Design Like A Butterfly, Code Like A Bee
Wonderment is a premiere California-based tech staffing and software development agency. Our firm works across a variety of web technology platforms and languages to meet the needs of teams of all sizes – from large-scale technology projects to startups. The core team at Wonderment Apps has worked on hundreds of notable projects over a decade. Some of the companies we have worked with include NASA, Walgreens, Stamps.com, Warner Media, and iHerb.
headquarters
other locations
-
Stellar IT Park, C-25, Sector 62Noida 201309India
-
Kolberga St, 3a Ap 8L'viv 79000Ukraine
Focus
Portfolio
NASA, Walgreens, Stamps.com, iHerb, CJ E&M, Casting Networks, Cast It, ForwardLine, AENEAS, GlobalPost, On Q Financial, StoryScout, The Engine Room, Signal Entertainment Marketing, Gallany Cosmetics.
NASA
The NASA Earth Science Vision 2030 App was designed to share the vision of the next 30 years from the Earth Science Division. The goal was to create an engaging app that would use a specially designed poster to launch the 30 year vision educational video.
Our team was inspired to develop a creative way of informing all types of audiences of the exciting new projects the organization is working on for our future.
We worked closely with the NASA team to best understand the type of engagement they wanted to have, and to create an interactive way of telling their story. We started by interviewing NASA and learning how they were trying to engage with their audience. As we learned about their goals, we created a set of wireframes that acted as a prototype for the app. The wireframes mapped how we would guide the user to interact with the different media pieces that would be integrated into this project, including the custom poster and educational video. After iterating through multiple rounds of feedback with NASA, we ultimately landed on a final and approved version of the UX flow.
We then created design concepts that incorporated a look and feel from assets they had already completed with our own distinct flavor blended into it. Once the designs were finished, we started development on both iOS and Android, where we created the interface portion of the app in addition to a prototype of an image recognition tool that would launch a video. Once those pieces were completed, we merged them together into a single app while blending all the media pieces together. From that point, we initiated several rounds of in-depth testing and ultimately released the final version to the store.
Walgreens Health Corner app
Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) is a world leader in integrated healthcare and pharmaceutical services. In partnership with Microsoft and Adobe, WBA developed a digital healthcare and customer insights platform to provide users with a 360-degree view of themselves and unlock personalized healthcare and shopping experiences, targeted towards chronic care and daily health management
Our Sr. Product Developer (SA) was the most utilized role throughout the length of the project. Small amounts of UI/UX Designer in the early days of the contract.
We met with the client-side manager to discuss scope and needs. Eventually the Sr. Product Developer fully integrated with the client-side teams as a staff augmented resource.
The goals of this project were to contribute to the development and launch of a healthcare mobile application. Integrated with insurance health plans and Walgreens Health Corners, the app intends to provide users with personal health insights, wellness check updates, and daily care management tools through the use of digital health devices, caregiver connection, access to health care professionals, and medication management and pharmaceutical services.
Results:
On-boarding flow for Beta user group
Connect user account to health plans
User profile management
Caregiver and care circle authorization and connection
Preparations for the Beta launch of the native app
Stamps.com Mobile App
Stamps.com is a world-class on-line postal service. Wonderment was called upon to help Stamps.com upgrade key experiential elements of their web application’s user interface. We worked with their product team to assess requirements, generate designs, and ultimately implement front-end changes throughout the application.
The goals of the mobile app project were to bring the same key features of the website to a new native mobile experience. With a growing mobile user base, Stamps strived to create the best intuitive experience to it’s customers.
iHerb
iHerb is on a mission to make health and wellness accessible to all. Founded 1996, dedicated to offering Earth’s best-curated selection of health and wellness products, at the best possible value, delivered with the most convenient experience. They believe that health and wellness should be a universal right made possible through compassion and collective action.
The goal of the projects were to add some key features to the products
Overall improvements in backend systems for performance & stability of the products. Improved UI / UX for better user experience.
Our team started with the existing teams, learnt the system in few weeks and then indulged into the required projects development.
Results
- On iHerb site, improved checkout process to have multi - country support. Added features like maps, language, currency and taxation, etc. specific to selected country.
-Performance improvements on the purchasing flow, implemented caching systems for next generation products pages.
-Strengthen fraud detection / verification system on orders.
-Improved UI / UX on mobile apps with multiple feature have user easy access.
-Migration of Mobile apps to latest libraries. Better performance and crash counts.
CJ E&M
CJ E&M (KCON.TV) is Asia’s #1 content creation and marketing company. With the goal of spreading Asian pop culture throughout the world.
CJ E&M (KCON.TV) approached us about renovating their existing video website in partnership with Iteration Group. Iteration Group did all the design, UX and front end product work. After completion, Iteration Group brought us those pieces, and we constructed a new CMS for their site, KConTV.com. While the site was formerly built on a 3rd party CMS, the new system we created would allow them to upload videos and create a more dynamic social networking functionality that sits on top.
The ultimate goal that we were able to deliver was fulfilling CJ E&M (KCON.TV)’s desire to link their really rabid KPop and KDrama fan base with the ability to search through their clips and have a voice in describing how they felt about the content they are such big fans of.
Wonderment participated solely as a development team on this project. We worked very closely with Iteration Group, a front end design and UX firm, who set to work structuring the architecture for the project while the front end was being designed and laid out. Once both the architecture and the design were finished, we built all of the front end elements as well as the admin CMS, binding everything together. This process created a site that allows really good content to show as well as the ability for users to to be able to really interact with the content.
Results:
We launched the site under a very tight deadline in time for the big LA KCon event which has tens of thousands of people in attendance and a major viewing audience across the world. The site was not only ready, but held up to some of the challenging influx of viewers that came onto it during that period. Since then, we have been registering significant numbers of viewers across the site while engagement continues to grow every day.
