Radish Lab

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an early stage non-profit organisation that fosters independent dialogue between global leaders in tech, science, business, politics and arts who want to positively impact space. I am one of the directors of the organisation.

For what projects/services did your company hire Radish Lab?

As a fast-moving early stage project that was recently launched, we only had a name, a domain, and a early draft of the organisational objectives and scope. Our challenge is to turn this into a well thought out brand and a crisp but simple website, all within the course of a few weeks.

What were your goals for this project?

As we had a key launch event imminently planned to on-board future stakeholders to the organisation we needed a simple but sharp brand and visuals to showcase to them. Due to the early stage nature of the project, our main goal was to create output on a very tight time as well as budget constraints.

How did you select this vendor?

We first did tradeoffs on different strategies and in the end we settled on small and agile design agencies. We then proceeded to contact a few, most are those who we had prior relationships with. However in this case we selected Radish Labs who we did not have a relation with before.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed the brand from scratch and then proceeded with the website. The website was a simple two pager with animiations. Overall, the whole process (both brand and website) took about three weeks. We started with a short kick-off meeting to align creative and operational thoughts. Then we provided feedback when we were asked for over the course of the next few weeks. We left them with the creative and process freedom which worked out well.

What was the team composition?

We were interfacing with two people in their team. The team composition suited the needs and scope of the project. The team stayed constant during the course of the project.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The project was completed on time and the result was great. This resulted in us able to display the website as well as use the brand assets to design presentation templates, print-out material and other items for the launch event impressing the invited guests. This have had a significant positive impact on the future prospect of the non-profit organisation.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We interacted mostly through the use of Basecamp as a project management tool. The process was effective and suited for the needs and scope of the project. Responses were fast and the workflow highly aligned. As we (the clients) were in Berlin and the team in New York, we also leveraged the time difference to our advantage. This sped up the feedback loops, allowing us to focus more on doing rather than aligning.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive was that they agreed to take on this project knowing that the non-profit was at a very early stage of development as well as the tight deadlines. During the course of the project it became apparent that the scope of work had to increase. Instead of re-negotiating the scope (thus potentially delaying the progress), they adapted to the change and delivered the work within the pre-agreed timeframe. This was highly appreciated and we are very thankful to them for taking this approach!

Are there any areas for improvement?

No particular issues were encountered. Everything went very smooth from negotiation, to contract signing to execution and delivery.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the communications manager for an initiative called the accountability framework at Rainforest Alliance, a global NGO operating in tropical regions around the world. We work to protect nature and people.

What challenge were you trying to address with Radish Lab?

We engaged with Radish Lab to create an online platform, which would serve as one of the primary mechanisms for our audience to engage with the accountability framework that we released this year.

The platform has a lot of content that is technical and dense in nature. We wanted to present it in a way that's user-friendly and intuitive for a variety of different audiences.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Originally, we had a very basic website that we needed to demolish and build from scratch. We worked with them on the initial scoping, in terms of the planning of what the content was, the navigation, the information architecture, the means by which we present specific kinds of content, what to include in the original launch. They produced a series of mockups, based on some of our previously agreed upon templates, and key pages. Once we had refined mockups, they started developing a WordPress site that's been highly customized for our needs.

One of the central features, which we call an ethical supply chain journey tool, is a way for companies to navigate to specific pieces of the framework; The three stages of this journey have an activity, and within each activity, there are specific questions that a company might have. We wanted to really guide a company through the specific pieces that are relevant to their work and context. We spent a lot of time refining the stages and steps that went into this journey.

What is the team composition?

I was the project manager, and all members of our core team contributed in different ways. We made it as collaborative as possible to review design mockups and provide feedback on specific functionalities.

How did you come to work with Radish Lab?

We put out an RFP and they replied with one of the most carefully crafted proposals I've seen. There were very clear details with what we wanted to achieve and it paid attention to what our goals and mission were. Of all the proposals that we received, theirs was by far the most customized to our needs and most reflective of what we had laid out in the RFP.

How much have you invested with them?

