WANDR

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Grepp, a company headquartered in South Korea that provides three different services for the software engineering market: skill assessment, education, and career matching. We’re already successful in the Korean market, so we want to bring our services to the US. The first service we will bring to the US is an educational service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANDR?

We needed help creating the website for our US-based educational project. Our services have a very small niche market, directed only to software developers. Thus, our main concern was creating a website that explained our services in sufficient detail so that it would gain the interest of our target audience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANDR has helped us design our site’s UX. This portion of the project was very intensive and fast. First, we provided them with sufficient information about our vision, and they understood it very well. Then, we looked at our competitors’ websites and chose the designs we liked the most.

After that, we worked collaboratively on the design of our site. Every time WANDR hit a milestone, we had workshops to see the deliverables and provide feedback, and they made the changes immediately.

In addition to the UX design, WANDR has been partially involved in the branding portion of our site. We initially wanted to bring the branding assets from Korea, but we had some scheduling problems, and WANDR ended up helping us with that as well. Now, we’re seriously considering continuing working with them in the next part of the project, which is the UI design and development.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Giovanni (UX Partnerships Manager), Devesh (Product Strategist), and a UX expert.

How did you come to work with WANDR?

We had set up our US office last year. At the time, we had planned to create a US-customized version of our Korean site, but we had no luck recruiting designers there quickly. Thus, we started looking for designers in Southern California and San Francisco, and we ended up contacting about 7–8 agencies, including WANDR. Considering the information we got from all those agencies, we ended up choosing WANDR.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with WANDR in November 2021, and they’ve already delivered the first part of the project. Currently, our team is implementing the designs on the frontend, and we’re negotiating with WANDR on the next phase of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The design created by WANDR has satisfied our requirements. Additionally, we needed a very quick implementation, and they were a perfect match for us in that regard. They have a lot of experience in strategically and systematically doing design work and organizing everything in a set of pipelines, which allows them to work very quickly.

How did WANDR perform from a project management standpoint?

WANDR’s time management has been very good. Their project manager understood our vision and target very well, and the design work was very well pipelined and scheduled, making them a very cost-effective company.

From the start, we’ve set fixed deliverables and fixed schedules, and we’ve never had a problem with them so far in that regard. Most of the time management challenges have been on our end; sometimes, we’re figuring out how to keep up with their requests.

We usually communicate via Slack and email, and we occasionally jump on a quick Zoom call to discuss unexpected issues. Additionally, WANDR has used Figma for the designs, using its workshop functionality to show them to us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANDR’s time and deliverables management is their strong point. Additionally, their quick implementation of feedback is great. WANDR also has a lot of experience, so they know very well what type of design suits different industries better.

Are there any areas they could improve?

WANDR’s creativity could be improved, but considering how quickly they’ve worked, it is understandable that more creative work would need more time. Still, it would be great if they made an effort to improve their creative work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I definitely recommend WANDR to any business that needs to get their website designed quickly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and Chief Commercial Officer of a retail solutions company. My role is to oversee our product division.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANDR?

We were trying to redesign our online marketplace for our clients and increase conversion rates.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used Figma and Adobe XD to create our new design.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with two people, a point of contact for sales and then a project manager. There was also a designer working with us.

How did you come to work with WANDR?

Our product director was researching different UX firms and found them on Clutch.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $5,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since December 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still rolling out their designs with our development team, so we’re not at the point of measuring changes yet. Generally, my feedback is very positive, both in their design work and their approach to the work.

How did WANDR perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done very well in this regard. Their management is very consistent, and the way they handle their teams has provided a great experience for us.

We used a Figma board for some of the collaboration, as well as a separate Slack channel.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t worked specifically with a UX/UI design firm, but I would say that their ability to understand our unique business was very impressive. We have a fairly complex business model and were concerned that they wouldn’t be able to understand it enough to create an effective design, but they quickly built an understanding of who we are.

Are there any areas they could improve?

