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UX + Drupal Acquia Web Development + Strategy

4.9
5 reviews

At Sandstorm Design®, we're highly collaborative, analytical, and nimble in our approach. With 3400+ in-depth user research interviews and usability studies conducted by our team, we’ve mastered the art of uncovering insights to reveal your untapped intrinsic value and transform organizations.

UX principles are at the core of everything we do—from brand strategy, data science and unparalleled UX and creative thinking through enterprise-level Kentico CMS and Drupal Acquia web development. We transform the subjective to the objective so we can make better business decisions together. 

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$100,000+
 
$150 - $199 / hr
 
10 - 49
 Founded
1998
Show all +
Chicago, IL
headquarters
  • 4619 N. Ravenswood Ave Suite 300
    Chicago, IL 60640
    United States
    773.348.4200

Portfolio

Key clients: 

Crown Holdings (NYSE: CCK), NOW Foods, Weber, It Works, CLR® Brands, Signode, University of Illinois Chicago, University of Chicago, Elsevier, Vibrant Credit Union, Accuity, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), National Association of REALTORS®,

Crown: Creating a brand’s crown jewel.

Our initial website maintenance engagement with this Fortune 500 packaging firm quickly grew to encompass multiple facets of their web presence, including the design and development of a new corporate website.

Through user and stakeholder interviews, competitive analysis, and SEO research, we were able to create an engaging solution that delivered significant increases in web traffic and conversions. And we

…
continue to deliver UX enhancements that drive engagement.

Our work resulted in a 48% increase in users to the website and a 34% increase in organic search traffic.

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NOW Foods: Building connections between brand and buyers.

NOW Foods, a leading provider of natural products for more than 50 years, chose Sandstorm to revamp their brand strategy, web presence, e-commerce platform, and mobile experience.

Sandstorm conducted extensive user research and interviews, speaking directly to consumers and customers in order to understand their buying behaviors, motivations, health needs, and the ways they seek out healthy foods and products.

…
Ultimately, this research informed the direction of the new web properties and helped to elevate the brand.

Sandstorm created a website and interactive experience that better connects NOW Foods with their health-conscious consumer target—the new website saw a 94% decrease in bounce rate.

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Reviews

4.9
5 reviews
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Rebranding & Site Dev for Financial Institution

"The site’s unique for a financial institution, and Sandstorm Design did a good job building our voice and tone."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
May 2014 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Sandstorm Design rebranded the company with a new name and logo. They also did a core conversion. The team built a site on Drupal 8, integrated it with an online banking system, and continue to maintain it.

The Reviewer
 
51 - 200 Employees
 
Moline, Illinois
VP of Marketing, Credit Union
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The rebranding boosted new member and household growth, and the website warranted compliments from stakeholders. Sandstorm Design played a key role in stepping away from an ineffective company name by crafting a unique brand and site that built a good reputation. The team is timely and creative.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing for a credit union. We’re headquartered in Illinois, and we have 15 branch locations and a call center in Nevada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sandstorm Design?

We needed to go through a rebrand and core conversion. We had started as an SEG-based credit union for a well-known company; although we've been community-chartered for a long time now, people weren’t coming in our doors because they thought they had to work for that company to bank with us. We needed a different name as a public credit union.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We enlisted Sandstorm Design to think of a brand-new name, slogan, and website as part of a from-the-ground-up rebrand. Their team started with surveys and interviews within the community to test our theory of the connection between our company name and the lack of customers. Their research confirmed our thought that people were confused about whether they could bank with us or not.

The rebranding process started with the name, brand, voice, and tone, so Sandstorm Design came back with a couple of suggestions. Their team came on-site to meet us first and be introduced to the culture at our branches. We’re colorful and bright, and we wanted to highlight our staff members, so we needed them to come on board and meet us first.

We had a previous website, but it had been built internally and only for functionality purposes. With the rebrand, we wanted to highlight our new look and how our products are different from the competition. Sandstorm Design took over the development process from the beginning and built the site from scratch, including a new logo and theme. We provided our input throughout the design process, but we came to their team with a blank slate. They created a straightforward site on Drupal 8 that integrated our online banking system. They provide ongoing site maintenance.

