Series Eight

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Manager Marketing & Communication of STAS

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Worldwide supplier of hanging systems and assortment that fits within the vision “Transform Your Room”. STAS innovates based on the philosophy: a suitable solution for every situation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Series Eight to accomplish?

• Webdesign
• Scalability: to be able to push a new Shopify Theme to webshops worldwide from 1 GitHub
• Optimize and improve on current webdesign

SOLUTION

How did you find Series Eight?

Online Search

Why did you select Series Eight over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Series Eight were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

GitHub setup

Webdevelopment theme upgrade. A new central Shopify theme has been created using the latest version of Dawn as a basis. This theme can be pushed to 20 different shopify webshops wordlwide and can then again be customized for each country/language. Bug-testing, responsive. Some of the extra's that were built in: Bundled products on one page, SEO breadcrumbs, custom image gallery, customizable mega menu, related products, 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The project got done in a quick and efficient way. Very happy we chose Series Eight as our webdevelopment partner for our Shopify stores worldwide.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

It has been a fantastic experience to work with this company. Their staff and developers are awesome. The project we did with Series Eight was the most effective and satisfying. Communication and cooperation were flawless. 

What was your primary form of communication with Series Eight?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The effectiveness and speed of communication and delivery of the solutions. Very customer-friendly and knowledgeable staff. The solutions, completed work, and speed at which they were delivered have exceeded our expectations.

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

No improvements needed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder & CEO of ABC Dumplings

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We make gluten free frozen dumplings made with clean simple ingredients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Series Eight to accomplish?

• Produce a dynamic Shopify store adhering to specific ABC brand guidelines/voice

SOLUTION

How did you find Series Eight?

Referral

Why did you select Series Eight over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Series Eight were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Website Design:
  • Key Wireframes (UX) 
  • Data / Analytics Review 
  • Mood boarding and Design
  • Discovery 7x 
  • User Interface 
  • Pages (UI) Responsive 
  • Styleguide 
  • Homepage 
  • About 
  • Product 
  • Collection 
  • Cart + Mini Cart 
  • Account / Login / Orders / Subscriptions
  • Contact 
  • 404
  • Terms 
• Website Development:
  • 7x Page Responsive Development 
  • Performance Enhancement 
  • Fully Editable Content 
  • GA Tracking 
  • SEO Ready* 
  • Accessibility Ready** 
  • Motion Development 
  • Cookie Popup 
• Shopify Development Apps and integrations: 
  • Recharge Subscriptions 
  • Yotpo / Junip / Okendo Reviews / 
  • Trustpilot Store Locator 
  • Internal Customiser

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Not so much measurable, but I was looking for a beautiful and user friendly website that was geared to both a DTC audience and also wholesale retailers. I have little web design and development and knowledge, so you can imagine it can be difficult to explain my wants. 
However, the team at Series 8 was able to present a series of options and directions adhering to my brand guidelines, my personal wishes and the web design all while focusing on my target audience. With this, it was simple for me to narrow down a final product we were all happy with. Such a pleasure to work with the entire team -the sense of customer service, urgency and care is clearly in the DNA of this company.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Items were delivered in the timelines that I needed and dictated. The timeline only shifted as the team waited on assets from myself e.g. photography, videography, answers on copy etc. The team was quick to respond and quick to aid in guided direction.

What was your primary form of communication with Series Eight?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They performed at a highly efficient level as a team with talent spread across the world.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a real estate brokerage in Cyprus. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Series Eight?

We wanted to rebrand our company’s image and website from top to bottom to achieve consistent branding. Given that, we needed a team that could do everything from creating a new logo and content to rebranding the website and ensuring it was SEO-friendly. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Series Eight was responsible for our rebranding efforts, including the logo design and creation of our brand voice. We didn’t have any brand guidelines in the beginning, so they facilitated workshops that allowed us to understand what our customers wanted. From there, the team developed our branding and voice. We showed them our old website and provided them with our old information. Our team discussed how we worked, and their resources incorporated those things into brand guidelines. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and various other teammates, including a content writer and web designer. There was also a systems specialist. In total, we collaborated with 5–6 teammates from Series Eight. Nathan (Brand & UI Designer) was our project manager. 

How did you come to work with Series Eight?

