MindSea

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindSea?

We needed help developing and designing a clinician-facing dashboard and a patient app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MindSea has helped us design and develop a clinician-facing dashboard and a cross-platform mobile app for patients. The idea is that patients can enter the symptoms they experience and the measurements they get from various medical devices they use at home. Ultimately, that data would be streamed to a dashboard that clinicians could review. Clinicians could see the patient's data and follow up with patients if they have abnormal readings.

We had a high-level idea of the specific technology we wanted to build, but we didn't have the time or availability to thoroughly scope out what all the features would look like. MindSea walked us through that process, and we discussed what we wanted to build. We started from the ground up, listing our design requirements, what the technology needed to do, and the different scenarios in which it would need to be used.

From there, MindSea built prototypes of the different app and dashboard screens using Figma to get feedback on what parts we liked and how we thought things could be improved. They've built the app for us once we were satisfied with that blueprint. We’re currently doing some internal testing.

The initial prototype will be finished within the next few months because there's some bottleneck due to the app needing to be hospital-ready. We're currently having conversations regarding data privacy and security to ensure we're up to standards.

We will continue working with MindSea if we get more funding. We've been discussing drafting a second contract to expand our app and dashboard and add additional features, like connection to Fitbit devices.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager, Paul, at least two programmers, and a designer. We've also worked with Alex, MindSea's director of CX. He has been helpful in terms of contracts and applying for grants. Alex and Paul have provided us with various written materials and design sketches that we've been able to include in our grant proposals.

How did you come to work with MindSea?

We spoke with multiple teams, and MindSea was a referral. We had to get quotes from at least two digital health consulting teams as part of the procurement process. We ended up clicking a little bit better with MindSea in terms of the way they went about things.
The idea of having a blueprint before we built out an app was something we liked. The fact that MindSea was in Canada was also lovely because it made scheduling meetings a little more convenient.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $310,000 CAD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2023, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're excited to launch the app. We know there will be things that need improvement. Our target demographic may not be smartphone-app-savvy, but we anticipate getting good feedback. MindSea has been helping us along the way, not just with building and designing the app but also navigating how to deploy it at a hospital.

How did MindSea perform from a project management standpoint?

MindSea has delivered the work on time and within budget and communicated well with us. We've had periodic Zoom calls. During the central part of the contract, we did weekly Zoom calls with their project manager. As things have wound down, we've done biweekly meetings. We also have a Slack channel, and we've used email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

MindSea has been very responsive. The team has been supportive in helping us with various written materials and design sketches that we've been able to include in our grant proposals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing has jumped out offhand. There have been some bugs, which we caught in our initial round of testing, but as a computer scientist, I know these bugs are to be expected, so everything has been great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an associate professor at the University of Manitoba and a clinical psychologist.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindSea?

We needed mobile app development services. We wanted our app to have a very smooth UX, flexibility for phones, and user plans with variable levels of data so that it could work on Android and iOS. We also wanted to integrate best practices in mental health in an app-based format.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a previous version of our app developed by another company, and MindSea has been redeveloping it. We’ve had a series of meetings where we’ve walked through user profiles and had a blueprinting process and contracting. We’ve gone back and forth on various designs and looks, and we’re engaging in user testing later on.

The team provides us with maintenance services, and we continue to add new features and refine functionality. The app is for iOS and Android, and they use React Native.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with a wide variety of people over time. At any given time, we’ve worked with 3–4 people, but we’ve worked with them since 2023, so we’ve worked with probably up to 10 total teammates over the past few years.

How did you come to work with MindSea?

We found them through a Google search and a referral. We were looking for a Canadian company that had experience developing health-oriented apps, as well as a provider with whom we could have a respectful working relationship.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $300,000 CAD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in the fall of 2023, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is still in the clinical research stage, and we’re running two large clinical trials through it. So far, we’ve served about 300 people and will serve about 600. The app will expand from there.

MindSea’s work is very high quality, and the app has a good UX. They continue to work with us to add features that improve that as well.

