Parachute Design Group Inc.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a physiotherapy company with four locations. We provide physiotherapy, among other rehab services. I’m one of the co-owners.

What challenge were you trying to address with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

We needed to update our website to increase conversions. We also wanted to make the website more functional to allow our patients to have improved interactions with our company. Then, we had SEO and search-ranking goals.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had separate websites for our different locations, and Parachute Design Group combined them to make one WordPress site that addresses the whole company. They redesigned the site to be more contemporary and conversion-focused. Another deliverable was a faster site in terms of page speed. They also integrated content that we had and are looking to add in a way that was aesthetic and functional.

We did a discovery process so that Parachute could understand our needs. I’d say most of the creative and direction was from their end. We definitely guided that, but they came up with the concept.

What is the team composition?

I probably had contact with four people, but much of my work was with the owner himself.

How did you come to work with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

We found them through a Google search. We did phone interviews with 15–20 companies and looked at their portfolios. We went with who we thought was the best fit, which was Parachute.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent just over $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together officially began in early January. We officially launched three weeks ago, in July 2020. There are a few odds and ends to pull together now.

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

These sorts of metrics take time to collate. We’re doing a lot of other things to improve the experience, so there are various factors. However, I can say that our Google Analytics show that there is more time spent on the site and pages per session. We’ve seen an uptick in traffic and an improvement in our search ranking for a couple of our largest keywords.

How did Parachute Design Group Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They did great. That was probably one of the things that I liked most about the experience. They were very clear with the outline at the start. They kept to their schedule — we were the only thing blocking them. The team addressed issues in a way that made sense in terms of priorities, and they also addressed them quickly. I’ve worked with lots of companies that have to deal with project management, and Parachute didn’t disappoint at all.

A lot of our communication was through email. We used a Google Doc and Sheet. Our teams had Zoom meetings, as well as in-person before COVID. I think they had project management software on their end, but there wasn’t any need for me to be part of that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’d say the quality of their work and results distinguishes them. That’s the easiest way to distinguish between one provider and another — you can simply look at their portfolio and the websites they’ve developed. Parachute clearly outclassed all of the other companies that we looked at, and we considered 15–20 companies that do this work relatively well. Beyond that, their thought to design and functionality is a nice mix.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were probably among the priciest companies that we looked at, but I felt that we got what we paid for. We expected it to be a great experience, and it was.

Any advice for potential customers?

Take the designer’s advice to heart over your own biases. I think that will really help.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Content Marketing Specialist at Escher Group. Escher is a leading global software company that provides retail software for courier and postal operators.

For what projects/services did your company hire Parachute Design Group Inc.?

Parachute was hired to overhaul our website and to create a consistent and contemporary look, feel, and concept for our brand.

What were your goals for this project?

To create a website that not only better reflected our company, but to also act as a hub for all our marketing endeavors, and be fully integrated with our CRM systems.

How did you select this vendor?

Parachute was recommended by a partner and was subsequently shortlisted with another two web design companies. Throughout the decision process, Parachute consistently stood out for the ability to talk simply and concisely about our needs.

Describe the project in detail.

Parachute walked us through the entire process. Initially, we went through a discovery process, where they laid the foundational concepts for the build. From there they created mock-ups based upon the discovery phase. Then a build phase, and finally delivery. We are currently being supported by them.

What was the team composition?

We had one point of contact, with specialist help when required.

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

At the time of writing, we have received positive feedback on the aesthetics, speed, layout, and logic of the site. It is too soon to comment on performance metrics and we are still making adjustments and tweaking, so a true picture cannot be given now. However, from what we have available at this time, all indicators are pointing towards a substantial improvement over our previous site.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Simple, clean and productive

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They made everything easy and were calm and focused throughout the entire process.

Are there any areas for improvement?

At times there may have been an assumption that we knew more than we did, which may have led to misunderstandings when we were reporting on progress. But this is being very picky.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Growers Retail. We’re a chain of recreational cannabis stores.

What challenge were you trying to address with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

We hired them to build out our web platform while following brand guidelines.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built an information-based website on WordPress.. Subsequently, we implemented an e-commerce function as well. They came up with a design based on our logo, color schemes, and font.

