Functional brand design with an eye for strategy.
We’re a collective of designers, strategists, and developers committed to charming digital experiences and captivating brands. Our experience ranges from early-stage startups to global, industry-leading corporations.
We believe that design-driven solutions help businesses solve their increasingly complex communication challenges. Whether it’s building a brand, designing a social campaign, or developing a website, our approach emphasises clarity and exceptional aesthetic quality.
We see the role of designers as communicators and facilitators. We’re here to help you get messages across with proactive, well-researched solutions. You'll find no project or account managers to slow down our collaboration—the person doing the work is the same one you talk to, because each of us has a direct stake in making sure things turn out great. We want to see projects through, together.
Let’s talk.
[email protected]
Focus
Portfolio
Oracle, Cara Care, EyeEm, Creathor Ventures, a technology and life sciences investment company.

Applica ~ Branding + Web Design
Applica’s powerful software can decode and comprehend any type of document. We made sure their brand looks equally impressive: With an identity and web design that communicates directly what the company is about and makes it stand out from the crowd.

Cara Care ~ Branding + Web Design
Cara Care has created a digital treatment for the common Irritable Bowel Syndrome. We created a new branding for the health startup, designed their new website and UI patterns for their app.
The new brand doesn’t just look more contemporary: It is a complete system the company uses to communicate with users, health care providers, and corporate clients.
Once rolled out across all touch points, the new idenity helps them make a positive change in the life of thousands of people suffering from chronic gut issues.

Creathor ~ Branding + Web Design
We redesigned Creathor's visual language from scratch, positioning them as a premium investor with an attractive modern appearance and website. Their new visual language extends from photography to offline materials.

Pioneers ~ Branding + Web Design
Pioneers is a retail marketing agency. When they opened a Berlin branch, they decided it was also time for a brand refresh. We simplified their identity with a new name and website.
Their work is visual in nature—and our branding needed to be both distinct and give space to their photos. Our solution? A minimalistic identity that relies on memorable typography to afford space to the work.

Soft Punk ~ Web Design + Development
Soft Punk is an upstart independent culture magazine hailing from the UK and US. Having published in print only, they asked us to translate the spirit of their magazine to the web and implement it on top of a custom CMS.

Lipis Advisors ~ Branding + Web Design
When companies grow too quickly, sometimes the brand gets left behind. We brought this fast-growing payments consultancy up to speed with an updated brand, a new website, and custom photography.

The Estate ~ Branding + Web Design
We completely rebranded and redesigned a property management firm, bringing it up to its target's expectations and placing it firmly within the premium market segment.

marrow ~ Design + Content
We designed and wrote a small indie magazine from scratch.
Born and bred in the East Berlin urban magazine scene, marrow/ is an editorial project that aims to tell the street-level stories of grime and dust of people that don’t have much but still stand tall.

Oracle ~ Branding + Content
As a global corporation that has recently started moving towards a design-focused mentality, Oracle was looking to upgrade their visual communications across social channels.
We provided key design consultancy and strategy across a variety of deliverables, scaling the visual capacity for the entire EMEA region.

Solvemate ~ Branding + Website
How do you communicate innovation? To help them revolutionize customer support, we gave Solvemate an identity as smart as their product.
Solvemate uses cutting-edge machine learning to automate customer support. We helped them build a complete brand identity including name, logo, voice, and narrative.

ConnectPay ~ UI Design
We created the interface for an online payments service and supervised the development of the dashboard. The work included design of the product's user flow and interaction patterns.

EyeEm ~ Branding + Content
Berlin-based photography startup EyeEm was looking to expand its brand presence in the digital medium so it could keep up with its scaling business and communication initiatives.
From project branding to landing pages and graphic reports, EyeEm was provided with a richer outlet and design for its marketing and content efforts.

