Cherry One Web Design The McDonald's of Web Design Chicago Illinois

As a recent, and now ex, high-ranking director in the creative department, I have had a first hand experience to the underbelly of this beast.

My inception with the company was well received. They hired me on the spot, with a promise that my position was one that was going to be the catalyst for business growth and overall change. The designers were eager to see a fresh face, someone who had a unique and creative vision, and who relieved the terrible burden that they faced day to day.

However, from the start, I heard the rumors and negative comments people had to say about CherryOne. I was blinded by young ambition; by the hope and thought that I could lead and be a part of an amazing design studio.

I could never be more wrong.

During my illustrious three-week employment, it was my goal to do several things.
1. Create a refined creative process
2. Improve client relations
3. Generate Referrals
4. Mentor and Tutor Designers

My Story:
The first day I was hired, project manager Jon Pace announced to the entire design team exactly what I was there to do. "Anonymous is here to spearhead projects, create a project focus, manage client interactions with designers, and to improve the overall creative process from start to finish.

I was responsible for all initial client consultations once the project had been sold. Being an expert in Graphic Design, Brand Identity, and the overall marketability of design, I was able to walk clients through a step-by-step process that engaged them, made them feel like they got their money's worth, and helped to produce a product that the client liked, but also understood would serve as a powerful marketing tool for their company.

In my three weeks with the company I did just that. I contacted clients, provided them with market research, established layout and structure for their site, explained the marketability of design and it's application, did tutorials with the designers to make them better artists, and so much more.

I received such praise and thanks from the clients I worked with, that one could only assume I was doing a great job. I received 4 referrals, and submitted several amazing testimonials to George Lamberis, COO.

However, this is not how CherryOne (a chicago web design company) intended on using my skills. Two weeks into my employment I was called into George Lamberis' office for a meeting with the Project Manager, Jon Pace, and Lead Engineer, Dan Fisch. This was our scheduled production meeting, but clearly it became much more.

George made it very clear that he wanted me to tie up loose ends, rather than prepare the company for the future. He demanded that I manage designer's calendars, and to call up clients and demand the resolution of all loose ends. He basically wanted me to micromanage the entire design process to squeeze as much money out of our clients, and any uncollected money that might be floating around. This is the job of a project manager or assistant project manager.

However, I tried to do both jobs, providing creative direction to clients and designers, while tying up the loose ends of the project manager. I was doing very good at it, until my designers started coming to me asking why they had been assigned a new project, and that it had not yet come through me.

Then, after the first designer came to me, I reviewed the project cue for each designer and found out that 7 new projects had slipped directly past me and got assigned directly to the designers.

I asked George Lamberis why this happened, and he made it clear that we were reverting back to the old process. He let me know personally that we were more concerned about productivity, and that my creative process was slowing things down. He was completely unable to realize that my process sped things up due to his inability to look at the facts, rather than his own greed and linear thinking.

My process involved the clients in their own project. It kept them involved, informed, and resulted in a product that they could be proud of. My process inspired the design team, gave them hope for the future, and was working well beyond my wildest dreams. However, my process does indeed slow things down in the very beginning, but served to prevent countless months of revisions and redesigns.

It was my goal to essentially "create the puzzle box" for the "puzzle" which was the website project. Through research and client interaction, I was able to create the "puzzle box" for the designers to use in the design and development of the site.

I use the analogy of a puzzle and puzzle box for the simple reason that a puzzle is very hard to create without the box to look at. It takes longer to put together, is frustrating, and sometimes can get pushed aside and forgotten.This is exactly what was happening before my inception.

Clients were stalling projects due to frustration, unsatisfactory design quality, biased designers who demonstrated frustration on the phone, terrible client interaction, and a "bottom line" COO who will brutally attack (verbally) a client for delaying his income (regardless of why they are upset).

It is overall a system of damage control, not prevention. They are more concerned about maximizing the amount of clients we have, and producing a product as quickly as possible with absolutely no concern as to the quality of that product. They could not understand a quality product would generate more business. They could not understand that happy clients allow us the time required to do good work. They could not conceive that happy designers produce better work.

All they were concerned with is your money.

The designers that worked there were also something I would like to discuss. Of the 8 that worked there, there was only 2 that had real talent. However, they all were drones, locked in an unlit room behind cubicles in the corner. When I started, they seemed depressed. They appeared as if they truly hated their jobs, and were forced to abide by the rules simply for employment on which they relied. It also seemed that those who had opinions were terrified to speak on the behalf of their opinion, for fear that they would be brought into light and thus loose their job. It is truly sickening to see a company that would identify and eliminate any person who speaks a voice of concern with the company, should it conflict with the vision of the CEO and COO.

In regards to only having 2 designers with real talent for design, this was something that I was comfortable with. I worked directly with the design team every day, and got a good feel for the strengths and weaknesses for each designer. I also lead tutorials for the entire design team, in an effort to show them new techniques and increase their design quality. Rather than attack and insult someone for not doing it as well as I'd expect, I created a system that would serve to improve their work.

The designers absolutely LOVED the tutorials. They were eager to learn new things, try out different techniques, and asked me for more. They were excited that I could show them ways to improve the quality of their design. Their work also got many times better due to my creative process and tutorials.

It also gave the clients a unique experience which was starting to generate referrals!

I finally had established the process, earned the trust and respect of the designers, demonstrated my knowledge and marketability to the sales team, gained the respect and trust of my clients, and had ignited the fuel to get the engine running... and as soon as the pistons started turning, I hit a brick wall.

This is not a company based on a quality product. This is not a company that is concerned with their client status. This company is only concerned with getting to a bottom line, and that is your money. This is not quoted, but comes directly from George Lamberis, COO of CherryOne.

CherryOne Web Design is the McDonald's of Web Design Studios. They have the #1 spot for Chicago Web Design in Chicago and Miami. This essentially gives them enough page-views to generate business regardless of their reputation. There are simply too many clients out there who do not know enough to make a wise decision when considering a web design company. This same group of clients also click on the #1 spot in a search engine.

It is a business model that works for the company, and will generate income. That is why they won't change it. They are McDonald's simply because they are everywhere. They have the marketability to target thousands of businesses. The ignorance of an uneducated client is the one reason they will always be in business. They sell a product that belongs on the Dollar Menu, and convince the client that it is worth 10 times that amount.

I proposed that the sales team create an itemized list of services that we provide. I suggested that we serve to inform our clients, put reason and validity behind the proposal structure, and create proposals based on the realistic needs of the client. This idea was also shot down because regardless of the client, our sales team is good enough to con you into paying out of your teeth for a product that will leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Beware! This company will not produce a website that will serve as the cornerstone of your marketing efforts. They are there to collect your money. They are there to ensure your payment as quickly as possible. They are only interested with getting your project completed as quickly as possible, and are ignorant to the fact that a happy client is the only way to do so.

Anonymous
Midlothian, Illinois
U.S.A.