PopArt Studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The main activities of NIS are exploration, production and refining of oil and natural gas, sales and distribution of a broad range of petroleum and gas products, as well as the implementation of energy and petrochemistry projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

NIS a.d. has, for a very long time, an internal web portal. The portal is our main internal communication channel, which, year after year, is chosen by over 98% of employees. It is no wonder then that we invest a lot of our resources in the development of the Portal and are constantly looking for something new and innovative. It is our practice to do a complete redesign every couple of years. Redesign refers to everything: visual appearance, information architecture, processes...

SOLUTION

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

We were not completely satisfied with the cooperation with the previous agency and that is why we decided to carefully choose a new collaborator in the development of the NIS Portal. We followed the work of many Serbian agencies for a long period of time and sent an invitation to bid to the addresses of a dozen of them.

PopArt had by far the best, professionally prepared offer. Their portfolio was particularly impressive, as were the references of the members of the proposed team. Practically, we had no dilemma at all as to which of the invited agencies was the best and most professional.

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

The project involves the maintenance and development of the NIS Portal. Maintenance includes: synchronization with many company resources, integration with other web and software applications used in the company, updating all software, maintaining server and application software, fixing bugs and more. The development includes new functionalities, new ways of connecting with existing resources, especially with the dedicated mobile application mPortal, development of the back office so that the editor's work is reduced to a minimum, design of new templates, automation, personalization of content, etc. Standard web technologies were used.

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

The project manager is our main contact with the agency and most of the communication is completed through her. In addition, one frontend developer and one backoffice developer each work on the NIS Portal. Occasionally, when the need arises, we also hire UX designers and an art director.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

NIS Portal is by far the most popular and important internal communication channel in our company. The results of the regular annual survey show that over 95% of our employees are satisfied with the appearance, content and functionality of the NIS Portal.

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

We try to make most of the communication happen through the collaboration platform, in our case Infinity. When something is urgent, communication goes directly: SMS, email, IM or phone call. Often, communication is transferred directly to developers or designers if it can speed up the process and reduce miscommunication. From the very beginning, we have been extremely satisfied with the communication with all members of the PopArt team, especially with the project manager. There is a good atmosphere in the agency itself, which significantly affects successful communication.

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

What set PopArt apart from most similar agencies was their willingness to accept difficult challenges and especially, the willingness to defend their professional opinion when the client is wrong )

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

Improvements are always possible but, in the case of PopArt, it is much more important that they are always ready to do something in a different and better way. Even without pressure from the client, they are in a constant process of improvement and progress.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of brand x, a branding agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PopArt Studio?

We were looking for a web development partner for a few different projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

So far, PopArt Studio has helped us with two web development projects. We’ve been in charge of the creative frontend work, and they’ve developed both sites on WordPress. Their work has also included adding some animations.

What is the team composition?

We’ve interacted with three people from PopArt Studio, including an account manager, a project manager, and a developer.

How did you come to work with PopArt Studio?

I found PopArt Studio on Clutch, and they had great ratings.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2022, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, the feedback from our customers has been fantastic.

How did PopArt Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

PopArt Studio’s project management is excellent. They always go above and beyond to ensure that the work is done — they over-deliver. We communicate via email and Zoom calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

PopArt Studio has excellent developers who have taken our designs to the next level. They’re pixel-perfect, and they really understand designers. A common pain point among designers is getting the developers to make their designs look good on all platforms and browsers. However, PopArt Studio easily does that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there is something that PopArt Studio could improve on; we’re very happy with them as is.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Open a direct line of communication with them and communicate as much as possible throughout the project. With the right communication in place, PopArt Studio will deliver.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director of Armitage Advisors, a Chicago-based healthcare consulting company that works with healthcare companies, insurance providers, and specialty health investors to improve healthcare work. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PopArt Studio?

