UIG Studio

Please describe your company and your position there.

CTO of BizBiz Share, I create and manage several B2B Marketplaces in Canada. We bring tools for a circular economy and more local exchange in construction, manufacturing, transport, and distribution.

For what projects/services did your company hire UIG Studio?

UIG supports our design and front-end team to make sure we meet our deadlines. We know we can count on them to create a page or a section when the schedule is tight.

What were your goals for this project?

Redesign of our marketplace, profile, and product pages.

How did you select UIG Studio?

Krakow is one of the best cities for web and software developers. I went there in summer 2018 to make contact with several potential tech partners. UIG and BizBiz Share are in contact since then.

Describe the project in detail.

Redesign of our marketplace, profile, and product pages is the latest project. UIG keeps us informed when they can take more work or work at an incredible rate so we try to send them small projects as often as possible.

What was the team composition?

We have a designer, 2 backend, 1 front-end, and 2 interns and UIG has a way bigger team but normally we work with one designer and one front-end at a time.

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

It's always teamwork but UIG helps us keep our budget low and meet our deadlines.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication is very easy and they never skip a follow-up, which is not common.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Honesty, this is what I'm looking for in a tech provider. No false promises, you always know what you're gonna get.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We didn't work on a large project together so far, but on small and quick projects I'm very satisfied.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of GBM Industries inc. Our company creates companies in the mobile app, energy, and entertainment industries.

For what projects/services did your company hire UIG Studio?

We had an innovative idea for a new social media concept. While our idea was fun, we needed to dig further to take our concept to an actual product to be developed.

What were your goals for this project?

I needed to visualize the user experience, with a slick design. My goal was to partner with UIG Studio to take our idea from concept to something to I would be proud to develop.

How did you select UIG Studio?

I found one of their designs on Behance, I was excited by what I saw, and reached out to their contacts. I selected UIG Studio for their values, creativity, and depth of understanding in the mobile app space

Describe the project in detail.

The details of my project are still confidential. I shared my initial thought process and agreed to be open-minded and allow UIG Studio the opportunity to take me through their workshop program to ensure we could create a product that would make for amazing user experience and hold true to our ideas.

What was the team composition?

I acted for my company, and UIG Studio added their team of marketing, designs, development, and social media experts during my multi-day workshop.

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

I didn’t know what I didn’t know. UIG Studio’s team really opened my eyes and helped me bring what was really only an idea, to the next level. Actually, the product we created together was 10x better than my original concept.

We completed the workshop, I have an excellent UX wireframe, a simple and elegant design, and a costing model that helps me realize the financial potential of our application.

I was so impressed with the collaborative approach, I learned where my ideas while good, had room for improvement. I was pleased to partner with UIG Studios because they were honest about what they thought were opportunities. They were not a “yes” company who just acted in only my ideas. The results were incredible and beyond my wildest dreams.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We operated remotely, which was necessary during the pandemic. I felt our priority for working as partners made for clean and crisp workflows. We were 8 hours apart in time zones and UIG Studios and I made compromises to ensure our efforts ran smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was most impressed with their creativity and values. They help me make adjustments in my app to capture donations for worthy causes as well as ensure we help prevent any bullying that couldn’t find its way into my app. They are great forward thinkers. I loved their design and UX, they really nailed it.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, going through the workshop to create the UX was an amazing experience. I was nervous about the process and thought it could be time, man, and money wasted. I was very wrong, workshopping an app is a critical part of creating an app. I did not know this going in.

It would be great if UIG Studios could really demonstrate the value of the workshop, simply. I think more and more companies developing apps would sign up faster if it could be explained quickly and the value recognized.

Please describe your company and your position there.

"BE MANAGER is an online football managing app, which allows to play with friends or against other managers, sign the best players and prepare your own team for victory. According to the performance of your players in real matches, you will obtain a score. The best user-rated fantasy game! About me: I'm Marc Cercós, co-founder and CEO at BE MANAGER."

For what projects/services did your company hire UIG Studio?

I was looking for top-notch 3d assets for our web and mobile app 

What were your goals for this project?

We're looking somebody to help us to power up the product design, complementing myself with all the illustrations and more visual part needed to create a top-notch product and a powerful identity.

How did you select this vendor?

I've found by their Dribbble profile. They have an outstanding portfolio.

Describe the project in detail.