Since we were debuting a new brand, we rolled the brand and the site out together. We figured out the conversational tone of our brand before building the website.

What is the team composition?

There was a team of 5–6 people that we worked with weekly. They worked on the backend doing the wireframing, and they would pull in other people throughout the projects if needed.

Our main point of contact was Emily (Senior Director of Client Delivery, Sandstorm Design). We worked with developers on the website. For the branding, we engaged with an account manager, but that individual is no longer with the company.

How did you come to work with Sandstorm Design?

I joined my company shortly after they hired Sandstorm Design. My company went through an RFP process and looked at local vendors in Chicago. We wanted a vendor that didn’t specialize in credit unions or know our former brand, because we didn’t want any stigmas of the old brand to hinder the project. We looked for a vendor that was farther away from our location so they'd remain openminded.

A lot of proposals came in, and our decision came down to feeling comfortable with Sandstorm Design’s capabilities. We'd seen some of the work they had done before as well.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent between $600,000–$700,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The rebranding project was from May 2014–June 2015. They visit our office monthly for maintenance purposes. We also hired them to create a second website for us, which we plan to launch this October.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We get compliments on our website all the time. The site’s unique for a financial institution, and Sandstorm Design did a good job building our voice and tone. We’re now recognized in the financial industry for our brand; we’ve made it come to life, but they’re the ones that created it originally.

We go by new member and new household growth, and those numbers saw a huge spike after the rebrand. We achieved our key goal of stepping away from our old brand, which led to more customers banking with us.

How did Sandstorm Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is on top of things. They do a good job of keeping us on deadline to make sure we’re not going over hours. They use Basecamp as a project management tool, and we communicate via phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been on other development projects before, and this was by far the easiest process of building out a brand-new website from start to finish.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. When we first started, we had to push them a little more than we wanted to because the financial industry is a stuffy world that is steeped in tradition. I think they were afraid of going too far, but we were comfortable with taking a big risk with our brand. They were initially more conservative, but once Sandstorm Design understood our objective, they did a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep up to date with all of your timelines. Sandstorm Design will keep you on track as well.

5.0
Overall Score They keep on top of things. They also take your feedback and apply it to the projects they work on.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They did a great job making up time when it took us longer to get confirmations or approvals so that the project wouldn’t fall behind.
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    The value is there, which is why we continue to use them. From a cost standpoint, they're tremendously higher than a lot of other companies.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    We’ve had nothing but really positive feedback on the branding and the website, so we're going back to them for another site.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    Yes, they do a great job.

Multiple Web/Mobile App Dev & UX with Branding

"Our founder is pleased and says the app is a thing of beauty."

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4.5

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.5
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
May 2017 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Sandstorm Design has worked on numerous projects, including brand creation and rebuilding a mobile app. They collaborate with the in-house team and third parties to achieve project goals.

The Reviewer
 
2-10 Employees
 
Chicago, Illinois
Interim CTO, Fintech Startup
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Sandstorm Design is a time-tested, proven partner that can be trusted with complex, high-stakes projects. They rescued the data design and UX of the app and helped to chart a course to launch. The team is talented, and their work product is top-notch. 

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the interim CTO for a financial technology startup. I’m in charge of strategy for all of our tech products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sandstorm Design?

I needed a partner who could execute on our founder’s vision for our different products, from UX to dev to branding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sandstorm Design has worked on numerous projects, often conducting an initial discovery phase to determine the project specs and needs. They’ve helped with UX, web design, mobile app design, user journeys, engagement journeys, and actual dev. For various products, they developed brand concepts and created an entire suite of logos.

One of our biggest projects was a piece of software that helps us vet businesses through an automated process with AI capacities. Sandstorm Design built the non-native app using Ruby, HTML, Javascript, PostgreSQL, and Gulp. We’d developed a prototype, but it wasn’t user-friendly or scalable, so we gave Sandstorm Design all of the information to rebuild it. They designed the product from the ground up, working on both the frontend and backend. They created a better user experience and cleaned up the database so that it was scalable and could store the data in a way that allowed for long-term big data analysis.

For branding, they ran a concept workshop that helped determine the look and feel we wanted. They created a family of brands and outlined how we could scale them, including logos for future projects and different messaging points across various media types. 

