Mobilize Your Business
Red Foundry is a mobile application design and development consulting firm. Founded in 2009, and led by seasoned business and technology executives, we help our clients “Mobilize Their Business” by creating award-winning native mobile applications for the iOS and Android platforms. Utilizing our mobile-optimized methodology, we partner with entrepreneurs and early stage startups to launch their mobile-enabled business, and we work with established corporations to build mobile products that support their digital transformation.
It all began when we started building iPhone apps for fun, and a few of them became big hits. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we quit our day jobs and began making apps for other organizations like Pearl Jam and Kodak. After working in the trenches for a while we realized that building a great mobile app could be expensive, time consuming, and complex. So we set out on our journey to make building mobile apps easier.
That’s why we started Red Foundry – to take our years of experience in building successful mobile apps and package it into a team of engineers armed with technology and process methodology to lower the cost, complexity, and delivery risk of building killer mobile apps.
Red Foundry was built on these simple principles:
- All apps should be beautiful, unique, intuitive, and relevant.
- Any company, large or small, should have the opportunity to leverage the benefits of mobile app technology.
- An app is useless without a team of skilled people to support and evolve it.
Every day Red Foundry tackles the tough challenges that face most businesses when going mobile. But most importantly Red Foundry apps are built by a team of software engineers who are passionate about mobile. It's all we do. And we love it.
Focus
Portfolio
Cooper's Hawk, Traveling Vineyard, Fortis Global, RacketStats, WhatIfWe World, Vacation by Rail, Clark Brands, Galaxy Digital, Gearflow, Random House, Reader's Digest, BuyFluidly, Central Insurance, Utrip, Fodor's Travel Guides, Pearl Jam, Kodak, Panasonic, Wine Enthusiast, Systagenix, StoryTime, Internet Brands, Purohit Navigation, KTVA Alaska, Fautus
Cooper's Hawk Wine Club Member Portal
Cooper’s Hawk is an upscale casual restaurant, wine tasting room, and wine bar complemented by an award-winning winery that combines dining, wine tasting, retail and wine club membership to create a unique diner and Wine Club member experience.
The Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club is an all-inclusive membership where you will not only receive the winemaker’s newly released wine each month, but also enjoy many great benefits including invitations to members-only events, exclusive discounts, points on purchases, birthday rewards, and our Wine Club Newsletter with information on new wines, special events, and great recipes.
The Wine Club Member Web-App was originally designed and developed on a 3rd party platform, and Cooper’s Hawk asked Red Foundry to:
- Rewrite the existing Wine Club Member Web-App using mobile responsive React which eliminated the expensive licensing from the 3rd party platform.
- Adjust and enhance the UI design and overall technical architecture.
- Add a series of feature/function enhancements to improve the Wine Club Member user experience, offer more services to existing wine club members, and attract new wine club members.
Gratitude Journal
Exciting new research shows that people who are grateful have numerous positive outcomes and a higher level of well-being, reduced depression and stress, and improved social relationships. The Sa Vie Gratitude Journal app allows the user to capture moments that leave them with a sense of appreciation and is designed to encourage positive behaviors leading to increased levels of happiness and connection.
The founders engaged Red Foundry in a current state assessment to determine development gaps from a previous vendor leading to a development project.
The project included:
- Current State Technical Assessment and Design Adjustments
- Developed using React Native – one codebase producing both an iOS and Android App
- App Store setup and submission
Tennis Tracking Stats & Analysis
RacketStats sought to bring successful tennis systems, used by the world’s top players, to anyone with a smartphone. The goal was to enable parents, coaches and players themselves to easily identify weaknesses and strengths and develop strategies for comprehensive improvement in real-time directly from their device.
RacketStats engaged Red Foundry in a Define, Design and Develop project to bring the concept from idea to reality. The challenge was to take a complex process and create a streamlined design that was intuitive for the user.
The project included:
- Definition and Design process resulting in a high-fidelity clickable prototype
- Developed using React Native – one codebase producing both an iOS and Android App
- App Store setup and submission
- Expert guidance for launching and fully supporting a new business model
Save Every Mile App
Clark Brands LLC provides gasoline and convenience store brands to independent gasoline stations. The Clark brand, in existence since 1932, is well known throughout the Midwest and the other markets. Clark provides programs and services to approximately 1,000 gas stations across 32 states.
