Ragnarök Group

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing director at Neverdark; we produce smart fireplaces and sell products throughout Europe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ragnarök Group?

We engaged Ragnarök Group to help with our branding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with Ragnarök Group on many branding-related projects. Initially, they helped us develop our brand identity and style. Their initial branding efforts included creating a new name, logo, slogan, and marketing materials. 

Ragnarök Group has continued to build our communications and marketing strategies by adding more details to our style guide. As part of the communications strategy, they’ve written content for our social media accounts, including Instagram and Facebook. They’ve also developed digital and print assets such as brochures and merchandise for exhibitions and events.

Since developing our initial brand, we’ve consulted with Ragnarök to guide us through processes such as naming products, designing packaging, and producing videos to ensure we follow the brand style and vision. We’ve also brainstormed on an as-needed basis to fine-tune our tone and messaging for social media. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with about six team members at Ragnarök Group, including Phil (Chief Creative Director).

How did you come to work with Ragnarök Group?

We were familiar with Ragnarök Group and had heard positive feedback from other business partners in the industry. We had met some team members socially, so we reached out to partner with them once we needed branding assistance.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $15,000 in the engagement with Ragnarök Group. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Ragnarök in September 2018, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been very creative, professional partners who’ve understood our brand’s vision from the start. They’ve consistently provided valuable suggestions and encouraged us to think outside the box, which has been great. We’ve enjoyed working together. 

Thanks to Ragnarök Group, we’ve been able to make more confident marketing decisions. The team has made seemingly minuscule changes to our marketing approach that have made a world of difference.

They’ve helped us make our marketing the best it can be, and we’ve received significant positive feedback from designers and architects who’ve been impressed with our design. Their branding efforts have been so effective that our business partners have started to recommend us to clients over our competitors. 

How did Ragnarök Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Ragnarök Group has taken a very proactive and professional approach to project management. We’ve never had issues with deadlines or the quality of deliverables, which is why we’ve continued to work together.

We typically communicate via email, WhatsApp, Zoom, and Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ragnarök Group has helped us develop our brand from the ground up; we’ve been impressed by their ability to thoughtfully capture our vision and make suggestions that are in our brand’s best interest. They’ve been invested in each project and provided innovative solutions, which has led to a fruitful collaboration.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing Ragnarök Group could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend giving Ragnarök Group as much information as possible. Be transparent about your wishes and expectations and open to creative, non-traditional solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director for a sports platform; we service government institutions and big brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ragnarök Group?

We needed help with custom software development and IT staff augmentation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we provided Ragnarök Group with basic job descriptions, which they adapted after learning more about our engineering needs. Then, the team identified candidates globally and pre-screened and interviewed them for us. In some cases, they conducted engineering tests to confirm the candidates’ skill sets before submitting candidate profiles to SmartRecruiters. 

Ragnarök Group has identified a team of experienced JavaScript and automation engineers to help us optimize our platform’s performance. The team has been fine-tuning our platform to enable it to support 1,000 messages per second. 

We’ve also collaborated with Ragnarök Group to build a training academy around our specific technology stack. We plan to extend our partnership and onboard more junior engineers soon. 

How did you come to work with Ragnarök Group?

We found Ragnarök Group through a referral. I’ve been working in this business for quite some time, which is how I heard about their accomplishments.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $2 million in the partnership with Ragnarök Group.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Ragnarök Group in December 2021, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ragnarök Group has identified candidates with solid automation and JavaScript skills. The engineers we’ve onboarded have performed very well and are helping us reach our goals for the platform. 

Furthermore, the team members are well-versed in other, more specific skillsets and technologies we use, such as Kafka. Two of the automation engineers are part of our core team now; they’re excellent and have integrated well with our internal staff. 

In the past, we had trouble recruiting resources with varied skill sets, so Ragnarök Group has accomplished a challenging task in bringing us such qualified candidates.

How did Ragnarök Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Our process is very efficient, and they’ve been open, transparent partners. We meet with Ragnarök Group biweekly, and in the meantime, we communicate via phone and email. Their team has perfectly integrated into our workflow and processes; they feel like an extension of our staff.

We’ve managed candidates through SmartRecruiters, which has made it easy for us to share feedback. Ragnarök Group has consistently checked in with us to ensure the engineering team members meet expectations. They’ve also checked in with their engineers to gather feedback about how our team can improve, which they’ve relayed to us. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been most impressed by their attention to detail and dedication to the project. We’ve worked with other service providers who’ve filled our team with enough heads.