We needed to evolve and refresh our brand — our original brand and website had been created by our founder. To achieve that goal, we needed a website development partner. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PopArt Studio designed and developed our website in WordPress; the site is hosted through GoDaddy. We’d partnered with another vendor to create our new brand identity and guidelines, which PopArt Studio utilized in their website design. PopArt Studio’s team developed mockups of the new site, and we went back and forth several times until we approved the design. From there, PopArt Studio developed the site. 

PopArt Studio’s team offered SEO services as part of the website development package. We provided their team with the site content our independent content writer created, and PopArt Studio identified several themes to leverage. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with four teammates from PopArt Studio, including a sales director, a project manager, a developer, and a web designer. 

How did you come to work with PopArt Studio?

We found PopArt Studio through a Google search. We were looking for companies that did web design and development in Chicago — their name popped up in several searches. We interviewed PopArt Studio and discovered they were a good partner and were reasonably priced.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $5,000–$10,000 in this project with PopArt Studio. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with PopArt Studio was from December 2021–March 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our new website went live in March 2022. We’ve received a ton of positive feedback — the website brings our reimagined brand to life. PopArt Studio was a fantastic partner and helped us throughout the process — they helped us think through the site’s aesthetics. 

How did PopArt Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

PopArt Studio was very organized. We had a set of design, development, testing, and launch milestones that we worked towards. The differing time zones worked well in terms of feedback implementation — when we provided feedback in the evening, it was implemented by the next morning.

The project manager from PopArt Studio was very truthful about deadlines and did their best to ensure we never missed one. We met with PopArt Studio’s project manager weekly to discuss the website status and review feedback. Typically, we communicated with PopArt Studio’s team through video conferences and emails.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve never worked with a website developer before, so I can’t compare PopArt Studio’s services to the industry standard. However, PopArt Studio had a well-thought-out approach and a lot of experience with US and international clients. I appreciated that they brought a designer into the process — their designer worked with our in-house designer to iron out the site design. 

Also, PopArt Studio was receptive to our feedback but pushed back when appropriate. We were designing our brand while their team was designing our website, so we went through many design iterations before we approved one. However, PopArt Studio was very patient with us throughout the process. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing specific for PopArt Studio to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise customers to bring their branding guidelines, content expectations, and site maps into a partnership with PopArt Studio. Customers will get the most value out of a partnership with PopArt Studio if they go into fully prepared. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

For more than 20 years, NETCONOMY has been helping companies grow by creating digital platforms that enable seamless customer experience. I am a part of NETCONOMY's marketing team, mainly responsible for strategic marketing direction and marketing initiatives that drive sales.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We decided to design and build a new company website from a scratch. The goal was to have a website that can help us both increase awareness and generate leads, as well as attract talent. Further on, since our portfolio has expanded during the last couple of years, it was very important for us to have a website that can reflect that.

SOLUTION

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

We came across PopArt's website during our research. We liked their own positioning as well as their references. Requests were sent to several vendors from our end and PopArt quickly responded with a very detailed and clear offer. We liked their approach and had the feeling they understand our needs and that we will make a good team together.

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

We prepared a briefing with details on what kind of websites do we like, what would be the structure and what integrations do we need. We chose WordPress and a custom theme, and we needed to include HubSpot features. PopArt worked on the first design direction - homepage design, which then served as the basis for other pages. We were very happy with the first version and decided to proceed, with only minor changes.

Our website has around 40 pages, so we continued submitting the structure one by one, based on which PopArt provided designs. When designs were approved, they moved to the development phase. In the end, we were working on some adjustments based on the content added, and we also worked with the SEO team more closely before the actual launch.

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

We worked with a project manager, designer, developer and SEO specialist. At the beginning, we were also in touch with the sales representative.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received very positive feedback from our colleagues and partners. We also noticed a meaningful increase in the number of impressions on Google.

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

Communication with PopArt was always quick and easy. We used email, chat and video calls, depending on the issues we need to discuss. The project was complex so we all had to keep up with many details and I was happy to see both sides (our team and PopArt) were ready to shift to more effective ways of tracking progress and communicating as go-live was getting closer.

