Meat Design

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO and founder of a personal risk and safety platform.

What challenge were you trying to address with Meat Design?

We were breaking into a new domain, building a personal risk management and communication company. While we have the expertise to calculate risk, we wanted to develop a mobile app that would display scores and contributing factors. So, we hired Meat Design to build an MVP for a mobile app that would engage consumers.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We showed them a few screens and our early designs, but they developed most of our mobile and web app. We provided early wireframes, but Meat Design developed the rest while focusing on UI/UX. They used React, JavaScript, PostgreSQL, and PostGIS to develop the front- and backend of the app. Though the is only available for iOS, we plan to create an Android version in the future.

What is the team composition?

We had between 4–5 people on our team throughout the project.  

How did you come to work with Meat Design?

We searched several platforms, including Clutch, for UI/UX and mobile app development companies. Using criteria based on price, awards, innovation, and experience, we selected about six companies.

Then we went through a screening process, narrowing down companies based on their understanding of personal risk and their ability to appeal to consumers.

We chose Meat Design because they had legitimate UI/UX experience. We believed in their business philosophy were confident that they could create a commercially successful app.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent between $100,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2018, and it is ongoing.

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

This is the best software development experience that I’ve had. Their process is planned and well-executed, resulting in an extremely detailed and high-quality product. Throughout the project, they remained engaged and proactive through a continual customer feedback loop. They’re very flexible and could detach themselves from the project to come up with new and creative ideas to solve problems.

How did Meat Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They maintained a high-level of oversight throughout the project and were great project managers. At one point, we even had two people managing our project. We appreciated that they were transparent throughout the collaboration, keeping us updated on everything from design and development to which team members were involved, their hours, and priorities.

They were also flexible and were willing to use a project management tool that we preferred.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They emphasized design and UX over everything else. Ultimately, Meat Design was driven by real-world experience rather than theory, so they were able to put consumers first. With this logic in mind, we developed a successful app.

Unlike other companies we interviewed, they were flexible and worked within our budget, which made them the perfect team for a start-up like ourselves to partner with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have provided a more accurate quote and timeline.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give Meat Design some creative freedom. If you begin your partnership with very refined ideas of what you want, you could be missing out on the best part of what their team offers. They have some great ideas that, when executed, will make sure your project is commercially successful.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a learning-platform and LMS provider.

What challenge were you trying to address with Meat Design?

We were looking at the next iteration of our users’ experience, updating the application, modernizing the overall look and feel, and incorporating some newer types of UI design principles that would take us to the next level of our experience.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The initial phase was a kickoff based around understanding the current user flow, in terms of how a user would traverse the application. Initially, we were just focused on the learner side of our platform; i.e., learners engaging with and consuming content. From that, the next phase was taking them through the application from the learners’ perspective, and incorporating elements of product roadmap—namely, the things coming down the development pipeline in terms of new features and capabilities. Meat Design took that information and began the initial grayscale wireframing.

We came up conceptually with how things might be reconstructed—different concepts around navigational routes and menus. Those evolved from grayscale to true-color wireframes, and then into finalized and animated design elements.

What is the team composition?

I communicated with Taras (Head of Sales and Customer Success, Meat Design) at the account management level. They also provided a project manager, who was in charge of the deliverables, setting out goals and handling the invoicing timesheets. There was a designer in charge of the technical wireframes and UI components. We had weekly or biweekly meetings to review the new wireframes and UI designs, and they were part of the weekly project management calls, which would usually take 10 minutes. I talked to Taras every couple of months.

How did you come to work with Meat Design?

It was through web searches and resources like Clutch, which is a great place to go and identify potential companies to work with. Based on my history, I knew what to look for in the portfolio of work they presented. Meat Design had some standout work, some of which would carry over into our business model.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Meat Design at the beginning of 2019, and we wrapped up at the end of June. It was a six-month project.