How did MindSea perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver the work on time and budget and communicate well with us. We use Zoom, emails, and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

MindSea is a good communicator, and they’re respectful of the expertise that everyone on the team brings to deliver a product that works within budget and does what we want it to.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they do a really good job. They’re not a super low-cost company, but the quality of their work is really high, and they do a really good job communicating and being transparent about the hours required for a high-quality product.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Get ready to jump into an intensive development process. It requires resources from both sides to get the product that you want and be able to communicate well. MindSea is fun to work with, and they’re really interested in long-term relationships.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the manager of the digital trust and credentials team within a provincial government.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindSea?

We needed help with custom software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MindSea provides custom software development services for us. We initally had a kick-off meeting to explain what we needed. MindSea was very clear, introduced the team, and reiterated the scope of our project. We discussed the end goal and the challenges. MindSea has worked on three different projects simultaneously. 

They've developed our primary key infrastructure (PKI) and automated it. MindSea has also worked on our driver's license and ID card, a very high-stakes project within the province. Additionally, they've provided testing services for us.

MindSea has customized and done the coding to develop a process with the automation part. They've also had to connect those processes to other parts of the application we commonly use in government.

What is the team composition?

We work with Reuben, two developers, and a tester.

How did you come to work with MindSea?

Another division within our government had used MindSea's services and recommended them to us. They had done similar work before and were highly skilled in that area. We can't hire whomever we want within government. We need to issue a statement of work and identify the best vendors. We requested MindSea to be added to the list.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $100,000–$200,000 CAD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2024, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

MindSea has done a fantastic job, and we couldn't be happier with the results. If we have another development project, we'll definitely consider MindSea again. The team has delivered what we asked for, and we have a complex project with a tight timeline.

How did MindSea perform from a project management standpoint?

We have biweekly meetings with Reuben and weekly meetings with the developers and the tester. They've provided updates and documentation at the end of the project. We also agreed on after-support services, and they've made themselves available.

We use Microsoft Teams for communication and Jira and Confluence for project management.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Kyle is fantastic. His expertise and attitude are excellent. Reuben is also fantastic and makes sure we're happy. He works behind the scenes and meets with us every two weeks to ensure we are satisfied with the service. He adjusts the project's timeline if needed and is responsible for ensuring work stays on scope and on budget. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're fantastic at meeting deadlines and delivering what we ask for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think it would be beneficial for Mindsea to expand their staff, even though we've had no issues and they've consistently delivered, meeting all our project deadlines

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend working with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of SmartLabels

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

SmartLabels helps customers catalog and find their stuff in storage around the home, self-storage facilities and/or manage inventory for their small business via the SmartLabels app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Update an out-of-date app to make it more professional
• Manage ongoing customer service development requests
• Design and build new features for the app

SOLUTION

How did you find MindSea?

Clutch Site

Why did you select MindSea over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from MindSea were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Our initial project was an app refresh where we built out an entire new skin for the app and included usability upgrades to make the app easier and more strait forward to use. We also upgraded backend capabilities to facilitate future growth. There was an understanding that we would likely continue working together for maintaince related development requests on a month to month basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The measurable outcomes were:

1. A modernized look and feel for the app. 
2. User flows designed to make the app easier to use. 
3. Enhanced speed for data transfer.
4. A platform that would facillitate massive user growth which the old platform could not facilitate.

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

Mindsea worked with me to come up with a more cost effective way to handle project management. I have background in coding and working with development teams on project prioritization so we decided to share the project management responsibilities over having a dedicated project manager. 
This led to a development process that was faster, more cost effective and cut out much of the missinterpretation that can come with having a middle person between the client and the people doing the actual work. We are like a bullet train working together, however, I will say that our working relationship relies on two way trust which we built quickly and with solid communication.

MindSea is so quick to respond to my needs. That coupled with our trust in each other has meant I can focus on the rest of the business knowing that my engineering and UX needs are humming along without needing my attention. Honestly, Mindsea feels much more like a direct part of my team than a vendor I work with.