Casting Networks
Casting Networks, LLC is the leading provider of casting and audition management software to the casting industry that produces Cast It Systems, Cast It Talent, and Modasphere. Casting directors and agents across the world use Casting Networks and their software to find and manage talent for projects in film, television, digital entertainment, and commercials. Casting Networks generate millions of auditions every year is based in New York, London and Sydney.
Originally, Casting Networks had multiple websites, each targeting and catering to a specific geographical location. For their new website, we worked with Casting Networks to combine every site they had under one domain. We also redesigned and modernized the entire website’s layout to bring a fresh new look to each page and updated the navigation system to be more intuitive. The new Casting Networks site is now easier to use and is accessible to all locations they offer their services.
Our first step in this endeavor was taking inventory of every site Casting Networks had made pertaining to a geographical location so we could set up a single, universal site that all the others would fall under. We set up the new site architecture and created all of the page templates based on the initial design and copy input from Casting Networks. This led to a very fluid design process with rapid feedback that allowed for us to make immediate adjustments to fit the client’s vision, even editing within the code template itself. We also finalized a new custom integration for regional segmenting and interactive forms. With consistent updates and adaptations to meet their feedback, we were able to deliver a website that exceeded their expectations.
Results:
- Successfully merged all regional microsites under one global site.
- Improved the login process for users.
- Created a fresh, modern new theme and style that’s consistent across all of the regions they service.
Cast It
Cast It is the leading provider of online casting services to the Studios, Independent Production Companies, and Casting Directors.
When Wonderment took over maintenance we were given full responsibility for production support, feature development, dev ops, and production operations. Our first goal was stability and scaling improvements, as well as securing an original video encoding pipeline outside of legacy code base. After implementing modern systems into the legacy product, including Git, Continuous Integration, QA Processes, and alert tracking, we then created a Quality Switcher for Video Playback, which allows select customers to view original quality uploaded content.
We took an incremental approach to onboard our development and management teams into the project. Beginning with a two month Knowledge Transfer process, we worked alongside the legacy development team to gain the skills necessary to support the product. During this phase we documented and mapped-out how the existing code bases and systems worked, developed staging systems, and began to plan out how we would tackle necessary architectural improvements.
After this phase was completed, we took all development in-house, and introduced our own project management teams, allowing our development teams to work side by side with co-workers they have worked with on many other projects. We suggested that the Client designate a stakeholder who was responsible for product planning decisions, and we worked with that stakeholder to decide priorities and build a roadmap for execution.
Results:
- Implementation of a new scalable, secure video encoding pipeline outside of legacy code base.
- Implementation of staging environment which can be used to accurately test changes before they’re deployed to production.
- Quality Switcher for Video Playback, allowing select customers to view original quality uploaded content.
Stamps.com Web App
Stamps.com is a world-class on-line postal service. Wonderment was called upon to help Stamps.com upgrade key experiential elements of their web application’s user interface. We worked with their product team to assess requirements, generate designs, and ultimately implement front-end changes throughout the application
Wonderment stepped in to help Stamps.com upgrade key experiential elements of their web applications’s user interface. The goal was a more modern look and feel within a responsive layout that would work in both web and mobile.
Our tech team researched and executed implementing a version of Ext JS that Stamps was interested in integrating. We also worked extensively on the front end to bind with their pre-existing APIs to create a new, more functional web interface that had a nice design layer placed on top of it.
The team also relied on Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a trusted cloud infrastructure provider to build a scalable, resilient and secure solution able to dynamically manage the load in satisfying millions of Stamps.com users.
Results
-
The site got a shiny new look and feel
-
Responsive functionality for use across a variety of different devices
-
Site is much more navigable
-
Site infrastructure is a lot more clear
-
Modern/Contemporary look and feel
Civic Financial
Civic is the premier lender for real estate investors looking to transform and improve an investment property. Civic provides lending to help support that, and ultimately help get projects completed where they need a break from traditional lending.
Our team was asked to provide new front end designs for Civic’s digital products, and to help improve the efficiency of their existing development and QA staff. We provided their team with wireframes, mock-ups, and product strategy necessary for development, as well as quality assurance methodology & implementation
We worked with the business and product stakeholders to help design a Product Development and release flow that would improve the speed of their development sprints. We also installed new product design and UX methodology to help provide a consistent experience and look across their digital products.
Results
-
Installed a new Product sprint process that sped up development delivery significantly.
-
We also provided QA resources to help design and run test cases for the features created in the product development process.
STORYSCOUT
Storied Media Group is Hollywood’s leader in the packaging, development, and sale of non-fiction IP.
The goal of this project was to create a new media platform called STORYSCOUT, for Storied Media Group to be able to manage and expand their process of curating top stories and media content, as well as making it available to subscribers within the film and TV industry.
Making the platform highly searchable, time-saving through custom alert settings and contacts management, while driving key user engagement and conversions were among the major goals of this project. Additionally creating a sophisticated media driven design and UI/UX was a primary focus for our product development department. This robust system also required a highly usable and intelligent Administrative CMS for the curators and account managers to utilize.
Our approach to this project was to start with a discovery phase that would generate understanding of the business, it’s goals and the current processes in use. This lead into a very involved product development process with the client, to explore and define all of the feature requirements together – resulting in a robust MVP plan. We then did an intensive round of documentation and wireframing to establish UX and technical requirements.
Once final designs were approved, we launched into an aggressive development phase and built some pretty complex architecture and user flows into the system. This included a very complex admin system to allow the curation team to manage content in an agile and comprehensive way.
Results:
- A brand new media platform that caters to the film & television producing community by streamlining content specifically targeted to them.
- Time saving tools and processes for users, including an elaborate multi-level alert system that helps users curate their own stories and track story rights info easily.
- Key data points are made easy to view for users and engagement very accessible.
AENEAS
AENEAS is the Advanced European Network of E-infrastructures for Astronomy with the SKA. The SKA (Square Kilometre Array) is an ambitious project to construct the world’s largest radio telescope and enable transformational science and discoveries impossible with current facilities.