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

We wrapped up recently, and we’re now actively incorporating the designs into the platform. Our developers have made excellent progress because of all the design files and support the Meat Design team has provided. We’ve found it quite easy so far to incorporate the new designs into our product. From showing the new designs to our client base and prospects, we’ve generated a good level of excitement in people waiting for the new release.

How did Meat Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They did an awesome job at estimating, keeping right in line with the low and the high. Only one item was slightly over, and that was because we tweaked it halfway through anyway. They were excellent at creating an overall plan and hourly budgets for that and sticking to them. They also provided great visibility. We basically got an update to the project dashboard every two weeks, showing the deliverables and progress—how many hours were burned, and how many hours were remaining on a certain task. They’re great at communicating, they’re very responsive, and they really look to partner with the client to ensure success.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were able to grasp what we needed quickly and presented some great concepts on how to solve some of those design challenges easily.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not at all. I wouldn’t change a thing about this project. It met all the design criteria, the end result was great, and it was managed effectively along the way.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should make sure to bring their team of experts upfront. The more information, stories, and workflow we can give the Meat Design team upfront, the better it is for them to create estimates and a plan for what they actually need to do.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a leading technology company with a team who values progress. We believe that the best products are created when talented people form autonomous teams striving for impact. I am the Director of Technology Operations at the company.

For what projects/services did your company hire MEAT Agency?

We had to re-design our current website at a short notice.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to create a website that will reflect who we are and what we want to show. We had our own wireframes but we also wanted the agency to add their own touch.

How did you select this vendor?

We found MEAT on a google search after reviewing tons of agencies. Their references were good. We later had a call and we said that we can work with this company.

Describe the project in detail.

After deciding that the MEAT agency is the one that we'd like to work together, we delivered some content and wireframes to start with. They were not perfect and MEAT agency took them and added their own flavor, which was really good. We later had our own feedback which they took very well. It's been a really good collaboration on our side, which we cared the most.

What was the team composition?

There were few people on our side and 3 people on the MEAT side.

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

Our website has been visited by millions of visitors since then and we only get positive feedback about it. Although we rather prefer to have limited content on the website, it looks really great and informative, which is what we wanted.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It's been flawless. We never had any friction between two teams, although our vision sometimes differed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were impressed by their approach, communication, and skillset.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were satisfied with the work.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the senior project manager at CINEMOOD, an international company based in Moscow. Our primary product is a mini family film projector, a smart device that features preloaded content and a variety of apps for watching cartoons, movies, and television. 

For what projects/services did your company hire MEAT Agency?

We needed UI & UX development for the mini projector, the remote control mobile app, and the e-commerce website.

What were your goals for this project?

Our basic UI & UX needed improvement in functional scalability, and we wanted to increase completed purchases on the website. 

How did you select this vendor?

We had two main search criteria. Instead of a regular design studio, I wanted to work with a team that specialized in product and service development. Their portfolio also needed to include experience with TV, film, or related projects. 

Describe the project in detail.

We first worked on the remote control mobile app. Five months were then spent on the TV interfaces, and an additional month on the official CINEMOOD website redesign.  MEAT completed all design tasks and the majority of the development.  

What was the team composition?

The team included a UX designer, a design lead, a project manager, and a frontend developer.  

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

Periodic surveys and product evaluations to gauge user satisfaction always received positive feedback on usability for both parents and children. That was very important to us. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their team was excellent and they met every deadline. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were able to rely on their experience to deliver results. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

None. They are a great young team with vast experience.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m CTO and project owner at an asset management company based in Europe. We’re building the next generation of investment platforms with a tailor-made solution and 0% fees.

For what projects/services did your company hire MEAT Agency?

We needed help with building our minimum viable product.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to have an appealing UI/UX and great technical features in a very short timeframe.

How did you select this vendor?

Per my requests, we had a series of online conversations and an in-person meeting. I wanted to make sure that we shared the same vision about building products and had a good fit in terms of skills, experience, and availability.

Describe the project in detail.

We went through a discovery process, evaluated user personas, and analyzed the general flow. After reviewing all this, we went through a series wireframing iterations and then moved forward with the implementation, which was handled by a skilled partner company under MEAT’s supervision.

