Urban Insight

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of an association in the theater industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Insight?

We hired Urban Insight to redo our website. Our existing website was about 12–13 years old, so we desperately needed a new one. This website was problematic in many ways. First of all, it didn't look good, and its design didn't reflect our organization.

Additionally, the website had a lot of security concerns and wasn't accessible. Our staff members weren't able to update it, so we always had to outsource development work if we wanted to change anything. Therefore, we wanted to fix all those problems with a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Urban Insight designed and developed a new WordPress website for us from scratch. This is a very basic informational website. The most challenging technical part of this project has been connecting the website to our association management database, which has all of our members' data in it, to ensure that our members-only section was, in fact, only accessible to registered members.

What is the team composition?

We've worked with four teammates from Urban Insight, who have been present on different conference calls throughout the process. Their team includes a project manager, a design lead, and two technical persons.

How did you come to work with Urban Insight?

We found them online. After doing some research, Urban Insight seemed like a good fit for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around $115,000 on the design and development project. Ongoing maintenance will cost us around $4,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around September 2023, and our engagement is ongoing. The first phase of the project is done, but they'll continue providing ongoing maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Urban Insight has delivered a new website for us, fixing all the issues we were facing. The team has had to figure out how to connect the website to our association management database, but they've done a great job making it happen. Overall, the new website is much better than the one we had before. The other one was embarrassing; our new one isn't.

Unfortunately, our former website didn't have tracking tools in place, so we haven't been able to tell if there has been a difference in traffic volume since launching our new website. Eventually, I'll be able to tell what the main difference has been.

How did Urban Insight perform from a project management standpoint?

The project hasn't been on budget. Throughout the process, we had to change project managers because our original project manager wasn't good. This person was removed from the project, but we ended up paying more than initially agreed upon.

I believe the overage was caused due to poor project management initially. Nonetheless, Urban Insight has worked with us to make up for the issue. For example, they've taken out of our bill some of the hours that were the result of miscommunication and bad project management.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Nick's (Art Director) designs are really good. He has done a good job listening to us to capture the look that we wanted for the new website.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Urban Insight has done a really good job of listening to what we want and providing us with whatever we ask for, even when it's something minor. Other companies don't really listen and don't take their clients' concerns into account. Thus, I appreciate that Urban Insight is very responsive to our needs and concerns.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although I would have preferred to have a great project manager from start to finish, I give Urban Insight credit for realizing that we had a problem halfway through and replacing the project manager with someone better.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I can't provide any particular advice. Ours has been a pretty typical engagement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Head of Digital Marketing of an educational company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

or four decades, we’ve delivered extraordinary results, and we proudly support 2,500+ organizations from K-12 to college to career. Together with our partners, we can solve education’s toughest challenges. Our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger, and we strive to be a trusted partner to everyone we serve, in turn helping thousands of schools and millions of students thrive.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Urban Insight to accomplish?

• Improved user experience
• Lead generation
• Intuitive design

SOLUTION

How did you find Urban Insight?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Urban Insight over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Urban Insight were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

From the ashes of a project mishandled by our original vendor, Urban Insight emerged as the beacon of hope and excellence we desperately needed. Entrusted with the colossal task of launching our massive B2B website, they not only accepted the challenge but soared beyond our highest expectations. From day one, Urban Insight's team demonstrated an unparalleled level of professionalism, expertise, and dedication. 

Their approach to project management is a masterclass in efficiency, with clear communication lines, transparent processes, and a proactive attitude that kept us in the loop at every turn. They seamlessly integrated with our internal teams, understanding our vision and the intricate needs of a B2B platform with finesse and precision. The hiccup with our previous vendor could have been a knockout blow to our project timeline and budget. 

However, Urban Insight's strategic planning and agile methodology turned a potential disaster into a triumph. They meticulously analyzed our existing framework, identified the critical gaps, and implemented solutions that not only rectified past mistakes but significantly enhanced our website's functionality, information architecture, user experience, and performance. 

Their technical acumen is nothing short of remarkable. Urban Insight leveraged the latest technologies and best practices to build a robust, scalable platform that has since become the cornerstone of our digital strategy. The user interface is intuitive, engaging, and tailored to the needs of our B2B audience, facilitating a seamless user journey that has markedly increased our engagement metrics and conversion rates. 

