Parachute Design Group Inc.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

FLO is an EV charging manufacturer and operator of one of the largest EV charging networks in North America

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Parachute Design Group Inc., and what were your goals?

Our existing website was severely outdated.  Our wordpress engine was many versions too old and the look and feel of our site was becoming stale.  We were also trying to refresh our brand presence

SOLUTION

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

We conducted an extensive RFP process and interviewed multiple vendors.  We ended up choosing Parachute due to cultural fit, cost and size.  We found Parachute via the Clutch review site

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

Parachute design was tasked with rebuilding our site from the ground up.  They researched our industry, created a new look and feel, rebuilt the engine and helped us through the implementation process over the course of about 9 months.

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

Our primary contact was Jay who served as our project manager, advisor and overall guru.  Jay brought in additional team members as necessary.  On our side, we had several contacts as we were without a central point of contact for much of the project.

How much have you invested in them?

Over the course of the nine month project we invested a significant amount of time reviewing, refreshing and implementing the new website.

What is the status of this engagement?

Website was completed and is now live as of Feb 1, 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While we are still in the early phases of our launch, initial indications are positive.  Web traffic was up double digits within the first week of launching and we continue to optimize our pages for SEO.

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

Project management was shared between the Parachute team and our own internal team project manager.  While we did have alterations in the schedule, they were deliberate decisions based on what we needed the site to do.

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

Jay is a very calming presence when working through all the pieces of the program.   Building websites are clearly not a core piece of our business.  Jay was patient with our questions and good at explaining potential impact and advising our team about the best practices of building out world-class sites.

The parachute team was very clear about setting expectations and delivering on those expectations.  The team went over and above to ensure my team was properly trained on how to upload and use the site when it came time to implementation.

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

There are always areas for improvement in any project.  There were times when I simply wanted more of Jay's time and to talk live with him more on a regular basis.  Don't get me wrong, he was very accessible and responsive using email and the digital review tools.  He is such a smart and valuable guy I constantly wanted to pick his brain to ensure we were making the right decisions for the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you understand your needs and expectations entering into the project.  Have a dedicated project manager/webmaster and vision going into the project to minimize potential confusion.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Communications of L'Arche Canada

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We build communities of inclusion and belonging with people with intellectual disabilities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Parachute Design Group Inc. to accomplish?

• Redesign the L'Arche Canada website
• Create a template that each of the 30 L'Arche branches in Canada could use.
• Transition to new brand

SOLUTION

How did you find Parachute Design Group Inc.?

• Online Search
• Referral
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Parachute Design Group Inc. over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Parachute Design Group Inc. were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Redesign of existing website: www.larche.ca based on a new brand guide and to create one template for local branches to use, and using a common CMS like Wordpress with e-commerce functionality.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Adoption of the template by local branches of L'Arche. Since we launched the site in March, 7 of the 30 communities have already indicated adopting the new template and hosting package.

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

They work within our timelines and are very flexible to adjust timelines to fit the nature of our work flow. They created a Monday.com board for us to follow the progress and create timelines for our team to follow up with. They delivered the outcomes in the time they set out. Any delays were on our end, in getting our feedback and input back in time.

What was your primary form of communication with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The personal approach, attention to detail, responsiveness and ability to listen to our needs were the most impressive aspects of working with parachute. Jay and his team listened well and offered suggestions when we had new ideas or suggest adjustments to the project plan. Also impressive were the starting points of the page templates - they took the time to research our industry and the nature of our sector to give us templates that suited our organization.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Parachute Design Group Inc. could have done differently?

A bit more clarity at the start of the project outlining the work we were expected to do. As this was our first redesign in many years we were not very knowledgeable of the steps and stages and scope that would be needed by our team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer of a legal company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Law Firm

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Parachute Design Group Inc. to accomplish?

• Innovative Design/Reflect the Brand
• Increase SEO Rankings
• Ultimate Client experience
• Improved architecture and functionality

SOLUTION

How did you find Parachute Design Group Inc.?

