Geekbears

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder & CEO of Mackinaw Dating Company LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A startup company looking to shake up the dating-app market with innovative new solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop a mobile app
• Help flush out the brand
• Support me in launching my first business

SOLUTION

How did you find Geekbears?

Online Search

Why did you select Geekbears over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Good Samples of Previous Projects

How many teammates from Geekbears were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Geekbears outlined a four-phase approach to supporting my product: Discovery, Design, Development and Ongoing Maintenance. They first did some market research to determine how my product would fit among the existing dating apps as well as helped to define the brand and the brand identity. Then, they developed the UI/UX first in a 2D render then a 3D Figma interactive mockup. We just recently kicked off the Development phase where they will provide a working beta test and help me launch the finished product.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I am writing this review pre-launch. So far Geekbears has provided solid timelines and have hit all of their projected deadlines they set for themselves. They have provided all assets they said they would and have provided constant communication throughout the entire project.

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

Geekbears have been very receptive and quick to address the few concerns I've had. They are on top of their project timeline and hit each milestone as projected. In the four months I've been working with them so far they haven't missed a single deadline. When I voice a need for the finished product, they not only address my needs but they remind me that, "your success is our success."

What was your primary form of communication with Geekbears?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was drawn to the story of Geekbears, namely the founder's story of struggling to launch his own app and wanting to help other young entrepreneurs avoid the same pitfalls. Prior to selecting them, I got a sense they genuinely cared about providing a quality product, so far they live up to that mission very well. I was also originally only looking for a developer to turn my blueprints into a reality, but I've been impressed by their ability to slow things down and ask the right questions to ensure they understand what I needed them to do.

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

My time with Geekbears has been above satisfactory and I do not feel there is anything they could be doing better or differently at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Flock LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We have created a Social Mental Health App that normalizes emotions for teens. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• App Design
• Clickable Prototye

SOLUTION

How did you find Geekbears?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Geekbears over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Honest

How many teammates from Geekbears were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

I hired Geekbrears to help me with the design of my app, the logo and getting a clickable prototype. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With the last company I paid SOOO MUCH MORE, for a crappy clickable prototype. 
With Geekbears it was more reasonable, the clickable prototype makes me smile and it feels like something I am proud of sharing. 
Also their honesty, clarity and patience with me was extremely professional and kind. 

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

This company runs smoothly.  I always felt like someone was there to hold my hand if I needed it or to change things if I needed it.  They were usually ahead of time and I was slow. 
I felt important and cared for which was refreshing after working with a couple other app companies. 

What was your primary form of communication with Geekbears?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They worked fast.  They aren't a huge team and they seem to work perfect together.  The last company was flashy and had an image of being the best at what they do, which they were not even close.  Geekbears is how a company should run.   The team is a real team.  The are moral and good.  Their ability to handle my hard moments were so impressive.  They also had compassion and understanding of the process I was going through. 
They balanced the human and business part perfect for me to feel fully supported. 

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

No.  If anything I noticed things that I could improve on.  I was through and through impressed with this company. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm a product manager for ETA Transit Systems. We're a vehicle location tracking service and provide hardware and software for the public transportation industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Geekbears?

We were trying to expand into an ancillary market that was very much related to our work tracking vehicles and reporting data to the federal government. We engaged Geekbears to help us design a new web application that would allow our customers to record passengers getting on and off a vehicle.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
In the beginning, we had some initial designs on a whiteboard but didn't have any code. We asked Geekbears to develop the app's wireframes, which they then turned into mock-ups. Once we received feedback from the market, we reengaged with the team to develop the software in early 2024. Geekbears has built an MVP that allows our customers to see the trips they're going to survey and record data about that trip. 

Geekbears built our app's MVP from scratch using MongoDB for databases, AWS, Next.js, and JavaScript. 

What is the team composition?

We've worked with three designers, three engineers, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Geekbears?

We found Geekbears via Upwork and started to work with the team on this platform, specifically for the wireframe design. After that first project, we engaged with the team on our own because we felt comfortable working with them. We chose Geekbears because they had a good methodology for tackling the work.

The team's experience and the work they shared with us from their previous customers gave us confidence. Geekbears also seemed very well organized and had systems in place, which was reassuring.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around $55,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our initial conversations began in May 2023, and the work started in June 2023. Our engagement is ongoing, and the team is working on the project's second phase.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Geekbears has delivered and built exactly what they've committed to. The team has also quickly corrected the issues we've encountered. The web app is intuitive because Geekbears has taken a lot of time to design the wireframes and mock-ups. The app's UX is a change from what we were used to from the previous software we had built in-house. 