The goal of the AENEAS project is to build a global data community that will partner to manage and distribute the data collected by the SKA.
The key to approaching this project was to first understand on more than a superficial level what this project is about, building the system that will do the gathering and transmitting of unprecedented amounts of data collected by the SKA telescope, coordinated by a global community working together.
We kicked off with the discovery phase, interviewing the client and reviewing the original proposals and documents defining the project.
Before starting the design phase we also completed key wireframes and site map architecture to ensure the organization of the information was intuitive for any user. As we embarked on concept design we then gathered all available content assets that could be used in visual design including logo, existing copy and many beautiful satellite images the client was able to provide that relate to the project. Working with these, our design team layered in many custom illustrations and elements resulting in an elevated and aspirational sci-fi design that is still down-to-earth and professional.
Results:
- A polished and beautiful website that can be used to promote and share what the AENEAS project is all about.
- Content that has been tailored for and can be understood by all types of users; you don’t have to be a scientist to understand and get excited about this project.
- Inspiring individuals and organizations to get involved, AENEAS aims to extend the engagement beyond the immediate SKA collaboration to the wider community.
The Engine Room
The Engine Room is a unique agency whose core values and service offerings are centered on a scientific and research-oriented approach to increasing their client’s organizational effectiveness. The Engine Room prides itself on understanding the need for a strong leadership team that is based on accountability, the effectiveness of well-planned strategy and process, and their ability to delve deeply into the root goals of each client and understand what drives their business from the ground up.
The Engine Room was a ground up redesign of their existing website. They wanted to create a modern, responsive design where people could access a large amount of info about what the agency does on both desktop and mobile devices. We went in and layered a custom design on top of an existing WordPress template. We created an easily editable CMS while generating a very modern and stylized look for the company on top of it. Engine Room wanted their look to be relatable to major corporations who make up a large part of their clientele.
We began this project with a research phase in which we explored competitors and developed a creative brief based on client and business goals, and the desire for a professional and polished representation of the company. After we had settled on the best aesthetic for Engine Room, we created wireframes for what the layouts and content would look like. When the wireframes were done, we blended those concepts with the structural backend of the site to create a user friendly experience.
Results:
- Engine Room had a huge facelift for the company that presented a much more contemporary feeling look.
- The redesign attracted a quantifiable increase in new clients.
- Big engagement on a lot of the content pieces that they put out in relationship to the new designs we did.
Signal Entertainment Marketing
Signal Entertainment Marketing is a branded entertainment marketplace that allows broadcast advertisers to directly interact with content creators across film, television, and digital media.
Signal Deals was a project to expand the Signal database to offer a deeper set of information around the deals that were taking place between advertisers and the content creators, on the entertainment side. Wonderment was tasked with creating a back-end instance to support the Deals infrastructure, which was a robust expansion of the CMS.
We wanted to design an environment that could take all of that information and display it contextually to users, which are primarily advertisers. Additionally, we created alert systems around this infrastructure to let people know when these deals were happening. We also developed a user-friendly admin section that allowed the editors of these deals to enter information directly into the database.
We then created a structured, hierarchal environment that allowed people to sort, browse, and find deals very effectively while using the same project-oriented methodology that is used to look for other information in the database.
After we studied how the deals were functioning on a business level, we created a backend instance to support this functionality, so that the information was stored properly within the Signal environment.
With all the data and process in place on the backend, our last step was focused on how to create the best overall user experience.
Results:
- Searchable deals data and related discovery mechanisms.
- Triggered notifications for new deals.
- Usage in external sources like newsletters, reports, and more.
- Filters and sorting tools to allow people to carve into the data more effectively.
- Functional information grid with clean, effective data layout.
- Action options such as ‘add to lists’, tracking, and detail view.
Copper Cow Coffee
Copper Cow Coffee sells individual-serving “latte kits” that include fine Vietnamese coffee, along with a packet of sweetened condensed milk, to make an authentic Vietnamese pour-over. They are women-owned, VC-funded company, offering a wide variety of flavors and even monthly coffee subscriptions through their website.
Copper Cow wanted to redesign some key pages on their website, including the homepage and product detail pages, with the hopes of increasing conversions. CCC wanted to have more flexibility to customize their homepage banners and product listings.
A Wonderment Product Manager worked directly w/ the CCC marketing team to understand the project goals and requirements.
Then we started with a design review and UX-focused redesign, working directly with the creative team at CCC. Once we finalized the design requirements for each page, our development team came up with a plan for implementation.
Utilizing custom fields, we were able to create a set of fully customizable, responsive, reusable content blocks, as well as additional page templates and theme customizations.
We also trained the CCC team in how to use these new tools.
Results
- Immediate and dramatic increase in homepage conversions
- Flexibility and customization beyond anything the customer had before
GlobalPost
GlobalPost is a company that provides international package shipping and tracking services. Their goal was to create an easy to use custom map interface that helps users track the status of their packages in the system, and see the current location and destination of their package.
Armed with the new tracking page requirements provided by the client and a WordPress marketing site to build on, we tackled designing and developing the interactive package locator to be seamlessly integrated with the existing site and design. This included designing screens for mobile and responsive layouts.
Our developers implemented the tracking ID search functionality with the user interface to talk to the shipping API so that it would return and display the correct location and status for that package. Progress states and error states were also integrated to give the appropriate indicators to the user. After a thorough round of QA testing and bug fixing we deployed the new tracking feature to the live site.
Results:
- Addition of a powerful new feature to the GlobalPost website that allows users to see where their shipments are in real-time.
- Users can track their packages easily from any device they are using.
- More user traffic and engagement.
ForwardLine
Forwardline is a small business loans company that has been providing financial solutions to small businesses since 2003. With a customer-first focus, Forwardline has been a major player in helping small businesses grow with credit algorithms that evaluate business stability rather than assets and collateral, low rates, and an easy application process.
