Neuron

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Ganderflock, a multicultural marketing and technology development company. We help companies create new business models by leveraging technology, primarily by implementing new systems to achieve their operations needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

I needed a strong design team that had the fundamentals down in order to help work with our third-party clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They build out a full architectural guide for our client — it’s a massive, 300–400 page document that details the project from start to finish. The first major deliverable in it is a business case study, which provides an outline for all the work we accomplish. Next, they perform market research and identify different customer personas relevant to the client’s market. Once that’s ready, they move on to UX, laying out state-screens and flows for the digital elements of the project. We move on to wireframing after that and also develop specific page elements and test layouts for how the pages will be organized. After that, we add the visual design layer. This includes the colors, font, typography, and an overview the interface will look. From there, they build out a site map and a feature set. This section of the guide determines what kinds of features the final software will have. Neuron interfaces with our clients directly in order to organize what they want, which helps avoid scope creep as we finalize the project.

In addition to handling all of the digital architecture for building e-commerce experiences, their team is also capable of handling the blueprints and interior design of physical stores. We had a local client who asked us what he could do with a physical space he was rebuilding and Neuron put together a full design for it. It’s not a skill many other UX companies can offer and it’s been very valuable to us and our clients who are revamping their businesses.

What is the team composition?

For our first project, we had a team of five people who rotated in and out. There are always at least two people available whenever we work together.

How did you come to work with Neuron?

I met one of their co-founders at a local networking event in 2013. He’s an extremely talented UX designer who did a redesign for a major e-commerce platform and he also had experience doing system redesigns for big clients. I was eager to work with him.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They successfully provided a design team that helped us execute the redesign of a big-name client and reduce bounce rates for their e-commerce platform. Without Neuron, we wouldn’t have been able to complete the work. They have a relentless focus on really understanding the end user and developing appropriate solutions to meet their needs. Their architectural guide has also really sold our clients on working with a contractor because it’s so thorough and delivered up front. They know exactly what they’re getting.

We’ve also benefited from their people skills. They’re personable and deliver critical information to clients or prospective clients in a comprehensible, which has helped us win several deals. Working with them has also changed our sales process because they have such deep expertise that we can trust them to join on those calls with us.

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

They offer plenty of availability and are flexible in scheduling their team according to our needs. I’ve been impressed with how well they communicate, both with us and with our clients. They hold daily standups and have a solid project management infrastructure in place. They’re very proactive about letting us know what they need, when they need it, and how a project is progressing. We use tools like Slack and Google Drive, as well as traditional meetings, in order to keep projects organized. They even do intake questions with our clients, which has been extremely helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their whole team’s previous work experience gives them an edge. There are former architects, as well as fashion and industrial designers, so they can build incredible online/offline experiences. Other UX companies don’t have this same scope of vision or diverse expertise. I know I can bring this team into a situation where an owner’s working in a new building and let them come up with both the physical and technological plans we need. They excel at thinking interactively and developing rich retail experiences.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They need to add electronic signature functionality to a lot of their documents. I’d like to have it on things like proposals, scopes of work, and invoices.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I don’t have much to add. Work with them if you have the opportunity.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work as a consultant with a humanitarian fundraising organization. We also work with a variety of initiatives to help hire appropriate labor, establish the right news feed messaging features, and address other needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

Our CEO hired them to design and develop important features and functionality, including user profiles and other deliverables.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Much of the project was completed before I joined the company, so I worked with some of the follow up processes after the concrete deliverables were in hand. Some of those included a detailed product outline with screens and intricate backend work on user profiles and personas. They built the backend on Ruby on Rails and the frontend in React. I assessed the work to suggest additional solutions to improve the business impact further. We brainstormed optimizations to target the necessary KPIs.

What is the team composition?

We worked with five or six individuals, possibly seven. There was a creative lead, a design lead who doubled as an operational manager, and a team of three to five designers and developers.

How did you come to work with Neuron?

Our CEO found them before I joined the project.

How much have you invested with them?

I wasn’t responsible for the monetary side, but I think the project was around $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off the engagement around January 2017 and finished the larger portion of the project in July 2017. After that, we reengaged them for some specific design projects and problem solving.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m really happy with all the hard work they did. When the beta test launched, we collected data on user behavior. Their designs were well balanced, and they made helpful changes to make sure user registrations were up. They were receptive to our goals and helped us brainstorm ways to execute and suit our needs.