Clark Brands looked to Red Foundry to broaden its services to clients through a mobile app experience that enhances customer loyalty, improves purchasing efficiency, and drives in store purchases. The result of our partnership with Clark is the Save Every Mile® Mobile Application for both iOS and Android devices.
Save Every Mile® Mobile Application is the official app of Clark and Crown. With this mobile app, consumers can:
- Purchase digital gift cards
- Find your nearest Clark or Crown gas station
- Apply for the Clark Crown Endless Rewards Mastercard®
Traveling Vineyards - Awesomm Events
Traveling Vineyard selected Red Foundry in 2016 as their strategic mobile app development partner based on our deep mobile app expertise and our proven ability to help clients move from “Idea to Reality”. From the initial app design reviews through app development, testing, and launch in September 2016, Red Foundry has helped Traveling Vineyard turn their vision into a reality with the launch of their iOS Awesomm App.
3 years later, having worked together on numerous updates and enhancements to their iOS App, Traveling Vineyard engaged Red Foundry to refresh and rebuild the App using React Native which provided a new and improved iOS and Android version of the App!
The App Rebuild Included:
- Developed using React Native – one codebase producing both an iOS and Android App
- Restyled the App with a cleaner, more modern User Interface
- Reconfigured the checkout workflow for an improved UX
- Optimized the code to improve App performance, responsiveness
WithYou Mobile App for Digital Coupon Sharing
Our client, WhatIfWe World, envisions a world with less paper waste where shoppers can store business offers, sales, and coupons on their phone rather than as crumpled-up papers in their wallets and purses. The WithYou mobile app, available for iPhone and Android, directly connects local businesses with their loyal neighbors while reducing waste.
The app lets consumers take and store photos of fliers, circulars, cards — any sort of paper offer they want — and then show them at the point of sale to redeem the offer. Users of the app can share the offers with the entire community within local range, and can send offers to friends and family. The app also allows local businesses to release their offers on the app and track activity around their use by consumers.
The WithYou app helps small-business owners increase foot traffic, decrease their carbon footprint, and strengthen the community’s awareness of nearby businesses’ offerings.
The project included:
- Definition and Design process resulting in a high-fidelity clickable prototype
- Developed using React Native – one codebase producing both an iOS and Android App
- App Store setup and submission
- Expert guidance for launching and fully supporting a new business model
The WithYou mobile application is now available in the Apple Store and the Google Play Store.
Volunteer Connect App
Galaxy Digital provides a market leading web-based volunteer management software solution called the Connect Platform to over 500 clients. Red Foundry partnered with Galaxy Digital to design, develop, test and launch an iOS and Android App using React Native to enhance their client’s and volunteer’s experience, keep pace/outpace the competition, and thereby increase the value of the Connect Platform solution.
The core features of the Galaxy Digital Volunteer Get Connected App are:
- Secure log in and geo-location search for non-profits in your area
- Search, select and check in/out of volunteer shifts
- Add/maintain volunteer hours
- Review a dashboard that tracks your volunteer activities and the impact you are having in your community
- Leverage push and geo-fencing features when arriving on-site to automatically check you into the non-profit agency, and automatically check you out when you leave
BuyFluidly B2B Web-App
The liquor and beer industry is highly regulated and fragmented with Distributors owning the rights to different beverage brands. Retailers, Bars & Restaurants have limited visibility to available products, promotions, and inventory, which leads to placing dozens of re-supply orders through antiquated spreadsheets, email and even fax. BuyFluidly’s goal is to simplify the beverage buying process for Retailers, Bars & Restaurants.
Red Foundry designed, built, tested, and launched a web-based B2B ecommerce marketplace platform for retailers and suppliers of restaurant beverages (beer, wine, and liquor). Distributors can easily add rich product details, photos, reviews, and links and manage their inventories. Retailers, Bars & Restaurants can then place a single re-supply order for multiple products from multiple distributors, using an easy to use e-cart, reducing a time-consuming fragmented process into a few simple clicks.
The UI design is mobile-responsive, several third-party services were integrated into the product, the platform was built using React, and the backend is hosted on AWS technology.
