Still Not Scared

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Ecopia Retreat

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Ecopia is an eco-luxury retreat in Kangaroo Island, South Australia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Elk Creative to accomplish?

• Design the visual brand for Ecopia Retreat
• Design and build the new website for Ecopia Retreat

SOLUTION

How did you find Elk Creative?

Referral

Why did you select Elk Creative over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Elk Creative were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Scope of Work: Web Development & Graphic Design

Overview

Over the past decade, Still Not Scared has undertaken several major projects for us, including the creation of three websites, an original brand design, and a complete rebrand for Ecopia Retreat, our luxury accommodation on Kangaroo Island. Each project required a deep understanding of our values—eco-luxury, sustainability, and immersion in nature—and translating those into a cohesive digital and visual identity.

 
Key Deliverables:

1. Website Development

Three Custom Websites:

• Original website showcasing the retreat.
• Updated website to reflect expanded offerings and new accommodations.
• Fully rebranded website as part of the rebranding project, designed for a luxury market.
  
  

Functionality:

• Intuitive navigation to highlight key features of our property.
• Responsive design optimized for desktop, tablet, and mobile.
• Integration of high-quality image galleries to showcase accommodations.
• SEO-friendly structure to increase online visibility.
• Secure booking platform integration for a seamless guest experience.

2. Brand Design

Original Brand Design:Development of an initial brand identity aligned with the eco-luxury concept.
Creation of logos, color palettes, and typography that captured the retreat’s ethos.
Rebrand of Ecopia Retreat:Updated brand identity reflecting the evolution of our offerings into the luxury eco-retreat market.
Redesigned logo and cohesive visual assets tailored to a high-end audience.

3. Graphic Design Assets

High-quality marketing materials, including:Digital templates for social media, email campaigns, and advertisements.
Custom designs for print collateral such as brochures, business cards, and signage.

4. Consultation & Collaboration

Regular check-ins to ensure alignment with our vision and goals.
Recommendations on design trends, user experience enhancements, and digital best practices.

5. Maintenance & Support

Post-launch updates and troubleshooting for websites.
Assistance with implementing new features and integrating evolving technologies.
 
Summary
Still Not Scared played an instrumental role in shaping our brand identity and online presence. Their work consistently delivered:

• Thoughtful and cohesive brand design reflecting our eco-luxury ethos.
• Visually stunning and user-friendly websites that brought our property to life.
• Creative solutions tailored to our business needs, ensuring a seamless guest experience.

Their expertise has been invaluable in helping us communicate who we are to the world, and we couldn’t be more satisfied with the results.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Measurable Outcomes

• Enhanced Online Presence: Increased website traffic, better user engagement, and higher online bookings due to SEO-friendly, mobile-optimised design.
• Stronger Brand Recognition: Consistent branding across touchpoints boosted recognition in the eco-luxury market, with positive guest feedback and higher social media engagement.
• Improved User Experience: Streamlined navigation, high-quality visuals, and a seamless booking process increased conversions and guest satisfaction.
• Business Growth: Growth in repeat bookings, media interest, and expanded reach to luxury audiences following the rebrand.
• Operational Efficiency: Automated booking processes and timeless design reduced staff workload and the need for frequent updates.

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

Project Management by Still Not Scared

Still Not Scared consistently demonstrated excellent project management throughout our collaboration. Deliverables were reliably completed on time, and their clear communication kept every project on track. They were highly responsive to our needs, adapting to feedback and providing thoughtful solutions that aligned perfectly with our vision. Their proactive and collaborative approach made the entire process seamless and stress-free.

What was your primary form of communication with Elk Creative?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What stood out most about Still Not Scared was their ability to seamlessly blend creativity with functionality. They captured the essence of our brand and translated it into stunning designs and user-friendly websites that perfectly aligned with our vision. Their responsiveness, attention to detail, and genuine commitment to delivering exceptional results made them unique.

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

The only potential area for improvement would be incorporating more scheduled check-ins throughout the project. This could provide extra reassurance and allow for real-time input as the work progresses. However, this minor suggestion didn’t impact the overall process or the exceptional quality of the final products.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m part owner of a carpet cleaning business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Elk Creative?

We hired them to help us with branding, email issues, and website design and hosting.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Elk Creative helped us develop our new website. Although they used some of the information from the old website, they created most of the new one from scratch because the previous website didn’t have mobile support.

Our website is static because our business doesn’t change much, so our design requirements focused on redirecting the user and getting inquiries about our services. We asked the Elk Creative team for a simple design that was also informative and easy to use. 

Elk Creative did a rebranding for us. They redesigned our logo when we bought the business. We wanted something not too complicated that would portray us as friendly and approachable. I gave them our brief, and they came back with 4–5 concepts, including ones that used different color schemes and text formattings. They designed the logo from scratch, without any reference images from us.

They’ve also redesigned our business cards. They streamlined the previous design, making our business cards up to date while still having all the information we need on them.

