Metacarbon

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the UX/UI Lead of First Digital Trust

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide trust & custody services along with on/off-ramp features for clients to manage and move their assets, both fiat and digital. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Metacarbon to accomplish?

• Redesign and modernise our client portal
• Improve overall UX of the platform
• Generate increased usage and client satisfaction

SOLUTION

How did you find Metacarbon?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Metacarbon over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Metacarbon were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The scope included a full platform redesign, covering all existing services and aspects while aiming to enhance and improve upon the user journey and overall client experience. This involved in-depth assessment and mapping of all our services and processes, understanding the technical and legal standards in place and working to streamline where possible.

Key Deliverables:

• Initial Design System Setup 
• Finalised designs & assets
• Design system
• UX/UI kit
• Responsive layout
• Illustrations 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Successful development and launch of our new portal, with full transition of all clients to the updated platform. 
• Increased NPS and general client satisfaction and experience. 
• Improved UX and simplified flows for easier management and control 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Metacarbon where thorough and transparant throughout the project, providing clear timelines and estimations based on our requirements. Their turn-around time for applying feedback and adjusting wireframes, user flows or general designs was stellar. 

During the course of the project, they maintained a solid performance and feedback loop, ensuring any potential risks were mitigated and highlighted early on while still maintaining strong communication with myself and senior management. 

I felt confident and comfortable with Metacarbon as I knew they could be trusted to deliver any required assets on time and to a high standard, and feedback provided was assessed and applied the same day resulting in almost immediate changes.

What was your primary form of communication with Metacarbon?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was impressed with their professionalism and speed. They were able to assess and understand our needs while also working to dig deep into the core processes which allowed both sides to better understand the limitations or gaps that could be improved. They are very easy to work with, open and friendly with a personable team and they wound up feeling like an extended part of our company 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Metacarbon could have done differently?

Based on my experience on this project I can't think of anything, they met our expectations and maintained a solid, professional output and were always open to feedback and critique on any concepts they presented.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Clinical Development of Lind

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Lind is an automated platform that matches patients with relevant clinical trials by using their health records to thoroughly prescreen against trial eligibility criteria. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Metacarbon to accomplish?

• Design the complete user interface and experience for our patient-facing online platform.

SOLUTION

How did you find Metacarbon?

Referral

Why did you select Metacarbon over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Metacarbon were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We hired Metacarbon to complete an end-to-end redesign of our MVP patient-facing clinical trial matching application, including layout, interaction, user flows and navigation. We had already built a preliminary product for demo use but did not have most of the intended user flows captured by the product and had a significant challenge in designing for navigation of such a complex product targeting lay users.

Key deliverables:

• Phase 1: Hi-Fi wireframes for patient-facing clinical trial matching application with states and subflows (Figma)
• Phase 2: UI concept based on select key screens (Figma)
• Phase 3: Full end-to-end UI screens and flows (Figma)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Design consistency and quality:

1. Adherence to existing design guidelines and consistency across all UI elements.
   • Outcome: Yaroslav and Max were able to use our existing design/ visual identity guidelines but also improve upon the application of it in the product. The UI designs were consistently applied across the application, ensuring a cohesive look and feel.
2. The degree to which the final UI designs were development-ready (minimal modifications needed by the engineering team to translate designs into code).
   • Outcome: The UI designs were fully development-ready, with clear documentation and assets provided, which streamlined the handoff to developers and reduced implementation time.

Stakeholder satisfaction:

1. 1. Feedback from internal stakeholders, including the development team, regarding the clarity and usability of the UI designs for implementation.
   • Outcome: Positive feedback from the development team indicated that the designs were clear, well-documented, and easy to implement, which contributed to a smooth development process. Our engineer was able to implement live-time, with constant feedback, input and iteration as needed from Yaroslav. 

Alignment with user-centric design principles:

1. Incorporation of user-centric design principles (simplicity, accessibility, intuitive navigation) in the final UI designs, as evaluated by internal UX experts.
   • Outcome: The UI designs reflected strong adherence to user-centric principles, setting a solid foundation for positive user experiences once the platform is live. The extended team and leadership team as well as contractors who represent some of the intended user pool, acknowledged that the design was clean, simple and straightforward.
   • This is an especially complex product, so this validation at this initial level of review is quite an achievement. Yaroslav was incredibly flexible and always open to our feedback. I believe the success in this deliverable was highly dependent on his willingness and skill to really understand the details of the clinical trial matching practice / process in the real world, and to ask the right questions at the right time in development.

Scalability of the Design System:

1. The flexibility of the design system to accommodate future feature additions or modifications without requiring a complete redesign.
   • Outcome: The UI design system was created with scalability in mind, ensuring that future updates or expansions can be integrated seamlessly. Yaroslav and the team were highly committed to this and were mindful in many ways to ask about how the product might evolve over time. This is reflected in the current design.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

All deliverables have been completed on schedule (some we specifically requested to extend beyond allotted time), allowing development team to proceed without delays. 

