Pill Creative Studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an executive at a tech startup in the transportation industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Pill Creative Studio?

We are a new tech startup with years of experience in the transportation industry. As women co-founders, we wanted to make our mark in the male-dominated transportation tech industry. We needed to create a brand identity and UI/UX design that stood out with professional quality that set us apart. We hired this vendor because the company's portfolio was super solid. We wanted a unique logo and UI/UX that was modern and user-friendly.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online for the best UI/UX developers in the US and shortlisted 7 of them. After interviewing them, we chose this vendor based on professionalism, quality of work from portfolio of past projects, design skills, enthusiasm for the project, estimate for cost of services, and the vendors ability to design brand identity and UI/UX.

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

Their team conducted an extensive onboarding interview with an in depth look at the problem our company was solving. The team also market research of our competitors. From there they sent us a scope of work that was in line with our specific needs and we got started with brand strategy. The mood boards the vendor sent really helped set the stage and guide our team in the process.

Within a few days of us selecting a mood board that was in line with our company's culture and vision, we had designs of amazing logos with brand colors. Each logo design was thoughtful and we selected the one that was in line with our vision. It just felt "right" — it was perfect! The vendor sent us a comprehensive brand style guide that is extremely helpful. Next we moved on to the UI/UX phase.

The vendor studied the use case we sent and you can tell they did their own research of competitors as well. The process was very streamlined and we hardly had any comments to the initial prototype design sent to us - it was spot on! The design was user friendly and modern. The vendor also designed a landing page for us as things were moving fast on our side. The project was completed within the estimated timeline and within the estimated budget. Loved working with this vendor!

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

My team worked directly with their UI/UX designers. We loved that there were no middle men. It made our experience much more intimate and in depth.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very pleased with the deliverables from their team. Our dev team was able to develop a beta version of the app in house using the UI/UX which served as a great foundation for our app. After only a couple of in depth conversations, the vendor was able to fully capture our vision from the start and well exceeded expectations. The design has helped us create a professional, user-friendly mobile friendly app and we've received positive feedback from potential users.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The vendor worked very well with our CTO and team which made the process seamless without a lot of back and forth. All deliverables were on time and within budget. We had virtual meetings and also communicated via email - there was a nice balance of both.

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

This company's logo/brand design and UI/UX skills are exceptional. They truly understood our vision and it was obvious they did their market research. They are thoughtful listeners which is a unique trait in designers. This is our first tech startup and the vendor taught us so much about the process. No question went unanswered.

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

The vendor should keep doing what they are doing. Their process works and as long as the client does their part, the process is seamless. We couldn't have asked for better. Loved working with this vendor.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Founder of Boche Design and we’re an online marketplace specializing in unique, handpicked items ranging from apparel to housewares.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Pill Creative Studio, and what were your goals?

We came to Pill Creative Studio to assist in creating our brand based on a concept we had in our head. We were starting from scratch looking for the development of a logo, brand identity, website creation and marketing assets. It was a difficult process to choose a vendor because there are so many different agencies out there. Once we had our initial call we knew that for Veronika and team it was less about a monetary focus and more about a passion for their work.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

PCS started with a deep dive into the “discovery” of our brand and truly listened to our vision with the intention of bringing it to life. Once we finalized the logo everything else just came to life. They were able to tackle the integration of Shopify and even recreated the images we used for our products, so it all looked consistent. They had logical, well-thought-out milestones with different execution strategies that supported our timelines.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Logo customization along with brand identity was key. Communication was key, from discovery call, to presentation and meeting timelines, it was a great experience.

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

Three members, Owner/Designer, Business Consultant and Design Assistant.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, I can’t say enough about how easy Pill Creative made this process. It’s scary trying to navigate starting a business because you’re constantly trying to balance needs versus wants with a budget. Developing a brand is a very personal thing and it’s so important to find a partner who understands that.