Perhaps most impressively, Urban Insight has shown a genuine commitment to our long-term success. Their ongoing support, strategic advice, and willingness to go the extra mile have cemented them not just as a service provider but as a trusted partner in our continued growth. In summary, Urban Insight has not only delivered a world-class B2B website but has also restored our faith in what a dedicated, skilled, and empathetic digital partner can achieve. 

To anyone looking to embark on a digital project, no matter the scale or complexity, I cannot recommend Urban Insight highly enough. They are in a league of their own – true champions of digital innovation and integrity.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Two months post-launch, the remarkable trajectory of our newly minted B2B website, courtesy of Urban Insight, is a testament to their strategic prowess and technical expertise. Every key metric we've monitored—user engagement, conversion rates, page views, and dwell time—has not just met but exceeded our expectations, showcasing great promise for the future. 

The platform's intuitive design, combined with its robust functionality, has resonated well with our target audience, significantly enhancing user experience and driving business objectives. 

This upward trend is a clear indication of the solid foundation Urban Insight has laid for our digital presence, affirming our decision to entrust them with this critical project. The data speaks volumes, and we're excited to see where this promising trajectory takes our business in the competitive B2B landscape.

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

Urban Insight’s project management prowess stands as a beacon of excellence in the realm of digital projects. Their meticulous approach, characterized by clear timelines, precise milestones, and transparent communication, has set a new standard for efficiency and effectiveness. The team's ability to anticipate challenges, adapt to changes swiftly, and maintain a steady course towards the project's goals has been nothing short of impressive. 

Their commitment to collaboration, using a blend of the latest tools and personalized interactions, ensured that every stakeholder was aligned and informed at every stage of the project. 

This harmonious orchestration of tasks, people, and technology by Urban Insight not only facilitated a smooth project flow but also fostered a sense of trust and confidence that greatly contributed to the project's success. Their project management is not just a service; it's a partnership that elevates the entire project experience.

What was your primary form of communication with Urban Insight?

Virtual Meeting

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

Urban Insight's approach to project management beautifully marries the human element with business acumen, setting a gold standard for how projects should be navigated. Their team embodies a balanced approach, where empathy and understanding are just as critical as strategy and results. 

This duality ensures that while business objectives are rigorously pursued, the process is enriched with genuine care for the team's well-being, open communication, and a commitment to understanding the nuanced needs of their clients. This human-centric philosophy, paired with their unwavering focus on achieving business outcomes, creates a nurturing yet ambitious project environment. 

Urban Insight proves that by valuing people as much as performance, the path to success becomes more collaborative, innovative, and ultimately, more effective. This balanced approach not only leads to impressive results but also fosters lasting relationships built on trust and mutual respect.

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

While Urban Insight's execution on our project was exemplary across the board, one area where additional guidance would have been beneficial is in the realm of design. Given that the foundational design elements were inherited from a previous vendor, the constraints were understandably challenging. Despite these limitations, Urban Insight navigated the situation with professionalism and adaptability. 

However, a deeper dive into design optimization and creative enhancement could have further elevated the final product. This minor area for improvement does not overshadow their remarkable achievements but rather highlights an opportunity for even greater collaboration on design matters in future projects. 

Understanding the complexities of inheriting an existing design, we appreciate Urban Insight's efforts and look forward to exploring how we can together push the boundaries of creativity and functionality in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Communications Manager of a Commercial Design Company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Commercial architecture, interior design, and planning

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Urban Insight to accomplish?

• Redesign our aging website

SOLUTION

How did you find Urban Insight?

Referral

Why did you select Urban Insight over others?

• Great culture fit
• Highest Quality

How many teammates from Urban Insight were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Provide a new, modern look and feel for bwbr.com. 
• Rethink the way projects are navigated and displayed on the site. 
• Prioritize UX and center the needs and perspective of the user. 
• Reorganize the site to better reflect our priorities and be more intuitive. 
• Increase the site’s flexibility and adaptability, while maintaining consistency, for the in-house staff who manage it (without requiring dev support). 
• Minimize or mitigate any SEO and traffic losses resulting from the redesign. 
• Prioritize site speed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Project delivered within budget, design was impactful and effective, project management was handled efficiently, the team were easy to work with and very capable

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

The project was delivered within the timeframe expected, and the team was responsive and communicative. They went above and beyond in many cases to make sure things were done well and we were happy.