Moreover, we really liked a very straightforward way of communicating deadlines, progress, and what potential changes may cause. It always felt like we are one team working towards a common goal.

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

PopArt always went an extra mile for our project and we are very thankful for that approach. They were always open for feedback and ideas for improvement, as well as proactively suggested ideas on their own. We really appreciate their attention to detail and true willingness to make the best out of everything. Throughout the whole project, we really felt like they listen and fully understand what we need.

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

Nothing comes to my mind - we were very satisfied with the collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder of auxio.ch, With a new concept of online auctions in Switzerland, Auxio is the first platform to offer a simple solution, allowing you to sell at no cost and buy at the right price. No more driving across Switzerland to see a vehicle that doesn't meet your expectations.

Whether you are a buyer or a seller, you control the whole process, while staying at home. We break the rules and use new technologies to offer you the most innovative and disruptive solution available today.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a complete website from scratch, with an optimal auction system, secure payment, all of that in an easy to use and great looking design.

SOLUTION

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

We look online, and talk with Popart team about our project and goals, they understood us at the first meeting, they were really into it and we were really pleased with the offer they made us compared to other agencies

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

Over the months of the project, starting with explaining the concept of the site, trying to show them drawings and our ideas, giving them the freedom to propose their ideas, we had an idea in mind and they knew how to make this idea even better in real life.

We were really happy when we saw the first mock-ups and the logo they designed with our ideas and sketches!

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

We were a great team on skype, including Zorana, the project coordinator, and 5 other team member who followed us throughout the project. Thank you to the whole team who were always very responsive, in a good mood and with good ideas!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have had a lot of positive feedback about the beauty of the site, people think it is beautiful and we look forward to seeing how it evolves over time.

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

Our day-to-day work consisted of providing Popart with the necessary information, content and images so that they could implement them on the site. We often received updates on the different pages where we could give our opinion and make the necessary changes if necessary. Page by page.

All the way to the end! The best moment was the day we could see the test version of the site. From a mock-up to a working site, we had a lot of fun that day!

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

We appreciated that the team really took the time to understand our project, despite the language barrier, we were always able to make ourselves understood and it was always a pleasure to speak with them, we feel that the team is very well organized.

When we had bugs or something that didn't work, they were very quick to find the fault and correct it!

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

We sometimes had to change our mind or add an option on a page that was not planned after thinking about it and they were sometimes very rigorous when something was not in the contract or offer. (for the team: that was not in the offer !

I know you used that sentence quite a bit ! I am joking of course). But that's normal from them, we understand. It's not a point to improve in our opinion. We have nothing to reproach them for, they were great with us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager at  Rastoder, a construction company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PopArt Studio?

We needed a branding and development partner for a housing project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We created a roadmap of our design preferences and presented that to PopArt Studio. Their team created our client’s brand guidelines, company logo, and business cards based on that document. Upon completing their branding and graphic design deliverables, PopArt Studio developed our client’s webpage via WordPress.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four resources from PopArt Studio, including their developer, designer, and account manager, who was my main point of contact.

How did you come to work with PopArt Studio?

I searched for Serbia-based companies and found PopArt Studio. I liked what I read about their previous work and expertise, so I onboarded them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent €5,000 (approximately $5,600 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from January 2019–January 2022. Their deliverables were done in intervals, which explained the two-year engagement period.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

PopArt Studio was keen on presenting design options for us to choose from, which enabled us to come up with satisfactory solutions that leveraged our client project and attracted a good number of buyers. Their team created an informative and user-friendly webpage that strongly contributed to our success. Overall, we were satisfied with their commitment to meet our design and functionality standards.

