Work & Co vs Onething Design: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Work & Co (3.8/5) edges ahead of Onething Design (3.8/5) overall. Work & Co is the better choice for premium brands, design paired with production-grade engineering. Onething Design is the stronger option for companies wanting BFSI, healthcare, automotive — one studio, five verticals. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Work & Co vs Onething Design: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Work & Co | Onething Design |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 | 2015 |
| HQ | Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY, USA | Gurugram, India (also Bangalore and San Francisco) |
| Team size | 425+ | 52–73 |
| Rating | 3.8 / 5 | 3.8 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A client roster (Apple, IKEA, Nike, Disney) that outsizes its ~425-person headcount, delivered through an engineering-heavy design-and-build model | Covers five distinct industries — BFSI, consumer, enterprise, healthcare, automotive — from one team with both US and India delivery presence |
| Pricing model | Fixed project, dedicated team | Fixed project, dedicated team |
| Min. engagement | Not published | $10K (per company website; independently unverifiable) |
| Primary tech stack | Figma, React, Next.js | Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite |
| Industries served | Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Healthcare | Financial services / fintech, Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Healthcare, Automotive & mobility |
Work & Co vs Onething Design: overview
Work & Co
Five co-founders — Gene Liebel, Felipe Memoria, Joe Stewart, Mohan Ramaswamy, and Marcelo Eduardo — launched Work & Co from Dumbo, Brooklyn in May 2013. The studio has since added offices across the US, Latin America, and Europe, but headcount (roughly 425) hasn't grown to match its client list: Apple, IKEA, Google, Mercedes-Benz, Pfizer, GoFundMe, Nike, and Disney have all hired this team. Its engineering-heavy delivery model — design and front-end build under one roof — is a large part of why. Work & Co joined Accenture Song in 2023.
Onething Design
What's now Onething Design took its current name in 2015, renamed from an earlier predecessor called Ketchup Designs Studio — so its founding date is treated as approximate. The studio runs out of Gurugram, India with offices in Bangalore and San Francisco, reporting 52–73 employees depending on source. Where most of the boutiques in this list specialize in one or two verticals, Onething goes broad: BFSI, consumer products, enterprise, healthcare, and automotive all sit inside one team's portfolio.
Services and capabilities: Work & Co vs Onething Design
| Capability | Work & Co | Onething Design |
|---|---|---|
| Product design | ✓ | ✓ |
| UX research | ✗ | ✓ |
| Branding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Web development | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mobile development | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design systems | ✗ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Work & Co vs Onething Design
| Framework / platform | Work & Co | Onething Design |
|---|---|---|
| Figma | ✓ | ✓ |
| Webflow | N/A | N/A |
| React | ✓ | N/A |
| Framer | N/A | N/A |
| Adobe Creative Suite | N/A | ✓ |
| Design systems/Storybook | N/A | N/A |
| After Effects | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Work & Co vs Onething Design
| Criterion | Work & Co | Onething Design |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | $10K (per company website; independently unverifiable) |
| Engagement models | Fixed project, Dedicated team | Fixed project, Dedicated team |
| Rate transparency | Minimum disclosed | Minimum disclosed |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Accessible |
Target audience comparison: Work & Co vs Onething Design
| Dimension | Work & Co | Onething Design |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Healthcare | Financial services / fintech, Consumer products, Enterprise transformation |
| Best use cases | Flagship consumer app redesign for a global brand, E-commerce platform rebuild requiring heavy front-end engineering | BFSI product design for a bank or insurer, Automotive digital interface design |
| Typical project type | Fixed project | Fixed project |
Work & Co vs Onething Design: pros and cons
| Work & Co | |
|---|---|
| + | Client roster (Apple, IKEA, Google, Nike, Disney) is exceptional relative to a ~425-person studio |
| + | Engineering-heavy delivery keeps design and build under one roof, reducing hand-off risk |
| + | Offices across the US, Europe, and Latin America support genuine multi-region delivery |
| + | Consistent track record shipping flagship consumer digital products |
| - | Now part of Accenture Song, sharing a parent with the Accenture Song listing elsewhere on this site |
| - | Its premium client base implies premium pricing, though no minimum is published |
| - | Less vertical specialization in fintech or healthcare than boutiques built around a single niche |
| Onething Design | |
|---|---|
| + | Covers five distinct industries from a single team, useful for clients working across multiple verticals |
| + | US (San Francisco) and India (Gurugram, Bangalore) footprint supports round-the-clock delivery |
| + | $10K minimum engagement (per company website; independently unverifiable) is accessible relative to most peers in this roster |
| + | A decade of operation under its current name, with roots stretching back further |
| - | Founding year is approximate — the studio was renamed from an earlier predecessor in 2015 |
| - | Its broad five-industry positioning gives up some vertical-specific depth compared with specialists like UXDA |
| - | Reported employee count varies by source (52–73), making capacity planning less precise |
Who should choose Work & Co?