WANDR only spoke to a few of our end-users to inform their design. This wasn’t their fault though, as we couldn’t get our users to respond. I simply said that next time we would wait until we had more user feedback before we implemented their designs. This was as much our fault as theirs; it was our job to connect them to our clients, and we were not able to connect them to as many as we would have liked to.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Expect good results, high-quality expertise, and good project management.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the product managers at PetPartners, Inc., a pet insurance company. I oversee several of our products, including our mobile app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANDR?

We needed help with our mobile app’s UI/UX design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we hired WANDR for a “discovery” engagement. This included a high-level audit of our mobile app (for iOS and Android) with an in-depth focus on two key areas. This provided us with a baseline of the current state to identify opportunities for improvement and determine if we wanted to hire them for the full-term project we had planned.

We were delighted with their findings during the discovery engagement, so we decided to move forward with them for the full project. The project included information architecture, mockups done in Figma for each area of the app, a style guide, illustrations, and user interviews during each design sprint to ensure that the new designs would help our users meet their objectives.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with a production director, a product strategist, a product designer, and a UI visual designer.

How did you come to work with WANDR?

I researched stateside design firms and I came across WANDR. I used Clutch and did some deep dives into each design firm that we considered. We interviewed three different companies and ultimately decided to go with WANDR.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2021, and they finished the designs around November 2021. However, the development of those designs hasn’t begun, so our partnership is ongoing. Once we start the development phase, we will reengage with WANDR for additional QA support.

After the development is complete, we will be able to collect post-production metrics to assess the value and impact of the new design, as well as determine the priority for continued improvements to the design.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The designs created by WANDR were received with praise and excitement across the company, with little-to-no revisions from internal stakeholders before the final handoff in November 2021. Additionally, the user personas and other user behavior data captured during the discovery phase have been influential in enhancing other product areas that share the same user base. Overall, we’re absolutely satisfied with WANDR’s work.

How did WANDR perform from a project management standpoint?

WANDR’s project management is wonderful. The team always provides me with prompt updates and accommodates ad hoc meetings to help clarify any intricate details within the user flow when it’s needed. Timeline expectations have been communicated clearly and regularly reviewed, and the deliverables have always been handed off on time. Their documentation throughout the project has been very clear, visually appealing, and easy to understand.

They usually communicate with us through email or MS Teams. They integrated into our preferred communication platform without any hesitation.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANDR has a diverse team that fills every niche that a company may need. Our user base consists of multiple market channels, which makes reaching an optimal solution incredibly challenging. However, they showed a genuine interest in designing something beautiful and effective, and they took the time to understand our business, asking important questions to help guide design choices.

Additionally, WANDR does a phenomenal job at helping understand the value proposition of their clients’ products and getting stakeholders to align to that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Whether you go with WANDR or any other design firm, do some self-reflection before researching design firms. As an individual and a business, understand what you perceive as your product’s value proposition and clearly outline your top goals. The better the alignment your internal stakeholders have before engaging a design firm, the more time you’ll be able to spend on the actual design.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a marketing agency. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANDR?

We needed support in a UI design project. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANDR is helping us with UI research and development for a client who wanted to build a mobile app for socializing ad connecting with friends.

First, WANDR facilitated a discovery phase. They got to know the client and studied the app’s audience, conducting interviews with the app’s target users. From there, they designed prototypes of the app and how it would look. 

Our client and our team are working together with WANDR to ensure that they align with the desired capabilities, designs, and aesthetics for the platform. 

What is the team composition?

We work with an account manager and two designers. 

How did you come to work with WANDR?

We were referred to them. We liked that they were also from Los Angeles, and that they have good case studies on their website. Their team walked us through relevant case studies that were very similar to what our client needed. 

How much have you invested with them?

Our client has spent around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2021, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WANDR’s design has been well received and undergone little revision and changes. Their overall turnaround has been just as expected, allowing the client to launch on time. We’re delighted with their services.

How did WANDR perform from a project management standpoint?

