Specno

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product owner of online commerce for Ackermans.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Specno?

We wanted to make our available website more user-friendly and add analytics to solve potential hypotheses we were looking to prove.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Specno provided UI/UX design services. They worked on the design, and then we implemented those changes and went back and analyzed the data to make adjustments accordingly.

The initial user persona analysis was done before my incorporation. Additionally, Specno did some findings as we moved along with the project. They helped us understand exactly who they sought for the UI/UX designs in that timeframe.

I wasn’t privy to the design systems Specno had, but the presentation was mainly on Figma files.

What is the team composition?

We had four teammates, and there would be five in some instances.

How did you come to work with Specno?

The company already had a retainer with Specno when I started working with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

I worked with them from January–April 2024. The retainer started a year before, but I only worked with Specno for four months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of Specno’s work was exceptional. They looked at the design differently, presented it to us, and proposed solutions that were an additional bonus of items we hadn’t thought of at that particular stage. It made such a big difference to the team and spoke to how Specno looked into every single detail. They literally left no crumbs.

How did Specno perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered on time; they scheduled in terms of handover and took us through the design. We had various means of communication. We either used emails or communicated via Slack, which was efficient because we could get instant responses.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The whole team was very strategic in what they did. They didn’t just place a design before us for the sake of delivering; they went through the process.

When I was new to the company, Specno let me know what they’d need for the briefing process. They were forthcoming with the information and questioned quite a bit, which was refreshing. They had a new perspective and mind, so we were able to collaborate. Overall, kudos to the team for the hard work and effort they put into every project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn’t work with Specno for long, but my experience was exceptional. Their main improvement could be on the follow-up more than anything else.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You can have a briefing process from the get-go to make it easier and avoid any mess. Everything else should continue as they go.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Hoom

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Hoom helps people make smarter real estate decisions and save money.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Specno to accomplish?

• I required a minimum and robust product web based app for our prop tech startup in South Africa.
• The application had to be easy to navigate and user friendly, with wireframes, layouts and design that prioritised the user experience.

SOLUTION

How did you find Specno?

Online Search

Why did you select Specno over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Their value proposition

How many teammates from Specno were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Hoom is a prop tech startup helping people make smarter real estate decisions and save money. We needed a minimum product to launch into the South African market. Work included designing the layout and look of the marketing website and web based app, making it look good and easy to use, and figuring out the technical details and product roadmap for building. We needed the website and app to be user-friendly, visually appealing, and technically sound, with a clear plan for how to develop it. 

Deliverables:

• User-Friendly Wireframes: Detailed blueprints of the website's structure to ensure an intuitive and smooth user experience. 
• Appealing User Interface: A visually attractive design that enhances user interaction. 
• Technical Roadmap: A well-defined plan outlining the technical development process, ensuring the project's goals are met efficiently and effectively.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Completion of Wireframes and UI Design: The fast delivery of finalised wireframes and a great user interface design, indicating progress in the development and readiness for the next phases of the project

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

Specno's project management approach with me was friendly and efficient, focusing on keeping things on track and responding quickly to our needs. They were good at sticking to deadlines, making sure everything was delivered when expected. The Specno team was always ready to chat and address any concerns or changes I had in mind, ensuring a smooth flow of the project. Regular updates and open communication made the collaboration feel easy and transparent, showing their dedication to making the project a success.

What was your primary form of communication with Specno?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What really caught my attention about Specno was how they jumped into the project with both feet, showing as much excitement and care for it as I do. It felt like they were part of our team, working with us, not just for us. Their enthusiasm and genuine dedication made the whole experience stand out

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

I have no specific comments on areas for improvement for Specno. They met my expectations and delivered on the project effectively. Everyone part of the team was fantastic !

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a UX specialist at a South African retail company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Specno?

Specno supports our company with UX design services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Specno works on UX designs upon our request for our different online stores. Specno uses Figma predominantly for design and sharing their work. 

What is the team composition?

We work with four teammates from Specno: a Scrum master, the head of UX design, and two UX designers.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I've worked closely with JP (UI/UX Designer). He's able to assess and communicate on behalf of his team when needed, especially in cases of urgency. He has really helped me understand the state of our companies' working relationship since my company hired Specno before I started working here. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have a monthly fee of around $100,000 ZAR (approximately $5,200 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Specno at the beginning of 2022, and our engagement is about to conclude at the end of April 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've had a very good and successful partnership with Specno. The team provides insights into how our company should approach its digital products based on best practices. Specno uses data metrics and research to support their findings and the designs they produce. Specno's team is very good overall.

