How Sentier built an agency designed to collaborate and scale like an in-house team

For organizations today, every aspect of the production environment moves quickly. Design and development must adapt daily as company priorities continually shift. Finding agencies that can think and build strategically alongside clients is paramount. 

However, working with external teams comes with challenges. These teams often lack deep company knowledge and industry expertise, and security barriers can limit access to company tools and communication channels. 

Successfully navigating these challenges contributes to an agency’s ability to understand the clients’ internal needs and establish a framework for successfully integrating into the client’s team. This framework only strengthens the relationship over time as internal needs and priorities change. Lasting relationships allow the agency to gain deep insights into clients’ competitive landscapes, acting not just as a resource but as a peer in their industry.

Deep-Rooted Relationships

At the core of Sentier’s approach is a focus on people. To generate lasting relationships that strengthen product positioning, Sentier embeds dedicated designers and researchers alongside product owners. This approach fosters growth and learning on an organizational level that isn’t inhibited by the challenges working with traditional external partners. 

For instance, at one phase of the product life cycle, a researcher becomes an expert in relevant industry segments through continued interaction and analysis. The next phase includes a designer developing an in-depth understanding of internal positioning because they are involved in strategic conversations that guide design. When clients build strong working relationships with an in-house agency team, trust grows—enhancing collaboration, understanding, and efficiency.

Communication, Tools, and Workflows

Effective communication drives results. However, calendars fill up quickly, inboxes can get overrun, and even the messaging tools relied upon are often gated behind security measures. Establishing dependable lanes of communication is vital in any environment. In today’s remote world, in-house vendors are responsible for ensuring barriers are anticipated and that communication and collaboration is effortless for clients. 

The goal is to create a space that allows for seamless integration into a client’s workflow. Embedding researchers and designers with expertise in a variety of software (Jira, Confluence, Slack, Figma, etc.) enables the same level of communication and accountability as anyone internal to the organization. 

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Retaining the Benefit of Perspective

One of the most impactful aspects of bringing in a vendor is the outside perspective they offer. Challenges explored in one field often lead to creative solutions in another. 

While Sentier’s embedded teams work closely with clients, they are also backed by a diverse network of experts with backgrounds in design, psychology, linguistics, and anthropology—disciplines that provide deeper insight into communication, decision-making, and human behavior. 

Even when these specialized skill sets are not directly embedded within a client-facing team, they remain an accessible and consistent resource to tap. This cross-disciplinary expertise, combined with experience across a range of industries, allows Sentier to introduce innovative strategies and uncover opportunities that may not have been traditionally considered. 

By drawing from a broad well of research, implementation strategies, and problem-solving approaches, Sentier helps clients break through conventional thinking and build smarter, more effective solutions. 

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Going Beyond Transactional

In 2018, a client approached Sentier for a traditional usability study on their emerging e-commerce website. Along with delivering insightful results and actionable data and recommendations, Sentier recognized the benefit that could be offered by providing embedded in-house resources to further enhance client products and services through deep knowledge and understanding.

This bespoke approach laid the foundation for a relationship that has now flourished for seven years, with Sentier being their design partner for both external and internal-facing digital experiences. What started as an opportunity to improve an e-commerce website for customers has evolved into a variety of e-commerce destinations spanning multiple brands, two mobile apps, and a variety of internal digital experiences that improve employee interactions. 

The mutual trust and accumulated knowledge gained over time have led to exponential growth and shared success for both organizations.  

In Conclusion

Successful client teams need more than just external support—they need partners who adapt, anticipate challenges, and contribute to lasting success. With Sentier embedded alongside internal teams, organizations gain more than a service provider; they gain collaborators who understand their industry, tools, and goals.

This approach accelerates decision-making, strengthens product strategy, and streamlines workflows. Teams scale seamlessly, new products launch with greater confidence, and internal expertise deepens over time. Rather than managing vendors, organizations gain trusted peers who enhance their capabilities and evolve with their needs. With the right partnership, ambitious goals become achievable. Sentier is committed to ensuring that every insight, every design, and every decision supports long-term success. 

Are you interested in exploring a relationship that goes beyond the transaction—where your needs drive long-term durable results with peers that seek to understand your needs, your goals, and your timelines? Sentier is here to help.