animation.
Smarter experiences for a smarter home: a case study.
MaxMedia helps The Home Depot transform IoT product discovery and at-home DIY inspiration. And turn both into in-store sales.
Customers at The Home Depot almost always arrive on a mission. So, how do you inspire them to explore new technologies or take on additional home improvement projects?
There’s a strong barrier to entry into the IoT category — customers are often intimidated by what seems to be complicated and extravagant technology. Indeed, the complex category of “smart home” products is challenging for most retailers to crack. Faced with a wide range of products from smart thermostats to Bluetooth grill thermometers, shoppers are often overwhelmed by these connected gadgets and how they fit into their homes.
Over nine weeks, MaxMedia designed and deployed two experiences within The Home Depot’s Innovation Store. As an innovation agency whose nimble and diverse team of creatives and technologists use empathy and design-thinking to create killer solutions for real problems, we also delivered The Home Depot Style Guide, an interactive magazine to inspire projects.
Go beyond the map.
User experience design and native-app development for The Magnificent Mile Association.
MaxMedia’s team of designers was tasked with conceiving of a new way to explore Chicago's famed stretch of Michigan Avenue. The Magnificent Mile app is a visiting traveler’s personal concierge, where they have everything they need for the perfect trip, tailored to their tastes or occasion. But it also taps something deeper: freeing users to confidently discover new places, people, things, and tastes and giving them a platform to share their discoveries.
The app also offers curated lists of activities and itineraries along The Magnificent Mile. This feature frees travelers and locals, alike, to confidently discover new places, people, things, tastes.
Knowing that all users are looking for great shopping of delicious food, the app accommodates a number of other mindsets. By taking advantage of The Magnificent Miles’ long history, the app’s augmented reality feature provides a portal back in time. By providing spectacular experiences for so many different user segments, the app brings people together and assures they won’t miss out on a single thing likely to have personal meaning to them.
Every single device. Every single platform.
Enterprise user experience design and web-app development for Digi International.
Digi, a leader in network devices, asked MaxMedia to help them consolidate two very different device-management platforms into a single best-in-class consumer and enterprise product. But the solution went far beyond a simple facelift. After all, when your company is known for making industrial-quality hardware, your device-management interface had better be equally durable and available whenever your customers need it—and from whatever platform they have with them in the field, however small.
Everyday transactions, meaningful interactions.
Customer experience design for NCR.
NCR, the company behind nearly 550 million transactions each day, turned to MaxMedia to build a consistent and engaging customer experience across multiple expansive lines of business.
While crafting a mobile-first framework to ensure content was engaging and accessible across any device, MaxMedia went on to reconsider site taxonomy and enable readily available content based on visitor needs. By engaging NCR’s potential customers in a conversation surrounding personalized solutions, MaxMedia transformed a transactional market giant into an approachable partner in business.
Taking sentiment by the hand.
Enterprise business intelligence design for AT&T.
AT&T challenged MaxMedia to update their sweeping NPS and sentiment reporting suite. Our solution combined disparate tools into a single platform that manages contacts, collects sentiment data, exports consolidated reports, quickly and accurately addresses detractors, and improves the health of AT&T’s relationships with its customers.
After spending years mobilizing their sales force, it was critical our solution worked as well on smart phones as it does on desktops and laptops. So, by using a mobile-first card approach, rich data visualizations, multi-step activities, and complex tables are always at the user’s fingertips and the customer is never more than a click away.
In addition to addressing a complex data architecture, our designers were challenged with making sense of the telecom’s internal hierarchy—several thousand salespeople from executive vice presidents all the way down! By pivoting this vertical structure into a horizontally browsable user interface, executives and managers can quickly scan through levels of reportage to get reports at organizational, team, and individual levels.
A customized journey through history.
Visitor experience design and native-app development for the Smithsonian.
MaxMedia redefined the museum experience by creating a beacon-driven and augmented reality experience for The Freer and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian's national museums of Asian art in the United States. Our solution starts with capturing the visitors’ interests and guiding them through the gallery with proximity-based way finding until they approach target artifacts and unlock interactive stories with 3-D immersion, videos, and animation.
Humanizing the risk-solutions story.
User experience design for Lexis Nexis.
MaxMedia created a digital strategy and web experience for LexisNexis Risk Solutions that reflected their position as the trusted market leader and humanized the risk-solutions story. We did this by bring to life the value Risk Solutions brings to society through thought leadership and content storytelling and by placing that content outside an authentication wall but alongside an inventive lead capture. Three different discovery interfaces guide users to find answers to specific needs according to their motivation across channels—and by enhancing trust in the brand by conveying confident leadership, smart insights and reliability.
Manage all the things.
Enterprise business intelligence design for AT&T.
AT&T, the worldwide leader in connected devices and Internet of Things, brought in MaxMedia designers to create a brand-new aggregated IoT platform so users—from large industrial and fleet clients to small niche operators—can manage all their devices in one place, regardless of carrier, network, technology, or country.
We spent an initial nine-week engagement learning the ins and outs of the technologies and systems involved. Prioritizing the most important and most attainable user flows, we worked them up from sketches and wireframes to high-fidelity visual design and clickable experience prototypes. We then helped the in-house development team implement these ideas in time for a product launch at the Barcelona Mobile World Congress.