Veronika made sure we had weekly calls to check in on progress but also to make sure that the direction we were headed in from a design standpoint was on par with our vision. We've continued to work with them after launch to assist in developing social media assets and merchandising materials. I truly feel like we have more than just a client-agency relationship — but rather a true partnership. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a more personalized, less corporate branding experience.

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

Communication was key in delivering in a timely matter. There was continuous communication with the owner/designer including phone calls, zoom meetings and emails keeping us in touch with each step of the project.

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

The capability to deliver an incredible logo design all while learning what is important to our clients when considering the branding.

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

There are none I can suggest.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of our company. We are launching 2 SaaS platforms. The first is a reimagined online booking experience dedicated to Barbershops, Hair Salons and Tattoo Parlors. The second s an e-Learning platform dedicated to support professionals n the Barbering/Cosmetology industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Pill Creative Studio?

We considered hiring Pill Creative to help us develop our landing page (ahead of our product launch) along with design enhancements to our current website design. We also considered getting their help with our overall brand identity + branding strategies.

SOLUTION

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

We searched around on Clutch for companies that offer Graphic/Web design that had strong reviews from clients.

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

We initially hired Pill Creative studio to help with the following:

1. Design enhancements to our landing page
2. Web development to help us launch our landing page
3. UI/UX help for our upcoming Blog site
4. Branding help with our marketing content - i.e. video content, social media graphics, e-mail newsletters, etc.

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

We spoke to Matt (company's CFO and sales person?) and the founder (who also seems to be the lead designer) Veronika.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was a total failure. Arguably the worst experience I've encountered working with a design team across my entire career. Veronika, their lead designer, had left for a vacation immediately after we submitted the payment to kick off the project.

Before consulting with us or scheduling a kickoff, the team delivered to us were extremely poor quality wireframes based on their own assumptions around our brand/audience which led us to search for a more professionally run design studio (more info below).

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Absolutely non-productive. The majority of our discussions were focused on negotiating on price and the initial deposit.At first, the team demanded a 50% deposit upfront. We negotiated the deposit down a bit and made the payment to get started.

Matt indicated to us that Veronika (leading the design effort) was heading on vacation for a week and would not be able to start the work for another week which the first of the red flags. Also, Veronika and team had apparently jumped right into design during vacation without talking to us first.

At a minimum, we were hoping to schedule a kickoff call to discuss what we were looking for, our brand's vision or even put together an initial mood board/style guide before starting off with design work. We also came to them with a website design concept that we really liked but needed some minor improvements that we were hoping to discuss.

We didn't hear from the team for the entire week and we had to cancel the contract early based on some product development expenses we had to pick up. The next morning after notifying the team that we had to cancel/return our deposit, Veronika and team had put together a last ditch effort (the morning of) delivering the lowest quality wireframes we've ever seen.

They also proposed a total redesign / change our website's experience based on their assumptions. The work looked to be sloppy, rushed and something that I can have produced myself as a non-designer. Worse off, they charged us almost the same amount that we paid for the website design that we were already relatively happy.

Before delivering the work, we had considered bringing the team back a few weeks down the road when we got closer to launch. But this experience made it clear that the company is cash-strapped and focused more on collecting money vs partnering with a customer to deeply understand their needs. We felt like we dodged a huge bullet walking away as early as we did.

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

Initially, we were the most impressed with their Clutch reviews from other clients. We looked at their portfolio of work which indicated that they had the potential to produce strong web design work for us. But we didn't really spend enough time researching whether or not they'd be a good fit for us unfortunately.

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

The team needed to work on how to properly partner with a new client and build trust before demanding payment. Spend the time to figure out who your client is, what they're looking for, market/audience and who their competitors are.

Before demanding a payment, put together a proposal that includes a thorough outline/plan showing how you plan to approach the project and what deliverables/timeline the client can expect. Most importantly, after accepting payment, schedule a call to dive into the details of the project with the client and start with a mood board/style guide before rushing into poor quality design work.

