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Top-Rated American Software and UX Design

5.0
12 reviews

Waker is a top-rated user-experience and software development company based in the United States. We have invested years into empowering growing startups, global Fortune 500 companies, and local businesses to deliver innovative solutions. Our clients consistently trust us to focus and strategize digital products that their users will love.

 
$10,000+
 
$150 - $199 / hr
 
10 - 49
 Founded
2015
Show all +
Columbus, OH
headquarters
  • 243 N. 5th Street
    Columbus, OH 43215
    United States
    6143446785
other locations
  • 198 Airport Road
    New Castle, DE 19720
    United States
    6505644594
  • 75 5th St NW
    Atlanta, GA 30308
    United States
    6143446785

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5.0
12 reviews
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Social Networking App for Basketball Media Company

“Their dedication and belief in the project incentivized them to think outside the box and make helpful suggestions.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Dec. 2016 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Waker (formerly Ghost Lab) developed a social networking app for iOS and Android using React Native and various integrations. They established UI/UX and delivered the project ahead of an important sports season.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Los Angeles, California
Corey Cooper
CEO, CourtCred
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The finished product is attractive and easy to use. Waker (formerly Ghost Lab) researched the market and made important suggestions to include a wider user base. They were interested in the app’s success, and added important functionality to track users and troubleshoot problem areas.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a media company. We created a social networking app to help high school basketball players connect with college coaches and scouts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ghost Lab?

We worked with them to develop the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the product using the React Native dev kit, because we wanted one source code for both iOS and Android platforms. I’m a software developer by trade, so I understood React and had an easy time supporting the framework. I also like how popular React is, and knew it would be easy to add features and functionality that fell outside of the scope of our contract. It allowed me to build a product that I could troubleshoot and add features to without having to depend on an outside vendor after we deployed the beta version. Other integrated components included Branch as a linking tool, Firebase for analytics, and Sentry as a tracking platform.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people from their company. One provided UI/UX expertise, and the other developed the product and integrated various products we wanted.

How did you come to work with Ghost Lab?

A member of a meetup group for startups I belong to was doing very well, so I asked him about his development team. He immediately recommended Ghost Lab. Based on their strategy and how polished their products looked, I was convinced that they would be a good team to work with.

I interviewed their UI/UX expert, who also acted as the project manager for this project. He showed me samples of their previous work and gave a good impression of their abilities. They were honest and made me feel comfortable during the interview process, so I decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $26,000 for this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

They started working with us around December 2016. The bulk of the work was completed in September 2018, but we recently added more features to the product. We're about to go to market now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They designed a beautiful product that was simple and easy to use. We get real-time notifications whenever users receive error codes, and it is much easier to track users and troubleshoot areas that need additional features or functionality. They put us in the driver’s seat and helped us get the product to market quickly.

The biggest impact was delivering the product with enough time to beta test it before the spring and summer basketball season in 2019. Ironically, the summer season is more important than the regular high school basketball season, so their delivery and timing was critical to our success.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really understood us and our marketplace. They did a lot of research before beginning this project, liked what we were doing, and saw the problems we were trying to solve. Their dedication and belief in the project incentivized them to think outside the box and make helpful suggestions. For instance, we wanted a Facebook authentication process, but they pointed out that might exclude some customers who don’t use Facebook. Instead, we used a cell phone authentication process that could reach more users. The beauty of this collaboration was their belief in us and their interest in our success.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re a small shop, and sometimes issues arose as customer demands increased. As they grow and their customer base expands, they’ll hire more resources to handle requests more effectively.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear idea of your vision, and provide them with user stories and the flow to make the process easier. I built a user story document, a flowchart diagram, and sample screens before we started the project, which made it much easier to get off the ground.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

UX/UI & Custom Software Dev for SaaS Software Company

“I haven’t had any issues with their technical capabilities ... They’ve done an outstanding job.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Confidential
 
2017 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Waker (formerly Ghost Lab) provided software development services for an Instagram marketing company. They developed several tools for brand promotion, including one with an integrated customer relationship management system.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Austin, Texas
Ramon Berrios
CEO, Prime Rank
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The team handled the complex development projects effectively and are technically capable, effectively leveraging their in-house development team. They managed the projects very well at all times, maintained smooth communication, and met all the requirements. 

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Prime Rank builds SaaS [software as a service] products for Instagram marketing. Our biggest one is Socially Rich, which is ranked number one on Google for Instagram marketing service. We served around 5,000 clients in that space. From there, we’ve been able to find and meet people trying to market through Instagram.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ghost Lab?

We needed help with software development. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve been part of every tool in service we developed since our first. One of the tools is called Quotent.co. It’s going through a rebrand right now, to the name Betterpost. That tool has a database of quotes so it helps people generate content for Instagram in a much faster and scalable way. 

