GoodWorkLabs

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Manager at a digital marketing agency. We work with an online hotel booking based company and their office is located in Bangalore. the company has about 25 employees and provides an online hotel booking service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire GoodWorkLabs?

Our company mobile application was created 1 years ago and had not been updated since. we had noticed a steady decline in downloads and ratings over the past few years and decided to invest in a new mobile app, we do not have any in house engineers, so we needed to outsource the entire redesign and rebuild

What were your goals for this project?

we wanted to see our mobile app engagement and downloads double by the end of the year, and we wanted to increase the number of inquires that we received through our contact form. we also needed the mobile app to be easy to update on our end, so we were interested in a simple, user friendly platform

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My team searched online for app developers in our area (Bangalore) and compiled a list of based on the case studies on their websites. we contacted each company and narrowed it down to 2 after recieving their initial pitches.

It was a hard decision, but we selected this vendor based on the quality of their final proposal, their willingness to train our team on how to interact with the app post launch and their price point, which we felt was very fair.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected this vendor, we had a series of meetings to discuss our goals and objectives. Within the first two weeks we received mockups and 3 initial design for the Android apps.

After a few interations and discussions with our marketing team, we finalized the design and provided feedback. The vendor came back to us with wireframes and concepts for our other sections in the app, including an updated "contact us" form.

What was the team composition?

Initially, we were assigned a project manager to support us and serve as the main point of contact throughout the project. I only spoke with our project manager, but i was made aware that there were 2 frontend and 2 backend developers, as well as a QA resource working behind the scenes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

with in 3 months after our new app was launched, we saw over 800 downloads and over 4-star ratings in play store. we continue to hear positive feedback on the usability.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

a project manager that we were assigned was easy to communicate with and provided us frequent updates we connected over the phone at least once a week and used slack for all others. we received ample warning if a deadline was not going to be met, which only happened once.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was very impressed by the knowledge that this vendor had about mobile app development, user experience, and optimization. we appreciated that they were patient and thoughtful possible, we had worked with other agencies for different areas of the company but it was a particularly collaborative and positive experience

Are there any areas for improvement?

To be frank we were very satisfied with their work every step of the way. yes Quality is more important than speed and we ended up with the beautiful product

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

HopSkipRide provides a rideshare service for kids between the ages of 4 and 17. Our market segment is made up of parents struggling to transport their kids to and from school and weekend activities. We aim to provide a safe, reliable, and affordable shuttle for the 1.78 million potential children in Australia who fall within this age group.

I am the CEO and founder of the company. I address issues surrounding childcare, empowerment of women in their careers, and opportunities for caretakers to earn additional income.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GoodWorkLabs?

We needed to develop a prototype on the iOS platform, which we could showcase to investors, allowing them to see what the end-state of the application would be.

We aim to address the issue of not having a reliable method of transporting kids without affecting the careers of primary caretakers, in addition to helping them manage their time more efficiently.

The size of the market is 1.78 million kids in Australia whose parents would benefit from this service. And with that figure rising 6.7% year over year, it only puts additional pressure on parents and childcare facilities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GoodWorkLabs developed an InVision prototype to showcase to potential investors. There were two developers assigned to our project who worked with us for one month, developing wireframes for not only the prototype but the actual full-scope UI and UX of the app. We are developing it in the Swift language.

How did you come to work with GoodWorkLabs?

Our company is based in Sydney, Australia, but I visit Bangalore quite frequently. The cost of local developers is quite high, starting at the $150-per-hour mark. I knew that the quality of developers in India was exceptional, and their services are less expensive. I came across GoodWorkLabs through a Google search and found reviews from people who had developed apps through them. They have a good reputation in the market. The quality of GoodWorkLabs' UX and UI designs was also very good, based on the apps I played around with. They also have previous experience in producing apps for major corporations. I had the confidence that GoodWorkLabs could build a good platform for us.

How much have you invested with GoodWorkLabs?

The cost of GoodWorkLabs' work has been between $5,000 and $10,000. The investment has been quite small, but, if I choose to work with them in the future, the cost will be significantly higher. It is very likely that I work with GoodWorkLabs again.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with GoodWorkLabs in January 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

GoodWorkLabs has given us a lot of feedback, even on aspects outside of the app. They proposed additional features which parents might want, as well as an extra layer of security, and color scheme suggestions. I wasn't sure what colors we should be using, but GoodWorkLabs advised me on what would be easy on the eye, which are the colors that people gravitate towards, and which offer a safe feeling. GoodWorkLabs understood the emotions experienced by users looking at the app on a daily basis.

Since the app isn't complete, I don't have any user feedback for it. I think that GoodWorkLabs has delivered an exceptional product, but I would have appreciated more follow-up support from their side, to ensure that everything was working fine. This will matter more when the app will be developed fully, versus only being a prototype.

