Teehan+Lax
Teehan+Lax was a Toronto-based boutique digital design agency, founded in 2002 and closed in 2015, specializing in user-experience design for enterprise clients alongside free iOS/Android design templates that generated millions of downloads.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Teehan+Lax does
Teehan+Lax was a privately held boutique digital design agency founded in Toronto in August 2002 by Geoff Teehan and Jon Lax, following the closure of Modem Media's Toronto office where both founders worked. The firm operated until 2015, when its partners joined Facebook's Design team and the company ceased operations. It specialized in user-experience design for digital platforms, targeting enterprise clients that lacked internal front-end and UX capabilities and that were dissatisfied with the bureaucracy of large full-service agencies. The firm differentiated itself by removing account and project managers from engagements so clients worked directly with the people producing the work, and by emphasizing platform work (large-scale applications and sites) over program work (campaigns, banners, microsites), though a Programs group was added in the mid-2000s to capture advertising clients such as BMW, Telus, and New Balance.
The firm's product surface spanned two distinct layers. The commercial layer was project-based professional services delivered on assignment rather than retainer, with custom pricing per scope. The non-commercial layer consisted of a portfolio of free design tools released publicly: pixel-accurate Photoshop and Sketch GUI templates for iOS (versions 5 through 8, covering iPhone and iPad), an Android GUI PSD (Android 2.3.4), and a web-based Density Converter for scaling graphics across mobile density groups. These assets were downloaded millions of times and, per the firm's own reporting, were used by Fortune 500 companies, startups, and reportedly even within Apple. The firm also operated TL Labs, an R&D arm under Director Peter Nitsch for experimental projects.
The business model was sales-led boutique services paired with content-led top-of-funnel demand generation. Teehan+Lax had no outside investors, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed external funding rounds; it operated without a parent company and was controlled by its partners until dissolution. Notable enterprise clients across the firm's 12-year history included Maritime Life (its first client, 2002), Modem Media (2002), Telus (a five-year program relationship lost in 2009 to Taxi), AOL, Air Miles, John Hancock, JP Morgan, Loblaws, IBM, Merrill Lynch, BMW, Globe and Mail, Bell Mobility, alongside startup engagements with Readability, Shipwire, and Prismatic. Over its history the firm completed approximately 600 projects, had roughly 100 people pass through its payroll, and peaked at 35 employees before the 2015 closure. The firm's 2014 financial year was its strongest on record and culminated in the 2014 Net Awards Agency of the Year recognition.
Teehan+Lax firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Teehan+Lax
- Legal name
- Teehan+Lax
- Website
- https://teehanlax.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Teehan+Lax was a Toronto-based boutique digital design agency, founded in 2002 and closed in 2015, specializing in user-experience design for enterprise clients alongside free iOS/Android design templates that generated millions of downloads.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Teehan+Lax industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital experience / UX design agency services
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Enterprise Application UX, Portals & Low-Code Extensions (BPAEAGAM)
Keywords
Where Teehan+Lax is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Teehan+Lax business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Digital Agency Services: Project-based digital design and development services. The company worked on assignments rather than long-term retainers, charging clients directly for creative and development work without account management or project management fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Teehan+Lax product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Teehan+Lax was a boutique digital experience agency that sold user experience (UX) design and front-end implementation services for enterprise clients, focused on large-scale web and mobile platforms (such as Readability, Prismatic, Medium, Globe and Mail, Bell, Krush, and Shipwire). The firm worked on assignments rather than agency-of-record retainers and supplemented its services with free, widely downloaded iOS and Android GUI templates in Photoshop and Sketch formats, plus a Density Converter utility, used by Fortune 500 companies, startups, and reportedly Apple itself.
Product overview
Teehan+Lax was a boutique digital design agency founded in 2002 and closed in 2015 when its partners joined Facebook. Their product portfolio consisted primarily of free, publicly-available design tool resources alongside their professional client services. The core product line includes downloadable GUI templates (Photoshop PSDs and Sketch files) for iOS and Android mobile app design, most notably the popular iPhone and iPad GUI templates. Supporting tools include the Density Converter web tool for multi-platform mobile graphics scaling. These free design resources were widely adopted (millions of downloads) and used by Fortune 500 companies and startups alike. Their professional services encompassed UX design for platforms (large-scale web applications) and programs (digital campaigns), with notable client work including Shipwire, Readability, Prismatic, Bell Stackup, Globe and Mail, Medium, and Krush. TL Labs served as their R&D arm for experimental projects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Teehan+Lax Design Agency Services Boutique UX design and front-end implementation services for enterprise clients, focused on platforms (large-scale web and mobile applications) and programs (digital advertising campaigns). Sectors served included financial services, telecommunications, retail, automotive, media, and technology startups. The firm worked on individual project assignments rather than agency-of-record retainers and was run as a partner-led multidisciplinary team.
- iPhone GUI Template (iOS 8) Free downloadable Photoshop and Sketch template for designing iPhone apps on iOS 8, featuring pixel-perfect UI elements including buttons, icons, navigation bars, and interactive components.