Sir Ludovic ~ Branding + Website
We developed a new tone of voice and digital design system that enabled the brand to reflect its luxury positioning and shine through the screen.
Despite boasting a showroom in the capital’s premiere 5-star hotel and working with the tailor to the royal family, Sir Ludovic was struggling to transition their prestige to their online presence and communications—and that’s where we came in.
Reviews
the project
Branding, Web Design & Dev for Document Automation AI Firm
“They delivered everything they promised, met the deadline, and didn’t go above our estimated cost.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the marketing director at Applica, an AI company that focuses on automating documents for businesses.
What challenge were you trying to address with studio~humm?
We engaged studio~humm to make our complicated technology more accessible to people.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Originally, we engaged studio~humm for web development. However, they were heavily into branding, so we ended up using them for all the aspects of this project. Our team did extensive research to determine our key buyers, our current messaging’s problems, and our new messaging goals. We then gave all of this information and competitive analysis to studio~humm to give them an adequate background.
From there, they put together mock-ups of the direction we wanted to take from a visual perspective. Then, we worked together on our branding, colors, fonts, and more. We did a few iterations of those because we wanted to be more progressive than other companies in our space; we pushed studio~humm to be even more creative.
Eventually, we landed on our current website’s design. It had a completely different color palette, fonts, typography, and imagery. After that, we continued working with studio~humm to put together a document that guided copywriters around the dos and don’ts of writing for our brand. It was a style guide that showed us what punctuations to use, which words to capitalize, and how we should speak about the company and our technology in terms of tone.
Once we determined the overall look and feel of the website, we started sketching it out. I worked closely with studio~humm to determine how the sitemap would look like. Then, we created wireframes. Lars (UX Strategist) and I worked on the website’s copy, and then we turned it over to Adrian (Co-Founder & Brand Designer) and Dan (Co-Founder & Principal Designer).
Adrian and Dan built the actual website on Webflow and handled the animation, imagery, functionality, and everything else. They also made sure that these things were linked to our existing infrastructure. After that, they tested the website and we deployed it.
What is the team composition?
My main point of contact was Lars, who also served as our main strategist, copywriter, and business development person. I had the most interaction with him throughout the project. Then, if I had more specific questions about the website functionality, I spoke directly to Adrian and Dan.
How did you come to work with studio~humm?
We Googled the best design and website development companies around, and we somehow stumbled across studio~humm. I sent them an email about the project, and they told us they were more focused on branding and web design than development.
From there, we asked studio~humm and another agency to deliver mock-ups — we wanted to test them first because we’d been in a situation where a company promised us they’d deliver great work but didn’t. We ended up choosing studio~humm based on the ideas they had. Their creativity was different from anything else we’d seen, and that was what we wanted to use to stand out. As a result, we hired them.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent €25,000 (approximately $28,000 USD) for the site’s branding and logo. Since our internal designer didn’t have the capacity to make new PowerPoint designs based on the new schema, we ended up paying studio~humm another €3,000–€4,000 (approximately $3,300–$4,500 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
The project lasted for three months from August–November 2021.
For context, we were in discussions with studio~humm for a long time. By the time our leadership team made the executive decision to start working with them, they were already contracted by another client. Because of that, we didn’t start this project until August 2021.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
In terms of design, we had a basic look and feel before, but it became colorful. People were pleasantly surprised by it. We wanted something unique to reflect the progressive nature of our technology, and our leadership team was pleased with the final design.
Specifically, our CEO said that studio~humm did an amazing job; they also cost a third of what most other agencies would charge for the same amount of work. That was my benchmark for success; our CEO was highly involved in the company, and making him happy wasn’t always easy.
From a business perspective, we looked more professional. As the website launched only recently, we didn’t have a lot of hard data to measure. However, our website gained better functionality, and we stood out in a positive way. Our internal team was pleased with it, and it was also received well externally.
How did studio~humm perform from a project management standpoint?
The studio~humm team was great at staying on schedule and providing updates. They used Asana, and they sent weekly email updates on what they were doing. They let us know if anything had fallen behind and if we needed to move anything around. Overall, they were on top of everything, and I appreciated that.
We communicated mostly over Slack, Zoom, or Google Meet. In the beginning, we did a lot of discovery calls through Google Meet, but for day-to-day communications, we used a shared channel via Slack. We used email for unified invoices. On top of that, our communication worked out well despite our time difference; they were six hours ahead.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The ideas they presented from a digital standpoint were unique. We typically saw a lot of the same structure among websites, especially for B2B businesses like Applica. None of the designs that studio~humm presented us looked like those websites — their design looked highly customized for their price point.
