ImageX

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Digital Communications Manager of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

International disaster response, development and peace organization based in Canada and the U.S., operating in over 40 countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Redesign the MCC website
• Redesign the MCC Thrift website
• Ongoing maintenance, support and development of websites
• Develop a new integrated online donations system
• Develop a new community fundraising platform

SOLUTION

How did you find ImageX?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select ImageX over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from ImageX were assigned to this project?

> 10 - Large team over the past couple of years

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

In 2022 MCC needed to replace two of our websites that were running on Drupal 7. We were looking for a company that we could partner with to replace our two primary websites mcc.org and mccthrift.com. Rather than just upgrading our websites from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 we were looking to completely redesign these websites. This was to involve new website structure, new design, new functionality and new content.

Once this project was completed, we have worked with ImageX to providing ongoing support, maintenance and development on these websites. We have also worked with ImageX on several additional projects adding additional functionality to our websites including:

• Christmas Giving ecommerce style shopping experience for our Christmas campaign
• E-cards system allowing donors to send email cards to people afte completing a donation.
• Website translation including integration with DeepL to aid in translation
• New integrated online donations system
• New community fundraising platform

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• ImageX was able to complete the project within the time and budget agreed on. There were delays caused by MCC due to the large scope of the project and internal complexities. ImageX was flexible in working with us to adjust our timelines.
• The new website design and functionality met the needs of internal stakeholders and website content developers.
• We have received significantly positive feedback and appreciation about the new websites and the functionality provided by our supporters.
• Surveys of donors have regularly received a 4.7/5 star ratings for the online donations experience.
• On our mccthrift.com website customers are able to quickly and easily find information about MCC shops.
• We have the ability to continue to build on and enhance our websites which was a challenge on our old sites causing our previous sites to become stagnant. ImageX is helping with regular improvements to the website each month.
• ImageX submitted the website to a design competition and won and award for the mcc.org website.

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

ImageX's project management has been top notch. They have done an excellent job of collaborating and communicating with us throughout their work with us. 

There were some delays in our original projects but these were due to internal MCC issues and not because of ImageX. We required additional time to for our tasks due to extensive stakeholder engagement processes and content development for the website. ImageX was excellent at working with us and adapting to our needs.

What was your primary form of communication with ImageX?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They have a very skilled and engaged team. We were hoping to find a company that would not just build what we asked for, but that would partner with us to understand what we were trying to accomplish, as well as the needs of our audiences and our internal stakeholders. Every step of their process has produced amazing results. Their business analysis and planning teams have been extremely thorough in understanding our needs and suggesting alternatives. The designs that their team have come up with have been top notch and have paid attention not just to making a website that look beautiful, but also pays close attention to usability for our audiences, accessibility and functionality across devices. And their development team has been able to do everything that we've asked of them, even things that we have doubted could be accomplished. They have a very talented and well rounded team that is committed to making every project that we've worked on together a success and it shows both through our interactions together and in the final product.

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

None that I can think of at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Administrative Officer of Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC) at the University of Waterloo is the largest outreach organization of its kind in Canada and our mission is to increase interest, enjoyment, confidence, and ability in mathematics and computer science among learners and educators in Canada and internationally. We do this through a commitment to our core values: future readiness, access, community and impact. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Rebuilding CEMC website with a content management system
• Reflect CEMC current branding
• Make the website more accessible and responsive

SOLUTION

How did you find ImageX?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select ImageX over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from ImageX were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

CEMC has selected ImageX to provide resourcing to help:

• To redesign cemc.uwaterloo.ca so it better reflects who CEMC is today and their current brand, and supports the mission of CEMC by acting as a key resource and strategic communication channel.
• To make content management easier by moving to Drupal.
• To create a valuable, usable, and delightful digital experience that engages users.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Design and proof of concept
• implementation plan
• testing environment
• live website

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

• Excellent
• organized
• responsive
• proactive: for example, the website go-live date had to change and brought forward for business needs, and they were able to adjust and meet the new deadline

What was your primary form of communication with ImageX?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The project team was impressive. When a team member was away, there was always a backup, so no gaps were felt. Also, the team was located worldwide, but we could always find times to meet during our business hours, and they promptly responded to our needs. 

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

No. ImageX was excellent to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing and Communications of Ashland University

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Ashland University is a private higher education institution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Design a new university website that would provide a visually-engaging, mobile-friendly, user-centered experience primarily for prospective students
• Improve site functionality, including search

SOLUTION

How did you find ImageX?