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was good, and they always knew when to loop people into the conversation. They included the right stakeholders at advantageous moments and made sure everything moved in the right direction and got delivered on time. Most of our conversations were through Slack, emails, and by phone when necessary.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really enjoyed working with them. Our main goals were a good user experience and appropriate metrics to demonstrate the efficacy of the project. They really helped make those happen.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It was a large project, and they handled it very well. I don’t have any constructive feedback for them. They were always reactive and never made the same mistake twice.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communication is key; make sure both sides understand the project. Neuron is a smart, receptive team, and the more information you give them, the more they will be able to help. The only instances where things took longer than expected were times when we didn’t clearly explain our goal.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a user experience and industrial design consultant at Orbit Interaction.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

One of our clients was developing concepts for two major corporations. We needed a vendor to help with the various components of the project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped produce interactive prototypes, documentation, and videos. The team also provided work around a community-based mobile application that provides users with a way to store their medical records. They did the research, digital strategy, the business strategy, mobile app development, and the UX/UI architecture. The platform utilized crowdsourcing to find providers and determine costs for different kinds of medical providers. However, the solution never materialized because its leadership decided to go in a different direction.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Mark (Senior UX/UI Designer, Neuron), Ryan (Senior UX/UI Designer, Neuron), Chris (Senior UX Designer and Strategist, Neuron), Matt (Senior UX Designer and Lead Visual Designer, Neuron), and Michelle (UX Designer, Neuron).

How did you come to work with Neuron?

This project was instituted by one of the funders that I was working with. When the opportunity arose to develop this platform, we were already in the process of working with Neuron and had them take the lead on the project.

Neuron was founded by my long-time co-consulting partner. He had been a professor teaching interaction design and UX architecture. He handpicked a number of his very best students to start Neuron. They operated in the same way that I had done consulting projects with him in the past.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together from February–September 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The businesses I was associated with fizzled out for reasons unconnected to the design quality and platform sophistication. Neuron’s work was excellent. The videos, prototypes, and designs were stunning, and got a lot of praise. They’re really good at what they do.

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

Mark was extremely sharp and professional. There was a coalition of groups working on the project including some difficult people on the client side. Mark deftly managed around those issues, especially during the most challenging projects. We coordinated through email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team’s architectural background distinguished them from the competition. They had a comprehensive understanding of the different factors that go into successful products, services, and platforms. Their research on competitive platform designs for the medical project was particularly impressive. Neuron was efficient and document their work more regularly than most design firms.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I hope they continue to grow and expand, and maybe get into physical product design work as well. They have the breadth and expertise to continue branching out.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

To be the most effective, work very closely with them. Communicate as much as possible about the needs and goals. Work with them to flush those out and get them to work.

I’ve watched a lot of consultancies charge clients a lot of money to provide something that wasn’t a full solution. In contrast, Neuron does top-notch and comprehensive work. They’re thinking about all the angles and perspectives that go into a project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a business strategy firm focused on helping companies create new ways to grow their diverse talent pipeline.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

We were consulting with a school whose mission was to increase the presence of women in software engineering and build confidence in those making a career change. The school offers a 12-week immersive boot camp where, upon completion, women will graduate as software engineers.

The school's digital marketing efforts and website had minimal tracking/analytics and was not set up for re-marketing, which, in turn, affected enrollment. Our job was to grow their leads through trackable marketing strategies and an updated website that increase conversion. The website was content-heavy, but challenging to read through and search for information.

Women were looking for deep information about the school's curriculum and admissions. They need to be reassured they have what it takes to become a software engineer, regardless of their current career experience. The company also didn’t have enough money for a much-needed brand redesign, so I needed to hire an agency that could design a functional lead-generation site and rebrand, all in one.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neuron rebuilt the company’s WordPress backend. The client wanted to keep the site on WordPress because they wanted to make changes themselves. Neuron geared the customized UX/UI design to attract women leaning toward changing careers and getting them to apply to the program. They created the branding exercise component, crafting appropriate colors, fonts, and more for the website. Their team also modernized the logo with a stylish font.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a lead designer and developer, along with a specialist in visual branding, and a designer that assisted with the flow and wireframes.

How did you come to work with Neuron?

I’ve worked with one of their founders on various projects over the last decade. He co-founded Neuron and I asked if he could take on this job. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Neuron from January–June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the reasons I hired Neuron was that their founders understood how to get users to move through a website easily and logically. It was a hard problem to solve given women's apprehension to a career in tech, but their team accomplished the goal. They took an incredible amount of time doing competitive research and interviews. Getting into the minds of how women think and what their barriers to entry are was key to the redesign. 

We drove a lot of marketing through Facebook, but people started staying longer on the website than usual. Our conversion rates to generate leads increased by 30-40%. We needed users to enroll, and it had to be a logical and straightforward path to get there. Neuron was the perfect partner for the job.

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

Neuron’s well-organized team over-delivered throughout the engagement. They were delivered within deadlines and on budget. I received access to their tracking tool and saw the project’s progression. Communicating with Neuron was easy. We met in person a couple of times and had several conference calls.

