Red Design Systems - Design Solutions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the co-founder of a visual communications studio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Red Design Systems - Design Solutions?

We needed to create a software platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?                 

Red Design Systems - Design Solutions has created a custom software for us from scratch. The platform is a business intelligence platform based on our database. The system allows us to map our prospects, classify them, and provide follow-up.

What was the team composition?

I've worked with 4–5 members of Red Design Systems - Design Solutions' team, including a developer, someone from operations, a client services representative, and an analyst.

How did you come to work with Red Design Systems - Design Solutions?

While searching online, I found Red Design Systems - Design Solutions and thought they met my expectations, so I contacted them. After two weeks, I realized they understood my needs, so we started working together.

How much have you invested in them?

So far, we've spent $1,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2023, and the engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before Red Design Systems - Design Solutions' work, I used to do all my prospecting by hand using lists, so this product has helped me be more efficient and practical in visualizing the areas in which I can work to plan my routes.

How did Red Design Systems - Design Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Red Design Systems - Design Solutions uses Microsoft Teams, Discord, WhatsApp, and Telegram to communicate with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think they can improve anything, and I hope they keep working as they are.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a very clear brief so they can work at a fast pace.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an innovations manager for an IT company called IT270.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Red Design Systems - Design Solutions?

We needed to do two things: create a brand design for a new product that we are about to launch and develop a digital marketing and positioning strategy for a project that involves exporting some products to other markets across Latin America.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started off by having a couple of meetings with Red Design Systems - Design Solutions to gather all the relevant information for the project. After that, they gave us an analysis we used to set the project guidelines.

What was the team composition?                                                                                                                                                          

We worked with 5–6 people from their side, including a project leader, 2–3 designers, and a couple of marketing experts.

How did you come to work with Red Design Systems - Design Solutions?

We did some research and got a list of recommended service providers from the government’s export organization. Based on that, we selected and evaluated four different service providers. We ended up choosing Red Design Systems - Design Solutions because we found their proposal as the most adequate for our needs. They also offered the best cost-benefit ratio.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent about $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–August 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very happy with their work — the brand book they delivered was great. Overall, we had a very good collaboration.

How did Red Design Systems - Design Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent in this regard, They had great project management skills and were punctual and responsive. We communicated mostly via email and Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What stood out to us was their empathy and customized service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything at the moment. We’re actually planning to hire them for the second stage of this project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to have very clear terms of reference so that they can offer the best advice.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a key account manager of a plastic products manufacturing company based in Colombia. We’re currently exporting to Central America and Ecuador.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Red Design Systems?

We were looking for a service provider to develop a website to make our company visible internationally. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with planning and defining our needs and the design. We used product descriptions, images, and a questionnaire that Red Design provided. After that, we started with the development process. The site was both in English and Spanish.

What was the team composition?

We worked with one of the managers, a web developer, and a couple of analysts. 

How did you come to work with Red Design Systems?

We evaluated eight different candidates but ended up choosing their proposal. 

How much have you invested in them?

We spent about $10 million Colombian pesos (approximately $2,300 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around May 2021, and they finished the website by June 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve started having visits to our website and receiving a couple of calls. Moreover, the website’s architecture was outstanding, especially the graphic part. Also, the product placement was very well done; it looked great.

How did Red Design Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

They stuck to the planned budget, even though the project required different stages. They structured their planning and were always well-organized. We mainly communicated via email and Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We really liked their work, and their communication was outstanding. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I honestly don’t know what to say.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Magmic Inc. We’re a mobile game developer and publisher. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Red Design Systems - Design Solutions?

We hired Red Design for their animation services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Red Design provides 2D animation services for us in the form of video trailers for our website. They also create app store trailers and videos for our ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. They use Adobe After Effects, which is interoperable with Unity — we build our games using this game engine.

What is the team composition?

We interface with two people, though there are about 5–6 people in their team.

How did you come to work with Red Design Systems - Design Solutions?