My teammates have all said that this app is the next step for our company and that it's easy to use. We're still getting feedback from the market and have recently shown the new MVP to our customers, and Geekbears will make changes based on our customers' feedback. 

How did Geekbears perform from a project management standpoint?

Geekbears consistently meets deadlines. In some instances, the team has gone over by a few days, but that hasn't been critical, and these delays have been caused by a change in scope. We communicate through Google Meet for video calls and Slack to message back and forth. For development-specific tasks, we use ClickUp.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?
Carlos (Co-Founder & Head of Development Services) has stood out for his work, and he's the teammate I interact with the most.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm mostly impressed by Geekbears' responsiveness. We've had urgent requests, such as preparing the site for a demo or fixing something that wasn't working as expected, and the team has jumped on immediately and helped us when we were in a crunch.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Geekbears' handoff between teams has been a bit rocky at times. I've had to explain key concepts a few times, and their internal communication could have gone better. However, that is the only friction we've had during our engagement. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I suggest being as detailed as possible when engaging with Geekbears. The more detailed you are, the better your product will be.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder of NewDirections, a web app that will simplify the senior living search process for the elderly and their families.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Geekbears?

In order to validate my idea, I needed a clickable prototype to present to potential users in order to get their feedback and to see if this solution solves their problem.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After doing extensive research, they appeared to be well-qualified to build this clickable prototype for me. They had the experience and their costs to complete the project were reasonable.

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

The Geekbears team conducted an extensive Discovery Process which entailed several virtual meetings/interviews, customer discovery, and identifying user personas, just to name a few. They then produced Low and High-Fidelity Mockups, a style guide, developed a logo, and finally produced a clickable prototype using Figma.

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

I worked with the CEO, a sales executive, project manager, UI/UX manager and designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Geekbears delivered a well-designed clickable prototype on-time and within their proposed budget.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was smooth and I feel as if a team mentality developed between myself and Geekbears. I feel as if they went out of their way to understand what I was trying to do and to build the best prototype possible.

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

I am admittedly not a tech guy. Their patience in explaining things to me and answering all of my questions helped me immensely.

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

Nothing comes to mind. There may have been minor issues along the way, but absolutely nothing major. They were a pleasure to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Co-Founder of a wellness company out of Denver, CO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Geekbears, and what were your goals?

We wanted to create a customized mobile app for our users, as well as an admin dashboard to provide our wellness services. We have been using a mixture of technologies to provide our services so far, and this would allow us to run everything through the same system as well as greatly improve our users experience.

SOLUTION

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

We spoke with many companies in this space, and Marcos (the CEO) was one of the main reasons we decided to go with Geekbears. He was extremely honest, and gave us a realistic view of what this project could look like. There are many vendors in the mobile app development space that will tell you everything you want to hear, but we were seeking the truth and Marcos helped us with that search. The rest of the Geekbears team has been excellent as well. They have taken their time to understand our vision and we couldn't be happier with where we are in the process.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The Geekbears team designed our UI/UX for our mobile app, our staff app and our admin dashboard. They also will be responsible for the development, and we feel extremely confident in their ability to deliver.

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

They have a very organized system, which is always a good sign. We had a team help us with the UI/UX, and for development we have a project manager that will be our liaison throughout the project. They have extremely organized and communicate so far.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Our app development hasn't been completed yet, but the UI/UX is absolutely beautiful. They have a wonderful design team and we are extremely happy with the results so far.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They have been very communicative, and timely. Nearly everything was delivered on time, and if it wasn't, it was communicated beforehand with the reason that it was being pushed back. The entire process felt extremely collaborative.

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

Their UI/UX is truly fantastic, and their team is wonderful.

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

In terms of areas for improvement, there were some internal miscommunications regarding different functionalities that had already been discussed. These were all fixed, but overall very pleased with the decision to work with this team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Treads, a mobile-first car management platform. We provide car tires as a monthly subscription.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Geekbears?

We were looking to build out some wireframes and start developing our app for iOS and Android.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Geekbears to help us with our app development. First, we met with them to have an initial consultation, walking through our business’ high-level concepts and what we were trying to achieve.