We've worked with several design studios now. The organized/professional design teams that are thriving all do this very well. It seems like these guys are a young team that's still figuring out their way.

Company Responses

The vendor responded on April 11, 2022

We were only four days into this project when the reviewer informed us that he needed to postpone things because Guile Men was having cashflow issues. Unfortunately, the work had already started due to their tight delivery timeline. We immediately informed him that we would cancel ongoing work but would need to compensate our team for work completed. We provided him with documentation of hours completed by our team and deducted our hourly rate from his initial deposit. He became very angry and threatened a negative review. Like most companies, we don’t think our team should have to work for free. Our cancellation policy is stated in the client agreement he signed and deterring from that would be unfair to our other clients. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a cryptocurrency startup focused on enabling the cannabis industry to innovate and engage with their customers through Web3.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pill Creative Studio?

Our project had been around since 2014, and we realized that we needed a major update on our website, logo, and marketing materials. As our focus was on technology, we needed a partner to give us a fresh new look.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pill Creative redesigned our logos and website, and they created comprehensive brand style guidelines for us. Our new branding included mood boards, a custom color palette, and other branding elements for our marketing materials. They were also in charge of designing our website’s wireframes and visual graphic elements.

Pill Creative has completed around 90% of our original scope. However, our project continues to grow as we identify new products for which we need logos and new ideas for social media. Thus, ours is turning into an ongoing relationship. For example, they’re currently helping us in the development of a mobile wallet app.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with Veronika (Founder). Additionally, in almost every call, we’ve talked with a business development representative.

How did you come to work with Pill Creative Studio?

We found Pill Creative during an internet search, looking for an LA-based partner with like-minded creativity for the vision we were trying to accomplish.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Keeping the heritage of our product and former logo was very important to us. Pill Creative understood that, and they didn’t drastically change it. We went through 15–20 different options, but all of them were still brand-recognizable. They did a good job staying true to our brand while updating it with a fresh new perspective.

How did Pill Creative Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Pill Creative’s project management is very clear, and we’re very satisfied with their ability to meet our deadlines. Throughout our engagement, they’ve consistently met and even exceeded our timeline expectations. They also understood our budget from the start, and they did their best to meet it, winning our business.

We communicate via email and Zoom, and they share their work through Google Drive files, Dropbox files, and PowerPoint presentations. Additionally, we’ve shared our workspace, Notion, with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Pill Creative excels at over-communicating and being a great listener.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, that’s why we continue working with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid of being honest with them, and clearly communicate the things that are non-negotiable for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of talent acquisition at PDG Consulting, an L.A.-based technology consulting firm that specializes in customer enterprise software development, business intelligence, and digital transformation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pill Creative Studio?

Our website was created a long time ago and was outdated. We needed an expert to tell our story. We were hoping to increase our traffic substantially and tell the world about who we are and what we do.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Pill Creative Studio to design and develop a brand-new WordPress web presence for us. They built it from scratch. They did everything from content creation and making tabs to imagery to coding and testing. We will be hiring them for upkeep of this website.

What is the team composition?

There was one project manager and one developer.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2021, and we wrapped up in April 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were spot on. A couple of days ago, I realized we weren’t able to retrieve a PDF or a Word document if our candidate submits an application. I reached out to them and within an hour, they were able to fix it.

They’re very responsive. The conversion rate is between 60%–70% which is really amazing. I also see a lot of traffic coming onto our website. Other than that, prospects are taking notice.

How did Pill Creative Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a relatively small project. We had regular meetings and the project lifecycle was perfectly followed. Feedback was incorporated. It was a great partnership. We had phone calls or web-based virtual meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Pill Creative Studio understood our needs, and they were always responsive. Their communication and engagement were great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, our business need was pretty simple and they were able to help us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t hesitate to tell them the real story. We told them our website wasn’t the best and that we needed to relook at how we should follow the best and the brightest designs, patterns, imagery, content, and storytelling. We wanted to know the best practice being followed by the other leading software companies.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and founder of a signature cookie shop. We are opening our first shop in Del Mar, California. We hope to expand our shops and brand nationwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Pill Creative Studio?