Overall, their creativity and imagination were impressive. They could interpret our brand and bring it to life in a way that we liked. The team also took a lot of time to refine their output. They kept at it as we gave them feedback until we arrived at a place where everyone on my team was happy.
Are there any areas they could improve?
If they were a bigger agency, they’d have greater work capacity, and we could’ve started the project earlier. However, we knew about this, and it was more our fault that we didn’t sign the contract on time.
In other words, though they were a small shop, what they produced was exceptional. They delivered everything they promised, met the deadline, and didn’t go above our estimated cost.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be open-minded to studio~humm’s ideas — they’re creative people. You might have an idea of what you want, but they can present it in a way that you’ve never thought of before. Let them bring your ideas to life and trust them. The team has an amazing eye for design and can do things that others don’t have the skill sets to accomplish.
the project
Rebranding & Web Design for Global Mobility Company
"They were able to advise us on everything that we threw their way and always came up with smart solutions."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
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.
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.
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.
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.
the project
Rebrand & Web Design for Digestive Health Platform
“They’ll push your brand to the next level.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
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.
What challenge were you trying to address with studio~humm?
We hired them to handle our rebrand project.
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.
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.
the project
Website Design for Quarterly Magazine
“The quality of their work was excellent.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the editor-in-chief of a magazine. We act as a platform for emerging writers and artists, working in advertising, sponsorships, and a number of ancillary industries to promote their work, not only in print but other media.
What challenge were you trying to address with studio~humm?
We hired them to design our website.
What was the scope of their involvement?
studio~humm designed a Kirby website from scratch.
What is the team composition?
We worked with three of their team members. studio~humm contracted someone who isn’t officially part of their team, but they worked closely.
How did you come to work with studio~humm?
Someone brought them to my attention, and we went through a number of phone calls with them. Before we made anything official, we outlined what we needed and wanted, and how that would look long-term.
How much have you invested with them?
Pre-vat (valued-added tax), it was €18,000–€19,000 (approximately $21,300–$22,500 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
Our work together began in early-February. They have completed the project, but it remains an ongoing relationship.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The quality of their work was excellent; I thought it was really fantastic.
How did studio~humm perform from a project management standpoint?
We set up a timeline, and then all of the stages happened fluidly. The coders worked alongside design to iterate a final product. There was never a single late deadline.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re very affable guys.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No.
Any advice for potential customers?
Do it.
the project
Comprehensive Branding Project for Retail Consultancy
"The designers have a dedicated thought process that informs every decision they make and how it relates to our company."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
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.
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.
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.
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.
the project
Website Redesign & Brand Identity for Payment Strategy Firm
"They understood the importance of a personal touch within a brand and were invested in our success."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a management consultant for a small payment consulting firm in Berlin.
What challenge were you trying to address with?
Our website was outdated and we were looking to rebrand our company.
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.
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.
the project
Web Design and and Branding for Clothing Firm
"The project went very smoothly and remained on track with our requirements."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I’m a partner and head of marketing and business development, for a luxury clothing and accessories firm. I’m in charge of all revenue-generating activities, including marketing and branding.
For what projects/services did your company hire studio~humm?
We needed to improve our branding and online presence. Our challenge with studio~humm was to update all visual elements in order to reflect our product line and our position in the market.
What were your goals for this project?
We wanted a new visual identity and website ready by the planned re-launch date.
How did you select this vendor?
We heard pitches from several agencies and design studios. We chose studio~humm as they had the deepest understanding of our needs.
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
After our initial briefing, we established the project’s scope and requirements. We remained in constant communication and they gave us guidance and insights on development. After they completed the design stage, we collaborated on testing and moved toward a seamless launch.
What was the team composition?
The team included Adrian and Dan (Co-founders, studio~humm), who contacted me for feedback.
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