The result is a powerful tool which brings all your device data into one interface. And which gives users the power to visualize that data as they see fit. But one of the biggest issues users and stakeholders shared was about data currency and platform latency. To solve this problem—and to distance our product from any negative sentiments caused by an underlying platform—all data visualizations include platform-specific data sync dates. Additionally, the most recent sync date and the connection health status for each underlying platform is globally available.
Design for every facet of your startup.
Customer experience design and rapid prototyping for Post-Office Cowork.
Post-Office, a roving pop-up co-working space concept, wanted to build their business and their products as intelligently as possible. So, they called in MaxMedia's expert designers and developers from day one.
Starting from scratch with a new consumer product is just about every designer’s dream. So we got began with an intense process that tackled business analysis and research before leading all the way to wireframes and a testable prototype by the end of the first week of the engagement!
MaxMedia's design solution delivered in unexpected ways—including a unique vibe meter for feeling out the social-vs-productive vibe and noise level of a venue before you set foot inside the door. And the mobile-first process produced a simpler and more elegant desktop solution than we might’ve otherwise created.
Live deliciously.
Retail experience design for Cupcake Vineyards.
Cupcake built a mobile wine-tasting exhibit that travelled to concerts, fairs and other relevant events. MaxMedia built a digital experience that shows visitors the story behind each wine, a suggested food pairing, and a social experience that allows customers to upload photos to show how they "live deliciously."
Find love. Out proud.
User experience design and rapid prototyping for an LGBTQ+ dating startup.
MaxMedia's designers were challenged with the conceptualization of a dating app for the LGBTQ+ community. The solution was intended to be a web-based experience that distanced itself from the more superficial and strictly-binary matchmaking competitors. Usability testing of the experience and functional prototypes quickly redirected our efforts towards a more robust native-app solution.
Viva las time travel.
Retail experience design for T-Mobile.
For T-Mobile’s Las Vegas flagship store, MaxMedia used a combination of projection, screens, and a unique slot machine to help guests travel through time and hit any of a number of Las Vegas’ iconic time periods. Each destination transformed the in-store experience and gave our guests a powerful sense of control over the whole store experience.
Additional content takeovers can leverage this unconventional display ecosystem, including themes that connect to events at the nearby T-Mobile Arena.
Under Armour smart shoe in-store display prototype
Retail experience design for Under Armour.
This in-store experience encourages customers to engage with Under Armour's HOVR digitally connected smart shoe. As customers pick up the shoe its unique features are highlighted across four connected displays. The personalized data tracked by the shoe is displayed by leveraging data from Under Armour’s Map My Fitness app. Data displayed on the screens shows miles run in a given area, popular local routes, and accumulated calories burned by runners. Age ranges, current runner counts, and audience segmentation are also on display.
Check out this retail experience for yourself at our innovation lab in Atlanta.
Business intelligence is your superpower.
Enterprise business intelligence and trade show experience design for Cox Communications.
Cox Communications wanted to better connect with their audience of carriers, resellers, and business customers—at the trade show and beyond. The Solution Finder, a multi-platform experience that focuses on the holistic perspective of Cox’s business capabilities with industry-themed content shows customers how Cox’s solutions scale and grow with their business. An automated system allows the most valuable leads to be captured, collected, and utilized so that the customer dialogs continue immediately after the trade show.
The backbone of the solution was data showing the location, speed, and impact of Cox’s nationwide fiberoptic backbone—all derived from real data sources and up-to-date carrier maps. Working both online and off, Solution Finder leverages Cox’s impressive network data to create leads and close sales in a way marketing materials can’t—with the kind of business insights usually reserved for a data center.
Data-driven animations.
Retail experience design for Target.
Based on a challenge issued by the Target innovation team to reduce the perception of wait time in their stores, MaxMedia designed a dynamic signage solution that pulls data from Box Office Mojo to create an entertaining data-driven experience. Movie icons, box office figures, and rankings are all feed into near-real-time video outputs engaging the audience while they wait in queue. Each week, the animation automatically updates with a new set of figures deployed to screens in retail locations nationwide.
Check out this retail experience for yourself at our innovation lab in Atlanta.
Unlock a retail experience.
Retail experience design for Andersen Windows.
Andersen Windows needed a way for customer representatives at trade shows and customers in retail settings to help visitors explore their new line of interactive locks and understand their new ‘VeriLock’ remote app. This interactive product demo was designed to get trade show attendees & store visitors to learn about Andersen’s new ‘VeriLock’ smart window system by demonstrating how the app works by allowing users to open and close the various locks and see the results on the app UI.
Share your adventure. And test it quickly.
Rapid prototyping for a cutting-edge Samsung wearable.
MaxMedia designers and developers created a functional, media-rich app for a pre-market smart-watch in less than 24-hours. How? By playing to our strengths—creative front and back-end development, captivating motion and video content, and high-end experience design all guided by our culture of innovation and design thinking.
The result was TRACED, a self-contained smart-watch application that lets users create and share location-based journeys and destinations using custom map data enriched by audio, video, and photography. Users can plan their journeys beforehand, capture them in real time, or remember them after the fact. They can also trace the adventures of others, purchase premium journeys and maps, add their own feedback, and receive location-specific sponsored content.
Five stars in the bedroom.
