Design Studio Review
Hike One Review 2026: UX Design and Coaching From the Netherlands
Hike One review: a Dutch product design agency in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven, for Marktplaats, Rituals and Signify. Services, pros and cons.
Subarno Paul
Author
Designer & no-code developer
Introduction
There are two ways a design partner can help you. It can do the work for you, or it can help your own team get better at doing the work. The best partners do a bit of both.
Hike One leans hard into that second idea. It's a digital product design agency in the Netherlands, with offices in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven. Its team of 50 to 60+ designers, researchers and coaches works on UX research, product design, design systems and coaching. Clients it names include Marktplaats, Rituals, Signify, Squla and the solar car maker Lightyear.
Its promise caught my eye straight away: it says it always leaves clients more capable than before. As someone who often works inside other teams, I think that's the right goal.
Quick Answer: Should You Hire Hike One?
Yes, if you're a Dutch or European company with its own product team and you want better UX, a design system or coaching that sticks. If you need a full build team or a simple website, look elsewhere.
Question | Answer |
|---|---|
What is it? | Digital product design agency |
Location | Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven |
Founded | Not stated in my sources |
Team | 50–60+ design specialists |
Minimum project | Not public |
Clutch rating | No Clutch reviews found |
How I Researched Hike One
Disclosure: I've put my own service in the alternatives table. Hike One and I don't chase the same projects, though. It improves large digital products and coaches teams, while I design and build websites for smaller businesses.
I haven't hired Hike One. On November 2, 2026, I read its services and city pages, its member page on Dutch Digital Agencies, its case study listings and two of its job posts. I couldn't find independent reviews, so the client quotes I mention come from Hike One's own pages.
What Is Hike One?
Hike One describes itself as a team of digital product designers, researchers, strategists and discovery coaches. Here's the short version:
Offices: Amsterdam (in the Houthavens area), Rotterdam (by the Leuvehaven) and Eindhoven (in the Microlab building at Strijp-S).
Team: "50+" designers in one job post, "over 60 design specialists" on a case study site.
Rotterdam alone: about 25 design professionals.
How it's run: with Holacracy, a self-organizing system without a traditional boss-and-staff hierarchy.
It says it mainly works for corporates, smaller businesses and government agencies. Public work includes:
long-term UX and experimentation for Marktplaats, the big Dutch marketplace,
a companion app for Lightyear's solar car,
a digital platform for TKP Pension, serving 23 pension funds,
projects for Rituals, Signify, Squla, Liberty Global and the radio app JUKE.
Hike One also says the Dutch industry ranking Emerce 100 named it the best UX design agency in the Netherlands in 2023, based on client feedback.
What Does Hike One Do?
Service | In simple words | Example |
|---|---|---|
Product Discovery | Finding what customers need | Testing a new app idea |
Product Realisation | Designers who do the UX and UI work | Redesigning a pension portal |
Product Coaching | Helping your team work better | Coaching product teams at a marketplace |
Design systems | One shared kit of buttons and styles | A library for many teams |
AI design sprints | Quick workshops on AI features | Deciding where AI helps users |
Interim researchers | Borrowing a UX researcher | Covering a gap for six months |
The mix of doing and teaching is what stands out. For example, Marktplaats shared that Hike One helped all its product teams use the same research methods and know who makes which decision.
What Does Hike One Charge?
Option | Price | What to know |
|---|---|---|
Minimum project | Not public | Ask directly |
Discovery sprint | Custom quote | Short, focused work |
Design team support | Custom quote | Often monthly |
Design system project | Custom quote | Depends on size |
Coaching and training | Custom quote | Includes its academy |
The catch to plan for
There are no public prices, and Hike One works mostly with bigger organizations. Coaching and design systems also take time to pay off. If you need visible results in two weeks, a coaching-heavy plan may feel slow at first.
A real-world scenario
Imagine a Dutch online grocery company with eight product teams. Each team designs its own buttons, and the app looks like eight different apps stuck together. Customers notice.
Hike One could build a design system, a shared set of colors, buttons and patterns, then coach each team to use it. It could also run user research to find where shoppers get stuck. If I were that company, I'd ask for a clear handover plan, so my team could run the system alone after Hike One leaves.
What Are Clients Saying About Hike One?