We also built one called Primerank.co, which has a much more complex algorithm. It’s like a Google for Instagram to help companies find the perfect influencers to promote their brand, product launch, or marketing campaign. Not only can you search for the perfect influencer for your campaign, but it also has CRM [customer relationship management] built within it. It facilitates the process of onboarding an influencer into your campaign. 

What is the team composition? 

I hire them to manage my products. I’m a marketer and CEO and don’t work too closely with developers. I tell them exactly what I want building. 

I work with one designer and one developer. Once in a while, we need someone in data entry to join the project. I talk with Nafis [Founder, Ghost Lab] most of the time. I barely have to interact with a developer because he facilitates the communication with the developer. I hire them to manage my products. I’m a marketer and CEO and don’t work too closely with developers.

How did you come to work with Ghost Lab?

They were a referral from a friend so I decided to meet with him. After interviewing a bunch of companies and independent developers, I decided to go with them. I was going to bring a team in-house, but after I had my first experience working with Nafis, the designer of Ghost Lab, I found that he could find talent that exceeded my expectations. He’s great at managing them. We decided to continue working with them. The onboarding process is also quite professional, which is also one of the reasons I chose them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in summer 2017 and the work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My projects are quite complex. I haven’t had any issues with their technical capabilities. They meet the requirements. 

How did Ghost Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

For me, to manage developers is kind of hard because you need to understand a lot about the project. I use them to manage the project and communicate with the developers. It takes the stress away from me. It removes friction between me and the developer and makes the whole project run flawlessly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provided me an overqualified developer for the project just to make sure it can be done. The Quotent project, I had gone through two developers before using Ghost Lab. None of them could make it happen. It’s a super simple tool, but it was quite complex. They’ve done an outstanding job. The person that did the development for it was a very qualified person. Ghost Lab chooses a developer they know they’re not going to go wrong with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have no complaints. I never had a problem where we had to switch the developer during the project. With other companies, it has happened and cost me a lot of money.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very realistic with the timeline the project is going to take. Be realistic in the sense of trying to calculate unforeseen problems that will occur perhaps. Also, consider the testing and optimization of the project after the app or software is done. A tool or service can be done in a month, but with testing and optimizing it could be delayed up to 4–6 months. Don’t be in a rush to find a developer. 

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Development Partnership for UI/UX Agency

“Appify’s projects are some of the most stable, fast-performing, and reliable ones that I’ve ever shipped out.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Aug. 2017 - Jan. 2018
Project summary: 

Waker (formerly Appify) augments in-house dev capabilities, offering more technical expertise. Active collaboration and project management were core project components. Maintenance and minor updates are current priorities.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Columbus, Ohio
CEO, UI/UX Agency
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Responsiveness and flexibility made Waker (formerly Appify) an effective partner. They create fantastic code and aren’t afraid to provide candid feedback. Their excellence has led to a potential exclusive dev partnership.  

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of a UI/UX design agency. We mostly work with startups to design out their product, apps, and web experiences. We do some frontend development, but we’re always in need of extremely talented and intelligent developers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appify?

We wanted to find a partner with a development agency to augment our company's capabilities on a long-term basis.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project was for a marketing website that needed a robust frontend web app design and a lot of functionality in the backend. Philip [CEO, Appify] and I worked on the estimation process together, and he was more than willing to take a lot of time to outline nuanced and focused technical questions for the client.

 After that, I did the design work, and Philip reviewed it to make sure everything was technically capable and able to be built, which was incredibly helpful and efficient. We gave the design, specs, and UI guidelines to Appify, and they built out portions of the app in a milestone basis, giving us transparency of cost and the ability to check on updates.

I was essentially responsible for project management, even after the design phase was finished, and Philip was both the developer and assistant project management. Appify developed the rest of the application and built out a robust framework with requirements and features. We recently finished the product and shipped it to our client.

What is the team composition?

Philip’s my main point of contact, but I’ve interacted with his developers lately. There’s always been at least four people on our project.

How did you come to work with Appify?

He was recommended to me by a mutual friend. I’d looked at other development partners, and I wanted to keep a wide scope, but I worked with Philip on two smaller projects, and the experiences were so positive that I’m considering making Appify our sole dev partner. Right now, we have an informal partnership where I work on his design projects and he works on my dev projects.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little bit over $65,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project initiated last August and was completed this month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product owner is just sitting on it now; he hasn't released it to the public, be he’s extremely happy with it. There's no critical debugging, just small stuff to make sure everything's working great and performing right on every browser. The app is exactly what I wanted, if not better.

How did Appify perform from a project management standpoint?