Fautus On-Demand Photography App
Fautus had the idea to revolutionize personal photography by replacing low quality selfies with high-quality photos taken by skilled photographers at an affordable price. No small feat!
Fautus selected Red Foundry as their strategic development partner based on our deep mobile app expertise and our proven ability to help clients move from “Idea to Reality”. From the initial app concept and design reviews through development, testing, and launch in July 2017, Red Foundry has helped Fautus turn their vision into a reality.
The Fautus app now connects people with photographers at popular Points of Interest in a moment’s notice. It is great for instantly capturing and sharing casual moments.
And, photographers now have a new way to use their photography skills to make some people happy and also make some money!
End User Feature Highlightss:
- Find Fautus photographers near your location (map view)
- Request a photographer session
- Chat with the photographer to confirm session meet-up details
- View the photos from your session
- Purchase photos
Reviews
the project
User Research & UI/UX Wireframe Design for Recruiting Firm
"They asked the right questions and capitalized on our answers to provide high-quality deliverables."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m VP of technology for a recruiting firm.
What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?
We engaged Red Foundry to help us build UI wireframes and a UI strategy for a mobile experience. We wanted to build a responsive and native product for our associates and customers.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Red Foundry conducted primary research into how our competitors showed up in the mobile space. Their team also researched the challenges that our associates and customers faced when engaging with our platform. They then utilized that information to produce associate and customer personas as well as wireframes based in pseudocode. This gave us a foundation of requirements that our development team now uses to build a mobile experience and product.
What is the team composition?
I worked with about seven people from Red Foundry including their CTO, graphic designers, UI designers, and developers.
How did you come to work with Red Foundry?
I had a long-standing relationship with Red Foundry’s principles. I heard about their capabilities from them and felt that what they provided fit with our needs.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about $80,000 on their services.
What is the status of this engagement?
We collaborated on this project between May–September 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We hired them to build wireframes that we would utilize to undertake software development. This project was a success because we utilize their deliverables. Their team created detailed, semi-interactive wireframes. The wireframes gave us a sense of the design’s interactive qualities.
We didn’t execute every requirement in their wireframes. However, that’s typical and understandable. What they built for us was extremely useful.
How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?
We communicated via email. They were transparent and communicative without being overly communicative. It was a well-organized engagement. Red Foundry communicated timelines for deliverables and followed through on them. I was pleased with their project management and communication skills.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They made good use of my time. Our initial meeting was efficient and crisp. I received more than I expected from them considering the amount of time we spent together. They asked the right questions and capitalized on our answers to provide high-quality deliverables.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I was happy.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
We had a mix of account managers, UI/UX experts, and the CTO. Those three elements were a great combination. Make sure to have that mixed team from Red Foundry because it contributed to the success of our engagement with them.
the project
Mobile App Discovery & Wireframing for Medical Association
"Red Foundry’s team is well-educated and experienced in the mobile app development space."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the director of digital at College of American Pathologists, an association for board-certified pathologists.
What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?
We needed help with a discovery project for a mobile app.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Red Foundry provided the planning and coordination for a discovery project to identify the purpose, features, and functionality of a baseline mobile app. This also included an implementation rollout plan and high-level wireframes for what the mobile app could look like.
It’s a member-only app that keeps the members of our organization informed, makes them aware of upcoming legislative opportunities, and provides member-generated content.
What is the team composition?
We’ve worked with roughly six teammates.
How did you come to work with Red Foundry?
I met the founder and owner of Red Foundry at a mobile development meetup a couple of years ago. We remained in contact, so when we had an opportunity to consider what we wanted to do in the mobile space, I reached out.
We then did an evaluation of the organization, their area of focus, their size, and what we were looking to do.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together in June 2020, and the engagement is somewhat ongoing. We’ve completed the discovery portion of the project, but we’re considering what we want to do from here within our organization.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The feedback on their deliverables was extremely positive. We received positive feedback both from our internal staff, as well as our members with whom we shared some of that work. Overall we were extremely pleased with the deliverables.
How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?
Their project management is excellent. We have weekly meetings and communicate via email.
What did you find most impressive about them?
It’s been a positive experience working with them. Red Foundry’s team is well-educated and experienced in the mobile app development space. They were extremely responsive and active in collaborating with us through the process.
