Series Eight

Introduce your business and what you do there.

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

What challenge were you trying to address with Series Eight?

We needed to rebrand our existing website.

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.

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.  

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-CEO of a DEI consulting firm. We provide DEI consulting, assessments, and training to industry-leading companies.

For what projects/services did your company hire Series Eight?

We had outgrown our website and wanted fresh branding and design to highlight our expertise and growth in the market.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I did a search through my network for high-quality design and branding firms. I spoke with 3 firms and received quotes. I was impressed with the ease of the sales process with S8, the quality of their portfolio and the reasonable pricing.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We had a few meetings to understand our needs and preferences. Jordan, our lead designer, came back with some mood boards. He then designed 3 branding options in Figma. We did a lot of deciding asynchronously via comments in Figma and Trello.

Once the branding was finalized, we moved on to wireframes for all pages. Jordan was fantastic at translating our Google Docs of written information into the page designs. We again made comments in Figma for any changes. Then the site went into development.

Once that was complete, our team was able to make change requests in Trello. We launched on schedule.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with 3 people: a project manager, a designer, and a developer.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We're really happy with our new website. S8 nailed the look we were going for: modern and human, while still conveying expertise and professionalism. We've received really positive feedback from clients and prospects.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

S8 was really easy to communicate with, even though we had a big time difference. I found the async communication extremely convenient, and they were always available for phone calls when needed. They made a complex process far less stressful than it could have been.

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

I really appreciated how easy they were to work with, how quickly they worked, and the quality of the design and branding. I don't know much about the technical side of things so I can't really speak to that, but everything works and is easy to use on our end.

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

I'm not sure there was a need for the PM. I was able to communicate easily with the designer and developer, so having a PM made it a little confusing about who I should contact.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Brand gatekeeper at Fat Tuesday - the leading U.S. brand of frozen specialty drinks. As part of a very lean Marketing team, we're spearheading a brand refresh to help improve and further the Company's brand image throughout its expansion.

For what projects/services did your company hire Series Eight, and what were your goals?

We hired Series Eight to redesign our two Brand websites - Fat Tuesday, and New Orleans Original Daiquiris.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We used the help of an intermediary Agency and the deciding factors were: flexibility, responsiveness, affinity, and costs.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Both websites were very similar so the process was pretty much the same:

• Discovery Phase: Goals, Concepting, Timelines, Expectations, References
• Kickoff: Wireframes, Design, Approvals, Feedback, Desk, Mobile Version, Testing, Live Site

Key Deliverables were 2 sites that met ADA Standards - which they did a very good job at even according to the Organization that conducted our Audits. They are built for desk and mobile.

Technologies Used: Trello, Figma, CMS, Video Drops for Quick Explanations, Zoom, (perhaps others on a lesser scale which i can't recall now)

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Most directly I had the Owner (Mario), Sam (Project Manager), Biel (Designer), and then 3 Programmers who would jump in depending on the specific need of the site.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

First and foremost, the result was noticeable as we went from 1989 to 2022 with our new sites. Those who new the before and saw the after were most impressed. Everyone likes the cup on the site and the numbers (visits, traffic) keep increasing - particularly for the larger brand Fat Tuesday.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

It took me a bit to grasp working on Trello, but once I got into the flow it worked well. We had very aggressive timeline goals and I wish I was better onboarded on Trello from the get go to avoid some communication hiccups at the beginning, but the mostly digital project management is quite efficient and speeds up a lot of things.

They were always available for quick calls or questions when I needed. They’re very flexible, responsive, and friendly. It suck working with people with attitude, and they were the exact opposite. They did meet our timelines despite a few adjustments and reevaluations, and for that I appreciate how everything was handled and the transparency and communication along every step of the process.

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

They are very down to earth. No egos. No busy cards. No "we can't do this" attitude. A reasonable price for their service (helps being remote and lifting office costs). I guess that's what drew me to choose them. You want nice, capable people, who want to work on your project, and most importantly, can get the job done.