Philip and I probably talked about twice a week to update one another on the project and maybe brainstorm solutions for any design or technical problems. We had a great collaboration flow, and I trusted him to handle his team just as he trusted me to handle mine.

Deadlines were met either before or within the timeline, and he always stayed in budget. If I sent Philip an email, I knew he would reply within 24 hours, even if he was traveling. He always made communication an efficient process and was reliable and consistent with project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our client had had some bad experiences with developers in the past, so he had a lot of questions, and other developers might not have been as talkative or personable as Philip was. He handled the business conversations well, was informative, and put the client at ease.

Not only was he able to communicate well, but he consistently provided feedback and constructive collaboration that ultimately led to a better product. Appify’s projects are some of the most stable, fast-performing, and reliable ones that I’ve ever shipped out. I've never had a dev team provide such excellent code. Everything he built is extremely snappy and responsive, and its identical to the mockups with focused additions that made it more technically responsive. He delivers on his promises, and the products look and feel exactly as they need to.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Whatever you need, Appify will be able to get it done. They don’t just do or build what you say, but they provide candid feedback that helps you build the best product possible. Philip will never tell you what to do, but he will give you insight to make the right decision.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    Everything was delivered within or before timelines.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They won't be cheaper than offshore dev, but they're competitive with onshore dev, and their quality is unbeatable.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    The app performed right, it worked right, and everything was great.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I've referred them many times.

UX Design & Strategy for B2B Transportation Tech App

“[T]hey always help the client determine the vision of the overall goal.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Feb. 2016 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Waker (formerly Ghost Lab) provided user experience and user interface support to a targeted marketing platform. They worked on the designs and frameworks of an iOS app and web platform, using Sketch, AngularJS, and JavaScript.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Atlanta, Georgia
Sneh Parmar
CEO, Parka Solutions
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Currently in its pilot phase, the project went through several iterations which involved their careful support on designs and strategy. Those who saw the platform praised its look and feel, particularly the user interface. They are dedicated partners who focus on the long-term aims of the project.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO and founder of Parka Solutions. We have developed a location-based marketing platform focused on the transportation industry. If someone is traveling on public transport or taking an Uber or Lyft to a certain location, brands are able to target specific ads, discounts, and awards in order to incentivize someone to go to their physical stores.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ghost Lab?

We needed help with our user interface and user experience [UI and UX], and we were trying to figure out the best approach on how to position the product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

The majority of the work we did with them was focused on UX. They helped us with the UX of the app itself which is a B2B focused platform. Currently, it is going to be an iOS app and mostly a web platform for the brands. A lot of the design and initial frameworks were also done by them. Since then, they have moved on to helping us a little bit more with product strategy and focus.

For the web platform, they used Sketch, AngularJS, and JavaScript. Their team has been able to help us in terms of the little things such as the type of development resources to use, and how to best go about it.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a few people on their team, who were specifically focused on UX and design work. One of the designers we worked with helped us create the initial application and framework, and then we moved on to work with a user experience designer to focus on more of the positioning of materials and designs.

How did you come to work with Ghost Lab?

I found them through a friend of mine. We reached out to them and have had a great relationship since. At the time, we had looked at 3–5 other design companies to bring on board. We liked their attention to detail as well as their aptitude of working with the founders of a company to help figure out the best way to create the product.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February of 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had gone through a couple of different pivots and iterations while we have been working together. For the iteration that we have currently and launched with for a pilot phase, we have been working on for the last 6 months.

The team was extremely helpful and meticulous on our designs, UX, and helping us on our strategy side. When we have shown the platform to other people, they have really liked the design, and really liked the UI and experience of how they can work with the platform. It has been great so far.

How did Ghost Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

We discuss what the current priority of each task is. Based on that, myself and their team decide what a sufficient date would be for that deadline. They always hit any deadline we decide upon.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the best things about them is that they have been prodding us with continuous revisions and support. They are always vision focused. Whenever they work with a new client, they always help the client determine the vision of the overall goal. As a client, they help them think long-term in terms of where the product wants to be. They help design in a way that is ready to scale.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve been a full agency for us and done a lot of the work. In terms of improvement, some of the areas where they could improve is to get a bit more technical support on their team, such as engineers, so that they could help more on the technical side as well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The most important thing when looking for an agency to work with is whoever you talk to on that team is going to be a main point of contact. Make sure their vision aligns with yours, that they understand your product completely, and that for them it is not just a project where it is going to last a couple of months and is more of a longer-term goal for them as well. If you feel they are invested in it, then you know they are a good fit.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Web & Mobile App Design for Software Dev Integration Agency

“Ghost Lab has been invaluable as they allow us to focus on what we’re good at.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
2016 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Waker (formerly Ghost Lab) works innovators through the discovery process by scoping projects’ wireframes and functionalities and creating designs. They developed multiple projects including a web application and a mobile app.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
New Castle, Deleware
Founder, Software Dev Agency
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Waker (formerly Ghost Lab) is a strong partner, trusted as though they were employees. They excel at listening to ideas and having productive conversations in layman’s terms to develop them into manageable projects. They impress with their efficiency in delivering high-quality work long before deadlines.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of a software development agency. I oversee day-to-day activities and do some development as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ghost Lab?