• Online Search
• Other

Why did you select Parachute Design Group Inc. over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Focused on Word Press Sites

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

We asked Parachute for a full website re-design that ultimately reflected our current brand, and provided the best possible UX to our clients/prospects/referrers. We also wanted to increase the firm's rankings and worked with Parachute on methodology to assist us in getting there.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just launched the new site, so we do not have metrics yet. However, if I were to provide other successes it would be that Parachute was able to achieve very strong buy in from our law firm Partners.

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

They had amazing project management. We used their project management platform for tracking of changes and questions. It was extremely efficient. The responsiveness was second to none. They were extremely accommodating and always offered solutions to our questions and challenges.

What was your primary form of communication with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Working with Jay! He is a true pleasure to work with...always has creative ways to solve issues. Has a very confident demeanor that was important in explaining technical reasoning to the attorneys. He also was very collaborative and worked so well with our ad agency and our own web designer when we were working on the backend programming.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Parachute Design Group Inc.could have done differently?

There is nothing that I can think of that needs improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of RunDNA

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide education and technology based on a systematic approach to evaluating and training runners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Parachute Design Group Inc. to accomplish?

• Create a new website
• Re-branding

SOLUTION

How did you find Parachute Design Group Inc.?

Online Search

Why did you select Parachute Design Group Inc. over others?

• High ratings
• Other

What was the size of Parachute Design Group Inc.’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

Parachute provided a complete website overhaul and re-branding. Key deliverables were a new logo and brand kit first, followed by a website that was fully functional wordpress sitew ith ecommerce to sell our products and services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• New branding
• Ne website

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

They were very organized and met the time frames set forth. The project did go over the scheduled time frame, but it was more on our end that our portion of the work took longer. They are very quick to respond to any needs or questions.

What was your primary form of communication with Parachute Design Group Inc.?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

Having the ability to do the branding and website together was a tremendous value. Their team was thoughtful, thorough, and action-oriented.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Parachute Design Group Inc. could have done differently?

Some of the members on our team did not have much familiarity with Wordpress website. It would be helpful to explain more about what a template is and the capabilities from a CMS standpoint. Having more knowledge on that may have helped us to focus our thoughts on the template pages and the structure if we knew what our editing capabilities would be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a department head for a private and independent asset management company in Ontario, Canada. We run a lot of public equity income investments, including exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, flow-through funds, and other bespoke investment strategies that trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange and can be bought through a broker-dealer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were looking to modernize our company and upgrade our technology across the board. One of the areas we put more emphasis on was having a modern website and branding, so we hired Parachute to help us out.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Parachute has helped us update our website, branding designs, and brand guidelines as we move forward with the company. Initially, they helped us refresh our logo and colors. Once we had those elements ready, they used them to update our website and marketing materials.

We already had a website, but we didn’t want to get anchored to any of its existing elements. Therefore, we tasked Parachute to redevelop it to make it SEO-friendly, attractive, and more in line with what our peers do. To make this happen, they’ve created a new UX design for our site.

Parachute has also updated our website's content and functionality on the backend, integrating Google Analytics and a few other tools to help us with SEO. Although I’m not involved in the technical side of the project, I know that they’ve done the necessary integrations so that our site can show all the relevant trading information, such as updated prices from stock exchanges.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is the project manager, who is in charge of delegating tasks to the rest of the team.

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

One of our partners found them on Clutch.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to six figures.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around February 2022, and our partnership is ongoing. We haven’t launched the new website yet, but we’re close to launching it. Still, we already have a second list of things we want Parachute to do for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site’s UX has improved hugely, and users can pretty much get anywhere on it in two clicks. Our partners are very happy with how it looks and with our new branding overall.

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

Parachute is very responsive, communicative, and easy to get a hold of. We’re in a Slack channel where we can interact with a few members of their team. Moreover, their scheduling is always reasonable, and they deliver things on time, so we’re very happy with them in that regard.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Parachute’s flexibility is outstanding. Our leadership is old school and works on projects hands-on. Thus, getting everyone on the same page and liking the same things can get challenging. Still, Parachute has done a great job of incorporating everyone’s requests and helping us collaborate so that everyone is happy with the results and no one feels like they’re making concessions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Parachute’s challenge has been not having the relevant industry knowledge for financial services; they’ve gone through a learning curve. Having experience in our specific industry would allow them to tighten timelines a little bit. However, there is no shortcut to doing so, and it’s not their fault. They’re a great design and web development company.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director, Marketing at a Kitchener-based energy software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website was designed on an internal platform and was restricting the Marketing team in terms of updates, demand generation, and overall performance. We do not have an in-house webmaster and needed help to design a new experience for our prospects.