User experience design for Hyve.
MaxMedia user experience and visual designers were eager to work with Hyve and transform the in-room entertainment and information experience for hotel guests, nationwide. Designing for a wide variety of hotel brands and connected services, our designers tackled the sometimes-conflicting requirements of advertisers and guests to find a balance in user interface and usability that exceeds expectations—and deserves to be ranked an amenity!
Seeing the office of the future.
Retail experience design for Vision Source.
Vision Source, the second largest optical retailer in the US, debuted an “Office of the Future” and asked MaxMedia to design a content strategy that enhances the customer experience and shifts the perception of the visit from clinical to an unexpected and enjoyable shopping trip. We delivered digital content for the atrium welcome area, a social wall that curates local-area and brand content, and a “Health & Wellness Wall” that combines health messaging with pertinent lifestyle imagery with refresh moments via beautiful slow-motion landscape vistas.
Viva las content.
Motion-graphics content and interaction design for T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.
For T-Mobile’ Arena, MaxMedia created a variety of motion-graphics content to support everything from concerts and music festivals to rodeo and Vegas’s own Golden Knights hockey team. Many of these animations included interactions with the arena's novel selfie slot machine which captures attendee faces and inserts them into large-format video in near-real-time.
Leading from within.
Motion graphics and content design for McKinsey & Company.
Through an internal communications campaign targeting the partners and colleagues at McKinsey & Company, MaxMedia created an email marketing campaign that illuminates Servant Leadership though participation and storytelling, inspiring partners and colleagues to exhibit servant leadership, seek others who exhibit servant leadership, and talk about it with others. ROI is measured through an internal health evaluation to gauge the firm’s cultural values and email campaign metrics.
Complexity. Made modular.
Enterprise information and graphic design for Cox Communications.
Cox Communications presented MaxMedia with a complex data visualization and content strategy challenge supporting their internal and external communications.
Our solution is both atomic and phased—approaching the design and composition of infographics as the on-going creation of a modular asset library (including iconography and maps which can be deployed across channels) while also reframing the litany of documents that utilize these assets into a consistent and re-usable catalog of deliverables that can be edited and expanded by clients and vendors alike.
A new way to say hello.
Customer experience design for Aio Wireless (Cricket Wireless).
Aio Wireless (now Cricket) partnered with MaxMedia to rapidly develop and deploy an eCommerce website, mobile app, and digital signage for their retail stores in time for the business’ launch. The project goal was in line with Aio’s mission: create simple, customer-centric, seamless experiences that allow customers to learn, shop, and manage their services as well as get help whenever they choose.
Driving engagement
Motion graphics and content for Chevron STEM Zone.
Chevron mounted a huge campaign to turn kids on to the idea of pursuing an education in science, technology, engineering, and math—Chevron STEM Zone. A series of episodes were created to focus on 12- to 14-year-olds. The playful content was shown at PGA tour events where underprivileged kids were given an opportunity to engage with this fun and educational experience.
Using stories to help those most in need.
Rapid prototyping for public good.
MaxMedia's multi-disciplinary team accepted the challenge to use technology to help refugees assimilate and acclimate to their new homes in the US. And to design and test our solution in the rapid-prototyping environment of a hackathon.
Our solution uses the concept of storytelling—and Joseph Campbell's idea that certain story structures are universal across cultures—as a basis for language education and cultural fluency. By leveraging localization, pop culture, great works, and bite-sized previews of life in their new countries, 1000 Faces meets the communication needs of transplanted refugees while bypassing the limited time and resources of NGOs and native-speakers upon whom they'd otherwise depend.
All your eggs in one convention.
Event content and marketing design for Tyson Foods.
Tyson Foods knows culture drives results, leverages strengths, and builds teams. So, for SalesCon ‘19, Tyson and Next Page Events tapped MaxMedia to lead their annual rebranding initiative, creating marketing materials to support a sales convention and a subsequent advertising campaign. Efforts included both digital and print design as well as a revamped Tyson communication package. Large-scale digital and printed signage were part of an atrium take-over at the site of the event.
The power of mobile in brick-and-mortar.
Motion graphics and content design for Verifone.
Verifone’s Global Bay is an electronic transaction app that encourages customer engagement and allows multiple payment methods including EMV and NFC connectivity. It enables completely fluid shopping connectivity (and inspiration) across all places and digital platforms. 2D and 3D animation is a specialty at MaxMedia, and the talent that delivers it are among the best in the industry. We tell stories that illuminate products with powerful visuals that clearly describe functions and features. Our work deploys in corporate films, trade shows, hotels, airports, malls and museums.
Reviews
the project
Custom Online Estimate Tool Revamp for Automotive Company
"Their willingness to achieve results on the timeline we had set was really outstanding."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
Driven Brands, Inc. is the country’s largest automotive franchise or overseeing some well-known brands including Meineike Car Care Centers, Take 5 Oil Change, and Maaco - our top three flagship brands. I was the director of digital customer experience and I was overseeing the frontend experience of our web properties for the entire portfolio of brands. I also worked on a number of customer experience initiatives to drive and convert incremental traffic through those websites.
What challenge were you trying to address with MaxMedia?
