The Story | UX Design + Web Development

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the managing director of Nacoidamojepieniadze.pl, a web app that presents budgets of Polish cities and municipalities to residents in a clear and engaging way. 

For what projects/services did your company hire The Story?

We needed a partner who could help us design and develop a product we could offer to the cities. We sell it as a SaaS solution with a monthly or yearly subscription. 

The project analyses the municipal budget and then showcases it via an interactive presentation. Through unified presentation layout and financial modules, we can help local governments promote their efforts in developing their municipalities. The project is related to public finance law.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to take a fresh look at our product (e.g. if it’s in line with public finance law). We also wanted to increase client retention and the rate of new client acquisition through a better understanding of our clients’ needs. Attractive web design and programming speed were huge factors because the product would be delivered during a time of peak client interest. We also needed to update our financial data analysis process and shorten our service delivery time.

How did you select this vendor?

We wanted to take on only one partner for the project. First of all, we needed a vendor with the right competencies (e.g. product design, UX design, and web development). Their specialization in open source Python was an important asset as well. 

The right vendor would implement each of those elements with the entire product development process in mind up until the point of product launch. 

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

First, The Story presented an action plan and introduced all the team members, their roles in the project, and the communication channels we would be using. 

The first stage of the project included the product analysis, an analysis of public finance law compliance, a UX audit, and research into clients’ needs. These audits and analyses allowed us to create objectives for the SaaS redesign. 

During the later stages of the project, we merged product creation with UX/UI design and worked out the key visuals. These visuals served as a basis for further web design. The Story created a detailed specification of IT work before they started coding. That way, we managed to shorten the programming time and remained within the budget.

What was the team composition?

The team was comprised of a project manager, a qualitative researcher, a lean manager, a product designer, a lead designer, a UI designer, a web designer, a lead python programmer, a full stack developer, and an AWS consultant.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The new version of the SaaS resulted in a large number of new clients. It allowed us to continue cooperating with existing clients into the new financial year. We acquired clients who had shown no interest before and even retained some who were considering canceling their subscription.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Most importantly, we worked as one team. Everything was well ordered, and it was clear what we needed to do to launch the project on time. I knew exactly which decisions had an impact on the time and cost of project implementation. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We communicated and listened to each other, weaving together all our ideas to create a really good product.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is always something that could use improvement. But we managed to achieve our goal and meet the unreal deadlines we faced. Fixing what the clients of Nacoidamojepieniadze.pl can’t see can wait.

Please describe your company and your position there.

At Leaderna Biostructures we provide a complete “gene-to-structure” approach. Our work inspired us to create the system to manage the drug development process. I am the co-founder and the CEO of Leaderna.

For what projects/services did your company hire The Story | UX Design + Web Development?

We decided to engage The Story in the User Interface development of our platform for drug development management. The agency is responsible for UX and UI design.

How did you select this vendor?

We chose the agency through a tender.

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

The project was carried out in Agile, using the Scrum method. It started with onboarding to the project and delivering results from the very first sprint.

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

We worked with their Head of Design, and UI designer.

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

The project was completed on time. It met the requirements of users. I’m really happy with the designs.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The sprints were adjusted to our needs. The rhythm and work progress also suited us very well. There was a very friendly atmosphere during the project, thanks to which the cooperation was effective.

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

Their industry knowledge, understanding of our business, adaptability, and problem-solving skills impressed us. It makes them a powerful partner for medical companies.

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

No, it all went extremely smoothly. I was impressed with how well everything worked.

Please describe your company and your position there.

At DHL, we handle shipments and logistics. We are present in over 220 countries. In the Polish branch of the company, I am the Manager for Retail Sales and Digital Solutions.

For what projects/services did your company hire The Story | UX Design + Web Development?

We decided to engage The Story in the creation of our newest application for customer service - sending and receiving parcels. The agency is responsible for UX and UI design.

How did you select this vendor?

The UX research project we carried out together with The Story convinced us to expand our collaboration.

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

The project was carried out in Agile, using the Scrum method. It started with identifying the business requirements and user needs by a business analyst working together with a UX researcher. UX and UI Designers have created a new interface style for us based on new brand guidelines implemented throughout the DHL Group.