How did GoodWorkLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

GoodWorkLabs managed the whole project, and I found that aspect of their services to be exceptional. GoodWorkLabs gave me updates on a daily basis with where they were, and around any areas which caused issues. GoodWorkLabs clarified that they were on the right track, didn't waste any of my time, and delivered everything as they promised during that one month period.

The developer and project manager from GoodWorkLabs' side were in touch with me on a daily basis through Skype. Whenever I had new ideas to discuss, I was able to get a hold of them straight away.

What did you find most impressive about GoodWorkLabs?

The fact that GoodWorkLabs' team contributes actively to the work, are passionate about my ideas, and want to learn more about the journey is what’s most impressive. They gave me reassurance that I was addressing a market concern. GoodWorkLabs' CEO took part in our face-to-face meeting, which I found to be a nice touch, considering the size of their company.

Are there any areas GoodWorkLabs could improve?

My only suggestion for improvement would be to follow up with clients on delivered solutions to ensure that it is working well for the client and determine if any further support is required.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with GoodWorkLabs?

I would advise future clients to let GoodWorkLabs come up with creative ideas. They have developed a whole range of apps and can draw on certain elements from those. I should give GoodWorkLabs a bit more freedom to do what's right, but the underlying objective is simply to meet an app's requirements.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are Audetemi, a young company creating products in the mobile self-service area for enterprises. We help customers connect with their consumers efficiently and effectively.

What is your position?

I am the Chief Executive Officer [CEO] of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with GoodWorkLabs?

Even though providing great customer experience for consumers is seen as a focus point for many enterprises, we've noticed that products tend to be aimed at enterprises. We intend to develop a mobile application aimed directly at consumers, which we could offer to enterprises. The key to our development process would have to be user experience. As a result, we needed to find UI/UX development resources.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

GoodWorkLabs worked on the design for both the consumer and enterprise-side of our application. We've gotten good feedback from everyone we've shown the application to.

How did you come to work with GoodWorkLabs?

I came across their company by accident, through a blog post made by their CEO on LinkedIn. I was impressed with it and discovered we had similar thought processes. I contacted them and appreciated their openness in showing me how they worked, and not hiding the fact that they are a young company. The more I talked to them, the more I became convinced that they were the right partner to work with.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total cost of the project was between $30-40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with GoodWorkLabs in September of 2015. The project was completed in mid-December.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Their work is very good. It's important to keep in mind that there are different niches when it comes to UI/UX development and design. There are companies that specialize in game development, in action-oriented apps, or in enterprise-level UX. The challenge for us was tackling at least two of these three categories. We had a mobile and an enterprise side.

GoodWorkLabs did a good job of designing the user experience. For example, a left-handed person will sweep their thumb from right to left, while the opposite applies for a right-handed person. This is the kind of customization we considered when sketching out the app. I found the right attention to detail with their team. 

What distinguishes GoodWorkLabs from other providers?

I would say their attention to detail is what sets them aside. They insisted on coming up with a design of their own before discussing my own ideas, in order to not influence their designers, and to allow them full freedom of creativity. When I showed my colleagues from the Business school of Berkeley the UI designs made by GoodWorkLabs, they appreciated the level of detail present in it. 

Is there anything GoodWorkLabs could have improved or done differently?

Project management is a potential area of improvement. They should set timelines more clearly. GoodWorkLabs should also streamline their communication by arranging regular meetings. My project was small enough as not to require a dedicated project manager. The lead designer was in charge of it, and he did a good job managing the rest of the team. They were largely driven by our guidance, as there was a different company involved in building the backend side of the product. We took it upon ourselves to build the appropriate coordination.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the VP Engineering of a software company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company provide Cyber Security services to Enterprises.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire GoodWorkLabs to accomplish?

• Our goal was the use their product development services to reach our delivery milestone as we were not able to hire on time. We engaged with them as we wanted to meet our delivery timelines without compromising quality

SOLUTION

How did you find GoodWorkLabs?

Referral

Why did you select GoodWorkLabs over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from GoodWorkLabs were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We are in security domain and our work is very complex. To handle a high level of complexity, we always look out for hiring best of the talent which can get very time consuming. We outsourced a part of product development to GoodWorkLabs as they have a team of experts whom we entrusted with our product delivery. 

Our sense about their capability was spot on as they were able to understand the product complexity and were able to deliver on time. Also, they are very easy to work with. Would definitely work with them again!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

On time delivery with minimal bugs

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They follow agile, so there were biweekly demos. They had a spoc assigned to us

What was your primary form of communication with GoodWorkLabs?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their tech prowess and on time delivery. They were easy to work with.

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

Nothing as such