Drupal firm based in Virginia / Washington D.C.
Plethora Design, established in 2003, is a web design and development consultancy based in Sterling, Virginia.
We're user experience specialists and offer a range of services from web design and custom programming to graphic design, content management solutions, e-commerce, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and support & maintenance. Our client list includes non-profits and community organizations, professional services & IT companies, schools and education, manufacturers and distributors, health care consultants, architects and engineers, and those in arts and entertainment.
Focus
Recommended Providers
Portfolio
USAID, DLT, SK&A Structural Engineers, ERP International, ATIS.org, Friends of Florence, SPARGO, NCS Technologies, VariQ.com, Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission to the U.S., Alliance for Financial Inclusion, World Bank, FHI 360, EIT, Ashworth, International Development Group, Fairfax County, Culpeper County, Maryland State Education Association, Armitage Gone! Dance, Dental Trade Alliance, Nestle, ITSP Solutions, US State Department, Vineyard Arts Project, National New Play Network.

https://erpinternational.com
In winter 2020 we redesigned ERP International’s WordPress site. We migrated the existing content and maintained existing URLs using 301 redirects (for SEO).

VariQ.com
VariQ approached us with a need for a full redesign and conversion to Drupal. We built a new Drupal 8 site with a custom responsive theme, and featuring custom content types and views for news, contracts, awards, staff, and more.

ATIS.org
In 2020 we designed and built a new WordPress site to house the various web properties ATIS has been maintaining for years. Some of those were standalone WordPress sites, others ran ASP, and others were simply standalone HTML sites. With the exception of a few standalone HTML sites, these have been brought under the umbrella of a single WordPress multisite installation.
The new site needed to reflect the initiatives, committees, and ongoing efforts at ATIS. This was achieved using custom post types, an overview page for the various initiatives, and landing pages for the various initiative types. We wrote a custom plugin to define the various post types needed, and also used it to create various functions and shortcodes that are used throughout the site.
The project also called for extensive use of tagging. We set up a Technologies page to give visitors a way to browse by topic. On this page we implemented SVG icons, as well.

DLT.com
In late 2019 / early 2020 we migrated DLT’s Drupal 7 site to Drupal 8, maintaining their existing look, feel, and functionality, but improving the functionality. In order to maintain the look and feel we had to build a brand-new Drupal 8 theme and make it look like the old site.
We also migrated their WordPress blog into Drupal, ensuring proper redirects of old URLs, in order to avoid SEO problems.

https://spargoinc.com
In early 2020 we built a new Drupal 8 site for SPARGO, Inc. Their previous site was a custom ASP.net site. We copied their existing content over, added new content, and helped SPARGO update how their services are represented. The home page contains a custom-coded SVG animation as well as a background video. We incorporated icons throughout the site, using FontAwesome.

https://www.armitagegonedance.org
Karole Armitage’s Broadway dance company, Armitage Gone! Dance, has been breaking new ground in modern dance and ballet for nearly two decades, and has worked with David Salle, Jeff Koons, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and many others. Her work crosses artistic boundaries and promotes cross-fertilization between disciplines.
When Armitage Gone! Dance approached us, they did not yet have a site for their company, though there was one for Karole Armitage herself. We were provided with an initial site concept consisting of nine squares for the different content areas, and used this for the main page, while unwrapping the nine-square into a row of nine squares for the content pages. Content pages contain large images, which the user must negotiate before accessing actual content. All this can be done in three clicks or less, yet it enhances the site’s visual appeal immensely without losing clarity. The site was set up for Macromedia Contribute compatibility so that our client’s team can update the content without any outside help.
In May 2009 we converted the site to Joomla, enabling the Armitage staff to more easily make updates, and opening up new possibilities such as image galleries and embedded video. Since then we have maintained it and made it mobile friendly.
Reviews
the project
Web Design for Medical Laboratory
"They go above and beyond to ensure that everything is well."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm the owner of a company called Acorn laboratory. We do COVID-19 testing and mobile collections, so in a way, we're a medical laboratory.
What challenge were you trying to address with Plethora Design?
