Studio Simpatico

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Marketing Manager of Oshi Health

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Oshi Health is a virtual digestive health clinic, with an integrated team of GI experts working across specialities (medical, dietary, gut-brain) to get patients back to life without symptoms. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Studio Simpatico to accomplish?

• Provide best in class UX/design to optimize and improve user engagement
• Rebuild brand website within custom content management WordPress instance using a modular framework for ease of use and streamline management.
• Refresh visual brand identity

SOLUTION

How did you find Studio Simpatico?

Referral

Why did you select Studio Simpatico over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Studio Simpatico were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Website Visual Design Deliverables & Build Setup 
  • Site audit, updated site map, website wireframes and visual designs 
• Dev Infrastructure & Front-end development  
  • A fully functional, responsive, custom WordPress theme based on requirements and final figma design files build using advanced custom fields pro and ACF Extended Pro
• Final Content Population with custom WordPress content management system and quality assurance testing 
  • A fully populated, fully tested, ready-to-launch WordPress install

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was completed on time and within budget, ensuring a smooth transition and alignment with our organizational deadlines. The new modular framework and custom templates have not only improved our team's efficiency but also delivered cost savings by simplifying the management and updating of site content.

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

The project management was highly effective, with all key deliverables provided on time and aligned with the scope of work/expectations. The Simpatico team was very responsive to our needs, maintaining clear and consistent communication throughout the process.

What was your primary form of communication with Studio Simpatico?

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

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

What stood out most about Studio Simpatico was their systematic approach to building a custom content management WordPress theme that aligned seamlessly with the vision of design. They demonstrated an impressive ability to combine creativity with practicality, delivering a thoughtfully designed solution tailored to our needs. Additionally, their responsiveness and clear communication throughout the project ensured that every detail was addressed promptly, resulting in a great final product.

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

Overall, we were extremely pleased with the project and the outcomes. If there’s one area for potential refinement, it might be allocating a bit more time for our internal testing. That said, we were up against tight deadlines and Studio Simpatico’s responsiveness and commitment to meeting those deadlines ensured the project was delivered successfully and met our expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director at the Henry Luce Foundation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Studio Simpatico?

We needed help with our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Studio Simpatico designed and developed a WordPress website from scratch using Figma. The team also did a mini rebrand for us, expanding our color palette and creating related assets, such as emails and presentations, to ensure our branding was consistent throughout. Studio Simpatico created templates on Canva and updated our branding on all our platforms.

What is the team composition?

We worked with several teammates, including Tamara, Phebe, Bruce, and Angela.

How did you come to work with Studio Simpatico?

I had worked with Studio Simpatico before on a microsite for one of our programs early last year, so I invited them to send a proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July–October 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everybody loved the website delivered by Studio Simpatico, and they did such a fantastic job that we had no complaints. They exceeded expectations.

How did Studio Simpatico perform from a project management standpoint?

They were top-tier when it came to project management. We never had any confusion about where we were in the process. Studio Simpatico always communicated effectively, sent notes after every Zoom call, and worked within the timeline they gave us. They stuck to the plan and did it without making us feel overwhelmed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were talented and efficient.
Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything they could improve; they were perfect.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend working with Studio Simpatico. They’re a great brainstorming partner, so even if you aren't clear on what direction you want to go, Studio Simpatico is exceptional at untangling your goals and plans. They’re a fantastic and easygoing team to work with. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and VP of a financial services startup. We focus on payroll services using a SaaS product. Our goal is to streamline payroll in a fun, approachable, and whimsical way.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Studio Simpatico?

We hired Studio Simpatico to create our branding and style guide. We also needed help finding a name for our product and the visual identity of our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Studio Simpatico and our company initially focused on developing a name for the company. We were going to focus on a specific industry, so we needed help creating a name reminiscent of it but wasn't too closely related. This was important because we wanted to expand outside of it.

Studio Simpatico offered fantastic options reminiscent of the startup trends but also unique and enjoyable for our current industry and new potential industries we try in the future.

We didn't focus too much on marketing and potential visuals for advertisements because we weren't near that phase for the company. Instead, we focused on getting the visual identity and style guide done. This was because we were simultaneously wireframing and working on a prototype. We wanted a style guide that could debut simultaneously with the prototype.