The team shared their expertise, thoughts, alternatives, and solutions as we were going through the discovery process, and they were very easy to work with. They positioned themselves very well as a potential longterm partner.
Red Foundry is a great size for an organization that focuses on mobile development. All of those components were extremely valuable for us.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, not that I can think of.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
It’s helpful to know what you think you want to do with your mobile app or within the mobile space, and Red Foundry can help you to further deepen that. Have a good sense of what you’re trying to accomplish.
the project
iOS & Android Mobile App Dev for Paper-Based Mail Solution
"Project management’s one of the strongest pieces of their program."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder of Whatifwe World. We provide a mobile platform to solve the problem of paper-based mail.
What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?
We needed to design and develop our mobile product.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Red Foundry and I spent a couple of months on the discovery and design processes, working on the initial problem that I identified. We conducted interviews with consumers and businesses. Once we formulated the solution, Red Foundry put together all the pieces and started to develop the mobile app. It works on iOS and Android.
What is the team composition?
We worked with about six people from Red Foundry. Their team included a couple of business development people, the CTO, a UX designer, and a project manager.
How did you come to work with Red Foundry?
I gathered recommendations through my network and interviewed 3–4 developers. I had a good feeling about Red Foundry’s team. I also liked their discovery and design processes as this was my first time building a mobile app.
How much have you invested with them?
In the end, I spent $73,000 on the MVP.
What is the status of this engagement?
The development started in May 2020 and finished in August.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The app's available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Their work and communication were excellent. They were efficient too.
How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?
In the beginning, they laid out the project week by week and sprint by sprint. It was a straightforward process. Their team never missed a deadline or a meeting.
We had a call every Thursday. During meetings, they took notes and sent them afterward to ensure everyone was on the same page. Their team was proactive.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Project management’s one of the strongest pieces of their program. They always followed through. Their team was also clear about what they needed from us at different times.
Are there any areas they could improve?
We were a little over budget, so that’s the only area for improvement. It’s partly because we changed or added elements that we collectively didn’t think through. They could’ve also done things differently.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be open to their process. Ensure that you’re ready to build a product. Do your homework and research before moving orward in the process.
the project
Hybrid Mobile App Dev for Tennis Statistic App
“They brought an incredible level of creativity to a complicated issue.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the manager of a startup that’s created an app that allows tennis plays to gather stats.
What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?
As a professional tennis player back in the 1980s, there was a man that designed a laptop to gather statistics. Prior to building my product, there wasn’t anything in the market that was intuitive and easy to use. I thought of that old system and wanted to create a modern product that emulated its capabilities.
What was the scope of their involvement?
One of the problems in tennis is that there aren’t statistics easily available to the average player. With baseball, kids can track their progress through statistics. Tennis is historically more subjective, and people don’t know what the statistics should be. This app will open us a foundation for all tennis players around the world.
I drew up some initial plans that indicated how screens would look and various statistics that should be included. My goal was to create an app that a beginner could use with no knowledge of tennis. Gradually, we sorted our priorities out through their development department. It was an educational journey for me, and they guided me through it. The final app allows users to collect tennis statistics in the same way that they could have using the previous machinery. However, users no longer had to pay for expensive machinery or follow complicated steps.
The final app is available for iOS and Android. While its UX is simple, there is a beginner app and one that’s more sophisticated. The first app provides about 11 statistics, while the advanced product offers about 30.
What is the team composition?
I’ve worked with Rich (Partner), Ron (Partner & CTO), Kerry (Co-Founder), and Dianna (Junior Application Developer).
How did you come to work with Red Foundry?
I sent 52 letters to development shops around the United States. Once I spoke with Red Foundry, I discovered that their president happens to be in a tennis family. From that moment, we really hit it off. We decided that we wanted to revive the old system of gathering tennis stats, so we got permission from the creator of that product and got started.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent between $100,000–$250,000 on their services.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in October 2018, and our relationship is ongoing. The app is waiting for approval at the moment.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They took a complicated concept and made it work within the boundaries of a smartphone app. At every step of the process, they were eager to make the product even simpler than it was before. They often made great suggestions to do that. I gave them the concept, but they truly perfected it.
How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?