We launched an MVP of a digital estimating tool to try to increase the volume of leads we’re able to drive to our maker franchisees. Going back to 2019, we launched an online estimating tool for Maaco and as it started to gain additional traffic, we sought out MaxMedia to help us beef up the capabilities and overall usability of the tool. We also hired them to make it more seamless and interactive to try to increase our conversion that goes through the online estimator. The tool was embedded on our website.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The key features of the tool were to provide a quick and rough estimate to our customers, whereas traditionally process for complex paint jobs and automotive body repair needs scheduling appointments. That typically takes days, if not weeks ahead of time, and customers also potentially deal with leaving their car for hours or days on end just to receive an estimate.
The goal of the digital estimating tool was to put much more of the frontend experience to our consumers and allow them to access price estimating ranges based on the make model of their car, self-described paintings, chips, scratches, and more. As a result, it could provide leads back to our franchisees so they could start making outbound calls to customers and hopefully, convert them to come to visit the shop and transact those services and repairs.
The tool was already live and active on our website before MaxMedia came on board, but they helped us launched the second version of our tool. When they finished the initial sprint, we continued to engage with them during the summer for some additional enhancements and features that we wanted to add to the tool. It was a multi-phase collaboration.
What is the team composition?
We work with an account lead, a couple of developers, and a larger team of 4–6 customer experience, designers, and more.
How did you come to work with MaxMedia?
They were highly referred to by other people we worked with. I initially found them in late 2019 for a project we were starting to scope on other brands. However, as our priorities shifted during COVID-19, we reached out to them for Maaco online estimating product.
They had impressive capabilities and were flexible to take on a different challenge than one we had initially started the conversation for. They really impressed me and our team with their offerings. Above all, they were quick to respond to the task at hand.
How much have you invested with them?
In total, we spent $60,000–$80,000 for the initial sprint.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from March–May 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
As we analyzed the effectiveness of the tool, we looked at the results our franchisees we were receiving in terms of cars coming to their shops and that they used the tool. Within a pretty quick timeframe, we were able to see that the online estimator was not only driving purely incremental cars and sales to our shops but also accomplishing it in an increasingly complex and difficult global pandemic environment. We saw positive results in terms of topline sales and car counts, and we were extremely impressed with what MaxMedia was able to help us achieve in just a matter of a couple of months.
How did MaxMedia perform from a project management standpoint?
They did a great project management job. We worked with Steve (Project Manager) daily. He was extremely responsive and collaborative. He was never slow in picking up the phone or responding to emails. I think we went through a number of challenges at them and despite that, they were extremely nimble, quick to adapt, and really helped us keep our feet to the fire in terms of tight timelines and objectives we were looking to achieve. They also presented us with a few tools that they use internally and we were able to adapt to those very quickly.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They took on the challenges of our project despite COVID-19 and they also worked remotely on such a large project and in a quick sprint frame. Their willingness to achieve results on the timeline we had set was really outstanding. I’m sure they would’ve loved to develop our tool from scratch, but their ability to dove right into our half-baked tool was amazing. MaxMedia even learned new systems in order to dramatically enhance our tool. We were extremely impressed with their ability and commitment. They were really a good partner to us.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There were a few bumps in the road that we faced in terms of compromises we had to make from a business perspective, to keep our franchisee base and customer retention strategies active and working. I think there were some times where MaxMedia was a little slow or hesitant to pick up on some of those pressing business challenges. However, eventually, we got to those points and they were willing to compromise on some of the design elements and experienced features that they otherwise would have taken another direction. Overall, there were healthy debates in terms of rolling out this tool.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Have a clear view of the objectives and goals you’re looking to achieve. Make sure that they are as solidified as possible. MaxMedia can take the ball and run with it at full speed. Their team is extremely capable, and they’ve really taken us with a lot of cool features and ideas that we didn’t consider. Most of all, communicate well with MaxMedia
the project
Marketing & Branding for Social Commerce Company
“Their professionalism and confidence really stand out.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of a social commerce company.
What challenge were you trying to address with MaxMedia?
We needed help with marketing and branding for a third-party client in the Caribbean. We wanted it to be a long-lasting brand that was professional and had the opportunity to grow.
What was the scope of their involvement?
First, we had strategy sessions with our client in Atlanta. Then, the MaxMedia team flew down to The Bahamas, to tour the area and learn more about the users. From there, we moved to branding and design. They provided a full brand key, including logos, colors, fonts, ads, and pictures. It helped us solidify a solid look and feel.
What is the team composition?
I worked with 5–6 people from their team, including their CEO, a graphic artist, and a business analyst.
How did you come to work with MaxMedia?
I’m friends with their CEO, and I felt they would be uniquely qualified to help.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent around $180,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in March 2018, and we wrapped up in July 2018.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
It was extremely successful. We’ve been able to grow our client’s organization in The Bahamas, and now we’re moving to Jamaica and other areas of The Caribbean. They've helped us craft a brand that can become global.
How did MaxMedia perform from a project management standpoint?
They’re always on point and meet all of the deadlines.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their professionalism and confidence really stand out.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, nothing comes to mind.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
My advice is to have a skeleton or a general framework for their project. It always helps in getting the most out of the engagement.
the project
Social Media Network Operation Center Dev for Telecom Firm
“This project essentially changed a 100-year-old telecommunication company overnight.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the former director of IT for concept development and implementation at AT&T. We were responsible for the incubation of innovative concepts and technologies within the AT&T environment and ultimately the implementation of those technologies in that environment.