We will potentially engage them to work on our pitch deck and punch that up with the visual identity. We may also do a landing page at some point.

What is the team composition?

We worked closely with the principal of Studio Simpatico, Tamara, and three team designers: Bruce, Phebe, and Angela; she was mainly our illustrations designer.

How did you come to work with Studio Simpatico?

We were widely searching for potential branding agencies based in New York. We wanted to work with a smaller team without going to a larger branding agency. We wanted a more personal feel.

We brought in Studio Simpatico's team due to their experience working with startups. We did a general Google search and looked through some Clutch reviews to understand them. We met with Tamara a few times before we formally engaged with them. We clicked with her management style and interest in our product. It was a good personality and culture fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $10,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We wrapped up the scope of work for the naming and branding style guideline in July 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our response to their work was outstanding. We didn't do much iteration from what they presented to us. The names probably took us a little more time than anything else. We felt that was the most crucial thing to iron out. We can always rebrand or change our colors and visual identity a little easier.

We probably got too focused on the name, so we went through a couple of drafts and conversations. However, the visual identity stuff came through once we settled on the name. They brought an outstanding design and approach that fit precisely within our industry. It also branched out and was more on-trend.

The team brought us up to a more modern image. Payroll might feel old, stuffy, and complex, but Studio Simpatico made it light, airy, trendy, and fun. They did a great job, and it didn't take much iteration. The team definitely met our expectations.

How did Studio Simpatico perform from a project management standpoint?

We ironed out the scope and budget pretty early. We came in right on budget. The schedule got drawn out slightly, but that was on our end. We had a lot of travel during the summer, which made us push deadlines back. The team was very helpful providing new deadlines to accommodate our schedules.

Overall, the team was communicative and transparent about their timelines and their needs. They also told us when they needed feedback. All of that was very clear and concise. We used Notion for correspondence and Figma primarily as a presentation tool. We also communicated via email and Zoom.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Bruce and Phebe were definitely great. Angela also helped us develop some custom illustrations for the style guide.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing was how effortless the process felt. Our first meeting didn't feel like we were meeting with a company about providing a service. It was a good conversation. You could tell Tamara was very passionate about what she did and the work she provided.

Something clicked in terms of what we were trying to do. It felt like such a natural fit. They're a small team, which I love. It makes it feel more personal, and you don't feel like you're getting lost or aren't a priority, which could sometimes happen with larger agencies.

Her team is talented and communicative. You couldn't ask for anything different.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. We're satisfied with our collaboration and look forward to doing more with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Bring your passion for your business - Simpatico's collaborative energy is an asset!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Growth Officer of Main Street Auto

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We own and operate over 90 auto repair shops throughout the Southeast.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Studio Simpatico to accomplish?

• Improve our existing website
• Maintain our existing website

SOLUTION

How did you find Studio Simpatico?

Previous Customer

Why did you select Studio Simpatico over others?

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

How many teammates from Studio Simpatico were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

As a new brand we needed to add content and functionality to our website. Additionally, we needed to launch independent shop webpages for some of our niche automotive businesses.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We successfully added vertical pages to our website, delivering high quality leads for fleet management and retail customers.

Our website delivered nearly 8k online appointments in 2H 2024.

Internal clients praised the quality and speed in which we launched our niche/vertical webpages.

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

Studio Simpatico does an incredible job with project management. They use simple tools that enables our teams to collaborate, and deliver quickly and with minimal guidance.

They consistently delivered items faster than expected, with a solid intake & development process. Additionally, they always dedicated the proper resources to the team.

Most importantly, their expertise in development and web design helped us excel. They filled in technical and knowledge gaps on our side, which we highly valued.

What was your primary form of communication with Studio Simpatico?

Virtual Meeting

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

Studio Simpatico had a high bar for quality and creativity while delivering projects on budget and within timelines. This requires a good mix of skillsets and expertise, Tamara has built a diverse and impressive team that delivers.

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

None. They are my preferred website & Wordpress design and development agency, and I will continue to use them in the future.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the lead marketing operations manager at ClassPass.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Studio Simpatico?

