NJI Media

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the Head of Corporate Communications and President of the U.S. Steel Corporation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NJI Media?

We wanted a comprehensive redesign of our website, not only in terms of creative concept, but also its actual construction. That meant starting with an old, proprietary site that was difficult to maintain, and hiring specially trained people to bring it into the modern day.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NJI Media built our Drupal site in its entirety. We had a limited budget, but they built the site to allow us to add everything we wanted in the future while maintaining its essential functionality. For instance, we can now host videos on the site, but we haven’t integrated any yet for business reasons.

As far as designing the site, they came to Pittsburgh and had a day-long brainstorming session with us. They provided fonts, color schemes, and layouts in follow-up sessions. The team garnered one-on-one feedback from each internal group that had content on the website. They listened to what the company had to say on what worked and didn’t work. They also helped us determine the best way of rolling out the site internally.

We have a feature that allows customers to track their own orders, and wanted to make sure it worked well—that users knew to refresh the site to get to the right section. NJI Media provided a solution that resulted in almost no customer questions, complaints, or concerns.

What is the team dynamic?

I wasn’t in charge of their day-to-day process, so I’m not sure how many coders worked on the project. We interfaced with at least 4 people, including a project manager. I also had direct access to the head of NJI Media whenever necessary.

We’ve mostly communicated via phone and email. We’ve occasionally gone to their office, and they came to our location once or twice.

How did you come to work with NJI Media?

A PR firm I’ve worked with in the past recommended them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with NJI Media in April 2015, and it took two years to bring the project to fruition, solely because of my company. The end date was April 2017, but they continue to provide maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Users have universally said that the new site is much easier to use and that they love its look and feel. They particularly like the shout-out element on the front of the page, a block feature where we can highlight at least three items. For instance, when something new happens in the company or we’re rolling out new products, we announce it there.

The site also looks great on mobile platforms.

How did NJI Media perform from a project management standpoint?

The project delay had nothing to do with their team or their ability to expedite the project. NJI Media was unbelievably patient with us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re highly creative, motivated, and forward-thinking. They’re conscientious of their clients’ dollars and offer cost-effective solutions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

For organizations that tend to be slow to adopt new technology or difficult to persuade, NJI Media is the team to use. They are incredibly patient, make difficult concepts easy to understand, and are very good at listening to the voice of the client.