Owls Department

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the founders and the current managing director of a small software development company in Germany. We work for other small businesses, mainly in the advertising industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Owls Department?

We needed help to develop an app for a film advertising and production company. The project was very design intensive, so we needed someone with a great experience in UX/UI design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The end client had the idea, but we provided the specifications and documentation. Then, we worked with Owls Department to build the app. 

The app was compatible with Android and iOS, and it had two main components. On one side, the client advertised for interaction and showcased their latest work, sharing insights from behind the scenes of film sets and sharing news out of their company and out of the industry.

The other side was a productivity functionality that gave users individual account logins. The app provided the same crew and clients with documents, timetables, and so on. It also had a digital approval process for casting and location scouting within the app.

What is the team composition?

We communicated directly with the project manager and shared Slack channels with the developers, UX designers, and QA testers.

How did you come to work with Owls Department?

A friend recommended them to us for their awesome design work.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly €32,000 (approximately $35,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in May 2022 and was launched in December 2022. Our engagement is ongoing because they often do minor fixes and changes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had about 300–400 downloads on the launch day and got positive feedback from the director and founder of a big production company that works for Netflix and Amazon Prime. I also did the latest music video for Elton John, and the director called me after lunch and said that many of her business partners, friends, and personal contacts were excited about this app launch. Additionally, they were surprised at how beautiful it looked and its content.

How did Owls Department perform from a project management standpoint?

The end client had hard deadlines and high expectations, but Owls Department made it possible to hit the deadline. Budget-wise, they made reasonable decisions and great offers; nothing was over or underestimated. Moreover, communication was excellent; they were clear, open, and transparent. We got daily updates and quick responses. 

We used Slack for communication, GitLab to track issues and everything related to code, Figma for design processes and backlog management, and ClickUp for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They stood out for their expertise and great communication. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we were happy with the results.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend them to anyone.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Advertising agency, Account Supervisor in Client Service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

To goal was an implementation of a website for one of our clients in a very short time including quite challenging animation on the site.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for a company that would cope with the implementation of websites with advanced animation technology. After we've checked several elements, such as the implementation time and costs, we decided to cooperate with Owls company.

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

We've started with a kick off, dividing the work into different stages, i.e. home page and subpages as well as mobile versions, animation tests. We, as agency, provided all the necessary graphic elements. We discussed the progress of work on an ongoing basis every week, adjusting the variables with customer data.

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

Main project manager and one as a support and 2 developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Client was very satisfied with the result of the page and its animation which was the main challenge. We, as advertising agency, really liked the support of development company with their experience and we were glad of the success in meeting the deadline.

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

Friendly and trouble-free contact, commitment, proposing solutions, support during all phases of implementation. Their sense of partnership and support was the important element of this cooperation.

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

Reliability, professionalism, meeting the deadline.

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

At one point, work slowed down due to internal changes, but after a request to speed up, we received support. Communication and understanding of needs were the key point.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of the company. We are a tourism platform in Switzerland and we connect campers and farmers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Owls Departement to developp our smartphone app. The goal was to be able to provide the same quality and experience via a smartphone as our main desktop app.

SOLUTION

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

We sent a function requirement to different companies and we found how Owls Departement was communicating with us, the quality of their offer, the quality of the questions they asked us, this convinced us working with them.

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

We had a weekly meeting, at the begining to discuss all the processes, and thes to see how they were going through the developpement and every week we saw huge steps and they were very good in their communication.

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

We had one project manager and 2 developper I guess.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within the deadline, the app was lounched and we have very good feedback from our clients. We had a very satisfying launch.

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

All the team was dedicated to their work with us and they were communicating very open, straight and always searching solutions.

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

Their ability to put themself in our business to understand it was impressive. This was not an easy task expecially as this is not their native language.

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

No. Everything worked fine as we planned and discussed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Mute creates products for friendly and rewarding conversations in busy spaces. Among our products are Pods, Acoustic Lighting, Privacy Screens and Sound Absorbers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

One of our main product categories is Acoustic Pods. In our offer, we have 4 different sizes of pods with 2 versions each. We've needed a configurator that will help architects and clients design perfect pods for their spaces.

SOLUTION

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

Owls have been recommended to us by the 360 agency we work with. The agency has developed several projects in cooperation with Owls.

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

It was mainly an agency that has been in touch with Owls. However, we had 2 or 3 kick-off meetings to discuss the scope of the project and designs. We've also been in touch during the production phase for all the doubts and additional detailed questions that appeared during the process. Since the Configurator has been launched we are also working directly with Owls on updates, additional features and improvements.

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

To my knowledge 2 people. 1 project manager and 1 senior programmer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had great feedback from our business partners and clients. We see the interest in web stats.

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

Communication with us was mainly done via email but it was very quick and smooth. All the difficulties of the project were foreseen, discussed, and solved quickly.