What challenge were you trying to address with MaxMedia?
Our team was tasked to create something to help us understand social media for the organization. We approached MaxMedia to compile a team that consisted of designers, UI designers, graphic designers, and developers to build the project.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The project was to provide a window into what was happening in the world of social media. We wanted to look at what conversations were taking place in the marketplace. MaxMedia designed and built a network operations center for social media.
They created, for lack of a better description, a massive video game using real engine to create graphics in real-time that show information flowing into a large UI comprising AT&T’s social media footprint. As the information flowed in from Twitter, Facebook, and so on, it’d go into various areas so the people in the room could understand and take meaning from the data.
They also did quite a bit of social analytics.
What is the team composition?
There were about 10 people on the team covering project management, UI design, video game development, AWS Cloud development, and data science.
How did you come to work with MaxMedia?
We had worked with them previously on some digital signage development projects. I was aware of their capabilities, and they had a good reputation in town.
How much have you invested with them?
The initial development was under $500,000. Over the next year or so, it grew as we went through more iterations and it ended up being around $1 million.
What is the status of this engagement?
The engagement ran from April 2012–July 2013. We were live in August 2012 and went into full production in September 2012. Over the next 60 days, we did patches and updates. Then, over the next 12 months, we launched the next version of the solution.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
It was an incredibly successful project. We received amazing feedback from leadership. This product was brand new; the company had never done anything like this before. We had leadership teams come through the center to look at and understand it. They looked at the innovative way we were visualizing the data coming in from social media.
This project essentially changed a 100-year-old telecommunication company overnight. There was a certain occurrence that happened after its launch that blew everybody away at the leadership level. It was incredible to see that happen.
How did MaxMedia perform from a project management standpoint?
Our teams worked together implementing an agile methodology. We had an on-site project management team so communication came through that. MaxMedia’s team was on-site doing development within our organization and at their facility. There were weekly meetings where we reviewed progress.
We also had a certified scrum master. He did an incredible job from a development and project management perspective. Communication was never an issue. The MaxMedia team kept us on board as well as kept the deliverables and requirements reasonable. We delivered the first implementation ahead of schedule.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their ability to do the things that hadn’t been done before. The product had never been done before. That was scary and there was the risk of failure but it was a massive success.
The MaxMedia team implemented the solution in a very difficult environment that was very strict. The solution couldn’t go down, it had to have a certain level of quality, it needed to have strong security around it — it had to have all of these things and more. They were innovators who excelled in the discovery process, implementation, and operation.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I can’t think of anything.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Get to know the team. MaxMedia is a great organization. They’re small and nimble. Push them, and they’ll respond.
the project
Design for Retail Displays at AT&T
"They made my job easier."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the former lead senior manager of digital retail executions at AT&T. I’ve since retired.
What challenges were you trying to address with Max Media?
We wanted to engage our consumers through visual media and create effective messaging about some of our more complex products.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Over the years, we did multiple projects with them. They created signage for our stores as well as interactive displays. They made a touchscreen display to help promote our new TV service. They primarily focused on the retail environment.
They also did some internal work, including making training videos for our staff.
What is the team composition?
We had an extended team of creatives, producers, developers, coders and project management. We were one of their larger accounts and we worked together for many years, so I interacted with numerous people.
How did you come to work with Max Media?
I believe we first heard about them through a cold call from one of their salespeople. Their team continued to evolve with us which is why we stayed with them for so long.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent over 5 million dollars.
What is the status of this engagement?
I worked with them on an ongoing basis from 2012–2018. We worked with them prior to that, but the work exponentially increased in 2012 with the launch of our new retail flagship store in Chicago.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The retail digital space is a difficult execution to measure. However, we did several trials with store tracking technologies, looked at sales data over time, and documented anecdotal feedback from our retail employees. I think that the creative we worked on with them positively contributed to the overall customer experience in-store. We were really happy with the work they did which is why we continued to engage them.
How did Max Media perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management was one of their strengths. We often had multiple iterations of one product and there was a significant amount of work, but their account management was excellent. I never felt concerned about their ability to meet deadlines. Their project management is terrific.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They made my job easier. It was a challenge to keep up as our brand as constantly evolving, but they were proactive in presenting various interpretations of the new brand guidelines. They were excellent thought partners as well.
Are there any areas they could improve?
All agencies have areas they can improve in, but it’s hard for me to think of anything they could’ve done differently. They were a pleasure to work with.
In the early years, there was some turnover, and it would’ve been nice to have more consistency, but that was a minor issue. We didn’t have problems adjusting to those changes as they always attracted talented employees.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be as clear and concise as possible in your creative brief. Give them the best tools possible to execute their work.
the project
UI/UX Design & Custom Development for Comms Technology Co.
“The MaxMedia team has good technical and artistic talent.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the director of software development at a communications technology company. My division does cloud software, especially e-sales for cloud services. We’re developing a sales portal that allows consumers to buy cloud services for parts.
What challenge were you trying to address with MaxMedia?
We had a version of our sales website, but we had outgrown it. We were developing a new version but realized we need professionals to help us figure out how to make it as usable as possible. To go to the next level, we needed to focus on the UI and engage with MaxMedia. There was a short time period, about two months, that led to an extremely tight timeframe.
