A
small
studio
that
goes
deep,
not
wide.
Verso is eight people who take on six brands a year. No account managers, no telephone game the people you meet in the kickoff are the people who ship your launch.
About the studio
Independent · since 2019
NYC / Berlin
THE STUDIO
07°C · 14:32 CET
We started Verso to escape the agency machine. No layers, no handoffs. Just a small team focused on meaningful work.
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Directo
Since 2019 - 26
What we believe
What we believe
Most brands don't fail because they look wrong. They fail because no one decided what they were for. We spend the first week arguing about that so the next five never have to.
Most brands don't fail because they look wrong. They fail because no one decided what they were for. We spend the first week arguing about that so the next five never have to.
Happy clients worldwide
Return clients
96%Design awards
11
07Years running
SEVEN
Brands launched
48+
Happy clients worldwide
Return clients
Design awards
Years running
Brands launched
Three rules we don't break
How we think
01
Strategy before pixels
If we can't say why a decision is right, we don't make it. Every answers to the brief.
01
Strategy before pixels
If we can't say why a decision is right, we don't make it. Every answers to the brief.
02
Small on purpose
Six projects a year, not sixty. Fewer clients means the founders are always in the room.
02
Small on purpose
Six projects a year, not sixty. Fewer clients means the founders are always in the room.
03
We hand back the keys
You own every file on launch day, plus a walkthrough so your team runs it without us.
03
We hand back the keys
You own every file on launch day, plus a walkthrough so your team runs it without us.
Seven years - Five turning points
The short version.
2019
Two people, one room
Elias and Sofia leave a 200-person agency and take on their first three clients from a borrowed studio in Brooklyn.
2019
Two people, one room
Elias and Sofia leave a 200-person agency and take on their first three clients from a borrowed studio in Brooklyn.
2019
Two people, one room
Elias and Sofia leave a 200-person agency and take on their first three clients from a borrowed studio in Brooklyn.
2021
First Awwwards honor
A rebrand for an arctic outerwear label puts us on the map and teaches us to say no to everything that isn't a fit.
2021
First Awwwards honor
A rebrand for an arctic outerwear label puts us on the map and teaches us to say no to everything that isn't a fit.
2021
First Awwwards honor
A rebrand for an arctic outerwear label puts us on the map and teaches us to say no to everything that isn't a fit.
2023
We go all in on Framer
Design and build collapse into one tool. Timelines halve, handoffs disappear, and clients start editing their own sites.
2023
We go all in on Framer
Design and build collapse into one tool. Timelines halve, handoffs disappear, and clients start editing their own sites.
2023
We go all in on Framer
Design and build collapse into one tool. Timelines halve, handoffs disappear, and clients start editing their own sites.
2025
Berlin design studio opens
A second base across the Atlantic same eight-person cap, now working across two time zones on purpose.
2025
Berlin design studio opens
A second base across the Atlantic same eight-person cap, now working across two time zones on purpose.
2025
Berlin design studio opens
A second base across the Atlantic same eight-person cap, now working across two time zones on purpose.
2026
48 brands, still eight of us
We've turned down more work than we've taken. That's the whole strategy and it's not changing.
2026
48 brands, still eight of us
We've turned down more work than we've taken. That's the whole strategy and it's not changing.
2026
48 brands, still eight of us
We've turned down more work than we've taken. That's the whole strategy and it's not changing.
Where we've made noise
5x Honors
5x Honors
2x UI Awards
2x UI Awards
3x Curated
3x Curated
1x SOTD
1x SOTD
8X
8X
Where we've made noise
Team members
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Founder & Creative Director
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Elias Ward
Founder & Creative Director
Since 2019 - 26
Brand roots start with clarity.
Handle with intention. Contents: strategy, identity, web, motion. Keep away from generic templates. For best results apply directly to ambitious brands. Side effects may include attention.
- Creative agency
Strategy first
Since 2019 - 26
Brand roots start with clarity.
Handle with intention. Contents: strategy, identity, web, motion. Keep away from generic templates. For best results apply directly to ambitious brands. Side effects may include attention.
- Creative agency
Strategy first
Since 2019 - 26
Brand roots start with clarity.
Handle with intention. Contents: strategy, identity, web, motion. Keep away from generic templates. For best results apply directly to ambitious brands. Side effects may include attention.
- Creative agency
Strategy first
