studio~humm

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a communication representative for a commercial real estate company in Germany.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with studio~humm?

We needed help with copywriting for our redesigned website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We've had an initial conversation with studio~humm about the changes we want to implement and the new information we want to add. studio~humm has seen the old website as a reference and received the unfinished new website, which only had placeholder text.

We've given the team rough guidelines, including hard facts that needed to be included. studio~humm has worked on the tone of voice and approach for the bilingual website. They've provided different options and added their value to the project.

What is the team composition?

We mainly communicate with Lars, studio~humm's owner.

How did you come to work with studio~humm?

We asked the agency that redesigned our website to recommend copywriting studios. They gave us three options, and we chose studio~humm.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent less than €5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2024, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't officially launched the website yet, but the native German speakers in our internal meetings have been happy with almost all the texts. We only need to update and adjust a few things about the translation and phrasing.

How did studio~humm perform from a project management standpoint?

studio~humm delivers on time and stays within budget. The team uses Figma for their work, but we've requested that we use as few tech tools as possible. We communicate using phone calls, emails, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

studio~humm constantly finishes work quickly and efficiently.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was a slight mismatch between the German and English versions of the website. We worked on fine-tuning the German version, but studio~humm hasn't translated everything into English. We've expected to do less oversight, but we're humans, and these things happen.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be direct with studio~humm and say what you want. Be polite, a human being talking to another human being, regardless of job titles. Collaborate with studio~humm and enjoy the process. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Project leader, urban planning and design of TSPA

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

TSPA is an international urban planning and design firm that develops sustainable urban systems for a changing world. We deliver projects ranging from regional development to urban planning, from neighbourhood design to place-making.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire studio~humm to accomplish?

• Design a new website
• Update company's branding

SOLUTION

How did you find studio~humm?

Online Search

Why did you select studio~humm over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Company values aligned
• great portfolio

How many teammates from studio~humm were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

One of the main focuses of the assignment was on re-designing the website which was also transitioned to a different CMS platform to offer a better experience for the visitor, but also for the back-end management.  

Studio Humm also delivered a copywriting guide and new brand guidelines, including redesigning our company's logo, and business cards, and helped in updating the company's name. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

New website design was applied and we successfully launched the website. 

New logo and branding materials such as templates for presentations or other documents are now being incorporated into our day-to-day business and we have received very positive feedback from partners or clients when presenting our work by using Studio Humm developed templates.

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

Even tho the project was challenging, the team managed to navigate through the complexity and remain transparent and open. Weekly updates sent via email on the progress and activities were especially useful in keeping track of tasks. The team has addressed the challenges and responded to the needs with a creative approach, trying to find best matching solutions.

What was your primary form of communication with studio~humm?

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

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

Creative approach to issues and needs. The team was invested in finding unique solutions for our case, rather than applying copy-paste approach. Another great aspect was design workshop at the beginning of the project - where we did some exercises to determine our prefered styles

Are there any areas for improvement or something studio~humm could have done differently?

Despite a couple of technical difficulties we have experienced after the launch of the website, we were happy about the service. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the former project manager and product owner at a consulting company.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with studio~humm?

We worked with studio~humm on various projects for an automotive client. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team at studio~humm worked with us on our website and CMS for a third-party client. They handled publishing pages and developed a creative approach to the way we presented vehicle information on the website. This information included general and safety features. 

Moreover, the information was translated from being technical in nature to storytelling-focused content that fit the client’s tone and sat within the limitations of the CMS. The content also needed to be in English, and studio~humm helped us with this because our copywriters were either booked out or not well-versed in the language.

The team didn’t create designs for us but worked on conceptualizing the site’s UX. They mapped out what information would be displayed on the web pages and what logic it would follow. The goal was to make the pages more engaging to end users. 

What is the team composition?

I mainly worked with one teammate from studio~humm. He provided copywriting services and conceptual work. 

How did you come to work with studio~humm?

