Outcrowd

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the SVP for global marketing for my company, based in London. The company is a global financial institution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Outcrowd?

I approached Outcrowd for help with illustrations and animation given their prior work, which was very high quality and professional. I was looking to update a graphic used in our pitch materials, both in static form and also animated.

SOLUTION

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

Our company works with a lot of different vendors, and we usually approach them with specific needs; i.e. I'll look for one vendor specifically for web development, and others specifically for motion graphics. Although Outcrowd is likely proficient in the full spectrum of design assistance, their quality of work when it came to illustrations was the deciding factor for us here, with our specific need relating to this

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

I had an initial meeting where I described what I was looking for, and we kicked off our engagement pretty quickly after that. There was a secondary follow up with the project manager to get into a few more details of the project, but Outcrowd picked up the need very quickly and we didn't waste much time getting up and running. Following the initial meetings, the rest of the feedback was shared via email and was quite easy/low touch, with Outcrowd delivering new designs based on my feedback quickly and incorporating all my requests.

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

In total there were 3 people involved, one who handled the initial project kickoff, billing, setup, etc.; a project manager who helped with the timeline, edits, etc.; and the end designer who ultimately worked on the illustrations directly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's early days yet, and the designs haven't been put the test too much, but I am very happy with the output that we were given. It helped to really professionalize our presentation.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was easy. We handled nearly everything via email which is what I prefer, and the flow was regular and consistent.

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

We were impressed with their outputs, professionalism, and the end result. But the communication and friendliness of the team was something that I was really happy with as well - I wasn't expecting poor service but I was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the team was, and how easy it was to work with them.

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

Nothing pops to mind at the moment. Perhaps maybe more direct interaction with the end designer, but it wasn't really needed in this instance.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-founder of Podcorn which is a marketplace for connecting podcasters and brands for host-read ads.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Outcrowd?

We hired Outcrowd to design our product (marketplace) and our marketing site (the dot com).

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Initially, we spoke to a lot of design firms and thought that Outcrowd was the best fit. I wasn't wrong, we have worked with the folks at Outcrowd for over 6+ years now, and will continue to work with them moving forward.

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

The way we work with Outcrowd is we put together a simple PRD (spec sheet of the product), then Outcrowd does extensive research on the product's market, the audience we want to target, and produces wireframes within 1-2 weeks. After we provide feedback and finish the wireframe phase, they quickly move into the design phase which is very quick (2-3 weeks but depends on the size of the project).

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

We work with the PM and the UI/UX designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The outcome is that they nail the design and the brand look every time we give them a project. They understand our needs and our users' needs.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager is extremely effective. She always provides updates, and always respects our project timelines and requests for iterations/changes even if they are last-minute changes.

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

Their UI/UX skills and their ability to bring our project to life through design are so impressive.

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

Not at the moment, we are very happy with Outcrowd.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of BEPRO, a networking startup company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Outcrowd?

We needed help with website development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Outcrowd is designing our website on Figma and implementing it in Webflow. They’ve also made the logo and design of our brand, including its language and guidelines. To jumpstart the project, we gave them a brief of what we wanted regarding the site’s look and feel. Their team also provided templates and examples to make the platform look more professional.

In terms of functionalities, we want visitors to be able to leave their contact information, download assets, and reach our social media channels.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with a project manager, a developer, and two designers.

How did you come to work with Outcrowd?

They were referred to us by one of my co-founders. We also chose them because we found out that they were a Ukrainian company, so we wanted to support them through this Russian invasion.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around $15,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re satisfied with their work so far. They’ve also been able to make several changes to our branding — there’s a lot of back and forth iteration between branding and the implementation stages. Overall, we like what they’ve done for us.

How did Outcrowd perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been going pretty well; they’ve been very timely in coming back to us with updates, suggestions, responses, and feedback to our requests. Regarding communication, we use Telegram.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication and flexibility throughout the process have been outstanding. They understand that dynamics change when they work with a startup, and Outcrowd’s team can adapt.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The initial sketches for the website were a little simplistic, but after different rounds of iterations, we arrived at a logo and design that we were happy with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very specific with your timeline and needs with the initial briefs they give to fill out. The more information you provide them, the better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO at Batteries, Get In! We are an environmental NGO uniting people and organisations in Ukraine to collect used batteries so that 100% of them go to recycling not the wasteland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Outcrowd?