We needed a web design to make patients check our service, pricing, and contact channels.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Plethora Design is doing web design for our business on WordPress. They asked for information on my company to look for a similar layout to get an idea of the final product. After a couple of meetings, they started working on the template, sending a draft, and asking my opinion about how things were going. In terms of prior documentation, I gave them a few examples and information that I wanted on the website, and then they started and took it from there.
In addition to that, they’ve helped me select the correct logo to reflect on the site's background and input.
What is the team composition?
I've been mainly working with just one person from their team.
How did you come to work with Plethora Design?
I found them on LinkedIn; I looked at their profile and the websites they’ve done, which were impressive. They also looked to have experience working with healthcare organizations, so that's why I chose them.
How much have you invested with them?
We've spent $5,000–$6,000 with them so far.
What is the status of this engagement?
The partnership started in July 2021, and it's still ongoing. Currently, they’re doing maintenance updates as needed. I plan to hire them for additional services and changes on the website.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Their work can be compared to our biggest competitors!
How did Plethora Design perform from a project management standpoint?
In terms of communication, we use email. They’d also record a video section of what they do and its changes to get a detailed breakdown of an invoice at the end of the month for all the service and hours they did.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their personal relationship is excellent, and they provide guidance even on some of the stuff that isn’t listed on the contract. For example, they got a local designer to change icons for us. Overall, they go above and beyond to ensure that everything is well, giving suggestions to improve everything.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don't think there's anything they can improve on.
Any advice for potential customers?
For a website, they're not here to build it for you but to help you execute it. If you don't know what needs to be there, they can't help you put everything together without knowing what you want. The important thing is understanding your needs and what you want on the website instead of thinking you'll hire someone and take care of it.
the project
Website Development for Fundraising Company
"What I found most impressive was Plethora Design's command of coding language."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
My partner and I founded a company that provides fundraising for PTA/PTOs whereby the students offer baby tree seedlings earning an astounding ~70 ROI.
For what projects/services did your company hire Plethora Design, and what were your goals?
We needed to move away from GoDaddy to a more flexible platform that could accommodate all of our transactional needs online. That included implementing an e-commerce component that had a couple of twists that made it not the run-of-the-mill e-commerce site.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We decided to use Plethora Design based on two primary factors. One was Plethora from the very beginning was heavy on the education. Explanations of WHY certain parameters are better than others was par for the course even in the response to our proposal request.
The other factor was the price. Plethora's figure was based upon a more thorough understanding of our needs vis-a-vis other providers, who seemed to have only a cursory understanding of what we needed.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
The primary goal was simply to get an e-commerce site up and running ASAP, for the school year would be upon us very quickly. Once the e-commerce site was up, we could then begin to move the rest of the site away from GoDaddy and to WordPress. Our GoDaddy site was structured well so creating the site in WordPress was easier than if it were made from scratch.
Due to the unique structure of our e-commerce site, we had to test plugins to determine design optimization. Plethora's coding capability was utilized numerous times and saved the day more than once while working toward our deadline. I would be remiss if I failed to mention the education that occurred. Plethora made use of Loom video to explain things.
They also created videos and parked them on the administrator's site for me to view later under a Help menu. With the help of those videos, I feel comfortable making non-programming changes to our WordPress site. If a sentence needs tweaked or a download added to a page, I can do that without involving Plethora. For that I am thankful.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
The senior developer and one other person who knew more about one aspect of the project worked on our website.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
We are just now entering the fundraising season so we do not have any numbers to report as of yet. Nevertheless, we are quite pleased that we now have a site that can handle our clients' fundraising needs 100% online. Further, people have expressed positive feelings about the look and feel of our new website.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
The management style was hands-on. We were in constant communication as milestones clicked by. From time to time, we would have Zoom calls, which served to bring everyone up to date on where things stood. Throughout the process, Plethora made heavy use of Loom videos for both descriptive purposes to demonstrate concepts and for instructive purposes for learning how to, say, upload a csv file of data to populate a database.
It helped that all parties involved worked professionally and maintained good relations. There was mutual respect.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
What I found most impressive was Plethora Design's command of coding language. On the fly, I witnessed someone typing in a different language that made an immediate impact on the site that optimized design features. There was a fair amount of custom coding which I am grateful Plethora could readily handle.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
Due to the unique nature of the way our e-commerce site was to work, there was insufficient knowledge about what might be the best plugin. But that was totally understandable. Plugins to WordPress and Woocommerce are like apps in the App store. It is difficult to know which app is best for a very specific function unless it's downloaded and put through the paces.
