Zesty

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Online Content Editor at the Technological University of the Shannon which was formed in October 2021 after the merging of AIT (Athlone Institute of Technology) and LIT (Limerick Institute of Technology). My main duties revolve around the maintenance of our interim www.tus.ie website which currently acts as the 'go-between' website between www.ait.ie and www.lit.ie. I also manage the www.lit.ie website.

For what projects/services did your company hire Zesty?

Zesty were contracted to build an interim website for the newly formed Technological University of the Shannon (TUS). The key aim of this project was to provide a linking website between the two merging institutes: AIT and LIT.

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

In 2019, Zesty were contracted to build a new website for LIT. The successful delivery of this project on top of the professionalism of Zesty was a major factor in them being awarded with the TUS interim website project.

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

After initial discussions with key stakeholders we developed a comprehensive Information Architecture for the proposed new website. It was important that the IA covered all the key areas from both merging institutions and that it was all displayed in a very slick, user friendly design.

One of the key contributing factors to the success of this project was the outstanding level of communication and experience provided by the Zesty Project Manager - Terry. Terry continued to provide all the key guidance and information required from either side of the project.

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

As noted above, my main communication on this project was with Project Manager Terry. Other discussions and inputs were given by a number of Developers and Designers.

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

The tight deadline of a couple of months for this project was a challenge as all elements of the project needed to run smoothly in order to launch the website on the same day as the launch of the new Technological University. Zesty's experience and ability to push through road blocks was a key success factor to the project.

As stated earlier, the influence of Zesty Project Manager Terry can not be under emphasised. Terry was available to speak with at any time of day or evening and was always quick to work through any issues which arose. The reaction to the launch of the website was completely positive.

The website represented the new Technological University brand in an online space for the very first time. These type of launches can easily be deemed a failure from poor design and lack of consistency. Zesty made sure all boxes were ticked in this regards before launch on October 1st.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

As stated previously, Terry was the key realm of communication and support throughout this project. His ability to quickly deal with any situation resulted in a very smooth workflow between us and Zesty.

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

Because this was the second project I had worked on with Zesty I was already familiar with their level of knowledge and design ability in relation to website development, however, I have to say that the inclusion of Terry on this project was a major improvement. Although communication between ourselves and Zesty on the previous LIT project was good. Terry's ability to manage the project brought the customer experience with Zesty to a different level.

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

Like most projects there are often items that may be overlooked in the scope or not recognised as issues, until they become an issue. One grey area that arose on this particular project was the inclusion of a course search filter. We believed that this was requested at the outset however Zesty stated that it was not.

This slight roadblock was quickly worked through because of the willingness from both sides to complete the project effectively and the strong partnership which had been built up between both sides on this project and the previous one.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief executive of Visit Somerset. We’re the official destination management organization (DMO) for Somerset County and we represent the visitor economy, which is worth 1.3 billion pounds and 34,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

What challenge were you trying to address with Zesty?

We were looking for a new digital vision that would creatively represent the county and reflect it’s beauty, diversity, and the excitement we offer to both international and domestic markets.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Zesty started by conducting market research to fully understand what consumers wanted and our members’ expectations. Using that information, they created a design that would show how the site would look. Then they developed the site on Kentico and populated the new site from the old site, transferring thousands of pages and dealing with 404 errors.

What is the team composition?

We’re currently working with 4–5 people who are ensuring that the site is running properly.

How did you come to work with Zesty?

Zesty worked with other DMOs in the UK and we found them through a public sector procurement partner. We hired them because they were passionate and enthusiastic about their brand. They were the only service provider we talked to who proposed a creative and exciting solution that wasn’t off the shelf.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between £25,000–£30,000 (approx. $32,000­–$38,000).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project around June 2018 and launched a year later in June 2019. However, they’re still providing ongoing maintenance.

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

We’ve seen double-digit growth in page views compared to the same month the previous year. They developed a refreshing design that accurately depicts Somerset County. Members have commented on how beautiful the site looks and how it stands out creatively. Since the site only launched a few months ago, the results have exceeded our expectations.

How did Zesty perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated daily during development, and they were always there when we needed it. During the project, they never told us that we exceeded our hours, and instead helped us achieve our goals. They were conscientious of our tight budget and created cost-effective solutions.
It was an exciting process, and we’re like a big family now. They have a team of passionate people who were committed to delivering a quality output for us. Now that we are simply improving and maintaining the site, we don’t have to communicate as regularly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by their ability to relate to us, understand our needs, and work towards the bigger picture.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had a few opportunities to really nail things down, especially when it comes to transferring content, doing all the appropriate work to limit errors moving from one platform to another. That being said, they provided much more support than our last providers.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

For projects similar to ours, be careful and avoid risks when transferring pages—you want everything to be done as accurately as possible.