Great design has the power to define how we experience the world—shaping the way we see products, services, and even entire industries. For the past decade, Koto has built its reputation on that belief, creating brand identities that balance strategic thinking with distinctive visual craft.
Co-founded by James Greenfield and Caroline Matthews, the agency has grown from a co-working space to a global team with designers and strategists across Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York, and Sydney.
And their work is highly sought after: most recently, Koto rebranded TripAdvisor, Microsoft Security, and Microsoft’s 50th anniversary identity, and developed the visual identity for Riot Games.
We recently spoke with Greenfield as he reflected on the vision that started it all, the challenges of building a cohesive culture across continents, and his enduring belief that great brands can come from anywhere.
Looking back at Koto’s first decade, what was the original vision you set out to achieve, and in what ways has the experience of building the studio surprised you?
The original vision was to combine the strategic ability of a large consultancy with the craft of a boutique agency. Just because the world’s biggest brands need strong strategic thinking doesn’t mean the work shouldn’t be beautifully crafted. We felt there was this weird gap in the industry that ultimately short-changed clients.
Koto has worked with brands like Airbnb, PayPal, Sonos, Google, and Microsoft—each at a different stage of their growth and yours. What do you find creatively rewarding about working with such a range of companies, and how do you approach building identities that reflect where they are in their journey?
We believe everyone deserves a great brand. A lot of the companies we’ve been lucky to work with are household names. It’s creatively challenging and rewarding to work at that scale, knowing the work will be seen and engaged with by millions of people.
That level of visibility makes the challenge even more satisfying—some of the best outcomes have come from pushing through tough problems.
The most important thing is to come into each project with a beginner’s mind and not shut down any avenues of exploration.
Understanding where a company is on its journey is a big part of the puzzle. Early-stage businesses need to do a few things well and start building recognition. More established ones are thinking about how to define who they are, what makes them compelling, and how they stand out in a crowded space where everyone has competition.
That said, every client is different. The most important thing is to come into each project with a beginner’s mind and not shut down any avenues of exploration.
Koto has expanded internationally over the past few years, opening studios in Los Angeles, Berlin, New York, and Sydney. What has your experience been like working across such diverse markets?
We always wanted to be truly global but with a one-team mentality. I’ve been lucky to travel a lot over my career, and over time the world has become more similar. In some ways, that’s a shame, you see the same brands presented in the same ways everywhere. But for us, it’s also a huge opportunity to bring our pursuit of excellence to a wider audience.
We celebrate the differences, but we aim for a singular mindset and we use our global experience to try and make the best work of our lives.
Each city has its own cultural nuance and history that you have to respect. But we’ve found our rationally optimistic mindset lets us dive in and thrive. We celebrate the differences, but we aim for a singular mindset and we use our global experience to try and make the best work of our lives.
Building a strong and cohesive culture across geographies isn’t easy. How have you approached creating a shared identity across Koto’s studios while allowing for local character to emerge?
Having worked at multi-studio companies before, I’d seen it not work for lots of reasons. At Koto, we were really focused on getting this right. For us, it’s all about being people-first.
Each studio (except Sydney) has been started by someone who already worked at another Koto location. All of them went back to our roots: a co-working space, some laptops, and the necessary hustle.
That mix of cultural transfer and start-up mentality really brings alignment. When we fly everyone to one place every other year for an offsite, you can feel it. It genuinely feels like one team. I’m lucky to experience that throughout the year when I visit the studios and see it firsthand.
Of course, there’s local flavour too. In Berlin, there’s a lot of black worn and the music’s pretty different to what’s playing in LA, which is also overrun with dogs on the loose.
That said, it’s always a work in progress. You can’t take it for granted as it takes constant effort.
In a recent interview, you mentioned not considering yourself the “best designer.” How has that perspective informed your approach to leadership?
I think to be a good leader, you need to be self-aware. The examined life helps you improve in all sorts of ways.
I wasn’t the worst designer, but I definitely wasn’t the best. I’ve been lucky to work with some incredible designers who can spin things out quickly and consistently. Their work has often blown me away, with that metronomic quality. But I have also worked with some who can get stuck and be full of self-doubt, but then bring out a moment of genius.
I wasn’t the worst designer, but I definitely wasn’t the best.
That experience has made me focus on the broader ways you need to lead a team. Some people need clear direction. Others want inspiration. Some just want help.
I’ve tried to learn by observing what worked for me, what worked for others, and drawing from the leaders I admired. That’s shaped how I try to show up.
Have you found that clients today are more willing to embrace creative risk? How do you encourage that kind of thinking when it doesn’t come naturally?
I don’t think every client needs or should embrace creative risk. Sometimes it’s just not the right move.
But for those where it is, it comes down to confidence. Their confidence to buy into something braver—and ours to suggest it. Like all risk, it has to be managed.
I don’t think every client needs or should embrace creative risk. Sometimes it’s just not the right move.
Looking back at our recent work, I honestly don’t see much of it as “risky.” It’s thoughtful, considered, and right for the brand.
Looking back over the past decade, are there any projects that stand out to you personally?
I’ll always have a soft spot for the brand we created for Meatable, for a very personal reason.
As a kid, we used to go on holiday to Switzerland. I loved the postcards with cows on them, they were everywhere. They had so much more character than the other usual European postcards with old buildings (which, to be fair, were often beautiful too).
That memory sat in the back of my mind. Twenty-five years later, when we were thinking about what happens to cows in a post-meat world, we decided they all went on holiday. It’s a good example—though I’m biased—of my belief that ideas really can come from anywhere.
What advice would you give to designers coming into the industry today?
I’ve said this in lots of places, but it’s worth repeating: the complete designer doesn’t exist. So don’t beat yourself up.
There was a time when it felt like every designer had to code. I spent weeks trying to learn. It just wasn’t for me. My brain didn’t work that way, and debugging nearly broke me.
Not everyone can be good at everything. Find your groove, and show your team how that skill is essential to what you’re all trying to do.
Quick Hits
Most useful app or tool you’ve started using recently:
Probably the same as everyone else, but generative AI. Whether written or visual, it’s been great to play with and to use as a sparring partner for ideas. It also massively helps with my dyslexia.
A piece of design work that still inspires you every time you see it:
An obvious answer, but I’ve loved Peter Saville’s record sleeves for New Order for 30 years. They still inspire me with their timeless classiness, a strong mix of ideas, and beautiful execution.
Something you want to learn or wish you were better at:
As a teenager, I did pottery for a while. Then design came into my life, and I left it behind. Now, in middle age, I’d love to pick it back up.
To see more of Koto’s work, you can visit them on the web here.