Roman was an incredible lead in understanding our product, setting up the framework for the project and helping us define the full scope of work through each phase of this project, including clear objectives and deliverables. We came in with a limited amount of documentation and with informal product representation, and they were able to really skillfully meet us where we were at and organize the full scope of work with clear estimation of timelines. 

Yaroslav was incredibly diligent about communicating progress and was always clear when a request for additional work/ iteration would delay our previously set timeline.

What was your primary form of communication with Metacarbon?

• Email or Messaging App
• Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We've been incredibly impressed by their ability to collaborate with us seamlessly, despite the significant time zone difference. Initially, we were concerned about the challenges this might pose and even considered requesting weekly video syncs.

However, through clear and effective communication, we accomplished the majority of the work through daily Slack updates, replies, and Figma comments, needing video calls only on rare occasions to clarify specific workflows. Yaroslav was excellent at identifying when these calls were necessary, and we felt confident in his ability to execute without them. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Metacarbon could have done differently?

We’ve been extremely satisfied with Metacarbon’s work and collaboration. This is a superbly talented team of experts who execute well with not only their technical skills, but their communication and listening skills. We could not be more pleased with the outcome of our project. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Lead Designer of Fizz

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're building a debit card that builds credit for college students

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Metacarbon to accomplish?

• Redesign Website
• Rebuild Website in Framer

SOLUTION

How did you find Metacarbon?

Referral

Why did you select Metacarbon over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

What was the size of Metacarbon’s team?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

They started by iterating multiple pages in Figma, refining the design and user experience through a series of collaborative discussions and feedback sessions. This thorough, iterative design process allowed us to visualize and fine-tune each aspect of the website, ensuring that the end result would be both visually appealing and highly functional. The Metacarbon team was receptive to our input, making adjustments and incorporating our suggestions seamlessly into the evolving design. Upon finalizing the designs in Figma, Metacarbon's developers seamlessly transitioned to building the application in Framer.

Their expertise in leveraging Framer's powerful prototyping and animation features enabled them to create a website that was both visually captivating and usable. The team's ability to translate the detailed Figma mockups into a fully functional, responsive, and accessible website in Framer showcased their technical prowess and dedication to providing a high-quality final product. This holistic approach to design and development allowed for a smooth transition between the planning and execution stages of the project, resulting in an outstanding website that exceeded our expectations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Since launching the new website, we have seen a significant increase in user engagement and conversion rates. Our customers have praised the new design for its clean and modern appearance, as well as its intuitive navigation.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Metacarbon's project management was truly outstanding, as they consistently delivered items on time and remained highly responsive to our needs. From the very beginning, they provided a detailed project timeline, which allowed us to track progress and anticipate milestones. Their team maintained regular communication, keeping us informed about updates, seeking clarification when needed, and soliciting feedback at crucial stages. This proactive approach helped to build trust and made the entire process seamless and enjoyable.

Whenever we expressed concerns or requested changes, Metacarbon was quick to address our needs and implement the necessary adjustments. They demonstrated a genuine commitment to ensuring our satisfaction and creating a website that met our objectives. Their ability to balance our requests with their own expertise and recommendations was a testament to their professionalism and dedication to delivering a top-notch product.

Ultimately, Metacarbon's exceptional project management played a significant role in the successful completion of our website redesign and development project, leaving us thoroughly impressed and grateful for their collaboration.

What was your primary form of communication with Metacarbon?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I recently had the pleasure of working with Metacarbon on the redesign and development of our company's website. To say that they did an exceptional job would be an understatement. From the moment we began the project, Metacarbon exhibited exceptional professionalism, expertise, and creativity. Their commitment to delivering the best possible product, combined with their exceptional skill in using Framer for the build, resulted in a beautiful and functional website that has already garnered praise from both our customers and team members.

The initial consultation with Metacarbon was efficient and informative. They quickly grasped our needs and presented a detailed proposal that outlined the project timeline, deliverables, and costs. Throughout the project, their team was consistently communicative, which made the entire process smooth and enjoyable. One aspect of Metacarbon's work that truly impressed us was their ability to capture the essence of our brand and create a cohesive design that not only looked stunning but also functioned seamlessly on all devices.

They took the time to understand our goals, audience, and industry, and their expertise in UX/UI design truly shone through in the final product. The Framer build itself was equally impressive. Metacarbon's team of developers leveraged the full potential of Framer to create an interactive and visually appealing website that loads quickly and performs optimally on all devices. They ensured that our website was responsive, accessible, and easy to maintain, which has greatly reduced the time and effort required for updates. Since launching the new website, we have seen a significant increase in user engagement and conversion rates.