Studio Simpatico developed a website for us. For context, we had a yearly campaign called Best of ClassPass — we’d create a custom microsite with a different theme per year. Our designs would design the microsite, and we’d look for a web developer to build it. 

For this project, we chose the Studio Simpatico team to build the site. Our goal was to use the site to recognize our partners and give awards to them. At the same time, there were CTAs on the site to increase our user acquisition. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially hopped on a call with Studio Simpatico to review the Figma files we were working on alongside a semi-finished website. From there, the team came up with a game plan on how we could still deliver the project on time. We handed over all of the logins and gave them access to our development environment. 

Then, we did some extensive QA tests and had two rounds of feedback sessions until we could put the designs on the site and launch it on WordPress. We performed troubleshooting tasks throughout the process as bugs and issues came up. 

What is the team composition?

Tamara (Owner) was in charge of the engagement, but we mainly worked with Evan (Senior Developer), who was most involved with us on our day-to-day tasks. 

How did you come to work with Studio Simpatico?

We found them through Google. Our company had a previous web developer, which went out of business during this project. As a result, we had to look for a secondary developer and came across Studio Simpatico.  

How much have you invested with them?

Our investment was around $6,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from March–April 2024. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We beat our 2023 performance and more than doubled our sessions on the first day of this year’s project. Overall, Studio Simpatico’s work met our expectations.

How did Studio Simpatico perform from a project management standpoint?

Studio Simpatico delivered tasks on time and budget, and they kept us updated on their hours as the project moved forward. We mainly communicated through Slack, where we went back and forth on the tasks. Meanwhile, we used Basecamp for to-do lists. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Evan was great. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their open communication was impressive. It was never unclear where we stood on the project. With other developers, I had to constantly ask for updates. However, with Studio Simpatico, I always knew where we stood.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come prepared with what you want to accomplish with the project. Our engagement went well because our designers had a great gauge on the capabilities of our website and designs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Natural Areas Conservancy is a New York City-based urban conservation nonprofit that works to protect and manage the 20,000 acres of forest, wetland, and grassland in the city. We also have a national network called The Forest in Cities Network, where we collaborate with 19 cities across the country to protect their natural areas. I'm the deputy director of communications and external affairs within the organization, so I oversee things related to communications, marketing, and advocacy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Studio Simpatico?

We needed help with a website redesign and redevelopment project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Studio Simpatico handled our website's redesign and redevelopment for us, and we ultimately added some SEO consulting as well. There were three stages to the website redesign, so first, we went through a discovery phase with an extremely involved kick-off call.

During the initial call, Studio Simpatico interviewed me, some key members of our executive team, and other staff members involved in our internal website working group to collect our requirements and desires for the new website. From there, they went into wireframe development, which led to website design.

Their team created designs for almost every single web page using Figma, allowing us to see how the website would end up looking. Then, we moved into the development process.

In addition to the design and development, Studio Simpatico provided us with SEO consulting. For this part of the project, they did full site audits of both our old site and our new site. Then, Studio Simpatico's SEO consultant provided us with recommendations on the technical side of SEO.

Their consulting included recommendations on how the website structure should be and how we should name the pages. Studio Simpatico also developed a list of keywords and blog ideas we could use to improve our search engine rankings.

What is the team composition?

We worked with around half a dozen teammates from Studio Simpatico, including Mingwei (Senior Project Manager), Tamara (Owner), Bruce (Head of Design), and Phoebe (UX Designer & Creative Strategist).

How did you come to work with Studio Simpatico?

We went through an RFP process that lasted about a month. I had already met Phoebe at our fundraising gala last year. Still, we got proposals from 5–6 different agencies, and Studio Simpatico had the strongest proposal by far. Their proposal was very specific, showing a strong understanding of our requirements.

On their proposal, Studio Simpatico specifically called out a complete of things other agencies didn't. For example, we have a nature map on our site showing New York City's natural areas. For this project, we wanted to make changes to highlight that map better, and Studio Simpatico was the only agency that had specific ideas on how to achieve that.