SOLUTION

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

I interviewed another web designer company and selected Parachute although they came at a higher price than the other option. They understood our challenges and their proposal included the use of InVision, which we felt was a must.

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

After a few discovery meetings, Parachute sent us a detailed proposal along with a timeline. Once approved, we started meeting to align on next steps and key deliverables. We also created a Slack channel to enable our two teams to communicate easily during the design and development process. That was really useful. We started with the prototypes in InVision. We made comments and asked tons of questions, to clarify what the end product would look like. As Parachute started working on the development, we finalized all our web content and sent it over to them. We then started experimenting with the staging website. And finally, we launched on Nov 3! Without a single issue!

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

We worked with a developer and with the owner.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The launch went really smoothly. We did not face any issues regarding any portion of the website. The website overall Health score is much higher than our previous website. It is currently too early to focus on specific metrics, but we can already observe an increase in average time per session.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Parachute has got their workflow working well. We were sharing an excel spreadsheet with our timeline. The communications was easy and responsive.

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

The way they captured and expressed our brand in their outputs was very impressive, especially given that we had given them limited brand guidelines. They also were very responsive, and were very patient with us as we needed guidance with certain technical aspects of web development.

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

I cannot think of any.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing and technology for Bennett Jones, a national law firm in Canada that focuses on corporate litigation and tax matters.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I was trying to help mark my firm’s legacy of 100 years and as part of that campaign, we needed a microsite with lean, accurate, and positive content to improve our digital presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Parachute Design Group helped me build a WordPress site through a custom field and format. The purpose of the site is to help people understand our firm’s history so its main feature is the content, which is being presented similarly to a story in a book.

They made the information more accessible and easily digestible for people to navigate through.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with Jay (Founder & Creative Director) and a lead designer. Jay was extremely diligent, timely, and highly collaborative — he was excellent at helping us navigate through the process and providing us with really sound advice.

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

We had a vendor help us through the RFP process, and someone from my team found Parachute Design Group online.

After conducting the RFP process, we knew that they were the best choice for this project and we’re definitely glad we went with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested somewhere between $40,000–$50,000 CAD (approximately $31,400–$39,300 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

This project ran from October 2021–March 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People from my firm have enjoyed the overall experience because Parachute Design Group really took the time to engage them and understand their stories, and the feedback from our key stakeholders has also been overwhelmingly positive.

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

Their attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines and stay on budget was excellent.

We typically communicated through email and Zoom and managed the entire project through this app called InVision.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Outside of their excellent design acumen, we were very impressed with their flexibility and ability to adapt to our changing needs.

Whether it be timing or scoping changes, they dealt with them in a calm and collected manner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They accomplished the project exceptionally well, so I can’t think of anything they need to improve on. It was a really seamless experience and we got everything we needed in time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have a clear vision, trust that they’re going to give you exactly what you’re looking for. Involve them in your project as early as possible and give them the opportunity to be creative.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Spiritleaf aims to be the most knowledgeable and trusted cannabis retailer across Canada. In my role is as a Digital Strategist, I lead and execute our digital, web and SEO strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Parachute Design Group Inc., and what were your goals?

Our current website had outlived its shelf life, we needed a new site that was more scalable and offered a much better user experience.

SOLUTION

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

After speaking with numerous web agencies in our area, we decided to go with Parachute based on their body of work and experience working with the technology required for our new site.

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

After defining our objectives for the new website, we went through a detailed multi-step process to begin the project. This began with a discovery phase which entailed an in-depth brand questionnaire, review of our website/search/web performance data, competitor analysis and technical audit of our existing site to identify any issues that may have needed addressing. The next step in this process was a strategy phase, this outlined the path of our users and was when they helped us create a specific conversion strategy, design of our sitemap and wireframes as well as a review of the existing content we had on the site for SEO purposes.