What was the scope of their involvement?
MaxMedia developed our sales portal using CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. The portal has a function that allows a user to browse the services that are available and then choose from our parts catalog. Then the portal puts together a quote. The MaxMedia team built several screens worth of information for a typical quote.
The goal was to present all the information in an intuitive way in a single quote to make sure the user knew what they were buying before they placed the final order. The end-users aren’t the ones logging it, dealers order on behalf of the customer, so that added extra complexities to the design.
The deliverables were two full web pages with multiple tabs for examples on how to use the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that MaxMedia delivered for us. In addition, they gave us the raw resources of that HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code. That is what our team will move forward with to build the actual product.
The final portal is comprised of web pages that work on both desktop and mobile browsers. They also gave us a 20-page PDF style document that had about 40 screenshots and annotations. The document recommends how the screens should be laid out. We wanted a reference implementation using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
What is the team composition?
Our main point of contact was our project manager. The team was comprised of 1–2 developers, a technical architect, UI designer, UX designer, and a design director. They weren’t assigned to us full-time, but they were all engaged in one form or another.
How did you come to work with MaxMedia?
I went through internal references within our company. We had done work with MaxMedia about five years ago and were happy with the work they did back then. I talked to the directors who worked with them, and they had nothing but good things to say.
How much have you invested with them?
We invested in the range of $100,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project lasted from February–April 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We were happy with what they delivered. I’ve worked with other UI/UX contractors in the past, but this engagement yielded the fastest results. I don’t have any complaints about the screens. The MaxMedia team has good technical and artistic talent, and those two aspects are coordinated. They had a lot of creative ideas that worked, and that’s what we were looking for.
How did MaxMedia perform from a project management standpoint?
They used an agile scrum process and that really fit in with what we were doing. They structured the project as three two-week sprints and an initial discovery sprint that lasted one week. This helped keep us informed because we had mid- and end-sprint meetings.
Between those meetings, they also engaged with us to understand the requirements. We didn’t have any written requirements, we verbally explained and used screen-sharing to communicate what we were looking for. They did an amazing job of picking up on that and had a good intuition for what we were looking for.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They take the agile methodology to heart. Their team continuously gathered requirements and improved to make sure we, as a client, were in agreement with what they were working on. There was great transparency. What’s more, their ability to quickly put a team together and take a project they knew nothing about by making sense of it and producing results was excellent. They have a lot of experience with enterprise-type software, so they were well-positioned.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I can’t think of anything.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Pay attention during every milestone and meeting to ensure you’re giving feedback about what you’re looking for. MaxMedia will listen to that feedback. Giving good feedback throughout the project produces a better end result.
the project
Web Development for Automotive Industry Software Company
"It’s been a pretty great metamorphosis."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
Joe Miller: AutoIMS is a small software company in the auto auction and auto remarketing industry. I’m the VP of client experience.
Shannon Meadows: I’m the manager of design and UX. Joe and I work together to coordinate marketing messages and visually inspire our users to understand how we work and what sort of role they can play by integrating with our system.
What challenge were you trying to address with MaxMedia?
JM: We had an outdated public-facing website and our development team was largely focused on the inventory management system that we provide for our users behind the login. Our brochure-ware, so to speak, doesn’t get a lot of attention even though our message changes. We wanted to be able to update and talk about and visualize our value proposition in new ways all the time. The website needed a newer, more modern feel, and it had to be able to be updated by less tech-savvy people. We wanted to be able to change it without having to write new code.
SM: We had a bunch of meetings with our client experience team trying to define how we wanted to express ourselves, what we wanted to put in, what imagery we wanted to use, and how best to put some complicated messaging into a very digestible, relatable form. We had 90% 0f the design figured out, but we didn’t have the expertise for someone to come in and do all the coding and advise us on best industry practices.
What was the scope of their involvement?
JM: They were very flexible with us. We interviewed several different potential partners for this project and MaxMedia came with the most balanced and thoughtful approach to understanding the technical requirements. We’re used to Java and HTML as a public website, so they could manage that, but the most important thing was finding a CMS that Shannon and I would be able to use easily. They assessed our needs and identified a CMS called Contentful that we now use. It’s been very intuitive.
What is the team composition?
JM: There were 4-6 people on any given call. The project went quickly. Bear (Senior Creative Technologist) and Travis (Director of Technology & Integration) had their hands on it, Jim managed the project, and then we had a few account management folks.
How did you come to work with MaxMedia?
SM: Their website was very impressive, and they were located in Atlanta which would let us visit them at their office.
How much have you invested with them?
JM: All in, we were around $20,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
Both: We worked together from February until March 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
JM: We’ve been satisfied with the website itself. We’re not huge measurement people, though we are going to dive into our Google Analytics soon. We just waited to give patterns a chance to develop. In terms of using the CMS and updating everything, it’s been quite seamless.
SM: They’ve made a huge difference in the way we communicate with our clients. We have a blog now, and our digital advertising sends customers right where we want them to go instead of moving through a landing page. They’ve completely changed how we feel about advertising. It’s been a pretty great metamorphosis.
Now, we don’t have to wait for IT to change things. We can put our hands on it. Joe and I are very excited about it.
How did MaxMedia perform from a project management standpoint?
