Instrument

Instrument

Design agency blending creativity and tech

Overview

Instrument is a digital-first design agency that helps brands shape their identity and digital presence. It creates brands, products, websites, and campaigns for clients, blending design with technology to deliver cohesive experiences. The company works by partnering with ambitious brands to conceive and implement branding strategies, product design, user interfaces, and multi-channel campaigns, spanning research, concepting, visual design, development, and implementation. What sets Instrument apart is its long track record (over 20 years) and a portfolio that includes high-profile clients like Google, ServiceNow, Uber, and ŌURA, reflecting experience across industries and a deep fluency in digital transformation. The goal is to help clients grow and succeed by delivering clear, effective brand and product experiences that resonate with users and achieve business results.

About Instrument

Simplify's Rating
Why Instrument is rated
C+
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated C on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Enterprise Software

Design

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Portland, Oregon

Founded

2002

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • August 24, 2026 hiring of Jack De Caluwé strengthens creative output and recruiting.
  • Terence Hobson and Yan Sze Li joined recently, deepening brand and product leadership.
  • Stagwell reported $171 million Q2 2026 net new business, expanding Instrument's partner pipeline.

What critics are saying

  • Stagwell owns Instrument; group strategy shifts or cuts can redirect budgets away from Portland.
  • AI-native in-house teams at Google, ServiceNow, and Adobe compress agency margins by 2027.
  • A few star leaders drive client trust; departures would crater pitch win rates and retention.

What makes Instrument unique

  • Instrument blends brand, product, and experience design for Google, Nike, and ServiceNow.
  • Campaign US named Instrument 2026 Design Studio of the Year.
  • Jack De Caluwé returned August 24, 2026, sharpening its creative credibility and talent magnetism.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Company Match

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Remote Work Options

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Professional Development Budget

Parental Leave

Paid Holidays

Hybrid Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-2%

1 year growth

-2%

2 year growth

-2%
Associated Press
Aug 24th, 2026
Instrument names Jack De Caluwé chief creative officer

Instrument, a Stagwell company, has appointed Jack De Caluwé as Chief Creative Officer. De Caluwé returns to Instrument after nearly nine years with the agency, where he previously helped shape its creative culture. In his new role, De Caluwé will lead creative work across brand, product, digital experiences, campaigns, and emerging technology. He joins from R/GA, where he served as Executive Creative Director. Throughout his career, De Caluwé has worked with brands including Nike, Apple, The New York Times, Patagonia, Netflix, Stripe, Dropbox, and Uber. His work has earned recognition from the Webby Awards, CLIO Awards, and The One Show. During his previous tenure at Instrument, De Caluwé led creative programmes for clients including Electronic Arts, Google, Notion, and ServiceNow. In 2026, Instrument was named Design Studio of the Year at the Campaign US Agency of the Year Awards.

Merced Sun-Star
Aug 24th, 2026
Instrument names Jack De Caluwé Chief Creative Officer.

Instrument names Jack De Caluwé Chief Creative Officer. August 24, 2026 9:07 AM Gift Article Award-winning creative leader brings over two decades of experience spanning brand, digital, campaigns, film, and emerging technology. PORTLAND, OR / ACCESS Newswire / August 24, 2026 / Instrument, a Stagwell (STGW) company and part of the Code and Theory Network, today announced that Jack De Caluwé has joined the agency as Chief Creative Officer. De Caluwé returns to Instrument after previously spending nearly nine years at the agency, where he helped shape its creative culture and some of its defining work. As Chief Creative Officer, De Caluwé will lead Instrument's creative work across brand, product, digital experiences, campaigns and emerging technology. He will partner with executive leadership to evolve Instrument's creative direction, mentor and develop talent, deepen relationships with executive clients, and raise the creative bar across the organization. Most recently, he served as Executive Creative Director at R/GA. Over the course of his career, De Caluwé has led creative for some of the world's most influential brands, including Nike, Apple, The New York Times, Patagonia, Netflix, Stripe, Dropbox and Uber, with a global career spanning Australia, Europe, and the United States. His work has earned recognition from the Webby Awards, CLIO Awards and The One Show, among others. While previously at Instrument, De Caluwé helped lead programs for clients, including: TOP VIDEOS * Electronic Arts (EA): Evolved EA into a flexible, future-ready brand platform built to stay recognizable and coherent as technologies, experiences, and audience expectations evolve. * Google: Helped lead creative across Google, pushing the brand into new territory across product, campaigns, and experiences. * Notion: Led the creative work on "For Your Life's Work," Notion's first international brand campaign, positioning the platform for both work and life across North America, Europe, and Asia. * ServiceNow: Led the development of a distinct agentic AI identity and scalable design system, positioning ServiceNow as a leader in enterprise AI across products, partners, and platforms. Instrument has spent 20 years at the intersection of creativity and technology, helping organizations navigate change and unlock new opportunities for growth. In 2026, it was named Design Studio of the Year at the Campaign US Agency of the Year Awards. Instrument has also recently added to its senior creative team: Terence Hobson, Group Executive Creative Director, Brand Studio, joining from EA SPORTS, and Yan Sze Li, Group Executive Creative Director, Product Studio, joining from M·A·C Cosmetics. De Caluwé says: "We're in one of those rare moments where the canvas is being stretched in every direction. Technology is opening up new ways to make things, culture is evolving in real time, and creativity has never had more room to surprise people. I wanted to be somewhere that sees that as an invitation rather than a disruption. Instrument is that place. I want us to be a studio where you can feel something is always happening. The kind of place people keep bookmarked for when they need a reminder of what's possible. A place willing to take big swings, make things with real character, attract restless talent, and chase ideas into unexpected places. That's the creative practice I want to build and the role I want Instrument to play in whatever comes next." Laurel Burton, CEO of Instrument, says:"Jack is a force multiplier for ingenuity and innovation, always pushing beyond familiar patterns to create space for unexpected ideas. That's the role we want to play for our partners: challenging conventional thinking to create iconic work. With Jack returning to Instrument, we're not only advancing our clients' work, but strengthening our creative identity, attracting top talent and increasing the creative force we bring to every partnership." About Instrument Instrument is a design and technology company. We build brands, products, and experiences guided by one belief: make the complex simple. For more than 20 years, we've partnered with companies like Google, Nike, Electronic Arts, ServiceNow, Uber, and ŌURA. We use technology with intent-applying tools like AI to deepen the work and move faster, without losing what makes it good. Instrument is a part of the Code and Theory Network, Stagwell's (STGW) digital transformation network.