To create designs of battery collection boxes for schools

SOLUTION

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

We first tried to search individual designers of the general recruiting platforms to solve this task, but had been not satisfied with the level of design they proposed (not minimal and aesthetic). It was a great fortune that we got to know Outcrowd, who agreed to help for free as we are a nonprofit.

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

We've shared our creative principle how in general battery containers are made, gave the parameters of the current containers - it was a call with co-founder, PM and designer. Worked thought 10+ iterations with the 3d visuals (provided by Outcrowd) and printed test (performed and tested by us in context) with regular chat updates and coordinations with PM. Finally made a retrospective with PM and designer on final stage.

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

PM and designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Check out our website. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

In general, we are more used to work directly with designers, not through PMs, but in scale and outsourcing format it's not possible. If we take outsourcing, it was VERY fast and effective in comparison to experience we've had before.

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

They were open to constant improvements, client-oriented, and flexible.

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

Probably it would save time if we could make a collective design session and make some changes live and confirm to lower the coordination time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Plann, a social media productivity tool.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Outcrowd?

We only had 15–20 people in our team, so we were quite small. We didn’t think it made sense to have a full-time UI /UX designer on our team. As a result, we hired Outcrowd to become an extension of our design team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Outcrowd communicates with our internal design team about their daily tasks. They’re usually responsible for helping us build features that can further optimize what we’re doing. We also ask them to come up with different solutions that our users will like. At this time, we have two full-time designers from their team.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with Alex (Project Manager) and two designers.

How did you come to work with Outcrowd?

I fell in love with their thoughtful and minimal approach to design. I initially thought that their services were completely out of my budget, but when I reached out to them, I found out that their prices were super reasonable. Due to that, I decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in August 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People choose our product because of the way it looks and feels, and we’ll continue working with Outcrowd as long as our customers like their design work. We also appreciate that they take the time to understand our product, which allows them to come back with cool ideas.

How did Outcrowd perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is proactive. We use Slack to communicate, and we utilize Figma for the design files.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Since they spend a lot of time understanding our product, they always provide effective solutions without having to undergo lengthy feedback sessions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Perhaps, this is just me, but sometimes I’m not sure what work they’ve completed, so sometimes I reach out to them and ask them if I need to check on anything. However, I can probably find it myself if I just take a look.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them the time to learn about your product because if you’re building a software product, you want a company that can work with you on a long-term basis. If you invest in Outcrowd upfront, you’ll definitely get value from their services.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO at Yellow House Media, a marketing consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. I help brands leverage content to grow brand awareness, generate leads, and build thought leadership.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Outcrowd?

Our client, a small financial services firm, needed to refresh its brand and design powerful web collateral to make an impression on customers and prospects alike. We hired Outcrowd to provide ongoing branding and design support across multiple campaigns.

SOLUTION

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

We looked for top-rated design teams on Dribbble and settled on approximately 3 firms. We chose Outcrowd based on the strength of its portfolio and its super-fast responsiveness to our initial emails.

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

Every project started with a kickoff meeting during which we discussed our design needs and project goals. The project then progressed to design phase starting with concepting and wireframing to produce 2-3 UX/UI options in Figma. Once we selected a preferred UX direction, Outcrowd created a number of designs on the way to creating final artwork. We used Slack for project communication from start to finish.

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

In total we worked with 5 resources from Outcrowd including a massively competent project manager, a backup project manager, a lead UX designer, another designer and a business development lead who dealt with details of the contract.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Outcrowd's designs saw an immediate increase in lead generation across all campaigns in which they were deployed. We also noticed positive engagement and brand sentiment based on comments and reactions to the ad creative.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Alexandra was probably the best project manager I have ever worked with. Massively competent to the point where she even stayed the course on one design project while battling illness. Not something the client would soon forget.

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

We've worked with other design teams outside our own timezone but the process was never as seamless as when we worked with Outcrowd. It was hard to say what was more impressive between the quality of the work and the excellent communication.