We relied on them from a web layout. They designed something that met our needs, was modern, and user-friendly.

What is the team composition?

I had one point of contact, but there were two other individuals on the project.

How did you come to work with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

We found them through an online search of local design companies. We reviewed some of the work they posted on their site and they sent us links to a few other sites they worked on. We made out final decision after our budget was put together and agreed upon.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000­–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in October 2019. They started development in January 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

Internally, we’ve been happy with the design of the website and how it came together. We’ve received positive feedback from customers. They like the functionality of the site and the incorporation of the e-commerce features. It’s easy to use and navigate. There have been no technical issues so far—it hasn’t crashed, there are no loading errors, and no linking issues.

How did Parachute Design Group Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they were upfront and created a detailed timeline. They outlined deliverables on both their end and our end. For the most part, they delivered on time, and they held me accountable to deliver what they needed as well.  

We did use a project management tool that allowed me to review changes, leave comments, and edit comments in a web platform. Rather than searching through emails and asking questions, it was super helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything I’ve said so far accurately describes them. They deliver quality work and the team is reliable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Initially, we weren’t able to meet face-to-face because they don’t have a physical office. We met with them over the phone. That was challenging at first, but there was no real need to meet in person.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate consistently. Feedback is very important in any project, and it’s predicated by the project plan their team puts together.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Workbench Energy, a software company in the power sector. We help large industrial power users achieve cost savings.

What challenge were you trying to address with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

We were looking to amalgamate two brands and professionalize our online presence.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Parachute Design Group Inc. rebranded our company, coming up with a name that worked for the two businesses. They also redid our logo and redesigned our website completely from scratch, working from images that we provided. We also provided them with a general framework which they then turned into a wireframe for the website. 

What is the team composition?

We had one primary contact and worked with one other teammate.

How did you come to work with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

I had done some work with them in the past and had a good experience. While we looked at a number of firms, it was clear that they would be a good fit for us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested a little over $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

On this project, we worked together from December 2019–April 2020.

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

The website, which we launched last week, looks exponentially more professional than it did before. They did a good job of taking a complex service and industry and explaining those concepts in a visual, easy-to-understand way. The website flows smartly and intuitively. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback on it.

How did Parachute Design Group Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Parachute Design Group Inc. was able to deliver the project on time and within budget. We also didn’t face any scope changes. While there were small adjustments made, we never found ourselves in a position where we were renegotiating any elements of the agreement.

They did a great job of delivering what they said they would deliver when they said they would. We communicated with their team through a software program called InVision, as well as via email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most unique aspect about Parachute Design Group Inc. is that they get right to the important elements of the project. They don’t put too much weight on big, lengthy, upfront, nebulous exercises around exploring your inner self.

Instead, they get right down to what the project is and what you want to get out of it. The team is practical and doesn’t waste time on exercises that ultimately don’t bear fruit. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

A lot of the interaction was online, which made the process efficient and quick. Call me old school, but I still appreciate more frequent voice communications. I did get some of that but would’ve preferred a little more.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Being able to check references is very important. I had a good experience with Parachute Design Group Inc. before so that greatly increased my sense of comfort embarking on a time-sensitive project with them where there was no room for mistakes.

Parachute Design Group Inc. is good at what they do and can deliver an excellent product on time and within budget.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing lead for Kohl & Frisch, a pharmaceutical distributor that operates in Canada.

What challenge were you trying to address with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

Our website was built in 2008 and hadn’t been updated since. It was time for a design refresh.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Parachute Design Group Inc. redesigned our website using a customized WordPress template. We didn’t want the new site to look like every other WordPress, and they nailed it. The theme is clean, simple, and unique to our brand. We’re using similar content from our old site, but now it has a fresh, new look.

What is the team composition?

I worked exclusively with Jay (Founder & Creative Director, Parachute Design Group Inc.). I occasionally emailed with another person when Jay was out, but we tried to stick to a single point of contact on both sides to streamline communication.