I knew one of Series Eight’s founders from my school days. We’d been following their work for a number of years, and we always said that when it came time to rebrand our company, we’d reach out to them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around €50,000 (approximately $54,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership lasted from March–July 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was never meant to increase our sales. Instead, the idea was to have a way to show the evolution of our brand over the last five years. We wanted to show that we were still relevant and fresh. We expected that everything we did on this project would affect our future; we weren’t expecting a huge uptick in people calling us about the job that Series Eight did. 

How did Series Eight perform from a project management standpoint?

The Series Eight team was amazing; they delivered everything on time and within our budget. Nathan was great, too. He was with us from start to finish. He was great at understanding what we needed and how we needed it. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everyone did their job truly well. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing we struggled with was the digital system they used in terms of feedback, content, and website management. The person managing the project from our side and I understood their digital systems. Still, such systems might be a little complicated for other clients, especially if they don’t have a dedicated person that can spend a lot of time reading and checking everything. 

In other words, Series Eight could figure out an easier way to get feedback from their clients. They could use Zoom calls or a different avenue rather than using the system that they used with us. This may help their team get more traditional clients in the future. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure that you have enough time to do upfront work, such as explaining your brand. This ensures that Series Eight can do their job and understand what you want to get out of the partnership. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at Viatu

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Viatu is an online travel platform offering sustainable multi-day trips to Africa and beyond.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Series Eight to accomplish?

• Create a new brand
• Redesign our website
• Redevelop our website

SOLUTION

How did you find Series Eight?

• Online Search
• Dribbble

Why did you select Series Eight over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• great design and profile on dribble

How many teammates from Series Eight were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Brand redevelopment: Series8 redefined our brand identity, strategy and personas based on our vision, values and target audience. They also created a brand style guide and a logo design that reflected our brand personality and tone of voice. They delivered a comprehensive brand document that outlined the brand purpose, positioning, values, voice and visual identity. 
• Website design: Series8 designed a user-friendly and visually appealing website for our business, using the latest UX and UI principles and best practices. They also created wireframes, mockups and prototypes to test and validate the design with us and our users. They delivered high-fidelity design files and assets for the website pages and features. 
• Website development: Series8 developed a fully functional and responsive website based on our existing frameworks Django and Vue.js. They also integrated the website with our CMS, CRM and other third-party tools and platforms. They also ensured the website was SEO-optimized, secure and fast-loading. They delivered the source code, documentation and testing results for the website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

- New brand identity, new website designs and new website

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Series8’s project management was excellent. They delivered items on time and according to the scope of work. They used agile methodologies and tools to manage the project, such as Trello, Slack and Google Drive. They communicated clearly and regularly with us, and responded to our needs and feedback promptly and effectively. 

They also provided us with reports and analytics to track the progress and performance of the project. They were flexible and adaptable to any changes or challenges that arose during the project. They were a pleasure to work with and we were very satisfied with their work.

What was your primary form of communication with Series Eight?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What I found most impressive or unique about Series8 was their creativity and expertise in both branding and development. They were able to create a stunning and engaging website that captured our brand identity and vision. They acquired quickly a deep understanding of our industry and audience and tailored the website to their needs and preferences. 

They used the latest technologies and trends to make the website user-friendly, responsive and fast. They also had a great eye for detail and quality and ensured that the website was flawless and consistent. They're truly passionate and dedicated to their work and deliver beyond our expectations.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the General Manager of a telecommunications company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Design and Manufacturing of optical test equipment for telecommunications, mil/aero, research and medical.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Series Eight to accomplish?

• Refreshed website
• Combined website with parent company

SOLUTION

How did you find Series Eight?

Referral

Why did you select Series Eight over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Series Eight were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with Series Eight?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Redesign website to combine 2 companies under one brand. Design ideas for different levels of a brand refresh ranging from new colour scheme to minimal changes and something in the middle. The middle choice was chosen to provide familiarity to the user base with a simple, clean and professional design. Design, wireframes, site maps as well as training material for web maintenance were among the key deliverables.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• 100% positive internal & external feedback improved site response time improved accessibility improved best practices SEO improvement *Metrics have yet to be analyzed in detail

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Our project manager was very responsive to our requests. They did not show frustration when we changed requirements mid project. When timelines got tight from delays out of their control, they stepped up and brought more developers in to ensure on-time delivery.