How did Specno perform from a project management standpoint?

Specno meets deadlines and sometimes delivers work ahead of schedule. The team is efficient and helpful. We have weekly meetings, and Specno always presents a fair amount of work progress. I'm happy with their project management. Specno shares their work on Figma for us to review and comment it. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm impressed at Specno's adaptability with minimal information. The team takes great initiative in executing the designs we need to roll out. Specno has gone above and beyond and thinks a step further about things we haven't considered. Specno helps us navigate our product journey. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I'm unsure if Specno did this since I wasn't present at the beginning of our engagement, I think Specno should provide a starter pack for potential customers that includes how the team likes to get briefed on projects to ensure clients provide information they fully understand. This would also help educate customers on how they should put together briefing templates or any limitations and specifications to include in request documents. 

Specno works with a lot of startup companies, and this would help a lot, but I know there are more experienced clients. The team is organized. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder/CEO of Kids Transportation Service

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Kids Transportation Service leverages technology to provide safe,reliable and comfortable transportation to school and extracurricular activities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Specno to accomplish?

• Concept Validation
• Pitch deck creation
• UX/UI Review & Implementation
• Corporate Identity

SOLUTION

How did you find Specno?

Referral

Why did you select Specno over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Specno were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

1. The project requires user experience & user interface design resources. 
2. The implementation of the scope of work requires an estimated 10 hours of resources. 
3. Each resource costs R 750.00 per hour (Excl. VAT). 
4. The total cost of the scope of work is R 7,500.00 (Excl. VAT). 
5. The scope of work is expected to take 1 week to complete. 
6. The project will commence on March, 27 2023. 
7. Any change to the resource allocation will be requested in writing by the Client to Specno and, if accepted, will take effect within at least 1 (one) month of the written change request notice. Should Specno determine that additional or fewer resources are required to meet the objectives of each phase, Specno will similarly notify the Client in writing and request approval for the additional resource or an extension of time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Scope of work.

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

Anne , was very professional and accessible.Her delivery was spot on and she was fully involved in the project and took ownership of every requirement and expectation of the project.

What was your primary form of communication with Specno?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They have a very personal approach with clients such that you know that they are also part of your team and they want you to suceed. Also, they are very available and responsive to requests such that you don't feel left on your own.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Founder of a care services company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is a child and family care services marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Specno to accomplish?

• To do concept validation of the idea
• To help me get started with building my app/website
• To educate me about the tech startup industry

SOLUTION

How did you find Specno?

Online Search

Why did you select Specno over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• The fact that they offered a Concept Validation product

How many teammates from Specno were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Concept validation is the process of testing and validating the viability of a new app idea before investing significant resources into its development. This involves identifying and analyzing potential user needs and pain points, researching the market to assess demand and competition, and conducting user testing to gather feedback on the concept. 

By validating the concept early on, the team working on the design and build phases can ensure that they are creating an app that meets user needs and has a higher chance of success in the market. Summary of key deliverables: 

• Concept validation document summarising the outcomes and processes followed during the project 
• High level UX/UI designs 
• Pitch document 
• Discussion of next steps for further validation and MVP

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A good understanding of what a concept validation process entails. I learned a lot from this process and will be able to apply this to other projects. A good understanding of where further validation is required for my idea and how I can go about further validating the idea. The pitch document and the designs was extremely helpful to bring the idea to life.

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

Items were delivered on time and the various steps were communicated well. The project was not too difficult from a project management perspective as I mainly dealt with one individual with inputs from a designer as well. I was happy with the software used to guide me through the process.

What was your primary form of communication with Specno?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was impressed by the breadth of the services available and the professionalism with which projects were handled. The individual team members with who I worked was very friendly and good at what they did and made the whole process very enjoyable as well.

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

Nothing specifically, I was happy with the product. Perhaps offering an optional add on service such as further user testing or focus group discussions as a paid for extra would be useful to strengthen the validation of the problem / solution discussions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of EasyLaw. We provide legal services on an online platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Specno?

Specno developed our website. There were a lot of complications with the way our website was designed, so we needed a professional to understand that. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Specno started off with the website’s design and did the development phase separately. The team initially researched our competitors. They benchmarked those competitors to ensure that my website looked better than theirs and checked what competing businesses were doing. Then, they started working on the website’s design. 