What is the team composition?

They have multiple teams working across multiple projects. For example, they have a tech team with about 4–6 developers and a design brand team with 4–5 team members. We also interact with a senior level project manager and smaller teams that do miscellaneous tasks.

How did you come to work with Sandstorm Design?

I’ve known the founder since she founded Sandstorm and have worked with her and her team extensively in the past.How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project started in May 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work was so extensive and rigorous that we now have a patent pending on the app because it’s so unique. Our founder is pleased that Sandstormers ‘gets’ her vision. It’s also allowed us to cut the cost of processing applications in half, which means we can scale our business at a much better profitability point. Because the branding was so solid, we can launch new products over time and be confident that they’ll all fit within the wider brand.

How did Sandstorm Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They maintain constant contact and use various tools to track progress (e.g. Basecamp, Trello, Slack). We have weekly status meetings, and they’re extremely flexible with how much we get involved. The project manager is great at her job.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their UX and branding work is some of the best I’ve seen. Any number of firms can deliver good looking products, but Sandstorm brings meaning, purpose, and rigor to every aspect of design. They helped us define user journeys, personas, and an integrated brand experience. Plus, Sandstormers are good humans; they’re kind, calm and creative problem-solving partners.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be more direct and “cut to the chase” with Type A clients like me.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Share as much information as possible with them about your project. The more they know, the better the partnership will be.

4.5
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    There are always unknowns in these kinds of projects.
  • 4.5 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    I like to work on fixed bids, but this project was on a time and materials basis, which requires more oversight.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    Everything they do is beautiful and thorough.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I've referred them for the past 20 years.

Website Design, UX & SEO for Orthopaedic Trauma Association

"We liked that we had access to their full team and not just one representative."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
4.5
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Oct. 2017 - Apr. 2018
Project summary: 

Sandstorm Design revamped an outdated website. They improved site navigation, user-friendliness, and SEO.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Rosemont, Illinois
Kathleen Caswell
Executive Director, Orthopaedic Trauma Association
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The new site was received well by users and the previous issues have all been resolved. The team is communicative, thorough, and easy to work with. Customers can expect the full dedication of their staff from day one.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director at The National Orthopedic Trauma Association. We’re a professional membership organization for primarily orthopedic trauma surgeons and our mission is research and education based.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sandstorm Design?

Our website was outdated and we were having issues with our SEO. We needed a full overhaul for our site to remedy our numerous technical issues.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sandstorm redesigned our entire website, improved our SEO with better analytics, and made our site much easier in terms of navigational aesthetics.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Max (Senior Developer, Sandstorm Design) and Mel (Project Manager, Sandstorm Design).

How did you come to work with Sandstorm Design?

We went through a formal RFP process and viewed demonstrations of three companies in person. We chose Sandstorm because they brought in several members of their team and we liked their previous design work with other nonprofits.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in October 2017 and ended in April 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They created a website that resolved our main issues, such as clunky navigation and faulty SEO. They were also able to help develop our more complicated design processes, such as a search function that links to a separate education site.  

How did Sandstorm Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate once a week, typically, using Basecamp or in conference calls. The team was always willing to support us with supplemental training or additions to our project. They were responsive, helpful, and easy to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a higher level of expertise than some of the other companies we’ve interviewed. Their team structure is highly effective, and they even perform usability studies in their on-site usability lab. We liked that we had full access to their team and not just one representative.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we haven’t had any issues and nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Having the in-person meetings was helpful at the beginning. We liked being able to view their different designs before selecting Sandstorm as our vendor, and I think it’s important to talk to the right people about specific concerns before beginning the project.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.5 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    Their cost was higher than other vendors but their end product was well worth it.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Drupal Platform Dev & UX for Business Organization

"I felt like they were an extension of our staff and not just another vendor."

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5.0

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
Mar. 2016 - May 2017
Project summary: 

Sandstorm Design created an updated mobile-friendly platform for use across 59 chapter websites. They built the platform on Drupal 8 and it integrates back into a main database.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Chicago, Illinois
Leslie Whittet
VP, Association for Corporate Growth
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The website received more hits than ever before as a result of Sandstorm’s efforts. The team is hard working, fun, and collaborates well with other vendors. Their work is designed to be easily updated, which adds value to their offering. 