They are good at project management, creating a timeline, and meeting the deadlines we set. We use Slack to communicate, which allows us to get real-time updates. I feel their support in terms of delivery and communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANDR’s agile workflow and communication style are impressive. In addition, their designs are amazing — everything looks really good, clean, and modern. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on what you want to build and your vision for it, so you know your preferences. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of sticky.io, a subscription commerce provider. We’re a technical platform that merchants use to either add subscriptions to their e-commerce business or hired to host their subscription business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANDR?

We hired WANDR to help us with two things. First, we needed staff augmentation in the UI/UX realm. Second, we wanted an experienced look at the usability of certain portions on our platform, and we wanted to get recommendations on how we could improve the experience we offered to our users.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANDR provided us with a customized package, and we did a week-long discovery period where their team assess our overall system. We then quickly moved into a focus discovery where they concentrated on the onboarding process and experience for merchants setting up their site and their portal for the first time. 

After that, they spent eight weeks making suggestions and implementing executions in the form of written documents, visual mockups, wireframes, and high-fidelity prototypes. During that period, we were iterating as quickly as possible and they’d often ask our feedback if they need to take a step back or rework something. The final phase was providing assets that our team could execute against, along with a style guile guide and brand recommendations.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two UI/UX analysts that were primarily doing research project leadership analysis. We also had a designer who did most of the hands-on work and an engagement manager who joined us halfway through the project — she attended every meeting and added a lot of value to the partnership.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $50,000–$60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement ran from May–August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to them, we eventually had a clickable prototype through a number of merchants to gain satisfaction scores. We also had metrics on the pace we moved through the project, but we haven’t implemented them yet.

What we had was a baseline which we would perform as we roll it out into production beyond just the prototype and beta launch to see what improvement and uptick we would achieve during adoption. Ultimately, we were delighted with the results we got.

How did WANDR perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly and biweekly meetings. They were tracking progress using their internal tool and they’d screen share that with us. After that, the assets they produced went into our system. Then, in the last few weeks of our engagement, we began to integrate our own product tracking tool.

The first half of our project was a particularly difficult time because we had a nonstandard package. In connection with that, they struggled a bit, but they were able to figure out how to deal with a very aggressive set of deadlines and execution later on. Overall, they were incredibly responsive and assertive in a positive and useful way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were honest and caring. We pushed them really hard about halfway through for some pretty significant changes, and their engagement manager did a good job of communicating with us and staying involved. While their skills were valuable, it was ultimately their client management and interaction that impressed us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They likely gave us a less experienced team than they should’ve during the first six weeks of the engagement. Perhaps, they should’ve had a more experienced member on the team earlier. We went off the book, and they agreed on our request for something different. However, their team only knew how to do the project in a normal way, so that ended up costing us some time and we had to face some bumps along the way. Overall, I’d say they should stick to their guns on the standard package or provide a higher level, more experienced people.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of an end-to-end digital agency offering a wide range of services from marketing to content development and everything in between.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WANDR?

We were looking for an agency that can help us design user experience for our web app. The goals were to keep the design simple, minimal, and engaging. The primary goal was to keep the user journey as seamless as possible.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them via Google while we were looking for UI/UX design agencies. They had a strong portfolio and we were quite pleased with the designs they had developed for other agencies. Plus, they had a really friendly team - were easy to talk to. We felt comfortable working with them - so we hired them.

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

They divided the project into three phases: the first phase was market research wherein they analyzed industry trends, our target audience, and conducted interviews of ideal prospects. Post this, their team worked on the concept. They developed a rough sketch of the web app, mapped out user journey and app layout. In the final phase, they created the app’s interface. It was visually engaging and meaningful.

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

We worked with their team of designers who were assigned to us. We also had a Strategist who took care of communication and ensured there weren’t any inconsistencies whatsoever.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Yes. In the most recent survey we conducted, 92% users reported they liked the look and feel of the new design. Overall, working with Jinny and her team was great. We couldn’t be happier.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We used Slack for communication and Jira for project management. They were very efficient at communication and drove the project proactively. We had meetings weekly wherein we used to look at their concepts and designs.