They provided advice on how I could generate more income through my website and what add-ons I could use. From there, they started working on the development phase. The key technologies that we used included Figma and PHP. 

For features and functionality, the website could design contracts for the end users. It also contained a library with information and publications. The team assisted me with organizing this library. 

What is the team composition?

Tristan (Product Owner) worked with me throughout the entire process. However, different individuals were also involved in the design and development phases. These included two designers and one developer. 

How did you come to work with Specno?

I found Specno on Google. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $40,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted January 2022–May 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The design process went well. The Specno team was hands-on and provided excellent services. Overall, they definitely met my expectations. 

How did Specno perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management and communication skills were excellent. In terms of budget, they were off in the beginning, but they were willing to compromise for a discount — I was grateful for that. They also delivered the project on time. To communicate, we used WhatsApp and email. They had their own project management tool. 

Meanwhile, Tristan was always available whenever I needed him. He went above and beyond to ensure my questions were answered by carrying out research and things like that. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Specno was great at working with us as a startup. They stepped into the startup mind and assisted us by looking holistically at everything surrounding the business plan. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had a little misunderstanding because of our location differences, but that was so minor that it didn’t affect the project at all. I was still happy with the outcome. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate your needs with Specno. Always note your needs via email so you can remind them down the line because they might forget. One of the things I did in our engagement was to consistently remind them about tasks that we might have spoken about a month or two before.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Web Project Manager of PEP

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

PEP Sells Clothing, Footwear, Homeware and Cell across South Africa and BLNS. PAXI is a affordable parcel service available in every PEP store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Specno to accomplish?

• We hired Specno to audit our existing website in alignment with our business goals and user’s goals, in order to identify necessary improvements, to increase SEO and user conversion rates. They then used their discoveries to redesign the website accordingly.

SOLUTION

How did you find Specno?

Referral

Why did you select Specno over others?

High ratings, Great culture fit

What was the size of Specno’s team?

2-5 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with Specno?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

Requirements gathering, alignment, research, audit, and conceptualization phase: Discussions to identify and understand Paxi’s business goals, user types, and the goals of each user type. Competitor analysis and an audit of the existing Paxi website.

This was documented through audit tables, psych framework evaluation, user journey maps, and a consolidation of information gathered in the form of a presentation. Wireframe Phase: Designing the page structure, layout, user flows, and functionality of the system without color, graphics, and styles.

This was completed within Figma. There are numerous feedback and review sessions during this phase. The designers really took the time to understand the process which we wish to facilitate with the system and ensured that it would be able to effectively do so.

Design Phase: Specno provided a style test that provided new and timeless styles, colors, and other UI elements. The decisions they made were balanced between adhering to the aspects of our corporate identity / branding that are already well established, as well as introducing new aspects that were more aligned with our user types and their goals.

Each section within the style test is very aesthetically pleasing, and we could truly see the value in the direction Specno decided to take. Once the go-ahead on this style is given, the rest of the system screens are designed and the designs are either packaged as a downloadable deliverable from Figma, or prepared for development by Specno.

In this case, the designs will be organised within Figma to prepare for the development of the system.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Specno surprised me with their eagerness to fully understand the Paxi goals and vision in order to ensure complete alignment. They were able to give us clear guidance and direction, and did so with speed and passion.

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

The design team were easy to communicate with and provided frequent updates on the status of the project. We communicated using Whatsapp, phone calls, and email. Each deliverable was communicated and executed well.

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

Each and every team member I worked with at Specno is organised, knowledgeable, efficient and amazing at their job! They are always willing to go the extra mile to get the job done even if it means working after hours.

Are there any areas for improvement or something {provider_name} could have done differently?

Nothing I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an Executive of Jiver Jinx

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Jiver Jinx provides a platform to support students who are struggling with mental health and bullying.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Specno to accomplish?

• To launch a mobile app for our business

SOLUTION

How did you find Specno?

Online Search

Why did you select Specno over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit

What was the size of Specno’s team?

±50

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

We did a Concept Validation phase to finalise our product's mission, vision and features and a Product Design phase to design the product.

Concept Validation:

• Conducting User Interviews
• Honing In on MVP Features
• Starting building blocks of a business

Design:

• Mobile App Screens
• Web Portal Screens
• Social Media Assets

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The Delieverables

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

Our product owner is incredible. Organised, knowledgeable and efficient. They understand the company's vision and strive to achieve it. They responded well to our needs and went above and beyond to help us. The whole team works timely and collaboratively with us.