How did PopArt Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via Skype and Google Meet. PopArt Studio had dependable project management skills that pivoted our progress. Additionally, they remained adaptable and feedback-oriented throughout the engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

PopArt Studio got the job done at a very reasonable price — that truly set them apart from their competitors in the high-demand industry.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We dealt with minor staffing issues, but that was partly because of our extensive timelines.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Define your goals firmly and invest both time and effort to ensure that they’re working towards your goals.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Goldright is a company that offers its unique product "Goldright Enterprise Suite" to companies seeking to maximize benefits from their data-driven business processes and get their data under control. I am supporting Goldright team as a Digital Marketing Manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were dealing with the re-branding of our solution that was previously known as MUM Software and that has been on the market for 20 years now. Thanks to the continued success of our product portfolio we have decided to take the next step and ensure Goldright's further growth and development as an independent legal entity. Consequently, we were in a need of a brand-new website that will follow our design direction and that will comply with the new brand identity of Goldright.

SOLUTION

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

My team and I had a chance to collaborate with PopArt Studio in the past on another website project, and since the collaboration was more than successful we wanted to achieve the same results and continue working with their team and have their support on our newest project too. Also, we're looking forward to future collaborations and working together again.

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

We had a kick-off meeting where my colleagues and I gave a brief overview of our needs and presented the desired website structure and the time frame for the project. I would like to point out that our deadline for this project was very tight, not even realistic, but PopArt team agreed to proceed and gave their best to work on us with this project as efficiently as possible. They have prepared project steps, deliverables overview & the timeline. Also, they were guiding us carefully through each step and have communicated with us daily or whenever it was needed. When it comes to our website, it was built using WordPress. We've also opted for an additional SEO service package + a monthly website maintenance package.

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

At the very beginning, we were in touch with the sales representative & our assigned project manager. When the project started we were mostly in touch with our project manager but also when needed with other key roles such as SEO specialist, designer, and developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've had our new website for only a few weeks, but we'll keep monitoring our insights & analytics and refine our plans accordingly. We're happy to report that our existing clients & employees are very pleased with the new design & layout.

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

When needed we had calls through Skype and Zoom to clarify any open topics. Apart from the calls, we communicated regularly via Skype (chat) and through email. For some urgent topics and to ensure quicker communication/feedback we were able to reach out directly on Skype to our project manager and SEO specialist. During the project, we have also made use of Google Sheets.

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

Their ability to design & develop unique and modern websites is impressive. Also, their flexibility and willingness to act quickly and efficiently and respond to potential changes requests are outstanding. I can confidently say these are some of the most trustworthy, knowledgeable, and reliable professionals in their fields, and I would highly recommend anyone to work with them.

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

So far we’ve been extremely pleased with everything PopArt team has done for us and I cannot think of any particular area that they could improve. We greatly appreciate the great communication, their attention to detail, and the timely completion of projects. They do a good job of understanding the needs of their customers and figuring out how to keep things running smoothly. I'm sure they will continue to be successful for many years to come.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a systems engineer and administrator at Contec Cro, a civil engineering company that has offices in Croatia, Berlin, Bosnia, and Serbia. We’re a daughter company of a German company, so our investors are all based in that country. Our business is project-based, and our engineers and constructors carry out the projects remotely. One of our most recent large undertakings was for a Tesla building.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PopArt Studio?

At the time of this project, our parent company in Germany had a website, but the company here in Croatia didn’t. We needed web development and design support as well as hosting advice.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We didn’t really know what we wanted at the beginning, so we had a few meetings with PopArt Studio to come up with a design. We kept it simple with only a few animations to allow quick site loading and great responsiveness across mobile and desktop devices. 

PopArt Studio went on to find a good hosting provider for us and then developed our website on WordPress. Their team made the site available in German, English, and Croatian and created logos for our Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian companies.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with two people. One person was from sales and the other was a project leader. All communication went through them, though we have interacted with other members during our meetings.

How did you come to work with PopArt Studio?

I googled for vendors in Croatia and found a catalog of PopArt Studio’s work. I really liked what I saw and chose them based on their portfolio and because of the fact that we both spoke the same language. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from September–December 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we aren’t specialists in web design and development, we were very thankful for the guidance that PopArt Studio provided. They let us know what we needed to prepare on our end, and they led the project from the planning phase down to the accomplishment of each milestone. Their team also gave us great advice when it came to hosting and guided the design by telling us what pictures to use. We’re very appreciative of the discount that we got for the logo creation as well.

