PopArt Studio

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Volchkov Consulting is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and we also have an office in Belgrade, Serbia. We’re an IT and information security consultancy, and we’ve started a new business for retirement consultancy in Switzerland. These are two completely separate businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PopArt Studio?

The challenge was to develop a completely new, interactive application with a backend database that would allow people to input data concerning their retirement plans. We would calculate retirement provisions based on that data. This isn’t a well-known field in places like England or the US, but we have different options in Switzerland for choosing how we’ll finance our retirement.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PopArt Studio has developed two websites for my different businesses. They developed a WordPress site for the IT and information security consultancy. Then, they developed a web app and company website for the retirement consultancy. I don’t remember the name of the technology used, but PopArt specifically chose it because it works well for interactive web apps.

I described the logical workflow of the screens and made a first design of the app’s behavior, which PopArt based the UX/UI design on. 

What is the team composition?

I only worked with the project manager from their side, who was managing 2–3 developers. It was ideal for me to have a single point of contact there.

How did you come to work with PopArt Studio?

The first website they developed was much less complicated than the current one. I had a discussion with PopArt about the new site, and they gave me a budget and timeframe proposition.

I asked them a few questions and showed them a prototype of what I wanted to have. I have an IT background, so I knew which questions to ask. We went through the concept, and their response was yes to 90% of the scope. There were only a few things they weren’t able to do, and I appreciated the fact that they told me. For example, they weren’t able to make some calculations with Excel and bring back the results.

How much have you invested with them?

The second project was the bigger one, and it cost around €7,000 (approximately $8,300 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

My first project with them started in 2018, and it was finished in a couple of months.

We started this second project in March or April 2019, and we finished around the same time in 2020. They continue to maintain the platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

PopArt made a very beautiful design based on the business problem I presented. Our latest project involved building 20 web pages, with a lot of logic and data exchange in the background. I would say that it’s quite a complicated web application, and I believe that this kind of work couldn’t be done elsewhere for the same price and within the same amount of time. The development was done very well.

How did PopArt Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

The application is really complicated, but the timeline was still longer than I believe it should’ve been. They did their best, but there was no fixed timeframe. We built it in different phases, and it went okay, but it took a little longer than I wanted it to. I wouldn’t qualify this as a negative point for PopArt, but I do recommend working with fixed deadlines and maybe setting up penalties for missing them.

PopArt stuck to the budget we set in the beginning despite making a couple of changes during the project. It was a very good price compared to what I would’ve paid in Switzerland. PopArt is very competitive in terms of design and development. The development phase was okay, but we had to test multiple times and go through several iterations. PopArt delivered very well in the end, but their development capacity is a bit below their design one. Both are high-ranking, though.

We divided the project into several chunks, and then we went through those chunks and verified everything. There was one project manager in contact with me, which was very good. The only problem was that the phases weren’t well-defined in terms of time; they were more open-ended. I will certainly work with them on my next project, but I’ll ask them to be stricter with deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their design skills, willingness to work, and accessibility. PopArt was very open, and I could call them at any time of the day.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be stricter with project planning and defining deadlines. I do understand that specifications would also need to be very precise in order for this to happen. If the client isn’t sure what they want, it’ll be impossible to be strict with deadlines. The problem was that they didn’t really know the domain we were talking about, so they couldn’t make actual fixed deadlines.

I don’t have a real negative for them. PopArt delivered 100%, and I’m happy with what they did.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

My suggestion is to develop a prototype with well-defined workflows, even if it isn’t too well-designed. The client can go to PopArt with just a general idea for a website, but it will take longer to build.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of business development for Corserva.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PopArt Studio?

We were primarily looking for a cutting edge, complete agency that could write our website based on our specifications, and not just from a template. We didn’t want a prepackaged solution; we wanted something that was totally custom.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PopArt Studio implemented a full design service. In terms of direction, we gave them some rough initial concepts, some example websites, and motion graphics. We gave them a color palette to work with, and they also came back with suggestions. 

We flushed out those ideas and they wrote custom code for a WordPress website. They also used CSS and did the frontend design work. Because they don’t have a motion graphics designer onsite, we found someone on Upwork and had PopArt Studio coordinate directly with that motion graphics designer.

They were able to create the six big graphics that we used on the site. In addition to the design, the team also did the coding and SEO, and they combined and linked all those elements together by tying everything back to our blog and service portal. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with the main coordinator in sales, a graphic designer, and a coder. There were also more people working behind the scenes, but I worked directly with four teammates.