They were thorough in their presentations, always leaving time to answer our questions. Their team was timely and completed tasks according to schedule. We’ve been on target each week for over a year.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They brought an incredible level of creativity to a complicated issue. It was quite a feat to make such a complex piece of technology as simple as possible for the final user.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I couldn’t have picked a better partner. When aspects need to be changed in the testing stage, they fixed issues within hours.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Bring a strong concept into your initial discussions. They asked helpful questions and created a strong UX. I fully intend to continue our contract into the future because they’ve been so helpful to my business.
the project
Salesforce Community Migration for Winery & Restaurant
"They moved quickly to address any changes that we wanted, which helped us to move forward."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the senior director of enterprise applications for Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant.
What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?
We have an external-facing application for our wine club members. We have the world’s largest wine club membership with about 450,000 members. We wanted to move our application from Salesforce Community to React because we plan to create a mobile app in the near future.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Red Foundry managed the entire project including design and development. Their team all of the code. They analyzed the existing system and then worked with a small internal team to replicate it. Their team also implemented process improvements such as mobile responsiveness. They also built an external authentication component into the frontend to verify our wine club members, which used to occur through Salesforce Community.
They built the website for wine club members to self-service. For example, users can sign-up, update profile information, view their orders and order history. It’s also our loyalty platform, so members can see the number of points they earned.
After rolling out the platform, Red Foundry provided additional enhancements. They continue to maintain the platform, helping us to fix bugs and make minor enhancements. In the next 2–3 months, we’ll probably kick-off the mobile development project.
What is the team composition?
We worked with approximately four people from Red Foundry including a project manager and an architect.
How did you come to work with Red Foundry?
As I’m involved in our local tech community, I’ve known one of Red Foundry’s founders for a while. When we wanted to create an RFP, we included them in the process. Their team came in and had a conversation with us. Then, they bid on the project. They came in with reasonable pricing and seemed to be able to meet our needs. We felt that Red Foundry would be a good partner.
What is the status of this engagement?
Their team started working on the project in October 2019 and completed the initial phase in January 2020. We’re now in phase two of the project. Then, we’ll continue with a flexible statement of work with Red Foundry.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We rolled out the platform quickly. Based on the rollout cost, we saved over 200%. As well, this project will cost 10% of our previous application over a three-year period. Red Foundry built a platform that reduces the cost and effort for us to move to a mobile app. The platform also provides a better customer experience. It loads faster and is more mobile responsive. We’ve found that more people use the product and come back to it.
How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?
We held conference calls three times a week. If we had to dig into a task, we set up an additional call. I stayed connected with an executive from Red Foundry through bi-weekly calls. As well, everyone who worked on the project received a weekly status report.
Red Foundry set up a good process to work with my team. Their team was flexible and used our control repository. They utilized a website that we use internally to track requirements and tasks. Their team communicated progress and escalated any concerns quickly. A member of my team managed the project but if Red Foundry needed to, they escalated quickly. That allowed us to deliver on time and within the budget.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Red Foundry fits well into our culture, which is collaborative, open, and people-focused. Their team worked with our preferred tools and met with members of our team to ensure that we were comfortable with the project’s direction. They moved quickly to address any changes that we wanted, which helped us to move forward.
Are there any areas they could improve?
At this point, I don’t have any constructive criticism. Our requirements weren’t as clearly defined upfront, which led to changes throughout the process. The product’s complex, so it was impressive that their team completed the project in three months.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
With any project, make sure to define the requirements upfront. Understand Red Foundry’s strengths and what technologies they use. However, their team jumps into any technologies enthusiastically.
the project
Web Dev & Optimization for Construction Marketplace
“They look out for what’s best for our business.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the co-founder of Gearflow.com, an online marketplace for construction equipment and parts as well as wholesale rentals.
What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?
We just launched in October 2018. An outsourced company had built our MVP using a LAMP stack, primarily PHP. We hired Red Foundry to serve as a fractional CTO and create a more scalable environment. We needed to develop and streamline our site’s backend so that we could transition to an in-house team here in Chicago.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The first phase was to scope out all of the things that we needed to develop on the site’s backend and what we needed to optimize to get us to a scalable environment. Red Foundry overhauled a lot of the backend, which took about 3–4 months.