How did you come to work with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

I searched for Toronto-based web design companies on Google. I checked out 50 firms’ websites and looked at their portfolios. After contacting 20 companies and meeting with four, I was really sold on Parachute Design Group Inc. Their site had an excellent portfolio with working links so that I could explore each example thoroughly. That’s a big part of why we ended up going with their team.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from May until September 2019.

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

The website has only recently been published. We’ve heard positive feedback from employees, and we’re satisfied with the design and the way it reflects our brand. Parachute Design Group Inc. did a great job.

How did Parachute Design Group Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?
The team was highly responsive. Much of our communication took place over email. I have no complaints about any of it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Parachute Design Group Inc. gave me two options on the design, and they were both so good that I was spoiled for choice. They incorporated elements of each into the final template, and they pushed back whenever a design choice wouldn’t make sense from a user perspective. I appreciated their willingness to customize the site however we wanted.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A lot of our customers use Windows and older browsers. While the website is beautiful on my Apple computer, it doesn’t look as good on Windows. I think Parachute Design Group Inc. could improve their ability to test their designs across multiple platforms. That way, it looks the same to every customer, no matter their browser.

Any advice for potential customers?

When working with any outside vendor, have a single point of contact. Otherwise, having multiple chains of communication going on at once will cause confusion. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of ASPIRE at Toronto Finance International. We’re a membership organization and an industry partner for financial services in Toronto. We promote Toronto as a global financial center and develop talent initiatives for our industry.

We’re currently running a work-integrated learning talent initiative to attract, upskill, and retrain student talent from outside of the traditional finance and business majors.

What challenge were you trying to address with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

Our website for ASPIRE was static and only had one page. We received $2.1 million in government funding to build out the program, so we needed help making our website a dynamic, informational hub.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the website using WordPress. From there, we were impressed with their skills and extended the project to include improving backend functionality. Their developers created features that allow students to download materials, apply to programs, upload documents, etc. They also built tools so we can access important site information, including the total number of applications and where individuals are in the process.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Jay (Founder & Creative Director, Parachute Design Group).

How did you come to work with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

We searched online and reached out to four firms. Jay’s RFP application was more detailed and aligned with our expectations than the others. We knew exactly what their vision was and what the timeline would be.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around $70,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in April 2018, and the work is ongoing.

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

We’ve been able to advance our projects because of the fully functioning website they produced. Everything runs smoothly, and we’ve had no concerns.

How did Parachute Design Group Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Having Jay as a project manager is useful—he motivates his team while holding us accountable. His team ensures we’re updated and not falling behind. If something needs to be approved, Jay reaches out and keeps us informed. They take responsibility for their role in the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

As a team, they’re efficient and insightful. Parachute Design Group Inc. don’t rush their work–they produce quality work that is worth its price. They always let us know if there is a more cost-effective, productive way to achieve our goals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Though they’re highly skilled, their team is small and can’t provide as many consistent resources as a larger group. When Jay was unavailable, we knew his skill set was unavailable. However, we prepared for this when planning the project, so it wasn’t a big challenge.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If your project requires both design and technical skills, Parachute Design Group Inc. are the right people for the job. In retrospect, I would have liked to use their team for more of the design work.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m partner at a firm that does both insurance defense litigation and personal injury work.

What challenge were you trying to address with Parachute Design Group?

Originally, for our first redesign, we were looking for modern and clean website to promote our firm’s “high tech” insurance defense practice. Later, with our second redesign, we wanted to continue to promote our firm’s core defense practice while also promoting our personal injury practice which was a challenge.  In addition we wanted our site to be mobile friendly.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Parachute Design Group has redesigned our website for us twice, first in 2010 and then in 2017. The latest version is mobile-friendly. They set the design and we provided the content. The site includes information pieces like the different things you should think about if you’ve been injured. We may have them develop content for us in the future. They currently manage maintenance for us.

What is the team composition?

One designer was always our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Parachute Design Group?

I was introduced to Parachute by my brother-in-law. He was working with a retail consultant who had hired Parachute to help rebrand his retail company. When I first went to Parachute’s site I was immediately impressed. The web designs and print work were visually stunning and I decided on that first visit they were my firm’s new web designer.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent at least $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The second redesign wrapped up in July 2017.