Then, we kicked off a discovery phase, where we went deeper into what we were hoping to build out. After that, Geekbears laid out a proposal, which included a timeframe and a clear price for what we wanted to do.

Their involvement has included UI/UX design, front- and backend development, and third-party APIs integration. These integrations include a GPS, a recurring subscription billing, a calendar to schedule appointments, and more. Currently, the app is available on the App Store and the Google Play Store.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Marcos (Founder & CEO), Carlos (Co-Founder & COO), who was our original project manager, and Brandon (Senior Project Manager), who is our current project manager. Additionally, Ivan (CTO) and Victor (CIO) worked on the development, and Miguel (UI/UX Manager) was involved in the UI/UX design.

How did you come to work with Geekbears?

We found them on Upwork. They had a very good track record working with mobile apps for startup companies. They were great at taking an early idea or concept and moving it all the way to design and development.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $100,000–$150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around December 2019, and I’m still actively working with them today.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Geekbears’ work, we’ve taken our platform from an initial concept to the product launch, and we’re live in the market now. We now have active subscribers on our platform, which is a great accomplishment.

How did Geekbears perform from a project management standpoint?

Geekbears is very easy and enjoyable to work with. We have weekly standup calls with their development team because we’re constantly developing our product.

They’re also very responsive, and they fix issues promptly. Since we’re live in the market, we’ve run into some edge cases, but we have a very straightforward system for submitting a bug ticket and working it into our workflow.

Additionally, Geekbears is very communicative and concise about what we’re working on and what our future plans are, and their timelines are very clear and accurate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Overall, the quality of the final product developed by Geekbears is amazing. Thankfully, we haven’t had any major setbacks, flaws, or bugs since launching the product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Whenever building a product, we, as customers, tend to want everything to go faster. However, I don’t know if that’s something that Geekbears could improve. Overall, it has been a really good experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Focus on concise and clear communication to find success — it is all about communication.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Hangurs is a peer to peer luxury fashion rental platform that allows user to rent luxury wear and fashion directly from closets near them. It’s like Airbnb meets RentTheRunway.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Geekbears, and what were your goals?

Geekbears has been a God send for Hangurs. From day 1, the team at Geekbears has helped us strategize, build and develop our mobile app from the ground up. From the beginning of uX/ui wireframes all the way through development our internal dashboards and App Store approval. Our goal was to get this thing off the ground, and seeing the way Geekbears took on this project head on, we don’t plan on using anyone else as we begin seed round fund raising. Geekbears knows our platform inside and out, they integrated API capability for our courier, and created streamlined processes to help us provide excellent customer service and gather feedback.

SOLUTION

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

Marcos and I had an initial conversation, mainly discovery, and we just hit it off from day 1. He understood my vision as well as my short and long-term goals.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

From start to ongoing management; Geekbears has been there for Hangurs from day 1. We had weekly meetings, milestones, and targets that we would hit each week. They kept detailed notes and guided our trajectory - not only keeping track of their team tasks but our side as well. We use Slack to communicate (which they are very responsive), Figma for wireframes and Ux, AWS, and so much more than they know and I don't.

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

Ux/ui and development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We are live on the App Store and very happy with the results. We had a few wrenches thrown due to a courier that dropped out last minute and Geekbears helped us navigate and implement our current courier! Deliverables are always on time, and they've far exceeded my expectations.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Very timely, responsive, and professional.

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

Can’t say enough good things about Geekbears. Very well-run company and they come highly recommended. They take a hands-on, personal approach to each company they work with and make you feel taken care of from day 1.

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

Nothing, even as they have grown they maintained the level of care that each customer craves.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on May 24, 2020.

Kevin Meagher

Creative Director, Hangurs LLC

Consumer Products

1-10 Employees

Los Angeles, California

$50,000 to $199,999

Jan 2018 - Ongoing

Project summary

GeekBears developed an iOS app for a fashion rental platform. They guided the client through every step of the process, using existing wireframes to design the UI/UX.

Feedback summary

The app is nearing completion, much to the client’s satisfaction. GeekBears has accomplished every objective in a timely manner without sacrificing quality. The team demonstrates a high level of professionalism, experience, and enthusiasm in the collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creative director of Hangurs. We offer a fashion rental app that allows users to browse each other’s closets and rent outfits. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GeekBears?