We found studio~humm through a referral. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $10,000–$40,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from March 2020–March 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measured project success through the timeliness of the delivery and the feedback of the third-party client, who reviewed the copy and greenlighted it. 

How did studio~humm perform from a project management standpoint?

studio~humm’s project management was great. They were always on time and had quick communication. Whenever something came up or the client gave feedback, the copywriter would address them even before we contacted him. This made my life as a project manager easier. 

They were highly responsive and light-footed when it came to direction changes. We used Confluence and Jira to collaborate. For communication, we used emails for broader conversations and alignment. Video calls were also used. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The ease of our communication with studio~humm was impressive. The team’s openness was commendable. Having them during our client meetings was also a huge help since I didn’t need to translate the client’s demands. Overall, they were adaptive when implementing feedback or guidelines.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Define early how you want to communicate with studio~humm, and agree on the tools that you want to use. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing manager at a global mobility company in Berlin. We offer relocation and language services to businesses hiring international talent and to individuals relocating to Germany.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire studio~humm?

Our company expanded fast over the past years and shifted its focus B2C to B2B mainly and we needed a redefined brand image and a new website to reflect this change. The brand was underdeveloped and the website evolved organically, none of this reflecting the rapid professionalization of our business.

SOLUTION

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

We found three companies online and requested quotes based on a very detailed briefing. After initial discovery calls and comparing the three quotes we chose studio~humm for their excellent price-quality ratio and for their engagement in the proposal formulation.

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

The project started with a discovery workshop interviewing the co-founders and managerial board about the history and ethics of the brand. The outcomes were a new brand positioning, redefined brand principles and a tonality and style guide. Once the new brand identity has been discussed and approved, the designers put together a mood board showcasing possible design directions, a custom illustration system, typography and a redesigned logo. There were three iterations and feedback rounds on the designs.

In parallel, the UX strategist worked with us on defining the new sitemap. In one month we had discussed and approved the new brand strategy, design system and website wireframing. In the second month, the developer (a trusted partner of studio~humm) started setting up the CMS templates and preparing the stage for the implementation phase. In the third month of the project, the high fidelity mockup pages, functional website wireframes and the first round of website copy have been completed. In the fourth month we did CMS training (we had shifted to a new CMS with this project), implemented feedback on design and content, and started testing on the server.

The project was completed in four months but the launch date was delayed mainly due to bottlenecks on our end. Throughout all this time, studio~humm and their partner consulted and supported us whenever needed, despite the project running over time.

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

We worked with the whole team: two designers, a UX strategist and content writer and an external partner for the website development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website and new brand have been made public two weeks ago and we have received endless praise from customers and partners ever since. In terms of hard data, we've seen a seamless transition from the old website and no significant drop in sales, despite having also switched domains with this project. We assume that the new website structure will improve the user flow and although we still need more time to measure this, we've already seen sales and leads for products that were buried under many layers on the old website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had a timeline set up in Asana and weekly updates via email. The main communication channel was slack, where we'd discuss simple tasks, and for more complex decisions we'd set up Google Hangouts with the relevant stakeholders. Being a small team, we worked directly with the creatives so the communication was very smooth, without much time passing from idea to implementation - we took longer to make the decisions ourselves than it took them to implement our new ideas.

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

That they were able to advise us on everything that we threw their way and always came up with smart solutions.

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

Nothing from my side. We really loved working with them and we're looking forward to continue our collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of content at Cara Care, a digital platform that helps people with digestive health issues.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with studio~humm?

We hired them to handle our rebrand project. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

studio~humm implemented a new brand identity for us. They did some branding workshops and created a design system and new logo. The team put together a communications plan and strategy and a copywriting guide. They also redesigned our website. They designed some presentations for us, including a pitch deck for investors. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people from studio~humm, including Dan (Co-Founder & Principal Designer), Lars (Content Strategist), who was really pivotal in designing the content, copy strategy, and copy for the website, and Adrian (Co-Founder & Brand Designer), who was the main designer on the project. 

How did you come to work with studio~humm?

