New York has no shortage of agencies. It has a shortage of agencies where the senior team actually shows up.
Most rebrands fail quietly. Not because the logo is wrong, but because the strategy underneath it was never there. The companies that get it right tend to share one thing: they hired the people who actually do the work.
That is the premise behind Wolf&Whale, an independent design and strategy studio based in New York. Founded in 2018 by designer Todd Torabi, the studio partners with ambitious brands during moments of change, when the identity a company started with no longer fits the company it has become.
01
Brand strategy. Positioning, narrative, and naming that clarify what a company stands for and why it matters now.
02
Brand identity. Visual systems built to scale, from logo and typography to full design languages that work across every touchpoint.
03
Digital experience design. Websites, apps, and product interfaces that turn brand promise into something people can use.
The studio brings 12+ years of experience across design, product strategy, and branding, and a background in economics that keeps creative decisions tied to business outcomes
01
B2B service leaders. Law firms, consultancies, and professional services firms that are the best at what they do but don't look it yet.
02
Consumer tech and platforms. Growth-stage companies that need a rebrand built for where they're going, not where they started.
03
Legacy brands. Established names that need fresh vision without losing the equity they've earned.
In New York City, brand is competitive advantage. Law firms, consultancies, financial institutions, media companies, and venture-backed startups all compete for the same attention, talent, and capital. The margin for a forgettable identity is zero.
Traditional agencies sell the senior team and staff the junior one. Wolf & Whale is structured the opposite way. Every engagement is led by experienced practitioners from first conversation to final delivery. No handoffs. No dilution. The person who shapes the strategy is the person who designs the system.
The result is fewer meetings, sharper thinking, and work that holds up under scrutiny.
The studio’s client list spans enterprise and growth-stage brands across finance, wellness, media, and consumer tech, including Starbucks, FinMane, Down Dog, Mavi, and Snack, the Mark Cuban-backed sports media app.
Wolf&Whale stays small on purpose. Independence means no holding company priorities, no layers between client and craft, and no incentive to overstaff. Just a focused team in Brooklyn doing the best work it can for companies ready to be taken seriously.
For New York brands at an inflection point, the question isn’t whether to invest in design. It’s who to trust with it.
