The criteria we apply, what we look for, and the principles that govern which companies appear on this site.
Every company has been assessed against five criteria. No numeric scores are assigned — the criteria determine whether a company meets the threshold for inclusion and how it is positioned in the directory.
The central challenge in evaluating web design companies is separating studios with a strong portfolio from studios with a strong portfolio and a reliable process. The SF market is full of agencies that have produced one or two landmark projects. What distinguishes a dependable partner is whether the quality is consistent across clients, stages, and brief types — and whether the process that produced the work is documented and repeatable.
Inclusion requires a minimum level of portfolio quality assessed through live deployed work, at least two verifiable client engagements, and sufficient public evidence to evaluate across all five criteria.
The directory is reviewed once per year. Individual profiles are updated on a rolling basis when significant new work, team changes, or validation signals emerge. Factual corrections can be submitted with supporting documentation.
Read the 20 studio profiles — each with an explicit "best for" and "not a fit for" so you can judge fit, not just craft.