JM: Our CTO called them genuine and forthcoming and said they went above and beyond for us. Where we really saw this was the hand-off process. They built the website using Shannon’s design very quickly, but there were little bugs getting us acclimated to Contentful. We knew there would be things we were unsure about but they held our hand through it all without saying anything about it.
What did you find most impressive about them?
SM: I would recommend them and use them again myself if we needed something.
Are there any areas they could improve?
JM: There were a couple of bugs and unexpected things but we don’t see those as mistakes they made. They jumped on the little nit-picks in minutes.
SM: Part of the creative process is finding things that weren’t apparent at first glance.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
JM: One of the reasons we were successful is that they helped us articulate the need we were trying to solve and tried to understand that. In our conversations with our own clients, that’s the most important thing. You have to be able to articulate the issue you’re trying to solve.
the project
Web, Mobile, & E-Commerce Software Dev for Healthcare Co
"I've found an accountable and competent team delivering the best of their abilities against goals."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Chief Marketing and Sales Officer for a consumer health company.
For what projects/services did your company hire MaxMedia?
Digital site/platform/channel development, digital experience development for omnichannel presentation (i.e., digitally enhanced kiosks)
What were your goals for this project?
Dramatically enhance the digital experience to improve conversion on-site and thru mobile, as well as enhance acquisition funnel for the brand with digitally enhanced physical presence kiosks / experiential marketing tools.
How did you select this vendor?
MaxMedia has presented themselves as a competent, digitally savvy and experience-oriented agency, and their preparation as well as proposal set a high bar in comparison to their peer group.
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
MaxMedia designed and implemented our website (desktop + mobile), mobile app, and digitally enhanced physical presence kiosks. Their work included various rounds of research, user testing, and validation, which have proven to be an essential ingredient for their success.
What was the team composition?
MaxMedia team was a diverse group of individuals with strategy, design, customer experience, engineering, and implementation skills. They exhibited harmony and open-minded approach to learning from users and each other along the way.
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
We've drastically increased conversion rates for the digital platforms, reduced bounced rates and with an extensive suite of data acquisition tools deployed improved retention rate to lead the industry.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
Project Management was timely and the team consistently delivered above expectations. Project Manager assigned for the project has done a great job keeping things on track and distributed information effectively to all stakeholders with insightful and proactive updates.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Their power to imagine and implement digital experiences in expected formats is unprecedented.
Are there any areas for improvement?
I have found MaxMedia on target with our needs, however, I can imagine them expanding offerings towards ad buying and digital marketing to offer adjacent services.
the project
UI Design & Development for Centralized Data Application
"We plan on doing more work with them next year because of their success."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am a senior project manager with AT&T’s global business operations department.
What challenge were you trying to address with MaxMedia?
We are trying to put our customers’ feedback and data in one centralized web application. This would allow the entire business to access feedback from the customer. Our president wanted to change the focus of our company to a more customer-centric model, so we needed to release an MVP with customer data to reflect that switch.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Their team builds a web application for customers to submit feedback. The site was built with React, HTML, and JavaScript. MaxMedia does all design work and a vast majority of the frontend work from the ground up. AT&T provides the backend data and content, but did not supply any wireframes.
What is the team composition?
We work with at least a dozen MaxMedia members. We have one centralized project manager, 1–2 UI developers, and two client-facing developers.
How did you come to work with MaxMedia?
I had an established relationship with MaxMedia working on projects in digital marketing and retail marketing. I already knew they were a quality partner that has delivered award-winning design and implementation.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve invested $1.5 million with them.
What is the status of this engagement?
They began work in October 2018. We released a beta launch in June 2019, and the project is still ongoing. MaxMedia is providing support and enhancements to the product.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The site services 10,000 unique customers and has 75,000 hits within two months of launch. We’ve had great adoption among customers; people are using it like crazy. They have fostered a smooth adoption of a cultural transformation to a customer-centric focus. We plan on doing more work with them next year because of their success.
How did MaxMedia perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management is excellent; Lauren Harms (Project Manager, MaxMedia) is probably the best I’ve ever worked with. They operate with agile sprint development. They do a good job of setting expectations, reviewing the customers’ stories, and asking the right questions. When we request changes or need bug fixes, they let us know when it could be delivered and response extremely fast.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The UI/UX is at a high level and functions well. They built a very user-friendly application.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Not really. Some small improvements could be done from a QA perspective to patch a few things before it’s sent to us.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I would say don’t be extremely prescriptive with your requirements. I’d let them have an overarching user story and problem to solve, and then let them have creative freedom. You want to hone in on what you’re trying to solve instead of telling them what to create.
the project
UX and UI Design for IoT Company
“It was refreshing to open the door to their creativity, allowing them to bring more innovative approaches to the table.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the director of product management for enterprise software at Digi International. I manage both the software and firmware on our mobile and web apps.
What challenge were you trying to address with MaxMedia?
We engaged MaxMedia for help with UI/UX design on our web apps.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We primarily worked with them on UI design, but we also wanted to dive deeper with UX. Our web device management portal was tired, complex, and not intuitive for our users. We needed to refresh the look and feel of the app as well as the UI/UX. The portal is for device management, which can include enterprise connectivity, mass deployments, or functionalities related to the transportation industry. This was a considerable undertaking, so we brought on MaxMedia using an agile development methodology.
