Lazy snail Design

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder and partner at The Happier Store, a Scandinavian e-commerce platform for sustainable sports clothing.

For what projects/services did your company hire Lazy snail Design?

As a new company entering the market we were certain that the very first step of a successful business is to build a strong visual identity and the best website design to ensure trustworthy and professional first impression. In general the e-commerce market is quite mature and plenty of good platforms are available for our target group. However, none of the the resellers really seems to invest in brand building and the visual identity of the website. We wanted to hire an agency with good track record for visual identity creation for sustainable brands and who really takes the extra step to understand the target group and entry markets.

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

We started off by shortlisting three different Shopify partners to understand how the "tech" focused agencies approach our challenge. None of the pure tech providers seemed to understand the value of a strong, personal visual identity and offered basic themes and off-the-shelf solutions. After a RFP round with three Scandinavian Shopify-partners we ended up with a convincing setup through Lazy Snail and D.tails (chosen Shopify partner). Their sincere enthusiasm, professional preperation for the meeting and smooth common communication convinced us!

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

In the very first meeting Lazy Snail wanted to understand our business plan and targets in detail. They wanted accurate information about our target groups and competitors in the different markets to build an approach suitable for the market entries and easy enough to scale globally. Lazy Snail suggested a comprehensive approach for us including market study, concept and visual identity, content design for all touch points with the main focus in website design and UI/IX. They worked closely with the tech provider (D.tails) and ensured that the visual identity of the website is implemented as planned.

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

We worked with 3 people from Lazy Snail throughout the project. One head designer, creative director and project manager. We truly appreciate that despite the hard times (Coronavirus and lockdown) the agency was able to deliver the project without changes in the team or schedule.

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

Lazy Snail delivered everything as agreed and in time. Our visual identity and website has received tons of spontaneous positive feedback from customers and brands we work with. The biggest outcome however is that we managed to kick off sales for completely new customers as a new brand during the first week of soft launch and nearly made our sales targets for the first operating month. We have a fully tested, beautifully operating e-commerce business with a good looking future for good financial success. An e-commerce platform can have financial success only by:

1. being thrust worthy (look & feel)
2. having a good conversion rate (good UI/IX)
3. offering a wide enough selection and the right pricing (that´s our responisibility)
4. good marketing and nurturing setup through out the purchase funnel (that´s on us too)

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very agile and easy workflow. First of all, we also saved a lot of money by having the communication between the designers and tech provider working hand in hand.

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

They created a unique visual identity that appeals to our customers and brands. Then, they translate it to a fully functional, easy UI/IX e-commerce platform. With nearly 15 years of experience in Nordic e-commerce I can honestly say, that not many branding agencies can actually design a visual identity that is fully implementable in e-commerce.

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

In order to offer continuous support for companies like us, it would be beneficial to have production ad´s in the team or close co-operation with good freelancers able to implement the visual identity in marketing channels.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an agency working in Denmark with a total of eight people. I’m the owner and CEO of the company. We work exclusively on Shopify projects and are currently scaling up. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Lazy snail Design?

Our brand was nonexistent and we didn’t do design work in-house. They agreed to help us develop a brand design to back our company’s story.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They started with interviews with our team, asking questions about our goals and story. From there, they created a logo, which is what we asked for. While we were only looking for a logo at first, they convinced us that it would be helpful to showcase our brand through additional design assets. Much of our work is coding, which can be difficult to visualize in an engaging way. They addressed that issue by creating a type font for our sole use. Through the values we communicated at the start of the project, they distilled a type font for our company.  

What is the team composition?

We had one primary contact, but others on the team were definitely involved. 

How did you come to work with Lazy snail Design?

We met them in a Shopify tech partner space, where they were discussing their design work. We don’t do any design in-house, so there was a natural match. They agreed that we had an amazing story and offered to help us showcase that in our brand designs. I was impressed with their past projects and their confidence in their skills.   

How much have you invested with them?

The original offer was €20,000 (approximately $24,100 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–April 2019.

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

Having an identity that we can be proud of has been a game-changer. After working with them, we had clients calling us to compliment our brand designs. 

The process itself was really amazing. I was initially a bit skeptical of brand designers, but I learned a lot about my own business from working with them. It was impressive to see them translate our ideas into visuals with a tangible look and feel. Of course, the end results were also amazing, but the process gave me knowledge I wasn’t expecting. 

If you asked me years ago, I could’ve never envisioned buying into a project like this for a logo. However, I’ve found that we’ve received so much more from their services. They’ve helped us discover who we are and where we want to go with our business in the future. The process doubled as a mentoring relationship.   

How did Lazy snail Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They provided us with a primary contact to make communication easy and efficient for us. We communicated over email and through our meetings. 

In the middle of the process, they invited my entire team to a meeting where they shared their progress. That allowed them to get feedback and buy-in from everyone on my team. They were on top of everything, so always felt like we were in good hands. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creativity was amazing. They came to us with five design options in the end, which really exceeded my expectations. We could’ve gone with any one of their designs and been happy. Looking back, it’s impressive how much they delivered for the price. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the end of the project, I was super happy and satisfied with the price. They overdeliver for the price they charge.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a natural wine shop called Pulp Wine DK.

What challenge were you trying to address with Lazy Snail Design?

I was targeting other communities in Copenhagen that didn’t have access to natural wine, and I needed to have a strong brand that I could build my store behind.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Lazy Snail Design created a brand for my natural wine business. We initially spoke on the phone to introduce ourselves. They walked me through their process, discussing the research that they’d conducted to determine who I was as a person. And, I explained my goals for my company as well as my vision for my brand.