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

We worked with a business analyst, UX researcher, UX designer and UI designer.

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

The project was completed on time. It met the requirements of users. It was also made very meticulously and met all new design guidelines.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The sprints are adjusted to our needs. The rhythm and work progress also suit us very well. There was a very friendly atmosphere during the project, thanks to which the cooperation was really nice and fruitful.

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

New design guidelines always raise many problems. Thanks to getting to know them thoroughly, The Story offered us the comfort of cooperation. Simply put, we did not have to check if their design met our new guidelines. They did it themselves. The conscientiousness of their work made a great impression on me.

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

We are pleased. Everything was really fine

Please describe your company and your position there.

MATURI is a company that produces off-road trailers. We operate in the automotive industry. At MATURI I am the Marketing Director.

For what projects/services did your company hire The Story | UX Design + Web Development, and what were your goals?

1.  For what projects/services did your company hire The Story? Our goal was to create a website that would create our image and actively sell our products. We wanted the website to show that our products are particularly useful in the times of a pandemic. We wanted to work with a company that feels off-road tourism and can present mobile homes on the Internet.
2. What were your goals for this project?
 
Creating a clear brand image was our main goal. We believe in our product. The idea was that the customers would also believe in it. We wanted to gain new customers through the website. An important condition for us was also the completion of the project before the industry event, for which we wanted to be ready in every aspect.

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

We thoroughly reviewed the portfolio of potential contractors. This convinced us to The Story. They have already cooperated with start-ups and completed their tasks on time. Quality and keeping the deadline was the most important for us. Both of our conditions and requirements have been met.

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

We decided on the Fixed Price cooperation model and it was a very good decision. We started working with The Story with only the logo and the general concept of the brand. We ended the cooperation with a sales and image service, a coherent, convincing brand concept, a strategy for its promotion and presentation. Thanks to this collaboration, we finally know how to convincingly talk about our product.

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

We worked with the team of Lead Designer, UX/UI Designer, Lead Developer, Python Web Developer, and DevOps.

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

Firstly, thanks to the cooperation, we got the digital product on time. The website fully meets our expectations, and we are working on the content.

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

It is a great comfort to be heard and well understood. Thanks to good understanding, they quickly implemented all solutions. They prompted and gave us a choice. Their ideas surprised us and made the cooperation very successful.

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

I guess the freshness of the approach to the project made the greatest impression on me personally. Besides, they were not passive, only The Story itself offered many solutions. We could count on them. They advised us on technological and business matters.

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

Honestly speaking, they could make a stronger coffee ;-) And seriously, I don't see anything that they would need to improve.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a manager in a consulting company that supervised the creation of a fintech startup.

For what projects/services did your company hire The Story | UX Design + Software development?

The Story has designed for us over 400 screens of application that offers a subscription service. They were also responsible for the design system based on components and developed several dozen user stories resulting from business requirements and user needs.

The scope of work also included the creation of information architecture, UX consulting, user journey mapping, web UI design (RWD). In addition, we entrusted them with work in the field of prototyping and testing. The scope of work was therefore very wide, including competencies from very different areas: Business analysis, UX design, UX research, UI Design.

How did you select The Story | UX Design + Web Development and what were the deciding factors?

Many factors were decisive, but two of them seem crucial to me. First of all, we have already cooperated. The Story agency has done branding and product design for us. We were satisfied with this cooperation. The second factor was the settlement formula they proposed. Fixed prices suited us very well.

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

We wanted to receive an interface and a prototype that would constitute a comprehensive and reliable basis for the programming work to be performed by the web development team. UX/UI Design was a part of The Story's larger task to develop a detailed Software Requirements Specification (SRS).

How many resources from The Story | UX Design + Web Development team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had the pleasure to work with a business analyst (he was also a scrum master) and a UX designer, UI designer. Also with the UX researcher.

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

They created a very detailed prototype of the application for us, which allowed us to carry out tests on users. First of all, it allowed us to check if all our requirements and business goals were taken into account.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The work was carried out in the Scrum methodology and the final effect was achieved after 10 sprints. Everything was within the predetermined budget. I must admit that the work was very smooth and effective.