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

In the latest iteration, Parachute Design Group was able to find a design that effectively promotes both, somewhat contradictory, sides of our business. There’s a real challenge to promoting two things that aren’t supposed to be done at the same time—which is what we wanted them to do. They succeeded and it’s been very beneficial to us. The design entices people to call us. We’ve gotten more referrals since this redesign.

How did Parachute Design Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We worked through email and had face-to-face meetings, especially on the second redesign. They worked well with us even when we—the partners at the firm—were arguing amongst ourselves and struggling to build consensus. They would give us different options and explain what would work well or not.

They always had things done right away, within a couple of days. They responded immediately if we had a question or concern. Their pricing is reasonable. They were fantastic.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really know what they’re doing. Our designer’s advice was always razor sharp and right on. They know their business very well and I find that impressive. We're going to keep using them and I recommend them to people all the time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have been a little bit more forceful with us at times but I’m not sure that we would have listened.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you want a fantastic looking website, go to them. Their designs look amazing. That's what drew me to him.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Tom&Sawyer, a highly innovative pet food company. We provide the highest quality pet meals globally by self-imposing strict human edible food regulations and sell direct to consumer both online and in our own retail stores, providing a very differentiated retail experience to pets and their owners.

What challenge were you trying to address with Parachute Design Group?

Because we were doing something completely different – we use all restaurant quality ingredients and have an open kitchen in our flagship retail store here in Toronto – we were looking to create an equally differentiated and disruptive brand experience.

If you look at pet food brands, they tend to be hokey and pun-lace – not cool or professional. We wanted to make sure that we led with a brand that was contemporary but also portrayed our values of high-quality, trust, transparency, and, of course, fun and cuteness. We got into this business because we love our dog Sawyer, so we wanted to communicate that.

What was the scope of their involvement Parachute Design Group?

We wrote down a lot of our own ideas for our logo design and our wordmark (word graphic) orientation, and Parachute worked through various iterations. We then collaborated and zoned in on a particular look and feel that we liked. Once they saw what types of things we liked, they started gravitating towards them as well. Jay at Parachute ended up coming up with the pet head icon, and we absolutely loved it!

They also wireframed the designs of our main e-commerce site. Our web experience is all laid out according to their design, except where our chosen technology platform complicated our design enablement. We recently scoped out a redesign project with Parachute now that we will be launching a new platform we developed in-house. This is going to be especially important moving forward as we look to expand globally.

What is the team composition?

Their founder has been our main point of contact, but I know that they have had numerous team members work on elements of our T&S work.

How did you come to work with Parachute Design Group?

Having been disappointed by other agencies, I searched online and came across the Parachute portfolio. Something in their clean and contemporary design and execution really struck me, so I contacted them. We initially used them on projects for other companies we own and decided to see if they could tackle a different kind of challenge with our pet food brand.

How much have you invested with them?

This project cost between $10,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project from June 2015 until 2016.

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

Even though we’re a pet food brand, we’ve had strong interest in our brand identity even in markets where we don’t yet sell our pet meals and treats. We ended up investing in a full-range line of apparel with our branding on it – we can’t keep it in stock either. We’ve have requests from around the world for our trucker hats, t-shirts and dog bandanas. People clearly like what we’re doing, including retail analysts Euromonitor who recently ranked Tom&Sawyer among the most innovative retail concepts globally. Our brand identity, developed by Parachute, achieved the differentiation we initially sought.

How did Parachute Design Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Most of our work was actually done by phone, but we did meet in-person a few times. A lot of it was just sending proofs and PDFs back and forth, going through the markup process. We were very impressed by how incredibly organized they were with their time. They met all of the project deadlines that we had established, and frankly, if there were ever any delays, it was always because of us. We had a very good working relationship with them. They're very responsive in terms of communication. Whenever we reach out to them they get back to us very quickly.

What do you find most impressive about them?

All agencies are supposed to be creative, but there was a different level of creativity and innovation in their designs. They weren't just coming up with cute designs. Instead, they were thinking many steps down the road about customer engagement and how this would roll out when we scaled the business. They tried to incorporate a lot of sales-oriented ideas into our initial brand discussion, which I really liked.