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of chapter operations at The Association for Corporate Growth, a global organization with 14,500 members in 59 chapters. I work with chapter operations, and I handle all of the associated technology, databases, and website governance issues.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sandstorm Design?

We wanted to redesign our website to enable a mobile platform for 59 individual websites (one for every chapter). They all needed to integrate back to a database and be mobile-friendly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team led us in selecting a mobile platform for our website (Drupal 8), and helped us design and develop the user interface to our liking. We did usability testing with our customers and then contoured the design with that feedback in mind. The team coached us through the project and showed us what factors would contribute to the longevity of the platform.

What is the team composition?

We had a full team of developers, sub-developers, a usability group, a UI group, and a design group. Our main point of contact was Emily (Senior Director of Client Delivery, Sandstorm Design).

How did you come to work with Sandstorm Design?

We worked with a consultant and completed an RFP with their help.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $200,000–$1,000,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project began in March 2016, and the platform went live in May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had 800,000 hits to our website, which we had never had before. The project has been a success from all marketing, usability, branding, and SEO standpoints.

How did Sandstorm Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a great partnership with Sandstorm’s project management team. They were great and collaborative, especially with our other partners. Every week we used Uber Conference and Basecamp, which helped with management details.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked that they helped build our platform with components that can be updated when the time comes. I appreciate that aspect because it won’t cost as much as another brand-new project. Their team is also full of fun, authentic people. I felt like they were an extension of our staff and not just another vendor. Our last service provider always gave us a new representative, so it was hard to cultivate a relationship and we were just one of several clients. We never felt that way at Sandstorm since they have high retention rates and quality staff; that speaks volumes about their team management in my book.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise potential customers to be honest and realistic about their expectations. It's important to always communicate and reiterate goals in order to keep the project under control.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 4.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Billing App Dev & UX for Large Medical Group

“They communicate well and proactively engage in our projects.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Confidential
 
June 2016 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Sandstorm Design built a billing app that allows doctors and billers to work more efficiently. They also help with other projects, such as scheduling and organization efforts.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Chicago, Illinois
Bill Ferguson
Direct of Marketing, Metro Infectious Disease Consultants
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Sandstorm Design is efficient, cost-effective, and organized. The team is friendly and flexible, adjusting well to project changes. The product has significantly reduced the amount of time it takes to process bills, and ongoing enhancements continue to improve it.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for Metro Infectious Disease Consultants, a company that does infusions for patients and studies infectious diseases.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sandstorm Design?

We needed a partner to develop an app that made billing more efficient for our doctors. They’d try to solve the problem themselves, but a solution never emerged.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sandstorm Design built an in-depth mobile app that our doctors can input their billing information into and the billers can submit it directly to the insurance companies. They currently implement app enhancements as needed. Beyond that project, we also work with them on other tasks, such as scheduling and organization projects for our business. For example, we’re collaborating on a way to better understand how and when our doctors use the app, so we can understand any issues and fix them quickly.

How did you come to work with Sandstorm Design?

I knew their founder and was impressed with the past work they’d done in the medical field. I spoke with the CEO and lead developer about our problem, and they understood what we wanted, so we hired them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began the project in June 2016, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is incredibly efficient; our doctors are able to submit their billing information 4–5 minutes faster than before. It also saves us 3-4 days of work, too.

How did Sandstorm Design perform from a project management standpoint?

At the beginning of the partnership, we spoke multiple times a week for 1–2 hours at a time. It’s less now, but they’re still extremely responsive. After every meeting, they provide an extensive recap and action plan. They keep us on track and, whenever I request a change that may derail the schedule, they adjust well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team is nice and easy to work with. They communicate well and proactively engage in our projects. Unlike other firms, they went above and beyond to provide superior service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Trust that they'll handle the project professionally. Give them detailed information and answer questions they have. Make sure every decision maker is present during meetings to keep the process moving quickly and smoothly.

5.0
Overall Score They're a great group of people that I love working with.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    Their scheduling and project management skills are outstanding.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They made our business even more cost-effective.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    Sandstorm’s service exceeds that of any other tech group I’ve worked with.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I'm extremely likely to refer them.