Ueno burst onto the design scene in 2014 when Halli Thorleifsson founded the agency in Reykjavik, Iceland. Within just a few years, it became one of the most talked-about design studios in the world, earning recognition for bold visual work and meticulous attention to craft.
The agency maintained studios in Reykjavik, New York, and San Francisco. Their client portfolio included Uber, Google, Slack, Dropbox, and the Obama Foundation. The work ranged from complete brand identities to complex digital product design.
Ueno’s small team — never more than about 80 people — consistently punched well above its weight class. They built a reputation for taking on projects that other agencies considered too risky or unconventional, and their case studies became some of the most shared design content on the internet.
Twitter acquired Ueno in 2021, bringing the team in-house to bolster the platform’s design capabilities. While the agency no longer takes external clients, its influence on modern digital design remains significant.
Before the acquisition, Ueno won multiple Webby Awards, featured in Communication Arts, and earned spots on numerous “Best Agency” lists. Thorleifsson’s candid writing about agency life, pricing, and creative culture also helped shape how a generation of designers think about running studios.