Additionally, they’ve helped us with SEO. Elk Creative currently hosts our website, and they’re in charge of its upkeep. 

What is the team composition?

I work with the owner. 

How did you come to work with Elk Creative?

We’ve known the owner for a very long time as a personal friend. When we took on our business, we went with him because he already knew us and our personality, making it easier to work with Elk Creative.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $10,000 AUD. (approximately $7,00 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around July 2015, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I've been really happy with Elk Creative's quality of work, the work is amazing. We're getting much more traffic to our website, as well as inquiries coming through it. Many of our clients have mentioned that they've found us through the website.

The Elk Creative Team is always happy to make whatever changes we need. However, they listen to what we want, so we normally don't require many changes. I find them easy to work with.

How did Elk Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

Elk Creative completed the work ahead of schedule which was better than anything we've experienced with previous designers. We communicated primarily via email and Facebook Messenger.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing about Elk Creative is that they genuinely listen to us, which produces the results we ask for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we couldn't be happier.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that you have a list of questions and that your brief is written down so that Elk Creative can get to doing the work you want.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I run a web design agency, and also offer consulting to other agency owners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Elk Creative, and what were your goals?

After having worked with a large number of different branding agencies and freelancers, and even having my own team in house for a while, I've never really encountered anyone who "got it" and would deliver the outcomes I really wanted to see. Corey from Elk Creative had a great portfolio, and we'd encountered each other in online circles a few times, so when I had a request for a branding project, I referred it on.

They absolutely smashed it out of the park, and since then Elk Creative have been the ONLY agency I feel comfortable recommending. I've recommended Elk Creative numerous times, and worked with them directly on 3 projects so far. Those projects include my personal brand, and two client projects where the branding was going to be heavily intertwined with the work I was doing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

In my every day life I meet a lot of different agency owners. Corey from Elk Creative is one that I've always clicked with well, and says very smart things. His portfolio is super impressive too, which led me to make the initial contact about working together.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

For my personal brand, Corey interviewed me as a discovery session, presented a core concept which was far and away above what I've seen from others, and then refined the concept and presented me with the final brand guide. For client projects, it's worked similarly - an initial discovery, presentation of a concept, refinement as needed, and then preparation of a final brand guide. Everything has been very professionally done and the brand guides have been flawless in allowing my agency to do our job.

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

I worked with Corey directly, who is the owner and lead designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My updated personal brand has gotten amazing feedback from clients, and it has led to picking up a few more clients at a higher level than what I'd been working with previously. For client work that had been handled, the branding work directly correlates to the return made with the updated websites and marketing strategies. We've had clients improve their conversion rates by over 350% and scale their businesses significantly.

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

We communicated weekly as milestones were being met.

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

Honestly, it sounds ridiculous to need to say this, but many designers just aren't that good - big promises, small delivery. Corey and Elk really seem to understand what they're doing, and know MORE than just design. They understand business, they understand marketing, and they just know how to execute things effectively.

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

I don't really have any ideas on how they could improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of Aspire Early Education & Kindergarten

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Aspire Early Education & Kindergarten offers early education for children aged six weeks to six years old.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Elk Creative to accomplish?

• Website Redevelopment

SOLUTION

How did you find Elk Creative?

Online Search

Why did you select Elk Creative over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Dedicated Team

How many teammates from Elk Creative were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We worked with Elk Creative to redevelop our website. Our main objectives were to improve the user experience, increase digital interactions and effectively communicate our service offering.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are thrilled with the new website that Elk Creative has created for us. Since launching our redeveloped site, we have seen increased traffic and enquiries. We can now add a range of content online to share with families to support them during their child's learning journey.

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

The team at Elk Creative took the time to understand our business and our project goals. Elk Creative was amazing throughout the project, and we couldn't recommend them more.

What was your primary form of communication with Elk Creative?

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

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

The team are very dedicated and were able to bring our ideas to life.

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

I don't have any areas for improvement for Elk Creative. We are really happy with the project and end result.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Creative Director of BrandOps Creative

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Branding, design, templates and operational efficiencies for professional services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Elk Creative to accomplish?

• Website build

SOLUTION

How did you find Elk Creative?

Online Search

Why did you select Elk Creative over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Elk Creative were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Using supplied website designs, Elk Creative was engaged to build the website. SEO was to be applied to the website, and user experience / user interface also.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Website was beautifully built to design specifications for both mobile and desktop. Website was built on time and budget. Website launched at the date we had anticipated.

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

Elk Creative was easy going and great to work with. All items delivered on time, looking how we expected them to look. Elk Creative was very responsive during the back and forth stage of perfecting the website design to expectations.

What was your primary form of communication with Elk Creative?

Virtual Meeting

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

Corey Dodd's easy-going nature and obvious capabilities helped secure the work for him, and it was a pleasure to deal with him throughout the process.

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

No suggestions for improvement.