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

They are very effective communicators. Very efficient as using the tools available (figma, trello, loom, etc) Coordination between design and development was very good.

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

They're great

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of e-commerce for a sexual wellness company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Series Eight?

We were trying to scale our direct-to-consumer (DTC) business on WooCommerce and needed a design and development partner to help us migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team is providing design, development, and copywriting services. Series Eight was initially hired to develop our tone of voice for the DTC website and supply copywriting for key calls and home pages, but we’ve expanded the engagement to take care of all of our copywriting needs. 

What is the team composition?

We work with three designers, three developers, a project manager, and Mario (Founder & CEO). 

How did you come to work with Series Eight?

Series Eight was a recommendation through an e-commerce company. We had three other agencies we were talking to, and when we sent out an RFP, Series Eight provided various services that would fit our project. They showed us a presentation, and we thought their design skills were strong, so we decided to move forward with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $50,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2022, and the engagement is ongoing because we are keeping them on retainer for development. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t seen any tangible results because we’re still in the early phases, but from a user perspective, the website looks fantastic. We’re confident that we will see improvements in conversion rates and sales further down the line. 

How did Series Eight perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve had a few delays, but almost everything has been delivered on time and, more importantly, has stayed within our budget. Our project manager has been highly responsive and will respond quickly if we have any questions. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a lot of design knowledge and experience that has proven helpful throughout the engagement and set their business apart from other providers. Their price is very fair for the quality they provide. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Theoretically, they could have different plans for their services because everything is priced the same. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We would recommend working with them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Run Payments, a financial services platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Series Eight?

We needed someone to provide us with web development and branding services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Series Eight helped us design a new logo, create our brand identity, and develop our website. They accomplished all of their tasks, but we’re still looking to expand on what we currently have in place.

The team also created a pitch deck for us to present our services in an engaging way.

What is the team composition?

We mainly interfaced with the CEO, project manager, copywriter, designer, and illustrator.

How did you come to work with Series Eight?

They created the website of my previous company.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested somewhere between $15,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the majority of this project from May–September 2022, and we’re currently talking about the steps of our next engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Internally speaking, everybody on my team loves the website that Series Eight delivered — we’ve gained nothing but positive responses for our branding so far.

How did Series Eight perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great from a project management perspective, because the team kept us on track with the progress and utilized different tools to stay organized.

They used Trello and Figma as their primary management, communication, and design tools.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with their nimbleness, adaptability, team dynamic, and quality of deliverables.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise you to follow their lead because their expertise can help guide you throughout the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of customer marketing at BPP Professional Education Group. We’re a subscription-based professional qualification training website; we provide course content for students to self-study ahead of special qualification exams and assessments. Our new brand is StaySharp.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Series Eight?

We launched StaySharp in January 2022, but the initial website and UX weren’t great. We had to do something quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Almost immediately after going live with the first iteration of the website, we sat with Series Eight to discuss what the new and improved site would be like. We had meetings to explain our challenges and what we were trying to achieve. They took that away and completed a UX/UI review to improve the customer experience. Then, they came back with a brief that described what they suggested from a development perspective.

They built the site on Shopify and the theme from scratch. We didn’t provide wireframes; they developed the UX/UI based on what we’d given them.

What is the team composition?

Our conversations were with Mario (CEO & Founder). We also had a dedicated project manager and direct contact with a UX/UI designer, a developer, and a copywriter.

How did you come to work with Series Eight?

A freelancer that worked with us recommended them. He’d worked with Series Eight in other roles for other clients. However, we mainly decided to go ahead with them because they had solid experience in Shopify.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £40,000 (approximately $46,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2022, and they delivered the initial scope of work in May 2022. However, we continue to work with them on enhancements to the journey.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is worlds apart from what we had before. Even from a UI experience, it’s visually better and more professional. Also, we’ve seen an increase in conversions, although it’s hard to attribute it to the new website. However, we’re only in month seven, and all of our key metrics across the sales funnel have improved since May.

How did Series Eight perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was brilliant; we didn’t have problems. We had a dedicated project manager who was great at ensuring everything was solved quickly. They delivered before the deadlines that they committed to upfront. Overall, the experience was really positive.

