Ziba

In short

Ziba is a Portland design consultancy whose roots are in industrial design: its own timeline begins with a cashless gasoline ATM in 1983-84 and includes a wearable fitness monitor for Nike in 1988. The founder still runs the firm, and the team mixes anthropologists, engineers and strategists with designers, plus a creative director in Japan. It counts 276 patents granted. That product and research depth is why it sits at #2 on our Portland list.

Recent case studies lean toward customer-experience strategy built on field research. For FedEx, Ziba shadowed small business owners and shaped Active Connections, six service offerings including easier returns and better address management. Alaska Airlines got a pre-flight vision with a reworked check-in Support Hub and Flight Curation for setting up a trip in advance. Vera Bradley's refresh covered a new brand platform, product design and a redrawn logo.

Large consumer, retail and service companies that need to decide what to make or how a customer journey should work, before anything ships, get the most from Ziba; Procter & Gamble is another client quoted on its site. Engagements run on ethnography and long partnerships, which takes time and budget. A company that only needs a marketing website turned around quickly will be better served by a web studio.