Since then, Red Foundry has rebuilt and optimized various functionalities on a project-by-project basis. They work on a lot of things simultaneously. The team helped us develop a hybrid Android app, but the majority of their work has been web-based. They migrated our platform to AWS and continue to deploy various AWS tools.
What is the team composition?
We primarily work with Ron (Partner & CTO, Red Foundry) and Kerri (VP of Client Delivery, Red Foundry). Ron road mapped the first phase of our work together. Kerri serves as the project manager and keeps everything organized. Several developers have worked on our project, following Ron’s roadmap and Kerri’s direction.
How did you come to work with Red Foundry?
My company needed to bridge the gap between outsourcing development and creating an in-house team, so we did some due diligence of different firms in the Chicago area that could fill this fractional CTO role.
We came across Red Foundry through a referral who’d worked with them on a mobile project, and we chose them because they were willing to work with our existing technology stack and environment. My company initially hired Red Foundry for mobile development, but the engagement transformed as our needs changed.
How much have you invested with them?
At this point, we’ve likely surpassed $100,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our work together began in March 2019, and it’s ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Red Foundry fulfills a critical role. They’re helping us take ownership of our whole tech stack. They’ve been flexible to working with external resources to scale development, even though this means less billable hours for them. They look out for what’s best for our business.
The work that they’ve done has allowed us to see regular incoming orders. We continue to improve the site’s experience from optimization, speed, and functionality standpoints. Having ownership over everything translates to increased revenue, and we’re at the point where we can start thinking about additional resources to continue building our business.
How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?
Red Foundry does product management via Jira, where they’ve given us access to our project’s workspace. We trust what they’re doing, but having full transparency into their progress across different sprints has been super helpful.
They make themselves available for calls and meetings with my team as well as external resources. We primarily communicate through the Slack channel that they set up. Everything flows through Ron and Kerri. Ron even comes to whiteboarding sessions with our UI/UX designer.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Red Foundry is really flexible to our needs, and they’ve been an awesome partner. They’ve taken it upon themselves to garner a good understanding of our business, industry, and customers. Even if it means less billable hours for them, they’re willing to work with us in order to create a long-term partnership. We value this a lot since many contracting companies out there use the consulting model of billable hours in a way that can be contradictory to business needs.
I’ve also been impressed by their ability to adapt to our business. For instance, my partner and I like to move very quickly, and they’ve adjusted the way their work to what we need.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They could be more transparent about whether they’re resource-constrained or not. Also, their team members have different rates; we’d appreciate flexibility as to what resources we can use, since we need some more than others. For the most part, though, they’ve been good. They understand that we can’t 100% rely on them; otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to sustain ourselves.
Any advice for potential customers?
Make sure you have the financial resources to hire them since you’re paying a premium for value. Red Foundry is tech-focused, meaning they’re more conservative and risk-averse than your typical entrepreneur. If you want to move faster, you’ll have to manage to find a happy medium between risk aversion and delivery speed.
Also, communication should come from one direction; if you have multiple people from your organization contacting them, communication will become scattered and fragmented, which will slow the whole process down.
the project
App Dev for Wine Startup
"Red Foundry came through for us really well."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the director of digital product at a wine tasting company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?
We needed to create a mobile app that would allow customers to place orders for in-home wine tastings.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Red Foundry designed the first version of the order management app, which was just on iOS and primarily for use on an iPad. When we decided to make the app multi-platform, my team provided Red Foundry with wireframes and mockups, and they already had an understanding of how our API worked.
They made the second version of the app for iOS and Android. Their team built out the entire order process. Multiple customers are often involved in one order, so Red Foundry added features that make it possible to manage and add guests. Other features enable users to add products, reward items, various billing and shipping addresses, and different payment methods, including check and credit card.
What is the team composition?
We work with five team members. I work closely with the project manager and one of the developers.
How did you come to work with Red Foundry?
A creative agency we’d worked with on the first version of the app recommended them to me. We’ve maintained a relationship with Red Foundry ever since.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with Red Foundry in 2015, and our work is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Red Foundry delivered on a tight timeframe. They were amazing.
How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?