The goal of this project was to develop a fresh new modern and responsive website, while more effectively integrating the application flow process for loans with their existing backend system. This approach was planned to improve the user experience in addition to driving more engagement and conversions.
After receiving initial designs, our development team converted the pages to custom WordPress templates, paying special attention to the mobile layouts and optimization. While the front-end pages were being built, our engineers also integrated the new application flows making calls to the ForwardLine APIs and passing data with validations through to their SalesForce database. We worked closely with the ForwardLine engineering team to test the flows and troubleshoot errors. After the site was completed and both the marketing and engineering teams approved the project to go live, we coordinated closely to launch the site as both sides had to push code to the new production servers. Throughout this process, extensive project management helped track the timeline, progress, and multiple change requests, while keeping the project moving forward. Additionally the product team stepped in to help define requirements for new feature requirements as requested.
Results:
- Launched a new modern responsive website with dynamic application flows.
- Integrated Mixpanel funnel tracking and UTM data capturing to pass through to SalesForce for visibility on the performance of marketing campaigns.
- Successfully managed a multi-faceted project with several mid-stream feature requests.
On Q Financial
On Q Financial is a mortgage financing company committed to helping homebuyers find the right loans to make their experience smooth, pain-less, and efficient for more than a decade.
Wonderment was tasked with building a brand new website with an updated modern responsive design. Originally the On Q Financial website had several “microsites” that were spread out across multiple domains. We helped merge these sites under the same umbrella to unify the site flow and get more out of SEO. Additionally, we built their API for a new dynamic template system that drives the branch locator, which helps users to find mortgage consultants in their area.
After receiving the mockups and reviewing the site plan with the client, we started developing the new version of the site by creating custom WordPress templates based on the designs. The client also had a lot of new content ready by the time development started, so Wonderment provided additional wireframes and design mockups as needed. Our team employed key project management techniques to manage the entire project, including working with their internal tech team to build the data mart connection from their side.
Results:
- A unified site and user flows, greater benefiting the clients’ SEO goals.
- We created a new dynamic template system for their locations, mortgage consultants, and locator map to improve user experience and conversions.
- Unified site and user flows that drive conversion success with onsite visitors.
- Onsite SEO overhaul and improvements to strengthen traffic and engagement.
- Custom, dynamic templates for application elements for a single point of data management.
- Formal API planning and development for backend automation.
- Dynamic mapping integrations to make discovery more interactive.
- Custom calculators to drive onsite visitor engagement.
- Robust project planning mechanisms for reuse on future projects.
Gallany Cosmetics
Gallany Cosmetics is a world-renowned cosmetics brand that is known for it’s scientific approach to the chemical makeup of their product. It is based on decades of knowledge in chemistry and art by a lead chemist herself – Ida Gál-Csiszar – with a strong history in the lab for both Johnson & Johnson and Max Factor.
We were asked to redesign Gallany Cosmetics’ very simple website and create a much more high-end e-Commerce experience for the burgeoning cosmetics brand. The goal was to create a website that had a designer feel along the lines of other really well known fashion and cosmetic companies, while still making the experience very usable and ultimately very easy to purchase makeup through their site. We also wanted to create pages that would help tell the story of Gallany Cosmetics and create an environment where people could get to know the brand start to become its brand ambassadors.
We first started with a research phase, exploring a number of competitive entities to see how they were presenting their cosmetic lines to a similar type of buyer. We then went into a concept storming phase, where we created a number of different styles and concepts for look and feel for the new website. We worked closely with the client to get a good sense of what the final flavor of the website would be. We then went into a wireframing process and laid out the structure of the how the various screens were going to work. Finally, we combined the concept elements with the wireframe layouts and created fully comprehensive designs that covered a number of use cases.
Results:
- A sophisticated and modern looking web interface that made purchasing Gallany Cosmetics products both an easier and more exciting experience.
- Continued growth across the entire product line.
- More engagement on the website.
Wedgewood
Wedgewood is one of the largest home flippers and residential improvement companies. They perform purchasing, rehabilitation, and resale of single-family residences.
One goal of the project was for QA to take hundreds of Wedgewood’s existing manual QA tests and to automate them. This was done by transforming the existing tests into a library of scripts that could be executed to speed up the development process, all while making the testing methodologies much more consistent. The design goal was to help Wedgewood’s internal team of Business Analysts transform their requirements documentation into more functional visual documentation for development.
We met with Wedgwood stakeholders to understand the pain points of their existing system – specifically the transition from Product/UX to Development, and then into QA. We helped them create a faster delivery mechanism, including an improved design process as well as a consistent delivery of automated QA scripts.
Results
-
Create a new product & design process that would be implemented inside Wedgewood’s development process across several products
-
Transformed hundreds of existing manual QA tests into automated scripts
Reviews
the project
Web App Dev for Nonprofit Organization
"There aren’t many companies like that in the tech space. Wonderment Apps is really a cut above the rest."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
Reinventing Reentry is a nonprofit organization, and it’s largely focused on educating society on the importance of giving individuals who were formerly incarcerated the opportunity to succeed. I’m the acting board president who’s responsible for the ongoing success of the organization.
What challenge were you trying to address with Wonderment Apps?
In order to be effective, our company did everything — including presentations — in person. When the pandemic hit, however, we needed to take our whole program online. Wonderment Apps helped us develop the virtual aspect of our product.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Wonderment Apps developed an interactive web application for us. Through it, we wanted people to be able to immerse themselves in the experience. The team created a step-by-step simulation that replicates real-life scenarios — specifically, what it’s truly like to look for opportunities and be faced with barriers.
What is the team composition?
I worked with a product developer and an account manager, and I also interacted a bit with the CEO at the onset of the project.
How did you come to work with Wonderment Apps?