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

I believe the onboarding process and explaining better how they work mostly with technology, and also assessing the level of familiarity of the side who hired their services in using such technologies. Really that was the only point that caused a hiccup at the beginning but we identified and were able to discuss and move forward smoothly.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our brands are in the Health & Wellness space and are focused on digestive health and fertility + pregnancy. I am the Head of Marketing across both brands.

For what projects/services did your company hire Series Eight, and what were your goals?

We hired Series Eight to create two brand new eCommerce sites with better branding and focus on customer experience. We wanted to modernise the sites for both brands and make sure customers felt comfortable navigating from Discovery to Conversion. We wanted to improve usability and speed of our sites as well.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We got in touch and reviewed their previous work. The methodology and process-orientated project management style made us confident that they would deliver on time and to specification.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss our brand history, direction, product range and brand story so that the Designers & team understood where the brand was coming from and where they wanted to go. We then had a objective setting meetings as well as back and forth on styles, inspirations and functionality.

Series8 ensured what we were after was followed and met from a design perspective. Series8 used a number of different tech solutions to make it easy to monitor and comment on different aspects of the Site Builds. Once agreed, Series8 got to work on the dev side of the work once mock-ups and wireframes were approved for our sites.

After this consultation period & a few iterations/amendments, their team designed and developed the Shopify Sites.We then underwent a similar process of review/feedback reporting any bugs and changes we needed to be fixed. Once complete we signed off the project.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had a project manager as a main point of contact. A designer, direct contact with the business owner as well as several developers throughout the project.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

After launching we saw strong improvements in site speed and also conversion rate which almost doubled. We have a higher AOV and better time on site as well.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We had regular catch ups and the team were available whenever we needed them. All members were very responsive and quick to action any new changes/amendments. Primary tools were email & Trello and these worked well.

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

Speed of execution and quality of communication and explanation of processes as well as willingness to help when necessary.

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

During bug testing some things were missed but later picked up and quickly resolved.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I oversee digital product, marketing and operations at ASYSTEM - an advanced supplements brand.

For what projects/services did your company hire Series Eight, and what were your goals?

Series Eight is our dedicated development partner. We've worked them since just after launching the brand in late 2019. They help with site updates and new functionality.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Series 8 was highly recommended from a previous Shopify employee.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The most current project was a site update in conjunction with the launch of our new product. We updated the homepage, updated the product listing pages to make them more shopping-friendly and updated product pages with blog link outs, new upsell modules and new call-to-actions for purchasing.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Two - there's mainly a project manager and our dedicated developer.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The launch of the new site has been great! Customers are converting well and now have more options to purchase the same product e.g. subscription, pre-pay, one time purchase.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The Series 8 team was great at communication. They responded in a timely manner either through Slack. They handled our development requests on Trello.

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

We work entirely digitally with them, we rarely have phone calls. Their systems are set up well to be efficient and communicate well without the need for lengthily calls.

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

Sometimes scheduling in development times can take longer than we'd like. But in priority scenarios the team helps get our tasks prioritized to hit our deadlines.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of Marketing for a Hospitality company which offers food delivery and in-venue dining

For what projects/services did your company hire Series Eight?

We needed to redesign our website to be able to communicate clearly to our three core audiences (venues, chefs and consumers)

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We looked for website designers based on previous work, and were impressed by Series 8 portfolio

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After a series of discovery calls, they set up a design board on Figma, where we were able to comment on our preferred design. We then had multiple project stages where we fed back on design, functionality, copywriting, and illustration before we had the final website.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

In total we worked with four people, the project manager, designer, copywriter and illustrator

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We're very happy with the final website, which we believe effectively communicates our company mission to all of our audiences.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very effective. They stuck to the outlined project plan, scheduled regular meetings and responded quickly to feedback.

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

We appreciated how they worked hard to ensure that we were happy with the final result, going so far as to suggest using different font etc to deliver a better website.

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

We would have liked the project to be completed faster, but we were happy with the result and understood the time needed.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a co-founder of AYO - a healthtech company focused on circadian health, helping people sleep better, increase energy levels and improve wellness.

For what projects/services did your company hire Series Eight?

