Red Foundry

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a market research company. We have a series of apps in the App Store and Google Play Store.

What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?

We needed to improve the UI/UX design of our apps.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Red Foundry provided us with UI/UX design services using Figma. We already had user personas and had done competitive research, so we offered examples of competitors’ apps we wanted to emulate while putting our own spin on them. The Red Foundry team picked a color palette and font and gave us an outline. 

From there, they iterated on the design with us. Red Foundry followed specific design requirements because we worked with credit card networks. The team created a centralized dashboard in an additional screen our previous design didn’t have. They also designed a feature that displays users’ transaction history. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with Alaina (Senior Project Manager), a senior developer, and a designer from Red Foundry. Other administrative teammates came in and out to keep an eye on the project. 

How did you come to work with Red Foundry?

Although I don’t recall exactly how we found them, I believe it was on Google and Clutch. I interviewed some service providers from Clutch. Interacting with Red Foundry was good; it felt very professional and like we were in good hands, so we went with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $25,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted from August–October 2022. Currently, they’re working with us on other design projects.

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

The app looks and feels much more polished, which is what we were going for. One of our goals was to make the app look like we’re not such a small team, and Red Foundry accomplished that. The team was great at iterating with us until the design came together nicely. As a result, it looks much more professional and trustworthy. 

I like how they displayed users’ transaction history, and the dashboard looks good. The dashboard has been helpful for us to have a de facto place to put some of our experience, which we didn’t have before. Overall, everyone on my team is very happy with the design. 

The Red Foundry team was really professional and not pushy, which we’ve experienced with other companies. Initially, we were interested in having Red Foundry do some development for us, but we had some budgetary constraints.

How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great at communicating with us, meeting deadlines, and staying on budget. They were clear about their rates and how much our project would cost. Although the budget was built over time, it was close to their initial projection. 

We were working with some credit card networks, and there were specific design requirements to do that. Whenever we asked for something specific there and gave them feedback from our network partner, Red Foundry turned around the work within a week and sometimes even faster. 

As for communication, we had weekly meetings through Zoom and also used email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with Red Foundry’s experience building mobile apps. They could advise us on some things we weren’t aware of. For example, we talked to them about the technology we wanted to work with because they were very knowledgeable. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They didn’t need to improve; we were happy with them and engaged them on another project. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and honest with Red Foundry; they’ll work with you and get you what you need.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief information officer at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. We educate and represent 40,000 orthopedic surgeons in North America and worldwide, and we’ve been around for over 80 years. Our goal is both to represent them from an advocacy perspective and to train them to ensure they can get from residents to successful surgeons and, ultimately, emeritus members of our organization.

What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?

We were trying to create a new member experience so that we could get our members to the most frequently used sites on our web environment.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Red Foundry has created a mobile membership app for us to help us simplify our member experience. First, they worked with us to define the member experience, which required a lot of design thinking and requirements gathering from the various business lines within our academy.

During this process, Red Foundry worked closely with us to understand the requirements of our different membership categories. They also assessed the existing capabilities of our various programs and existing websites to come up with wireframe designs for a high-impact/low-touch app that could provide our users with easier access to those capabilities.

After that, Red Foundry built the mobile app for us using React Native. Our product had to comply with both the Google Play Store and the App Store requirements, so they worked with us to create both versions of the app. Once they developed the app, they helped us with testing and release management. Now, we’re in the maintenance phase, and we’re planning to develop a second version of the app for 2023.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with around 6–7 people from Red Foundry, including Rich (Partner & CEO), Kerri (Partner), Ron (Partner & CTO), Elizabeth (Project Manager), and some designers and developers.

How did you come to work with Red Foundry?

I was referred to them and heard about the work that they had done. We thought some of their work was fantastic, so we hired them to do something similar for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

The mobile app developed by Red Foundry has brought around nine different core functions to our members’ fingertips, making it easier for us to push messages and for them to log in and get to most of the assets they need from us. After its soft launch, the app has been well-received by our board of directors and our residents, who have provided very positive feedback.

Additionally, we’ve seen an increase in the number of downloads, as well as sustained usage from the people who have downloaded it — a high percentage of them continue to use it. These users also continuously use the communication features we’ve implemented, demonstrating the success of the product and exceeding our expectations.

How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?

Red Foundry has met their scheduled deliverables on time and within budget. We communicate regularly with them and have status meetings. Whenever we have challenges, we rapidly reach out to them, and they’re very responsive to those challenges.

