# CAKE & ARROW

> We research and create digital products and services that move people to action\.

## At a glance

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Category | Customer Engagement |
| Type | Solutions Provider |
| Region | NA |
| Headquarters | New York, NY, USA |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Stage | Established |
| Employees | 11-50 |
| Funding | Bootstrapped |

## Overview

Cake & Arrow is a human-centered experience design and product innovation agency specializing exclusively in the insurance and financial services industry. Founded in 2002 as Alexander Interactive and rebranded as Cake & Arrow in 2016, the firm brings more than two decades of experience helping carriers, brokers, distributors, and insurtechs modernize their digital experiences.

The company's philosophy centers on evidence-driven empathy -- the belief that understanding customers deeply unlocks business opportunity. Cake & Arrow works across the full product lifecycle, from research and strategy through design, development, and ongoing optimization. With a team of approximately 30 specialists, the firm serves major U.S. insurers and financial institutions from its New York City headquarters.

In February 2026, Cake & Arrow released an industry report titled "Tackling Friction in Insurance Through Design," identifying three systemic friction patterns -- Role Friction, Offering Friction, and Mission Friction -- that degrade digital experiences across the insurance ecosystem.

## Products & services

### Research & Insights

Human-centered audience research, customer journey mapping, behavioral analysis, and usability testing to understand policyholder and agent needs before designing solutions.

**Key features:**

- Ethnographic and quantitative user research
- Journey mapping and friction analysis
- Behavioral analytics and usability testing

*Target users:* Carriers and distributors evaluating CX transformation

### Digital Product Design & Development

End-to-end UI/UX design and front-end development for web and mobile applications, agent portals, quoting and servicing tools, and enterprise software.

**Key features:**

- Responsive UI/UX for customer\-facing and agent\-facing products
- Design systems and component libraries
- Front\-end engineering and CMS implementation

*Target users:* Carriers, MGAs, brokers, and fintechs building or modernizing digital products

### Strategy & Innovation

Product strategy, CX vision development, design thinking workshops, innovation concept design, and roadmap planning.

**Key features:**

- CX vision and product roadmap development
- Design thinking and innovation workshops
- AI\-informed product concepts for insurance use cases

*Target users:* Carrier product and innovation teams

## Category & focus

- Subcategories: UX/UI Design, Product Strategy, User Research, Front\-End Development, Design Thinking
- Insurance verticals: P&C Personal, P&C Commercial, Life & Annuity, Specialty/E&S
- Target customers: Carriers, Brokers, MGAs/MGUs, Agents/Agencies

## Notable customers

- Travelers
- Chubb
- Aflac
- MetLife
- Northwestern Mutual
- American Family Insurance
- The Hanover Insurance Group
- Texas Mutual
- Amwins
- Woodruff Sawyer
- Holmes Murphy
- The General
- Aon
- Citigroup
- EY

## Links

- Website: <https://cakeandarrow.com>
- Directory profile: <https://insurtechlist.com/companies/cake-arrow/>
- Who we are: <https://cakeandarrow.com/who-we-are/>
- Clutch profile: <https://clutch.co/profile/cake-arrow>
- News & insights: <https://cakeandarrow.com/newsfeed/>

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*Last updated: 2026\-04\-09*