We're looking somebody to help us to power up the product design, complementing myself with all the illustrations and more visual part needed to create a top-notch product and a powerful identity.

What was the team composition?

UIG: Adrian (3d artist), Grzegorz (Project Manager), Paul (Client Service)

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

The work is currently confidential

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have used inVision and Figma for feedback during the conception phase, Blender for 3d modeling and rendering, Mixamo for posing and rigging characters and Zbrush for character models, Asana for task management, whereby for calls and presentations. Very smooth, remote cooperation.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their 3D design skills blew us away!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really, maybe they should know more about Spanish Primera division 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as an Art Director for a digital agency in Iceland

For what projects/services did your company hire UIG Studio?

I was looking for web development services for our client's HR / survey app.

What were your goals for this project?

Get a decient front-end and back-end work, which covers our client's business goals within the budget.

How did you select this vendor?

I was introduced to UIG by my colleague.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

HR app with a survey as the main feature with other elements/parts like wireframes, user groups, surveys editor, signup/sign in, accounts/settings, dashboard, camera/photos, e-mail sending, web forms, etc.

What was the team composition?

UIG: Grzegorz (Project Manager), Tymek (front-end developer), Kacper (back-end developer) and Paul

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

The project isn't live yet but testing group is giving very positive feedback

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The management was superb. Even with everything going on with lockdowns and such we hit every deadline on time

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The quality of their work and their communication skills set them apart.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are always areas for improvement but they are super easy to work with and nothing pops to mind that I can nag about.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a venture partner at an innovation group.

What challenge were you trying to address with UIG Studio?

I hired them to make a mobile platform. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

UIG Studio designed and developed a startup corporate matching tool for iOS and Android. The tech stack included:

1. DB - PostgreSQL
2. CMS - PHP (Symfony), Apache
3. API - Node.js: Sequelize, Express
4. WebForm - JavaScript, HTML, CSS: React.js
5. Mobile App - React Native
6. Notifications: OneSignal
7. Email Notifications: Sendgrid
8. AWS Cloud (EC2, S3, RDS)

They provided us with screens.

What is the team dynamic?

I worked with three people. There was Grzegorz S. (Project Manager), Grzegorz B. (React Native Developer), and Paweł (Head of Studio). I’m pretty sure Grzegorz B. did all of the work; I don’t think they have all of the people that they say they do. 

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve been working with UIG Studio for a year-and-a-half, since December 2018. I just stopped working with them in June 2020.

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

It started off well, but the problem was that their designs always looked better than the actual delivery. It was very frustrating because they sent over beautiful designs and would wrap the screen in an iPhone image so that we could see the app as it would appear. However, the code was not good.

I’m frustrated to the point that I don’t want to work with them anymore. We’ve lost one of our biggest clients because of them. On top of that, they’ve increased their price. They shouldn’t be increasing their price if they’ve missed deadlines, the designs look bad, and there are bugs.

Because the mobile app was so poorly implemented, we now have to redesign a web app. The project began going downhill when they started to lose money and team members. A couple of their team members quit during the project. They tried to charge me $35–45 an hour, and I think they were underpaying their employees and price gouging them.

How was project management handled?

I know they have good people, but the firm has gone through a lot of turnover. They even asked to borrow money, which isn’t something they should be asking their clients. I did give them a little bit because we were halfway through the project, and I wanted them to keep going. There was no professionalism.

They’re not bad developers, but they certainly could be better. We communicated over email. Every time I forwarded a bug or something, they asked us to pay for it. They claimed that the scope of work was done, but it couldn’t be done since the app didn’t work. I recently asked for a quote to take the existing code and put it back in the App Store, and they came back with a quote for 40 hours. In the quote, it said it would take them two hours to upload photos. It would take two minutes for me to do that.

They treat their clients horribly. I’ve been doing tech and deploying code for a while now, and the quotes they were sending us were ridiculous. They told me that I needed to pay, or else they were going to stop working with me. They said I owed them money. 

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

The designs were gorgeous.

In what specific areas can they improve?

I don’t think I’ll be talking to them ever again.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

Avoid this firm. They’re going to be nice and give you a good price at first, but as they develop the technology, they’re going to demand money and will implement it pretty terribly. I wish there were more data on their developers. I doubt they refer anyone to leave a review on Clutch who they’ve done bad work for. This is their first bad review.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a CEO of Printbox. We created an Enterprise photo products software, which is used by businesses worldwide.

