CAKE & ARROW
We research and create digital products and services that move people to action.
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
At a Glance
- Founded
- 2002
- Headquarters
- New York, NY, USA
- Employees
- 11-50
- Funding
- Bootstrapped
Category & Focus
- Category
- Customer Engagement
- 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
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
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Last updated: 2026-04-09