And, one of the plugins actually had a coding error that caused an unanticipated problem. That plugin's developer has some work to do to fix it. In any event, Plethora worked diligently to overcome the plugin bumps.
the project
Drupal Website Dev for Consulting Company
"Plethora Design stands out for their follow-up, their completion, and their ease of communication."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm president of BSI Corporation, a consulting firm that specializes in Asia-Pacific business.
What challenge were you trying to address with Plethora Design?
I needed Plethora Design to help me attract attention to my company and attain more business. Moreover, I wanted people to identify my company and some associated advisers.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Plethora Design developed a Drupal website for us. It was hosted through Bluetooth.
What is the team composition?
I worked directly with Casper (Founder). I’m not sure if there were others involved in the work.
How did you come to work with Plethora Design?
They made a proposal to me that looked pretty good. I did a little research online to see if there was anything special elsewhere, but I’m talking about a website design in 2006. In those days, we weren’t peppered with a lot of web designers.
How much have you invested with them?
I remember an estimate was given at $720, with the deposit to begin at $250. There might have been some additional charges along the way. Their rate was $80 an hour.
Moreover, every few months, Plethora Design checks my site and makes some Drupal suggested updates. After they complete them, I approve and pay around $50–$60 for the updates.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started in February 2006, and it was wrapped up at the end of March 2006.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I didn't have that much to compare it with, but I did watch the metrics, and they were active. I wasn't looking for a lot of action; I was just following certain areas that I was interested to see. For example, there are links to numerous articles that I’ve written, and sometimes I’d look to see how many people clicked on a particular one.
How did Plethora Design perform from a project management standpoint?
They were excellent. Casper gave me a couple of videos that would help me understand how I could gain access and make some edits myself. It mostly helped with content edits, but I was able to do it with his help.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Plethora Design stands out for their follow-up approach, their completion, and their ease of communication.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I can't think of any improvements.
Any advice for potential customers?
My advice would be to work with transparency and clarity while discussing your needs, which you’ll find rewarded with clarity and responsiveness on the other side.
the project
Website Maintenance Services for State Education Association
“We can rely on Plethora to handle things quickly.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I work for an education association that represents professionals in the public education sector, including teachers, bus drivers, and food service workers within our state. We’re basically their union organization. I manage our website, as well as our local affiliates’ sites. I send out mass emails and text messages, and I do all online communications work.
What challenge were you trying to address with Plethora Design?
We need maintenance services for Drupal and WordPress websites.
What was the scope of their involvement?
When I first engaged with Plethora, we had a Drupal website that needed maintenance work, such as finding bugs and fixing them. After we moved away from Drupal, I also needed their help for the WordPress websites of our locals.
On top of that, one member of our community asked them to build the members-only portion of their website. Casper (Director) worked on that on the backend using an existing WordPress blog as the login screen. The project was a huge undertaking in terms of functionality, but it wasn’t something that the public could see on the frontend. He built fields where people could type their names, birth dates, and ID number. It then gave members access to a number of data items as well as allowed them to change their information.
Currently, Casper is working on our local affiliates’ websites, and he’s been my go-to person for anything that goes on with any of our sites. The partnership is evolving based on what I’m using him for.
What is the team composition?
I only work with Casper, but there might be more people working behind him.
How did you come to work with Plethora Design?
I did a Google search of people who were affordable and could let us know how we could do things in different ways. I found Plethora and felt fine with Casper’s hourly rate based on the things that we needed. I also knew I wouldn’t be calling on him so much that we would spend thousands of dollars.
Apart from that, it was very hard to find people who knew Drupal, which used to be popular. That was what made him stand out: he still worked with and understood Drupal, unlike other people who exclusively worked with WordPress. As a result, I hired him.
How much have you invested with them?
In the beginning, we were billed around $300 per month. Now, we’re being billed around $1,000 per month. The cost depends on the season, what we’re asking for from them, and how much work we’re asking them to do.