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

They had a really great approach to the client and their work. I think they really like to design, research and test. I was impressed by the demonstrative animations they made. They showed very precisely how the given functions should work, how the real product would work.

I remember an animation showing the effect that pressure on a button should have. The interface was also designed with the pleasure with which it should be used in mind.

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

Nothing comes to mind. Everything was ok. Despite the wide scope of cooperation, we managed to complete the work quickly and precisely.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an operations coordinator in a consulting company that supervised the creation of a fintech startup.

For what projects/services did your company hire The Story | UX Design + Software development?

First impressions are important. Ours was very positive. The Story agency was selected by the investor on the basis of a substantive assessment. We hired The Story to conduct product design workshops

How did you select this vendor?

We decided to cooperate relatively quickly. One of the important selection criteria was a managerial, but above all, very substantive approach. Another was to conduct the project also in the formal and legal aspect. The Story was responsible for compiling documentation on all agency work related to the project. I will just add that projects co-financed from EU funds are a big challenge. A substantially prepared and experienced company is simply necessary.

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

In detail, we can't, it's too difficult :) But I will answer this less specifically, but very truthfully. If you want the company to manage documents in 3 organizers, to be responsible for the correctness of several hundred pages of documentation, choose The Story.

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

During the cooperation, we had the pleasure to work with a business analyst, project manager, CTO / Lead Developer, Product Designer, Cloud Architect. Each of these specialists made a positive impression on us.

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

The application that meets our and our clients' expectations is certainly a success. Works as expected. Another important issue for us was that The Story took care of the documentation, which is verified by officials of the European Union.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I participated in 3 workshops. Each of them lasted 8 hours. Three weeks later, we received the processing of all data, complete documentation. We didn't have to worry about the result of their work. They knew what they were doing and they did it very efficiently. By the way, they are very nice people with whom you can work without any problems.

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

A lot of work is done, the time of completion of the work was impressive, and the quality of service was impressive.

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

From the substantive point of view, everything was OK. The downside was the catering;) After 6 hours of workshops everyone wants to eat;) Remember that :)

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a vice-president in a media company and I supervise the creation of a new media platform on the FMCG market.

For what projects/services did your company hire The Story | UX Design + Web Development? 

The Story has designed for us a new brand and media platform as an application that offers content available as a subscription service. They were also responsible for the design system based on components and developed several dozen user stories resulting from business requirements and user needs. The scope of work also included the product design consulting, user journey mapping, creation of information architecture, web UI design (RWD).

How did you select this vendor?

The Story was selected by tender. We were guided by the agency's experience, the presented offer, and the price.

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

The agency gathered our business requirements. The Story analyzed the expectations of users and the market segment in which the new platform is to be launched. They presented ideas on how we can become a segment leader and what portal is worth creating. The agency started working on the visual concept of the product, in particular on the management of content on the portal and advertising. The agency took care of the entire interface of the solution.

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

At the stage of product design, UX/UI Design we had the pleasure to work with a Lead Designer, and UX/UI designer. Also with the Lead developer.

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

They created a very detailed prototype of the application for us, which allowed us to carry out tests on users. First of all, it allowed us to check if all our requirements and business goals were taken into account.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The work was carried out in the Fixed price model and the final effect was achieved after 4 weeks of work. Everything was within the predetermined budget.

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

I like paying attention to details. The Story cares about details in design and thinks a few steps ahead.

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

Nothing comes to mind. Everything was great. The Story continues his work on the product and is responsible for development of the platform.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder and co-owner of Holc i Wspólnicy, a company dedicated to real estate management and administration.

For what projects/services did your company hire The Story?

We contacted The Story because we wanted to implement an IT system that tallied the votes of homeowner association members online. Voting in a homeowner association is complex, not just because of lack of engagement but also because of ambiguous laws. Until now, there were no user-friendly voting systems. An administrator needed to go door-to-door to collect votes. 

What were your goals for this project?

This new system needed to fully comply with the law, including Supreme Court rulings and EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). I wanted to automate the voting process, increase resident engagement, and shorten the amount of time that a property administrator needs to gather votes on a resolution.

How did you select this vendor?