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

Their team is a joy to work with. They bring in the same amount of energy to the work they do. The designs they developed were not only fresh but very meaningful and aesthetically pleasing. They also ensured the project was completed on time and kept us updated at every step. We are very happy with their services.

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

Nothing peculiar. The good part about them is that they actively seek feedback and get things right.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of a SaaS company for real estate investors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANDR?

We needed help with our prototype and pitch deck design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We entered into WANDR’s startup bootcamp program to receive a prototype and a pitch deck. It was a 30-day turnaround to get in and out.

First, we had a kickoff meeting, and then we had weekly update meetings, sometimes even multiple times a week. We worked together to figure out what we needed in our MVP. Secondly, WANDR ran user tests and did more market research to validate our initial thoughts. Finally, they helped us create one clean, great-looking pitch deck to bring to investors later on.

What is the team composition?

Before we began the project, we spoke to the sales team. Then, we worked with a project manager, two people from the design team, and someone on the backend on business development. All the employees were top-notch.

How did you come to work with WANDR?

A consultant was helping us with some of the technical sides of building a startup. They connected with WANDR’s CEO on LinkedIn and spoke briefly to her about our project.

Then, the previous CTO put me in touch with the CEO and the head of business development at WANDR. We went on Clutch and spoke with some of their previous clients. WANDR had worked with renowned and established companies, and everyone spoke highly of them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–July 2021. It was a 4-week contract, and it ended right on time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We tested the prototype with a few other users, and everyone loved it. We were very happy with it. Moreover, we’ve sent the pitch deck to a few investors before our official pitch meetings with them, and they’ve really loved the look and feel.

One investor in particular said that it was the best-looking pitch he’s ever seen. Since he has invested in several startups and seen tens of thousands of pitch decks, that definitely says something about WANDR. Overall, we’re on a great path towards going live in a short time.

How did WANDR perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager was our single point of contact, and she was excellent. She sent frequent updates via email or Slack, depending on what was more convenient to us. We also had regular Zoom calls with the whole team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s hard to pick one thing because they were on top of it on every angle. They nailed the timeline; we didn’t go over our contract length. Also, communication was easy. If we needed someone besides the project manager, we could always get a hold of anybody on the team.

However, the deliverables were the most impressive part of working with WANDR. They excelled at them — the prototype was simply phenomenal.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were great. The experience was very collaborative, and we’ll continue working with WANDR.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them do what they excel at. The unique thing about working with WANDR was how collaborative the experience was. We set out the goal and objective and worked together to accomplish it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder and COO of a B2B SaaS company based in San Francisco working in the cybersecurity space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANDR?

WANDR was our UI/UX design agency. Their team helped us communicate our value proposition via our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANDR basically redesigned the UX of our product. They initially performed a UX audit and then designed the system for our use. The final deliverable was a functional mockup in Figma for us to essentially use as our MVP

What is the team composition?

At one point, we had about five people working on our project.

How did you come to work with WANDR?

I ultimately found them via Clutch. After we started communicating with them, they provided us with samples of their previous work. Their team gave us a tentative project plan with what they would be able to accomplish. We compared them to other agencies, but WANDR was competitive and had the best idea.

How much have you invested with them?

On our total engagement with them, we spent $40,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We collaborated on this project between November 2020–January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Without WANDR, we wouldn’t have been able to effectively communicate our product’s value proposition.

How did WANDR perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a shared Slack channel with them, and their team was available almost 24/7. If we had a question, they were able to answer it promptly.  We also communicated via Zoom and collaborated in Figma.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have nuanced B2B UX experience, so they understood our priorities. That was one of their standout qualities. Their team was also from around the world. The variety of their backgrounds was noticeable, and we appreciated that their team was able to come to the table with different perspectives. That led to a better end result.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t know how they could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

UX design requires collaboration, so it’s not necessarily a project to just hand off to any agency. Customers should be involved in the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the SVP of design at a software company that specializes in mobile game development using a no-code desktop application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wandr?