That number will go down again once we’re done with the website redesign. We’re currently having a lot of problems with our local sites, and Casper is constantly fixing things, so the bills add up.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in January 2017, and it’s an ongoing partnership.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I trust Casper to handle whatever problem arises. Sometimes, he fixes a problem and it comes back again after two weeks, so one could question the success of what he’s done. However, I don’t blame him for that because something else might have gone wrong, and it might have triggered the problem to happen again. Some things simply reoccur, and if other problems come along, he fixes those, too.
We’ve broken off relationships with other people who weren’t doing their jobs. Our work with Plethora started in 2017, and Casper’s still working with us; this shows that we’re perfectly fine with their work.
How did Plethora Design perform from a project management standpoint?
Their project management is a little bit different from what other companies do. With other companies, we can take as much time as we want to do emails and phone calls, and we won’t be worried about how long the conversation is taking. With Plethora, I try to avoid phone calls because any type of calls with Casper is billed. It’s different from what I’m used to.
Meanwhile, in terms of problem-solving, Casper explains either what he will do or what he has done. Most of the time, he explains what he’s done after he’s finished fixing an issue. That explanation usually comes in the form of a video, which is cool; he records his screen and to talks us through the process.
Overall, the downside of this type of project management is that I have to pay for working through the project pieces. However, the perk is that they give me extras that I don’t get from others — they show me exactly what they do and how they do it. It’s very transparent, and the videos are proof of that. For comparison, when we pay other vendors to do something, they sometimes contract it to someone else and they won’t even do the work themselves.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The turnaround time is the biggest strength of Plethora. When I tell them the sites are down, Casper will complete the job within hours even if it’s 10 p.m. on a holiday. In fact, there was a time when I hadn’t talked to him for months and I thought he’d forgotten about me. All the sites were down and I wasn’t sure what I had to do. However, when I talked to him, he said he was going to handle the problem for me even if he was busy for the holidays. To sum up, when we’re in the midst of an emergency, we can rely on Plethora to handle things quickly.
Are there any areas they could improve?
It would be nice to know upfront what they’re about to do to solve a problem instead of just telling me after they’ve done it. Usually, I find out what Casper has done after the fact, and then I pay for it. I feel that telling me what they’re about to do will give the engagement more transparency; this is my personal preference.
That being said, sometimes I simply want to get the work done, especially during emergencies. Overall, I wouldn’t trade one negative thing for the relationship that we have. If that’s the way Casper works, it’s fine; he’s so good at what he does and I’m going to keep using him.
the project
Drupal Migration & Web Dev for Environmental Research Org
"We’ve never encountered a situation where they haven’t come up with a solution."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We’re a nonprofit, environmental research organization. We do work on freshwater, disease, forest, and urban ecology. We're based in Millbrook, upstate New York. I work in web development and design in the communications department.
What challenge were you trying to address with Plethora Design?
We turned to Plethora Design (Plethora) to complete pending work from a Drupal migration.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We had issues going into the tail end of our project, so we worked very closely with Plethora to address the main and major ones.
Our papers were in a database of publications that needed to be imported over and set up. There were also teaching materials that had to be imported and updated. Plethora helped us to complete the migration of that content. They addressed some accessibility issues and made sure we complied with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards — they were very strong in that department.
They’re still plugging away some oddities, and they do updates and maintenance on our site.
What is the team composition?
Our main point of contact is Casper (Director).
How did you come to work with Plethora Design?
I found them through Clutch. I had a list to start out with and they were on it, but we ended up going with another company. We started updating our site with them, but we had issues completing the project, so we went on with Plethora.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent over $15,000 at this point.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in September 2019, and the partnership is actively ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We turned to them to fix issues and complete the migration project, and they were very responsive to our needs and upfront about the cost. Since then, they’ve been very transparent; they let us know if they’re spotting issues with anything, and we decide how to address them. We appreciate having them guide us because we don’t have deep knowledge about that. The work they’ve delivered has been very solid, and we’ve been happy with their service and the relationship thus far.
How did Plethora Design perform from a project management standpoint?
