Clay

Clay

Clay is a US-based UI/UX design agency focused on high-end digital product design and UX/UI—from research and wireframes to polished UI and design systems.

About Clay

Clay is a cutting-edge UX design agency and web design firm based in San Francisco. Specializing in UI/UX design, web design, and branding, Clay brings creativity and innovation to every project. With a prestigious client list including Slack, Amazon, Meta, Coinbase, and Snapchat, Clay is known for delivering exceptional digital products, websites, design systems, and brand experiences. Their expert team of designers and branding specialists work tirelessly to craft unique and engaging solutions for their clients, setting them apart as a leader in the industry.

Editorial Review

Our take on Clay

Clay is a UI/UX design partner based in San Francisco, CA. Founded in 2009, the team positions itself around high-end digital product design and UX/UI—helping product owners translate requirements into clear user journeys, usable interfaces, and implementation-ready design assets.

What stands out is a practical, product-minded workflow: discovery to align on goals and constraints, research and synthesis to reduce guesswork, then iterative prototyping to validate flows before high-fidelity UI. For organizations that need both speed and clarity, this structure typically reduces rework and improves stakeholder alignment.

  • Core strengths: UX strategy, user research, IA & flows, interactive prototyping, and UI design that scales via components and design systems.
  • Delivery style: collaborative checkpoints, documented decisions, and handoff-ready specs (tokens, components, and annotated designs).
  • Best fit: teams modernizing existing products, launching MVPs, or standardizing UI across multiple modules.

In terms of team profile, Clay most often operates as a MEDIUM partner—which can be ideal if you want direct access to senior designers and a tighter feedback loop. If you require large-scale, multi-track design programs, confirm resourcing plans upfront (design leadership, research coverage, and expected weekly cadence).

When evaluating Clay, ask to see comparable case studies and walkthroughs (problem framing, constraints, iterations, and outcomes). Also confirm how they measure UX success—such as task completion, time-on-task, conversion uplift, support ticket reduction, or qualitative satisfaction signals. Overall, this is a strong option for B2B and consumer teams that value thoughtful UX combined with production-grade UI execution.

Tip: To get the most value, run a short discovery sprint first (1–2 weeks) to lock scope, user personas, and success metrics, then transition into design iterations and handoff.

Badges & Credentials

Verified credentials and recognition earned by Clay

5 badges

Verification

Verified

This agency has a verified website presence.

LinkedIn Verified

This agency has a verified LinkedIn company page.

Recognition

Top Rated

This agency has an exceptional AgencyCluster score of 80+.

Experience

10+ Years

Established in 2016. Over 10 years of experience.

Company

Mid-Size

Medium (51-200)

Awards & Recognition

Rankings earned on AgencyCluster

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About Clay

Common questions about Clay.

Where does Clay rank on AgencyCluster?

Clay has earned rankings on 8 AgencyCluster lists: Top 10 UI/UX Design in California, Top 10 Branding & Creative Design in California, Top 25 UI/UX Design, and 5 more. Their highest AgencyCluster Score is 100/100. Rankings are merit-based and determined by evidence across six evaluation pillars — agencies cannot pay for higher positions.

What are Clay's strengths according to AgencyCluster?

In our evaluation for Branding & Creative Design, Clay scores 100/100 overall. Their strongest areas are Credibility, Proof of Work & Outcomes, Reputation, Category Fit, Delivery Maturity, Freshness. A high Outcomes score means they have verifiable case studies with measurable results — the most heavily weighted factor in our methodology.

How long has Clay been in business?

Clay was founded in 2016, giving them over a decade of experience in ui/ux design. In an industry where many agencies are less than 5 years old, 10+ years of sustained operations signals stability, client retention, and the ability to adapt through multiple technology cycles. Today, the team is mid-size.

What does a typical ui/ux design project cost with an agency like Clay?

A product design engagement (research through visual design) typically costs $25K–$150K. Design system creation ranges from $40K–$120K. Ongoing design retainers for product teams run $8K–$25K/month. These are industry benchmarks for ui/ux design agencies at the level AgencyCluster curates. Actual pricing for Clay will depend on project scope, timeline, and complexity — contact the agency directly for a custom quote.

Is Clay a verified agency?

Yes. Clay has been vetted and verified by AgencyCluster's editorial team through a rigorous, multi-factor review process. Unlike self-serve directories, AgencyCluster does not accept automated submissions — every agency is evaluated manually before being published. Our vetting covers identity verification (website, LinkedIn, domain age), business legitimacy (years of operation, team size, registered presence), evidence of work (case studies, portfolio, client outcomes), reputation checks across third-party platforms, activeness and freshness of their online presence, and screening for red flags including misconduct, fraud, or misleading claims. Agencies that fail any critical check are not listed. For Clay, verified signals include a functioning website, LinkedIn company profile, 10+ years of operating history (founded 2016), 8 earned rankings on curated top lists.