I actually didn’t hire them; I joined my company early on in the project, so I can’t speak to that. I came in to manage the web redesign and some of the copy and communications work.

How much have you invested with them?

I’d say roughly $30,000–$35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I began working with studio~humm in March 2020. The project formally closed in July, but we’re still working with them to implement little fixes and tweaks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were really happy with the quality of service. They were fast, responsive and receptive to feedback, and forward-thinking on design. They knew when to challenge us on decisions that possibly affect the integrity of the work. I appreciated that as the project's lead; I like working with agencies that know when to really protect the integrity of their work, but also are really receptive to feedback. 

How did studio~humm perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a really great, transparent product timeline document that they created and updated each week on Google Docs. We got a weekly update on progress and where we were from Lars, who managed the project. In general, I was really happy with the project management. 

We communicated through Slack, email for larger updates, Google Docs, and Google Meet for conferencing. They used the design mockup tool Red Pen.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think that the team is really sharp and agile. Because they’re a smaller team, they work really quickly. They are very communicative and clear. They could easily distill what needed to be communicated and do it quickly, and I really appreciated that about working with them. 
 Additionally, their design work was top-notch and really elevated our brand.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It became a little bit challenging when COVID-19 hit and we had to do some of the creative work remotely, but that wasn’t something that was under their control. Honestly, I don’t have a ton of major complaints; we had little things here and there that were just miscommunications. Overall, we were really happy with the project.

Any advice for potential customers?

Definitely do it. They are really quick on their feet and forward-thinking, and they’ll push your brand to the next level. That sounds a little bit cliché, but I really think that it’s worth it to work with a really smart, small agency that just gets it. studio~humm just got it. It was really good working with them. 

I've worked with larger agencies, and I’ve found that there are often too many cooks in the kitchen. With humm, they were always aligned. We always knew exactly what we were going to get from them, and it was really easy to communicate and collaborate. We’re really happy with the outcome.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the communications manager for Marketing Pioneers GmbH, a creative agency for retail transformation. Our services include retail design, brand activation and communication, branded spaces, and anything else related to retail. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with studio~humm?

Our corporate identity, website, and, and content strategy all needed makeovers. After four years in business, we felt the copy, branding, and user experience we were offering weren’t in line with the direction our company had grown in.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team at studio~humm supported us throughout the entire process. We had an initial workshop to introduce our company and discuss our goals and expectations. Then, they developed mock-ups and a wireframe for us, and we moved forward with the project. 

Together, we came up with a copywriting guide to determine the direction of our content. After landing on a brand identity, studio~humm designed business cards and envelopes, our email signature, and presentation templates. They also helped us implement aesthetic consistency throughout our social media platforms.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people from studio~humm. There was a project manager, who is the lead designer, a web developer, and a content strategist.

How did you come to work with studio~humm?

I know one of their team members personally, and was confident studio~humm would be able to accomplish all of our goals.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent €27,000 (approximately $29,000 USD) on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2019, and we launched in January 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched the website very recently, so we don’t have any specific metrics that speak to its quality. However, we’ve received very positive feedback both internally and externally on the upgrade, and we’re very pleased with all of the design outcomes.

The team was very flexible and insightful. They were able to come up to speed quickly on our industry, which they hadn’t previously had experience with. 

The designers have a dedicated thought process that informs every decision they make and how it relates to our company.

How did studio~humm perform from a project management standpoint?

We had regular phone and video calls, as well as meetings whenever necessary. We also communicated over email, Google Docs, Slack, and Whereby. 

The team was always available to answer questions or concerns. Everything was delivered on time, and they were patient with us when we had delays on our side. Overall, it was a very smooth process. 

Every member of the team had knowledge of what the others were working on, so they could individually provide support even if the dedicated point person wasn’t available, which was a really impressive aspect of their work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

From the beginning, it was clear studio~humm understood our organization and goals. The team is friendly, helpful, and supportive, and they bring a valuable level of professionalism. 