We worked with Series Eight on rebranding our visual style as well as developing a brand new website (web design, UX/UI)

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We spoke with numerous potential partners and decided to work with Series Eight because of their style, work experience and professional approach.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

First, we had several calls to get everyone on the same page and what we wanted to receive in the end as deliverables. Then Series Eight delivered to us the new Branding, which we finalized after certain iterations.

We also received the revised copy from the copywriter although we didn't find the style of the first copywriter in line with what we were envisioning. Series Eight reacted fast and got another copywriter to work on our project, who was better suited for our style.

Then we had very interactive weeks with Series Eight's lead designer who brilliantly managed to understand our needs and concepts and delivered an exceptional result. After several weeks of iterations, we had our website launched in the end of 2021. We then finalized in the upcoming weeks what was left from the project.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked mostly with Series Eight's lead designer who is fantastic. We also worked with two project managers and two copywriters and had some conversations with the CEO as well.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

In the end, we received brand new logos and a whole new visual experience as well as a complete UI of our website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication was very interactive from the get-go. Everyone on the vendor's side was very responsive throughout the whole project, including the CEO. The whole communication and understanding was quite positive.

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

We found the lead designer of the company very talented, the CEO was very responsive and genuinely interested in the project and the whole project was managed quite well by Series Eight.

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

None that I can think of at the moment.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Brand Director of Queensmith. We specialise in bespoke diamond jewellery.

For what projects/services did your company hire Series Eight, and what were your goals?

We hired Series Eight to redesign and redevelop our website, migrating it from Squarespace to Craft. We required a bespoke ring builder that allows customers to choose their ring design, self-select a centre diamond to go with it and then checkout with their items. We required a more robust, fast and bespoke setup to set the foundations for growth from both an SEO and Ecommerce perspective.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We had used them in the past on a small job to refresh a site style guide. They were referred to us by a trusted partner and the experience was above and beyond previous web agencies that we had used in the past and so we were confident about using them again for this project.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss our goals and requirements. Discussed suitable platforms for the site and decided on Craft based on the bespoke nature of what was required and our requirement to link up various APIs. We then moved into the design phase where I worked with their designer Bruno to create a block-builder whereby we designed modular sections of the site (templates) that could be used in multiple ways in different sections.

We were keen to be able to create custom landing pages in the future using this approach. We used a combination of tools to help guide and approve the design. Figma and Invision were key parts during the design. Once the design was signed off, we moved into development. All the while we communicated via slack, receiving regular updates and letting us know when to add content.

There was plenty of opportunity for feedback and adjustments. Once the development was ready, we spent a while internally adding our content and then we focused on a launch plan, including full SEO audit, making sure redirects were in place and the sites core web vitals were looking strong.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had a project manager, a few full-stack developers and a designer.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We had our first eCommerce orders come through within the first week of launch, traffic remained stable and our site speed increased massively, to under 1s for even our most content-heavy landing pages. Our SEO agency described it as the smoothest migration they had worked on!

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We used Slack on the most part and Zoom for more in-depth discussions. I'd describe their approach as efficient and to the point. always reachable and good communicators.

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

They had the challenge of building a very bespoke site, that incorporated/connected external APIs, databases and a CRM and they managed to create the perfect setup that aligns with our business needs and does so with a super slick, customer-friendly design that elevates our brand and sets the foundation for growth. On top of that, the process was enjoyable.

Having direct access to the developers and designers on Slack meant we could get to the bottom of any issues or explore solutions efficiently and together. I've worked with agencies in the past where project managers act as a block between you and the people actually working on your site, which can be incredibly frustrating, but not with Series Eight.

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

There were some minor bugs on the site but nothing I wouldn't expect really. They were super quick and hands-on to sort anything out.

Please describe your company and your position there.

BC Profiles is a family run business established in 1992. Well are stockists and suppliers of a wide range of Building, Roofing and Landscaping materials that we sell to both business and general public customers. As being part of the family my job title is the Sales and Business Development manager and I take care of the general day to day running of the business.

For what projects/services did your company hire Series Eight, and what were your goals?