What was the team composition?

They provided an art director, a project manager, and two UI/UX designers.

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

Thanks to their involvement, we met our deadlines and were even able to add an extra iteration which helped us narrow down our concept. The project management and product quality matched our expectations.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was thorough, characterized by daily meetings and workshops that stayed on topic and lasted an appropriate amount of time. The timeframe and agility required was a challenge, and we pushed everything to the limit. We were very careful to keep track of all the relevant items to get them into the final product.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their versatility, dedication, and good humor throughout the project were remarkable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We could rely on a very solid foundation of talent and methodologies. We saw a few things to improve regarding the use of the tool, however, these were detected and fixed during the project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder and CEO of LEAF, which is on getleaf.co.

What challenge were you trying to address with MEAT Agency?

We needed mobile app design help for our product. We wanted to convey an expensive product with a premium image. We were looking for someone with expertise on UI/UX [user interface and user experience] flows as well as leading design practices. Previously, I made a few attempts at the design and worked with other parties.

What was the scope of their involvement?

From the beginning, MEAT Agency handled everything related to our web and application UI/UX design. They interviewed our team and got to know the product. We even flew them out to our offices for a weekend. After we explained our vision for the product, MEAT Agency put together some wireframes and gave us design ideas. We chose what we liked and went through a deeper discussion about it.

They provided all the files for the design, including the app animations they made. MEAT Agency also built our entire website and included several features. For example, if you scroll down to the "More About LEAF" section, the site will generate small bubbles. Hovering over that will show different components of the system as well as text. If you scroll down further, you will see some of the designs they made for our iOS and Android apps. MEAT Agency also made the design for an investor pitch deck, which has attracted a lot of money for us.

We had a team of 3 dedicated resources from MEAT Agency, including a project developer, a project manager, and 1 designer.

How did you come to work with MEAT Agency?

I considered other companies, but I really liked MEAT Agency’s work. I reached out, we set up a call, and took it from there. We started out with a small trial. I had a good feeling about them from the beginning. After we flew them out, we felt even more comfortable with MEAT Agency.

How much have you invested with MEAT Agency?

The cost of their services has been around $50,000 for 1 year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with MEAT Agency in March 2017. The app is not live yet, but the website relaunched in April.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We raised $5 million through the pitch deck designed by MEAT Agency. Our website generated $3 million in pre-orders in 60 days. It was a big success for us. I attribute much of this to MEAT Agency’s work. They could figure out everything that we threw at them, including animations and other site features. Everything came out amazing. It was a good, personable experience.

How did MEAT Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a good job in general, and we were given updates often. Everything was delivered on time and within budget.

We interacted several times a week, more so in the beginning. During busier parts of the project, we communicated daily.

What did you find most impressive about MEAT Agency?

They have an amazing eye for design, which is not only on trend but also trendsetting. MEAT Agency has done a good job of looking at design in a way that pushes the limits in the right direction. Our customers responded well to the website’s new and innovative look.

Are there any areas MEAT Agency could improve?

They could have given more frequent updates. There was nothing that would have made me angry or hurt the project, but it was a matter of wanting to see how things were going. I wanted to know if we were going in the right direction. This is my only piece of constructive criticism. I say it with complete and utmost satisfaction about the end result as well as the budget and timing.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with MEAT Agency?

If you are looking for amazing designs, you should call MEAT Agency. They’re hard workers. During periods when the website had bugs, the team stayed up all night for several nights to make sure everything was stable.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a blogger running a site called Blevogue in Ukraine. Beyond being a blog, the website also features art projects and collages. I write articles and feature art in posts. The site works as a business card which I can use when speaking to clients or friends. It’s my way of showcasing what I can do and what I really like to do. 

What challenge were you trying to address with MEAT Agency?