During the initial development, we tackled the work on a job-by-job sort of basis. We used Trello for a while, but they’ve since moved on to another platform. We haven’t been using that new tool for our work since issues come up every now and then, so we now just use emails.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We’ve never encountered a situation where they haven’t come up with a solution. They never turn around and say something can’t be done. They’re very creative, and they think out of the box. Also, accessibility is one of their strong points, while a lot of agencies don’t keep an eye on those things.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I can’t think of any sort of criticism that would come to mind.
the project
Joomla Web Development & Design for Hosted VoIP Company
“The quality of their work and design really stands out.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm one of the partners at Envoi Networks, a hosted voiceover IP (VoIP) company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Plethora Design?
We were trying to build a nice website, and we wanted someone with good taste in design to work closely with us. That was when we found Plethora.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Initially, Plethora gave us a very in-depth quote, including exactly what they would do for us. Then, they gave us a roadmap and timeline of what the project would take and what everything would look like as far as coming up with the site was concerned. After that, the team sent us questionnaires that helped us navigate how our site was going to be and what categories, menus, and submenus it would have. The platform was developed using Joomla.
Along the way, they gave a lot of suggestions and advice. Once that was done, we had a consultation. Plethora reviewed the information we provided and made suggestions for us and for the types of pictures and designs we should have.
What is the team composition?
We work directly with Casper (Director).
How did you come to work with Plethora Design?
They came through a recommendation. Someone had used Plethora’s services before, and they were very happy with the results, so they recommended the team to us.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve probably spent around $15,000–$20,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in January 2010, and we’re still working together.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I don’t have hard statistics, but we’ve received a lot of great comments on our website. End users and even telemarketers who call us say that the site is nice. That’s the type of results we’ve received so far, and it’s made a big impact and difference in our business.
How did Plethora Design perform from a project management standpoint?
Plethora is very responsive. If there’s any issue or if we need to do something quickly, it’s very easy to get a hold of them. In terms of tools, they’ve provided a shared document system similar to Google Documents. We keep updating and transferring documents between each other, and it’s been really helpful.
They’ve also done a lot of handholding for us. They make time to meet us in person to go over our needs instead of doing everything by email. Designing isn’t something we can do remotely and through back-and-forth emails. As a result, we need someone to be present and ask our opinion, and the way that Plethora does that has been truly helpful; they’re careful as they come up with everything.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The quality of their work and design really stands out.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, there aren’t any.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
It would be very helpful if you look at some other website to have an idea of what you like. I’ve gone to different websites in my industry to show Plethora what I like, and it’s helped us.
the project
Web Dev for Nonprofit Organization
"Plethora Designs has been extremely responsive, flexible, and realistic."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the Director of Corporate Communications for the Pacific Community (SPC). SPC is a regional, intergovernmental development organization covering more than 20 sectors. The organization uses science and innovation to support Pacific fisheries, public health surveillance, education, geoscience and conservation of plant genetic resources for food security.
For what projects/services did your company hire Plethora Design?
A full redesign and revision of the SPC corporate website.
What were your goals for this project?
SPC had a fragmented web presence across 8 divisions, a very weak corporate presence and unrefined branding . We contracted Plethora to create a modern Corporate website presence to highlight the SPC brand and to provide a guide for SPC divisions to follow in their own website revisions.
How did you select Plethora Design?
We engaged in a competitive international bidding process, Plethora was shortlisted and ultimately selected by a 4 person panel.
Describe the project in detail.
Once engaged we worked with Plethora on a variety of templates and design ideas. Once we had settled on a common theme and basic requirements, Plethora developed draft pages for us to review. The overall draft layout was done relatively quickly.
We then worked with Plethora on the extra elements ranging from interactive maps to the integration of pre existing databases, to twitter integration and a customized calendar module. With the templates set and modules agreed Plethora then managed the migration of content and hosting of the site on a cloud server.
We did a soft launch and made further adjustments based on feedback from selected users and finally switched over to the new site- on time and within budget. Plethora continued to work closely with us in the months immediately following the launch , both on training for use of the CMS and correcting any unforeseen issues or bugs that appeared.
What was the team composition?
