Uncover Commerce

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the managing director of an online company selling home textiles.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Spectre Creative, and what were your goals?

We were expanding our website to include made to measure products. The project was to create a section of our website capable of taking unique made to measure orders

SOLUTION

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

We had to find a company who had experience with Shopify. Due to the nature of the project we preferred dealing with a local company

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The first meeting was in person where our requirements were laid out. Spectre came back to us with a few questions and which led to a solution being laid out along with a project timeline

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

We had a main project manager who was our point of contact and then some interaction with the actual programmer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Once the project was complete we could then offer made to measure curtains and blinds from our site. This enabled us to widen our marketing to target new types of customers

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

Our main communication was carried out using zoom, email and by telephone

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

The most impressive aspect of Spectre is their ability to listen to our requirements and understand them. They took the time to study our current setup and put forward a suitable solution.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of Kesero - a progressive web app created to enable individuals and business owners to list and share skills in a cash free environment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Spectre Creative, and what were your goals?

Initial goal was to take idea and create a prototype and from there develop the MVP. We had worked through process maps on the user journey, however we did not have any design or development skills or experience. Spectre Creative needed to work with us on understanding the vision and finding the solution.

SOLUTION

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

We created a list of potential vendors in Glasgow. It was important to us to work with a local vendor. We met with three to explain the idea, Spectre Creative was the final meeting and the most enthusiastic about the concept. Prior to the meeting, we were impressed with the tone of the company from their website and communications. Their values aligned with our vision for our company. During our initial meeting, they reacted enthusiastically and contributed ideas whilst discussing the vision. They were clear about the arrangement being very much a partnership with open and honest conversations.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

They designed and developed an interactive prototype using Adobe XD. The main deliverable here was to create and handover a document with every page of the design of the project along with an explanation of the page, the elements it contains and its function within your application. Full wireframes agreed prior to commencement of MVP. Project specification written with proposed timeline. Work completed in sprints with bi-weekly reviews. The MVP was built in: PHP Laravel Framework - back-end: business logic React JS Framework - front-end: UI what the users see Linode - Server where the application lives managed via Cloudways Further recent development to transition to Progressive Web App.

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

1. Project manager/UI Designer/Frontend developer
2. Graphic designer
3. Backend developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

This was a new project and so the main outcome is that we have a fully developed product, built to specification. There are currently 183 users and 65 listings added to the platform.

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

Project management style has been professional, transparent and collaborative. It has been a real pleasure and we have an excellent working relationship. We communicated regularly with sprint review meetings, either face to face or via Google meet bi-weekly with lots of ad hoc communications in between these. JIRA is used to track requests with access and updates provided. Spectre provided full access to a shared folder with all documents

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

The enthusiasm for the project and the ideas contributed. It's a real partnership with Spectre being fully invested in the output.

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

There is nothing I can suggest t the moment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work at a research centre based within a prestigious UK university. Our centre focuses on research, teaching and consultancy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Spectre Creative, and what were your goals?

We hired the Spectre team for the design of a website for our research centre.

SOLUTION

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

We contacted Spectre upon recommendation and, after an initial meeting, decided to work with them based on their past projects, approachability and design skills.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The work started with a kick-off meeting with our team to discuss the nature of our work and our needs from a website. Based on this, Spectre delivered mock-ups and wireframes for our site, which then turned into a brand-new WordPress site. Since the launch of the website, we have continued to work with Spectre for adding new features and updating the website functions to meet our evolving website needs, as well as commissioning Spectre for the design of two other websites connected to our projects.

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

We have been working with Spectre for over two years and worked with the two directors of the company during this time. There was also a developer and designers involved in the work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

This was the first website of our newly established centre and it has been essential for our outreach and generated substantial traffic. The traffic to the website has also helped us increase our social media presence, with our followers tripling on Twitter since the launch of the website.

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

We have communicated with the directors by video calls, emails, meetings and through a shared Google doc. Communication was always clear and swift.

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

This was our first website development experience and Spectre took the time to talk us through each and every step. They have been creative, approachable, and quick to fix any issues.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a freelance graphic designer and photographer, mainly working in France and with clients in London and Scotland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Spectre Creative?

I needed their team to implement development and design solutions that would improve my client's existing website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I was tasked with improving the civil engineering website of one of my clients from the marketing and publication industry. I made a rough UI design in Sketch and Adobe XD, and Spectre Creative's team did the entirety of the website development. The platform itself was already outdated and was still powered by Flash, so it was really in need of modern updates. Spectre Creative also created a private and highly encrypted cloud-based document system for civil engineers.

Additionally, they created a frame version of the WordPress website upon its completion, with placeholders for different elements. Later on, Spectre Creative also took on another development project for my client's sister company.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Matthew (Director), Nana (Director), and a developer.

How did you come to work with Spectre Creative?

We were looking for potential companies to onboard for this project and ended up interviewing three shortlisted agencies. Spectre Creative was the only team that actually did background research on the company, its history, and its potential needs. They were impressive from the get-go, and they won the bid in the first five minutes. The price was higher than we expected, but we chose them based on the strength of their first impression.

How much have you invested with them?

I wasn’t in charge of finances, but I believe we spent around £10,000 (approximately $14,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from October 2016–November 2017. I still work with Spectre Creative on a freelance basis and on different projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Spectre Creative was really good at translating my vision and design into reality without compromising the specific aesthetic I wanted. Being a front-end graphic designer myself, I was impressed with the efficient coding and design solutions that they implemented — for instance, they made the animations smaller in size for the website to load faster.

The end product was successfully launched and applauded in that it well represented the brand of the company, and it was also sleek and professional-looking.

How did Spectre Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicated via email and discussed urgent matters via phone calls. Spectre Creative was a responsive and accommodating team — everything was always elaborately relayed to me. Their turnaround time was also impressive. We never encountered glitches or delays that halted any phase of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were receptive to our feedback and ideas, but they weren't afraid to make suggestions that countered those. They always had sensible reasons for negating some of our ideas, and those reasons, coupled with their organized alternatives, contributed to our product's successful completion.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything went well, so I had no complaints.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Make sure that your project requirements are both final and easy to understand. The initial preparation is another integral step in guiding their team towards producing the right solutions for you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Foiunder of Argyll Coffee Roasters

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Speciality coffee roasters supplying wholesale and online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Uncover Commerce to accomplish?

• Provide a better online shopping experience
• Provide an integrated wholesale solution

SOLUTION

How did you find Uncover Commerce?

Online Search

Why did you select Uncover Commerce over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Uncover Commerce were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The main aim of the new website was to make the e-commerce experience for both retail and wholesale customers more user friendly, flexible, targeted and inspiring. This will enable us to implement a digital marketing strategy to attract new retail customers and grow our customer base. The aim is also to streamline our processes, bring all the content together and ensuring that we can fulfil the orders as quickly and seamlessly as possible

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Launch of website Ongoing work to track sales

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

Yes. They provided us with excellent service and were very responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with Uncover Commerce?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Taking time initially to get a deep understanding of the project and what we wanted to achieve.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Activewear

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Spectre Creative, and what were your goals?

To create a e-commerce website and provide marketing services.

SOLUTION

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

Previous work, attitude and an understanding of what we were looking for. They listened to our brief and delivered.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Design a fully functioning e-commerce website comparable with competitors in the field.

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

Multiple people were involved from development of the website to marketing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Yes, the website looks excellent and its functional and easy to navigate.

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

Responsive, listened to what you were saying and always delivered when they said they would.

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

I'm impressed with the attitude and ability to listen to what we were trying to achieve. Good communicators and have detailed, logical responses to questions.

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

No.