We launched our newly redesigned brand and website on time. The impact was visible over the following six months, as our brand reflected our quality and helped us gain consumer trust.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
Dan was the de facto project manager. He and Adrian worked independently most of the time and contacted me to get feedback on the project’s direction. The project went very smoothly and remained on track with our requirements.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
The team easily came to a deep understanding of our brand requirements. They worked without requiring unnecessary involvement or focus from my end.
Are there any areas for improvement?
They could use improvement in their A/B testing offering. They had a smaller team at the time, and they did most of the testing, but I did some myself.
the project
Visual Branding & Digital Identity for IT Firm
“studio~humm delivers quality for less budget than outsourcing to other agencies.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm Director of Communications across the Middle East and Africa for a cloud-based technology company.
What challenge were you trying to address with studio~humm?
We needed adaptation and localization of key visual content. It needed to be locally relevant across a range of countries based on our brand guidelines and completed on quick turnaround times. We had also expanded our communication channels to include digital and social, of which visual is a key part. We didn’t have those competencies within the team and we needed it done on a realistic budget.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We work with studio~humm on a retainer basis for both consultancy and project delivery. They function as part of our internal team allowing us to integrate their brand, creative, and visual capabilities into the team. They will often serve as a sounding board or even like an artistic director. They also create content and execute, applying our brand guidelines to internally-facing projects like stakeholder presentations or materials and externally-facing projects like regional social channels. We’ve completed five or six projects with them at this point.
What is the team composition?
We work with two of the founding partners.
How did you come to work with studio~humm?
I was previously at Oracle where I worked with one of the partners as a self-employed contractor before he founded studio~humm. I wanted to establish the same model of support as I had had at Oracle.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in June 2017 and it’s ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
It’s hard to put a price on visual brand. I think about it as the cost of not having done it. Within our corporate communications team, if we didn’t have studio~humm, we wouldn’t have that competency in-house. A lot of things we do wouldn’t happen. For example, we can all look at third-party data about how social campaigns require compelling, optimized, and bespoke images. Without this relationship with studio~humm, we wouldn’t have that.
Another way to look at it is that, if I didn’t have studio~humm—and I had to build the capacity in-house—it would be significantly more expensive. It would likewise cost more if I had to use our existing brand or marketing agencies, who have incredibly high markups and aren’t interested in that type of quick turnaround work. studio~humm delivers quality for less budget than outsourcing to other agencies.
How did studio~humm perform from a project management standpoint?
We use Slack and Trello. We run everything through an agile framework with two-week sprints.
We’re a small internal team working hard across a large number of projects. They’re responsive in terms of being part of internal team calls. They communicate if they’re not getting what they need. If something is holding them up, they’re open about the impact that’s having on their delivery. They’re very proactive.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Because you’re dealing with the owners, the people you’re dealing with have a strong interest in the client relationship. The person I’ve given the brief to is the person that will primarily work on it. At the same time, you’re dealing with the people who do strategy as well as execution. Their speed of delivery is impressive. They understand visual frameworks and identifies. Their body of knowledge around brand representation is solid.
They also understand the internal guidelines that you sometimes have to work within. The first idea might be more creatively exciting but the second idea is more feasible. They understand the approval processes and internal demands placed upon us to choose the second idea over the first.
Are there any areas they could improve?
We use them in a very defined way. They may, though, need to consider as they grow their business to take on significantly larger projects. They’ll need to scale to meet demand while maintaining strong personal relationships with clients.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Have a clearly defined brief and allow studio~humm to give you feedback on that brief. Unless you’re a graphic design visual expert, they know more than you. Treat them as the experts that they are.
the project
Logo & Branding for Machine-Learning Firm
“They’re honest, transparent, and it was great to work with them.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
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.
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.
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.
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.
the project
Digital Branding & Design for Berlin Startup
“I think they did a fantastic job and highlighted exactly what we had envisioned.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder of Indexsy and we’re based in Vancouver, Berlin and London.
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.
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.
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.
Internal and external stakeholders were impressed by the website’s new branding and design. The site reflected the company’s unique and progressive technology, and studio~humm delivered cost-effective work. They were creative and attentive to the client’s needs, delivering top-notch designs.