What was your primary form of communication with Specno?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

Each and every team member at Specno is amazing at their job, everyone holds incredible talent. The culture of the office is unique, young-spirited and lively.

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

While the work is excellent, the prices are also quite high. This price however,is justified by the level of excellence in their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the customer insight manager at Wellness Warehouse, a wellness services company. We’re a niche house retailer in South Africa, and we’re currently developing a loyalty application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Specno?

We needed help with the frontend design of our loyalty app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Specno has helped us with frontend design for our loyalty app. Initially, we had a briefing phase before going into the actual design process. During this phase, we provided them with an outline of how our loyalty program works so that they could tailor its designs and create an app-based solution for that program.

After the briefing process, Specno designed our app from scratch using Figma. We had various review sessions during the design phase before reaching a final design. Now, another company is developing our app based on those designs.

As for its main features, the app can identify whether a customer is an existing or a new one. Based on that information, it sends them through different customer journeys. Once logged into our app, users can see their status in our loyalty program and their cashback balance. Additionally, we’re able to communicate personalized offers to specific customer groups.

What is the team composition?

We work mainly with a frontend designer and a product manager from Specno, although another person is involved every now and then.

How did you come to work with Specno?

A colleague recommended them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app hasn’t gone live yet, so we don’t have any metrics. However, working with Specno has been a very positive experience. They’ve brought a lot of knowledge to the table regarding frontend design and best practices, and they’ve been very collaborative. Their team clearly understood our brief from the start, and they delivered upon our specifications, designing the features and user journey we wanted.

How did Specno perform from a project management standpoint?

Specno’s project management is very good. They’re always in communication with us, and they’ve always stuck to timelines. If things need to be changed quickly, they make a plan to do it for us. We use Figma to collaborate and Microsoft Teams to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Specno’s expertise and experience are excellent. They deliver high-quality work, so I would recommend them to anyone.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be great if Specno encouraged us to think about how our app would work in different scenarios to ensure we’re considering all other channels that will plug into this app. This would allow us to look at it from an omnichannel perspective rather than an isolated app.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend working with Specno; it’s money well spent. Additionally, have a clear understanding of your product needs and customer journeys before entering the design process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Incyte, a digital networking platform. We cater to events to enable seamless networking.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Specno?

We needed help with mobile application development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Specno built our app from scratch and helped with marketing and customer discovery. We had a designer on the side, but we leaned on their team’s design expertise. They made suggestions, and we went with their designs.

For marketing, we had two customer segments; we wanted to target event coordinators and social media influencers. Specno came up with two marketing campaigns to attack both market segments simultaneously while being as cost-effective as possible.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Jacques (Co-Founder & Director), a software engineering manager, three software engineers, a designer, two scrum masters, a project manager, and a product manager.

How did you come to work with Specno?

A friend referred them. We reached out and went through the preliminary introductions. Afterward, we realized that we wanted to work with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $150,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2021. We worked together for about a year and then took a small break to raise money. At the beginning of 2022, we engaged Specno again and worked with them until November 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We soft-launched less than a week ago, so we don’t have metrics. We’ll have our hard launch in January. Currently, we’re just on the App Store; we don’t have many users or ratings. We’re also waiting to launch our marketing campaign when the next college semester starts in the US.

Moreover, they were great, well-rounded professionals that understood their craft. They were passionate about the project, and we enjoyed working with them.

How did Specno perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was fantastic. We worked well together, and the communication was seamless. We used Slack and Google Meet to keep in touch; we had recurring meetings with the director and project and product managers. If we needed to talk about something pertinent, we did a Slack huddle. Additionally, they used Jira as a project management tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were personable, professional, and highly skilled. We were impressed by their effective communication. As a data scientist and programmer, I’m not the best communicator, so I lean heavily on my product and project managers to communicate with the stakeholders. However, Specno’s engineers were great at answering questions and walking us through their work. We could go straight to them instead of talking with the product or project managers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although I never want to give a perfect review, I don’t have anything negative to say about them. We can’t wait to work with them again.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to let them do their jobs. They worked effectively for us because we allowed them to spread their wings. We didn’t micromanage them or tell them how to do their job. We just shared what we wanted to build and let Specno do it the best way possible. Overall, they do their best work when they can use their creativity to solve the problem.