Modal is a digital agency. We specialize in user experience design. And this year, we extended the experience out of the screen and into our project management practices.

Background

Last year we decided that we needed to rebrand ourselves. We were getting lumped into a big, ambiguous bucket of web design studios and needed to differentiate ourselves quickly. After a quarter of market research and another quarter of execution we created the rebranded Modal, Inc. We referred to ourselves as a digital agency and added our specialties in user experience and social media. A month later we changed the way we interacted with our clients.

What Changed

We always had a project onboarding process and a loose off-boarding process. The onboarding process included the traditional kick off meeting and such but didn’t highlight what made us different. We use Basecamp and Microsoft Project to manage our projects. So we introduced our clients to the benefits of both in context to their project. It answered questions like; “how will you contact us; how will you update us; and how will you keep the project on budget”? We created links to tutorials of how to use Basecamp realizing that not everyone has been exposed to this easy to use project management suite.

Throughout the project lifecycle we included more face time, weekly updates, and teasers of deliverables to come. In addition, when we neared the end of the project we would create how-to videos for managing web site content and create links to useful resources to help clients in their day-to-day management of their site. These deliverables were beyond standard documentation.

Lastly, we provided them with a gift from us in gratitude for allowing us to work with them. A small token, a framed picture of their new web site or brand, but one that marked how special the project was to us.

The Results

We found that although some clients still had questions about Basecamp, they quickly got used to how to we used it in our daily work. Also, they began adopting a common “project language” that spawned from our use of Project and Basecamp in context to their deliverables. It made status updates concise and trouble-free. This happened because we made sure that we called “things” the same “thing” each time. And that was whether we referred to “it” in an email, phone call, milestone, or Basecamp message. Onboarding and ongoing communications became an expected and welcome activity.

Teasers of new site designs or logos were a hit! And the biggest surprise of all… the framed picture of their new design. Although we thought it was a nice idea we had no idea how well it would go over. We presented them during board meetings and happy hours and each time they went over famously.

I believe that at the end of the day clients are spending good money to get service. As user experience designers it’s our job to extend service beyond their expectations while fulfilling the basic need of delivering a successful project. As this year becomes a memory and the new year dawns give some thought to how you interact with your clients and how you can improve your service to them. After all, who likes bad service?

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