What to Look for in a Branding & UX/UI Agency in Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv has one of the highest concentrations of design studios per capita of any startup hub, which is great for options and confusing for decision-making. Here's a practical checklist we'd give a founder friend before they pick one.

1. Look at range, not just polish

Almost every studio's portfolio looks good in a grid of thumbnails. What matters is range: can you see the same studio handle a logo system, a product UI, and a motion piece with the same level of craft? A studio that only shows one discipline well may need to bring in subcontractors for the rest of your project — worth asking about directly.

2. Ask how they run discovery

A good branding or UX/UI process starts before any visuals — with questions about your business model, audience, competitors, and what the brand or product needs to accomplish commercially. If a studio jumps straight to logo concepts without asking about your business first, that's a signal worth noting.

3. Check for startup-specific experience

Designing for an early-stage startup is different from designing for an established company: timelines are tighter, budgets are leaner, and the brand often needs to work across fundraising decks, a product UI, and a marketing site simultaneously. Studios with a track record across multiple funded startups tend to move faster because they've already solved these constraints before.

4. Read reviews on independent platforms

Portfolio sites are curated by definition. Independent review platforms like Clutch, alongside press coverage of a studio's client work, give a more candid read on communication, timelines, and how a studio handles revisions under pressure.

5. Get a clear scope before you commit

A studio worth working with should be able to break a proposal down by deliverable and phase, rather than quoting one lump number for "branding." That breakdown is also the easiest way to compare quotes across studios apples-to-apples.

We're Studio&more, a full-service branding, UX/UI, and motion studio based in Tel Aviv — we've worked with startups from first fundraising round through acquisition. If you're evaluating studios right now, feel free to use this checklist on us too.