- iPhone GUI Template (iOS 7) Free downloadable Photoshop and Sketch template for designing iPhone apps using iOS 7 interface elements and design patterns.
- iPad GUI Template (iOS 7) Free downloadable Photoshop and Sketch template for designing iPad apps with iOS 7 UI components and layouts.
- Density Converter Free web-based calculator tool for converting graphic dimensions between iOS and Android density groups (non-retina, hdpi, retina, xhdpi) to support multi-platform mobile design.
- TL Labs Research and experimentation arm of Teehan+Lax focused on exploring new technologies, prototyping experimental projects, and pushing creative boundaries; led by Peter Nitsch as Director.
- iOS 6 iPhone PSD Legacy downloadable Photoshop template for iOS 6 iPhone design, approximately 15.7 MB; last updated October 2012.
- iOS 5.1 iPad PSD Legacy downloadable Photoshop template for iOS 5.1 iPad design, approximately 35.1 MB; last updated April 2012.
- iOS 5 iPhone PSD Legacy downloadable Photoshop template for iOS 5 iPhone design, approximately 7.9 MB; last updated June 2010.
- Android GUI PSD Legacy downloadable Photoshop template for Android 2.3.4 GUI design, approximately 10.4 MB; last updated July 2011.
- iPad Sketch Elements Legacy downloadable Sketch-format elements for iPad interface design, approximately 6.5 MB; last updated December 2010.
- iPhone Sketch Elements Legacy downloadable Sketch-format elements for iPhone interface design, approximately 5.6 MB; last updated May 2010.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 600 projects completed over 12 years
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Teehan+Lax
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Teehan+Lax technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Teehan+Lax partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Readability (Arc90)coreTeehan+Lax became a shareholder in Readability to build iOS and Android mobile reading applications. This was a deeper partnership than typical client-agency relationships, with T+L investing in the company in exchange for creating the mobile apps. The partnership involved mutual respect, shared vision for quality, and collaborative development.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Teehan+Lax competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- R/GA: Global digital agency with strong UX and product offerings alongside advertising and brand work. Overlaps with T+L's program and platform services for enterprise clients like IBM, BMW, and Telus.
- IDEO: Iconic design and innovation consultancy with deep roots in human-centered design. Comparable in brand prestige and design-led philosophy, though significantly broader in scope (including physical product and organizational design).
- Frog Design: Long-established design and innovation firm (now part of Capgemini Invent) that pioneered the boutique UX model T+L emulated. Overlaps in product design and enterprise platform work but operates at much larger scale and breadth.
Direct peers
- Cooper: Pioneering UX/product design firm (originator of 'personas') focused on product strategy and interaction design. Closely comparable in boutique scale, UX specialty, and enterprise platform engagements.
- Viget: Boutique digital agency combining strategy, design, and development for web platforms and apps. Comparable boutique scale, project-based model, and focus on craft-driven digital product work.
- HUGE: Digital agency known for UX-led platform work for large enterprises. Comparable in focus on platforms (vs. programs) and Fortune 500 client base, though larger in scale.
- Fantasy: Digital product studio designing and engineering platforms for enterprise and high-growth startups. Closely comparable in boutique scale, design-led culture, and selective project-by-project client model.
- Work & Co: Boutique digital product studio specializing in UX design and front-end engineering for enterprise and consumer brands. Closely comparable to T+L's boutique, design-led, project-based model serving high-profile clients.
- Code and Theory: Digital-first agency combining design, engineering, and strategy for enterprise transformation. Operates in the same UX/platform specialty niche as T+L.
- Smart Design: Independent design consultancy with strong UX/product design practice for enterprise and consumer brands. Comparable in boutique positioning and emphasis on user-centered design for platforms.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Teehan+Lax social profiles
Digital presenceTeehan+Lax financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Teehan+Lax leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Teehan+Lax funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Teehan+Lax M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Teehan+Lax
What does Teehan+Lax do?
Teehan+Lax was a boutique digital experience agency that sold user experience (UX) design and front-end implementation services for enterprise clients, focused on large-scale web and mobile platforms (such as Readability, Prismatic, Medium, Globe and Mail, Bell, Krush, and Shipwire). The firm worked on assignments rather than agency-of-record retainers and supplemented its services with free, widely downloaded iOS and Android GUI templates in Photoshop and Sketch formats, plus a Density Converter utility, used by Fortune 500 companies, startups, and reportedly Apple itself.
Is Teehan+Lax a public or private company?
Teehan+Lax is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently closed.
When was Teehan+Lax founded?
Teehan+Lax was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Teehan+Lax based?
Teehan+Lax is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Teehan+Lax make money?
One revenue line is on record: digital Agency Services.
Who are Teehan+Lax's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are R/GA, IDEO and Frog Design. Direct peers are Cooper, Viget, HUGE, Fantasy, Work & Co, Code and Theory and Smart Design.
Does Teehan+Lax have an API?
No public API is recorded for Teehan+Lax.
What industry is Teehan+Lax in?
Teehan+Lax's product category is Digital experience / UX design agency services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAGAM, Enterprise Application UX, Portals & Low-Code Extensions. Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7371.