The initial investment was just under $100,000. The retainer has been $40,000 for this year, and we expect that to be the same for next year as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in October 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

The experience of working with them has been overwhelmingly positive from the RFP and initial scope to our current phases. They have a disciplined development process which I respect and appreciate since it's been a challenging project. They've been very easy to work with, as well as technically skilled. I've been extraordinarily happy to work with them; I can't imagine too many other companies could ever live up to what they've done for us.

How did Radish Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

When we have concerns, they address them very promptly and professionally. They keep me abreast of their progress and have regular Sprint progress reports, where they share with me what was worked on in the previous sprint, as well as what they have lined up based on the priorities that we provide to them. We use Basecamp for communication and updates. Overall the process has been very smooth and effective.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their attention to detail was exemplary. They really wanted to tailor their work for our project and recognized that all websites are not one-size-fits-all, especially with something as complex as this site. They paid attention to the detail and excelled in it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I'm a stickler for copyediting, and have noticed a few minor spelling errors on the design drafts, but it was never anything major.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to meet them in person for an initial meeting. It was really useful in getting to know each other, getting to know the project, and establishing a way of working together.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Northwell Health System is a 23-hospital network in the New York City region. The Center for Innovation and Outcomes Research creates and tests digital health tools that address the clinical and social determinants of health.

For what projects/services did your company hire Radish Lab?

We received a federal grant to assist organizations with the development and implementation of digital health tools. Radish Lab created a website to advertise our services and deploy our toolbox of digital implementation tools.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to website that not only marketed us as an innovative healthcare company, but also had superb UX/UI that allowed our partners to use the tools.

How did you select this vendor?

Our network recommended Radish Lab for their professional, creative approach to website design.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They wireframed, designed, and developed the backend of the site. They turned our outline and rough sketches and into an innovative platform.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with their creative director, project manager, and CTO.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The website was recognized by the larger health system for its excellent design and creative storytelling. It even prompted our faculty to collaborate with Radish Lab for their projects.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Radish Lab used Basecamp for version document control and milestone management. They kept everyone in the loop.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They're amazingly talented at guiding abstract ideas through the creative process and translating broad concepts into direct, effective messaging.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I cannot think of any.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a reporter at a research and journalism nonprofit that seeks to inform the American public about climate change.

What challenge were you trying to address with Radish Lab?

Federal data on climate change can be overwhelming and confusing, so we wanted to create a visually appealing way to present it to the average person.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The biggest project I worked on focused on climate projections in cities and how those numbers will change over the next century. We knew we wanted to present the information visually, likely with a map, but it was Radish that walked us through different visual iterations of our data. They created an interactive, animated map that changed colors as numbers changed over time (like temperature, for example), and that could be easily embedded on other sites. They also used a flexible platform, which we appreciated as a small group without many resources. Their map included summer data, but because of the platform they used, we were able to input new data to create a corresponding map of winter climate data.

What is the team composition?

I worked with several people, but our primary point of contact was their creative director.

How did you come to work with Radish Lab?

Some of our staff already had a connection at Radish, but ultimately we chose them because they had the expertise and presented a reasonable bid for the work.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000 and $50,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in March 2014 and finished in June of that year.

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

They delivered a better product than we'd requested, not only for use in our key publications but which we also saw local and national news outlets pick up. The goal of the project was to get people thinking about climate change, and since local news sources are often good at targeting their audiences, we considered it very valuable to see them utilizing the map.

How did Radish Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

They're responsive and generally easy to work with. They worked with our feedback and valued our considerations. As an example, they pitched a color palette that was more muted than our vision. We explained our thinking and they came back with graphics that were precisely what we'd been looking for. Overall, they did a great job responding to us, which ultimately made the product as successful as it was.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their exceptional communicative style made this project run more smoothly than I've experienced with other vendors; they were open, honest, and clear, which are incredibly beneficial to the successful execution of a project. They were available to answer questions and provide an explanation when we needed one.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and principal of a human rights strategy firm. We help businesses identify and address human rights risks and help them understand the legal, financial, and reputational risks they pose. We work with our clients to address any human rights risk at the source and communicate new strategies and policies with key stakeholders and investors.