We started with an investigation and discovery phase. After gathering information regarding our need, they broke the work up into several individual sprints. Those entailed user interviews, internal feedback, and the development of the UI/UX based on our recommendations. We met with them weekly to adjust goals and evaluate progress. They offered to handle some development work as well, but we decided to focus exclusively on UI/UX.
What is the team composition?
In total, I worked with five of their team members, but I interfaced with four of them most frequently. There was a UI designer, a UX designer, a project manager, and a technical director.
How did you come to work with MaxMedia?
One of the developers here in Tampa worked with MaxMedia in a prior role. That project yielded great results, so I reached out. After some interviewing, we decided that we liked what we heard, even though they didn’t have considerable experience working in our industry. Still, we were very impressed with their portfolio, so we decided to move forward with them.
How much have you invested with them?
Over the course of the project, we spent just under $250,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project lasted from December 2018–May 2019, but we hope to re-engage with them once we secure funding in our next fiscal year.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Because this project wasn’t pushed to production and the team only provided upfront design work, it’s difficult to measure their impact. However, we received great feedback from our developers on the quality of their work. Additionally, everything was clear and laid out during our weekly sprint review meetings, giving me confidence in the quality of their work. In fact, necessary changes in their design work were minimal. While there were some aspects we asked them to change, they were usually on point in early iterations. We asked them to take a blue sky approach, and they exercised their creative choice very well.
How did MaxMedia perform from a project management standpoint?
They were on top of tasks and very organized. However, they seemed to underestimate the scope of this undertaking, likely because they’re pretty new to device management projects. I appreciated them being upfront with their experience, while still making sure we were on-task every week.
What did you find most impressive about them?
In the past, we’ve always handled UI/UX in-house. I was most impressed with the depth of experience they have working across various industries. As such, they were able to offer creative, fresh ideas that weren’t necessarily centered around tech. While we initially were concerned about this, it was refreshing to open the door to their creativity, allowing them to bring more innovative approaches to the table.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Aside from the fact that they underestimated the magnitude of a device management project, I think they did a great job. In the future, it would be great if they could be upfront with their industry experience levels in the discovery phase.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Make sure to communicate the magnitude of your project to ensure MaxMedia is right for the job. But, with the deliverables they presented, I’m confident in saying that their skills are great.
the project
Rebranding for an Events Company
“I appreciate their willingness to look outside themselves and find suitable solutions.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a former employee of Next Page Events.
What challenge were you trying to address with MaxMedia?
We needed an experienced design firm to help rebrand our client’s internal sales communication materials. The deliverables were going to be unveiled at a marketing event, so expert-level skills were necessary.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Our client hired us to develop the visuals for their yearly marketing redesign. MaxMedia worked directly with myself and the client to discuss the project’s overarching vision. The collaboration process ensured that each party started the engagement with a refined understanding of each other’s goals. We approached the client with three potential looks and made additional adjustments per their feedback. Once the design elements were outlined, MaxMedia starting creating new marketing materials.
From newsletters to general email signatures, MaxMedia redesigned the client’s entire communication suite. That process involved creating new PowerPoint presentations, images, and fonts. They also developed new banners, print materials, pop-up displays, email headers, and visuals.
What is the team composition?
Their co-founder and project manager were our primary points of contact, respectively.
How did you come to work with MaxMedia?
We sent out RFPs to about five different design firms, but MaxMedia stood apart from the rest. They have experience communicating with large-scale corporate clients, so it made sense to hire them.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent over $30,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We first reached out to them in June 2018. The project was delayed several months, but it’s currently ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
There are a couple of different metrics we look at with this project, but what was most important to us was getting the approval of our client’s communications team. In addition to our main contact, there’s a team of 12–14 people that we needed to impress. Thanks to MaxMedia’s contributions, we quickly got the reassurance that we were heading in the right direction. That was followed by approval from many of our client’s executive-level employees.
We’ve received both positive feedback and constructive criticism from the sales and marketing teams that use our deliverables to do their jobs. We’d make immediate adjustments if dictated by client feedback. It’s an ever-evolving engagement.
How did MaxMedia perform from a project management standpoint?
They were incredibly involved in our scheduling. Due to communications problems on our end, we had to delay the project for several months. Luckily, MaxMedia was more than willing to adjust their timeline and accommodate our needs. They modified their internal resources in response to the project’s progression and budget.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re passionate about their work. I appreciate their willingness to look outside themselves and find suitable solutions. The client gave us a lot of stock images to work with that weren’t hitting the message we wanted to put forward. MaxMedia fought with the issue for a long time before admitting that the materials didn’t work. That transparency allowed us to come up with an innovative approach. They went above and beyond our expectations.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Our ability to communicate with each other could be improved. That’s likely a symptom of two small companies trying to serve a giant one by comparison.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Approach MaxMedia with a passion-project. They have real creative talent on their staff, so not leveraging that would be a waste of money and time. Come to them open-minded, prepared to be challenged, and willing to take risks.
Within a short timeframe, MaxMedia was able to improve the client's topline sales. Flexible and collaborative, the team made sure they met the client's timelines and objectives. What stood out the most was their knowledge and commitment. Above all, they adapted well to all the project's challenges.