:ratio
:ratio is a Lausanne and Fribourg-based UX/UI design agency founded in 2009 that serves Swiss public administrations, enterprises, universities, and startups with subscription-based and project-based user experience services including audits, information architecture, user research, and AI-augmented content analysis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLausanne, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What :ratio does
:ratio is a privately held digital user experience agency founded in 2009 in Lausanne, Switzerland, by Yann Ringgenberg and Simon Farine, with a second office in Fribourg. The firm specializes in UX research, information architecture, interaction and visual design, UX audits, and AI-augmented content analysis, supported by a proprietary in-house navigation prototyping tool called Gimbalst. Its core technology stack blends established UX methods (card sorting, tree testing, heatmaps, usability testing, Nielsen and Bastien & Scapin evaluation frameworks) with AI-driven semantic content analysis and automatic taxonomy generation used to accelerate information architecture projects.
The firm sells both project-based engagements and, more recently, recurring UX & UI Design Subscriptions (Foundation at CHF 2,960/month, Advanced at CHF 5,600/month, À la carte). Project pricing is transparently disclosed in Swiss francs and ranges from CHF 1,200 per screen for interaction design to CHF 16,500 for a five-day Flexible Design Sprint, with audit and benchmark packages between CHF 4,200 and CHF 12,000. Distribution is consultative and direct-to-enterprise, with named practitioners rather than account managers leading client engagements. The customer base spans public administrations (Canton de Vaud, Ville de Fribourg, Confédération Suisse, Justitia 4.0), universities (Université de Lausanne, EPFL, ECAL, IMD), healthcare providers (CHUV, Sophia Genetics, OFAC), and corporates (Logitech, NAGRA Kudelski, Romande Energie, Vaudoise Assurances, Audemars Piguet, UEFA, RTS, Swissquote, Pictet), with public administration flagged as the primary vertical. In 2018, the firm established a joint venture named BIG ratio with industrial design studio BIG Game to extend into IoT design. Co-founder Simon Farine stepped back from operations in 2022 to focus on an independent project, leaving Yann Ringgenberg as the active founder-operator.
:ratio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- :ratio
- Legal name
- :ratio
- Website
- https://8ratio.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- :ratio is a Lausanne and Fribourg-based UX/UI design agency founded in 2009 that serves Swiss public administrations, enterprises, universities, and startups with subscription-based and project-based user experience services including audits, information architecture, user research, and AI-augmented content analysis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
:ratio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- UX/UI Design Services
- NAICS
- Other Specialized Design Services (54149), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Brand Experience (BX) & Service Design (BPAFAEAI), Customer Experience (CX) & Voice of Customer (NPS/CSAT, Journey Research) (MPAAALAH)
Keywords
Where :ratio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lausanne
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
:ratio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Professional Services: Project-based UX/UI design, research, and consulting services. Revenue generated through fixed-price projects, subscriptions, and hourly engagements. Key services include UX audits, information architecture, user research, interface design, and design sprints.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Foundation - 4 hours/week UX/UI support |
| Subscription | Monthly | Advanced - 8 hours/week UX/UI support |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Content Audit |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | New Navigation |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Full Audit |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | UX/UI Benchmark |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | From Diagnosis to Mockup |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Interaction Design |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | User Research |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Flexible Design Sprint |
| Hybrid | Multi-year contract | Public Sector Services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
:ratio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
:ratio is a Swiss UX/UI design agency that delivers user experience and interface design services through subscription packages, fixed-price project engagements, and design sprints. Core service lines include UX audits, information architecture, user research, interaction and visual design, AI experience design consulting, and accessibility-compliant design systems. Clients range from Swiss public administrations and universities to large enterprises such as Logitech, NAGRA Kudelski, Romande Energie, and Audemars Piguet, with engagement models supporting both ongoing monthly subscriptions and one-time projects.