How did PopArt Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Despite our slow responses, PopArt Studio was very patient and professional. They always reminded us if we were falling behind on providing the necessary content. Their response time was great, and they delivered everything that was agreed upon.

I gave them access to our Teams account, so we communicated through there. We also exchanged documents via SharePoint or OneDrive and spoke through emails, phone calls, and video conferences.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I can’t find just one impressive thing about them; they were such a great development team to work with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everyone can always improve on something, but I don’t have anything in mind for PopArt Studio.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend that you work with PopArt Studio. If you choose them as a service provider, you will be satisfied. They provide great results at a reasonable price, and they will guide you through the process. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the creator of a lifestyle blog.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I hired PopArt Studio to help me create branding (logo, colors, etc.) and web design from scratch for a new blogging website. I have no experience with branding or starting websites, and when I first reached out to them the idea in my head was a little bit hazy and I needed a lot of help with the overall concept, structure, design, and everything.

SOLUTION

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

I looked up branding agencies that had a style and website that looked like what I wanted and then I asked for quotes. PopArt quoted a price that included branding, design, and development for about the same price as other places (based out of the US and Australia) for just branding alone. It was a good value.

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

PopArt developed a detailed proposal for me and we had a meeting to discuss scope before agreeing to work together. Then I met with a project manager and designer to share my vision.

We started first with the branding, colors, and logo. They sent me various designs to react to and we went back and forth until I was happy with it.

Then we moved onto web design. I met with the team every couple of weeks to go over what they sent me and talk about anything I owed them (text, descriptions, blog posts, feedback, etc.).

They did some custom coding/development in WordPress for my site and linked it up with MailChimp and various social media platforms. The features they developed were: comments, custom headers, custom contact form, drop downs, archive, and all the standard pages you'll find on a blog/website.

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

I primarily worked with a project manager who was the intermediary between me and 2-3 designers/developers. I met the designers/developers a couple times.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The design and website features were above and beyond what I imagined. They nailed the design/colors/logo/drawings. And they added some custom site features that were really cool, for example a thing on the side of each blog post that tracks what section you are in so you can see your reading progress.

I was most impressed by their art skills - they did some AWESOME drawings for me. The whole site looks spectacular and fun.

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

We met every couple of weeks (mostly because I was very slow at giving them content). They sent me designs in some sort of web design tool that made it easy to view all the versions. I sent them content via email. And I'm not sure what tool they used to stage the website.

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

Talented artists! They have very strong design skills and a lot of expertise with custom coding, SEO optimization, and WordPress. I didn't have experience with any of this, so they took the time to help me understand the different decisions we made and how to run the site myself.

I enjoyed working with and collaborating with everyone. They helped me shape my vision and create something much better than I imagined.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a tier-one automotive parts manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PopArt Studio?

We needed help to build a new website for one of our sub-brands.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PopArt Studio helped us build a custom WordPress website for our sub-brand, for which they included a lot of content about the sub-brand and the products on offer. Their goal was to present and display the products’ characteristics in as positive of a light as possible.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and someone representing their designers. PopArt Studio also had developers working on the project, but we never interacted with them directly.

How did you come to work with PopArt Studio?

We did a couple of web searches, saw some websites, talked to a couple of different companies, and decided to go with PopArt Studio. We found out that they had an office in Chicago near where we were located, which was appealing to us as well.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $5,000–$6,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July–September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

PopArt Studio did everything we asked them for, and they created a good-looking website. However, we haven’t launched the brand yet, so we don’t have any results to report.

How did PopArt Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

PopArt Studio’s project management was very good. Our project manager was very attentive and on top of any status changes or issues. We mostly arranged meetings using Outlook.

What did you find most impressive about them?

PopArt Studio was very diligent and hardworking, and we always thought that they offered tremendous value for the money. Overall, they were very accommodating.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more concrete your idea is, the quicker PopArt Studio is going to help you realize it.