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

One area where I think they could improve would be in helping the client scope the project more efficiently. The client isn't the expert so it makes sense to leverage Outcrowd's deep knowledge and experience to help the client think through their challenges and potential solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company called Dotcal, and we own a scheduling platform. We help people book meetings and schedule appointments easier with custom personal booking pages.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Outcrowd?

We needed the help of a design agency to help us execute our vision for our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially hired Outcrowd for UI/UX development, which then evolved into also providing us with branding and general design services. At the start of the partnership, they helped us determine user personas and figure out where our company fits in the competitive landscape.

As for the tech stack, they use Figma and Miro as their primary design and whiteboarding tools.

What is the team composition?

We work with a business manager, a product manager, and designers.

How did you come to work with Outcrowd?

We were looking for design agencies to help us with our projects, and Outcrowd was the obvious choice in the end because of their extensive portfolio and experience.

How much have you invested with them?

So far we’ve spent around $32,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Outcrowd is very open to feedback and they do a good job of delivering designs quickly.

How did Outcrowd perform from a project management standpoint?

Outcrowd does well from a project management standpoint, as they meet and exceed all their deadlines. We used to communicate with them through email at the beginning, but now we mostly talk to them through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with the value of the work they provide, and it’s very hard to compete with them in that perspective. They’re professionals who do what they say, and sometimes do it even better than we expect them to.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any feedback at the moment because so far, we’ve had a really good experience working together.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to just be very clear with your vision upfront and over-communicate what you want to achieve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder for BRIX.houe and and we are located in Toronto, Ontario. We are a Tech and Financial Service based company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Outcrowd?

We are exploring how we can develop consumable content on social media. We developed our initial copy write and we engage Outcrowd to help us design the social media posts.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

When I initially started working with Outcrowd, I interview multiple companies and asked for references. Outcrowd definitely stood out.

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

We had a very specific ask and provided them with very detailed specs at the start of the project. The team at Outcrowd where great at taking this specs and turning them quickly into an initial design that then we reviewed and provided feedback and the second set of iteration where spot on. I loved their quick turn around and feedback loops that they work in.

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

I worked with the project coordinate and the account person.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very pleased with the outcome as well as when we shared the designs with our clients they really complemented the work.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They team is very effective in working with clients. They are able to turn around deliverables very quickly and iterating quickly to getting to the final result. I really enjoy working with them.

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

We were impressed with their ability to take feedback, iterate quickly, and deliver an impressive product.

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

Streamlining their project payment process especially for international clients.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a website for actors. We host webpages for performers with all of their reels, photos and resume.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Outcrowd?

My website was created in 2016. I have used Outcrowd twice to redesign the site (2019 and 2021).

SOLUTION

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

I looked for web designers on Dribbble. I loved the work Outcrowd shared and their prices were reasonable.

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

After a Zoom meeting going over the goals for the project, I received 3 ideas for the direction of the design. After choosing one, the work on each page of the site began. The whole process took only a few weeks. Designs where sent via Figma which was a perfect way to review the work and send back notes.

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

I total, I worked with 4 people. A project manager, 2 designers and someone who handles the billing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Outcrowd understood exactly how I wanted to rebrand my site. Their design ideas help me send a very clear message about what the site is selling.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

This company is a dream to work with. Excellent communication and they bring a lot of creativity to the table.

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

I was impressed with how well they interpret notes on design. Whenever I had an idea, they always made it 10 times better.

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

I don't see how they could have done a better job. Excellent work, on time and I loved working with the project manager Alexandra.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the COO at Torah Live. We produce high quality online content for Jewish children.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We've built a new gamified platform, and we needed animation work done.

SOLUTION

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

They were well recommended, and the professionalism was evident from the start.

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

There were seven processes in the platform they were asked to animate. This was done very well.

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

There were between 2-4 people on their side.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They fit the style and coloring of the platform in the work they did. They made good use of the samples we sent to them.

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

Very timely. Very professional. They gave us a choice o how to communicate with them. Ms. Irina Zenchenko did a great job.

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

Their professionalism.

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

I think they develop their creative side more. A lot of work now requires producing a unique object that has flare and individuality. I would suggest they move more in that direction.