We worked primarily with a team of two, consisting of Plethora's owner and a chief web developer. They coordinated with the SPC Corporate Communications team as well as our IT and knowledge management staff.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The results were seen within months. SPC had been losing 10-15% traffic per year over the previous two years. That traffic turned around to a 5% gain after one year and has been expanding each year since, with 2020 seeing a 30% increase in users.
Traffic flow also changed significantly with the SPC front page and SPC updates page becoming top entry points, exposing users to the full scope of SPC activities. Just as importantly 6 months after launch, SPC divisions were inspired to do their own website revisions and were eager to bring their sites under the corporate brand. Several larger divisions chose Plethora for those revisions.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Plethora was extremely responsive, flexible and realistic. They were quick to offer ideas and solutions, they did not over promise and they kept us on track as far as expectations. Emails were responded to within hours at the latest and often within minutes- even on weekends and holidays. Online meetings were well organized and productive.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Their honestly and transparency. You expect the qualifications and expertise to be high for this sort of company, but it is hard to find that with a group that you actually enjoy working with. They were always completely straightforward with us and when something was beyond budget or time they let us know and proposed alternatives. We all felt that during the development they were a real part of SPC.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Nothing of note.
the project
Web Dev & Design for Nonprofit Organization
"I'm very impressed with Plethora Design's speed and accuracy when making requests."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
NPO Services provides the professional staff to manage a wide range of business operations for Washington DC area nonprofit organizations. Our services include accounting and financial management, payroll, legal, information technology, audio-visual, and human resources. Limited space may also be available for lease to small nonprofit organizations of 1-3 employees. We manage nonprofit business operations so that your team can focus on achieving your organization’s mission.
For what projects/services did your company hire Plethora Design, and what were your goals?
To take over the development for several web sites, the initial project was to take custom applications that were designed for a wordpress multisite and make them work on a single wordpress install. We needed a lot of custom CSS for the theme we purchased to adopt a lot of similar items our old web site had.
How did you select Plethora Design and what were the deciding factors?
From a google search I found Plethora Design to get a bid for another project, after getting to know their skill set I quickly made use of their skills on a project a couple years ago, making a custom application SSL. We've been through 4 web developers and I needed a fresh look, Plethora was able to pick up where the old developers left off without a problem.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
All our web sites are in WordPress, so we needed a developer that had experience with it. Once I contacted Plethora Design about the idea of taking over development I did a 1 hour screen share with them to explain my goals/needs, they were more than happy to take the challenge. The biggest project so far was a migration and redesign, I'm very happy with the end result.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
So far I've only worked one-on-one with Casper Voogt who goes out of his way to explain everything. Casper often sends me videos with the process he took to fix something or new workflows I need to do.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
I'm very happy with the work Plethora Design has performed, the web site is exactly how I envisioned it would look like. Plethora Design has an attention to detail we need in a developer. It's refreshing to work with someone that has so many great ideas and knowledge about web sites.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.
I don't like using ticketing systems or project management software, Plethora Design just needs an email with the tasks that need to be performed which I'm very happy about. They also provide a lot of videos explaining what they did or workflows to change.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
I'm very impressed with Plethora Design's speed and accuracy when making requests. There is little back and forth communication to fully understand what I'm looking for.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
There was a few styling issues at the start, however Plethora Design was very quick to make the changes.
the project
Web Design for Nonprofit Volunteer Organization
"We’re impressed with their responsiveness, and how they are always there for us."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
The organization that I volunteer for is called the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Sciences. This is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer organization, and we promote the science education of rocks, minerals, and fossils. I’m the current president of the Eastern Federation.
What challenge were you trying to address with Plethora Design?
We wanted to promote the organization to our affiliate societies and bring in new members using our website.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Plethora Design primarily provides us with web design and the development of a mapping function, so users can find a local society near where they live. In addition, we have discovered that Plethora could also provide other services that we could implement to future developments.
The previous website has a lot to be desired, considering it’s probably close to 20 years old now. This project is not so much of a redesign, but it’s almost like starting from scratch.
What is the team composition?
For this project, we had actually contracted two companies for web design, which isn’t the norm. However, we decided we would hire two companies and let each of them contribute to the overall success. The key players in the development are in a committee of about six people with varying degrees of website knowledge.