How did you come to work with PopArt Studio?

I found them on Clutch where they were ranked very highly. I was looking specifically for a company in Serbia. Serbian design firms are very avant-garde, and they give you a lot of bang for your buck. 

There are also a lot of graphic art designers, as well as lots of talent over there. We looked at agencies here in the US, but they wanted to charge us roughly 3–5 times what PopArt Studio was charging for the same work. I believe in buying American, but when you’re talking about such a huge difference, that’s a lot of money.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in late May 2020. We were able to get the work that we had done with a minimum of 200– 250 hours by the final week of July 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We worked a lot for two full months to get the work done. When you look at the site, the volume of copy and the workload on both sides of the aisle were immense. It was a team effort and it took a lot of work to get that accomplished. 

My goal was to get it done in two months, and we were able to achieve our goal. I probably could have stretched it to three months or four months, but we really needed to get it done during this COVID-19 time, while things are down a little bit. 

PopArt Studio was very good at giving specific directions and not letting us put our foot in a mud puddle. They were great at keeping us out of trouble. If they didn’t think something was going to help the site, they would recommend a couple of different plugins. 

The team really wasn’t afraid of saying we should do things a certain way if we wanted it to perform the way we wanted it to. They told us what we need to do if we wanted to do proper SEO. They weren’t afraid to truly be a partner versus just an order-taker.

PopArt Studio gave us great feedback and we had great alignment the whole time, so we’re continuing to use them. Because of this engagement, they're now updating all of our eBooks, and they are doing the presentation templates for our rebranding. They’re going to be actively involved, which exemplifies their capabilities.

How did PopArt Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

PopArt Studio was extremely competent in working with the motion graphics designer. They managed the project from start to finish, and it was seamless. I can’t say enough good things about them. They were phenomenal, and they always met their timelines. 

The team always hit their metrics, and we finished the website ahead of time. We added more and our goal was to finish by July 8th, and we added a whole other section of pages. We pushed it an extra two weeks, but they could’ve easily met their timeline. 

The fact that they were able to finish the additional volume of pages we gave them was phenomenal. Everyone was just stunned by the way they were able to manage the project and stay within the timeline.

I was on the phone with them at 3 a.m. EST, which is in the morning their time. We spent a lot of hours on the phone and had a lot of back and forth over Slack. It was a lot of work, but the result was phenomenal. Hard work pays off, but you have to have good talent, and PopArt Studio is made up of a very talented crew.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are very innovative. When you look at the website, it doesn’t look like other websites. It’s clean and smooth, and the transitions are like butter. Everything is phenomenal.

We are an Apple dealer and one of the comments we got from an executive at Apple was that it looked slick and was very dynamic and modern. He told us that the placement was nice and that it was good work.

Another executive at Apple told us that it was the most modern and beautiful site they had seen in tech. He said that the transitions were flawless and that the information was clear and actionable. It’s much nicer than the huge websites, which is very impressive.

It also looks great on the browser, but when you pull the website up on a mobile phone, it will impress you. The motion graphics run on a phone, and that’s rare. It’s unbelievably impressive. People are just blown away by the way it looks.

One of the most impressive things about them is their coding capability in regards to responsive design. A website can look great on a browser but you have to be able to really code it and make sure that it lines up and runs well on everything from a basic phone all the way to an advanced one, like the iPhone 11 Pro Max, or even an iPad.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Anytime you have separate cultures trying to work together when English isn’t the first language, it’s a struggle. There is a chance that when you’re trying to convey something over Slack or in a written form, it won’t be as clear. 

We started doing screenshots on Slack for what didn’t work and what we would like to see, which alleviated the issue. The team experienced communication problems when we went back and forth very quickly on Slack with English communication.

It wasn’t necessarily a negative; it’s just something that happens when dealing with two different countries. I don’t have anything negative to say about them. Once we worked through that, we were good. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you know what you want. They’re not mind-readers. It’s very tough to go to somebody and not know what you want but tell them that you’ll know it when you see it. That is one of the toughest things for a design team because you really have to break it down. 

Things work best when you’ve already flushed out your first level of ideas so that it can give them some directional aspects on which to focus. That will aid your speed. For example, we were very hard-pressed. We had to have 40 photos that needed to be obtained through Shutterstock or one of the stock image platforms.