Going into the project, I never expected that every decision studio~humm made would be the product of such a degree of thoughtfulness.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This was a mistake I made on my end, but I think the project could’ve been improved with more streamlined communication. We had too many channels, and it became confusing towards the end of the engagement. Apart from that, I’m really happy with our relationship with studio~humm.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t hide anything. Be honest about your organization’s values, strengths, weaknesses, and goals, so they can really understand you and provide the best solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a management consultant for a small payment consulting firm in Berlin.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with?

Our website was outdated and we were looking to rebrand our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

studio-humm redesigned our website, templates, and presentation assets, such as business cards. They produced a brand guide based on the new style they created. From there, they helped us form and launch a social media strategy. We also implemented several electronic tools to manage the posts every month.

Outside of the main design and branding work, they also supported our other efforts to improve our presence. This included guiding us toward what equipment to purchase for our podcast efforts, editing and publishing the first few episodes, etc. They also took professional photographs of our staff to include on the website as part of the rebranding.

What is the team composition?

Four teammates were working on our project from studio-humm, but I primarily worked with two of them on a regular basis. Within their team, they provided a designer, a content manager, and a few teammates who worked on our coding and backend needs.

How did you come to work with studio-humm?

I searched for the best web designers in Berlin and chose them based on my research.

How much have you invested with them?

Overall, we spent roughly €20,000 (approximately $22,300 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2018–March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any metrics yet because we only recently launched the new brand, but we expect to see positive results soon. Internally, we’re all thrilled with the work studio-humm did for us and the engagement was a success.

How did studio-humm perform from a project management standpoint?

They were an incredibly professional team to work with. We used Slack to communicate and they were responsive throughout the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understood the importance of a personal touch within a brand and were invested in our success. Flexible in their approach, they showed a genuine interest in meeting our goals. Their team was also warm whenever we interacted, and we felt comfortable trusting them. They ensured my company had a better image than we did before starting the engagement.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were great—there’s nothing to be improved.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just because they’re a small team doesn’t mean they don’t have the ability to successfully complete your project. Trust that they can handle a larger workload.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the communications manager for Creathor Ventures, an experienced venture capital firm that invests in early-stage tech and healthcare start-ups across Europe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire studio~humm?

Our website was outdated, so we needed a new site that better represented our goal to invest in technological pioneers.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a modern and visually-appealing website that would give visitors (especially founders and potential fund investors) a good first impression of who we are and what we're doing, without overloading the pages with too much content. Technically, we needed a CMS that would allow us to easily implement future changes ourselves.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of our porfolio companies recommended studio~humm. We had quotes from 5–6 other agencies, but their price/performance ratio and the general first impression made us choose them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

After an initial kick-off workshop to discuss our goals and expectations in detail and give them a better understanding of our company, they developed a styleboard and created simple wireframes we agreed upon. At the same time, we jointly worked on the photographic imagery and video content. We had feedback calls at least once a week while they developed the website with Webflow. They finished the partnership with a workshop to teach us how to work with the Webflow CMS.

What was the team composition?

The project team consisted of a project manager, web developer, imagery specialist, and a few other developers, as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're happy with the results and have received positive feedback after the relaunch. The site is exactly what we had in mind when looking for an agency.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management was good; they never caused any major delays. We used appear.in for regular video calls, and emails and Google Docs for status updates and task lists.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were Webflow experts and had a clear idea on where to take the website, design-wise. They requested structured feedback after the completion of the project to further improve collaboration in the future.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Documentation could've improved. We agreed that short written summaries of next steps after our calls would've helped. Apart from that, there wasn't much need for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

At Solvemate, we provide a solution that automates companies’ customer support systems. Our virtual agents are easy to integrate and deliver around-the-clock service. As the chief revenue officer, I’m responsible for the commercial side of the business by predominantly focusing on sales, partnerships, and overseeing customer accessibility.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with studio~humm?

