|
|
Project Overview
Dotgain is an online cloud based tool that has been developed to drive greater business performance by creating smarter and more efficient workflow practices for creative agencies and printers. Dotgain is the first in the creative industry to do something of this particular nature.
Organisation
Team
This is a self initiated project managed and implemented by the two co-founders of Dotgain. Stuart Shepherd and Carl Taranto. They have been working with a small independent Melbourne based agency YP Digital to build out the site as specified.
Carl and Stuart have been working as creatives in the design and advertising industries for more than 30 years combined, and together they have worked with some of Australia's largest and most respected agencies. With extensive knowledge in the agency process both small and large, and extremely passionate about improving the creative process, they looked at how they could help agencies save time and money. While creating a more sustainable and revolutionary way for printers to work with creatives.
The idea itself was born from constant frustrations of having to waste time sourcing, reviewing, re-quoting and managing print design projects. The process was manual and not aligned with the requirements of a modern designer. The old manual process slowed agency workload and at times also meant the misuse of peoples core skills. This in-turn costs not only a designer valuable creative development time, but also the employer money. With this in mind the system had to be easy-to-use, flexible and intuitive for all levels of designer, as well as practical for printers.
Dotgain is the first in the creative industry to do something of this particular nature.
In short Dotgain for agencies is a print and workflow management tool. For printers it is a business development and relationship tool.
Project Brief
Dotgain is the first tool in the world created to improve the working relationship between printers and creatives. It is built to create a more sustainable business practice for both industries, while increasing productivity and profit.
Project Need
Dotgain has many innovative benefits for both agency and printer with the intention of always leading back to better creative output, increased profit and improved productivity. Below is a list of some of the major features.
The major benefits for agencies are:
• A more responsive Request For Quote (RFQ) system
• Review & get quotes faster and on time
• Manage jobs & favorite printers more efficiently
• Archive, re-print or re-quote jobs with a click of a button
• Request printed mockups and stocks with 24hr turn-around at the click of a button
• Develop new working relationships with leading printers who have been peer reviewed and approved
The major benefits for agencies are:
• Increase company exposure & extended reach
• Greater opportunity to quote more often
• Keep your sales team more active and efficient
• Understand the market better with features built into the website
User Experience
Agencies and Design Studio’s print hundreds of jobs each year. To source, review and compare quotes the traditional way (via email or phone) is extremely time intensive and laborious. It’s not efficient and the process is very repetitive. Dotgain streamlines this process so they can be more productive and spend more time doing what they do best and that’s 'being creative'.
The process starts with agencies/studio’s filling out a 'Request for Quote' (RFQ) and then sending it to a panel of “Best of Breed” printers that have been carefully selected for print quality, right through to delivery, responsiveness and service. Printers respond by quoting on the job and then sending it back via Dotgain. Agencies/studio's then review and compare all the printer quotes and connect with the printer that best meets the need of their job. They can re-quote jobs quickly as well as invite their own printer if they are not on our print panel. All printers are rated by agencies/studio’s on each job ensuring the highest standards are always maintained.
It’s taken 2.5 years of research and development, speaking to agencies and printers to qualify the ‘need’ of a system like Dotgain. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and we have the support of a very positive creative community. We continually encourage their feedback and make it a big part for making the user experience an even better one. They play an important role in the development process and will continue to be in the future.
Project Marketing
Our Strategy and Marketing Objective is to communicate to Agencies and Studio’s that there is a better and smarter way to manage their print production process. We need to continually convince them that the old and traditional way of managing their print is time consuming and that if they use Dotgain, not only will they save time and money, they will also reduce effort and enjoy their work situation more. It’s a shift in behaviour and habit that we need to influence and effect.
By making the process simpler, we do believe this engages with our target audience. It’s a very uncomplicated and practical tool with a very pleasant user interface. It’s been designed by designers for the design and creative community and we have had great feedback from our users that they can tell the tool has been well considered, thought out and executed. This makes the user experience a memorable and enjoyable one for agencies and studio’s. Especially because it’s used every day and on a regular basis.
Project Privacy
All data we collect on jobs and user details are private and not shared to any 3rd party. Privacy is something we take seriously and we never put information like this at risk. We have Terms and Conditions as well as a Privacy Statement that users all agree with on register. We’ve engaged with lawyers on this and believe this follows best practice principles. Our site is extremely secure and again use accredited developers to ensure quality is never compromised. We have functionality on the site that ensures privacy is always maintained.
Line of Business
The category relates to applications that aid productivity in Line of Business.
More Details