We found Red Design through a B2B agency, which introduced us to them. We engaged with them because they were fast and had reasonable pricing. I also personally enjoyed being with them as people; they were nice to work with, which was a big factor in our decision to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $20,000, and we plan to spend more. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project’s results have been excellent. We’re happy with the project’s outcomes, and we’ll continue to use Red Design — everything’s perfect. In terms of game statistics, we haven’t released the game yet. 

How did Red Design Systems - Design Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Red Design’s management has been easy and simple. I make a request on Slack, and then they do it. We provide the scripts when necessary, but for the most part, we’re hands-off. Overall, working with them has been truly easy. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They do excellent work at competitive prices. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. We’re perfectly happy with them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there

I'm the CEO of a software development house.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Red Design Systems?

We were in the process of making our company known internationally because we were working with a government commerce promotion agency. Due to that, we worked with Red Design Systems to position our brand and to help us find new leads through a digital marketing strategy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Red Design Systems spearheads our digital marketing campaign aimed to increase our company's brand awareness and new leads. Additionally, they've helped us design a landing page.

What was the team composition?

I've been working directly with three people from Red Design Systems, including a project manager, a project leader, and someone in charge of the execution.

How did you come to work with Red Design Systems?

I met Red Design Systems in a workshop organized by the Colombian Trade Commission. We then approached them to see what they could offer to help us achieve our goals. They committed to fulfilling our goals, so we partnered with them.

How much have you invested in them?

We've spent 5 million Colombian pesos (approximately $1,300 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2021, and we continue to collaborate with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've been able to achieve our goals and achieve better results than we've expected, thanks to Red Design Systems. Our initial expectation is to get at least four leads a month, but we've been able to secure up to 12 leads. On top of that, we frequently receive more leads because of their work. Overall, we've been getting good results from them.

How did Red Design Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate through email, Whatsapp, phone calls, and other traditional methods that work very well for us. More importantly, they're available all the time and always communicates promptly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really like the way they're able to get my ideas and translate them into the project. For example, the landing page's graphics and images they've created have really captured the graphics and images I've been looking to transmit. Overall, their execution and support have been great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I honestly wouldn’t know what to say because we've achieved everything we expected.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of the company. We are a tech blog focused on the Spanish-speaking market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Red Design Systems - Design Solutions, and what were your goals?

We hired Red Design Systems to help us with the development of our webpage, the setup, security measures and support

SOLUTION

How did you select Red Design Systems - Design Solutions and what were the deciding factors?

Price, experience and overall service offered

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

Project Planning > Wireframe Designs > Functionality definition > Webpage Design > Infrastructure deployment > Security Deployment > Testing > Production Rollout > Support > Template and functionality updates (x3)

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

Project Manager x1 Front End Developer x1 Back End Developer x1 Web Designer x2 Beta Testers x10 Support Analysts x2

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Web traffic has increased by 60%. Site is protected against different types of attacks and we have had no downtime since the project went live. We are planning an upgrade to our website which will be contracted with Red Design Systems.

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

The company uses Agile as its methodology in order to keep things simple, clear and measurable. We did the project in 10 sprints. The company used Google Collaboration Tools to streamline the review process.

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

Customer focus. They were willing to understand our vision and were able to materialize it quickly and effectively.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of a startup in Latin America focused on making it easy for organizations to send incentives to people. We have an easy-to-use mobile app for receiving special redeemable points.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Red Design Systems - Design Solutions?

We needed a professional website for an early-stage startup and we had a number of requirements for adding functionality with improved UI/UX to our mobile app.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed quality work in a timely manner and for the budget of an early-stage startup.

SOLUTION

How did you select Red Design Systems - Design Solutions?

We looked at a number of providers, but I had used Red Design in the past and was impressed by the quality of their work and the focus on Customer Success.

Describe the project in detail.

To create a solid-performing and impactful design website as well as mobile app functionality. The website needed to look clean and professional. With respect to the mobile app UI/UX design, we needed to improve and add some functionality.

Our mobile app is the lifeblood of our company and it was critically important to get this work done with a firm that we could trust.

What was the team composition?

The team was composed of a Project Lead, a Designer, and a Web Developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We were extremely happy with the outcome. We not only achieved all of our goals but were incredibly impressed by the responsiveness and the attention to Customer Success (making sure we were happy).