The development process has been very complex, as the product has a complex infrastructure with multiple sign-on environments and CMSs. Still, Red Foundry has been very good at defining the issues they’ve found and bringing people to the table to solve them without waiting for us to report those issues.

We use Microsoft Teams to chat and have meetings. We also have in-person meetings twice per week and communicate via email. After the requirement-gathering process, we used a very helpful tool to visualize the outputs and bring them to our governance teams. Additionally, we’ve used PowerPoint to create presentations for feature trees.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The diligence and quality of Red Foundry’s people are impressive. Kerri and her team have been on top of the project from start to finish, leading the entire process and correcting any issues to ensure we’re happy with the outcome. Red Foundry has earned our trust right from the start, and they’ve consistently performed well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. If anything, I’ve felt that we both have spent some time trying to fix things that ultimately haven’t represented major issues, making us spend more time than necessary focusing on those small details.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Leverage the weekly meetings and other communication channels to keep abreast of the project’s progress.

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.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an application called skillin’, a gig economy platform. We encourage people to share their skills and new hobbies and find other people interested in learning about their craft.

What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?

I needed their expertise in app development.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I initially engaged Red Foundry to collaborate with me in building our MVP. We fleshed out all the necessary components and solutions needed to build the prototype. Their team then designed and developed an iOS- and Android-friendly app within our requirements.

After building our core product, Red Foundry built our marketing website, which we now show to potential costumes who express interest in our application. Their team used Squarespace to build the one-page website and integrated MailChimp for a seamless mode of contact. They also integrated OneSignal API to enable app notifications.

We’ve already had a soft launch for the product, but we still rely on Red Foundry to handle our Facebook advertising efforts.

What is the team composition?

Ron (Partner & CTO) is my main point of contact, and I also work with Kerri (Partner, Client Delivery), Sarah (Product Manager), Niko (Software Engineer), Kate (UX Designer)

How did you come to work with Red Foundry?

I found a link to their Clutch profile through a Google search. I reached out to them after reading rave reviews. I gladly hired Red Foundry after they presented a quote, which was surprisingly affordable for their experience.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $172,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement started in December 2020, and it’s ongoing.

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

It’s hard to give definitive metrics at this stage because we’ve only recently had our soft launch — however, I can confirm that Red Foundry has done an awesome job in building our app and helping me flesh out strategic and substantial solutions to improve its quality. At this point, the success of my business already depends on my team’s effort because Red Foundry has exceptionally done their part.

How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicate via Skype and email. Red Foundry is an adaptable partner that accommodated my work schedule despite our time zone differences — their cooperative nature is one of the hallmarks of our engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve helped me come up with impactful ideas and worked with me towards meeting my development goals. Additionally, they’ve been very transparent in relaying which deliverables meet my budget and which don’t. Overall, it’s been a joy to work with Red Foundry’s team, and they’ve given me a seamless working experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve slightly gone over the original budget and timeline — however, this circumstance has been handled well by their team because they’ve kept me updated with transparent reports.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open-minded and receptive to their helpful suggestions. Red Foundry is really good at what they do, and they go above and beyond to see their client succeed.

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.

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.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Communications Data Group. We provide billing and operational software to small telecom providers in the US and Canada. These small companies use our software to run their businesses and generate bills for their customers.

I’m the VP of product development, managing the team that works on this software solution.

What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?

When you have internet service or TV service or phone service, a technician might show up to bury a wire, and then someone else will come to install devices like a router and a modem. The technician might pull out a tablet or smartphone to add notes and get signatures throughout the visit.

We felt it was important for competitive purposes to have a mobile app that technicians could use to update their jobs in the field. Our website didn’t work offline, and we have a lot of rural telecom companies as customers, so offline functionality is very important.  

What was the scope of their involvement?

Red Foundry built the mobile app from scratch, and our one requirement was that the app had to be built in a common code base for iOS and Android, so they developed in Reach Native.

To start, we showed them our mobile website to give them an idea of the features of the mobile app. We didn’t restrict them in any way to the same UI and UX; Red Foundry was free to design the app to function well for telecom technicians to see the location of the job, check-in at the job, add notes, and manage equipment.

They also developed a custom look-up feature where technicians can see unassigned or unscheduled jobs in the queue; some companies do self-service where their technicians can claim other jobs while they’re out in the field.  

They presented us with ideas in the design phase about how the screens could look. It was nice to get into specific details like the color, button size, and arrows. We were so impressed with their UI that we hired them for a big initiative we’re about to start that entails looking over our web solution. The tool has thousands of screens, as it’s our core product. They’re going to tackle the UI/UX redesign.