Our customers have praised the new design for its clean and modern appearance, as well as its intuitive navigation. The Metacarbon team truly went above and beyond to deliver a website that not only met but exceeded our expectations. In conclusion, I cannot recommend Metacarbon highly enough. Their exceptional design, development, and project management skills make them an invaluable partner for any company seeking a top-notch website overhaul. If you are considering a website redesign or development project, look no further than MetaCarbon.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Metacarbon could have done differently?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CTO of Remi. We’re building a software product for e-commerce companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Metacarbon?

We were early in our company's journey, so we were looking to quickly prototype a lot of different concepts to get design feedback from potential customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Metacarbon helps execute UX/UI design. They design in Figma and incorporate our feedback along the way.

Initially, we met multiple times, and I shared documentation on our user persona and unstructured data for them to organize and use to form a game plan.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with an account manager, a design director, and a UX designer who executes the day-to-day design.

How did you come to work with Metacarbon?

They reached out to us on LinkedIn.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in October 2022, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re among the best designers I’ve worked with. When we give them a task, it’s normally done the next day, and they’re good at solving complicated problems. 

How did Metacarbon perform from a project management standpoint?

They turn around deliverables and incorporate feedback quickly. We have daily check-ins during which they update us on their work, sometimes in video format or with a link to a design file. We share comments during these and also have calls every two weeks for tasks or updates that warrant longer discussions. They provide monthly roadmaps that lay out the remainder of the project.

They manage the project in Linear and use Slack and sometimes Zoom to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Metacarbon’s speed is a strength.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Outline the project in a consolidated brief with as much information as possible.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Aisopher is a personal philosophical and mental health guide that helps people come out of the existential struggle. We use the conversational interface and AI models to make it happen. I am a Co-Founder and CEO here.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Metacarbon?

Metacarbon helped us with the initial product marketing website design, tone of voice setup and the UI/UX for the web product.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had been working with one of the Metacarbon founders before.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The collaboration started from the initial product ecosystem mapping and Metacarbon also asked us to go through some high level plans for years ahead in order to lay out such a scalability into the forthcoming designs of the core functionality and navigation.

We had a few discovery workshops where they guided us through the requirements elicitation exercises and in the end we had the informational architecture of the product and also the MVP scope. After that, we needed to switch to the marketing website, so they started from the marketing wireframes and after some back and forth we had it nailed down.

After that, they iterated a few stylistical options of the UI style for the website and the product. We picked one, had some iterations again and then Max, the design director, started to iteratively cover all the flows, screens and states of the product. In parallel, they had been making everything in a kind of atomic design approach, so in the end we had a components library and design tokens along with the final screens.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Two co-founders. Max, the design director and Roman who covered the product strategy, communication and planning in our case. At some point of time we also had their product designer working along with them and the 3d artist for some marketing website assets.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Still in production, but stay tuned for some 2023 Q2 updates!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was smooth and predictable. I really liked that. They are ready to iterate and tweak what they are suggesting if you have some concerns. The timelines were met almost each time and even in those few sprints where they were not, Roman and Max explained the objective reasons behind those delays.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They are driving the process, so it’s not about asking questions – getting answers. They are finding the ways to deliver when there are any blockers and really push the design workflow and product ideation together with our product team. Another thing is transparency and feedback loop.

You may visit the Figma file any time, see what happens there, leave the comments and they will collaborate on that straight away. Also, it seems they have really seen a lot of early phase startups, know some typical mistakes and may advise you on this even outside of the UI/UX design spectrum.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Maybe bringing on board some motion designers and more illustrators would be a good idea.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder and owner of an online marketplace startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Metacarbon?

We needed support with UX/UI and product design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave Metacarbon multiple briefs throughout our partnership. They were very design-centric and asked questions to understand our user personas. They used Figma to design core pages within the marketplace and innovative game controls to enhance the 3D aspect of our experience. Their various UI design prototypes helped us communicate information in easy-to-navigate, engaging, and interesting ways.

What is the team composition?

We were very well-supported by Metacarbon’s team — there was a UX/UI designer, a design director, and a co-founder of the company dedicated to our projects.

How did you come to work with Metacarbon?

Metacarbon reached out to us via email a few times; they had a very compelling pitch, so we hired them. We’d been looking for design support for a while — finding talent that could meet our high standards as a design-driven company had been hard.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $30,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Metacarbon between June–November 2022. Our working relationship is definitely not done; we just don’t have work for them at the moment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our partners and customers were really impressed with the UX and design of the marketplace and many explicitly said they loved it — we didn’t even solicit this feedback. Much of the positive response can be attributed to Metacarbon’s work. They delivered a polished experience that communicated a strong brand through a well-designed product; it was exactly what we envisioned. 