We hired Series Eight to take care of the full Shopify Plus development and design as well as a full migration from our existing platform. Our goals were to give our brand a fresh new look and create a new design that would also be fast, sleek and a lot more user friendly than our previous one. We wanted a website that would be built from the ground up and fully custom to us. Not something that would be built from an existing theme. Whilst creating a fresh design we also wanted it to make sure it functioned in the best way possible for the user and at the same time increase conversion rates and sales.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We did our research through a number of Shopify Plus agencies and made a shortlist. However after having multiple calls with Mario at Series Eight out and discussing our requirements we were confident that Series Eight could offer us a package that would suit our needs. Having looked through their previous projects and the range of skills they provided we knew that they would be right agency to choose.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Once everything regarding the project had been agreed Mario set up a kick off call between myself and him and a few more of the Series Eight team. After the the call Series Eight got straight to work and set up a Trello board that we would both use to know exactly what steps would be involved and also a place for us to list any ideas or requirements regarding the project.

For the first step of the project Series Eight created a mood board based on our initial design requirements. This gave us a few ideas to look through and once we provided feedback the design team got to work and created 3 different design mockups which would be the main base to our website. The designer got straight to work and began on creating each individual page for the site. All pages that got created in the design phase were presented in Figma which was a really good piece of software for viewing all designs.

We kept in close contact with the designer and always provided quick feedback to any questions he may have had. This resulted in us working closely together to keep things moving. Once we were happy with all the design work then the development side of it began. We could see most of the development taking place live as this was being done on our new Shopify store. This worked in similar way to the design phase and we would make any comments on the Trello board.

After all design and development had been completed Series Eight made sure all existing data was transferred over from our old platform and into the new Shopify store. A date was then agreed as to when we would go live with the launch. Mario made a pre-launch checklist to make sure all important steps were carried through to prevent any unwanted issues that can occur.

  I was surprised as to how smooth it went and there were no serious glitches that we came across. There were just a few slight modifications that we wanted and this was done straight away without any issues.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Mario was the main point of contact for any major questions that we may have had. We had a project manager, one designer and two developers that worked on the site. This was perfect for the size of our project.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

After the short period since launching the site we can already see an increase in conversions. We have only received positive feedback from anyone who has commend on the site and everything just runs so much quicker.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We had a few calls with the team throughout the project and most communication was done through Trello which made everything so much easier for everyone.

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

You could tell that every member of the Series Eight had so much experience in their role and were so professional which gave us so much confidence in them. Not at any point did they turn round and say that something couldn't be done or achieved. Whatever we asked, it was done without any fuss.

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

In my honest opinion I don't that there was anything that could have been improved. Series Eight were such a dream to work with and without question the best company I have worked with. I would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Maria Zoe Designs, an interior design company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Series Eight?

I wanted them to redo my website to reflect the evolution of my brand.

What was the scope of their involvement?

When I started with Series Eight, I laid out what I wanted in terms of the look and feel of the site. I wanted my homepage to feature a slideshow of photos to represent my best work, which they executed. They even came up with additional design ideas to elevate the site.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a designer and a developer. I communicated mostly with the designer, explaining what I wanted, and she would relay that to the developer.

How did you come to work with Series Eight?

I found them through a friend of a friend. I loved their young, fresh, and funky style. They’re very versatile. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in October 2020.

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

Series Eight saw my work, embraced it, and embodied it into the website. They listened to everything I asked for. The team implemented a lot of details that have added a lot of value. They’ve created a really clean, more user-friendly interface, which is a great improvement from the previous site.

How did Series Eight perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. Series Eight offered clear, transparent communication throughout. If I gave them feedback, they would make the change within 24 hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Because they’re a young group, they understand the millennial way of thinking, which is my clientele. They built a site that wasn’t too modern but was super clean, so it would be easy for anyone to grasp. Series Eight demonstrated a great understanding of my audience and who my customers are.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. They’re just a great team all around.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do some preliminary background research and have some examples ready of what you like. The more visuals you can show them, the easier it will be for them to just run with it.