What is the team composition?

We worked initially with the principal owner on issues like oversight responsibilities and contracts — anything that involved time and money. Now, he checks in to see that we’re happy and progressing. The rest of the team was made up of another principal, an advanced architecture developer, and UI/UX designer. After the design phase, we started working with a programmer.

Red Foundry also provided a project manager to keep everyone on the same page, time, and budget.

How did you come to work with Red Foundry?

We’re both located in or around Chicago, and they had good pricing, though it wasn’t the best. Some of the other companies we looked at were international, and that provided its fair share of logistical and communication problems.  

After calling several of Red Foundry’s references, we were impressed by how happy they all were. Everyone said that Red Foundry’s work was the best of any mobile app vendor they’d seen.

Personally, we were impressed throughout the sales process, as they showed us examples that we felt were very professional. Their work process also seemed like it would generate a good experience for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $250,000 in the end.

What is the status of this engagement?

We start together in January 2021, and the solution launched at the beginning of November 2021.

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

There were some bugs throughout development, and those were split between problems with our API and problems with the app. Sometimes the issue was that our team hadn’t communicated something properly, and it led to a design flaw down the line.

We’re so happy with their performance that we’re going to use them on other projects, including other mobile apps.

How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?

It was outstanding — definitely one of the highlights. Their team is very strong and kept everyone on task and budget.

We communicated with Jira, email, and video meetings, and they shared status reports with us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of the work, the app, and the project management stood out. Red Foundry’s professionalism met our high expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to them and take their advice. Red Foundry’s team told us not to rush through the design phase; it’s like building a house, they said. You don’t want to start nailing boards together until you know exactly what the house is going to look like. Where will the outlets and light switches be, for example.  

They suggested we take our time, and we didn’t have to be convinced of that. We know how important it is to carefully design the target you’re trying to hit.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of operations for a payment processing company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Red Foundry?

We had a new loyalty program and needed a mobile app for customers to access the program and promotions.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Red Foundry developed another mobile app for us for iOS and Android. Their team worked with our loyalty provider to establish API connections to display our loyalty program’s offers on the product. They integrated the platform with our locations to provide customers with specific discounts and points that can be displayed on the app. Their team used a bit of the code from their other mobile app, and the platforms have some crossover functionalities such as a store locater.

We completed the build and rolled it out to beta-locations. Based on customer and store feedback, they’re making a couple of enhancements to the app.

What is the team composition?

Account managers set up the deal and then handed it to a project manager who worked with the head of development. In addition to the head of development, we worked with a development lead and a junior developer.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent just over $100,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this project around May 2020, and it’s an ongoing project.

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

Their team produced an app that met the requirements we established at the beginning of the project. They delivered exactly what we sought. It's successful because all of the features work. Beyond a few enhancements, the initial feedback’s that the app works well.

How did Red Foundry perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via email, and that works well for us. We went through the entire process with Red Foundry, including testing and revising. That all worked well, so they delivered a finished product.

I’m happy with their project manager who greatly contributed to the success of this project. Their project manager has kept us informed about their progress throughout the project and managed all of the details, timelines, and budgets. They've stayed on the scope and on budget, which is important to us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed by their organization. Their team has been even more organized throughout this project thanks to the addition of a project manager. They keep me up to date with the budget, so I know where we stand. If there has been any kind of creep, their team was able to share its effect on the budget, and we could make decisions on the fly without adding to the cost.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always room for improvement with testing and catching bugs. You can say that about everybody.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend the time and money up front to work with Red Foundry on building your requirements and user stories. They’re great at it, and it reduces creep.

This review was published on March, 1st 2019.

Randy Naylor

VP of Operations, Clark Brands LLC

Oil & Energy

11-50 Employees

Lisle, Illinois

$50,000 to $199,999

June - Nov. 2018

Project summary: 

Red Foundry designed and built a cross-platform app for iOS and Android and integrated it with Stripe. The app supports geolocation services, a customer loyalty program, and in-store purchases.

Feedback summary: 

The in-house team is happy with the quality of the code and the customer support they received. Red Foundry went above and beyond to meet all needs, while their ability to answer questions and quickly address any issues helped them establish a smooth and effective process.

BACKGROUND

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.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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.

SOLUTION

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.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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.

Star Ratings:

Overall rating: 5

Quality: 5

Schedule: 5

Cost: 5

Willing to refer: 5

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.

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.