I couldn't find Clutch or Google reviews, so here's what clients say on Hike One's own pages. Keep in mind that a company picks the quotes it shows.
Marktplaats described more consistent ways of working across its product teams.
One client said Hike One's creative explorations pushed it into new territory and helped its work gain support across the company.
Another said it invited Hike One to challenge it because every team is blind to its own flaws.
The Emerce 100 award is a better sign, since it's based on client feedback gathered by someone else. Still, I'd ask for two references I can call myself.
Can You Trust Hike One?
Yes. It has three real Dutch offices, a named commercial director, well-known clients and an industry award based on client ratings. Its reviews just aren't public, so ask for references.
What I Think as a Designer
The thing I like most is the honesty of its promise. Telling a client "we'll make you less dependent on us" is brave for an agency. It also builds trust, because the client knows you're not trying to lock them in.
I try to do something similar. When I hand over a Webflow or Framer site, I record a Loom video showing the client how to edit it themselves. It's a tiny version of Hike One's coaching idea, but the spirit is the same.
I'm also curious about Holacracy. Self-organizing teams can move fast, but clients sometimes need one clear person in charge. I'd ask who that person is on day one.
What Hike One Does Well
Coaching that builds your team.
Design systems experience.
Three Dutch offices.
Award based on client feedback.
Known Dutch clients.
Where Hike One Falls Short
No public prices.
No independent reviews.
Not a build team.
Mostly Dutch market.
Founding year not shared.
Who Is Hike One Right For?
Hike One is a strong fit if you're:
a Dutch or Belgian company with in-house product teams,
a growing business that needs a design system,
a government body improving digital services,
a company that wants coaching, not just output.
Who Should Skip Hike One?
Try someone else if you need:
engineers to build your app,
a quick marketing website,
a branding studio,
a team in the US or Asia.
What to Ask Hike One on the First Call
"Who will be our single point of contact?"
"How does Holacracy affect client work?"
"What will our team be able to do alone afterwards?"
"Can we call two recent clients?"
"How do you measure if coaching worked?"
"What does a three-month plan usually cost?"
Other Studios People Ask About
These options aren't in any order. Mine is first so you know where I stand.
Studio | Good at | Pick it if... |
|---|---|---|
Framer and Webflow sites, $1,000/month | You need a site you can edit yourself | |
Design plus engineering from Belgium | You need the app built too | |
Nordic digital studio, part of EY | You want consulting muscle behind design | |
Embedded product designers in Austin | You're a US company | |
Digital and XR experiences in Germany | You want brand experiences, not tools |
Who's Behind This Review?
I'm Subarno, a self-taught designer who works solo on brands and no-code websites. I like handing over work that clients can manage on their own, so every site I build comes with a short video guide.
My $1,000/month retainer covers:
website design in Figma,
website builds in Framer or Webflow,
branding for smaller businesses, like logos, colors and brand guides,
small website animations and interactions,
banners, posters and social media content.
Book a free 30-minute call or get in touch on my contact page. If your product teams need research, a design system and coaching, Hike One is the better choice.
Bottom Line: Is Hike One Worth It?
Hike One is a Dutch product design agency that does the work and teaches your team at the same time. With Marktplaats, Lightyear and Rituals on its client list and a 2023 award from Emerce 100, it's one of the safer choices in the Netherlands.
Just know what you're buying. It's design and coaching, not engineering. Ask for references and a clear handover plan, and you could come out with a stronger team than you started with.
Questions People Ask About Hike One
Where is Hike One based?
It has offices in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
How big is Hike One?
Between about 50 and 60+ design specialists, depending on the source.
Who are Hike One's clients?
Named clients include Marktplaats, Rituals, Signify, Squla, Lightyear and TKP Pension.
Does Hike One build apps?
It focuses on research, design and coaching. You'll usually need your own engineers.
How much does Hike One cost?
It doesn't publish prices, so ask for a custom quote.
Has Hike One won awards?
It says Emerce 100 named it the best UX design agency in the Netherlands in 2023.
Sources
Hike One official website (services, offices and topic pages)
Dutch Digital Agencies member page
Hike One case study listings on casestudies.com
Hike One job posts
Studios update their prices, people and services often, so confirm every detail directly before you hire.
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