Ragnarök Group is different because they’ve taken the time to listen to our challenges and define our needs before going to the market to identify candidates. They’ve found us the right talent for our specific challenges, which has been great for our long-term goals.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing Ragnarök Group could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I advise being specific about your goals and giving Ragnarök Group as much information as possible. Be open about your challenges, and they’ll identify the resources you need.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager at BASF, a 100% subsidiary of BASF SE, one of the biggest chemical products companies worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ragnarök Group?

Chemical products come with a lot of data that product suppliers provide for their customers in two ways: the labels of product containers and a safety data sheet. The safety data sheet is a standardized form that contains information about the product’s origin, chemical components, handling measures, storage recommendations, and transportation requirements. It also includes guidance on how to handle accidents, information on who to call if something happens, information about the studies conducted to assess the product’s hazards, and more.

Due to regulations and compliance, companies must train their staff to handle chemicals and conduct safety assessments properly. When we worked with Ragnarök, I was the project manager of a software tool we were creating to help compliance people make faster decisions. However, we had an issue with our former development team, so we needed to get a substitute development team within a very short timeframe.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ragnarök provided us with a lead developer and an entire development team to try to complete our project. That team helped us create an information extraction tool that takes safety data sheet information and produces a PDF. In that PDF, we collect data that we can push into a classification engine tool, allowing us to assess the product’s classification and see if it complies with the current law’s requirements. It also provides recommendations to users on what to do with that information.

The technology used for this tool was Java Spring Framework for the backend, as well as AWS, Python, and React. They also did some work using MongoDB, but it was not successful.

What is the team composition?

We worked with five people from Ragnarök, including the team lead.

How did you come to work with Ragnarök Group?

A broker based in the Netherlands connected us to them.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent between $150,000–$180,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from July–October 2021. Unfortunately, my management urged us to stop the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The data extraction tool built by Ragnarök achieved a very high accuracy of over 90%. However, the project wasn’t completed on time, so we couldn’t deliver it to our customer by the deadline. Still, it wasn’t Ragnarök’s fault. My management thought that by switching teams, we would get the project done on time, but taking over existing development projects usually takes the new team 3–6 months to get up to speed. Ragnarök didn’t have that time.

Still, Ragnarök’s manager and the lead developer were very much involved in the project and tried their best to complete it. Their team spent day and night supporting us to try to finish on time. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do so and had to stop the project.

How did Ragnarök Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Ragnarök did their best and was very professional. We worked using the Scrum methodology and used Jira and Confluence to manage the project. We also used GitHub for code documentation and Microsoft Teams for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ragnarök really takes care of their customer’s needs and provides a full team supported by a development leader who works directly with that team. When working with our previous provider, their team was scattered across Poland, and they didn’t have anyone overseeing that they delivered their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Ragnarök was with us for a very short period, and we didn’t give them enough onboarding time. During our engagement, there was nothing that they could have done better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them bring a business analyst and their CTO into the project so that you have a full-fledged scrum team; we didn’t do that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project coordinator for an online casino. We have a loyalty points program with gamification.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ragnarok Agency?

We needed to redesign our website and hired Ragnarok Agency for the job.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ragnarok Agency created designs for two websites, along with creative material and a company name and logo. For the redesign of one of the websites, they provided a lot of ideas on how we could gamify the product and bring in a loyalty points system. They also suggested that we run tournaments to improve conversions. We only asked for design work, but they provided a lot more. They consulted us on how we could improve the product and differentiate ourselves from other casinos.

The platform is only a social casino gambling website at the moment, but we plan to create React Native apps in the future. Due to restrictions from Google, we cannot publish the app in all countries. For now, we can only launch it in Finland and the UK if we get a local license.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with five people from Ragnarok, including Phil (Chief Creative Officer, Ragnarok Agency) and Nadia (Chief Creative Officer, Ragnarok Agency), his wife. Nadia came up with the name and logo for our gambling website. Their product designer is the team lead on the second project, and they assigned three UI/UX designers. 

How did you come to work with Ragnarok Agency?

One of my friends suggested we work with them when we were still a startup. We chose them because they could provide design mockups in InVision, Figma, Zeplin, or Sketch for our frontend developers.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Ragnarok in April or May 2018. We released our first platform in June of that year and started a new project with them in May 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our users are very happy with the casino platform. We have a 20% conversion rate from anonymous users to registered ones and 17% from registered users to depositors. We’ve had some technical problems with the second website, but we’re launching it next week.

We had a low conversion rate of around 1% on the second project we started with Ragnarok Agency. After the redesign and the other improvements they provided to the website, we improved conversions to 4.5%. We know that their designs make sense based on these KPIs and it’s been a positive partnership.