Referral

Why did you select ImageX over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

What was the size of ImageX’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

This project was a total redesign of Ashland University's primary website. It included discovery, content strategy, design concepts, style guide, development, user research and testing, integration with external applications, quality assurance testing and ambient video development and production.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The site was consolidated from thousands of pages to approximately 600 pages. Comparing Dec. 13 - Jan. 10 from the previous year to the same timeframe after site launch:
  • Organic search traffic - up 230%
  • Referral traffic - up 282%
  • Average engagement time per session - up 8%
  • Number of engaged sessions per user - up 16%

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

ImageX had excellent project management. They provided weekly status updates; most items were completed on time and they highlighted any deliverables that were in jeopardy.

What was your primary form of communication with ImageX?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Everyone at ImageX was warm, friendly and accommodating. They were a delight to work with and were truly an extension of our in-house team. We valued their website and Drupal expertise and they were an ideal partner that helped us manage our website redesign project successfully.

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

I can't think of any areas for improvement. They did a great job and we had fun too!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior marketing manager at Onset Data Loggers. We sell data loggers and monitoring solutions, which are sensor products that help people measure all types of metrics related to different applications, from water temperature and flow to relative humidity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

We hired them for web development; we wanted a new website that was easy to navigate and would provide good UX for our customers. Additionally, we wanted to have an additional resource to support our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Over the past year and a half, ImageX has helped us with web design and development. They’ve helped us design our new website using InVision and built the e-commerce site using Drupal 9. We had an existing website, and the team brought content from the old site to the new one. 

We make a lot of our sales online, so the site serves to sell products, engage with the customers, and inform them. The site provides customers with the materials to educate themselves if they need to learn more about our products and their use in different applications. 

Currently, ImageX is helping us with maintenance. They’ll provide support for our internal developer, acting as a backup. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 10–12 teammates from ImageX. Our main points of contact are Travis (Portfolio Director, Commercial), who is our project manager; Diana (Senior Project Manager), who manages the day-to-day; and a developer. 

How did you come to work with ImageX?

Although I wasn’t the one who found them, I believe we found ImageX online. We interviewed about 10 service providers and checked their capabilities and rates, and from there, we selected ImageX.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $300,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

ImageX has been fantastic and highly professional in working through different items and challenges. They’re very easy to work with and understand our goals. They’ve created a great team environment that makes us comfortable giving feedback because they encourage open dialogue without judgment. The team has been flexible with things that have come up along the way. 

Moreover, we can count on them to get stuff done, which is important because trust is a big deal with an investment like this. I project managed the website development, and my trust in the ImageX team meant one less thing to worry about. We’ve just launched the site, so we don’t have metrics yet. 

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re really good about communicating and providing status updates. They’ve been very open about any changes and tasks, always ensuring we understand what’s happening. For example, we had to extend our timeline for development, which is normal with these kinds of projects. We kept in touch and discussed the adjustments, so everything went well. 

We had a very specific budget, and I requested ImageX to be upfront about any budget changes. The team is always willing to provide updates and inform me whether they need additional funds, outlining the quote for my approval. 

We use Jira and Basecamp for project management. Our emails go through Basecamp, and we also use phone calls and Google Meet for communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

ImageX’s communication is their biggest strength. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve. Whenever we need something to change, they adjust well. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Capitalize on ImageX’s strength, which is communication. You should be comfortable providing input on how you feel about things, which will open the door to new possibilities. The team provides a lot of feedback, so keeping that relationship open will help you better the working relationship and get more out of ideas and productivity.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a project manager at a company that has 3 locations across British Columbia

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had a request from a client to develop a new platform integrating several services. We needed to think outside of the box to find the best solutions for this project. Due to the high profile of this project and the tight timelines we decided to hire ImageX for their high caliber knowledge and professionalism.

SOLUTION

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

I heard of ImageX before and their work is parallel to none. This project was the highest profile project for us and I needed to be confident that the project will be managed properly with the best outcome.

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

The design was done in house while the development was done in Drupal. ImageX did a thorough discovery with their business analyst which was very valuable as this is a new platform that we were inventing. They then continued with a mock app that the client could see and share with their stakeholders to get more fundings. ImageX took the project and completely managed the phases with consultation with us and the client to meet the tight deadlines and MVPs.