Moreover, I was very focused on finding the right-sied studio for this project, as I wanted an agency where everything was done in-house. That was one of Studio Simpatico's strengths; given that they were not a huge agency, it was clear that their staff interacted tightly.

How much have you invested with them?

 We spent $50,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2023, and we launched the website in February 2024. However, we'll likely continue the relationship with Studio Simpatico as a maintenance retainer contract.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything Studio Simpatico promised in their proposal was successfully accomplished. The new website has been live for a couple of weeks now, and we're already seeing positive results. Our traffic has nearly doubled, our bounce rate has dropped by 22%, and we're seeing increased downloads of our research.

Moreover, the quality of Studio Simpatico's work was excellent. Their team proved to be incredibly organized, smart, and talented. As mentioned, we desired to showcase the natural areas of New York City, which could have been a very difficult task for an agency to execute.

Nonetheless, Studio Simpatico took our photo library and adapted it in a way that looked beautiful on the new website. Now, we don't have to keep telling people about New York City's natural areas because they can see them when they go to our website. This feature spoke volumes about Studio Simpatico's design skills and ability to listen and process requirements to ultimately deliver a beautiful website.

How did Studio Simpatico perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was one of Studio Simpatico's strengths. Ours was the smoothest project I've been involved in, allowing us to completely redo our website in 14 weeks, which was very fast. They also stayed on budget without overages, which was due to their ability to deliver everything on the time originally scheduled. They even exceeded the deadlines for various parts of the project.

Moreover, Studio Simpatico was very responsive and on top of things. Mingwei was on top of our regular communication, using Notion for project management and Figma for design feedback. We also had weekly check-ins over Zoom, and Mingwei checked in with us regularly via email.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Mingwei was amazing. She facilitated meetings in a great way and proved to be a great note-taker, so I never had to worry about something getting dropped from the conversation. Moreover, she always followed up immediately after meetings, and we had a weekly digest of what was going on, what they were working on, and what was expected from us. Overall, Mingwei was a joy to work with, as everything was always very clear and specific.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was very impressed with their designs. During the design phase, we were able to see how the website would end up looking, which was very helpful and inspirational for our staff. Those early designs also helped us with our copywriting and content development process.

Still, website development was one of the strongest parts of the process. I've been involved in dozens of website redesigns, both as a client and on the creative agency side. Nonetheless, this was the smoothest process I've been involved in and with the strongest end product.

When we moved from static designs to web page development, there was no loss of design fidelity. What Studio Simpatico developed looked identical to the designs they had provided, so we didn't have to correct anything, allowing us to save a lot of time in the process. Ultimately, it was very clear that their developer and designer worked closely together and that the developer really cared about the designs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything Studio Simpatico could have improved on. I'm nothing but pleased with our relationship and the outcome.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Be very clear about your requirements and tell them how the new project will help your organization accomplish its mission.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a communications consultant for Girl Be Heard, a nonprofit that supports and promotes the arts and activism to girls and gender-expansive youth.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Studio Simpatico?

I was hired to rebrand and refresh our website and needed Studio Simpatico’s help. There was too much content on the site, so we wanted to streamline it to make it align with our goals.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Studio Simpatico helped me completely redesign our website in WordPress. We provided them with one-pagers about the organization and a breakdown of our programs and events. We also gave them a questionnaire that staff members and program participants had filled out saying what they were looking for in a web redesign. We also provided a description of our youth participants to give them a sense of our desired energy and aesthetic of the website. We told Studio Simpatico that we wanted to focus on tying programs and events to storytelling.

I had done a site audit, and Studio Simpatico audited the site as well. We had weekly meetings to discuss the design. After we’d agreed on the design, content, and structure, we met weekly with Tamara, one designer, and the project manager. In the last few weeks, we polished the site with the project manager.

What is the team composition?

The initial calls included Tamara (Owner), two designers, Bruce (Head of Design) and Angela (Senior Designer & Illustrator), and a project manager, Mingwei (Product Manager). Another teammate joined sometimes.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $45,000–$60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged Studio Simpatico between March 2023–June 2023.

How did you come to work with Studio Simpatico?