I'd also say that their work was quite inexpensive for what we got out of them. We thought we got very good value for the investment we made. I think another one of their greatest strengths was that we never felt like we were being sold to.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If there's anything – I wouldn't necessarily expect this of them – it was when we were making the decision to use our own developer to do a lot of the implementation work. They could have sold us a little bit more on their own capabilities, as I have seen great results in other projects they have implemented online. I’m kind of speaking out of both sides of my mouth in that I liked not feeling like they were selling me on the design work, but I could have been sold-to a bit more on the technology implementation work.

Any advice for potential customers?

If I was to do it over again, I would have incorporated Parachute into the implementation of our website. The way that they managed to always hit deadlines so effectively, and were really effective at managing timelines, that is tremendous value to customers.

I would say to treat Jay and the team as not just a creative partner but as more of a sales-enablement partner. Give them respect by opening up about your expectations from a customer experience and scaling the business perspective. They have really good insight in that area and would incorporate a lot of that perspective into their designs.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the marketing and communications manager at Wysdom AI, a platform that offers AI-based virtual assistants to help enterprises with troubleshooting and transactions within their user bases.

What challenge were you trying to address with Parachute Design Group?

Our company was previously under a different name, so we were going through a rebranding stage and needed help refreshing our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Parachute Design Group met with us to discuss our vision and they came back to us with a couple different design options to move forward on. They utilized InVision to storyboard the visual elements of the site and then built it on WordPress. They incorporated some account-based marketing software systems for our forms, using platforms like HubSpot, and ensured the site was mobile-friendly.

What is the team composition?

We work with Jay (Founder and Creative Director, Parachute Design Group), as well as a few others.

How did you come to work with Parachute Design Group?

I'd previously worked with Parachute Design Group at a different company and recommended them to my team. After initial conversations with Jay, we all agreed that they would be a good fit for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We've probably invested around $30,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in the summer of 2017 and the site was live by September. They continue to work with us on a retainer, and we plan to do another refresh of the site with them in the near future.

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

Parachute Design Group improved the overall functionality of our website, making it much easier to publish content and make changes from our end. In addition to improved workflow standards, their efforts have also increased satisfaction of all of our stakeholders.

How did Parachute Design Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They're great communicators. Jay is both accessible and responsive anytime we reach out. By utilizing InVision and mapping out the website before going into development, he ensured no time was wasted during the later stages of the project. We mostly communicate through email, but also have occasional calls and message each other via Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Jay is good at communicating and managing both expectations and timelines. If something's not working, he'll explain the situation to us without sugarcoating it—he's very transparent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Just as with most vendors, there's always room for improving communication between the design and development teams.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go into the relationship with a clear vision of what you want and with as much information as possible to make the most of your time.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and president of a food processing company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

We needed a branding partner to help with our graphics and package and web design.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Parachute Design Group Inc. started by asking us questions about our vision for the company, what we thought of our products, who our target audience was, etc. They used those answers to get a feel for our company values and create our logo. They then built off the logo to design our WordPress website, e-commerce store, and packaging.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one person.

How did you come to work with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

One of their clients recommended them. We met and thought they’d be great, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in August 2015, and the work is ongoing. We’ve launched our site but haven’t begun advertising yet. We’re still developing the operations and production side of our product.

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

We’ve gotten great feedback from everyone who’s seen our branding, packaging, and website. We haven’t used the site much, but it doesn’t have any bugs, and all the tests have gone ever well. If we come across any issues, Parachute Design Group Inc. fixes them quickly.

How did Parachute Design Group Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been fast and responsive—we’re the ones who delay things. They created a project timeline we were happy with and keep us moving forward. We communicate via phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listen to us and try to find a customized solution. When we interviewed other companies, some just came with a pre-packaged idea and didn’t take time to figure out what we needed. Parachute Design Group Inc., on the other hand, came as a blank slate and cared about our needs. They give honest feedback and aren’t afraid to disagree if it means making a better product in the end. We’ve had a great experience with them.