During development, the developer and project manager were in constant contact with us. They provided updates on the scope of their work.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I was impressed by their flexibility and “roll with it” attitude. My company isn’t the best at planning, so Red Foundry’s effective project management helped us align our ideas with what was realistic in such a tight frame. Their team provided helpful feedback based on their extensive app development experience. Having access to their expertise was useful.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don't think there is a whole lot that we were disappointed with. Red Foundry came through for us really well.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be clear in what you want out of the project, and provide as much detail as possible.
the project
Mobile App Feature Dev for Software Company
“Red Foundry’s developers are highly skilled.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a manager at a software company. We provide a nonprofit management platform for volunteer recruitment, engagement, and management.
What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?
My company wanted to offer location services that weren’t compatible with our web app, so we needed to develop a mobile app. We also wanted to create a notification system so we could stop communicating with our users via email. We did our own discovery phase, during which we interviewed prospective and current clients.
We hired Red Foundry to help us develop our mobile app’s feature set while adhering to our strict budget.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Red Foundry considered our feature set and made some changes, proposing the features they thought should be in the first version of the cross-platform app. They also distinguished which features we should wait to implement until the app’s second version, based on our budget.
Red Foundry built a location-based check-in feature, so that when a volunteer is within a certain radius of where they’re signed up to volunteer, the app pushes a notification to their phone asking if they’d like to check in to their shift. Red Foundry used a library to help them develop the location services.
Red Foundry provides ongoing support. Since going live, they’ve helped resolve bugs and other issues. We expect to continue working with them on the app’s second phase of features.
What is the team composition?
We primarily work with Rich (Partner, Red Foundry), Rob (Partner, Red Foundry), Ron (Partner and CTO, Red Foundry), George (Senior Mobile Developer, Red Foundry), and Kerri (VP Client Delivery, Red Foundry).
How did you come to work with Red Foundry?
We found Red Foundry on Clutch.co and approached them with the feature set that we wanted to develop.
How much have you invested with them?
My company has spent about $70,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our work together began in 2018, and it is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Red Foundry’s check-in feature documents the hours that volunteers are serving. This is the single most important thing we can do for the agencies that we work with, since accurate documentation makes it easier for agencies to apply for grants and know their schedule. The feature is expected to increase the accuracy of the hours that are documented through our software.
We’re still pursuing marketing, but we’ve seen an increase in mobile app users. For instance, last Friday, we put a small pop-up on our web app informing users about the mobile app, and our numbers doubled over the weekend. We’re approaching six-hundred users, and we expect that number to continue increasing.
How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?
Early on, they did a good job communicating the process and letting us know what the sprints would be like, how long they’d take, and how they’d conform to their project plan.
At one point in the build process, we inquired about Red Foundry’s hours. We discovered that they were over-budget and had spent more time on certain tasks than they’d anticipated. Once we uncovered this issue, we identified a few ways to offset some of the costs, such as tweaking features and taking on testing ourselves rather than having Red Foundry do it. We accepted a small increase in budget, and Red Foundry ate some of the costs. After that, communication improved.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Red Foundry’s developers are highly skilled.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They ultimately did a good job, although sometimes communication faltered, and we encountered bugs. We also had an issue with location services working differently on Android versions 7 and 8. The library that Red Foundry used to develop the location services was only compatible with Android 7, so we continue to have an issue with our features on Android 8 and above. Red Foundry could’ve done a better job selecting the library they used or letting us know upfront that this would be a problem.
I should mention that the development work they did is considered quite complex. The fact that they completed a feature that sends push notifications based on a user’s geo-location is technically advanced.
the project
Business Card MVP for Public Safety Company
"They were true to their word, proactive, flexible, and collaborative."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I’m the director of exploratory innovation and experience design for UL LLC, a public safety company. I'm responsible for collecting, evaluating, exploring, and testing/piloting ideas with the potential to generate innovations that help our businesses, company vision, and mission.
For what projects/services did your company hire Red Foundry?
We wanted to test an idea submitted by one of our high-executives. The idea was to improve the experience of sharing business cards in client meetings and events with a digital-ready approach in place of (or along with) physical business cards.
What were your goals for this project?
We wanted to walk away with a working MVP that could be used by the corporate marketing team to test the idea. We also wanted to avoid making a large investment while still accurately evaluating the idea’s potential to be a visible improvement in trading contact information in customer events/meetings.