I joined after Studio Simpatico was already on board, but I know they submitted a proposal.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our funders were very happy with the new site, and we were excited to launch it. Our old site wasn’t up to date with the latest trends and content, but after the project, we feel confident sending users to the site Studio Simpatico designed. They did way more than we expected them to do.

Studio Simpatico had more technical experience than I do, so they were able to catch a lot of areas for improvement in their audit, which was amazing.

How did the company perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered the product well before the deadline and gave us a nonprofit rate. They were so organized from the beginning. We met weekly, which made this my best experience working with a vendor; most vendors don’t offer a weekly check-in.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

The whole team was so great, and each one served a critical role at each stage of the process. I really appreciated that Tamara was very involved in the process, even though she was probably very busy. She made the administrative process — which can be complicated for nonprofits — very smooth for us. Her input during the site audit was amazing and helped me consolidate content. 

Bruce and Angela took what we asked for and translated it into this really beautiful product that everyone was so happy with. 

Mingwei was fantastic. I wish she could manage all my projects and my whole life. I couldn’t have worked with a better team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Studio Simpatico was very professional. They were patient and responsive; if we sent a question, we’d get an answer within the hour on weekdays or first thing Monday morning. Studio Simpatico’s team was efficient and talented.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were perfect.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Sign up to work with Studio Simpatico and take advantage of the weekly check-ins. They were very willing to share their expertise.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Director of Big Green

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our work across the country brings hundreds of thousands of gardens to life in schools, homes, and communities each year.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Studio Simpatico to accomplish?

• Design and develop a new organization website that communicates Big Green’s new mission, impact, and programming
• Simplify Big Green’s sub-sites, resources, and content
• Drive grant applications and donations

SOLUTION

How did you find Studio Simpatico?

Online Search

Why did you select Studio Simpatico over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Great Portfolio

What was the size of Studio Simpatico’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

Design and develop a new website that:

• Communicates Big Green’s new mission, impact, and programming
• Simplifies Big Green’s sub-sites, resources, and content, is attractive and easy to navigate and drives grant applications and donations.

Key Deliverables:

• Design and dev of new WordPress website, new brand identity and guidelines, and custom illustrations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Our website has received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback! The design, brand updates the navigation, the stellar backend – it's all seamless. We previously had a challenge communicating the variety of work our organization does and the new site helps us demonstrate our impact!

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

Yes! They were always, always on time and often ahead of schedule! The team also created tools and resources to help streamline our work if we (The Big Green team) fell behind or needed help!

What was your primary form of communication with Studio Simpatico?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

I cannot recommend Studio Simpatico highly enough! From start to finish, every member of the team was incredibly talented, helpful, kind, and supportive. They truly went above and beyond to ensure that every aspect of our project was executed flawlessly. The design they created for our website was not only visually stunning, but also highly functional and user-friendly. Their backend system was intuitive and easy to navigate, making managing the website so easy! In addition, the way they managed the project and communicated with us was exceptional.

They kept us informed every step of the way, and were always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that our needs were met. The animations they incorporated into the website were simply amazing, and added a level of interactivity and engagement that we never thought was possible.

Overall, we were so impressed by the team's flexibility, creativity, and attention to detail. They truly over-delivered on every aspect of the project, and we couldn't be happier with the results. If you're looking for a web agency that will exceed your expectations, this is it.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Art Director of (a/an) Beauty & Cosmetics

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is a technology saavy & results-driven facial bar company that aims to give high-quality facials for every skin tone & type.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Studio Simpatico to accomplish?

• Give a website brand+layout refresh
• Implement new modules and page styles to express our informational goals
• Update our Booking + Quiz functionality & aesthetic

SOLUTION

How did you find Studio Simpatico?

Referral

Why did you select Studio Simpatico over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Studio Simpatico’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

Simpatico helped us develop new frameworks to improve, redesign & refresh our web UX/UI experience with the customer experience in mind due to our website being outdated. They helped us develop & create new modules on Wordpress to create future pages we would need with ease. They also helped to revise+improve our Booking Form and Facial Quiz UX/UI/design based on what wasn't working for customers previously. They have also been assisting us to adjust to future needs that were noted during post-launch as we continue to determine what is needed for customization on our web backend.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Implementation of proposed ideas, wireframes & actual web design/UX/UI were all delivered on time & within our proposed schedule. All designs were updated beautifully & were much improved from our previous, outdated branding/website. Functionality and UX/UI experience greatly improved from a user & backend standpoint. Still waiting for longer term statistics / SEO data.