We needed help with overall app development. We had no background in app or tech development, and we were looking for a knowledgeable partner who could hold our hand through the process from start to launch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GeekBears did everything from UX and user design to front- and backend development. My partner and I started with an idea and some frames drawn out for what the app would look like. We then sat down with the GeekBears development team to discuss design choices. The main goal was to make the app simple to navigate so that users will use the app and keep it on their phone. Once that was done, GeekBears built the app for iOS. 

What is the team composition?

Marcos (Founder) was the original person who brought us on and offered his expertise. My point of contact is Carlos (Co-Founder & COO). We get on the phone with him twice a week along with the four-person development team.

How did you come to work with GeekBears?

I found Marcos by browsing on LinkedIn. We were looking for California-based people with startup and CTO experience. When we reached out to Marcos, he got back to us quickly, and we hit it off immediately on our first call. He’s super down to earth and willing to break down technical concepts into layperson’s terms. He even came down to Los Angeles to meet us face-to-face.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in January 2018 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re hoping to launch the app on the App Store in the next few weeks; We’ll have more success metrics in the future. The past two years have been a process of learning how to better implement our app than what we initially thought. They walked us through as well as anyone could.

Our main goal was to bring our idea to fruition. In taking an idea from paper into existence, GeekBears has gone above and beyond. 

How did GeekBears perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve been blown away by their ability to keep deadlines. They’re always on time and professional even when we’ve been a little late in getting back to them. We usually have 1–2 calls a week. Our tasks are all in Jira, where we also keep track of the running timeline. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve become passionate about an idea that isn’t even theirs. It’s the best thing we can look for in a partner. I’ve worked with brands in creative direction before, and finding a partner who believes in a project as much as you do is an asset. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re a true partner. None of this could’ve happened without them. I wish I could say something negative, but I really can’t.

Any advice for potential customers?

Set up a meeting to meet with Marcos and Carlos. They’re amazing guys, and their developers work hard and care about their clients.

Star Ratings

Overall rating: 5

Quality: 5

Cost: 5

Schedule: 5

Willing to refer: 5

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a company that develops literacy skills in secondary students.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Geekbears, and what were your goals?

We partnered with Geekbears to help us design an app that combined best practices in education and UI/UX design in order to scale the support we provide middle and high school readers.

SOLUTION

How did you select Geekbears and what were the deciding factors?

What really set Geekbears apart was the reviews about how patient and supportive they were with clients who had no experience with this kind of work. I saw that Marcos Mena-Brena, the founder, had worked as a mentor to other entrepreneurs while at Berkely, and that many of their clients truly felt like their work together was a partnership. I was afraid that my vision would be hijacked because of my lack of experience, but not only did they work diligently to understand my vision, they took the time to help me understand the process and approach we were taking.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We began our work together with a discovery phase where the team interviewed me to get a sense of my vision. In this phase I shared all of the work I had done so far including the research I had used to develop the vision and any drafts I had created. The team then took the time to explore other similar apps and share what they understood to be the best practices (and misses) with those apps. After the discovery phase, we moved into the UX phase where we decided on the actual structure and features of the app. Then we moved to the UI phase where we designed the "look" of the app (as well as the logo). After this, they created a clickable prototype for me. The main technologies used were Figma for the app work and Slack for our communication.

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

I worked very closely with the UI and UX designers. I also was in touch with the project manager, COO, and CEO/Founder.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

I can't share measurable outcomes yet because I am currently working to secure funding to actually build the app (we only worked on the prototype together). But I am very eager to secure the funding and continue working with this team!

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

We used Slack as the main communication tool. They were very timely and almost always had their next steps completed within 24 hours of our discussions. There were meetings that were scheduled as part of the outlined plan (generally at the beginning/end of each phase), but also the nature of the partnership made it easy for us to schedule additional meetings whenever needed to discuss vision and feedback. I think on average, I met with someone once a week/once every other week and was in regular communication via slack. I felt confident that any time I had a question/concern I could reach out and get the support I needed.

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

I really appreciated how much they seemed to care about the quality of this app. The Geekbears team seemed genuinely excited about creating it and was invested in helping me realize my vision.

