MindSea

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a Director of Yahoo!

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video, images, and answers from all across the Web.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Create a new React Native app for Yahoo Search
• Integrate new Gen AI Chat into mobile experience

SOLUTION

How did you find MindSea?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site
• LinkedIn

Why did you select MindSea over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit 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.

Aim to propel Yahoo Search into the future with a mobile-centric, design-led approach, crafting a visionary, AI-powered experience that places users at the heart of every interaction. With most searches now happening on mobile devices, we needed to remain competitive as a search engine and invest in upleveling the mobile app experience.

Deliverables/Requirements:

• Platforms 
  • iOS 16+
  • Android 14+
• Marketplace 
  • Primary: US
  • Secondary: English-language markets
• Development scope 
  • Front-end development using React Native integrated with existing Yahoo Search backend architecture.
• User Interface 
  • Responsive Layouts; design specs and mocks in JIRA
  • Accessibility requirements integrated in design guidelines
  • Orientation: Portrait (maybe Landscape)
  • Themes: Light & dark modes

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• There is a strong and consistent shift towards mobile apps usage especially among Gen Z’s and Younger Millennials, but our audience (demographically older) is still disproportionately spending their time on desktop/laptop devices as compared to the internet at large. Search investment has often prioritized desktop improvements over mobile that results in sub-par mobile products: Yahoo Search app # of active users, compared to ecosystem apps with users in the millions range. With a mobile-first strategy we tap into the primary platform where younger users already spend most of their time, allowing us to meet them where they are.
• Distribution - A mobile-first strategy opens up diverse distribution opportunities, not only through consumer-facing platforms like the App Store and Google Play, but also by leveraging strategic B2B partnerships.
• Freedom to Innovate without Revenue Pressure - we can craft an experience that is entirely aligned with our vision for user-centric design and engagement. This approach allows us to prioritize what’s best for our users, enhancing usability, personalization, and incorporating new and emerging technologies such as AI summarization and chat, rather than being limited by short-term monetization strategies.
• Strong Foundation for Future Expansion - Launching the redesign on mobile provides a strong foundation for future scalability. By focusing initially on mobile, we ensure that the product is designed to meet the unique needs of today’s mobile-first users. From this foundation, we can easily expand to other platforms such as tablets and eventually desktops, with a consistent brand identity and optimized experience. This mobile-first approach ensures our product will remain relevant and adaptable as user behavior continues to evolve.

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

Project management was excellent, clear communication and goals, always available for support.

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?

They are awesome people with great culture and are always open and collaborative. Their technical expertise is mixed with a thorough understanding of the mobile landscape.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Operations of The Skogen Company Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Skogen is a modern wellness company that helps people live with more clarity and intention through thoughtfully designed tools and systems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop mobile application
• Develop web application

SOLUTION

How did you find MindSea?

Word of mouth

Why did you select MindSea over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• 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.

• Define app purpose, goals, and target audience
• Determine platform(s): iOS, Android, or both
• Create product roadmap and timeline
• Create feature list (MVP vs. post-MVP)
• Develop user flows and wireframes
• Create strong UI mock-ups 
• Create prototypes for usability and design review 
• Implement core features and app logic 
• Conduct all relevant testing and compatability checks 
• Address bugs and performance issues 
• Prepare app for App Store and Play Store guidelines 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Dev completion of core MVP features on time
• Minimul or infrequent bugs
• Efficient development turnaround
• Easy deployment with TestFlight 
• Quick reolution of bugs 
• QA assessment done quickly with little or no issues 
• Minimal crash incidents 

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

MindSea is great at maintaining regular touchpoints throughout the project to ensure that things are being done on time and up to par with our expectations. They provide clear expectations and timelines on deliverables, and in the rare event that something is taking longer than expected, they readily communicate why and when to expect it to be finished or resolved. Dennis in particular (project manager) is great about taking the time to explain the "why" behind how things are done and effectively proposes solutions to problems either before they arise or as soon as they come up. 

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?

What I find to be the most impressive about MindSea is the way in which each person I have interacted with takes the time to explain things and make sure that we understand and are comfortable with what is going on. I very much appreicate how transparent they are in the way they work and how they communicate.  

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

None that are coming to mind at this time. 

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 Clinical Research Coordinator of University Health Network

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

One of the world's leading research hospitals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop software for remote clinical monitoring

SOLUTION

How did you find MindSea?

Referral

Why did you select MindSea over others?

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

How many teammates from MindSea were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

MindSea helped us create a blueprint for the development of a Remote Clinical Monitoring app and web dashboard for people with COPD and their doctors and nurses. They helped us develop a scope of work for future development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Measureable outcomes were timeline of project, depth of detail, and suitability to our needs. They met and exceeded all of these needs.

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

The project management was excellent. We recieved regular, clear, concise communication through email and shared documents. The project management team used appropriate tools to provide us with easily accessible spaces to workshop project questions.

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?

The company had excellent processes, and also was a delight to work with because of the professionalism and friendliness of all members of the team. The service felt bespoke and personalized.

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

None that I can think of - I would recommend this company to anyone doing software development in the healthcare space.

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.