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

Owls Department are true experts in what they do. They offer the highest quality and easy-to-use CMS solution. In the process, they propose few options and let clients choose the most efficient one. They work quickly, are super precisely with deadlines and timing and they stick to. Definitely, a company to rely on.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

With over 20 years of experience, BNA is one of the leading branding agencies in Poland. We have successfully redesigned over 80 companies including biggest banks, beers, media outlets and retailers in our country.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to implement a landing page that promotes an album published, because of the 20-th universary of BNA existatnce. Owls Department was responsible for developing a functioning site based on uor design.

SOLUTION

How did you select Owls Department and what were the deciding factors?

We've discovered Owls Department by accident. Many times we visited websites that seemed modern and functional and they turned out to be Owls' creation.

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

We had layout of the website designed internaly. Owls department's role was to code it, prepare the mechanism for collecting users' data and downloading the album, prepare a CMS and then submit it all on our server.

How many people from the Owls Department team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked constantly with one project manager and also with couple of different people depending on the subject matter.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don't have any measurable outcomes, however the site works properly and we see that users do download the album and share their data.

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

The team is responsive and flexible. We communicated both via email and telephone and it all worked fine.

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

We were a specific type of client - rather inexperienced in the field of website creation, often changing our mind or uncovering new obstacles. Owls' team has an ability to work well with such client.

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

We had some occasional tie-ups in communication, but it was not a big deal.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Manchester international Festival (MIF) bring together artists from different art forms and backgrounds to create dynamic, innovative and forward-thinking new work. MIF work closely with venues, festivals and other cultural organisations around the world, whose financial and creative input helps to make many of our projects possible and guarantees that they have a life after each Festival has ended. In my role as Senior Digital Project Manager Web & Immersive I have supported the delivery of digital projects for this year’s festival.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

The Argentinian artist Marta Minujín was commissioned to create a piece of artwork for MIF21 and proposed a tilted Big Ben installation. To support the physical installation we wanted to create a web experience for remote audiences to visit. This should contain an online manifestation of the Big Ben installation, present an essay examining Marta's previous work along with hosting an archive gallery.

SOLUTION

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

Owls Department were chosen due to their creative response to the brief and how they demonstrated an understanding of the themes and tone that needed to be conveyed in the site. Their costs aligned with the available budget for the project.

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

Brief:

To support art installation, the brief was to develop a web experience that would provide: 

1)  Archive Gallery - showcase a range of media from Marta’s digitised archives. The archive should primarily contain photography and video, as well as scans of Marta’s sketches and drawings. 

2) Essay -  a new essay that will look at Marta’s previous works. We require developer support to combine this writing with examples from the archive presented in a dynamic way. We would love to incorporate these sketches, alongside the photography and video to illustrate and break up the writing.  

2)  Online manifestation of the Big Ben sculpture  - We are looking for novel and engaging ways for audiences to remotely access and interact with the sculpture e.g. 3D model. This will be accompanied by a reading list for the new public installation in Manchester and a short film

Technical Requirements:

The MIF website is built on the Wagtail CMS. A custom page template enables single pages to be styled with custom HTML, CSS and Javascript, and we can also embed content from external sites via an iFrame if more complex functionality is required. Alternatively the site could be delivered as a subdomain of the site.

Accessibility should be treated as a priority. At minimum the experience should support keyboard navigation, screen readers and media alt-text. Video should be implemented with a player that supports closed captions. Visual elements like colour contrast and text spacing should also be designed to be accessible. To support this, we can provide testing and feedback from members of our community who make use of access provision across our website. 

The experience should be similar across all devices/browsers; the desktop version should not feature elements that cannot be replicated on mobile.  

Tone:

• Stylish and interactive 

• We’re particularly inspired by the New York Times’ series of interactive pieces that usually map scrolling to video, photographs and 3D content.

• Classic design  

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

We were in contact with 4/5 employees at Owls Department who were all very professional, Roles included producers/project manager, graphic designer and tech lead 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The artist Marta Minujín was thrilled with the website and brilliant feedback was received from the audience to the site. In the period of the festival between July 1st and July 18th there were over 5500 page views of the site.

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

The project timeframes were very tight from the start, but OWLS managed the available time effectively and met the deadlines to deliver. Additional changes of content delayed elements to the site being deployed, but they reacted to these changes efficiently and with consideration.

Communication was clear throughout the process in relation to costs and deliverables. 

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

The design approach was particularly strong throughout and positive solutions were continually offered in response to UX or the need to add new forms of media types of content. The design of the site was original whilst considering the users journey. The creative response to displaying the model of Big Ben was sympathetic to Marta Minujín's artistic style, but provided a unique experience which worked very well.

As our relationship with OWLS developed during the project we were continually impressed with their understanding of what was required. Their creative response and the tone they set and communicated throughout the site was delivered effectively.