What was your primary form of communication with Urban Insight?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We loved our project manager, Molly, and greatly appreciated how much of the redesign, migration, and QA was automated or handled by their team rather than being passed back to us.

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

n/a

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Project Manager, Discover Nikkei of Japanese American National Museum

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Japanese American National Museum (JANM) promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Urban Insight to accomplish?

• Improve usability to increase user engagement and participation
• Develop a strategic content plan, wire frames, and designs for existing outdated project website

SOLUTION

How did you find Urban Insight?

We worked with them before.

Why did you select Urban Insight over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• We liked their previous work with us.

What was the size of Urban Insight’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

Urban Insight provided a new user experience design for the outdated website to improve usability and increase user engagement and participation. We asked them to create overall styles and components that can be used in templates across the site. In the first stage, Urban Insight helped us to conduct a user survey to examine the current site and evaluate what kind of new features would be useful for our users.

They also developed user personas to create a narrative for how our new site is relevant to our target audiences. Based on feedback from our survey and the user personas, the JANM and UI project teams have met weekly to develop a content strategy, wire frames, and design for both desktop and mobile.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Success can be measured by the overall traffic and interaction among users through the new site. Although we haven't launched their new design yet, we already received very good feedback internally.

What was your primary form of communication with Urban Insight?

Virtual Meeting

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

They were very organized and delivered items on time. They quickly addressed the issues that we had and suggested better ideas if we are not sure what we need to do.

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

We are very pleased with a new modern, clean, and sophisticated design. It balances the content and audience needs and interests with creating the best user interface and experience as possible. They definitely understand our goals and needs well so that transfer our vague idea to the design well.

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

I cannot think of any. They are the best web development firm that we have worked with. Their project management was great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Gilcrease Museum (full name is The Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art) collects art, archives, anthropology and library materials that are inter-related to tell the story of North America.

After continually updating and incrementally improving the site with Urban Insight since launch in 2016, we received a government grant for a new project to change the existing software infrastructure completely so we can better serve the Archive community along with our existing communities of art lovers, anthropologists and indigenous peoples.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Insight?

Archive software has an organizing method that is completely different from the existing art museum structure we were using. We wanted to add the more complex Archive techniques as pulled from a new ArchiveSpace database software to become part of an integrated whole for the online user.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Urban Insight was involved from the beginning and we learned about the Archive software and standards together. This migration of data and integration work has not often been done before, so there are few existing models. Urban Insight was open to this exploration and adventure! This was planned to be Phase I of integrating these diverse items. The end result is excellent!

What is the team composition?

The Urban Insight team is comprised of high quality engineers, excellent problem-solvers and helpful project managers. They did an amazing job!

What is the status of this engagement?

This phase of work outlined in our project is complete and we will gradually improve the surrounding tools, such as search filtering to accommodate the new complexities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

Our relationship was deepened as we investigated this new software together. Their team was expanded and both UI and the Gilcrease team gained new skills through this challenging project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

UI did an excellent job! We found that the software and data handling was more complex than expected and they kept us updated through every step and challenge. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Enlist the help of Urban Insight as soon as you begin to outline the project so that you can work together on the definition of work and risk assessment.  Find any possible models and talk over use cases. Determine priorities for the features in case the work needs to be divided into phases. We took this approach and it worked very well!

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on October 23, 2018

Diana Folsom

Director of Digital Collections, Gilcrease Museum

Nonprofit

1-10 Employees

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Confidential

Oct 2015 - Ongoing

Project summary

Urban Insight developed a database-driven Drupal site for a museum’s online collection. Apache Solar search functionality allows users to peruse the whole collection in one place.

Feedback summary

The site is best known among a community of scholars, but receives positive feedback from users. Urban Insight brings strong project management to the partnership, and their communication and availability to answer questions and resolve issues is seamless.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the Director of Digital Collections at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa Oklahoma. We are managed by the University of Tulsa, though the collection and our building are owned by the city.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Insight?

We wanted to build a database-driven website from scratch that would allow us to share all the information about our collections. We were at the very beginning of cataloging, imaging, and adding deeper layers of information to make our rich collection available online to people around the world.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The site is built on Drupal, with an Apache Solar search function. They worked with us to develop the site, which is filled with all kinds of complex and interrelated data. We wanted to make sure that all the materials could be searchable and accessible from one search box.