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow worked perfectly. We mainly used a common Slack channel as well as quick web conferences to keep everything on track.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

As I mentioned, we were incredibly impressed by their responsiveness and their laser focus on our needs. Working with Red Design was a joy and they are very flexible.

We were so impressed that we also hired them to execute a Google Ads campaign with a custom landing page, which they executed excellently.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It's tough to think of areas for improvement, but, perhaps, sometimes I was my own worst enemy with respect to what I was asking and I would have been open to more push back on some things though they did give gentle push back on areas where they recommended a different course of action.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Longboards USA creates a joyful and long-lasting experience on a modern longboard with 4 wheels. We run an E-Commerce Store selling Longboards and Skateboards from many different brands to the US market. We carry 1000+ boards. I'm the Co-founder and responsible for all Marketing, Sales, and Customer Support activities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Red Design Systems - Design Solutions?

We needed extra staff to answer customer support emails as well as help with creative designs for tumblers and other drinkware. Also wanted some help to create creatives for Social Media and promotions. There were also a ton of small (simple but repetitive) tasks that come up for any small E-Commerce business, that just didn't get done due to time constraints.

The problem was that we kind of needed 1/2 a person for support, and 1/2 for design, and 1/2 a person for all kinds of ad-hoc work.
The skillset needed spans multiple disciplines and as a small startup company, you can't really afford to hire 3 full-time persons for the work you need and 1 person does not have all the skills needed. So working with an agency like RDS would help to alleviate this and find the right combination of people and skills.

What were your goals for this project?

Provide customer support for the increasing volume of orders/support questions and at the same time invest in design/promotions to grow the business.

SOLUTION

How did you select Red Design Systems - Design Solutions?

Experience, price, and overall project approach. Also worked with the team in the past, while working for another company, and had a great experience and was impressed with the work they provided.

Describe the project in detail.

Ongoing customer support, answering customer emails, chats, and working with vendors/warehouses to get orders shipped, delivered, and track what's happing until it's in the customers' hands. Al while Aa large volume of orders and questions coming in. As well as updating the Shopify Store information, creating new products and offers and working to promote the business.

What was the team composition?

The team changed a bit over time as the resource requirements shifted, which speaks to the flexibility that RDS provides. Over time we had a project manager, support analyst, graphic designer, and Web Analyst. 

Another good thing about the agency team approach also is that when people leave the company, RDS takes care to replace the team members, so you don't have to find a new person yourself which can be time-consuming and tedious. They make sure you get the needed support by tapping into a larger pool of resources which provide continuity, so much needed for a small company like ours.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

All Customer support tickets are now handled the same day (many within hours) and order processing is done even before our California workday starts. The 2-3 hour timezone difference between Columbia and California works to our advantage, and customers on the US-East coast have direct support, don't have to wait 3 hours until California wakes up. This hugely helped to increase customer satisfaction.

General e-commerce tasks in Shopify are now handled by the team. Before the use of RDS the tasks just didn't get done due to resource limitations. Having the extra helping hands, which can be deployed on all kinds of tasks, really helps to get things done. 

Working to order across different vendors is a breeze, as everything is documented it's easy to perform these activities which opens up time to focus on the growth of the business. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Even though we were in different time zones (2-3 hour difference) we were able to work smoothly between the team, using slack, google meetings, google sheets, zoom, etc. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team approach allowed us to "hire" several people for the equivalent of just a couple of full-time resources.

For example, they were able to allocate 3 part-time people for 1 resource. (20 hours/week to support, 10 hours for general tasks, and 10hours for graphic design services) This is just an example and during the last couple of months, we were able to switch out resources based on the business needs we had. This gives much more flexibility than hiring/fire people for just small sub-projects.

They also worked very closely with us to really understand how the business works and where they can help.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The customer support area we needed help with was something they didn't have a lot of experience with. So together we needed to work out some processes and reporting solutions, which were put in place in a short amount of time. Some team members have challenges with the English language, but we were able to work around that.