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

There were a lead developer, business analyst, project manager and QA that were dedicated to the project. Other resources depending on the phase that we were in were put on the project. We met the entire management team at the beginning of the project who helped us map the deliverables and resources needed to meet the requirements on time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to meet the timeline which was challenging. ImageX had weekly meeting with us and the client to resolve any outstanding items on time as well shift focus based on client needs.

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

The project management style was inspiring to us all. They met with us weekly to show progress as well weekly reports on budget vs outstanding items.

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

The whole team that worked with us was available to us for inquiries as well as giving us suggestions for our clients demands. The team was friendly and did not say no to anything we asked. They explained what can be done based on the request considering the budget and the timelines very professionally.

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

The quality and deliverables were above and beyond my expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We create opportunities for people to connect, grow, and learn within an ever-changing Jewish landscape. We have a fitness center, pool, and over 100 programs every year. I’m the web manager who oversees all our web projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

We wanted to redesign our website to increase traffic and user engagement.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Jack (Owner) worked with us to identify and sort out pain points with our customers by integrating Drupal with our community experience platform. Currently, they’re responsible for all Drupal updates to our main website.

They also troubleshoot integration problems on Personify, the platform where we store customer data.

Finally, ImageX provides SEO and UX integrations, as well as helps us identify our visions. They’ve also been helpful in regards to organizing our content.

What is the team composition?

Right now, we’re working with Richard (Service Account Manager), our project manager and Simon (Lead Developer).

How did you come to work with ImageX?

They were selected by my predecessor, mostly on the basis of their work with the YMCA and their ability to integrate with community experience platforms.

How much have you invested with them?

Our budget is around $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Based on our website feedback form for both platforms, our customer base is happy with all the results. ImageX has been very helpful in pushing us out of our internal jargon and making out sites more logical for first-time users.

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly meetings involving Richard and our senior data director. They primarily use Basecamp for communication. They’re very responsive, especially over urgent email requests.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re the only provider

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’ think of anything right now.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be explicit and transparent about data systems and legacy connections and how your functionality plays into them. This will help ImageX map out the best way of solving your problems.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

US Micro Products manufactures engineered LCD displays for several major companies. My role in the company is to lead the marketing efforts, including our online presence which includes the website and internet ads.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We initially hired ImageX to do a website redesign using the existing backend. Throughout the years we have worked with them on multiple projects, both on the front and back end, as well and online advertising. Our main goal was to have a trusted partner that could help us develop and maintain our website without having to micro-manage them and that delivers high quality results.

SOLUTION

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

We had gotten burned in the past with hiring freelancers, so we decided to try working with an agency. We interviewed multiple agencies. I had multiple people recommend ImageX and when I met with Glen (the CEO) at DrupalCon I knew that they were the right fit for us.

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

They have developed multiple iterations of our website using Drupal 7, Google Ads, and LinkedIn ads. We are planning a complete update and redesign of our website to Drupal 9.

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

Ian (our Project Manager) has been our main point of contact for the past couple of years. He is such a joy to work with and is very responsive, patient, kind, and understands and communicates our requirements in a concise manner. Richard (Sr. Digital Strategist) has been another person that I have worked with on a regular basis. He is very knowledgeable, understanding, and has been really helpful in regards to our digital strategy. Everyone that I have had interacted with from Glen (the CEO) to Ian (our PM) and everyone in between has been a pleasure to work with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have noticed an increase in the quality and number of incoming leads.

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

We have biweekly check-in meetings with our PM and communicate in between through Basecamp and email.

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

The quality of the people and the work.

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

We have been very pleased with their work, which is why we continue to work with them for so many years.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Operations Manager for a management consulting firm. In this capacity I am also the Technical Project Manager for a large IT client of ours who has contracted with us for consulting and web development services. We have used ImageX as our development partner throughout this large, multi-year project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired ImageX for web development services. This particular project has required complex web development and tight integration with the client's IT infrastructure and other systems, and our goals were to be able to meet all of the client's demanding requirements, which ImageX has done a great job of achieving.

SOLUTION

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

We were originally referred to ImageX by Acquia when we asked them for Drupal developer recommendations, approximately 10 years ago now. We liked their detailed estimated and were very satisfied with their initial work for us, so much so that we have continued to use ImageX as our development partner on all of our consulting clients ever since the initial referral.

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

This project required web development and IT integration from ImageX. They were provided wireframes from our in-house designer and were responsible for implementing the complex web site that we designed for this client. Technologies included Drupal, PHP, and Javascript.