A typical fit: flagship consumer app redesign for a global brand.
A client roster (Apple, IKEA, Nike, Disney) that outsizes its ~425-person headcount, delivered through an engineering-heavy design-and-build model. Minimum engagement starts at Not published. Works best with clients in Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Healthcare.
Who should choose Onething Design?
A typical fit: BFSI product design for a bank or insurer.
Covers five distinct industries — BFSI, consumer, enterprise, healthcare, automotive — from one team with both US and India delivery presence. Minimum engagement starts at $10K (per company website; independently unverifiable). Works best with clients in Financial services / fintech, Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Healthcare, Automotive & mobility.
Decision matrix: Work & Co vs Onething Design
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | Work & Co |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | Work & Co |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Work & Co (Not published) vs Onething Design ($10K (per company website; independently unverifiable)) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Onething Design |
| You need staff augmentation or team extension | Neither; consider alternatives that offer staff aug |
| You need consulting before committing to a build | Both may offer discovery engagements |
Use case fit: Work & Co vs Onething Design
| Use case | Work & Co fit | Onething Design fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagship consumer app redesign for a global brand | Strong | Limited | Work & Co |
| E-commerce platform rebuild requiring heavy front-end engineering | Strong | Limited | Work & Co |
| BFSI product design for a bank or insurer | Limited | Strong | Onething Design |
| Automotive digital interface design | Limited | Strong | Onething Design |
| Fixed-price product build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Dedicated design team augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Work & Co vs Onething Design
Work & Co (3.8/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Product Design projects. A client roster (Apple, IKEA, Nike, Disney) that outsizes its ~425-person headcount, delivered through an engineering-heavy design-and-build model.
Onething Design (3.8/5) is worth a look if you need automotive digital interface design. If your situation matches that, Onething Design is a competitive option.
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Work & Co vs Onething Design FAQ
Is Work & Co better than Onething Design?
Work & Co (3.8/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Work & Co's strongest advantage: client roster (Apple, IKEA, Google, Nike, Disney) is exceptional relative to a ~425-person studio. Onething Design's strongest advantage: covers five distinct industries from a single team, useful for clients working across multiple verticals.
How do Work & Co and Onething Design differ in pricing?
Work & Co uses fixed project, dedicated team pricing with a minimum engagement of Not published. Onething Design uses fixed project, dedicated team pricing with a minimum engagement of $10K (per company website; independently unverifiable). Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Work & Co or Onething Design?
Onething Design is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each agency before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Work & Co and Onething Design?
Work & Co's primary differentiator is: a client roster (Apple, IKEA, Nike, Disney) that outsizes its ~425-person headcount, delivered through an engineering-heavy design-and-build model. Onething Design's primary differentiator is: covers five distinct industries — BFSI, consumer, enterprise, healthcare, automotive — from one team with both US and India delivery presence. They also differ in team size (425+ vs 52–73), minimum engagement (Not published vs $10K (per company website; independently unverifiable)), and primary industries served (Consumer products, Enterprise transformation vs Financial services / fintech, Consumer products).
Verify all details directly with each agency before making a decision.