They went through the discovery phase with us and guided us through the whole process. With our audience in mind, they helped develop user profiles and scenarios. They also developed wireframes and helped us find and interview third-party designers.

What is the team composition?

The president of the company started us out in the project by walking us through the discovery and audience profiles, before handing us over to a project manager. We worked with him on daily tasks and occasionally had contact with higher-level programmers and engineers, as needed. All told, we worked with a team of four to five people.

How did you come to work with Urban Insight?

I worked with them at the last museum I worked for. I was familiar with their working methods, and I knew they understood the complexities of a project like this. I liked their objective, orderly, thoughtful way of working and decided to contract them again.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started work on this project in October 2015. The site has launched, but is never really finished. We continue to add new content and improve features. We now have 25,763 items online. We’ve received grants to expand some of the software features and functionality, including a distance cataloguing interface to engage experts around the world.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We get a lot of very positive feedback. One of the most meaningful comments was from a colleague in Washington D.C. Even though we’re a small regional museum that’s only well-known among scholars, this particular colleague reviewed our site and felt it was among the best in the country.

How did Urban Insight perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent project managers. They’re level-headed and have strong software development skills that differentiate them from their competitors. I’ve worked with other developers who were very creative, but none were as organized as Urban Insight. We have a very small staff, so we appreciate their strong management style which helps make sure the project stays focused and meets deadlines. They were available through Basecamp and always kept an eye out for questions or issues that arose.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The clarity of their communication is great. We have weekly or twice-monthly meetings, and they’re consistently good at managing the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything they could change, most of the issues are on our side. I always look for ways to make the site more robust, but it’s not always possible to do all of it at once. We’re phasing things in gradually, but none of that is their fault. They’re very clear about how much time each phase will take. We are able to stay within budget and make steady progress toward improvements in features and functions.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You can be very open with them about what you want to execute or develop. They will tell you if they have experience in those areas. If they don’t, they will rapidly learn skills to help your project. Let them help you manage what you want to do.

Star Ratings

Overall rating: 5 They’re great to work with.

Quality: 5

Cost: 5

Schedule: 5

Willing to refer: 5

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the website coordinator, grant writer, and researcher for Kansas Legal Services. We serve about 20,000 people a year across the state and have more than 100,000 people using our website. We offer free online forums and legal forms that people can use as self-represented litigants.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Insight?

We’d had our website on Drupal for 10 years. We needed to upgrade it to Drupal 9 along with 30 other legal aid websites.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Urban Insight has upgraded our website to Drupal 9; they’ve thrown out the whole previous platform and started with the new version. Our top priority is ensuring it’s mobile-friendly because 60%–70% of our users look at it on their phones. We also have about 400 pages on the site, which include legal education and information that might interest people in poverty in Kansas.

We use WriteCleary to simplify our writing and make it more accessible. We try to keep everything at a seventh-grade or below reading level. Additionally, we have ReadClearly because people usually don’t understand legal words. This program will show a squiggly red line under, and people can check what the word means.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Molly (Digital Project Manager). In the beginning, we worked with Chris (Founder & Senior Advisor); he’s now in a consulting position. We’ve also worked with Josh (CEO) and Mark (CTO).

How did you come to work with Urban Insight?

When I took over in 2003, I knew nothing about websites, so I got into a group of legal aid sites to learn as much as possible. We were on a challenging platform, so we decided to find an easier one. In the late 2010s, we put out a bid and talked to five different companies. We ultimately decided to go with Urban Insight because other legal aid websites had done projects with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $275,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve had a couple of projects with them, but we started this one in January 2021. We still have a couple more websites to upgrade, so our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since it’s a grant-funded project, we have rigorous reporting and evaluation standards. We have a feedback mechanism on most pages and Google Analytics to see which ones get the most traffic so we can ensure they’re up to date.

Although the site isn’t that different than the previous Drupal website, there are more features, and it’s easier to use for adding content. Urban Insight has provided training for our team, and we haven’t gotten any complaints. Our teammates already had experience with the platform, but they’ve been very thorough in their explanations. Everyone has been thrilled because we’d been waiting for this upgrade for a long time. We’re glad because now it’ll be easier to update, and we won’t have to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Moreover, we’ve evaluated Urban Insight every step of the way and worked intensively with them. They listen to what we want and try their best to do it. They’ve been great to work with, and we’re happy with the results so far.