We hired Pill Creative to help us come up with our initial branding We had a few other designers work on our initial branding package and liked the basic concepts of what they came up with. But we wanted to have our branding and messaging to be more clear, simple, and more modern. Veronika at Pill Creative delivered exactly what we wanted in a very short period of time.

What were your goals for this project?

We are a start up, so we were starting our branding from scratch. We needed Pill Creative to listen to our goals and help us come up with a Brand and logo the represented us and our product. Veronika at Pill Creative designed our entire branding package and standards. Everything we needed from Font, Colors, Graphics, Icons, Signage, Window Wraps, uniforms, etc.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had used a few designers and was not completely satisfied with what they came up with. I finally turned to Upwork and was able to find Veronika at Pill Creative. Veronika listened to what I needed and what I wanted to create. She then took a couple days to give me an example of her work and her ideas. I loved what she came up with and knew she would be the best fit for my project!

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Through a series of meetings and brain storming sessions, Veronika was able to deigned our Branding package including our Logo, Color Scheme, tag lines, slogans, etc. She created different files for all logos and graphic s to be applied to signage, websites, window wraps, uniforms, t-shirts, stickers, trademarks, etc.

What was the team composition?

We are a start up, so our team was small. It was myself, my business partner, and Veronika at Pill Creative.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have received many compliments on my branding and design. Many other business owners I know have actually asked me for Pill Creatives contact info. so they can work with them as well!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. She met all deadlines and had exceptional communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What I found most impressive what Veronika's ability to listen to what I wanted and my vision and was able to execute what I need the first attempt. She also has excellent communication skills. She would answer my calls when I called her, and if she was not available she would text me and tell me she was on a call and that she would call me right back.

Veronika hit her deadlines, and always delivered what I needed. She is patient when I couldnt make up my mind, always provided options, and works fast. She is the MOST technical designer I have ever worked with. Veronika is able to do what most others designers told me could not be done. She finds a way to do it, and if she doesnt know how, she finds out! I always got what I needed from her!

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only area of improvement I can think of is to balance the work load a little better which I am sure is hard to do with multiple deadlines and clients all demanding different designs and applications.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of a software company that specializes in route management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pill Creative Studio?

We needed an outside vendor to guide us through logo design and branding for our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pill Creative Studio is responsible for all aspects of our branding effort. They’ve created a logo as well as a branding slide deck on PowerPoint, where we were able to choose from a menu of design options. 

The team also works on our website design.

The project is currently on hold as we await some staffing changes on the executive level, but we plan to continue the engagement as soon as possible. 

How did you come to work with Pill Creative Studio?

Originally, we’d hired another agency for the web design aspect of the project, but we weren’t satisfied with their deliverables. Despite only having hired Pill Creative Studio for the logo design, we decided to assign them the web design project as well. 

Their turnaround time was quick, and we were impressed with the work they were already doing. Additionally, we appreciated their relatively low costs.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve invested about $2,500 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in September 2019, and the work, though momentarily paused for now, is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Pill Creative Studio, on the whole, has outperformed. The design work is extremely high quality, and we’ve been consistently impressed by how quickly they can deliver, especially on the web design project.

How did Pill Creative Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve managed the project excellently. 

We’ve never had to chase anyone down to get ahold of them, and the team was always on top of their assignments. While they keep us updated on timelines, Pill Creative Studio typically provides us with content faster than when we’re expecting to receive it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality and response time really stand out to us compared with the other vendors we’ve worked with for similar services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that stands out as something they could’ve done better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Petro Head Corporation, a film company that specializes in advertising commercials.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pill Creative Studio?