I needed to build a blog-style website, so I contacted their team. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

MEAT Agency handled the full design of my WordPress site. I had confidence that their team could build the site from scratch, so I didn’t request any design samples. I like colorful graphics, and MEAT Agency understood this, which is why the site features many color gradients. I like that I can choose different colors for each blog posts. Users can log in and write comments for each featured blogger, making the site work like a social media platform.

I was in contact with Sasha, their founder. I handled marketing and SEO myself. All of the content is mine.

How did you come to work with MEAT Agency?

I researched firms on Facebook. I found MEAT Agency and started following them. After a few weeks, I contacted them, although I didn’t want a new website at the time. I simply liked what their team did, and I didn’t know any other agencies in Ukraine or anywhere else.

How much have you invested with MEAT Agency?

The cost was $13,000 for the full scope of work.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with MEAT Agency at the beginning of September 2016. The website was delivered in October. 

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I use Google Analytics for tracking the website. There are around 15,000 visitors per month, but I couldn’t say if this is because of my content or because of MEAT Agency’s job. Since I run a blog, it involves a lot of SEM [search engine marketing] and PR work.

I have often heard comments about the beauty of the site, and I think that it’s a big reason for its popularity. It’s not the usual blogging website, which is why people love it.

How did MEAT Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

It was easy for me to speak with MEAT Agency’s team. Whenever I needed help, one of their managers was always online for me. We’ve remained friends and continued to work on the site. I initially contacted them through Facebook, after which we talked over the phone. We had meetings and also used Telegram Messenger. I received quick replies when I inquired about what was going on, and I knew about every step they were taking.

What did you find most impressive about MEAT Agency?

They are a young, fresh, and talented team. For me, it was important that we live in the same city, and I was impressed by their professionalism.

Are there any areas MEAT Agency could improve?

I really love MEAT Agency. When you love working with someone, that will extend over the team. It’s possible that we became too friendly at times, which made it more difficult to tell them when I wanted to do something differently or faster. I am not a business person, though, so it wasn’t a problem for me.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with MEAT Agency?

Trust MEAT Agency’s approach. They will deliver the best website you can imagine. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are developing a social networking geolocation app. It’s similar to others of its kind on the market, but with a better design and functionality. I cannot provide more details because the process is still ongoing. 

What challenge were you trying to address with MEAT Agency?

We needed assistance with the UI part of the app design. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

We got more than we were expecting in terms of design. MEAT Agency’s work is simple and eye-catching. They also developed a landing page for us, which is still in the process. It’s also going well.

When we contacted MEAT Agency, we didn’t even have a logo in place. We provided some hints around what we envisioned for the app and received some options. I really appreciated their advice since they are experts in the field. We used Sketch for the work.

How did you come to work with MEAT Agency?

I went to high school with one of MEAT Agency’s members. When I got the idea for the app, I started asking people in New York whether they could do it and also noticed that my friend now had an agency. I contacted him, and we got started.

How much have you invested with MEAT Agency?

The cost of MEAT Agency’s UI design services was $11,000. The landing page has cost $8,000, but it’s still being worked on.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with MEAT Agency at the end of September of 2016, and we finished the wireframing and design of the app in December. The landing page work was started in March of 2017, and it’s still in development. We plan to finalize the app in around 5 months.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Everyone who’s seen the logo has been impressed by it. It’s orange, which is a happy color, and generally looks amazing.

I showed the app design to friends for feedback. Everyone found it easy to use and minimalistic, which was important for us. We got more than we expected, and I feel lucky to have found MEAT Agency.

How did MEAT Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They are professionals, always responded to emails when we had a question or correction to make, solved problems, and made recommendations. We usually communicated through email, but, when there was more in-depth work to do, we used Skype and Google Hangouts. We have a seven-hour time difference, but MEAT Agency always responded within two or three hours.

What did you find most impressive about MEAT Agency?

The work itself was the most impressive part. I’m very happy with the design, and I don’t think anyone else could have achieved the same results.

Are there any areas MEAT Agency could improve?

I’m looking for programmers at the moment, and I’m using Clutch for this as well, which I found to be a trustworthy source. I wish that MEAT Agency had iOS developers in their team so that they could be a one-stop company.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with MEAT Agency?