How did Urban Insight perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything’s been perfect. If we have a question, they answer right away. Since we’re all over the country, there are some time challenges, but they’ve been able to communicate effectively and deliver on time. We have no complaints about getting in touch; it’s been an excellent experience.

We use Basecamp for project management, and it’s been really effective. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication is outstanding. Before Urban Insight, we were still learning how to manage the site, so we often felt helpless. We worked with companies that weren’t timely or communicative, so many things went over our heads.

Meanwhile, Urban Insight is respectful. Their team doesn’t make us feel like we lack technical knowledge, and they don’t dumb stuff down. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re as good as they could be. In fact, they’ve exceeded our expectations most of the time. We’re pretty demanding, so we’ve had freak-out moments when something isn’t coming together as expected. We probably sound hysterical when we email them asking what’s happening, but they’re very patient. They get back to us immediately and explain the technology behind it so we can calm down.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the editorial creative director of a multimedia novel publishing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Insight?

We needed a CMS solution or something we could manage that consolidated all of our sites into one author website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Urban Insight designed and developed our WordPress website from scratch. We needed a gallery functionality above standard, with zoom-in and moving-around features to look closely at paintings, and they were able to do it.

Currently, we’re using their WP Engine account for hosting.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked regularly with Tom (Technical Project Manager) as the project manager and José (Creative Director) as the designer. As I understand, two coders and some principals have been on calls, including Mark (CTO).

How did you come to work with Urban Insight?

We chose them because they’d done beautiful work for The Broad and LACMA in Los Angeles.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $200,000–$1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2021, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our founder is happy with their work.

How did Urban Insight perform from a project management standpoint?

They use something, but we’re not that corporate. We’ve used Zoom, emails, phone calls, and Google Docs for management, and it has been fine.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve delivered on everything. Moreover, they’re able to draw on resources in a pinch. In the past, we’ve used many houses that couldn’t draw on resources like that. With them, we always have that cushion.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could’ve provided more design hours. The designer was on the clock, so we ran out of time before finishing all the pages. It came down to the project manager and us to figure out the design for the rest of the site with the template.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a government administrative agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Insight?

Our county approved a new general plan, and we wanted to create a website for that. We were looking for something interactive and easy to use for the public and county employees.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Urban Insight did web design and development for us using WordPress; they created the site starting from a product they did on previous jurisdictions in California, but with enhanced look and feel.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working mainly with one person from their team, who is our project manager.

How did you come to work with Urban Insight?

We had references for their previous work.

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

So far, we’ve spent $100,000–$200,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received positive feedback on the site from people who’d use the platform and our staff.

How did Urban Insight perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been prompt, and every time there’s a meeting, they keep us updated with the process — communication is great. Regarding contact tools, we use Basecamp, Zoom, weekly meetings, and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our work is unique, and there aren’t many agencies with the capabilities we’re looking for. Still, Urban Insight has the experience in creating what we wanted, making them stand out from their competitors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had an initial issue with invoicing — it didn’t coincide with the tasks we identified in the initial scope. We raised that with them, and they modified the billing to resolve that situation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as clear as you can with them; tell them your needs and what you’re looking for — they have the technical know-how and creativity to put it together.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief marketing officer of a hiring company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Insight?

We were looking for a web development partner who could help maintain our website and add functionality to it over time.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially hired Urban Insight to help maintain and expand the functionality of our WordPress site, which was built and launched in 2020. That was our first time having a WordPress site, and we didn’t have any in-house developers at that time.

More recently, and as part of our ongoing relationship with Urban Insight, we engaged Urban Insight again to help us rebuild the same website on headless architecture. We recognized that the site was not performing well in terms of its speed. We’re also heavily focused on driving leads through SEO and, given some of the changes in Google's algorithm, it was important for us to have a website that was very performant. So, Urban Insight helped us rebuild and re-platform that website from WordPress to Gatsby.

Now, Urban Insight is in charge of maintaining our client-facing marketing website. This involves implementing improvements and providing technical support for our website.