PopArt Studio told us that they weren’t going to be able to make that target. Because I knew what I wanted, I got the photos for them by Sunday night so that they would be ready to go on Monday. 

The most important thing when you are working with a company like this is that you have to understand that you are part of the team. Everyone is part of the team. If you are part of the team, then you can do amazing things like having a website that looks like ours that was created in 60 days.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Currently, I am the COO for the Feel-Better project. I have been working here since the very beginning. Our project is an online community and mental health forum that was founded for people who are looking for help and to communicate with other people with similar experiences about their mental health issues, life issues, and other well-being and personal growth subjects. The project was founded by a psychiatrist from Denmark.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PopArt Studio?

The first thing we wanted was to create a safe, secure, and well-functioning platform that would be easy to use for people who are our clients and visitors. We were looking for a company that could accomplish that and help us a little bit with marketing and reach a great number of clients worldwide as we aren’t just focused on Denmark or Europe. We want to be visible to people all over the globe.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We contacted PopArt Studio to help us with marketing activities and to create a well-functioning website. The scope of our project changed from a doctor listing site to a chat forum during development.

After we reached out to them, they proposed a design to us with a frontend and how the platform would look. They showed us what the best solution would be for our wishes and that was how we worked. In addition, they took care of the backend solution and all the other features. They did the complete website development, not only for this site but also for the owner of the project. From start to finish, they gave us all the solutions.

They maintained our social networks, and they did SEO to make our site more visible. They were doing copywriting as well as other content writing on the website and helped us promote the website to a wider audience.

What is the team composition?

We mostly had contact with the project manager who was the first person we had communication with. The communication is constant and still ongoing. We also were in contact with their marketing team, frontend and backend developers, and their SEO specialist. We also were in contact with the graphic designers about solutions that we were implementing on the platform.

How did you come to work with PopArt Studio?

We found them online. We were searching for the best agencies and they were one of the best that showed up in the search results. We decided to contact them. We also found other people that worked with them and were really satisfied which made it an easy decision when we decided to go with them because we already had expectations that they were going to be good for us.

How much have you invested in them?

I think it is a little more than $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2017, and we are still working with them and have an ongoing connection. I cannot remember the exact dates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped us reach many customers. People really like our content and people like to visit our pages. They are really satisfied with the content we provide on our social media pages as well as our website. People are responding really well to all the things that PopArt Studio has been providing us with.

The final results are always the best. They always respect our wishes and they always finish their tasks, respect our deadlines, and do the best they can. I don’t think they could change anything.

How did PopArt Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We have great communication with them. We use email and also have Skype meetings often with the project manager. We can also contact them via the phone. They are really organized and responsive.

The communication with the team is so smooth and I couldn’t imagine a better team to communicate with. They are always ready to help and provide us with a solution or an idea around how to work in a new direction. They are really there for us.

Not many companies are as easily reachable as PopArt Studio. They will immediately do whatever we need. That is something that I just cannot stress enough. It is so helpful when you have someone on hand that will help you in any situation.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are really committed and professional and that is something that isn’t easily found in other places. Whenever I have a problem, doubt, or anything that I need help with, they are always there for me. They are always easily reachable and we can always discuss what is important for us. They are really helping us with their great diligence and commitment.

They don’t function like a provider of a service; they are way more friendly than any other company that we had contact with. PopArt Studio truly understood the value and the core of the project, and they have a more friendly approach. It was really an extraordinary experience for us. It was what made the difference between PopArt Studio and other agencies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think there is anything they can improve or do differently because the quality of the work that they are providing is really good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would just recommend being open to their suggestions and see what they offer. Be open with their wishes because PopArt Studio will always do their best to ensure their client is satisfied with their work.

Clients can openly require everything they need because there isn’t anything that they can’t help you with. Maintain a friendly relationship with the manager and they will do their best to make sure their customer is satisfied.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of The Golden Spartan and The Golden Goddess - two global brands manufacturing home-made, natural cosmetics for men and women. The Golden Spartan is a cosmetic line dedicated to the care of men, specifically beard, hair, body and tattoo care products. Led by the success of our initial venture, we began producing a wide range of cosmetics for women – The Golden Goddess, made out of natural ingredients, in small series and controlled batches.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with the vendor?