We were looking for a graphic designer and person to take care of our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided the wireframes, and Veronica (Graphic Designer, Pill Creative Studio) came up with the concepts. I told her that I needed a fresh, modern look that represented what I do. She took it from there.

Since we make commercials, I told Veronica that I needed something visual with no words. She came up with something similar to an Instagram TV layout that’s easy to navigate.

What is the team composition?

I work with Veronica.

How did you come to work with Pill Creative Studio?

After getting in touch with Veronica, we decided to work with her. I liked her attitude, and she seemed ready to go the extra mile.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $2,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Pill Creative Studio started in June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s a work in progress, but the site is easy to use. Veronica continues helping us update the website with new videos. She was focused on the project rather than money. Even when I asked her for a few reviews, she didn’t charge me. She takes care of her clients. I love the energy.

How did Pill Creative Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, it’s good. I can email or text her on the weekends, and she answers immediately.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated their attitude the most.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything was pretty good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommended Veronica to my brother, who was making a website for his business. They’re already working together. It’s nice to know that I have someone that I can actually recommend.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our name is Bad Apple Collective and we’re a creative production company. So we have a full in-house marketing that can do everything from production to creative services to strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pill Creative Studio?

We needed somebody with a strong web development and graphics background. We bring them in on a lot of different stuff we do.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They do a lot of different things, like ongoing client decks and video content. Their main responsibilities are web development and graphic design, but they do some social media stuff as well.

She did our website—they designed everything. We just gave them a site map of what we wanted it to look like, but they did everything else. They used WordPress. Our client portal is password protected and can go see case studies, which was a custom build-out and that was key to the project. They also integrated video and did copywriting as well.

What is the team composition?

I mainly dealt with Veronika (Graphic Designer, Pill Creative Studio)

How did you come to work with Pill Creative Studio?

I met Veronika through another job we were working on. We got along and so I decided to hire her for graphic design.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2019 and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We did land a huge pharma client—they’re one of the biggest pharmacy companies in the world. I really think Pill Creative Studio’s designs helped us land that client.

How did Pill Creative Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re good. We only had to tell them things one time and don’t need to give a lot of direction. We rarely have to edit anything, so it’s great. When they say they’re going to do something, they get it done and it works. They definitely meet deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They go above and beyond the job that’s asked. If we ask for A, B, and C, they’ll do A, B, C, and D. So, I really like that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we work well together.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a cultural attaché for the Consulate General of the Czech Republic, based in Los Angeles. 

We’re in charge of all cultural events related to the Czech Republic happening not only in Los Angeles but in other cities and states as well. We’re a consulate, not an embassy, so we have a small staff of only 10 people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pill Creative Studio?

We needed some promotional materials for our cultural events, as well as a partner to maintain our website promoting an annual festival, one of our largest events.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pill Creative Studio’s main responsibility has been the festival website. They’re in charge of design, development, and updates, and we’re currently working on adding new information about the event. Our collaboration for this particular project usually takes about half the year. 

They’ve also worked on all of our promotional materials, including brochures and invitations. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked exclusively with Veronika (Graphic Designer & Art Director, Pill Creative Studio) on our various projects.

How did you come to work with Pill Creative Studio?

Veronika attended one of our consulate’s events. We started the collaboration from there based on our connection and the quality of Pill Creative Studio’s previous work. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $32,000 over the course of our relationship. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We first partnered with Pill Creative Studio in 2016, and our partnership is ongoing as they support us each year for six months with the festival website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re planning to change the site’s design this year to match our new graphics, and we're really confident about Veronika’s ability to execute this upcoming project.

We’re looking forward to collaborating with Pill Creative Studio more in the future. 

How did Pill Creative Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Veronika is an amazing project manager. She’s always focused on delivering great work in a timely manner. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re very happy with the quality of Veronika’s work and design skills. She’s done an excellent job with both the brochures and the website. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that comes to mind. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I really recommend working with Pill Creative Studio.