We used Trello as the main form of communication. On the other hand, all the designs were on Figma. We also did Zoom calls when we needed in-depth conversations and emails if there was anything outside the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

BPP Professional Education Group is a large education provider, so we’ve worked with many agencies in the past. However, what really impressed us was their ability to provide solid initial concepts that immediately fit the brief. We had little back and forth around challenging areas, such as design or copywriting. Every first draft they sent was brilliant.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Giving constructive feedback is always good, but we don’t have any complaints. It was nice to work with them. We were under pressure to deliver quickly, so the turnaround times were tight. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to complete the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them the goal or what you want to achieve in the end, but let the team have some creative freedom. Let them come to you with their suggestions and ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder a lifestyle brand that sells apparel, home, and beauty products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Series Eight?

We needed to rebrand our existing website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The new site stayed on Shopify, but Series eight made it look a lot different. They added sophisticated filters, story pages that allow us to dive deep into certain products, and other development tasks. They now do maintenance for us.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, a day-to-day developer, and the owner, although the owner was mostly involved in the beginning and stepped in occasionally throughout.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost was around $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2021–March 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The economy went into a recession right after we launched, so any metric losses are not on them. Everything is slowing down. They did remain true to their bid, in terms of the budget, though the timeline got pushed about 3–4 weeks because of some changes we introduced.

Qualitatively, Series Eight was awesome to work with. They were very knowledgeable and open to our ideas and feedback. Their team did a great job on our site. It looks exactly how we want it to.

How did Series Eight perform from a project management standpoint?

They used Trello to track the project, and we communicated through email and sporadic phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their organization stands out, as do their communication abilities. There were no barriers between us, and they were great problem solvers. Their attitude was also top-notch.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing that made it a bit difficult was the time difference. If we didn’t get back to them first thing in the morning, then they would be asleep and we would lose time. I don’t really know what they could do about it, though. It just would have been beneficial to have someone closer.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We already had the site designed in Figma; I don’t know if it would have been as smooth if we didn’t have that ready.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of a small chain of skin clinics. We have six clinics around London, three in the north and three in the southwest.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Parallel 9?

We launched the business with their support. Our challenge was to build awareness of our brand and get customers to book and visit the clinics.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Parallel has built our digital marketing strategy from scratch, including social media and Google. They’ve helped us understand the industry, our competitors, and our brand. The team focuses on how to best build awareness across all locations and maintain the audience as we ramp up the clinics. We’ve opened six new locations throughout the year, and they’ve been our main partners on the digital marketing side.

Initially, we gave them a lot of information about the market. We had some keywords that worked well and provided a brief. Moreover, we had many discussions about the type of business we were launching and the consumers we were going after so they could decide on the granular strategy to meet those targets.

Also, they did an SEO exercise and created a bit of content in the beginning because we didn’t have it ready. However, we now provide all the copy, and they just optimize our campaigns online.

What is the team composition?

The founder has been our main contact since the beginning of our engagement. In January, he brought another team member into the account.

How did you come to work with Parallel 9?

We worked with a branding agency, and they recommended them. We took their recommendation and had a meeting with Parallel 9. Afterward, we didn’t speak to other industry players; we were happy with their proposal, so we decided to give them a shot.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent £25,000 (approximately $32,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged with them before we even opened the clinics, in March 2021. Our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything is going well; we’re happy with the partnership so far. We track our ROI and the campaigns on a biweekly basis, and the numbers are strong.

How did Parallel 9 perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate only via telephone. They’re pretty responsive. When we have questions, we have a direct line with the founder.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re pragmatic; they’re happy to take tasks to speed things up rather than wasting time going back and forth with other parties, which we appreciate. Moreover, their technical abilities are demonstrated by the monthly ROI we see. Parallel 9 has good experience, and they’re willing to adapt their approach, listen to their clients, and address any issue that might be in the way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their general client management. Although they’re responsive, sometimes our calls could be more productive. My partner and I aren’t experts in digital marketing, so we have many basic questions and thoughts. Therefore, they can be more open, patient, and collaborative in our partnership because sometimes it feels that they’re a bit rushed or defensive. We could work a little bit better together.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend using them. They’re a strong partner; they know what they’re talking about. Since they respond well, I’m sure clients will be an improvement.