Our brand serves a great number of clients worldwide, so the challenge we were to overcome was for our websites to possess quality, stability, and accessibility for all our clients and visitors. We were looking for a digital agency that could help us create a high-end, beautiful, and responsive website that would be the leader in the cosmetics and care industry.
Besides, we needed for our website to have an online store section, with integrated payment methods and courier service.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We partnered with PopArt Studio whose their team proposed several creative options for the website, designed wireframes, and mockups. After agreeing on the final design, they went on writing custom code for the website and created a simple and easy CMS for our later company
use.
PopArt Studio did a custom web design and complete website development of three of our websites – The Golden Spartan, The Golden Goddess, and Credicom International, an international trading company that deals with raw materials for the production of paints andvarnishes, refractory materials and materials for finishing construction works.
Besides creating, PopArt Studio currently does maintenance, Search Engine Optimization and Digital Marketing services for the three of our websites. Their team built a fully-functioning,
fast, and unique eCommerce solutions, for the two of our cosmetics brands, which offerdifferent payment options for our clients .Of course, PopArt Studio is readily available to our team whenever we need certain changes,
addition of features and options on our websites, etc.

What is the team composition?

For our project, we had a dedicated project manager, with whom we had a fruitful and constant communication. Also, there was a web and graphic designer, and a fronted and backend developer, and SEO specialists with whom we all had direct and transparent communication.
We also kept in touch with PopArt Studio’s CEO who made sure we were satisfied with the progress and results of our project.

How did you come to work with the vendor?

We initially heard about PopArt Studio from several friends, who are also small and medium business owners, who all had a very positive experience with their team and had all the best to say regarding their work and results.
Before contacting them, I conducted a search of my own. For the specific keywords, they appeared first on Google, and while going through their website, I found it very informative and
straight-forward.

How much have you invested with them? 

I believe we spent around $60,000 since the beginning of our cooperation.
What is the status of this engagement?
Both our websites are finished in time and performing great in terms of traffic and conversions.
Currently, we are still collaborating with PopArt Studio regarding website maintenance, SEO and digital marketing services. They assist us whenever a change or implementation is required
on one of our websites

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website did not only help us obtain an online store, but also helped us strengthen our brand identity and improve sales of our products. Our users reacted positively to the change and we got so many great reviews regarding the website, both in terms of its appearance and its functionalities.
We began with manufacturing male cosmetics, and driven by the success of our products post- website launch, we decided to expand our product offer.

How did the vendor perform from a project management standpoint?

We had great communication with each member of the team – from email and Skype to meetings and phone calls. They were very transparent about the status of each task, responded
to our questions instantly, and proved as a very organized team.
I mainly communicated with the project manager, although, when needed, I was able to directly communicate with design and development team assigned to my project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing I believe was their diligence, commitment, and level of
professionalism throughout the entire process of our project. They had great ideas that we happily implemented into our website, and were available to resolve all our doubts and answer all our questions. The entire team is focused on the user and their experience on the website. We are very grateful
PopArt Studio managed to implement all our desired and needs and still create a visually stunning, fast, reliable website that provides great UX.
I felt PopArt Studio is more into building partnerships and friendships, rather than client-vendor relationship, which my team and I found really positive about them. Throughout the project, we never felt left out or in the dark about any aspect of the work done, which is a truly
commendable trait. The quality of their custom and unique work done for our brands is of exceptional quality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they definitely do a great job, both in terms of their relationship with clients and their business niche of the digital world.
We are truly amazed by the great communication, quality of the work done and finally, the respected deadlines of the projects’ finalization.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and director of a company that has been successfully providing services in auditing, accounting and consulting for over 25 years. I am in charge of organizing the business and creating a strategy for further growth and development. Through our dedicated work we promote the “growth mindset”.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PopArt Studio?

We have been trying to find the right web design for years, but we always got an offer that included some stereotypical solutions. We wanted the site to be visually attractive and elegant and to reflect our energy, motivation and the quality of work we do.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal of the website is to present our team and our services to clients. Also make it easier for new clients to get to know us and contact us. It was important that the web would be responsive and adapted for mobile phones.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online for web designers and checked their portfolio. We were searching for an agency who offers custom made solutions and puts maximum effort in a project. Since first contact PopArt team showed great professionalism. They've sent us an questionnaire which was very helpful for presenting our goals and ideas to them. After long search we chose them as our partners who are going to help us to build our web site.

Describe the project in detail.