The previous president of the organization heard about Wonderment Apps through another vendor she had worked with. Wonderment Apps came across as really reliable and knowledgeable, so we considered them in our search.
We really wanted a company that was progressive in their faith and capable of finding the solution that we needed. Wonderment Apps seemed like a good fit because they understood the overarching mission of our organization, so when we won a grant during the pandemic, we decided to hire them.
How much have you invested with them?
Thus far, we’ve spent around $11,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them around May–June 2020, and it’s an ongoing partnership.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We have done some user-testing via an external partner, and the feedback and results that we’ve gathered around the app are very positive. Wonderment Apps has created something groundbreaking and successful. The simulation pulls on users’ heartstrings and gives them an opportunity to look into what other people are experiencing.
How did Wonderment Apps perform from a project management standpoint?
One of the reasons why the project is still ongoing is because their team allowed us time to properly grieve the loss of our organization’s former president. They were willing to work on our time and pick up once we were ready to resume working on the project.
Throughout that time, Wonderment Apps has been stellar. They have been very supportive and have kept us on track. They’ve also been very responsive and attentive to details and deadlines. I’ve never had to remind them of anything, so it feels like a true partnership.
Wonderment Apps utilized their own internal project management systems, but we’ve mostly collaborated via the Google Office suite. We share presentations or PDFs and also conduct our check-ins there. It’s the most convenient communication platform for us, and they’ve been very willing to adapt to it for our sake.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We’re really pushing to be more inclusive, leaning into people’s differences from an equitable lens, and they understand the importance of all of that. There aren’t many companies like that in the tech space. Wonderment Apps is really a cut above the rest in that they listen to who we are, what we need, and what roadblocks we might face. I’m forever grateful for our partnership.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, there’s nothing I can point out. In fact, they’ve been really great at anticipating our needs. Our meetings are structured so that, when one team member cannot answer, another team member will provide valuable insight. It has allowed us to deliver way ahead of the deadline.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Know what you want early on, and be fully transparent about your needs. Trust that Wonderment Apps will provide an outsider's perspective and valuable solutions. They’re creators by nature, so their approach has a lot of creativity infused into it. Appreciate that process, and be open to their suggestions.
the project
Development Outsourcing for Production Company
"They dig deep to understand the project’s objectives and make recommendations for the best way to achieve them."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m an executive producer at One Good Man Productions. We do film, television, and content production.
What challenge were you trying to address with Wonderment Apps?
I was looking to outsource development for our third-party clients, such as mobile app, websites, and more.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They collaborated on several projects with us. Whenever our external customers needed an app or media platform, I reached out to Wonderment Apps. Their process usually started with analyzing customer engagement experience and performing deep-dive analysis. The team would then lead brainstorming sessions and conduct product design and development processes. The Wonderment Apps developed a basic AR app for one of our projects. It had a QR code so that students could activate an instructional video.
They also built a digital media platform for another third-party client of ours — it was a media channel focused on financial literacy. Viewers could then subscribe and develop their own playlist. On top of that, they could watch content, get recommendations for more content based on their viewing, and more.
The team also integrated an interface with third-party companies that provide training content. At the backend, administrators could pull data and analytics to analyze user engagement, determine viewership, identify the length of engagement, determine map user journey throughout the platform, and gather some demographic data.
For some projects, they acted as an extension of our team, and for others, I recommended them to work more directly with our third-party clients, and I took on a consultant role, working very closely with them throughout the project. Wonderment Apps is now bidding on a project that we’ll be starting soon.
What is the team composition?
Ryan (CEO) is my main point of contact. He brings in the appropriate people for a project, including a project manager, account manager, and designer. During the project, our main interaction is with the project manager.
How did you come to work with Wonderment Apps?
I’ve known Ryan personally for several years. When he started his company, I knew it was a great opportunity for me to work with them. They were transparent with pricing and had reasonable rates. Above all, they provided great customer service.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent $200,000–$1 million.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together in July 2015, and it’s ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Everyone has been impressed with the design and functionality of Wonderment Apps’ work. They bring a deep knowledge of marketing and technical skills to create apps and digital platforms not found in many companies.
How did Wonderment Apps perform from a project management standpoint?
Their project management process is good, and they’re communicative. We have weekly meetings, and we also communicate through texts and screen sharing. They meet deadlines and they let us know if they can’t meet one.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re responsive rather than reactionary; they’re always calm, cool, and collected. They don’t just follow whatever their client says. Instead, they dig deep to understand the project’s objectives and make recommendations for the best way to achieve them.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They need to help their project managers understand the engagement from conception to launching in the marketplace; they need to train them to have some of the savvinesses that Ryan has on the marketing side of things since he can’t be deeply involved in every project.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Take time to do analysis and strategy before diving into the development portion of the project. Most importantly, look at the big picture and set up a schedule for reviews.
the project
Community-Based Platform Dev for Media E-Learning Company
"They've been able to produce a unique, creative platform that is custom-fit to our needs."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I'm the CTO. We offer courses and media content on wellness, personal growth and development
For what projects/services did your company hire Wonderment Apps, and what were your goals?