We were looking for a good American design firm that we could rely on for a specific project and use consistently in the future. We had been burned by some overseas designers in the past, and we were looking for someone that would be both reliable and on the same wavelength. We wanted to be able to give them some ideas that they could run with.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have used them for a few projects. One was a social media influencer project for a web app. We had a client that wanted to create a discovery platform where brands push their products and find people in their space that can do some paid advertising on their behalf. The problem was finding people to do this, especially in specific locations and demographics. We ran through the idea with Ghost Lab to figure out what the MVP was. They usually handle the sifting through a hatchling of an idea with the client and figure out how to turn it into a product, which they are really good at doing.

From there, once decisions have been made on the functionality and what the wireframes will look like, they do the designs and the narration process of what the client wants. We also work with Nafis Azad [Founder and CEO, Ghost Lab] and team during this whole process so that we know there are no red flags with the tech details or to keep the scope from blowing up if the client starts asking for additional features, etc. We have a close relationship between our companies as it is to our mutual benefit that we are on the same page and understand what each other is doing. Nafis is usually involved with the first 35%–50% of projects in scoping them out, designing them, and working with the client, and then he hands it off to my company.

More recently, we have used them to work on an education mobile app, which connects students with study sessions at their university. We used Ghost Lab to scope out that project and work on the wireframes until we had a complete design. They owned the entire process because they are located very close to that client, which was beneficial.

We have more projects in the pipeline for both mobile and web apps. We use them for anything design related and where it is possible to scope projects out to them. Clients come to us with crazy ideas with no clue how to put it into an app or what things to trim; Ghost Lab has been invaluable as they allow us to focus on what we’re good at.

What is the team composition?

One of our developers works with one of their designers every once in a while, but primarily I work with Nafis. It is easier to let him own a big part of the client relationship because he always gets results and he is trustworthy. We generally don’t deal with each other’s employees.

How did you come to work with Ghost Lab?

We found them through one of my clients who have an education company. They worked with Nafis in the past, and they introduced us.

How much have you invested in them?

We spend around $60,000 for a project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The relationship started in 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

He gets the projects done quickly compared to other people I have worked with. I usually allocate two to three months for the design phase and usually receive things back within six weeks, which has been really nice.

I have always been very happy with them. I was at a point where I was getting increasingly frustrated with designers and contractors I had worked with, but Ghost Lab has alleviated all of my pain points. They have become an asset because I can hand the client to them and they have the ability to scope out the project. I let them talk to the client as if they were my own employees, and I don’t have to worry about it. The work they produce is great, and I have never had anyone complain. I’ll be redesigning my website this year, and I am going to have them do it. I am honestly very happy with their work.

How did Ghost Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

We have never had any issues. If anything, their timeliness is one of their strongest suits. That is pretty rare in this business.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Communication skills are also one of their strengths. Normally, I wouldn’t trust someone talking to the client on our behalf. I was very impressed with Nafis in my initial interactions with him and the way he speaks and presents himself. This is something that you don’t always find in tech-focused companies. He is fully able to break things down such as tech jargon to non-technical clients in a way that not everyone is able to do. I have been on various calls with prospective clients with him, and it is a relief to a client to be able to work with someone who understands the perspective that the client is coming from.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. When we first started working with them, they weren’t fully aware of our technical capabilities or our product offerings, which was a growing experience, but not a complaint.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They are affordable especially because they are a smaller company.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

UI/UX Redesign for Social Sharing App

"They are very interested in maximizing your results and ensuring your product’s success."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Nov. - Nov. 2016
Project summary: 

Waker (formerly Ghost Lab) handled UI/UX design for a mobile social sharing app. They worked on an aggressive deadline to create a prototype for investors. 

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Madison, Wisconsin
Dave Sentenn
Former Consulting CMO, Chitter
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Every design created by Waker (formerly Ghost Lab) impressed investors with its sophisticated appearance and fluid user experience. Their lead designer was an exceptionally valuable partner. He offered insightful feedback, communicated promptly about any issues, and delivered outstanding, effective results.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I currently the chief marketing officer of a company called Cashflow Diary, a real estate education company. We train people in real estate investment and entrepreneurship. I handle all company marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ghost Lab?