As we are from different countries, we communicated through e-mail and occasional skype calls. We got a couple of suggestions from which we picked one and continued to develop it. We made some changes regarding pictures and type of mane menu as we were going through project. It was amazing to see the final result in the end.

What was the team composition?

We communicated with their chief technology officer. At some stages we were conntacted by graphic and web designer. At the end of the project we talked to one team member who provided us with technical instructions. Their CTO was always very helpful.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have our new website for couple of weeks now. Contact form is visible to all new visitors which is very important. We are closly monitoring analytics and making further plans according to them.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We talked regularly thorugh e-mail and when we needed to discuss some topics further we met over skype call. All communcation was useful and they provided us with all the right information. They were patient and thoughtful while we came up to speed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are very professional and efficient in what they do, a well organized company. They met all the expectations regarding web design, but also helped us a lot around technical details, user experience and optimization. We would definitely work with them again.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They have a great understanding of their customers needs and right mindset to solve all challenges that may arise along the way. Hope they will continue in that direction.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a public figure in my country. I have a YouTube channel about surviving, traveling, and philosophy, among other things.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PopArt Studio?

I needed someone to create my branding and website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PopArt Studio created my logo and the design for the cover of my fantasy book. The team also did the preparation for printing and built my website from scratch. I had a website before, but it was totally different. 

They asked me to send them pictures and other things, and their team took care of the rest from the ground up. Within the website, they added a webshop where we sell our merchandise and people can order my books, t-shirts, and hats. Visitors can see all of my travels and follow my blog that I write for a famous Croatian newspaper. 

PopArt Studio also added functionality that lets visitors ask questions and get in contact with me, and there are links that lead people directly to my channel. Additionally, the website allows people to be part of the community and make requests as to which country I should visit next.

What is the team composition?

About more than 10 teammates have worked on this project. I have been in contact with Dejan (CEO & Founder) and have spoken directly to him about everything. I know he has designers and other teammates who specialize in certain areas.

How did you come to work with PopArt Studio?

It was a coincidence. Dejan contacted me and after that, I did my research to see who they were. My channel was already up when they contacted me. I saw the type of work they did and felt it could be a good collaboration. I asked the team if they could do several things for me and they were very happy to help. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in September 2019, and the engagement is ongoing. I plan to work with them on future projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website received an award because it is very good. I was famous before working with them, but I am even more famous now and my logo is famous too. My channel has been growing and this has helped to finance my travels. 

People are able to easily access my webshop and the website. All the things people have easier access to help me a lot when it comes to earning money for my travels. We have had a very good collaboration and it keeps growing, which is good. 

Even during this time of dealing with Coronavirus, my business hasn’t been impacted. In fact, my business has actually grown. Their work has been helpful. 

I've received a lot of feedback, and my family is very happy with everything too. We've had small sponsors as well. PopArt Studio has a lot of experience and they have done good work. I am incredibly pleased with them.

How did PopArt Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We are in contact almost every day. When people place an order from the webshop, we all see what is going on. We are like partners — we have a good deal and we respect each other. We usually communicate through WhatsApp calls or messages, as well as through email.

The team is always there 24 hours a day. We live in a different time zone, but there have never been any problems with that. If I call them in the middle of the night, they will respond.

What did you find most impressive about them?

If I have any ideas that I want to put on my book or website, they never say no. They always try to manage the website and respect my wishes. PopArt Studio has been extremely helpful and they are very professional. Anything that I’ve asked for, they’ve done very professionally and very well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are no areas of improvement. They do a good job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to what they have to say, trust them, and let them do their work. I have a lot of confidence in them. They are very honest people and there are no tricks with them. PopArt Studio always completes what they say they will.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a Swiss IT company specialized in consulting and software development. I'm the CEO and founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PopArt Studio?

The company was founded in end 2019 and we were looking for the web and graphic design company to build our visual identity (logo ...) and design our website.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to present the IT services offered by our company and to highlight our know-how and the quality of our solutions. We also needed a logo for the company in line with our ambitions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have compiled a list of companies based on the recommendations. Then we made the selection based on their portfolio and their offer.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The first part concerns the design of the company logo. And the second is the web design and the graphic design of the website. The project started with the description of our needs. Once the objective was fixed, they made several proposals to us at each stage of the design with the possibility of retouching. Until the validation of the final solution.

What was the team composition?