With design teams, it is nice to have a working session. We had one where we finalized about 75% of the wireframes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with numerous digital design agencies and freelancers, but not anyone like Neuron. Their team exceeds expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When we worked with them, they’d just started Neuron and were still working on assigning set roles. They've since fixed that now.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

My advice to potential clients would be setting everything up during the proposal process. I’d also make sure that a proposal includes a competitive analysis and in-person meeting to review wireframes. This process saves time in the long run. Communication tools are helpful, but meeting face-to-face is where the efficient collaboration can make a difference.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CPO/CTO of a channel orchestration platform

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a single, integrated platform gives retailers and brands unmatched channel orchestration.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Establish a new information architecture for our application
• Reduce complexity for highly repetitive and complex tasks
• Introduce a new design that is modern, elegant and appealing to our clients.

SOLUTION

How did you find Neuron?

Online Search

Why did you select Neuron over others?

• High ratings
• Previous work

How many teammates from Neuron were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

UI/UX design and product strategy for our SaaS application.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Completion of application screens.

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

The Neuron team was very through from a project management perspective. They did a great job keeping us on task.

What was your primary form of communication with Neuron?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The Neuron team was always very thorough with their research and was great about bringing fresh ideas to the table.

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

The Neuron team did a great job keeping everything in Figma. However, this was a little complex to navigate and understand what was ready for review and what wasn't.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Realbricks runs a Prop tech platform for RE investing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address?

Moble App

SOLUTION

What was the scope of Neuron's involvement and team dynamic?

Noble app with swipe functionality UI/UX

What's the status of this engagement?

Completed

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with Neuron evolve?

Neuron does amazing work.

In what ways can they improve?

To be honest, nothing really. They do great work. I have worked with them for over 2yrs.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

Hire Neuron to do your UI UX

UPDATED REVIEW

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO and Co-founder of Rita Health

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

AI-powered fertility preservation for women.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Concept Design

SOLUTION

How did you find Neuron?

Online Search

Why did you select Neuron over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Neuron were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Rita's fertility report concept wireframes

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Funding received for Rita

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

Very good

What was your primary form of communication with Neuron?

Virtual Meeting

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

What sets them apart is their commitment to learning from top-performing product designs and seamlessly implementing that knowledge into our projects. They are perfect for the company that values a user-centric approach and is working on its product vision, new milestones on the roadmap, or seeking a fractional design team. Their expertise and dedication were invaluable assets to the project. I look forward to future collaborations with them.

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

Recommend next things we could do together

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of UX for Uniphore, a SaaS company that uses AI to empower customers. I work on our product and build designs for the company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuron?

We hired Neuron to help us with customer success. Our goal was to use technology to improve the quality of what the customers can have access to and empower them. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We conduct calls with Neuron to facilitate and support conversations between our AI and sales agents. On top of that, they provide project management services where they follow up on the information gathered from the calls. From there, the team designs products that are focused on improving the customer experience. They may design educational tools that help our agents; they may also design a product that learns from calls. 

Moreover, Neuron resources participate in market analysis. They research what’s out in the market in terms of current standards, trends, best practices, common pain points, and challenges that either the customers or the business encounters.  

Overall, Neuron works on client-facing projects, and they range from supporting our design system to finding solutions that solve interaction-related problems. The team helps us determine our customers’ baseline experiences and find options to augment or improve those experiences. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with a range of people throughout our engagement. I mainly talk to Chris (UX Lead & Co-Founder) and Sam (UX Designer). I also interface with Ryan (Co-Founder). 

How did you come to work with Neuron?

Our company found Neuron around the same time that I was coming on board to Uniphore. At that time, I was searching for solutions that could help us hit our company’s immediate goals. We ultimately decided to partner with Neuron because of their willingness to go above and beyond without us asking for it. They showed enthusiasm for the work and elevated what was established in the scope of the project. As a result, we hired them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To measure success, we check our stakeholders’ buy-in in terms of design as a presence in Uniphore. We somewhat try to evangelize the designs. So far, the feedback we’ve received from stakeholders — from working-level personnel to executives — has been extremely positive. We’ve also seen other successes within the relationship, such as the usefulness of Neuron’s work for Uniphore.  

How did Neuron perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything in project management is done on Figma, which Neuron leverages effectively. This is unique and special since the processes they’ve laid out are easy to follow and highly organized. To communicate, we also use Slack, email, and video calls. Figma also has messaging and commenting features. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Neuron team is willing to go above and beyond; they do more than what’s expected. They explore options and present them through design to our stakeholders. This quality separates them from other providers. Overall, they’ve been fantastic. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open-minded about what Neuron can bring to the table. Give them agency and ownership in terms of working with you. While your company might have specific requirements to hit, give the team some flexibility in terms of exploring the project. They’ll surprise you in a good way; they’re great at finding things you may not have considered before. They can also take things a step further from the basic requirement you’ve given.