As a CMO, I consult with startups during early development, after they've been funded and are looking to develop traction and establish growth channels. At the time, I was a helping a company called Chitter improve the UX/UI design of their app.

That's when I was introduced to Nafis at Ghost Lab, who handled the entire UX/UI redesign. He's been consulting with us for a future project, but I brought him into the conversation because of the work we had done at Chitter.

Chitter was a social sharing app that helped users find deals in their area. Restaurants could set up promotions that rewarded you with an in-app $2 discount for taking photos of your meal and sharing it to your social network. It never went public. We were rebranding it and redesigning the app, but the CEO started to develop something new, and so everything ended. I was later named co-founder of Chitter.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed an interface to serve as a professional, deliberate structure for all the new processes and user experience elements that we planned to implement. We asked: what’s going to happen from start to finish? How are users going to locate the deals? What type of deals will be offered, and what will what the deliverability look like? If somebody wants to redeem a deal, how will that screen look? What's the user flow? That's where Nafis and Ghost Lab came in.

I had a relationship with the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, which was willing to serve as our guinea pig. I had an opportunity to present to the entire chamber. Because the meeting came out of nowhere, we were under pressure to design the app quickly. A UX/UI design project that should have taken 1-2 months needed to be completed in about 9 days so that we had something to present. It didn’t need to be perfect or functional, just ready for a showcase.

What is the team dynamic?

Nafis, co-founder and owner of Ghost Lab, was our main point of contact and primary designer.

How did you come to work with Ghost Lab?

They were brought in by the CEO of Chitter before I joined them as a consultant.

How much have you invested with them?

Nafis was involved in a startup agreement that offered shares in the company.However, based on what I know needed to be built, it must have cost around $25,000—$35,000 just to plan the UX and design, excluding development costs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them for a month back in November 2016. I took over Cashflow Diary in January, and I was still working with Chitter up until that point.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The design was very well received in the presentation with the chamber. Normally, the back and forth process with designers involves a lot of “That's great, but the white space is bad” or “This doesn’t look good.” But what Nafis came back with was insane. It was not only gorgeous, but it also offered a fantastic user experience. I was very impressed.

Nafis only gave it one quick pass, but he built a product that was ten times better than anything that the CEO had created before I came on board. His notable talent is the reason why I keep going back to them. I have a design background, and he did everything I would have done. It was fantastic.

How did Ghost Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

We have never had any issues with deadlines or communication. They're extremely responsive. We didn’t communicate for several months because the project was hung up by the CEO. I reached out to Nafis via text message for a Cashflow Diary issue, and he was available to schedule a call promptly. We didn't need to reschedule; he's extremely receptive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication impressed me the most. Nafis is a professional communicator with an agency mindset. Again, that's not something fly-by-night: it comes with time and experience. They are very interested in maximizing your results and ensuring your product’s success.

Nafis brings a lot to the table. He's not looking for anybody to tell him what to do. He’s a very talented designer who comes prepared with his own ideas and experience. He will agree with your ideas if there's something to be agreed with, but he doesn't bite his tongue if feedback is necessary. He tells you what he would do. He's knowledgeable, but more importantly, he's very talented. That's not something you can teach.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing there for me; it was a quality experience.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Web Redesign for Medical Equipment Company

“Their work ethic was very impressive, and really stood out to us.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Aug. - Oct. 2017
Project summary: 

Waker (formerly Ghost Lab) revamped an existing site to align with a shift from B2B focus to a more sales-oriented, B2C strategy. They used Webflow and custom coding to integrate Shopify and create a unique user experience.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Atlanta, Georgia
Partha Unnava
CEO, BW Health
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Conversion rates increased significantly following the launch. Fast-paced edits and clear communication yielded in a smooth, visually appealing end product that accurately represented the client’s brand.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of BWHealth. We specialize in medical devices and preventative sports gear.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ghost Lab?

We built our original site internally, and were looking to revamp it and shift from a B2B focus to a more sales-oriented B2C platform. We were prioritizing aesthetics, testimonials, and integration with our Shopify.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took a lead on all aspects of development, and successfully integrated with Shopify. We wanted a minimalist look and feel to accurately reflect our brand identity, and Ghost Lab’s aesthetics are in line with that. The process started as an overview of our current site, and we listed all of the features we wanted to change. They wireframed a new version of the site, which we then approved, made comments, and went through a revision process. Our focus was on achieving customer conversions and creating a unique brand experience within the medical industry. Once we had the layout established and the feature set approved, they started on the full build. There were two additional approval points throughout this buildout that allowed us to make final edits.

The site was built on Webflow, and they provided some custom coding solutions to improve the Shopify integration, the testimonials, and several animations on the site.