The first contact was made with the business manager. After which we had contact with the team in charge of the project composed of Art director, graphic and web designer and web developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The feedback from our customers and prospects was very positive. The result is in line with the services we offer.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We were in direct contact with the development team mainly by email. Regular discussions informed us about the progress of the project. Other means were not necessary.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The professionalism and talent of the designers was impressive. Several proposals at each stage gave us a better view and we were thus able to refine our choices.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, the result was up to our expectations and this is the most important.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for Walliserkanne. It’s located in an old fourteenth-century house; there are three restaurants and a hotel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PopArt Studio?

We were doing some rebranding and needed a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PopArt Studio developed our website using WordPress and did SEO work for it. We provided content, including pictures, in four languages (English, French, Italian, and German). Based on our ideas, they did the design. We then requested some changes, which they made, and they launched the site. A key feature of the platform is a complex menu. The website covers all three restaurants’ menus, each having 30–40 specific dishes.

What is the team composition?

I communicated directly with three people, but there was a total of 5–6 working on the project. This included someone doing SEO, the project manager, a designer, and a coder.

How did you come to work with PopArt Studio?

We were looking for a company to do the project, and I came across their name. My friend, who worked there previously, recommended them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about €1,200 (approximately $1,300 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the project from September 2019–April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s very a newly launched website and with the current COVID-19 situation, restaurants and hotels aren’t open so I don’t have any statistics or metrics. As for the engagement, the process went smoothly. PopArt Studio really nailed the menu feature; its design looks great. I wouldn’t change a thing, I’m very happy. Our staff and owner really like it and have given positive feedback.

How did PopArt Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We had some meetings where we went over the design and change requests. Their team communicated with ours through Skype and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Unlike most agencies I’ve seen where it’s basically the owner doing everything, PopArt Studio had their entire team working on the project. I was very impressed and really liked working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I liked everything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you know exactly what you want. Be open with them and listen to their ideas. They know what they’re doing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The company I work for is a niche consulting and research company with a focus on the consumer goods industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PopArt Studio? 

We wanted to find a vendor to provide web design and development services. We wanted someone who could understand our needs as a business and integrate that into their work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started the company last year, and our website was very basic because, at the time, that’s all we needed. We wanted a website that made it clear to users what it is we do as a company, and we needed to add additional features and capabilities not present on the original site. 

Their website included several important features including those for security, options for cookies, and embedded videos. 

How did you come to work with PopArt Studio?

We looked at several companies and used a thorough evaluation process to determine which one would be the best fit. They understood our business and the core goals we wanted to achieve with our website. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $5,000-$10,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We first contacted them in November 2019, and our project started that December. They completed their work in mid-March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They exceeded our expectations, especially in regard to communication and how they approach challenges. They’re able to understand our needs and provide us with solutions. 

Externally, since we launched this website, we’ve tripled our visitor numbers over the last two and a half weeks. We’re targeting a slightly different clientele than we were with our old site– we’re attracting larger and more established companies. The domain authority of our site is 74, which is impressive. 

How did PopArt Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We primarily used emails and Skype calls to communicate. They used internal project management software that they gave us access to. Their team’s communication was excellent and they were very fast in their correspondence. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of professionalism was impressive. The way they communicated and explained their process was very effective. I’m not a technical person, but our correspondence about their services was easy to understand. It was concise, clear, and understandable. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

The project lasted longer than I initially expected. However, the quality of their work and their strong communication compensated for that. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a professional company, and I’m satisfied with the outcome of the project. However, if you’re on a strict deadline, make sure to get some confirmation from them in terms of how long the project will last.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Serbia, where I work as a chief of press relations department, and where I am also editor of the website for the Ministry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PopArt Studio?

For development of completely new website for the Ministry.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to built a new, modern website, who can full feel all the demands of the Ministry, and where we can communicate with the citizens and be open and transparent. Our old website was from 2009. and it could not to support some kind of new contents.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had three possible vendors, but their offer and their experience, their work, was the best.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They developed, designed and launched our website.

What was the team composition?

I was in communication with one project manager, who was in charge for our project, and who was communicating with his team. They were very fast, always at our disposal, so I guess that they have enough people because in their team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

It is too early for that due that we have launched our website in November but our employees are very satisfied with it.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We had daily communication, they were very quick with their responses, always on time, they really could response on all our demands.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are very enthusiastic about their work and have a lot of great ideas. They are creative, with good designers and developers, and at the other hand, very well organized.

Are there any areas for improvement?

At this point no.