ultrablack branding studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a co-founder and direction of a non-profit marketplace LELEKA. To me, where children from Ukraine can sell their artworks to raise money for themselves, their family and country.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ultrablack brand identity studio?

We had a platform where we were selling artworks of children from Ukraine. However, the quality of the product was poor, and buyers could get only digital files, which had low perceptive value. The rationale for purchase was around donations, rather than getting great art. All this impacted our ability to grow.

SOLUTION

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

We decided to work with Ultrablack Studio due to their strong personal values and the level of commitment they were showing every single day. Their motto is “we give everything to our clients, and then we give a little more”. They have proved it numerous times, and we feel about the Studio as about our team now.

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

The Ultrablack studio founder has gathered a team of designers and owned the process of turning thousands of photos of artworks into quality digital files that can be purchased and printed. The Ultrablack studio has also helped us pivot the product from digital-only to printed arts, and design a storefront where a new product is now sold. Finally, the Ultrablack studio supported our brand efforts and collaborated closely with the PR team of LELEKA to build a communication pack, including printed Albums, which then were distributed across all major media outlets. This effort resulted in publications on BBC, The Independent, Voice of America, The Brussels Times & other.

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

We worked with one person directly, the founder, and we knew that there is a team of several designers the founder manages to achieve the best possible outcome for us. We were not involved in internal processes, since the design team has been consistently smashing their goals, whilst working in a fully autonomous manner. This allowed LELEKA team to fully focus on other areas — marketing, business development and finance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Ultrablack studio helped us publish 12,000 artwork products, each can be and is being purchased for £7. With the studio’s input, we won publications at BBC, The Independent, Voice of America, The Brussels Times and other major news outlets. Finally, to continuously support our brand promise (help children from Ukraine make money), together with the studio, we have pivoted a shop from digital-only to printed art.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team works in a fully autonomous manner, always asks for feedback, and receives it with gratitude and excitement. They are proactive in communicating any existing and anticipated challenges and blockers. Their attitude and strong work ethics also had a positive impact on working processes and behaviors at our small team as well. Working the the studio, as a founder of a very small non-profit company, I was able to focus on other work, knowing that designs are in good hands.

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

Feedback — the team is proactive about asking for feedback, they not just ask for it here and there, they genuinely crave it! They truly put you as their customer first. I would like also to highlight the way they positively challenge others. They are vocal if they see improvement in areas outside of their direct zone of responsibility.

They are proactive about offering a solution and rationale for changes. They celebrate with us when their ideas are taken into work. They understand if anything needs to be put on hold. This does not though demotivates the team, it is just what they do — “giving everything and then a little more to their clients”.

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

Nothing at this stage. I hope we will be able to start working on platform/ux/ui designs soon.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a specialist in marketing and work freelance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ultrablack brand identity studio, and what were your goals?

I worked with a fashion designer in 2019 and she needed a logo and brand identity for her new brand. We set a task for ultrablack studio – develop a logo, brand identity and rules on their use as well as brand communication: design of business cards, branded packages, boxes, a signboard, loyalty cards, clothes tags, billboards.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I looked for a contractor according to the following criteria: quality, price and deadline. It was important for me that the contractor should show interest in work and there be no need to say what had to be done. I saw and liked ultrablack’s work on a logo and brand identity for one of my customers. I studied ultrablack’s website, portfolio, description and decided I would like to work with them, andI looked for a contractor according to the following criteria: quality, price and deadline.

It was important for me that the contractor should show interest in work and there be no need to say what had to be done. I saw and liked ultrablack’s work on a logo and brand identity for one of my customers. I studied ultrablack’s website, portfolio, description and decided I would like to work with them, and recommended them to my customer.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

After our first contact, they sent me the process of their work and asked to fill in a brief. All the details about the project should have been described there. I liked their approach to the brief much. It contained questions not only about design but about marketing as well.

Afterwards we received an offer from them where they set out steps of our cooperation, deadlines and cost. My customer and I accepted their offer. We signed a contract and we were invoiced. Then they started working and in a couple of weeks, we received a presentation on concepts of the logo and brand identity. We chose one of the most liked interesting concepts that fits and conveys my customer’s idea and business.

Next, brand communication were developed (business cards, branded packages, boxes, a signboard, loyalty cards, clothes tags, billboards). They sent all the files in required formats (ai, pdf, png). I was not distracted by small unimportant details in the process of the work. All our communications were about important issues only. recommended them to my customer.

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

We communicated with the art director Tim on the logo and brand identity. George was responsible for the contract and payment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Owing to the developed brand identity, my customer started having her full brand. She sells successfully her clothes online and at her boutique.

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

In the beginning, I was worried about the timeless since sometimes working with creative people can be unpredictable, but everything was brilliantly on time. We mostly communicated through email and had meetings after every big task. Tim was very supportive and paid much attention to describing his work.

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

They really did what we wanted to get. I like their serious approach to the work. They are always in touch and reply quickly to requests, suggestions, ideas, etc. I have only positive impressions of these guys ☺

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

No. Everything was done as we wanted. We have been in touch since then and carried out several more projects.