What is the team composition?

I just interacted with a project manager, so I’m not sure how many developers they had on the project.

How did you come to work with Ghost Lab?

I had previous known Nafis [Founder & CEO, Ghost Lab] and followed him on social media. I’ve always liked his eye for frontend design, fonts, and general aesthetics, so I reached out when we needed the help.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August of 2017, and we completed the site in October.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching the site, we saw a significant increase in conversion rates. We hadn’t been driving a lot of traffic during the strategic pivot, but the traffic we were already getting started converting immediately. That was very good to see. We also didn’t have to create any more collateral, as the site began to function as an overall “one-pager” for what we do. We were then able to share just our site, which made interactions much easier. Although the site is still relatively new, we haven’t encountered any bugs so far, which is a great sign.

How did Ghost Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. The communication was very effective, and I think that’s the most important part of projects like these.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work ethic was very impressive, and really stood out to us. They reliably turned around edits within a day or two, which meshed very well with our pace of work. I still use them on projects now here and there. When we have anything that requires heavy design and visual elements, they’re the fastest, most reliable option, and the quality of their work is great. They cared about the work that we do, and invested in our success.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, there was nothing negative about the experience.

Advice for potential customers?

You should mesh well with the person you’re working with. If you have good rapport and it feels like a good relationship, it’s going to work.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I've referred them to dozens of people.

UX Design for Mobile Ticketing App

“Our ratings and registered users have gone way up since we redesigned the app.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Oct. 2016 - Feb. 2017
Project summary: 

Waker (formerly Ghost Lab) redesigned and worked on improving the user experience of a ticket selling application for iOS and Android. They focused on the frontend of the application and work on the 25 screens it involved.  

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Columbus, Ohio
Ray Shealy
Chairman, Ticketfire
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

With a rating of 4.7 on the Apple App Store and nearly 70,000 registered users, the app’s redesign was hugely successful and it is now modern, up-to-date, and much easier to use. The Waker (formerly Ghost Lab) team combined their creative flair and technological expertise with dedication and careful preparation.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the chairman of Ticketfire. We sell tickets and have an app used by over 2,000 ticket brokers throughout the world. It takes pictures of hard tickets and turns them into mobile or PDF tickets, which turns physical assets into digital assets. Once they are digital they have a higher value because we can sell them more at the last minute.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ghost Lab?

We needed to update our app. It needed some redesign, and we wanted it to be current, cool, and increase the usability of it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

We had an app for iOS and Android but it needed to be updated as it was a little out of date, which was more complicated than we thought it was going to be. When we first got into it, we thought there were going to be 17 screens, but it ended being 25. They helped us through all of it. The intense part was on the frontend and then we had some other things to work on and tweak.

It allows people to take a picture of their tickets to a concert, sporting event or whatever it may be, and post them. We create a link on someone’s Facebook page where the tickets can be sold to a friend.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people who did amazing work and turned it around really quickly. They exceeded our expectations in all ways.

How did you come to work with Ghost Lab?

I’m quite involved in the tech community in Columbus and I believe Ghost Lab had done some work for another company is in one of the incubators I am with. I asked around doing some design work and someone had referred them to us.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from October 2016 through to February 2017. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It has been great and the app is current. We’re rated 4.7 in the iOS store. We’re just about ready to start marketing it and have over 68,000 registered users of our app now, which keeps growing weekly. The facts speak for themselves. Our ratings and registered users have gone way up since we redesigned the app.

How did Ghost Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

They were always ready for our weekly meetings and would come back with the promised deliverables. Often on projects like this, the company wants to go faster than the consultants can go. In this particular case, we weren’t always ready and they helped to push us. This made us make a lot of decisions—redesigning the app meant there were a lot of implications and edge cases that we hadn’t thought about, which they forced us to so that it would flow and create a good user experience. I thought they were very responsive and we had no issues whatsoever on deliverables or timeliness. They were great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very focused on getting it right and on giving us great service. The results speak for themselves as we have a great product, which is highly rated. They played a big part in helping us get there.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. I know they are growing and I think they need to keep up with doing what they are doing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You want to have someone that is experienced as well as current. You can find someone that is current, but might not be experienced in how to lay out things properly, and you can find someone that is experienced that might not be hip enough to know what the latest and greatest is. Ghost Lab has both of those aspects nailed, which was a big benefit for us.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I have already recommended them.

App Dev for Social Network

"Appify contributed to our project in a meaningful way."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Mar. 2017 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Waker (formerly Appify) assists with the development of a flagship social collaboration platform, building on an existing codebase and adding features like a customizable dashboard and file transfer capabilities. 