I really wanted a cartoonist-sort of look — something that was whimsical and showed my playfulness while still being serious. However, instead of just doing exactly what I wanted, their team created their own image based on all of the things I mentioned. They presented five brand identity plans to choose from with 3–4 revisions on those. After each meeting, we’d make tweaks or cut one away before we nailed the last one.

From there, they offered a whole scope of packaging and brand opportunities. The first deliverable was a logo, of course. Then, they went through every little detail that I found important, right down to the merchandise. They helped put a big mural on the side of my building (still yet to be used) and even added details to the windows, too.

What is the team composition? 

I worked with Jannik (Chief Executive Snail) and Ioanna (Head of Design) who were the dream team. They went above and beyond to make this project happen. I believe they had other employees, but I never worked with them directly.

How did you come to work with Lazy Snail Design?

It was through a Google search. From the first email, I could tell that Lazy Snail Design was serious. They really wanted the project whereas the other firms I spoke to weren’t as responsive. I also noticed that every project they’d worked on seemed like it was from scratch. That is to say, they weren’t using a cookie-cutter template; all the brands looked very different, and the identities were well-thought-out.

How much have you invested with them?

It was 64,750 krona (approximately $7,500 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

They worked on the core elements of the brand between April–November 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down my process a lot. Once this blows over, I’ll re-engage them.

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

There’s a lot of materials that I haven’t started using due to complications from the pandemic, but I’ve received a lot of great feedback from the general public. The longer we’re open, the more and more I love the brand. It appears to be very timeless, which is great because I plan on scaling up my business pretty heavily. 

How did Lazy Snail Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Ioanna was incredibly efficient. She was always trying to focus me on what was important and advising me on what should be approached first. It was a new experience for me, so I appreciated that she was holding my hand a bit. To communicate, we used Zoom for the first couple of meetings then started to call each other up on the phone when we became pals.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’d say they chose me as a client just as much as I chose them because we were aligned on our values. They’re a business, but they’re personable and friendly as well. That made it easy for me to convey my feelings to them, so they understood me more as a person.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it was 100% a positive experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Speak your mind, and they’ll turn that creative energy into something that’s truly unique and wonderful. I showed them maybe 100–150 Pinterest ideas that were all jumbled up, and they created something timeless out of them that I couldn’t have done. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m part of the networking and cooperation project department within Heraklion Development Agency. We work with local actors and municipalities in Heraklion, the capital of Crete, Greece. We develop projects for municipalities and implement them across a variety of sectors, including tourism, culture, local products, and more. I’m responsible for programming, design, and staffing these events. For example, we’d design a promotional project for a local product, and implement the event throughout Europe with local actors.

What challenge were you trying to address with Lazy snail Design?

We were working on a promotional project for gastronomic itineraries in Cyprus, Portugal, Italy, and Spain. Our goal was to establish strong gastronomic routes throughout the regions and then promote them to the broader public. We needed a vendor to put together a full identity for the project, complete with a collection of corresponding marketing collateral.

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we first engaged Lazy snail Design, we didn’t have a solid direction. Their team helped us formulate a few key objectives and the scope of work for the project. First, we developed a targeted promotional strategy and expanded that into an action plan that spanned our education, tourism, and recruiting sectors.

Using our plans, Lazy snail Design put together a series of informational and promotional packages, tourist leaflets, guides, general maps, and books that matched the project identity. It was difficult because we needed to display a cohesive message across multiple languages.

When we decided to participate in international fairs, the team designed every aspect of our exhibits. They provided press gifts, promotional materials, and engagement strategies that aimed to attract public interest and instill a sense of confidence in our services. Throughout the project, the Lazy snail Team regularly suggested new ideas to improve our efforts.

What is the team composition?

I interacted with their full team, but my main points of contact were Ioanna (Founding Partner & Head of Design, Lazy snail Design) and Jannik (Founding Partner, Lazy snail Design). I was free to speak with other staff as necessary.

How did you come to work with Lazy snail Design?

We’re both located in the same small city, so we had an idea of what agencies worked in each field. We ultimately chose Lazy snail Design because they offered unique and refreshing ideas. Moreover, they were very time-oriented in our first interactions.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around €50,000–€60,000 ($56,700–$68,200 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

For this specific project, we worked together from early 2014–December 2015. Currently, we’re working with them on a new product.

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

Because of Lazy snail Design’s work, we were awarded for our visibility and stand attendance at an exhibition in Berlin, and we received a second award from the Ministry of Agriculture for our innovative project. We know we can trust them to deliver top quality work at a local level.

Additionally, time was the main factor for us. If we didn’t complete the product by our deadline, it would’ve lost half of its value. Professionally speaking, we pushed Lazy snail Design pretty hard, but they still delivered work that met all of our requirements. We were very impressed.

How did Lazy snail Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We needed to collaborate closely, specifically during tight timelines. We stayed in touch via email, chat tools, phone calls, and in-person meetings. If our contact points were away at a conference, we’d schedule a Viber call. We’d choose to meet in either of our main offices or a remote location convenient for both sides. When we were scouting international fairs, they’d join to get context for exhibition designs. We have several bureaucratic procedures within our company, so we often asked them for new proposals at the very last moment. Despite this pressure, they consistently delivered.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They bring fresh ideas to every project—new ways to present ideas, share messages, and design materials. Their team has depth. We have access to every staff member, and they’re always prepared to address our questions and concerns.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always room to improve. Lazy snail Design could focus on growing their local market presence. Also, they’re responsive across all of our communication channels, but we’d prefer to meet in person more often.

Any advice for potential customers?

Clients shouldn’t rush into any decisions based on Lazy snail Design’s first draft. Their second idea is generally more detailed and straightforward. In our specific case, we didn’t have a clear plan. We came up with the vision together. Lazy snail Design’s initial work wasn’t exactly what we had in mind, but we trusted their team’s methodology, and the delivery surpassed our expectations.