We hired Wonderment to build a custom video conferencing, media-streaming, and community-based platform. We wanted to have a Zoom-like experience in the browser (and eventually on mobile). We were looking for a team that combined technical skills, design skills, and knew how to build products that were fun, simple and engaging.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We spoke with 6 vendors in the bespoke software platform space. All of whom built web and mobile apps, many of whom had experience building video / media-driven platforms, e-learning systems and community features. We felt Wonderment offered the most intuitive grasp of the mission of our product and was the most willing to get inside the project with us. We were not looking for a vendor that would simply take instruction and implement. We wanted a creative partner who would work hard to build something better than we could imagine.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
We initially engaged Wonderment in the Discovery process. We discussed our mission, core business objectives, and creative objectives. They interviewed our team thoroughly and we began fleshing out the product roadmap in detail. We explored various concerns around audience, technical feasibility, and timelines. We settled on our roadmap for our initial launch then began building wireframes, user workflows and designs. As we completed the discovery process we had them make a technical build estimate to see what was needed to build the platform. This included in-depth researching of video vendor platforms for price, features and ease of implementation. They were present and engaged at each step and we have felt they were always going to bat for us to find the best solution.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
We have worked with their CEO and COO (periodically), their director of product (primarily), several project managers, QA manager, and their development manager.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
Our project is currently still under development but I can say that their product design and user workflows are very carefully thought out, they combine best modern practices with our platform goals, and they were able to capture the aesthetic we were aiming for. As far as development is concerned they have also shown to be excellent at planning out the build process, telling us what is possible from a cost and time standpoint, and remaining flexible when we have change requests.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
They use a combination of waterfall and agile, depending on the project. In our case we needed more of a waterfall at the beginning and then as the product components came together we began using a more agile approach.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
They've been able to produce a unique, creative platform that is custom-fit to our needs. They exhibit a great deal of care and finely-tuned understanding of who we are and what our objectives are, and bring in industry best practices and a great deal of experience to implement them in a technically sound, scalable way.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
I would have liked a clearer understanding of how the handoff works between the Discovery and Build phases of the project, especially in our case as we have a project with various technical unknowns and were not sure how much work would be needed to reach a clear picture of the build.
the project
Web Development & Design for Research Company
"We were impressed by the team's range of capabilities, and they were able to bring it to the execution of our project."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
At the of this project, I was the Head of the scientific research division at a nationally funded research institute.
For what projects/services did your company hire Wonderment Apps?
We were just starting a large, International project for which we had received a large grant from the national funding agency. We needed a website to act as both a marketing and communications platform for the project.
How did you select Wonderment Apps and what were the deciding factors?
We initially approached Wonderment on the basis of personal recommendations and then selected them after initial positive discussions with the team. In addition to their technical expertise, they were enthusiastic about the goals of the project and the idea of supporting an ambitious research project like ours.
Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.
Our project was quite complicated and the website needed to reach a large range of users and stakeholders. It had to provide technical information and yet be accessible. We knew what we were trying to achieve, but not how to do so through the website. Wonderment worked very actively with us through the design phase.
They helped us focus our message, design visuals to convey that message, and translate our sometimes very technical details into content that was more appropriate for a broad audience. After the extensive design work, they went from design to prototype and working website very quickly. The project manager kept everything moving forward and there was a very active back and forth during the implementation phase to refine various details and produce the final project.
We always felt that our project had their attention and that they wanted to get it right for us.
How many resources from the Wonderment Apps' team worked with you, and what were their positions?
We worked regularly with the project manager and the account manager. We also worked with 3-4 designers, artists, and technical creators during the design and implementation phases.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The project officially concluded in 2020 with excellent reviews from the national funding agency. It achieved all of the intended goals and more, and was the launch point for an even larger international project that is currently running. Our project brought together researchers from around the world and the website was a crucial tool in coordinating the efforts of the team and achieving that ultimate success.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
We found the workflow very easy and effective. There was frequent communication by email and video calls. The project manager kept things moving and was always quick to respond and followup on actions.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
We were impressed by the team's range of capabilities, and they were able to bring it to the execution of our project. They helped us not only with the design, but also creating and refining the content. Most impressive was the way they integrated their team with ours. Once the project was up and running, it quickly came to feel like a single integrated team which is all the more impressive given the geographical separation of the groups involved.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
I can honestly not think of anything to recommend. I'd happily work with this group again.
the project
Web Dev & Design for Internet Postage Provider
"They were really adept when it came to understanding complex requirements."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I was the CTO for Stamps.com, an internet postage provider, where I worked for 15 years. During that time, I was responsible for all of IT and software development.
What challenge were you trying to address with Wonderment Apps?
We needed a more rapid web development pipeline because our ability to deploy content to the web has become slow and cumbersome, so we looked for Wonderment to accelerate that. We also wanted them to provide some design suggestions and try to visually improve the look and feel of Stamps.com.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We’ve had multiple projects with Wonderment, including taking over one of our websites for our first project. It’s an online store where you can use to purchase stamps with your own uploaded photos — so it was like a custom product workflow website.
The initial phase of the project was the provision of requirements and the design. Since Wonderment had a background in design, they pitched us some design and layout recommendations to enhance our website aesthetically. Our product team liked a lot of their suggestions, so we incorporated them into the requirements and moved on to the development phase.
Wonderment took over for an existing team during the development phase. They spent a period of time getting up to speed and learning the regular maintenance releases. Once they gained a bit of confidence, they took it over and did the redesign plans. After that, they started doing ongoing maintenance, and kept the responsibilities for that entire set of servers.
The website was built on a platform that we were already using called ETG, and it was developed using Java with an HTML layer. They worked within the framework of what we already had.
What is the team composition?
Back when I was still there, I believe we worked with about ten people, but based on my understanding, their footprints within Stamps.com have grown considerably since then.
How did you come to work with Wonderment Apps?
I had known one of the founders from a previous relationship where we collaborated on and off, while he was still a full-time employee from his previous employer. I had already developed confidence in him as an individual when he decided to leave and start his own business. I believe I was one of his early phone calls, and probably their company’s second client.
How much have you invested with them?
I believe we spent somewhere around $2 million while I worked there.
What is the status of this engagement?
I retired in 2018, and by that point, we were already a year into our partnership. We started working with them in May 2017, and they never stopped working with Stamps.com so it’s still ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
It was a tough job where they had to go in and take over a system that had issues, it needed a deep redesign that was very complex due to the custom product workflow, so it’s not just a matter of buying and selling things. Therefore, my general feedback is that they were really adept when it came to understanding complex requirements, and adapting to existing systems. I also thought their design feedback was incredible and their coding was stable and reliable.