What challenge were you trying to address with Radish Lab?

As we started growing, we realized our need to increase our online presence. We needed to be able to communicate our credibility in terms of human rights to NGO’s and Civil Society Organizations, as well as our business knowledge to multinational companies and general counsel’s office. The site needed to act as a business card, cover technical issues, and convey efficiency and precision.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We went into the project knowing that we wanted a new website and with a general idea of how we wanted it to look, but we were really looking for professional, Squarespace-specific guidance. I originally went in with an idea of an austere website, but they pushed back—in a professional manner—and the website now looks nothing like what I had envisioned, but it’s a much better representation of our firm and our aspirations. Radish went beyond the simple website redesign and build that we expected, and helped us create a really cohesive brand.

Without selling me a new suite of services, they anticipated and offered advice on how to reposition or properly highlight different elements of the brand. They helped us to communicate with our different audiences and show them our credibility and compassion concerning human rights. They worked on our logo, our color schemes, and other aspects of the brand that communicated our goal. It started with website redesign, but that process led to much deeper thinking and formulating a brand strategy.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was Radish’s principal and creative director. There were other designers on the team, but we generally worked with her.

How did you come to work with Radish Lab?

We reached out to a few companies that Squarespace recommended, which included Radish, and a few other firms that were heard about through word of mouth. We met with each of the six firms individually, laid out our requirements, talked about our vision, and got quotes.

I was tremendously impressed with Radish because they took the time before our meeting to get to know the business. They had really done their homework. They also weren’t afraid to challenge my creative vision. The original website was text and concept-heavy, but Radish suggested finding a way to layer the information. That way people that needed to do a deep dive into the specifics could, but the information wouldn’t distract users that just wanted to see who we were.

There was also a lot of upselling with the other companies. After listening to what we wanted, Radish told us that we didn’t need to create a site from scratch, and instead suggested a static site. Their suggestion saved us a lot of money and made more sense for what we wanted to do.

How much have you invested with them?

The website design and build cost $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in August 2016. The website launched in December 2016, but they still manage the website and all the updates, as well as provide security.

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

The response from our clients has been positive, and Radish definitely helped position us to be exactly where we wanted in the market. We currently have more work than we’ve ever had before, and Radish is a big part of the reason why. They went beyond what I originally envisioned and showed me what could be done in ways I could never have imagined.

How did Radish Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

I suspect that I like to be more involved in my projects than most clients. I was sending them comments and questions constantly. They would usually respond within minutes and certainly within the hour. They were polite, professional, and always willing to engage whether it was through email, an impromptu meeting over the phone, or a scheduled progress update. Whenever I would bring up an idea for the website, they were transparent about the benefits, possible cons, and costs. We were never hit with any surprises that way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism definitely stands out, not just in terms of responsiveness, but also their tone, politeness, and how accommodating they are. However, what was really impressive was their willingness to stand behind their creative vision, which is really what we were paying them for. They did more than offer technical expertise or put up a website; they gave us guidance on how to best demonstrate our strengths to the world.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We usually had to work around their schedule when something needed to be turned around quickly. That’s not really a drawback, but more of a critique. Being a boutique means that there will occasionally be scaling challenges.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a principal scientist at the American Cancer Society, an organization that helps fight cancer nationally and globally through efforts like tobacco prevention. We periodically publish the Tobacco Atlas to highlight the magnitude of related issues and our state-of-the-art interventions to take on the tobacco epidemic, which accounts for 20% of cancer-related deaths.

What challenge were you trying to address with Radish Lab?

We needed help with web and book design for the 6th edition of the Tobacco Atlas. Our work differed slightly from previous versions. We used to work with the book designers first and then hand their completed work to web designers. This system wasn’t working well, so we looked for a team who could do both simultaneously. With 1,000 visitors, we realized our web page had become the focal point of our project throughout the years.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us to design the book and launch the website. We had a specific deadline for the World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Cape Town, South Africa. We’re continuously developing new content and tools for the site. Just recently, they finished a tool that allows us to create graphs and maps based on our data. We used to have to send them all the data to chart manually. Now we can create those beautiful visuals ourselves. 
 