If someone is looking for graphic, web, or mobile UI designers, MEAT Agency is a great choice. I like the fact that I can present one approach to their team and receive alternatives and advice. I appreciate the help and passion they’ve brought. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of Cargofy, a solution for automating logistics work. We connect shippers and truck fleets, automatically generate documentation, and track orders in real time.

What challenge were you trying to address with MEAT Agency?

We needed to create our company branding and website design. We were targeting the product at the Indian market, so the biggest challenge was making the solution work well on mobile devices since most people there don't use PCs. The usage pattern is opposite to that of Ukraine, where most people visit sites through desktops.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided mockups of what we wanted as a product and had MEAT Agency revise them. They created new designs and optimized our UX [user experience] process, creating simpler screens. They also designed our Facebook page. We used Mockup.com, which allowed us to create usability designs for all our business processes and share them between our teams. Each page took around four iterations to reach a final version.

I was out of Ukraine at that time so the process was completely remote, which delayed the project somewhat. We handled our own search engine optimization strategy while MEAT Agency worked on our branding, creating a basic identity for our company.

How did you come to work with MEAT Agency?

Sasha Kagor, MEAT Agency's owner, was friends with me on Facebook, and I had worked with him on design projects from time to time. I liked his work, so MEAT Agency was one of the agencies we contacted for the current project. I chose them because they proved to be the best option.

How much have you invested with MEAT Agency?

The cost of MEAT Agency's work has been around $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with MEAT Agency in the summer of 2016. The site design took two months, but it was delayed by my lack of response during the process. The logo and app work took another month each. We've had to rewrite some of the code based on new product concepts, so the project took longer than expected to complete. We plan to launch our new website and app in April 2017. I plan to continue working with MEAT Agency.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

My colleagues and partners have been very happy with the current version of our site. We have shown it to some early customers who found the site to be very clean and simple. It remains to be tested on real customers and changed based on their feedback. This will be a continuous process.

MEAT Agency is very good at creating simple user interface solutions. Our system enables users to create delivery points along the road. MEAT Agency was able to create shortcuts for this without additional buttons, allowing users to add and remove points on the route using only the keyboard. I haven't seen any similar solutions on other products.

How did MEAT Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We worked through a fixed-price contract, and MEAT Agency delivered our work efficiently. We used Slack and Dropbox for communication and for sharing revisions of the work.

What did you find most impressive about MEAT Agency?

MEAT Agency was able to generate good ideas and work fast. They worked hard, sometimes until 10 PM, and had good productivity. The company is expanding and has recently moved to a bigger office.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with MEAT Agency?

I have recommended MEAT Agency to a few of my friends, for their own companies, and I plan to do so again in the future.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a social app which allows users of existing social media to network professionally - with unique features and functions. We are based in Los Angeles, California.

For what projects/services did your company hire Meat Design?

We needed help designing professional UI/UX for our social networking mobile application.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal for this project was to have a complete UI/UX design which had a modern/trendy aesthetic, as well as prepared well from a technical standpoint for development stage.

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online for designers who's portfolio matched what we envisioned and our budget. And from those, we decided to go with Meat Design because they understood the concept well and were also easy to communicate with.

Describe the project in detail.

We first set up an initial meeting between the CEO and I, where we went into the concept and vision for the app. In the next two phases we completed the wireframes and visual design where we figured out layout and look the app. Followed by the final phase, which is when the clickable prototype was made and project was uploaded for development.

What was the team composition?

The team I worked with directly was composed of the CEO, project manager and a designer.

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

We are still currently in development stage.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The entire team was very easy to communicate with and we were updated frequently on the project. We had calls every 1-2 weeks or as needed, and also used Slack for quicker communication and file sharing. The project manager shared in-depth project plans, timesheets, and budgets via smartsheet.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was very pleased with how well they took the time to understand the concept of the application. They were able to think from a user's perspective and suggest layouts and visual designs that fit very well.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were satisfied with the service!