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Cambridge, Massachussetts
COO, Collaboration Platform
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Both resources complete all assignments by the appropriate deadline, consistently delivering work every 2 weeks to ensure a timely launch. Waker's (formerly Appify) friendly communication, leadership mentality, and full-stack services keep the engagement on task.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

ambi is a social network, for Work, that's geared specifically towards college students to help them be better organized and collaborate online. It is the first productive social network that enables students to become their most productive, inspired, and focused selves and to learn even during their down time in a fun and engaging way. I'm the COO of the company, in charge of daily operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appify?

We needed to complete the development of the platform and needed extra help from talented developers who could go into an existing codebase and hit the ground running. We wanted someone who could contribute quality code and add the features our platform needed. We were using another contracting firm but wanted to move to a US-based one. After interviewing other talented developers, I was genuinely impressed with how quick the Appify team picked up on our project and were able to improve both the features, so what the end-user sees, and improve on the structure of our codebase, which gives us big benefit in the long-run as we grow. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Appify initially provided one developer for our project. After two weeks, since things were working well, we added a second resource. They first had to get set up and understand our existing codebase, which took them under 3 days. The Appify was and is today involved in our daily operations of planning sprints, executing them, bug fixing, coordinating with our in-house devs and other contractors, getting our site running live, and they even give us genuine feedback and suggestions for how our platform can be further improved. It feels like they are part of the team and care about the success of the company, and as a result, we trust them, which is difficult to find with contractors but it seems to be the case with Appify because of the people that work there.  

Going into specifics, one of our platform’s functionalities is our dashboard feature, which is the first thing that someone logging in will see. It provides an overview of the day and gives access to the rest of the platform. One of the things Appify did was to build-out widget and settings features, which allowed people to customize the dashboard as much as they wanted by adding things like weather, daily quotes, interests, and so on. Appify created many of them and also made our dashboard more HD, implementing backgrounds which are stored on Amazon S3 that can be changed daily or left the same.

Appify also helped architect and took responsibility for the implementation of our quick-chat feature. We had parts of it built but really needed someone who could step in and take it to the next level by finishing features like file transfer, group conversations, and other components that people expect nowadays. The Appify team did this in a structured way by first presenting us all the possible providers and options we could go with, and with our involvement and the rest of our developers, weighed the pros and cons and picked which method we thought would be best to build out our chat. Now we have laid out sprints and Appify team is executing them. We get to see results every two weeks, it's really exciting.

How did you come to work with Appify?

I found them through a referral from a friend who is also running a startup. He described Appify as having great engineers. When I contacted them, I saw that their founder really understood what we wanted to do. We’ve had a very good experience with their team members.

How much have you invested with Appify?

We are paying between $2,400 and $3,600 per developer every two weeks. This comes to around $10,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Appify in early March 2017. The app is still a work in progress, but Appify has finished some portions of it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

We have laid-out sprints for our two developers from Appify. They’ve had to deliver work every two weeks and have pretty much met our deadlines, working on a consistent basis in order to move the cards to the right and knock-out features one by one. Anytime we finished a sprint, Appify was open to making additional small changes.

How did Appify perform from a project management standpoint?

We invited Appify to our Slack channel, and they’ve become very active there. Appify has integrated well with our team and have been very friendly. It’s been awesome to see them become a part of our group. We use Google Hangouts every few days on an as-needed basis, and we use Trello and Asana for task management.

What did you find most impressive about Appify?

Appify’s developers are very talented full-stack engineers, who are able to hit the ground running. We are using a number of technologies, and someone has to know a lot in order to develop our product comfortably. Appify was able to dive into some complex elements that other developers had been working on for a year and understood the challenge within one or two days. Appify contributed to our project in a meaningful way. Even when roadblocks came up, they could figure out what was happening. They came to us with solutions, which is really nice to see. This has been the most impressive thing on the talent side.

On the attitude side, I would say that Appify is very reachable. I can get in touch with them at any point. If we have an upcoming deadline, Appify’s team will stay up with us and get the work done. Lastly, Appify has a leadership mentality: they’re willing to help team members when something is wrong in another area. This is helpful in forming a good team spirit. We’re a small startup, so things like this can go a long way.

Are there any areas Appify could improve?

I was able to speak to Appify about anything I experienced, and they were able to address it. There’s nothing outstanding.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Appify?

Have a clear idea of what you want to get done. Appify’s team is strong on the tech side of things, so the task at hand should be clearly laid-out to help them do what they’re best at.

5.0
Overall Score We’ve really enjoyed working with Appify. They’re lovely and talented people.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    Due in part to roadblocks we’ve had to deal with or to other tasks we gave Appify, which were outside of the main project, they were sometimes hindered from delivering on time.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    Appify has delivered good value, and we’ve seen results every two weeks.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    Appify agreed to take on the work we set for them and communicated any time something was wrong or when there was a potential roadblock. We always had an idea of what to expect.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    Appify is friendly, great to work with, understanding, talented, and able to figure out what needs to be done.

