Work & Co vs Pentagram: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Pentagram (4.0/5) edges ahead of Work & Co (3.8/5) overall. Pentagram is the better choice for brands wanting identity, packaging, digital design. Work & Co is the stronger option for premium brands, design plus production-grade engineering. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Work & Co vs Pentagram: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Work & Co | Pentagram |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 | 1972 |
| HQ | Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY, USA | London, UK (also New York, San Francisco, Berlin, and Austin) |
| Team size | 425+ | 24 partners plus their teams (total not published) |
| Rating | 3.8 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A client roster (Apple, IKEA, Nike, Disney) that outpaces its ~425-person headcount, delivered through an engineering-heavy design-and-build model | A 24-partner, no-CEO structure unique among the studios in this list, and the world's largest independent design consultancy by its own claim |
| Pricing model | Fixed project, dedicated team | Project-based (not published) |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | Figma, React, Next.js | Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, React |
| Industries served | Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Healthcare | Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Media & entertainment |
Work & Co vs Pentagram: overview
Work & Co
Gene Liebel, Felipe Memoria, Joe Stewart, Mohan Ramaswamy, and Marcelo Eduardo founded Work & Co in Dumbo, Brooklyn in May 2013, later opening offices across the US, Latin America, and Europe. At roughly 425 people, the studio's client list — Apple, IKEA, Google, Mercedes-Benz, Pfizer, GoFundMe, Nike, Disney — punches well above its size, largely because design and front-end engineering are handled by the same team. Accenture Song acquired Work & Co in 2023.
Pentagram
Five founding partners — Alan Fletcher, Theo Crosby, Colin Forbes, Kenneth Grange, and Mervyn Kurlansky — started Pentagram in London in 1972, and the firm still runs on the same unusual structure more than five decades later: 24 practicing-designer partners, each running their own team, sharing overhead and profits, with no single CEO. Pentagram calls itself the world's largest independent design consultancy, working from London, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, and Austin across graphics, branding, products and packaging, and digital experiences — a broader scope than the pure product-design specialists elsewhere in this list.
Services and capabilities: Work & Co vs Pentagram
| Capability | Work & Co | Pentagram |
|---|---|---|
| Product design | ✓ | ✓ |
| UX research | ✗ | ✗ |
| Branding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Web development | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mobile development | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design systems | ✗ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Work & Co vs Pentagram
| Framework / platform | Work & Co | Pentagram |
|---|---|---|
| Figma | ✓ | ✓ |
| Webflow | N/A | N/A |
| React | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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 Pentagram
| Criterion | Work & Co | Pentagram |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Fixed project, Dedicated team | Fixed project, Retainer |
| Rate transparency | Minimum disclosed | Minimum disclosed |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Work & Co vs Pentagram
| Dimension | Work & Co | Pentagram |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Healthcare | Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Media & entertainment |
| Best use cases | Flagship consumer app redesign for a global brand, E-commerce platform rebuild with heavy front-end engineering | Brand identity and digital product design bundled into one engagement, Packaging or physical-product design alongside a digital product |
| Typical project type | Fixed project | Fixed project |
Work & Co vs Pentagram: pros and cons
| Work & Co | |
|---|---|
| + | Client roster (Apple, IKEA, Google, Nike, Disney) is exceptional relative to headcount |
| + | Design and engineering under one roof cuts the hand-off risk of splitting vendors |
| + | 425+ people across the US, Europe, and Latin America give real multi-region capacity |
| + | Consistent record shipping flagship consumer digital products |
| - | Now part of Accenture Song, which shares a parent with the Accenture Song entry elsewhere in this list |
| - | A premium client base implies premium pricing even without a published minimum |
| - | Less vertical specialization (fintech, healthcare-specific) than boutiques built around one niche |
| Pentagram | |
|---|---|
| + | Owner-partners are the practicing designers and primary client contacts, not a layer of account management above the design team |
| + | Over five decades of continuous, independent operation since 1972 |
| + | Five-city studio footprint (London, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, Austin) |
| + | Scope spans branding, packaging, and digital product design, useful for clients wanting more than pure UI work |
| - | Broader branding-and-identity focus means less concentrated digital-product-design specialization than boutiques built around SaaS or app UX specifically |
| - | Team size and per-partner capacity aren't published in a way that's easy to compare against other studios |
| - | Pricing and minimum engagement size aren't published |
Who should choose Work & Co?
A typical fit: flagship consumer app redesign for a global brand.
A client roster (Apple, IKEA, Nike, Disney) that outpaces 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 Pentagram?
A typical fit: brand identity and digital product design bundled into one engagement.
A 24-partner, no-CEO structure unique among the studios in this list, and the world's largest independent design consultancy by its own claim. Minimum engagement starts at Not published. Works best with clients in Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Media & entertainment.
Decision matrix: Work & Co vs Pentagram
| 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 Pentagram (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Work & Co |
| 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 Pentagram
| Use case | Work & Co fit | Pentagram fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagship consumer app redesign for a global brand | Strong | Limited | Work & Co |
| E-commerce platform rebuild with heavy front-end engineering | Strong | Limited | Work & Co |
| Brand identity and digital product design bundled into one engagement | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Packaging or physical-product design alongside a digital product | Limited | Strong | Pentagram |
| Fixed-price product build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Dedicated design team augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Work & Co vs Pentagram
Pentagram (4.0/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Product Design projects. A 24-partner, no-CEO structure unique among the studios in this list, and the world's largest independent design consultancy by its own claim.
Work & Co (3.8/5) is worth a look if you need e-commerce platform rebuild with heavy front-end engineering. If your situation matches that, Work & Co is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Work & Co vs Pentagram FAQ
Is Work & Co better than Pentagram?
Pentagram (4.0/5) 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 headcount. Pentagram's strongest advantage: owner-partners are the practicing designers and primary client contacts, not a layer of account management above the design team.
How do Work & Co and Pentagram differ in pricing?
Work & Co uses fixed project, dedicated team pricing with a minimum engagement of Not published. Pentagram uses project-based (not published) pricing with a minimum engagement of Not published. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Work & Co or Pentagram?
Work & Co is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each studio before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Work & Co and Pentagram?
Work & Co's primary differentiator is: a client roster (Apple, IKEA, Nike, Disney) that outpaces its ~425-person headcount, delivered through an engineering-heavy design-and-build model. Pentagram's primary differentiator is: a 24-partner, no-CEO structure unique among the studios in this list, and the world's largest independent design consultancy by its own claim. They also differ in team size (425+ vs 24 partners plus their teams (total not published)), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Consumer products, Enterprise transformation vs Consumer products, Enterprise transformation).
Verify all details directly with each studio before making a decision.