How did Wonderment Apps perform from a project management standpoint?
The way they managed the project was good. They ran a parallel project management team to our team, and they came in on time and on budget, so I couldn’t have been happier. Our teams both had Jira implementations, so we would communicate indirectly through Jira tickets. They would also visit us weekly, so we had good face-to-face contact with their chief technologist.
Moreover, we had contact with the other founder who did some of the business and design work.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I was very impressed with their platform flexibility, as they have experience with most major technologies. We had a very diverse set of technologies in the portfolio, and they were able to speak intelligently about all those things. Additionally, their development speed was faster than ours, and their ability to weigh in on design was what probably sold the rest of our team on hiring them.
They were also aware of newer technologies that we weren’t using, and they made some suggestions for ways to enhance our technologies that weren’t on our radar.
Are there any areas they could improve?
If anything would be different, I would’ve wanted them to ramp up faster back then. At the time, our issue early on was we wanted to grow, but they were just starting and were still getting their initial infrastructure built. I imagine that’s already been resolved and they have a really steady flow of candidates by now.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
My advice would be to make sure that you bring them all the way into your organization, and have them collaborate on a peer-to-peer basis with the corresponding members of your team. You really want Wonderment in your organization and allow them to become part of your team.
the project
Homepage & PDP Dev for Coffee Company
"I appreciated the weekly walk-throughs of progress, we could actually view the site and ask questions in real-time."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the Director of Digital Marketing at Copper Cow Coffee. Our product consists of pre-filled Vietnamese coffee filters paired with sweetened condensed milk creamers. I oversee all marketing activations, primarily focused on acquisition efforts.
For what projects/services did your company hire Wonderment Apps, and what were your goals?
We worked with Wonderment to build a new homepage experience and new PDPs. A pain point of ours is education as our product is fairly new to the US marketing. Our in-house designer worked to create mock-ups based on PDP best practices and integrating more educational elements. Wonderment then implemented these designs on our Shopify storefront.
How did you select Wonderment Apps and what were the deciding factors?
A recommendation from our in-house designer brought us to Wonderment Apps. While we were vetting other freelance developers and agencies, Wonderment was always the quickest to respond and provided clear answers, timelines, etc. We felt confident with our scope of work and what to expect in our conversations, which was something we did not feel from the others we were speaking too.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
Our key deliverables were a new homepage build, as well as new product description pages. Our store is hosted on Shopify, and the team was mindful of our current tech stack, including Recharge, Okendo, etc. It was also important to us that the pages be easily editable as we do not have an in-house developer. Wonderment made sure to keep this in mind during the build.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
We worked largely with the Director of Product. He hosted weekly calls as well as provided weekly updates. On a few occasions, the lead developer would also join the calls to provide more granular details.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
We immediately saw a sizable increase in our overall conversion rates as well as time spent on site. Bounce rates also slightly decreased. We immediately heat-mapped our PDPs and noticed that 40%+ mobile users were making it to the bottom of the page, despite the overall increase in content hosted on those pages. The pages are also incredibly easy to edit, which is a big plus for our small team!
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.
We communicated mainly over email and had weekly calls with the Director of Product. Any changes to the timelines, asset needs, etc were quickly communicated to both myself and our designer.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
I appreciated the weekly walk-throughs of progress, we could actually view the site and ask questions in real time. I also really appreciated updates on how far we were in our scope/spend so we were always clear on our overall budget.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
There was a minor issue when we first launched (the images on the PDPs would not load on mobile depending on connection speed, etc), but their team was incredibly quick to pinpoint the issue and implement a response.
the project
Web Design for Managing Consulting Group
"Wonderment Apps did a good job at thoroughly developing the look and feel I wanted on the website."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the managing partner at a managing consulting group. We do operational excellence projects in the energy sector. We work with our clients to improve cost savings, efficiency, productivity, leadership, and safety.
We specialize in conducting operational diagnostics to identify the root causes of the challenges faced by organizations when working. Then, we work with the organization to develop mitigation strategies to help resolve the challenges that they’re up against.
What challenge were you trying to address with Wonderment Apps?
I was trying to create a new website and rebrand our organization. I hired Wonderment Apps to develop a new design and website with a modern look and feel to attract my target demographic.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We went through the process of flushing out the key priorities of my business including the messaging, the look, and the feel I wanted. Wonderment Apps then helped design the backend system and the overall website for my organization. The team used WordPress to develop the website.
What is the team composition?
There are three people who work with us. We work with Ryan (Co-Founder & Partner), a project manager, and a team member who’s working on the backend.
How did you come to work with Wonderment Apps?
We found them through word of mouth. A friend of mine referred me to Ryan and his company.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve invested $25,000–$30,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project started in October 2015 and it’s ongoing. It’s an on-and-off engagement; the website is done, but I go to them when there are updates and maintenance needed.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I don’t have specific metrics, since most of the feedback is qualitative rather than quantitative. My business has grown steadily in the last five years and I can’t attribute that to something specific such as the site. However, the website is a good tool that supports me in growing my business. Wonderment Apps did a good job at thoroughly developing the look and feel I wanted on the website.
How did Wonderment Apps perform from a project management standpoint?
Wonderment Apps performs well. I’m happy with the three individuals that I work with. They’re responsive and it’s a good working experience. We use their project management tools to guide the project.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The involvement of senior leadership in the project is important. It’s not just a project that once you get on board, you’ll be handed down and be forgotten. I appreciate Ryan's involvement in the project.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Double-check grammatical errors when posting content. Acting as a second set of their eyes to see wording and grammatical errors; I think they missed those before and it required extra effort on my part to go through sentences — that took a lot of time and effort on my side.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be clear with your priorities and with the look and feel that you’re going after. If you can clarify your vision ahead of time, they’ll do a good job executing it.
the project
Web Development for E-Commerce Site
"They’re available around the clock."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We provide a SaaS platform that allows people to print postage and shipping labels from their home or office. We also have an e-commerce component, selling scales, printers, and shipping labels to shippers and mailers. I’m the product manager at the company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Wonderment Apps?