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

Between 2 and 5. A project manager, a lead developer and other developers as needed. Typically we worked with the project manager and the lead developer, but at busy times additional developers would be brought in to the team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This major client of ours is very happy with ImageX's work. The system they developed is actively used by over 60,000 users and provides valuable feedback and insights from the field to the client.

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

Style is hands-on with regular check-ins. Tools include regular stand up meetings, Slack for quick communications, Jira for development work, email.

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

They have been very responsible and have been able to handle very aggressive deadlines. We and this client appreciate both the speed and quality of the dev work provided by ImageX.

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

No, we are completely satisfied with ImageX's work for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a housing company. I was recently promoted to brand and digital advertising manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ImageX?

The initial challenge started before I began my tenure here. Our VP of Marketing approached them several years ago to build a website that would appeal to our market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They structured and created our Drupal website. Since I started working here, we've collaborated on updating that website. Projects included a new homepage and a donation page with ways to connect our finance team with our customers. One of our latest projects is a scholarships page, which holds forms and connects to students who apply for grants through our company.

They always collaborate with me. I love research, and am constantly working to find ways to be more mobile-friendly. Our market is mostly made up of seniors, and they help us structure the website to make our older viewers comfortable with the navigation.

What is the team composition?

The team size varies from project to project. My main points of contact are a project manager, a technical lead, a head designer, and a social media and analytics lead.

How did you come to work with ImageX?

Since the project started before I joined the company, I'm not sure how they found them and what their consideration process was like.

How much have you invested with them?

The newest project we're considering, an update to our Drupal platform, will cost in the range of $30,000. Our total expenditure with them probably falls between $200,000-$1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

They started working with us around 2010, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There are a few tools that rate our site for its mobile friendliness. I also request feedback from our team members and customers, and I use analytics to track site traffic. Feedback from all those sources is excellent. We've received positive reviews on our website, and several users ask us who our vendor is.

How did ImageX perform from a project management standpoint?

I collaborate with several contractors, but they’re my favorite. They're efficient, friendly, and down to earth. They're always available and collaborative, very flexible and easy to work with. We update on a weekly to monthly basis, and they're always very responsive whenever we have a bug.

They meet all our deadlines and follow up with us, even after they finish a product. They're proactive and make sure we're satisfied with a product. We have bi-weekly calls, and I can reach them through Basecamp, email, or by phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like how we plan our projects. They're very efficient, and they build structured schedules. They give constructive feedback on new functionality, and they're very collaborative.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have any areas they should improve upon. I'm quite happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They're a very busy company, so be prepared to be time efficient with your resources and plan out your deadlines. Projects move quickly and at a high volume, so be well organized, friendly, and communicative.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Technical Safety BC is an independent, self-funded organization that oversees the safe installation and operation of technical systems and equipment. In addition to issuing permits, licences, and certificates, we work to reduce safety risks through assessment, education, outreach, enforcement, and research. I'm the web development business partner, responsible for managing the website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ImageX?

We hired them to review our website, redesign our site templates, and recommend a plan for upgrading our CMS  to Drupal.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to enhance our website, provide the best user experience, and help our clients find information efficiently and effectively. We wanted a secure, well-supported CMS that was easy to customize. Its architecture also needed to be reorganized.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected ImageX after interviewing a shortlist of interested web development companies. Our selection committee overwhelmingly chose ImageX based on their proposal and presentation.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

After an intensive onsite discovery session, ImageX created a discovery brief and project plan, reviewed user personas, and built user stories and features. Then they reviewed and refined the UX while recommending analytics and SEO strategies. 

They audited our site content and created an editorial calendar and a content governance plan. Through user testing sessions, they shaped, mapped, and prioritized content, then developed wireframes and static prototypes. They developed a home page and internal page templates. They also configured our server, installed our CMS, migrated content, and tested the system.

What was the team composition?

The project team from ImageX included a project manager, a senior business and UX architect, a senior product designer, a lead developer, and a senior digital strategist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They improved the usability and content of our website, which received kudos from external clients. Our traffic and page views increased by 55% in the second quarter of 2018, compared to the same period last year. The website also won gold in the 2018 dotCOMM Awards, an international competition honoring excellence in web creativity and digital communication.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

ImageX's project managers worked effectively to establish goals and requirements, create plans, and implement strategies. They built consensus and dealt prudently with challenges, showing flexibility and adaptability while focusing on the project's success.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by ImageX's pragmatic execution and composed, instructive leadership.