Radish Lab resolves all the site’s small glitches. We’ve started working on SEO, which is exciting work I’ve done before. Radish Labs teaches us how to improve the rank of some key phrases. As they monitor web traffic, they indicate where it’s coming from and who is visiting our page. 
 
How did you come to work with Radish Lab?

We chose the team based on their capacity to deliver contemporary work for the website and print book designs. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2017, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

Collaborating with Radish Lab was crucial for both our company and our publications. They were enjoyable to work with, primarily because they deftly translated complex research issues into first drafts and then ultimately stunning designs. We often got bogged down in minor details and failed to see the bigger picture from a user perspective. They helped us take a step back and find ways to make the final product more compelling as a whole.

They proposed we work with a professional illustrator and secured an artist who’d been featured in major magazines like The New Yorker.  Despite our concerns, lovely illustrations gave the book a striking aesthetic that isn’t silly at all. Those who open it feel compelled to turn the page. The previous edition’s design was overwhelmingly full. Moving content like graphs and maps to our website gives that content a much more significant impact. Our readers, who include policymakers and healthcare professionals, have only the best comments to make about the beautiful and engaging new edition. 

How did Radish Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

Most of the project management was conducted through Basecamp. They assigned us a project manager. Kendall (Senior Project Manager, Radish Lab) is very approachable and a great person. We spent hours on in-depth discussions as she patiently worked through every minute detail of the project we wanted to improve. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They weren’t afraid to push back on our ideas. Radish Labs earned our trust as they spearheaded the design phase. Alina (Junior Designer, Radish Lab), the head of our group, persuaded us that the team excels at what they do. The final product was probably better than if we’d had full control over the project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a Manager for the Health Care Access team at the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD). We represent governmental HIV and hepatitis health programs.

What challenge were you trying to address with Radish Lab?

I manage the National Ryan White HIV/AIDS (RWHAP) Part B and ADAP Monitoring Project, including a published Annual Report. We’ve maintained this report for 24 years and wanted to work with a professional and modern organization that could handle the data-heavy project. We also wanted our partner to be able to develop infographics and sustain an online iteration of the large-scale PDF report.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our team developed the content for The Report, including a full narrative portion as well as tables and charts. We then worked with Radish Lab to develop the look and feel of the PDF end product. They also prepared infographics based on the illustrations we provided. They also developed a digital version of the report, taking the PDF and creating a microsite to host the data. 

We are planning to work with them on the next iterations of The Report to be released next year, including identifying ways to produce a seamless and interactive digital/PDF hybrid version. 

How did you come to work with Radish Lab?

We administered a competitive request for proposal (RFP) process. They had clean and modern designs and the ability to produce a PDF and/or digital version without having to hire two separate vendors.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since September 2016.

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

We’re pleased with their thoroughness and timeliness. Their work accurately matches the content we give them, making it much easier for us to review and trust the end product. We can assume they’ve handled the data correctly, and their work is always clean and professional-looking. This minimizes the administrative burden on our end and saves us time in the iteration process.

How did Radish Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

They use Basecamp, which has made it easy to seamlessly engage with them and our internal staff. It hosts all of our communications in one spot, and we’re able to track the project timeline and progress.

Everyone sets clear and realistic goals, being transparent about any challenges they hit. I’m highly pleased with how easy it’s been to work with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate their attention to detail and transparency. They foster good communication and make sure both teams are on the same page. They succinctly explain the advantages and disadvantages of our project goals, giving us a clear picture of what we can expect in terms of process, timeline, and budget. Their support makes it much easier for us to make informed decisions. They’ve been a great partner over the past few years, and we look forward to working with them again.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Be transparent about your own internal processes. If they can know when to expect content from you, it helps them adjust their own schedule and optimize productivity.