Sayenko Design

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

We were a few weeks off of our timeline. It’s been a slow rollout to get users to adopt newer visions. We still have around 6,000 members. Initially, there were good response rates to our email campaigns, which is our primary method of reaching people.

Our site has between 300–400 subscribers, which isn’t bad for six weeks. A few events are coming up where people can subscribe in-person. Our top-performing posts and articles are getting about 600–700 views.

How did Sayenko Design perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, their team did pretty well. We communicated with them weekly in the beginning. Since we were on a tight timeline, we sometimes only had a few days to review and give feedback. When we were in the development stage, I spoke to Mike and Kyle daily.

They also kept our side on track. When we were reviewing the design and performing bug testing, they were excellent at pushing me to use the proper channels. That ensured that everything I reported could be tracked and noted when completed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their real strength is in backend development. While they put together a nice design, their backend development work is what we’re most impressed with. It was clean and well-thought-out. Their team developed it in a way that anyone could run it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We were looking for something cutting-edge, so we had to push their team a bit. It’s a straightforward website, but their team could be more open to experimentation and pushing the design envelope. I know that their team understands what works and what doesn’t, but I think they could push the boundaries a bit more.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The processes that Sayenko Design has in place are excellent for people looking for a nice and clean website.

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

We haven’t fully launched the website yet because we’re still adding some of our finished content. In terms of internal feedback, we think the site elevates the professionalism of our digital footprint. Aesthetically speaking, we’re in a much better place now than we were at the beginning of 2019.

How did Sayenko Design perform from a project management standpoint?

I thought they performed well. Their team had a very transparent project management schedule. Also, their project management portal was browser-enabled, which let us track their milestones and see where we were intersecting. Their work was always visible, and we were able to see which tasks were being addressed at any moment.

They were very open about the information and resources we needed. They also gave us notice of new requirements well in advance to avoid potential bottlenecks. We were never bogged down by poor communication, and all of the expectations were extremely clear.

Phone calls and meetings were held on an as-needed basis. We ended up speaking with them about every other week. Typically, we would escalate to these conversations if emails or messages in the portal weren’t sufficient, or we needed some quick clarification.

There were a few instances where there was miscommunication and things weren’t executed in the way we initially envisioned. But once those were identified, they were able to quickly address the issue. In the end, I felt that it was a fairly streamlined process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The thing that we were initially impressed with—which heavily influenced our decision to move forward with them—was their high-level viewpoint of our website goals. They understood that it was more than an advertising tool and that we were trying to shift how people perceived us both internally and externally. Having that broader view—understanding the purpose of the project as it relates to our strategy moving forward—was something that other developers weren’t exhibiting.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would have liked a clearer feedback cycle where they could better understand the importance of particular milestones. A few situations occurred where we were trying to be a bit more personalized with the products, making them better suited for our industry, and we had to keep reiterating requirements.

There were also several instances when they tried to start with a boilerplate structure that was based on their previous experiences. It was sometimes a struggle getting them to understand our ideas and why we wanted to be different from some of their previous clients.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a solid understanding of your company objectives, and write out milestones and timelines for fulfilling those goals. Give them a template that they can put their framework around. They do a great job of bringing their experience to the table.

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

We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from customers, our board, and everyone on our team. Based on aesthetics, everyone likes our website. We have seen a slight improvement in our SEO, but that takes time, so we expect to rank even higher.

On the hiring end of our website, we’ve received contact information from about 60 people. We haven’t even started promoting that part of the site or focused on lead generation yet. The site provides a solid overview of what our company does and our industry, so it has certainly helped recruitment efforts.   

How did Sayenko Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Our workflow was great. They set up a portal for our project, in which we were able to communicate, ask questions, voice concerns, and track the schedule online. Of course, we missed a few deadlines, but that was due to a few changes we made.

It was really easy to communicate with them, but the frequency in which we talked changed depending on what was needed for the project. For example, during the design phase, we were going back and forth on mockups, so we talked every other day. Then, once we started the coding phase, we only communicated twice a week. Even during QA, only a few things needed to be tweaked if there was a bug, so we still only talked on the phone twice a week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provided impeccable insight into UX and best practices. They had several great recommendations, so we added features, like animations, based on their feedback.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A few things were missed when we transitioned from design to coding, but they were quickly fixed. There could have been slightly better communication when the design team handed their work off to the coding team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide them with a concept or a goal, and let them use their creative experience to come up with designs for you rather than just telling them what you want.

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

The site does not have high-volume traffic because we are in a niche industry. However, the quality was vastly superior to the previous version. Sayenko Design pulled our message together quickly—integrating concepts and case studies into the clear presentation of our capabilities and process.

How did Sayenko Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Sayenko Design guided us through a seamless process. We communicated daily except for the month where they waited on us to execute our line items. The teams then resumed daily communication as we got close to going live.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They helped us understand the value added of having a fresh, clear, and professional website.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they delivered on their promises. I would use them again and recommend them.