Comparison updated August 2026
Side by side
Key data on both agencies. The accent dot marks where one leads.
| IDEO | Significa | |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial score | 77/100 | ●88/100 |
| Hourly rate | €200/hr | ●€60-100/hr |
| Team size | ●50-99 | 10-49 |
| Location | London, United Kingdom | Lisbon, Portugal |
| Founded | — | 2016 |
| Tier | Free | Free |
| Last reviewed | Feb 11, 2026 | ●Aug 10, 2026 |
What we said about each
What we said about IDEO
"IDEO publishes 15+ case studies spanning nearly 50 years, with standout projects for H&M (22% stock reduction, 34% sales increase via supply chain redesign), Teal Health (FDA-authorized at-home screening device tested with 220 participants), and Boom Supersonic (full-scale cabin prototyping leading to American Airlines order)—each showing documented research, prototyping, and measurable business outcomes. At €200+/hr, IDEO operates at the top of the market, and the work justifies the…"
— UXAgencies editorial team, reviewed Feb 11, 2026
Read full review →What we said about Significa
"More than 20 client case studies are published, and at least six close with outcome numbers rather than screenshots: mishmash reports a 212% sales lift and 34% conversion gain, Hey Harper 17% conversion in its EU store and around €3M in added revenue at one month's payback, Coffee King 29% conversion and 38% average order value two months after launch, and CometChat 50% more demo requests. Case studies list front-end and back-end development alongside design and brand work, so this is a build…"
— UXAgencies editorial team, reviewed Aug 10, 2026
Read full review →Best for
Where each agency measurably leads — on pricing, team capacity, declared specializations, and editorial scoring. Use these to match an agency to your project priorities.
Choose IDEO if you need
- •larger team capacity for multi-stream or enterprise-scale programs
- •disclosed specialization in Retail / Automotive
- •broader service offering — also covers Service Design and Innovation
Choose Significa if you need
- •a more cost-effective engagement (~150% lower rate)
- •closer collaboration at a smaller team scale
- •disclosed specialization in E-commerce / FinTech
- •broader service offering — also covers UX/UI Design and Development
Strengths and watch-outs
Both upsides and risks, straight from our editorial assessments.
IDEO
✓ Strengths
- •Published case studies include specific business metrics—H&M saw 34% sales increase and 22% stock reduction; Teal Health achieved FDA authorization with 97% ease-of-use in a 220-person clinical study
- •Nearly 50-year track record with C-suite client testimonials from Ford, Moderna, and Intercorp—signals a firm that operates at the executive level, not just the project level
- •Work spans physical products (Boom cabin, Teal Wand, Fizik helmets), digital platforms (FEMSA/OXXO, Sephora), and organizational design (Ford, Moderna)—rare breadth backed by evidence in each category
⚠ Watch-outs
- •At €200+/hr with no published maximum rate, request a detailed scope and fee structure early—IDEO's engagements are typically large-scale and may not suit projects under six figures
- •London office is one of several global locations—confirm which team and office will lead your engagement, as case studies span US, Latin America, and European work
- •Most published case studies focus on strategy and product creation rather than ongoing UX design or interface optimization—if your need is iterative digital product improvement, clarify whether IDEO's model fits
Significa
✓ Strengths
- •Outcome reporting is consistent across verticals, not just commerce: allO documents a 30% sales increase and 25 minutes saved per shift in back-office work, and Diesta a 50% reduction in manual reconciliation after launch.
- •Four projects were published in 2026 (Coffee King, Diesta, Petzai, FC Porto hospitality), and the blog has run 10 posts since April 2026, mostly on AI in discovery and prototyping.
- •Operating signals are verifiable: B Corp certified and a 1% for the Planet member, trading since 2016 from a street address and landline, roughly 35 people listed, and a fully public company handbook covering design ethos, engineering practice, NGO pricing, and its AI policy.
⚠ Watch-outs
- •Research is referenced but no discovery artifacts appear on any project page—ask to see interview notes, a test plan or a wireframe sequence from a recent project before assuming discovery sits inside your quote.
- •Conversion and revenue figures are published without a stated measurement window or control—ask how each lift was isolated from seasonality and paid-media spend, especially on the e-commerce replatforms.
- •Strategy, brand, design, and both front-end and back-end sit under one roof at roughly 35 people—confirm how many are assigned to your project at once, and whether design and engineering run concurrently or in sequence.
Service coverage
Where each agency overlaps and where each is unique.
Industry coverage
Where each agency overlaps and where each is unique.
Pricing math
Estimated cost of a typical 12-week senior engagement (~480 hours), at each agency's published rate.
IDEO
Rate: €200/hr
€96,000+
Significa
Rate: €60-100/hr
€28,800–€48,000
For most general product engagements, Significa delivers better ROI per hour. For Retail-specific work, IDEO's premium is justified by their declared specialization.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, IDEO or Significa?
- Significa is cheaper by roughly 150% — €80/hr median vs €200/hr at IDEO. The premium reflects either brand or specialization — see the editorial pull quotes for context.
- Which has more Healthcare experience, IDEO or Significa?
- Both agencies publish Healthcare case studies and have similar industry breadth. Compare directly on the agency profiles: IDEO and Significa.
- Which scores higher overall, IDEO or Significa?
- Significa scores 88/100, 11 points higher than IDEO at 77/100. See our methodology for how scores are calculated.
- Which is faster to engage, IDEO or Significa?
- Significa is typically faster to engage — smaller team, fewer procurement gates. IDEO runs a larger team and more procurement steps, which usually means longer lead times. Kickoff availability is the number that actually varies, so ask both for their current start date before signing.
- When should I consider both IDEO and Significa?
- Consider running parallel discovery briefs with IDEO and Significa if your project spans multiple workstreams, you want competitive proposals to compare scope and approach, or you're undecided between the specialization angles each brings (see the Best for cards above). Most engagements ultimately go with one — but the parallel-brief phase is a low-cost way to validate fit.
Read the full reviews
Side-by-side comparison is a starting point. The full editorial reviews include portfolio analysis, case studies, and the buyer-strength / watch-out detail behind the bullets above.