What was your primary form of communication with MindSea?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I have worked with a lot of 3rd party developers. A LOT. Never have I worked with a 3rd party development company where I could trust that they would be working on my project without me nagging them constantly, where I know I can get a hold of someone really quickly who can actually help me solve something just by messaging the team and where that company has the level of integrety that Mindsea has in EVERY role at the company I have interacted with. Oh, and their developers and UX team rock on top of that so you get all that good stuff and good code. So yeah. Kind of a diamond in the rough. 

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

Just one and that is the cost. As a smaller business that doesn't have a huge budget I have found it difficult to get as much done as I would like to because I run out of development budget too early in the month. I tried one time to use a different developer because of this but ended up coming right back because again, the trust, speed and quality of MindSea is so good.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the CEO & Co-Founder of a Health Data Analytics Company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a behavioural health data analytics and technology company and its main product is a prosocial wellbeing companion application that helps individuals improve their wellbeing through their existing social support and communities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Supporting our overall Product Development velocity through their Design Services

SOLUTION

How did you find MindSea?

Referral

Why did you select MindSea over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fits our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from MindSea were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

MindSea delivered on design work as a fully integrated part of the team. They ran our design practice end to end and helped us deliver features at scale, quickly. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

1. Ready for development designs that were componetized the way our developers needed them to be
2. Speed of iteration on the designs met or exceed our overall sprint objectives
3. Helped us deliver the next iteration of our application changing it from a primarily single player app to a multiplayer experience

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

They delivered on time and were able to add resources when speed was a priority and deliver with more constrained resources when budget was the priority. They also were able to deliver outside of the project scope as requested and needed, helping with website design and other non-product related design work. 

What was your primary form of communication with MindSea?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• Very simple pricing structure was appreciated
• Kind and added to the culture while they delivered on our needs
• They are great communicators.
• They acted like full-time team members in their ownership of their work

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

The only area of improvement would be on the size of their team. Everyone is sort of at the same level (which is senior). At times, it would have been helpful to have a team with more hierarchy so that we could leverage cheaper resources for simpler work and more expensive resources for more complex work as required. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Betterwise, an educational software company that develops content for high school students to prepare for adult life. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindSea?

We hired MindSea for UX/UI design and mobile app development. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MindSea initially helped us build a blueprint for our project, which will be available for iOS and Android. We spent several months working through the conceptual framework to determine the offerings and what architecture needed to be implemented to satisfy its functionality. MindSea also conducted iterative interviews with potential users. 

After that, we began with development; MindSea has been responsible for all the front- and backend development and design. The whole site is built with React Native, and we use a Java-based framework on the backend. The initial design work was created with Figma. 

The app is primarily made up of short videos arranged into lessons around topics; when a user logs in, they can see all of the videos. One of the challenges that we’ve had to overcome with MindSea is a way to seamlessly present those educational videos and ask users questions about the videos they’ve just watched. MindSea has also developed a web-based administrative tool on the backend where we can design videos and quizzes and upload them. We are currently conducting iterative user testing. 

What is the team composition?

We work with a senior architect, a frontend developer, a designer, a site reliability engineer, and a project manager. 

How did you come to work with MindSea?

We found them through a referral; we knew other entrepreneurs that had used their services and were very pleased with MindSea. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested more than $1 million. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The application we’re building has already attracted over 1,300 trial users and we have more than 800 pieces of content already in the application. We’ve been able to create a very high-quality product in a short amount of time due to their assistance. The work is incredibly complex, but they’ve been able to churn out an offering that we’ve been very happy with.

They’re giving our customers a seamless, stable experience with no downtime, which we consider a success. 