Even though I don’t have hard data to share, I know from the positive feedback that Metacarbon created really strong designs that worked well; we were very happy with their work.

How did Metacarbon perform from a project management standpoint?

Metacarbon’s communication was great; they were prompt and responsive. They communicated clearly around delivery dates and consistently delivered on those dates — they updated us if they needed more time. They completed everything quickly. They were very professional and flexible.

They were embedded in the team full-time for 3–4 months. They adopted our existing tools and processes, including Slack and Figma. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their versatility and ability to design for a wide range of challenges stood out. They were some of the best designers I’ve worked with — I’ve worked with UX/UI designers at a high level for over 10 years — Metacarbon’s team was really strong. Their design approach and level of quality were always on point. They elevated our product. Working with them was like a dream; I look forward to working with them again.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing stands out for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d definitely recommend them to others in need of design support.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO at a venture backed startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Metacarbon?

We’re a seed stage startup without any in-house designers. We were in need of a design partner, initially for our branding redesign, and were introduced to Metacarbon via another YCombinator backed startup that had worked with them.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We were referred by a fellow venture backed YCombinator startup.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We’ve partnered with Metacarbon on several projects so far, spanning our general branding, some custom marketing assets, our primary landing page, and a marketing blog. After being very happy with our partnership, we engaged the team at Metacarbon to help redesign our core product as well.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We've worked with a total of 3 designers and 1 project manager/account owner.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Campfire has amazing entrepreneurs and the team of designers they’ve assembled at Metacarbon is stellar. They totally “get” our vision for the brand and the product and are both very creative with fresh ideas and complete work within the parameters that are important to us.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

With Metacarbon, I don’t feel like I’m working with an agency or a consultant. I feel like we have our own amazing in-house design department.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I can’t recommend working with Metacarbon enough, especially to other early stage startups.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Nothing about the current business comes to mind, but perhaps going forward keeping the talent and service level at the same standard while scaling up.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as Head of Commercial for an HR tech company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Metacarbon, and what were your goals?

Initially we only wanted their help with marketing deck design but seeing the result of their work, we decided that having a great looking sales materials with outdated website made no sense so we ask them to design a new website for us as well

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We asked our network for recommendations and then reached out to them

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The only guideline we've given them was to stay close to the design of our core product (in terms of colours) and the logo. As for the rest, we described the 'feel' we'd like to have by looking at the design concept which is extremely vague but we wanted them to lead this project by design without restrictions, which they did amazingly well.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We've had one main point of contact whom we've spoken to nearly daily - as for the rest, I am unsure but happy with how they've managed the project internally.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Outstanding work from start to finish.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Google Spaces (our choice). Other options were offered by them but we use Google internally

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They took their time to understand what we do and offer as a company and their design reflects that. At no point we had to educate them about what we are trying to achieve.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Not really, their work exceeded expecctations

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a B2B regulatory tech SaaS company. We build a SaaS B2B ML product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Metacarbon?

We needed a company that could help us improve the functionality of our MVP product. Our goal was to increase our retention metrics and stickiness around the platform and improve our CX process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Metacarbon provided us with UX design support to improve the functionality of our MVP SaaS product. They were primarily focused on supporting our feature development efforts, which involved creating new features and working with existing users to understand how we can improve the product and increase our CX and retention metrics. 

This project has now come to a close, but we will be continuing our collaboration as projects materialize.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with Olia (Product Designer), but we knew that she engaged the rest of the team at Metacarbon if she needed additional UX insights to support our process.

How did you come to work with Metacarbon?

We found Metacarbon through online research.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $30,000–$40,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from March 2022–June 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Metacarbon’s designs have not been fully implemented yet, so we don’t have any metrics available. However, it is very clear that Metacarbon’s contributions have been significant because of their true understanding of our users’ problems.

Not only were they talented in understanding UX from a design and UI perspective, but they also truly understood the UX components and the strategy behind UX. Our chief product officer also explicitly expressed having enjoyed working with them because of the fact that they could have in-depth product conversations and work with them to explore solutions to many of our problems.

How did Metacarbon perform from a project management standpoint?

Metacarbon performed exceptionally well in terms of project management. They were transparent, and they went above and beyond to stay within budget and meet the deadline. 

They were also incredibly flexible when we needed them to be, but they made sure that that flexibility didn’t impact their ability to generate quality work. They clearly have a very savvy process in helping their customers get the best in terms of working with them. 

We coordinated and collaborated through Figma, Notion, and Asana.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Metacarbon’s exceptional project management was key to the success of this engagement. They clearly engaged in best practices around sprint and user testing. We also appreciated their expertise in producing great UI/UX designs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no complaints. We look at them as a long-term solution for us, and we are appreciative every day that we were able to find them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s a great idea to truly be passionate about your product and give room for Metacarbon to be the experts.