For what projects/services did your company hire UIG Studio?

We were looking for a long-term relationship in the area of UX and UI services for our SaaS solution. We were looking for a vendor who can understand our business and we will feel he is part of our team.

What were your goals for this project?

We constantly grow our platform. We needed every new functionality to be a UI masterpiece. The best usability of our application is one of the top reasons of our success.

How did you select this vendor?

We know them from "university" times

Describe the project in detail.

UI and UX of: - our complex Web Applications: Simple Editor, Advanced Editor, Pro Editor & Smart Editor. - white label Mobile applications (iOS and Android) - our corporate website

What was the team composition?

From UIG side: Adrian - UI Designer, Pawel - UX Lead Designer and Design Team Leader, Angelika - Art Director and UI/UX Designer, Lukasz - UI/UX Designer, Anton - Illustrator, Marta - UI/UX Designer, Grzegorz - Project Manager

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

All of the editors and web stuff you can explore here https://demo.getprintbox.com/ Some piece of their great work is available in the following link: https://invis.io/BGWE1CFPERQ#/221881334_Advanced-Editor-2017-GUI

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It's an effective relationship. Our project is based on Asana and we see the progress and details of every task. InVision helps in giving a detailed feedback (during the prototyping and design phase) and ability to test the products before we start the front and back-end development work. The designs are uploaded to Zeplin developers tool which help our fron-end developers in their work. We call each other by Whereby for product presentation and feedback, but Slack gives the opportunity to write with quick ideas to brainstorm.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They understand the business needs and are able to merge them with quality user experience. I appreciate their big commitment to each task.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I'd say overthinking but at the same time they always come up with a detail we wouldn't think about.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of activity.me, an online start-up that brings together thousands of sporting events from organizers worldwide, to make it easy for participants of all abilities to discover, register and take part in them.

For what projects/services did your company hire UIG Studio?

UIG Studio was hired to help design, develop and build out the concept of activity.me, to enable event organisers to load up, fully manage and receive payments for their events via the platform, and respectively allow participants to search, discover and book these online.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a website that was built with the user in mind, so ease of use was of utmost importance. We wanted the latest design principles to be followed and required impactful color schemas. We were also looking for search functionality, data mapping, map layouts and event profiles that were responsive, fast and well laid out.

How did you select this vendor?

After conducting an extensive search of relevant companies online through organic search and reading through past customer reviews, UIG Studio was one of the few that really stood out. The validation to proceed with them didn't only come after testimonials and case studies were shared but once through the passion, knowledge, and interest, they expressed with the site's concept.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we settled on this vendor, we had a series of discovery meetings to discuss the concept and its objectives. A full plan of all deliverables was shared and access to a project management tool was provided. Page mock-ups and initial designs were shared in a staggered approach based on an agreed-upon timeline through a staging website. Once feedback was implemented, items were finalized and everything was ready, functionalities shifted into the live site. And this sequence continued to be followed throughout.

What was the team composition?

Throughout the entire journey of building out the website, we were guided and supported by a highly skilled project manager who along with designers and developers, completed the 5-person team.

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

The site is live and is generating a solid and steadily rising flow of organic bookings across some of the key markets that we were predicting. Very positive user feedback has been provided and with the addition of some extra functionalities as well as the activation of email communications to event organizers and paid media activities for participants, there are very healthy growth expectations that are underway.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager does a great job of communicating work progress. Call agendas are shared in advance of calls and recap emails are communicated to ensure alignment. Points are correctly captured following discussions and realistic timeframes are shared. Team members are pulled in according to tasks and commitments that are made are always adhered to.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

My experience has demonstrated to me that this is very much a design-led company. They like to innovate but at the same time, create beautiful yet functional work. Having said that, an equal degree of quality is also present with the end product which is underpinned by a cohesive team of passionate and hard-working professionals.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The entire process has been very smooth and the team is really delivering to my expectations.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Product Designer of a software development company. We create software for the hair & beauty industry.

For what projects/services did your company hire UIG Studio?

We hired UIG Studio to redesign our mobile application. The project involved designing UI/UX as well as graphics.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to make the new design user-friendly and intuitive. The app is used by a wide variety of users, so a good UI/UX design was very important for us, allowing to reach an ever greater number of users.

