Akendi
A UX, CX, and service design consultancy helping organizations align customer research, product strategy, and experience design.
Toronto, Canada · team 15–50 · est. 2007
Score breakdown
Best for
- — Organizations improving end-to-end customer experiences across multiple touchpoints.
- — Regulated-industry teams (financial services, healthcare, government, energy, insurance) needing a research-driven UX/CX partner.
- — Buyers who want usability testing and design systems work alongside strategy, not just visual design.
Not ideal for
- — Teams wanting a narrowly scoped UI/visual design shop rather than a research- and CX-driven consultancy.
- — Buyers who weight review volume heavily — Akendi's Clutch history is only 4 reviews.
- — Anyone relying on 'award-winning' marketing claims without confirming a specific, named award directly.
Engagement
- Model
- Research, UX strategy, and service design
- Rate
- Verify with agency
- Minimum
- Verify with agency
Services
- UX design
- User research
- Service design
- CX/digital strategy
- Product design
- Usability testing
- Design systems
Industries
- Financial services
- Healthcare
- Government
- Energy & utilities
- Telecommunications
- Insurance
Executive summary
Akendi is a Toronto-based UX, CX, and service design consultancy founded in 2007, with a large published case-study library — 30 in total — spanning financial services, healthcare, government, energy, and insurance, and a client roster that includes eBay, McAfee, Staples, FedEx, Credit Suisse, and Ecobee. Its UX focus is scored “specialist” (20/20), the highest tier in this methodology, reflecting a research-through-design practice rather than a generalist mix of services.
The trade-offs are review depth and recognition. Akendi’s 4.8/5 Clutch rating is drawn from just 4 reviews, and while its marketing describes the firm as “award-winning,” no specific, independently verifiable award could be confirmed — recognition is scored “partial” on client caliber and case-study depth alone. The best fit is a regulated-industry buyer wanting a specialist UX/CX partner with a deep portfolio, who is comfortable proceeding without a large review sample or a named award.
Evidence notes
This profile is based on Akendi’s website, its published case studies, and third-party profiles on Clutch and GoodFirms. The rating (4.8) and review count (4) are read from Clutch and are point-in-time figures; despite 18+ years in business, the review-volume factor scores low (2/10) because only 4 reviews are on record. Recognition is scored “partial” (15/25): Akendi’s own marketing describes the firm as award-winning, but no specific, checkable award could be verified, so the score rests on client roster and case-study depth rather than a confirmed award.
Strengths
- Deep UX specialization (scored 'specialist,' 20/20 for UX focus) spanning research, service design, and CX strategy rather than a marketing-led generalist practice.
- Large, verifiable case-study library — 30 published case studies — across regulated, high-stakes industries: financial services, healthcare, government, energy, and insurance.
- Strong review rating (4.8/5 on Clutch) and a recognizable enterprise client roster: eBay, McAfee, Staples, FedEx, Credit Suisse, and Ecobee.
- Nearly two decades in business (founded 2007) with a broad service line running from research through usability testing and design systems.
Potential limitations
- Thin review volume: only 4 Clutch reviews despite 18+ years in business, so the strong 4.8 rating rests on a small sample.
- No specific, independently verifiable design award could be confirmed — 'award-winning' language in Akendi's own marketing isn't backed by a named, checkable award, so recognition is scored 'partial' rather than 'strong.'
- Broader customer-experience and service-design remit than pure product UX design — buyers wanting narrowly scoped UI design work should confirm fit before engaging.
- No published pricing; rates must be scoped and negotiated per engagement.
FAQ
What is Akendi best known for?
UX, CX, and service design consulting for regulated industries, with research-driven work for clients like Credit Suisse and Ecobee, and a library of 30 published case studies.
How is Akendi rated?
4.8/5 on Clutch, but from only 4 reviews as of the last review date — a strong rating from a thin sample. Treat it as a point-in-time figure.
Has Akendi won design awards?
Akendi's marketing describes the firm as award-winning, but no specific, independently verifiable award could be confirmed. Recognition here is scored on client roster and case-study depth, which is why it's rated 'partial' rather than 'strong.'
Does Akendi focus on UX design or broader CX/service design?
Both — Akendi positions itself across UX, CX, and service design, which is broader than pure product UI/UX design. Confirm the scope fits your specific need before engaging.
Use these notes as a diligence checklist
If Akendi's research-led UX/CX model fits your organization, confirm current pricing, ask for references beyond the 4 published Clutch reviews, and verify the specific award claims in its marketing before committing.
Updated 2026-07-08 · Reviewed by UX Design Agencies editorial team · 4 sources cited