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

Unfortunately the timeframes set to deliver the project from our side were too short and these were further impacted by the late and continually changing content. This effected the development schedule and reduced time for testing. It would have been good to have had more time for testing and optimising the site to enable an equal experience for all along with further considerations for access needs. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of Parabolic Playground - Design Studio focused on creating engaging and meaningful experiences. Parabolic Playground is a Red Dot Design Award winner, A'Design Award winner and multiple Awwwards winner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Owls to develop a unique, award winning website for our US client who was in need of an amazing website for his new real estate development.

SOLUTION

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

I had a previous relationship and a good track record with the company. We previously won multiple awards and successfully launched other projects.

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

Based on our Figma designs Owls were responsible to create the CMS and front-end base for the website, including advanced filtering for floor-plans and unique, hand-crafted animations for parts of the website.

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

I've worked primarily with their super friendly project manager and had occasion to consult with one of the co-founders and developers on more technical calls regarding specific parts of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website was very warmly welcomed by brokers and clients all over the world. It's in the process of being submitted to multiple galleries and hopefully will be featured in some of the leading design blogs.

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

The communication happened on Slack and on mail, for testing and design reviews we used Gitlab. Most urging subjects we nailed on quick calls.

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

Above all, I can trust Owls with the commitment to deliver a quality product on time. The solutions proposed in WordPress and the way they accommodated different requirements was useful in non-typical projects.

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

So far so good!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of a design consultancy firm. We help mid-level businesses to grow by good design decisions. We do not maintain a development department in the company, we outsource it.

W use the resources of trustd partner companies. We prefer long-term relationships with such partners and Owls are among them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We built a brand for a Polish technology startup with an innovative method of detecting breast cancer in women on a global scale. The client needed a website describing the issue, the company and the service mainly for the needs of the potential investor.

The client's team developed the functional assumptions of the website and drew wireframes. On our side was the layout and implementation of the website. We hired Owls for development, setting up a CMS (Wordpress) and implementing a tested website on the client's target server.

SOLUTION

How did you select Owls Department and what were the deciding factors?

We came across them on recommendation. We chose them based on a nice portfolio of projects and very good vibes at the live meeting.

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

They developed a website based on our desktop layouts. They made the mobile version on their own. Low compatibility with the layout in beta versions was our problem in cooperation with regular subcontractors.

There is no such problem in Owlz. Awesome internal testing team and great communication. Owls did backend development and frontend design built on WordPress.

They built and tested the product on a test site before launching on a live site, where they did additional testing also.

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

The project manager was my main contact. New business manager also. There were several team members who I didn’t interact with, front-end dev, testers, etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The client is very pleased with the effect. In the first week after launching the brand and launching the website, he received 22 sensible investor inquiries, using the form on the website.

During the first quarter after the launch, he obtained a multi-million dollar subsidy from a private investor. So the project turned out to be a great success.

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

We worked on an ongoing basis according to a previously agreed schedule with the project manager. We communicated via Slack, e-mail and phone.

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

Nice, quick and professional contact. Flexibility and the ability to adapt to the changing situation in the project. Openess and sincere help in solving unexpected design problems. Basically operating on the partnership level with us.

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

No. The whole process was exemplary.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm an owner of a graphic design studio who design the website and managed the job.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed to design and develop a wordpress custom built website for an Arts and Education Initiative affiliated with the United Nations. The aim is to promote events initiative is organising, increase awareness on how arts can help with covid related challenges.

SOLUTION

How did you select Owls Department and what were the deciding factors?

They are a very professional and highly responsible team.

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

Website consists of several subpages with variable templates, including tile grids, pop-ups, support/donation page, sign it to newsletter – linking to database. The website is responsive and works perfectly on the mobile.

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

I worked with one fully committed project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Client loves the website and it helped him to promote a new brand.

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

We used mainly emails, but also tickets on Gitlab. Magda was also always available to speak on a phone or arrange a zoom call if needed.

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

They implemented all designs exactly like it was handed over. They always stick to the deadline agreed on.

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

As Owls are very busy team, and sometimes it is difficult to get a time-slot with them :)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the creative director of a multidisciplinary design studio working across digital and physical mediums

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Owls to realise our web designs to a high quality and integrate smooth responsive designs and animations

SOLUTION

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

Past experience, portfolio, rates and communication

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

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss the project and walk through designs, scope and budget to see what we could achieve. The platform for this project was established and this needed to be coded into a drupal system.

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

2-3 Project managers and developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The clients were very pleased with the development as were ourselves. We have since formed an ongoing partnership working closely together on various projects.

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

Very responsive which I value most highly when selecting vendors.

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

Project management is excellent. The developed sites looked like our designs, often I find that dev agencies make many aesthetic mistakes that requires lots of back and forth to fix.

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

Perhaps a gant of dev process would be useful.