How did you select this vendor?
Red Foundry was the only vendor/partner that provided a flexible approach to developing the solution. They understood our need to work on an MVP to test the idea instead of focusing on a large (pre-defined) scope of work. Furthermore, they were willing to partner with our internal team to develop and refine the idea before coding, rather than requiring fully-fleshed requirements/specifications that would turn into a locked scope of work.
Describe the project in detail.
Red Foundry provided us with the right level of expertise and resources. They were proactive in most occasions, giving us support and advice at every step and working collaboratively to help us progress without any big red flags or bad surprises. They were also keen on alerting us of any decisions that could potentially impact cost or deadlines. The project was completed in the expected timeline and budget.
What was the team composition?
There were three people on the core project team: an account manager, a technical subject matter expert, and a mobile developer. We were also supported by the founding partner (who provided business insights and experience regarding the ideas being discussed), by a designer (who created quick visuals for the UI and icons, when our own designers were busy) and a sales resource (who initiated the relationship with us and remained in touch throughout the project to ensure we were satisfied).
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The MVP application was shared with a number of our executives for beta testing, and the feedback and experiences reported were overwhelmingly positive. Many clients and partners exposed to the app during meetings or events (during our pilot) were impressed with the solution as well. Our corporate marketing team is now working through the feedback to prepare a project to transform the MVP into a formal app available to all employees.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
It was very efficient and streamlined. Meetings were quick and to the point. Decisions and requirements were quickly documented by the Red Foundry team and shared with us to ensure proper comprehension. Their team was flexible in accommodating our "corporate bureaucracy" and need to reschedule some meetings.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
They were true to their word, proactive, flexible, and collaborative. None of those qualities comprised end-product quality or made the project unreasonably expensive. They may not seem like much, but it’s been difficult for me to find a vendor with these qualities nowadays.
Are there any areas for improvement?
It wasn't a very large project, but I’m sure there would be more opportunities for improvement with a larger effort. As for my experience, I was perfectly happy with the outcome and the work provided.
the project
Mobile App Dev for Store Locator and Payment Platform
"Red Foundry delivered exactly what we were looking for and met our tight deadlines."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm the VP of operations at Clark Brands. We provide payment processing solutions and an opportunity to license one of our brands to gas stations. I manage three teams– the client service team, the IT department, and the product development team.
What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?
We wanted to create a mobile app and we needed a vendor to help us.
What was the scope of their involvement?
First, Red Foundry helped us think through all the core functionalities of our MVP. Then, they designed and developed a cross-platform app for iOS and Android. They used React Native for development and integrated the app with Stripe, which is a third-party payment system. The purpose of the app is to provide a store locator to our customers and enable in-store purchases. The app also allows us to market to our customers directly, give away gift cards, and add products and services in the mobile space. Red Foundry did all the testing and helped us launch the app in the App Store and on Google Play.
What is the team composition?
We mostly worked with our account manager and a head developer, so we had one contact on the business side and one contact on the technical side. We also had access to their CTO.
How did you come to work with Red Foundry?
We interviewed some different companies. It was the first time we were developing an app, and Red Foundry was willing to work with us, helping us build out our ideas. We selected them because of their customer support and their expertise in mobile development.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent $65,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked with them from June 2018–November 2018.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We now have a functioning app that we can use. We haven't fully marketed the app, so we didn't expect to have too many downloads. It's just a foundation that we're planning to develop further to get more business.
How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?
We had face-to-face meetings as we were working on the design and the initial development. Then, we moved to weekly calls where we discussed the progress of the project. They were very responsive. If there were any issues, they found solutions very quickly. We were very happy with the process.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They were very flexible, open to questions, and willing to explain the process to us. We were looking for someone who would take our idea and run with it. Red Foundry delivered exactly what we were looking for and met our tight deadlines.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No. I don't have any complaints.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
They provide top-notch service, and their pricing is very good. I'd definitely recommend them.
Red Foundry delivered comprehensive wireframes that effectively guide the development initiative and demonstrate potential interactive features for the product’s UX/UI. The team clearly outlined a project timeline and produced deliverables on time. Their efficiency secured a successful partnership.