From there we proceeded to the web design and creative phase of the project, where Parachute designed our web and mobile user interfaces and accepted a large quantity of feedback from various stakeholders involved with the project. Once the design was approved, Parachute quickly moved into the development phase. This involved the development of a custom website built on WordPress, integration with our online menu provider and extensive work with their API. Lastly, Parachute conducted a technical SEO audit, quality assurance tests and CMS training for our team before helping us plan for our final launch.

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

We primarily worked with two people from the Parachute team. Jay is the Founder & Creative Director at Parachute and was our main point of contact. We also worked with Deepak, who is the Development Lead. He worked with us at length to navigate the integration of our online menu provider's API.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very happy with the final outcome of the site and will continue working with Parachute on various other aspects of the project post-launch.

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

Communication was clear from the very start. We received regular and detailed updates from Parachute regarding the status of the project.

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

They overcame every challenge that presented itself throughout the project, which was key to producing the high-quality end result they did.

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

We were very happy with everything Parachute provided.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the National Brand Manager for a wine and spirits company. We offer Single Malts, Vodka, and Tequila in Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were launching a new product to an entirely new category of consumer, much removed from our traditional audience. Parachute helped to design and build a website that brought our new product to life, tell the brand story, and allow us to implement CRM and some social media integration.

SOLUTION

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

We fielded quotes from 4 suppliers for production of the website but Parachute had the most compelling design, the most attractive price and the prior experience to prove they could make our vision a reality.

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

A website was required to launch a new product in Canada for a target consumer that was not aware of the product category or have any existing knowledge of the product category. The website needed to be appealing, educational, fun and interactive.

A rough plan for layout was submitted to Parachute, along with design assets and inspiration, and they supplied a mock-up for the full site along with explanations of user experience. From that initial plan the website was fleshed out using supplied assets that Parachute modified to capture the essence of what we were aiming for.

The main page featured a number of integrated videos, a carousel of recipe features that could be shared to Pinterest, along with 2 CRM data capture features. Two subpages were created while we were well into the development process; one focused on connecting with Instagram and hosting video content that was generated by social partners.

This content could be voted upon by site visitors and would be ranked based on popularity. The voting process served as another CRM capture point, but also allowed Parachute to implement a barrier against vote-rigging through spam voting.

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

Jay and Deepak were the primary points of contact for design and updates. Another 5 people were involved in varying capacities for design, content, testing etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is on-going but has successfully launched. Users are voting, interacting and registering their details. Parachute adapted to the demands needed of the video assets to ensure that everything looked as good as could possibly be; putting in long hours and some weekend work as we approached the launch.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Frequent zoom calls, emails and phone calls ensured that any issues were dealt with quickly and easily. Most delays were on our end as we dealt with changing demands between global needs and local implementation.

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

From the first pitch, to our first meeting, the team at Parachute has been overwhelmingly helpful and friendly. Never overstepping the mark but giving consistent feedback on how to best implement our ideas or bring strategy to life. Especially with respect to the budget, delivering a lower quote than all other bids.

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

Nothing that jumps out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner at a law firm called Fosters Law LLP.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Parachute Design Group Inc. has been our web designer for at least a decade.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Parachute Design Group Inc. team developed our website. Since then, they’ve been responsible for giving maintenance to it and applying any requests we might have.

Currently, we’re collaborating with them and another digital marketing on a rebranding project.

What is the team composition?

Jay (Founder & Creative Director) is our main point of contact.

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

I wasn’t involved in that decision; it was long ago.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2010, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Though the rebrand is still underway, the fresh design will reflect our company’s culture perfectly. We’ve already had very positive internal and external feedback. One of Jay’s greatest strengths is his responsive customer service; we’re happy with the work he’s done.

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

Most of our communication is done through email exchanges.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication style is most impressive, especially when explaining complex tasks. The team is very instructive and responsive to all of our questions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice would be to trust that you’re in good hands.