How did Ragnarok Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We onboarded them into our Jira, and we’ve worked based on stories and tasks while having weekly meetings. Our communication is in real-time through Slack, Telegram, and Skype. I’ve also met them in Kyiv. We’ve worked outside of Jira for the logo and naming project, and they delivered in one week. I just called Phil and asked for a company name as soon as possible, because we were launching the company the next week. They delivered.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They not only provided us design assets but also good ideas on how to improve the project. They’ve given us more than we’ve asked for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Ragnarok Agency could improve by setting priorities better. For example, the company name project was the highest priority, but when I had a meeting with Phil three days after I requested company branding, he told me he’d done the design for the other website. I told him that I needed the branding that same week, and they delivered in 2–3 days. I’m very happy with everything else.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to have meetings 1–2 times a week, especially if the customer doesn’t know what they want. I gave them exact details during our first meetings, but most customers don’t give them enough information for the design work. Ragnarok Agency can provide different design styles, though, and customers can pick what they want.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder, CEO of Incl.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

I’m the founder & CEO of “Incl.” the first innovative and inclusive sex shop in Poland

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ragnarök Group to accomplish?

• Brand Identity
• Brand Strategy
• Communication
• Naming

SOLUTION

How did you find Ragnarök Group?

Other I have worked with them on many other projects in which I participated in various roles

Why did you select Ragnarök Group over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Ragnarök Group were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Ragnarök! Group was involved in the creation and launch of a brand for a new format of inclusive sex shops in Krakow, Poland. The first part of the project included the brand concept itself, defining its target audience, tone of voice, and communication messages, developing the brand's name, logotype, and visual identity. The work on the launch is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

In scope of the project we received the following: brand logo&name, detailed style-guide, marketing materials, digital strategy, etc.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The agency's team includes professional managers, so I can't recall any instances during our collaboration where there were violations of deadlines or subpar quality of deliverables. Additionally, the team often goes above and beyond their promises.

What was your primary form of communication with Ragnarök Group?

In-Person Meeting

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

Their boundless creativity, enthusiasm, and ability to surprise with their unconventional ideas is impressive.

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

I don't think so.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Business Development Officer of Antey

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Manufacturing, distribution, retail and IT services

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ragnarök Group to accomplish?

• Branding of new Trade Mark
• Branding strategy

SOLUTION

How did you find Ragnarök Group?

Referral

Why did you select Ragnarök Group over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from Ragnarök Group were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We started a new business unit: manufacturing company. Our matter was to create all the identity of this business. As a result we start a new business unit with new name and branding.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Period - 60 days

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

All deadlines met

What was your primary form of communication with Ragnarök Group?

Virtual Meeting

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

Enthusiasm, charisma, professionalism

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

For us, our cooperation was great

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CMO of Matter Surfaces

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Matter Surfaces is a distributor of contract flooring and architectural entrance systems with a focus on design and sustainability.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ragnarök Group to accomplish?

• Name and brand a new D2C division

SOLUTION

How did you find Ragnarök Group?

Other

Why did you select Ragnarök Group over others?

• Referred to me
• Other

What was the size of Ragnarök Group’s team?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We worked with Ragnarok! Group to name and brand a new D2C division. The scope included:

• Naming
• Brand development
• Logo design
• Color palette creation
• Brand guidelines

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Distinct yet highly relevant name
• Branding work is simple, smart, and memorable
• Great collaboration with Ragnarok's creative team
• On time and on budget

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Denys and his team consistently exceeded expectations. Working with his team was a great experience.

What was your primary form of communication with Ragnarök Group?

Virtual Meeting

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

They took a brief with many complexities and produced a simple solution. The team was always engaged and great to work with.

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

None that come to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

DELK, Inc. is the IT Consulting firm established in 1999, I am President and CEO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ragnarök Group, and what were your goals?

Hired Denys and his team to build from scratch the cloud based Training Curriculum solution for multi-business audience needs

SOLUTION

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

Selected Ragnarok based on previous successful engagements and high quality work done

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

Work included business case review and setting up acceptance criteria with Client stakeholders from scratch, creating design with iterative delivery approach, getting requirements and design sign-off on the user story level and provide management tracking board for the project timeline. Key deliverables included PRD, Plan, Risk Management plan, QA documentation, including test plan, cases, automated framework, CI/CD process, on AWS and Admin module setup

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

Team of 4 engineers, 1 QA, 1 Lead

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Successfully delivered AWS based training solution with certification module and Admin Portal. No critical or high priority defects.

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

Agile and flexibility of use of tools such a MS Office, Atlassian Suite, Zoom, Salesforce CRM, Open Source apps to design, code control and communicate

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

Their professionalism and ability to adapt to customer situations and follow the requested process were impressive.

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

Nothing to add...