ustwo

Overview

ustwo is a digital product design studio established in 2004, with a focus on developing digital products, services, and ventures for a range of clients. The company's methodology integrates strategy, design, and technology to deliver user-centric solutions. Their work encompasses identifying market opportunities, designing user experiences, and providing specifications for product development.

The studio operates across various industries, assisting organizations in navigating digital transformation and launching new digital offerings. This often involves defining product vision, conducting user research, prototyping, and creating detailed design systems. ustwo emphasizes collaborative engagement with client teams, including product managers, engineers, and stakeholders, to ensure alignment throughout the development lifecycle.

A core aspect of ustwo's practice involves 'venture building,' where they work with clients to develop entirely new digital businesses or product lines from conception to launch. This can include market validation, business model design, and strategic planning for sustained growth. Their approach targets clients seeking to innovate and establish a competitive edge through new digital platforms and services.

Their reputation is built on delivering high-quality, polished digital products, exemplified by their past work on mobile applications and digital interfaces. The studio aims to combine strategic insight with design execution to produce results that are both functional and impactful for end-users. Their services are suitable for enterprises and organizations looking to invest in significant digital product initiatives or transform existing service models.

The studio's services are often sought for complex projects requiring a blend of strategic foresight and detailed interaction design. For instance, similar to how IDEO approaches design challenges, ustwo often engages in problem framing and iterative design processes to refine solutions. This engagement model ensures that the final product aligns with both business objectives and user needs.

Key features

• Digital Product Strategy: Services focused on defining product vision, market positioning, and roadmaps for new digital products and services. This includes market research, competitive analysis, and strategic planning.
• Experience Design (UX/UI): Comprehensive user experience and user interface design, covering user research, information architecture, wireframing, prototyping, and visual design for digital applications and platforms.
• Service Design: Designing holistic service experiences that encompass digital touchpoints, operational processes, and user journeys to improve overall service delivery.
• Venture Building: Collaboration with clients to conceptualize, validate, and launch new digital businesses or product lines, often involving business model innovation and go-to-market strategies.
• Design Systems Development: Creation and implementation of reusable component libraries and style guides to ensure consistency and efficiency across digital products.
• Technical Collaboration: Close partnership with client development teams, providing detailed specifications, design assets, and ongoing support during the implementation phase.
• Prototyping & Testing: Iterative development of interactive prototypes and conducting user testing to validate concepts and refine designs before full-scale development.

Pricing

ustwo employs a custom enterprise pricing model. Specific costs for engagements are determined based on project scope, duration, team composition, and desired deliverables. Clients typically engage ustwo for project-based work, long-term retainers, or strategic partnerships. Direct pricing information is not publicly listed on their website, and interested parties need to contact ustwo for a tailored proposal.

For detailed pricing inquiries, prospective clients are directed to ustwo's official contact channels on their homepage contact section.

Common integrations

As a design and strategy studio, ustwo does not offer direct software integrations in the traditional sense. Their work involves creating specifications and design systems that development teams then implement using various technologies. However, their outputs are designed to integrate seamlessly into existing client development workflows and tech stacks. Common integration points or outputs include:

• Design System Libraries: Deliverables often include component libraries (e.g., Figma, Storybook) that integrate with front-end frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular.
• API Specifications: For products requiring backend services, ustwo often collaborates on defining user flows and data structures that inform API design and integration patterns.
• Analytics & Tracking: Designs typically incorporate requirements for analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude) to track user behavior and product performance, requiring integration with measurement SDKs.
• Content Management Systems (CMS): Products designed by ustwo are often built to integrate with headless or traditional CMS platforms (e.g., Contentful, WordPress) for content management.
• Cloud Platforms: Their digital product strategies often consider deployment on major cloud providers (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) and integrate with their ecosystem services.

Alternatives

• Fjord (Accenture Song): A design and innovation consultancy operating under Accenture Song, offering experience design, service design, and digital transformation services.
• IDEO: A global design company known for its human-centered design approach, offering services in product design, service design, and organizational change.
• frog (Capgemini Invent): A global design and strategy firm that provides services in product strategy, experience design, and technology consulting as part of Capgemini Invent.
• R/GA: A global agency that merges technology, design, and marketing to create products, services, and communications.
• AKQA: A design and innovation agency that develops digital products and services for brands.

Getting started

Engaging with ustwo typically begins with an initial consultation to discuss project requirements, strategic objectives, and potential scope. Since ustwo focuses on design and strategy rather than direct software development, there isn't a traditional "hello-world" code example. Instead, a "getting started" phase involves defining the problem space and outlining the engagement. The example below illustrates a conceptual project brief that ustwo might respond to, focusing on design system development, which is a common output of their work.

{
  "project_name": "NextGen Banking App Redesign",
  "client_industry": "Financial Services",
  "project_goal": "Revitalize existing mobile banking application UX/UI, improve user engagement, and streamline transaction flows.",
  "key_deliverables": [
    "Comprehensive UX research and strategy report",
    "User journey maps and personas",
    "High-fidelity interactive prototypes for key features",
    "Complete design system (UI components, style guide, usage guidelines)",
    "Front-end development specifications for engineering team"
  ],
  "target_audience": "Retail banking customers, all demographics",
  "project_timeline_estimate": "6-9 months",
  "desired_outcomes": [
    "Increase mobile app active users by 20%",
    "Improve customer satisfaction (NPS) by 15 points",
    "Reduce support calls related to app usage by 10%"
  ],
  "collaboration_model": "Embedded ustwo design team working alongside client product and engineering teams."
}

This JSON structure represents a hypothetical project brief that would initiate a discussion with ustwo, outlining the strategic context and expected outcomes. The process then moves through discovery, design, and hand-off phases, with iterative feedback loops. The detailed design system and specifications would then guide client development teams in implementing the designs, as noted in the ustwo services overview.