I chose The Story on a friend’s recommendation.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The Story put a lot of effort into their legal and business analyses, which were key to the entire project. They mapped all the processes and activities an administrator goes through while gathering paper votes. After the analysis, when they understood all the issues properly, they started developing the project.

The online voting mechanism was designed to comply with the law so that its votes were considered valid. They paid a lot of attention to the residents and made the voting process as fast as possible. Another important part of our cooperation was their help configuring accounts and importing data. They tested the system on a few homeowner associations before officially launching it. 

What was the team composition?

The team had a business analyst, a lean manager, a UX researcher, a solution architect, a UI designer, programmers, and an AWS consultant.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They fully computerized and automated the voting process. Because of this clear, easy-to-use system, we shortened the time required to gather votes from eight months to one. Our employees and residents were happy, and their engagement with the voting process increased.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They achieved all our goals. The team was always eager to help. They answered every phone call and email, so we had no communication problems. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I wasn’t surprised by their professionalism or maturity. They understood issues that other specialists found difficult. Our project manager was an expert in lean management with a passion for the law, which was a deciding factor in their success.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing comes to mind. I was happy to find someone who could successfully finish this project.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the managing director of Nacoidamojepieniadze, a web app that presents the budgets of cities and municipalities in a clear, engaging way. We analyze budgets and showcase them through interactive presentations.

For what projects/services did your company hire The Story?

We needed a partner that could design and develop an SaaS solution with a monthly or yearly subscription. To increase client retention and acquisition, so we reconsidered whether our product met client demands and aligns with public finance law. 

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to update our financial data analysis process, shorten our time of delivery, and increase sales by better understanding client needs. Attractive web design and fast programming speed were significant goals, especially because the product needed to be delivered at a time of peak interest.

How did you select this vendor?

We only wanted to hire one partner, so needed a one with the right competencies: product design, UX design, and web development. They needed to implement each of those elements throughout the entire product development process. Specialization in open-source Python technology was The Story's most important additional asset.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

At the beginning of our cooperation, The Story presented an action plan and introduced all the team members, their roles, and their communication channels. Everything was ordered and clear.

The first stage of the project included a product analysis, an analysis of public finance law compliance, a UX audit, and research into client needs. Then we created objectives. The Story built a detailed specification before they started coding. During the later stages, we merged product creation with UI/UX design and created the key visuals.

What was the team composition?

The team had a project manager, a qualitative researcher, a lean manager, a product designer, a lead designer, a UI designer, a web designer, a lead Python programmer, a full-stack developer, and an AWS consultant.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The new version brought in a large number of new clients and retained existing customers in the new fiscal year. We acquired clients who had shown no interest before, and even retained some who were thinking about cancelling their subscription.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We worked as one team. I knew exactly which decisions would impact the timeline and cost of project implementation, and exactly what we needed to do to launch the product on time. We shortened the timeline and stayed within budget.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Our teams communicated well and listened to each other, weaving together all our ideas to create a great product.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Considering the unreal deadlines we faced, we managed to accomplish our goal. We can wait to fix what our clients can’t see. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder if a company dedicated to providing web app for streamers.

For what projects/services did your company hire The Story | UX Design + Web Development, and what were your goals?

We ended our cooperation with Software House and we were looking for a new one that would allow us to develop the product. Finding a new contractor was not easy, because our product is based on a very unique technological stack.

We use Symfony (PHP) and the front-end has been coded in React. In addition, we are integrated with very diverse payment systems. We offer financial services and were looking for a company that has fintech experience. We went through a lot of offers and one of the best ones that suited us was The Story one. This is how it started.

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

They have appropriate, very rare competences and experience and have offered us the best offer. For these reasons, we entrusted them with the development of our project.

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

In short: we've been working to keep the app running. We wanted to avoid a situation in which our development would reduce the quality of the services provided. We want to develop, acquire new customers and keep the existing ones.

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

React developer, PHP developer, DevOps, Lead developer.

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

There were no unpleasant surprises. The Story stabilized the operation of the application, corrected errors, is in the process of migrating the application to AWS Cloud. With their help, we implement new functionalities in the application.

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

The cooperation was very effective. We worked with the scrum method.

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

The level of commitment, knowledge, and direct communication between the team and the client is very impressive. This is what we like best in cooperation with The Story.

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

No