How we became the in-house agency our client needed
How Sentier built an agency designed to collaborate and scale like an in-house team.
Case study by:
Ryan Holm
Date:
July 2025
For organizations today, every aspect of the production environment moves quickly. Design and development must adapt daily as priorities shift. That’s why we built Sentier to think and build strategically alongside our clients—just like an internal team would.
We also understand the challenges that come with working with external partners. Agencies often lack deep company knowledge, face steep learning curves, and get stuck behind security barriers that limit access to tools and communication channels. We’ve been intentional about solving those problems.
Over the years, we’ve developed a framework that helps us integrate seamlessly with internal teams—building trust, understanding their business inside and out, and scaling with them over time. This foundation strengthens our relationships and allows us to act not just as a resource, but as a peer within their industry.
Deep-rooted relationships
At the core of our approach is a focus on people. To build the kind of lasting relationships that lead to stronger products and positioning, we embed our designers and researchers directly alongside client product owners. This model fosters growth and learning across the organization in ways that traditional agency models often can’t.
For example, during one phase of a product lifecycle, one of our researchers might become an expert in the client's industry through continued interaction and analysis. In the next phase, a designer joins strategic conversations that shape the product’s direction. Because we’re embedded, we don’t just understand the project—we understand the team, the context, and the why behind every decision. That builds trust. And trust enhances collaboration, speeds up execution, and drives better outcomes.
Communication, tools, and workflows
We know that effective communication drives results. But with full calendars, overflowing inboxes, and security-gated tools, it’s not always easy. We take responsibility for anticipating those barriers and making communication effortless for our clients.
That means integrating into our clients' workflows—seamlessly. Our embedded teams come equipped with deep experience in tools like Jira, Confluence, Slack, Figma, and more. We operate with the same level of transparency and accountability as anyone inside the organization.
Retaining the benefit of perspective
While we work closely with our clients, we also bring something external teams are uniquely positioned to offer: perspective. We’ve seen how challenges in one industry can spark creative breakthroughs in another.
Our embedded teams have access to a broader network of Sentier experts—people with backgrounds in design, psychology, linguistics, anthropology, and more. Even when these specialized skill sets aren’t part of the core project team, they remain accessible as ongoing resources.
This cross-disciplinary lens helps us uncover unexpected opportunities and bring forward ideas that may not surface inside traditional team structures. We combine research, implementation strategy, and creative problem-solving to help our clients think differently and build smarter.
Going beyond transactional
In 2018, one of our clients came to us for a traditional usability study on their e-commerce website. We delivered meaningful insights and actionable recommendations—but we also saw a bigger opportunity. What if we went deeper? What if we embedded our team to support long-term product evolution?
That’s exactly what we did. And what started as a single research engagement has grown into a seven-year partnership. We now support both external and internal-facing digital experiences across multiple brands, two mobile apps, and a wide range of employee tools.
That longevity didn’t just happen—it was built through trust, consistent delivery, and a deep understanding of the client’s context. We’ve grown together, and that shared success is one of the best measures of what it means to be an in-house vendor.
The impact
Client teams don’t just need outside support—they need partners who can adapt, anticipate, and contribute in ways that last. That’s what we do at Sentier. When we embed with your team, you’re not managing a vendor—you’re gaining a peer. Someone who understands your industry, your tools, your pace, and your priorities.
This approach strengthens strategy, streamlines workflows, and builds confidence across teams. It’s how we help our clients scale faster, launch smarter, and build better—together.
Are you exploring a partnership that goes beyond the transaction?
Let’s talk. We’d love to understand your goals, your timelines, and how we can help you build for what’s next.