They’re helping us with the e-commerce side of the business. We had an in-house team, but it wasn’t working out that well, and we needed a replacement.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Wonderment Apps has been doing ongoing maintenance and feature enhancement for our two stores. They’ve also been helping us with the WordPress marketing sites we have in place. They were involved in launching two new career websites for our subsidiaries.
One of our recent projects was to migrate an e-commerce site for photo stamps from a legacy system to a Shopify one.
What is the team composition?
We have 8–10 people from Wonderment working on the e-commerce part, including developers, QA testers, and a team lead. A couple of them are shared with other projects.
We have one lead and one assistant developer and a couple of QA people on the WordPress side of things. I oversee their work in both areas.
How did you come to work with Wonderment Apps?
This goes back to before my time with the company. Our CTO brought them on as a replacement to the existing in-house team.
What is the status of this engagement?
They’ve been involved with us since 2015. The photo stamps project started around October 2018, and it was officially launched in August 2019. The WordPress careers websites project started in June or July 2020, and it had a short runtime. They’re still providing maintenance for us.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We launched the photo stamps site in 2019, and it turned out to be very successful and profitable. It was a huge project, and I give kudos to Wonderment for their hard work on it.
We saw a 20–25% bump in our conversion rate after launching the new site. The old one wasn’t doing that great, and the difference in conversions was day and night. This goes to how well the new site was developed.
We’ve done a lot of enhancements and optimizations to the e-commerce sites, and we’ve seen an uptick in orders and order values from 2015, when Wonderment took over, till now.
Wonderment delivered on time and on budget, and they met all our expectations.
How did Wonderment Apps perform from a project management standpoint?
Their team has been very responsive to us. They’re available around the clock, even though it’s not required of them. They’ve been good in terms of overall communication and status reporting.
They have internal project managers, and we have weekly check-ins with the business and development teams. Wonderment is present on our company Slack channels, where we can discuss anything on the fly. We also have an escalation channel set up, where we can reach out to them outside working hours.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They don’t try to oversell themselves. Whenever we go to Wonderment with a problem or a new project, they’ll try to reason with us as a partner. They focus on the good of our company rather than the value of the service.
From a development team standpoint, the availability they’ve shown is impressive. We’ve had issues where we had to contact them at 3 a.m. their time, and they were willing to help right away.
Are there any areas they could improve?
One of the things I’d critique is the overall testing. We had some bumps when we first started. The testing wasn’t being done that well, and we found a lot of issues. Wonderment Apps has improved a lot over time, and they’ve brought in some quality folks from the testing world.
Things are great now, but I’d still like to see test automation. We have a lot of manual testing in place, and things can be missed in-between. There are a lot of automated tests and scripts that can be written these days, and I’d expect to see this going forward. This way, we could improve speed as well as quality.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
Clients should share their needs and try to see how Wonderment Apps can fit in with their company. Having an official requirements document can also be extremely beneficial.
the project
Custom Software Dev for Financial Literacy Nonprofit
“They take the time to understand your business and goals, before diving into the project.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the executive director of a nonprofit focused on making financial literacy engaging, fun, and accessible to all. We also look to inspire entrepreneurship.
What challenge were you trying to address with Wonderment Apps?
We were looking to bring entertainment to our target audience, which are GenZ and Millennials. We wanted to engage them, make them interested in learning financial concepts, and connecting them to learning resources.
We needed a platform that would not only deliver this information to our audience but also give us the analytic tools to see which things had the highest impact on our audience.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They helped us with conception, designing, and laying out all of the requirements for the system that we’d need. For that part, they worked closely with our internal design team. Then, we moved to a phase that involved executing and building the system, based on those requirements. Features include a video player, a resource of learning applications, and an analytics panel. Now, they do maintenance and add new features.
What is the team composition?
We work with Ryan (Co-founder & Partner), and two other members from their team.
How did you come to work with Wonderment Apps?
They were referred to us, and were one of two companies we looked into.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together in June 2019, and our work is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The work is excellent, and they’ve been a pleasure to collaborate with. They kept us updated on the progress along the way, worked with us on any challenges along the way, and they’ve been open and transparent to work with.
How did Wonderment Apps perform from a project management standpoint?
Their ability to meet deadlines has been very good. The team’s road mapping of new features has been really good, too. Overall, their communication and responsiveness have been great.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They take the time to understand your business and goals, before diving into the project. The team is very thoughtful in making sure the service they provide is the one you want. Additionally, they bring their experience to the table to help think things through.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, we’ve had a really positive experience.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
My advice is to have really clear goals on what you want to achieve; it’ll help determine which actions to take once they start the project.
the project
Development for Media Brokerage Platform Company
"They hit all deadlines and communicated well."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder and CEO of Storied Media Group.
What challenge were you trying to address with Wonderment Apps?
They created a SaaS platform called Story Scout.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They helped us from the very beginning, providing us design work and building the system.
What is the team composition?
There was a project manager who managed a group in Belarus.
How did you come to work with Wonderment Apps?
I found them through a contact who thought they’d be good for what we needed. They had a background in entertainment, which was good.
How much have you invested with them?
Between $250,000 and $500,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The work started in 2018 and is ongoing. They continue to tweak and update the product.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I was very happy with what we did. The architecture of the site and the price were great. Their transparency was solid.
How did Wonderment Apps perform from a project management standpoint?
The project management was good. They hit all deadlines and communicated well.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Everyone says it’s great and easy to use.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t think so
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I was very pleased to recommend them to others.
Wonderment Apps’ simulations have received high praise for their heartfelt portrayal of real-life scenarios. The team has demonstrated a deep alignment with the organization’s mission, and, despite internal setbacks on the client’s end, they’ve kept the project well on track.