What is the team composition?

We primarily interact with Ben (Senior Technical Project Manager), who’s in charge of managing our relationship with Urban Insight. There’s an entire engineering team working on our project as well, but I don’t have direct interaction with them.

How did you come to work with Urban Insight?

I was referred to Urban Insight by someone I trust.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere around $365,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw a significant improvement in our site speed performance. Overall, Urban Insight’s performance has exceeded our expectations.

How did Urban Insight perform from a project management standpoint?

Urban Insight has performed really well in terms of project management. They’re very transparent, and they’re really consistent at providing us updates on how we’re pacing relative to our monthly budget. They also provide accurate estimates upfront in terms of what the scope of their work would be and what we can expect in terms of hours and fees.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m very impressed with Urban Insight’s technical capabilities and acumen. Our CTO, who has been deeply involved with our partnership with Urban Insight, has given them very strong marks in terms of their performance.

I also appreciate their commitment to making us happy. I have no idea how many clients they have, but I do feel like we get special attention. I don’t know whether that's true or not, but it certainly feels that way. They always make an effort to put themselves in our shoes to provide recommendations and insights that make sense for our business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our project manager tends to under-commit and over-deliver. I get why he does it, and it might seem like a good thing, but I would appreciate it if they could find a way to manage our expectations better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to be transparent about what your objectives, timelines, and expectations are. Make sure to give them actionable feedback, provide clear objectives, let them know how you’re going to measure success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing for Motion Recruitment, an IT staffing firm that caters to North America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Insight?

For this engagement, we worked on Tech in Motion, a tech event series targeted towards the large tech community in North America. Tech in Motion’s brand and website were outdated, seeing as we hadn’t touched it since its inception 10 years ago. With the advent of COVID-19, we needed to modernize our brand to reflect how exciting the community actually is and what tech is going to look like in the next 10 years. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We intend to do the website development in-house, so Urban Insight helped us revamp the visual brand of Tech in Motion. We provided them with a lot of information related to our brand persona. We detailed what we wanted to accomplish and participated in a brand workshop with their team. 

Urban Insight then went on to design a new logo for us as well as create full designs for every page of our website. They relayed those wireframes to our development team, who are now in the process of implementing them. 

What is the team composition?

We predominantly worked with Jose (Creative Director), while Sara (Designer) joined in every now. We also interacted a lot with Tom (Technical Project Manager).

How did you come to work with Urban Insight?

I asked for referrals from the marketing executive network that I’m part of. Some of the agencies that I had initial discovery conversations with were out of our budget range, so we ultimately decided to work with Urban Insight. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from August 2021–January 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website isn’t live yet so I don’t have any metrics to share, but we’re really eager and excited to see it up and running next month. The design Urban Insight created is awesome and very modern. It balances and harmonizes the brands of Tech in Motion and Motion Recruitment.

We received amazing feedback from everyone in the company, including our CEO and VP of development. They think the design is very cool and will do a great job of attracting audiences. Overall, Urban Insight achieved the visual modernization that we were looking to do. We will likely be using their services again because we’re pretty satisfied. 

How did Urban Insight perform from a project management standpoint?

It went really well. They used Basecamp and kept everything up to date. They also used another tool where we could edit documents and provide feedback directly online. 

We met weekly to review our progress and all of the deliverables. We just kept moving, so I was very pleased. I’ve worked with other agencies before and have gotten kind of a mixed bag when it comes to project management, but Urban Insight did a really nice job.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I can’t speak highly enough about their creativity. We’re really pleased with what we received. They put a high level of attention to detail, especially with the wireframes, and made sure that we understood what things would look like. They went through every nook and cranny with us.

I also like that, whereas other agencies only allowed a specific number of feedback rounds or charged for extra hours, Urban Insight treated the project as a true partnership. They continuously evolved our brand without ever saying that something is beyond the scope. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. We really enjoyed working with them. The timeline went a little further than anticipated, but that was more due to our side since we had a huge workload. Urban Insight was a very flexible and understanding partner throughout. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be an active participant in the branding process. What’s great about Urban Insight is that they can work with you to evolve your brand such that you don’t have to stick with one design option but can actually request a way to blend your choices together. Don’t be afraid to speak up and push boundaries because they’ll be sure to deliver on it.