Product overview
:ratio is a UX and UI design agency offering a comprehensive suite of user experience services. The core offering consists of subscription-based UX & UI design services (Foundation, Advanced, and À la carte tiers), complemented by specialized service lines including AI Experience Design, UX Audits, Information Architecture, User Research, Interaction & Visual Design, and Flexible Design Sprints. The agency also developed an internal tool called Gimbalst for navigation prototyping. Services are priced tiered with transparent pricing (UX subscriptions from CHF 2,960/month, audits from CHF 4,200, design sprints at CHF 16,500) and serve diverse sectors including public administrations, startups, healthcare, education, and media organizations across Switzerland.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- UX & UI Design Subscriptions
Quantifiable outcome
- 170 clients served since 2009
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use :ratio
Customer profileNamed customers21 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
:ratio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature1 record
:ratio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- BIG GamecoreJoint venture 'BIG ratio' founded with industrial design studio BIG Game for IoT (Internet of Things) design projects. Combined :ratio's UX expertise with BIG Game's industrial design capabilities to offer connected objects design services to enterprises and startups.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
:ratio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- IDEO: Pioneering global design consultancy with deep UX, service design, and innovation expertise. Comparable on design-led methodology but operates at enterprise and global scale rather than Swiss-regional focus.
- DEPT®: Large global digital agency with Swiss presence offering UX/UI, engineering, and marketing services. Represents the scaled, multinational alternative for Swiss enterprises seeking broader digital capabilities.
- frog (Capgemini Engineering): Global design and innovation firm serving multinational enterprises on digital product and service design. Comparable at the methodology level (design thinking, IA, user research) but at much larger scale and global reach.
Direct peers
- Unic: Swiss digital agency with strong UX/UI and software engineering capabilities serving enterprise clients across Switzerland. Comparable in service breadth, Swiss enterprise focus, and project-based digital transformation engagements.
- Zeix: Zurich-based UX and interaction design agency serving Swiss public administrations and enterprises. Closely comparable in offering (UX research, IA, interaction design) and target clients (Swiss government, regulated industries).
- Notch Interactive: Swiss design and digital strategy boutique focused on UX, brand, and digital product design. Comparable boutique scale, Swiss clientele, and premium UX consulting model.
- Hinderling Volkart: Swiss digital agency specialized in UX design, branding, and digital products for Swiss enterprise and public-sector clients. Comparable in team scale, Swiss focus, and premium positioning on complex digital transformations.
- Ergon Informatik: Zurich-based Swiss software and UX firm delivering digital products with embedded design and engineering. Comparable Swiss enterprise and public-sector client base, though with stronger engineering depth than :ratio.
- Liip: Swiss digital agency headquartered in Fribourg/Zurich offering UX/UI design, agile development, and digital product services. Direct competitor for Swiss enterprise and public-sector UX mandates with comparable team size and methodology focus.
Emerging players
- Adviscent: Swiss digital strategy and UX consultancy serving mid-market clients with design and transformation services. Comparable in Swiss focus and UX-led approach but typically operating at smaller project scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
:ratio social profiles
Digital presence:ratio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
:ratio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
:ratio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
:ratio 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 :ratio
What does :ratio do?
:ratio is a Swiss UX/UI design agency that delivers user experience and interface design services through subscription packages, fixed-price project engagements, and design sprints. Core service lines include UX audits, information architecture, user research, interaction and visual design, AI experience design consulting, and accessibility-compliant design systems. Clients range from Swiss public administrations and universities to large enterprises such as Logitech, NAGRA Kudelski, Romande Energie, and Audemars Piguet, with engagement models supporting both ongoing monthly subscriptions and one-time projects.
Is :ratio a public or private company?
:ratio is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was :ratio founded?
:ratio was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is :ratio based?
:ratio is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does :ratio make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services.
Who are :ratio's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are IDEO, DEPT® and frog (Capgemini Engineering). Direct peers are Unic, Zeix, Notch Interactive, Hinderling Volkart, Ergon Informatik and Liip. Adviscent is listed as an emerging player.
Does :ratio have an API?
No public API is recorded for :ratio.
What industry is :ratio in?
:ratio's product category is UX/UI Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAD, Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX), with a secondary code of BPAFAEAI, Brand Experience (BX) & Service Design. Its NAICS code is 54149 and its SIC code is 7311.