App Development for Education Startup

"If I launch another company, one of my first calls will be to Appify."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
Project summary: 

Waker (formerly Appify) developed a native app (iOS/Android) for an educational tech company. They performed backend work, web application, marketing strategy, and design work; they will continue to provide ongoing updates.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Atlanta, Georgia
Rostam Zafari
Founder & CEO, Mystro
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The app features great UI/UX: tutors and users are excited about the ease of use and the earning potential from the app. Waker's (formerly Appify) leadership, commitment to meeting deadlines, and devotion to client satisfaction were clear strengths of this collaboration. 

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Mystro is a tech company based in Atlanta. We do in-person and online tutoring nationwide in all sorts of academic subjects and offer test preparation. The Mystro app allows student users to connect with amazing tutors. I’m the founder and CEO. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appify?

I needed to find a quality development team. The goal was to create a platform for high-school students to be tutored by college students who are relatable to them and could inspire them. I had previously contracted with an Indian firm to build a minimum viable product (MVP), which was done in PHP. It was breaking all the time, so we had to scrap it and start again.

I wanted to find a team that could build an app right the first time and do it cost-effectively. I didn’t want to work with a company that outsourced the development work overseas. In my experience, the quality of the product suffers when you do that. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Appify did everything in terms of the tech side of the project. They were basically our CTO. We worked primarily with Phillip, one of Appify’s founders, who is one of the sharpest people I’ve met. There’s no one like him. He didn’t just do what we said; he wanted it explained, and he wanted to know why. He often came back with better alternative solutions.

We had an in-house designer, but Appify also worked on the design. They did all the development. Phillip led two teams throughout the project. At our highest point, we had five people on the project, including mobile, iOS, and web developers. They built a native iOS app, mostly built on Objective-C. They also built a web app in Angular 2, with the backend in Ruby.

Appify also provided a lot of marketing material and assisted us with a marketing strategy. Most of their work was in the app development, but their experience working on other apps helped to guide us. They have a large talent pool from which to pull resources based on the project’s needs.

I haven’t seen any bugs in the finished product. They’re now working on a retainer to complete some upgrades to the app.

How did you come to work with Appify?

One of our lead investors referred me to an engineer who worked at Google, who then introduced me to Phillip. We looked at dozens of firms, but we couldn’t find anyone who matched our criteria for quality and price.

How much have you invested with Appify?

We’ve invested around $50,000 in this app. They’re the only firm that said they could make a quality app for that price.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on the platform in March of 2016, and it just launched in February of this year. We’re still working with the Appify team to expand several key features. We’re about 95% complete, and we’ll keep adding and tweaking based on feedback from our users. We currently have a contract with them through the end of 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

Most important is how the users feel about it. Our tutors are excited about the ease of use and the income potential the app gives them. The payment system is easy, and it’s built with college students in mind. Parents appreciate how the app gives them all the information they need to find a tutor for their high-school students.

We’ve already had over 220 tutoring sessions. We’ve done some tutoring boot camps. It’s growing very quickly, and we’re now preparing to speak with bigger companies about possible business opportunities. A lot of this is happening because Appify took what we wanted and made it happen in the smartest way possible.

How did Appify perform from a project management standpoint?

The project was broken up into timelines, and the Appify team was very good. I remember a couple of times when they said they wouldn’t sleep until they made a deadline. We were in contact with them until 3:00 am or 4:00 am. That level of commitment meant a lot to us.

We used Waffle.io as a project management tool. My co-founder tagged the features due on specific dates, and Phillip managed the project on their end. All we had to do was upload designs and explain them thoroughly, and he handled everything else.

What did you find most impressive about Appify?

Phillip is the most impressive aspect of Appify. He manages a lot of talented developers, but he is so technically sharp. He’s a fantastic entrepreneur and has great talent, commitment, and attitude. I would love to hire him full-time.

The team at Appify are top engineers in the U.S. They’re fair and honest, and they really want to see their clients do well. They got it done over and over again. I appreciate people who get things done the way they say they will.

Are there any areas Appify could improve?

No. If they want to expand, they could bring in more design talent, but they’re a great development team. 

5.0
Overall Score If I launch another company, one of my first calls will be to Appify.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They always laid their cards on the table, and they always met the deadlines.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    I would give them a 6. There’s no other firm that gives you this quality for this price.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    They delivered quality and took time to explain any changes they made.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I’ve referred around 20 teams to Appify, and I think several have contracted with them. I only do that because their service is absolutely phenomenal.