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

There were a couple of instances where they had over-estimated my understanding of the process, likely because what they were discussing was second nature to them. But as soon as I expressed my concern, we had team meetings to make sure we were all on the same page. They would patiently answer my questions (which were often the same questions asked in a different way!) as I worked to ensure my own understanding. I suppose as they continue to work with novices in this area, they will naturally develop communication styles that address these issues up front. That said, those moments are likely to happen any time people work together, and their professionalism and reflection in those moments reinforced my already high-opinion of the team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

For over 15 years, our mission has been to inspire hope and advance social justice for Southern California’s most vulnerable immigrant and refugee communities.

We do this through a combination of advocacy, education, empowerment, and representation. We provide legal services to more unaccompanied minors than any other public interest organization in the State of California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Geekbears?

Lead development of a mobile application for immigrant rights education and empowerment for unaccompanied minors.

What were your goals for this project?

Esperanza has a unique opportunity to build a mobile application which will expand the reach of their released youth program – this program provides education and guidance to children and families who are navigating the legal immigration process.

At present, there are 14 Legal Orientation centers sponsored by the US Department of Justice, and Esperanza leads one of them - their legal orientation programs are booked solid months in advance.

A mobile app would help to alleviate the backlog and serve a much wider audience.

SOLUTION

How did you select Geekbears?

We searched UpWork for an organization that had app development experience, and we vetted them through an independent third-party who was able to vouch for their past product.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected Geekbears, we started with a discovery phase, so that we could be on the same page about goals and expectations. We then worked iteratively through various rounds of UI/UX development.

What was the team composition?

On vendor's side, we had frequent and helpful contact with Marcos, the CEO, who shepherded us at a high level through the overall process--from contract to deliverables.

We then worked with two UI/UX developers who helped with the overall app structure and eventually detailed mock-ups of the desired pages. There was a team lead, but everyone was equally accessible.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We now have a clickable prototype of our app, as well as a Product Requirement Document. With this, we are moving forward full steam to the actual development of the app for client use.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Marcos and his team were very explicit about timelines, but flexible when we couldn't meet our internal goals. To repeat, they were always on time, but because of the nature of our work at Esperanza, we were sometimes so swamped that we needed to push back our deadlines. We are thankful for their support.

Day to day workflow was likewise smooth, as we had regular meetings to discuss the iterations on the designs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Geekbears was able to carry us through the complicated process of turning our lay person's dreams into an actual (and very beautiful) prototype. That they educated as well as guided is something for which we will be forever thankful.

Are there any areas for improvement?

From my standpoint, I can't think of any room for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CMO of a software startup company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Geekbears?

UI / UX design for MVP with a clickable prototype.

What were your goals for this project?

To design the MVP for the product, along with a clickable prototype.

SOLUTION

How did you select Geekbears?

Researched and interviewed many designers/firms on Upwork. Geekbears had some of the best reviews and satisfaction scores. Then, I had an intro call with Marcos, which went very well.

Describe the project in detail.

The process is very well thought-out, beginning with a discovery phase. In the discovery phase, the Geekbears team did research into the market and competitor products to get a better overall understanding of how our product should work. After the discovery phase, the design and prototype followed many iterations in phases that essentially ensure the product will be high-quality by final delivery. This process was Sitemap, to low fidelity mockups, to high fidelity, and then delivery.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a team composed of a project manager, and a few designers for various stages of the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't launched yet but the MVP designs and clickable prototype greatly helped us in the development phase to avoid mistakes that we had made prior to cleaning up our designs. It is much faster to undo a design error than to redo development, which is why Geekbears' process of iterative design increases our product quality significantly before delivery. Also, we used the clickable prototype for early user testing and feedback which gave us invaluable insights for development - such as what features are important to prioritize or even completely remove.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow and communication were very efficient; it is clear Geekbears has worked to establish this workflow between client/provider. They have a formula and this formula ensures that we hit our time estimates and deadlines - which is crucial for clients. We successfully hit all timelines and adjusted when necessary.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Geekbears did not miss a single timeline and communication was very smooth to the point where there were virtually zero miscommunications. It was a very stress-free experience and ultimately delivered what we asked for within both our time and budget estimates/constraints. Marcos is an amazing CEO/Founder and despite his busy schedule, was always willing to attentively listen to the client and make sure the project is true to timeline/estimates.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I only have one suggestion for improvement and perhaps this was due to our budget constraints, but I would have liked to have more vendor hours/week devoted to our project to complete it in a shorter timeframe, even if there was a slight premium to pay. However, part of the process is multiple iterations per phase, and that is something that shouldn't be rushed.