How did MindSea perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver on time, within budget, and are always true to their word. We communicate with their team daily and use Trello and Basecamp for project management and Slack for communication. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

We’d like to shout out Dennis (Director of Product Management). He’s done a fantastic job collaborating with us and ensuring everything is delivered on time. He’s also built new QA systems and has done an excellent job supporting us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

MindSea is ethical and never over-promises; they treat us like a partner and are highly transparent. They’re accommodating, and they care about the project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that we can come up with. We have a good relationship with their team and communicate about everything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Invest in the blueprint process and take your time building the design elements. Take advantage of MindSea’s willingness to have open communication. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director, Innovations and Solutions of an agriculture company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide services to dairy cattle breeders across the country.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build a mobile application to offer services.

SOLUTION

How did you find MindSea?

Online Search

Why did you select MindSea over others?

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

How many teammates from MindSea were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Mindsea led the project management and mobile development of our application. We followed an agile approach, and an iterative design and development process. MindSea had a dedicated team approach to designing, developing, testing and delivering our project components which included: a mobile app accessible on both iOS & Android using a React Native Framework and working together with our technical team on APIs, and backend support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched our application within reasonable allowances for budget and timeline. The success of the application is being measured by engagement, solicited reviews and interaction among our membership.

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

An agile approach, weekly standup meetings, items delivered on track and well communicated when scope changes would influence timelines.

What was your primary form of communication with MindSea?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

It is a very engaged team, friendly and very easy to work with. They integrated well with our own team and were excellent at communicating and giving us visibility in to their progress and what they were working on through tools like Slack, Figma and Trello.

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

No major complaints.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at an economic development organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindSea?

We were trying to increase the attachment of recent local and international grads to the local labor market through an app — we were already working with 33 communities across Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, and the US, but we wanted to grow that reach. We wanted to allow candidates to learn about their industry and hopefully build a professional network to find a carrier in their field.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MindSea is doing mobile app development for iOS and Android, taking over the work other providers left behind. They’re creating a face-to-face platform that allows newcomers to build a professional network by connecting them with a volunteer connector from the business community within the sector they wish to work. Consequently, the user and the connector meet so the ladder can forward the grad to three of their business referrals in that industry.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with Reuben (CEO), a project manager, and their development team.

How did you come to work with MindSea?

We were already working with another provider but were unsatisfied with their work, so we submitted an RFP and decided to go with MindSea.

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

So far, we’ve spent $500,000 CAD (approximately $364,000 USD) with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2019, and the engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their team has been very knowledgeable and has taken the time to know our company and our goals.

How did MindSea perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent; they meet deadlines and stay within budget. Regarding tools, we use Trello, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and weekly phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been communicative and keep us updated on everything, which has helped us stay within budget. We have no surprises on their end because they give us costs before doing anything.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve experienced a turnover in program managers, but we know this is common with every industry because the market is tight.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Before reaching out to them, try to have a general knowledge of the task you’re giving them to make this easier.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at an economic development organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindSea?

We were trying to increase the attachment of recent local and international grads to the local labor market through an app — we were already working with 33 communities across Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, and the US, but we wanted to grow that reach. We wanted to allow candidates to learn about their industry and hopefully build a professional network to find a carrier in their field.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MindSea is doing mobile app development for iOS and Android, taking over the work other providers left behind. They’re creating a face-to-face platform that allows newcomers to build a professional network by connecting them with a volunteer connector from the business community within the sector they wish to work. Consequently, the user and the connector meet so the ladder can forward the grad to three of their business referrals in that industry.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with Reuben (CEO), a project manager, and their development team.

How did you come to work with MindSea?

We were already working with another provider but were unsatisfied with their work, so we submitted an RFP and decided to go with MindSea.

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

So far, we’ve spent $500,000 CAD (approximately $364,000 USD) with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2019, and the engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their team has been very knowledgeable, has taken the time to know our company and our goals.

How did MindSea perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent; they meet deadlines and stay within budget. Regarding tools, we use Trello, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and weekly phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been communicative and keep us updated on everything, which has helped us stay within budget. We have no surprises on their end because they give us costs before doing anything.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve experienced a turnover in program managers, but we know this is common with every industry because the market is tight.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Before reaching out to them, try to have a general knowledge of the task you’re giving them to make this easier.