We hired Wandr to do an audit for the UX of our game development product as well as some UI work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

To start, we broke up the project into sprints. The first was a discovery phase where we provided them with a list of new and pro users to interview. They also sourced additional feedback from our target audience demographic. The team went ahead and conducted user and market research to see what was currently out there along with the general sentiments toward our software.

From there, we started to focus on the touchpoints when a user logged into the product. They worked with us to develop some new design concepts for the UI and proposed ideas for the user flow. After creating prototypes, they tested them with our new and pro users, collected feedback, and made adjustments.

Wandr then presented their findings to our team. We discussed the mock-ups and user feedback, agreeing on any design tweaks before giving our approval.

Next, they provided the prototype along with any Figma files, user stories for every new feature, and screen mock-ups in JPEG and PNG. We also received an information architecture flowchart. Our internal engineers and designers would implement it into Jira to go into development.

What is the team composition? 

We have three active Wandr team members embedded with us: there are the project manager and two designers. On the support side, we worked with Giovanni (Director of Business Development) who managed our overall account.

How did you come to work with Wandr?

I did a ton of research on Clutch. I looked at multiple providers, tapped into my network of contacts, and made decisions based on there. We vetted at least five UX agencies in the US, looking for providers who have had desktop or specific application experience.

We chose Wandr because we really liked their collaborative, professional approach. Their team seemed very hands-on and dedicated, which turned out to be true. They were very communicative, too. They checked in often to make sure that everything was on track. That was the kind of engagement that I was looking for: someone who would be more of a partner rather than just a vendor.

What is the status of this engagement?

We fully engaged them in mid-September 2020 and are working on extending our contract with them through the end of this year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The user feedback that we got from their prototype testing was all very positive. However, we haven’t deployed any of the new features for our product yet because they’re still in development. We won’t know the real impact of those changes until we’ve actually implemented and deployed the new features in the product.

How did Wandr perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management was divided between the teams. We maintained our Jira account as is while they were sprinting on design sprints. Those didn’t need to be integrated into our Jira account.

To communicate, they used dedicated Slack channels, email, phone, and Zoom. We also had weekly stand-ups and sprint kick-off meetings. Every once in a while, we would do demos and drinks where they could show off what they were working on to our entire organization. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really like their hands-on approach because it made them feel more like a partner. It was huge that they were flexible, too. That made for amazing customer service. Finally, their design process was great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything based on the context of our engagement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re working with them on a given product, it’s beneficial to go onboard them onto your product with your proper team. That’s one thing we would’ve done differently. We had a pretty complex piece of software, so it would’ve been better if we had more sessions with them upfront to go through the ins-and-outs of the product. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the creative director for ModFi. We are a startup company in the financial platform space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANDR?

We needed some design work done.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANDR helped us determine branding and our target market, among other things. They developed wireframes and UI/UX for our app and website, and they also did backend for the website.

What is the team composition?

We have been working closely with 4–6 teammates, with more people working on their side.

How did you come to work with WANDR?

They responded to our post on Upwork. We looked at several companies, but WANDR stood out to us. We liked that the team was young and that their pricing was comparable. We felt they were the best fit for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $180,000. The monthly retainer is roughly $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around March 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We appreciate their adaptability and the way they go with the flow of new ideas we throw at them. They do quality work, and always help us solve challenges that arise. We’ve got no complaints.

How did WANDR perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager is highly organized, always has a plan, and leads the weekly meetings. She’s incredible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are agile and accommodating to our specific needs. They listen to us and do their best to give us what we ask for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

WANDR switched designers halfway through the project. While I understand, it would’ve been nice to keep the same person all the way through the engagement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They like to manage the project and stick to their schedules. They’re great for startups.