Essential Designs

The phase 1 project included our brand identity strategy, setting up wireframes for the site, designing the site, developing it and then launching it. Everything was tested and then we went live. The phase 2 project will include building out a inventory management system and connecting to a few important tools we need like quickbooks. Our bookings rates have gone up tremendously. And our customer retention is much higher as well. Those customers now come back to the site whereas in the past, the vast majority of customers were not. On a monthly basis we do a sit-down with the team to analyze what areas we can still improve on so it's an ongoing process to try and better ourselves each day.

Essential Design was involved from early user persona creation, through the design process, and ultimately completed development and deployment. Using our prototype and notes as a blueprint, they designed and developed our SASS MVP to completion: User Research UI/UX Design (Figma) Front-End Development (React) Back-End Development (.NET Core) QA Testing Integration of Third-Party API's Deployment of MVP A project manager was responsible for keeping things on track. We held regular meetings to discuss project status, answer questions, and demo features as they were developed. Essential Design was very good at keeping track of our requests, concerns, and questions and took care of issues promptly. During the course of this project, they were very willing to accommodate us in adopting a workflow that best fit our needs. The project roadmap was always clear, even as requirements changed.

Essential Designs has helped us install infrastructure to help with cybersecurity and our entire cloud-based system. Before starting the work, we provided context about our company and any documentation they needed to learn about us and get the whole process started. Additionally, they redesigned and developed our website. We already had a site in place but decided to scrap it and get a new one, which Essential Designs created from scratch. The platform is encrypted and has more modern features than the older one, with a more secure and contemporary look. The quality of their work was incredible; each person we dealt with was extremely smart and skilled. Also, we could always see what they were doing and they held our hands at every step. Additionally, thanks to their work, we were able to brand out more as a business, make our website faster, and improve the flow of our website traffic.

We had a meeting a with their president and project manager. We provided them with a list of our expectations and a list of things that weren’t working. We asked them to make the pages user-friendly and bug-free as much as possible, as well as do some graphic design and layout for the UI pages. We decided to go with WordPress for the main webpage because we want to be able to update it ourselves. For the webstore, they will be taking care of the design from scratch and it will be done through OpenCart. We are looking forward to having functionality that isn’t currently part of the OpenCart site, such an inventory counting. We make and produce our own DVDs, and we need certain features for accounting and other departments, such as tracking transfers between warehouses or checking the stock. Essential Designs is going to develop those from scratch. They’re doing a great job. Communication is great. Everything is documented and clear. I receive great support from them.

They created everything from top to bottom. We went back and forth for what felt like two years and drew out exactly what I wanted the site to look like. They made templates and sent screenshots of where visual assets should go and the different layers underneath. They provided a skeleton of the entire site; then, we went into detail on each page. There was a customer view and an administrative back page where I could keep track of everything behind the scenes and manipulate both sides of the platform. We were most excited by the live feed option. We could toggle between the back page and the broadcast page to see viewership spikes and loads. They made sure that everything was flawless, right down to the tiny details. They were very involved and offered a variety of choices for the CMS and other key features. We relied on their expertise. We did a dry run with a few acquaintances to test it. Everyone felt it was well done and feedback is great overall.

We worked with two people, including Scott (President, Essential Designs), who organized the work. I worked with him on setting the scope, and I then worked with one of their project managers. They took our app, updated its code to the latest Google API, and changed its font. Updating features wasn’t required in this particular project. The process was pretty smooth; they were responsive and happy to make small changes that we required but hadn’t described in the beginning. We had a timeline for the project, but we didn’t provide any documentation. We used a standard project management tool, Basecamp, which allowed us to send replies using email while providing an online interface. They were joy to work with.

Essential Designs is responsible for our product’s frontend development. They interact with a couple of our other outsourced development teams to produce the end product. Essential Designs’ initial project was to build a web-based admin UI, or a web account center. My team provided documentation and presentations around the goals of our product and what was important to our buyers and users. We also had remote sessions with their UX designer discussing use cases. Their team built out full UX mockups based on those sessions and the information we provided. They’ve also developed an iOS and Android app for our end users. So far, the results are good. The functionality in general works and matches what we’re looking for. The team grasps the requirements.

Essential Designs has designed and developed our web and mobile applications. During the design phase, Essential Designs used Figma to produce the app’s design and to collect our team’s feedback. Our platform is a database that matches candidates with job opportunities. Clients create job postings, and the platform has a search algorithm that matches candidates based on the role and location. Then, the platform sends a push notification to the candidate’s mobile device, who can declare their interest in the position right there. If the candidate is interested, the client receives a notification to review the candidate’s profile. They developed a beta version of our platform and is close to launching it. The mobile app works for Android and iOS devices, and I just signed a three-year contract with Essential Designs for continuous software development, technical support, and maintenance services. I have a 24 hours coverage if there are any technical issues with the platform.

Essential Designs first worked with us on a small embedded device for commercial users. Their team created the GUI, developing the graphics and interactions for users. We then integrated their work into the device. It joined seamlessly and worked without issue. We’re now working on a Linux gateway together using Embedded C and Erlang. On our most recent project, Essential Designs beat our deadline despite some scope changes from our end client—an impressive feat

Essential Designs took on the job of designing and developing the app. They worked on the look and feel of the app, made sure it worked well on the front and back ends, connected it with social media platforms, and tested it thoroughly to fix any issues. They also provided ongoing support to help us after the app was launched. The main things they delivered were an app that was easy to use, looked good, connected with social media platforms smoothly, and had tools to manage marketing campaigns efficiently.