It was a collaborative effort to look at several proposals, along with allotting the budget to find a company with web development services. It took about six months for the committee to get to the point where we had to focus on a mission for the website, which led us to contact Plethora and one other company.
How did you come to work with Plethora Design?
Plethora Design contacted the Eastern Federation by means of our monthly newsletter, where we had an article about us looking for web designers.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve invested roughly around $1,500–$2,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our ongoing partnership started in November 2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Our organization offers a group insurance for our affiliate member societies, and Plethora streamlined that process in the form of web forms — which saves us a lot of time. Plethora is able to work with us to maintain the integrity of the site — they are always there for us and advise us on the standards of web design.
How did Plethora Design perform from a project management standpoint?
We communicate on an as-needed basis since we’re a volunteer organization, and we don’t have the internal skill set for many business functions. In the early stages of development, when things came up, it didn’t really come so much from a project management standpoint. We’ve just been going along with any needs as they come up.
However, we’re slowly moving to more of a project management model as we go forward. We want to try to be as efficient with the needs of the website as possible.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We’re impressed with their responsiveness, and how they are always there for us.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t think there’s anything they could do differently or improve on.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
If a company wants a web designer that’ll give them the support and assistance they need, I would say that Plethora has done more than what we’re expecting.
the project
Web Dev & Design for Government Consulting Firm
"Plethora is willing to go above and beyond."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the director of marketing and digital strategy at ERP International, a government consulting firm that focuses on information technology and health care staffing.
What challenge were you trying to address with Plethora?
We needed Plethora to update our website.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We started working with Plethora through an initial sourcing call, in which we figured out all our needs, and they explained how the process would go. Later on, we had a couple of brainstorming sessions to figure out what would look good for our website. From there, they assisted us in building the copy and coming up with the terminology and content that we’d need to populate the website. Then, they made a staging site and started making updates we could review in real-time.
Plethora developed our website using WordPress, and they used Elementor for plugins. They also handled our SEO to make sure that we were optimizing the website organically.
They did such a good job of reviewing our content and seeing what was important to us that they were able to make some keyword research recommendations with our approval.
What is the team composition?
Casper (Director) was my main point of contact.
How did you come to work with Plethora?
I came across them through Google research, looking for people and firms with government-industry experience. They were the most affordable option without any sense of compromised quality.
How much have you invested with them?
I’d estimate we spent $20,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The engagement probably began in April 2020, and we launched the website in February 2021. We had some significant delays with feedback from our side. However, they were very patient with us and worked very quickly from their side.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We saw an increase in traffic from January–February 2021. We launched the website at the end of February 2021, and we still saw an increase in traffic. We've also seen an increase in the number of people using our “Contact us” form from the website.
How did Plethora perform from a project management standpoint?
Since we were such a small team, we’d communicate back and forth through email, which worked quite well. It was very helpful because, even for a quick question, Plethora would send a screen-recorded video explaining why they made a certain change or how they made it, making sure we had a history log of how we could continue to update the website on our own after the project ended.
There was no one else in our ERP team other than myself, who was familiar with web development or what it entailed redoing a website. There were terms and practices that we needed Plethora to explain for us to feel comfortable with the decisions we’d make. They were willing to be hands-on, and explain things in a visual way to our team. They would go above and beyond to provide different examples.
Moreover, I have an agency background in web development myself, so I appreciate how transparent Plethora was while working with us. At no point did I feel like it was just a monetary transaction, but more like they had our best interests at heart. They worked quickly and were really patient with the time that we needed.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Plethora is willing to go above and beyond, which shows their hands-on experience. They would respond to off-the-cuff emails and didn’t have designated schedules, which made us feel like we were their only client, even though we knew it wasn’t true. Plethora is willing to go above and beyond
Are there any areas they could improve?
I can’t think of anything at this time. We’d use them again and we certainly plan to, adjust as budgets allow.
Any advice for potential customers?
They give honest feedback about what they think it’s best for the project, so be willing to lean on them as an extended team member when it comes to brainstorming and collaborative experience.
The client states that Plethora Design's work could compare to the larger companies in the realm. They lead a communicative process to keep the team updated through a transparent approach to know every process step. They're also personable and provide proactive guidance to ensure the project's quality.