Portland Design Co

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal and founder of a solar development company. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Portland Design Co?

We wanted to have a professionally-designed website and logo. Additionally, we needed help with our branding.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Portland Design created our logo, and they also worked on our color scheme, fonts, and communication templates. Ultimately, they designed our website. We went through a multi-step review process for every final deliverable. 

We had 5–6 stages of logo review, and we started with about 20 ideas. After giving them my feedback, they would circle back with 5–6 newly iterated designs. We had the same process with our PowerPoint and Word templates as well as our website. 

Our Squarespace website is fairly simple — it has 5–6 main pages, including overviews for our company, services, and projects. The site contains information about our various projects, some images, and updates for each project.

What is the team composition?

I worked with their principal and a senior designer.

How did you come to work with Portland Design Co?

We sent out RFPs, and we received proposals from a few different firms. We talked to three vendors, and we were most impressed by Portland Design.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent slightly below $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from December 2020–March 2021. 

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

Portland Design successfully delivered our website. We’re only a small firm with a relatively small number of external contacts. We just wanted to make sure that we had a professional website that represented our company, and the site’s metrics didn’t matter to us. 

How did Portland Design Co perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent communicators, and they were responsive and respectful to the feedback I gave — that helped us get a better product. Additionally, they did well with scheduling. After we agreed to work together, it took a while for them to start. However, once we got going, they were great, and we finished the project as scheduled.

It was my first time going through a design process, and I was heavily involved in the decision-making. I found that their work had been thorough and professional — I enjoyed working with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were responsive to what was special and unique about our firm. Their team was very professional and thorough in their understanding of our company. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be straightforward with your requirements, goals, and feedback.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and VP of Eros Oyster.

What challenge were you trying to address with Portland Design Co?

Unlike other marine resources, branding was essential for oyster farming. In fact, oysters were more similar to wine as compared to scallops, clams, or lobsters. As a result, we hired Portland Design Co to help us establish our brand identity so that folks would recall our brand once they taste our oyster and decide that they love it. We also wanted them to come up with a logo and website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

To kickstart our branding project, we gave Portland Design Co the name we came up with and asked them to work with that. We really didn’t give them much direction, but they were able to create a portfolio of possibilities containing different logo designs. After that, we spent quite a bit of time reviewing the designs they came up with because we were a family-owned company. 

Once we were done with that, we came up with a shortlist, together with some additional ideas. We then had a lot of back and forth until our company chose two final logo designs. Portland Design Co conducted a survey to our colleagues and other oyster farms to see which of the two designs were the best.

Subsequently, the team designed our delivery van wrap. In order to do that, they took one of our oysters, mounted it, and photographed it in great detail. They then blew that photograph up. From that, they created a sketch or painting of the oyster which later on became decals on the side of our truck. We continue to work with them on other projects.

What is the team composition?

We’re working directly with LK (Owner & Designer), but she has one other designer collaborating with her on this project.

How did you come to work with Portland Design Co?

We knew Portland Design Co through the work that they had done, and we were just impressed with the quality of their work. To be specific, we saw the wraps they had done for a florist in town, and we thought it was wonderful. Overall, it was an easy decision for us to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $5,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2017, and it’s ongoing.

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

I don’t have anything quantitative, but I drive the van as often as I can during deliveries. By doing that, the van serves as our company’s billboard. When I park, people frequently come up to tell me how beautiful our decals are. People love the simplicity and style of our logo, too.

How did Portland Design Co perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is very quick, and they always give us a lot of choices. On top of that, they’re capable of turning our suggestions into concrete actions, which gives us the chance to evaluate them. We mostly communicate over email, but we also have physical meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The style of their work is very distinctive and crisp. I don’t have the best adjectives, but Portland Design Co’s work looks natural, realistic, and honest. Additionally, we appreciate their strong customer service skills.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they can improve because I’m pleased with their process and products.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Share your ideas to them because they’re good listeners. Overall, get involved in the design process.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Monte's Fine Foods is a specialty food market and bakery featuring Roman-style pizza.

For what projects/services did your company hire Portland Design Co, and what were your goals?

Create a website from scratch.

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

They were recommended by another design firm in town.

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

LK met with me to discuss look and features of site and then created drafts for my approval.

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

LK and her assistant, Abby

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

We're very pleased with the clean, modern look of or site and it's functionality.

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

PDC offers relaxed, friendly and professional service

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

Their service was great!

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

No - we are completely satisfied with PDC