How did you select this vendor?

We selected UIG Studio based on a recommendation.

Describe the project in detail.

UIG Studio designed and developed the UI/UX of our mobile app, in cooperation with our internal team of developers and based on our requirements. They were also responsible for the graphic design.

What was the team composition?

UIG Studio assigned three developers and a UI/UX designer. They cooperated with our internal team of designers and developers.

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

We were fully satisfied with the outcome of the cooperation. The app has not yet been fully released, but up till now we’ve only received positive feedback. The design is appealing to users and the process they go through in the app is very intuitive, which has significantly improved the user experience.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We used Asana for project management, which made the workflow clear and transparent. The team was also quick to respond to our questions via email or phone.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What we appreciated about the cooperation was the team’s engagement in the project and the fact that they were always willing to address our remarks and offer alternative solutions. At the same time, they never compromised the quality, which is extremely important for us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were satisfied with the cooperation, so I can’t think of anything they could improve.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of Functional Herbals. We are the manufacturers of a healthcare supplement that we sell both to professionals and direct to consumers.

For what projects/services did your company hire UIG Studio?

We needed an e-commerce website that was intuitive and easy to understand for our senior market. Our site had to be engaging, upscale, and modern in design. Additionally, we had a requirement for wholesale and customer subscriptions.

What were your goals for this project?

• E-commerce
• Easy to use interface
• Strong Conversion rate
• Modern look and feel
• Mobile responsive design

How did you select this vendor?

After looking into numerous companies, I was impressed with the work that UIG did in terms of design, coding, and value. They have an excellent design sensibility, and I was always able to reach senior management whenever I had any special needs or requests.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The request was for an e-commerce site that integrated well with our third-party logistics, that was mobile-responsive, and could manage both wholesale subscriptions and retail customers. We needed great design and simple navigation, as well as a blog integration for SEO purposes. The goal was for a high-converting website.

What was the team composition?

Project Manager, UX Designer, Web Designer, Web Developer. 

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

We earn compliments for the design of our site all the time and have achieved high conversions rates since we launched. The team has been extremely accommodating in helping us find the best and most cost-effective solutions for our ongoing needs. I trust UIG and highly recommend them.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was good, with weekly calls and shared details via Asana. The site was completed on budget and in a timely manner.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I have developed great relationships with many of the folks at UIG. I find them to be both passionate about their work and people of integrity. I took a leap of faith the first time I used them, and I am glad I did.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not much, other than the language barrier when we first started. Ultimately, though, the staff has grown greatly and many on the staff are now proficient in English.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We’re a Berlin-based company that has provided digital transformation services to publishing houses for years. As a board member, I’m responsible for business development.

For what projects/services did your company hire UIG Studio?

We hired UIG Studio to design a new website with an appealing UX for our relaunch. The look and feel had to reimagine our corporate branding so that we could reach a wider group of customers.

What were your goals for this project?

In the past, our branding primarily targeted conservative audiences, but we wanted to change that. The new website needed to appeal to both domestic and foreign customers. We wanted to convey that we’re an experienced company that also offers modern solutions.

How did you select this vendor?

I met and selected UIG Studio based on a recommendation from a business partner.

Describe the project in detail.

To create the right look, UIG Studio analyzed our previous design and existing content before adapting it to their new UX concept. The team then implemented the design into WordPress before customizing the site with individual functions. 

What was the team composition?

I worked closely with a UX designer to conceptualize the new look and user journey. She was able to assert her opinions against my own, which I appreciated. They also assigned two programmers who worked with our IT team to handle the technical implementation.

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

UIG Studio produced convincing results. We were able to adapt their designs into presentations for various lectures and conferences, which helped us acquire a new investor much faster than planned thanks to their work.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was an enjoyable, effective collaboration. UIG Studio’s team members complemented each other very well. The creatives had access to the technicians, which allowed them to clarify any technical possibilities/limitations in advance and save us from unnecessary rounds of correction. In terms of project management tools, we used a platform that facilitated international communication in English.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team maintained a good attitude, which was contagious and had a positive effect on the project. I liked the fresh and open nature of UIG Studios. They had a flat, effective leadership structure, and even the boss was willing (and able) to actively participate in the project when necessary.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is always room for improvement, but any difficulties we encountered were due to their lack of experience communicating with German IT teams, some of which had their own ideas on how a project should be run.