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

Simpatico offered a top-notch experience with their project management and organizational flow. They were super communicative, helpful & responsive throughout the development process in all areas (discovery, production & post-launch). I feel like Simpatico was always very receptive to our specific & complex needs as a brand and would try their best to give us options & assistance depending on what our goals were.

What was your primary form of communication with Studio Simpatico?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I really enjoyed working with Team Simpatico! I appreciate that I felt like they were always there for us & they were very accommodating to our complex needs and goals as a brand. Simpatico's team had a lot of diverse skillsets to help us both develop & implement our website, and I was always impressed with the solutions they would come up with when presented with a task. They were always positive and helpful to our needs, and they were always willing to give informational feedback when necessary. I had a great experience with every single person I got to work with on the team!

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

Nope!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of content for Slickdeals, an online community for shared deals on products and offers around the web. Our community of 12 million people curates those deals and votes them up and down. I run the editorial operations and strategy, and we’re primarily focused on personal finance content, writing about credit cards, banking, and personal loans.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Studio Simpatico?

We needed to build a custom WordPress theme for our personal finance subdomain. Our goal was to expand on what we had and improve our UX design. We hired Studio Simpatico to develop the theme and come up with a new UX design for a new look and feel.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Studio Simpatico has designed the UX for and built our custom WordPress subdomain from scratch. We needed a custom CMS that would allow us to publish content easily and keep track of it. The site also needed to be connected to our API from our personal finance partners. The team has built an integration to automatically update when information comes through the API. 

For the design, we gave them sites we liked for inspiration and our brand guidelines, which include color schemes and font types. Other than that, we gave them creative freedom to come up with the designs. Studio Simpatico will be doing ongoing maintenance and feature support for us. 

What is the team composition?

Studio Simpatico has a team of 10 people, and they’ve all worked on our project at some point. I’ve personally interacted with seven teammates, and our point of contact is a product manager. 

How did you come to work with Studio Simpatico?

I received a referral from someone in my boss’s network, so I reached out to Studio Simpatico. After I told them what we needed, they created a pitch we really liked. We also appreciated that Tamara (Owner) was a big fan of the type of content we create, so she was really excited to work on our project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $80,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2022, and our engagement is ongoing. Although they’ve delivered most of their work, we’re holding up the launch on our end. We’ll also contact Studio Simpatico for ongoing maintenance, so our engagement will continue. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're thrilled with the website's design and love how it looks. The navigation is also good, and all the new tools from a CMS standpoint are fantastic; my team is excited about the new bells and whistles. Thanks to Studio Simpatico's work, we'll be able to provide a better UX overall. 

Before this project, we manually entered the product information into our API feed. Now, the information is updated automatically across all content. This feature will save time and ensure we always comply with our issuers' expectations. Accuracy is crucial for personal finance and can make or break a website, so it's great that we can leverage this new integration. 

How did Studio Simpatico perform from a project management standpoint?

They've met every deadline that we've set because the team is fast and efficient. We use Basecamp for project management, and Studio Simpatico has set up a form and tracker in Airtable to keep track of new requests and bug tickets. For the design approval process, we used InVision. 

For communication, we've set up a Slack channel where we communicate with several people on their team as we need to. Additionally, we've had several Zoom calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Studio Simpatico is super responsive and really fast. Whether it's a new feature or a bug that needs to be fixed, their turnaround time is lightning fast. For example, we've mentioned an issue while on a call, and the team has fixed it by the end of that call. Their talent also stands out, from WordPress knowledge to design — they've been fantastic. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have constructive feedback for them; they've been a pleasure to work with. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don't sweat it if you don't have a clear picture of what you want your site to look like because Studio Simpatico is very good at taking your inspiration and turning it into something great. If you're not experienced,  the team is good at holding your hand and teaching by doing — they'll be your partners.