We had a low-quality website that needed to be revamped. It had horrible illustrations and I never wanted to show it to enterprise prospects. Even our logo was just an icon found on another site. We had to continually credit its designer. Additionally, our company name was unprofessional and misrepresented what we do. I reached out to studio~humm so they could refresh our web presence, create a new company name, and design a new logo.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We couldn’t sell our enterprise software without a professional-looking platform, so our first priority was for studio~humm to redesign our website. To do this, they interviewed our executive staff to establish our brand essence, define the mission we wanted to accomplish, and identify how we differentiate ourselves from competitors. Then, we went through a series of interactive workshops. They produced summaries of the sessions and submitted design suggestions for additional feedback. They essentially built a proposal around our company’s messaging and brand voice before moving into the website work. This approach was necessary to create a coherent brand design.

They implemented the new site design and assigned a copywriter to produce some of our web content. Once that was complete, they began working on the company name and logo. Studio~humm built on the information they had already gathered and engaged in a regimented process to create the branding materials we required. Additionally, they designed our sales collateral and helped revise our client presentations.

What is the team composition?

Dan (Co-founder, studio~humm) was our primary point of contact. We also worked directly with their copywriter.

How did you come to work with studio~humm?

They were recommended to me by a colleague who worked with Dan in the past.

How much have you invested with them?

We probably spent around €15,000–€20,000 ($17,700–$23,600 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August 2017­–January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They provided design-centric work, so identifying qualitative metrics is difficult. Unlike the previous iteration, the new website generates leads. We’ve also received a lot of quotable feedback that indicates that the brand name and website design resonate with people. Other agencies we’ve worked have complimented the redesign and were impressed by the sales presentations that studio~humm helped us create. Their materials look clean, professional, and distinct.

How did studio~humm perform from a project management standpoint?

We came to them with an outcome in mind and Dan guided us through the project. This was especially appreciated during the creative processes that took place to complete the rebrand. Our team is made up of pragmatic individuals who are solution-oriented, so the brainstorming sessions were a significant challenge for us. Luckily, studio~humm’s extremely structured approach made us confident that we were always heading in the right direction. However, we experienced a setback when we couldn’t get the domain name we wanted. Dan took command of the situation and initiated another workshop to come up with a modified version of the brand name we’d previously decided on. We communicated via a shared Slack channel and Trello board.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We never felt overcharged for the work they performed. They’re honest, transparent, and it was great to work with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have no complaints regarding their performance on the website redesign or the branding effort. However, I’d like to see a quicker response and execution from them when working with us on ad hoc tasks. That being said, I understand that they have more clients at this time and can’t jump on everything we give them at a moment’s notice.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We were quick to share our company’s information and let them lead the way. Considering the results we received, I’d say that was the right approach.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Indexsy and we’re based in Vancouver, Berlin and London.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with studio~humm?

We worked together on a project for a mutual client; our main goal was to generate leads, design the landing page and push traffic for our client.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We all started working together from the very beginning, coming up with ideas and bringing them to execution. We described, in layman’s terms, thoughts for the wireframing and studio~humm provided that, content marketing, website design and development. They did everything from giving feedback on the content to designing every single page. There were several iterations of our providing feedback—based off of trends in 2017—and their designing accordingly.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Dan Baciu (Co-founder and Principal Designer, studio~humm)

How did you come to work with studio~humm?

We received a referral from someone in the client company.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in April 2017 and was completed by July of that same year, three months before final deadline.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We ran a VR campaign that helped drive over 50 qualified leads. A front page spot on reddit was also a huge accomplishment. The client was happy with how it turned out and, overall, said it was very well-designed. I think they did a fantastic job and highlighted exactly what we had envisioned.

How did studio~humm perform from a project management standpoint?

I have a direct line with Dan and he managed the project fantastically.  We used Asana.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The turnaround was quick; every time I had a question or comment during the workday, they tended to respond within 30 minutes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A lot of times the client wanted Dan to figure out what they wanted, which was probably too much for them to ask. In the future, I might suggest that studio~humm provide more design-focused direction and push the client to help them move in the right direction.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know exactly what you are looking for, especially with requirements and deliverables.