The Wichita Eagle
Aug 24th, 2026
Instrument names Jack De Caluwé Chief Creative Officer.

Instrument names Jack De Caluwé Chief Creative Officer. August 24, 2026 11:07 AM Gift Article Award-winning creative leader brings over two decades of experience spanning brand, digital, campaigns, film, and emerging technology. PORTLAND, OR / ACCESS Newswire / August 24, 2026 / Instrument, a Stagwell (STGW) company and part of the Code and Theory Network, today announced that Jack De Caluwé has joined the agency as Chief Creative Officer. De Caluwé returns to Instrument after previously spending nearly nine years at the agency, where he helped shape its creative culture and some of its defining work. As Chief Creative Officer, De Caluwé will lead Instrument's creative work across brand, product, digital experiences, campaigns and emerging technology. He will partner with executive leadership to evolve Instrument's creative direction, mentor and develop talent, deepen relationships with executive clients, and raise the creative bar across the organization. Most recently, he served as Executive Creative Director at R/GA. Over the course of his career, De Caluwé has led creative for some of the world's most influential brands, including Nike, Apple, The New York Times, Patagonia, Netflix, Stripe, Dropbox and Uber, with a global career spanning Australia, Europe, and the United States. His work has earned recognition from the Webby Awards, CLIO Awards and The One Show, among others. While previously at Instrument, De Caluwé helped lead programs for clients, including: TOP VIDEOS * Electronic Arts (EA): Evolved EA into a flexible, future-ready brand platform built to stay recognizable and coherent as technologies, experiences, and audience expectations evolve. * Google: Helped lead creative across Google, pushing the brand into new territory across product, campaigns, and experiences. * Notion: Led the creative work on "For Your Life's Work," Notion's first international brand campaign, positioning the platform for both work and life across North America, Europe, and Asia. * ServiceNow: Led the development of a distinct agentic AI identity and scalable design system, positioning ServiceNow as a leader in enterprise AI across products, partners, and platforms. Instrument has spent 20 years at the intersection of creativity and technology, helping organizations navigate change and unlock new opportunities for growth. In 2026, it was named Design Studio of the Year at the Campaign US Agency of the Year Awards. Instrument has also recently added to its senior creative team: Terence Hobson, Group Executive Creative Director, Brand Studio, joining from EA SPORTS, and Yan Sze Li, Group Executive Creative Director, Product Studio, joining from M·A·C Cosmetics. De Caluwé says: "We're in one of those rare moments where the canvas is being stretched in every direction. Technology is opening up new ways to make things, culture is evolving in real time, and creativity has never had more room to surprise people. I wanted to be somewhere that sees that as an invitation rather than a disruption. Instrument is that place. I want us to be a studio where you can feel something is always happening. The kind of place people keep bookmarked for when they need a reminder of what's possible. A place willing to take big swings, make things with real character, attract restless talent, and chase ideas into unexpected places. That's the creative practice I want to build and the role I want Instrument to play in whatever comes next." Laurel Burton, CEO of Instrument, says:"Jack is a force multiplier for ingenuity and innovation, always pushing beyond familiar patterns to create space for unexpected ideas. That's the role we want to play for our partners: challenging conventional thinking to create iconic work. With Jack returning to Instrument, we're not only advancing our clients' work, but strengthening our creative identity, attracting top talent and increasing the creative force we bring to every partnership." About Instrument Instrument is a design and technology company. We build brands, products, and experiences guided by one belief: make the complex simple. For more than 20 years, we've partnered with companies like Google, Nike, Electronic Arts, ServiceNow, Uber, and ŌURA. We use technology with intent-applying tools like AI to deepen the work and move faster, without losing what makes it good. Instrument is a part of the Code and Theory Network, Stagwell's (STGW) digital transformation network.

MediaPost
Jan 26th, 2024
Management Makeover At Stagwell Agency Instrument

Stagwell creative agency Instrument has promoted Laurel Burton as CEO.

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