Independent creative studio

London · Lisbon · New York

Est. 2012

We make brands& products peoplecan’t ignore.

Northbound is a studio of 42 strategists, designers and engineers. We help ambitious companies find their voice and build the products that carry it.

Trusted partner to ambitious founders, growing brands and curious teams.

Kite Mobility brand and app artworkFeatured: Kite Mobility

Brand identity, digital products, websites, campaigns, design systems, motion, strategy and content.

Clients

In good company.

From seed-stage start-ups to 140-year-old banks, 80% of our clients come back for a second project.

  • Halden
  • ORO
  • meridian+
  • Kite
  • Paperplane
  • FJORD
  • Lumen
  • Atlas & Co

What we do

Four disciplines, one team.

All services

Selected work

Recent projects.

View all work

How we work

No black boxes. No big reveals.

Every project follows the same four phases, with a show-and-tell every Thursday so you see the work as it grows.

  1. 011–2 weeks

    Discover

    Workshops, interviews and audits to understand your business, your audience and the opportunity.

  2. 021–3 weeks

    Define

    Strategy, positioning and a clear brief everyone signs off on before a single pixel is pushed.

  3. 033–10 weeks

    Design

    Concepts, prototypes and testing with real people. We share work weekly, never in a big reveal.

  4. 042–8 weeks

    Deliver

    Build, launch and hand-over, with guidelines, training and support for the first 90 days.

By the numbers

Years independent
14
Launches shipped
120+
Industry awards
38
Clients who return
80%
  • Site of the Day ×12Web design awards, 2019–2026
  • Gold, Brand IdentityKite Mobility, 2026
  • Best Mobile ExperienceHalden Bank, 2025
  • Studio of the Year, shortlist2024 and 2025

What clients say

“They didn’t just redesign our app, they changed how the whole company talks about itself. Our NPS went from 31 to 58 in six months.”
Priya RamanChief Product Officer, Halden Bank
“Northbound work like an extension of your team. Weekly show-and-tells, no surprises, and the work was better than anything we could have briefed.”
Tom AshworthFounder, Oro Coffee Roasters
“Riders started posting photos of our bikes. That had never happened before. That’s what a brand with a point of view does.”
Lena VogelCEO, Kite Mobility