Best Product Design Firms

Frog vs SPCSHP: full comparison for 2026

Quick verdict

SPCSHP (3.8/5) edges ahead of Frog (3.7/5) overall. SPCSHP is the better choice for consumer brands, design plus creative storytelling. Frog is the stronger option for enterprises needing digital plus physical/hardware design. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.

Frog vs SPCSHP: head-to-head summary

Criterion Frog SPCSHP
Founded 1969 2000
HQ San Francisco, CA, USA Brooklyn, NY, USA
Team size 2,000+ Not published (historically ~50+)
Rating 3.7 / 5 3.8 / 5
Primary differentiator Still designs physical hardware (IoT, automotive, medical devices) alongside software, inside Capgemini Invent's enterprise consulting scale A quarter-century of creative digital work (JetBlue, YouTube, Samsung, BMW) under a 2024 rebrand from Big Spaceship to SPCSHP, now backed by MSQ
Pricing model Project-based, enterprise consulting engagements Project-based (not published)
Min. engagement Not published Not published
Primary tech stack Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Miro Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, React
Industries served Enterprise transformation, Consumer products, Healthcare Consumer products, Media & entertainment, Enterprise transformation

Frog vs SPCSHP: overview

Frog

Three separate owners — Aricent, Altran, and now Capgemini — have held frog since its 1969 start as Esslinger Design in Germany; Capgemini folded it into Capgemini Invent in 2019 and later merged Fahrenheit 212, Idean, and June21 into the same brand, landing at roughly 2,000 people across 35 studios. What survives the consolidation is a genuine rarity on this list: frog still designs physical products — IoT, automotive interiors, medical devices — with the same team that handles the software layer.

SPCSHP

Michael Lebowitz founded Big Spaceship in Brooklyn in 2000, building a creative digital firm known for early-2000s work with JetBlue, YouTube, Samsung Galaxy, BMW, and NBC. UK marketing group MSQ acquired the firm in October 2024, and it now operates under the name SPCSHP — a rebrand recent enough that some case studies and press still reference the original name. The firm's roots are in interactive creative and brand storytelling rather than pure enterprise product design, a lineage that still shows in its client work.

Services and capabilities: Frog vs SPCSHP

Capability Frog SPCSHP
Product design
UX research
Branding
Web development
Mobile development
Design systems

Tech stack comparison: Frog vs SPCSHP

Framework / platform Frog SPCSHP
Figma
Webflow N/A N/A
React N/A
Framer N/A N/A
Adobe Creative Suite
Design systems/Storybook N/A
After Effects N/A

Pricing comparison: Frog vs SPCSHP

Criterion Frog SPCSHP
Minimum engagement Not published Not published
Engagement models Fixed project, Retainer Fixed project, Retainer
Rate transparency Minimum disclosed Minimum disclosed
Price tier Mid-market Mid-market

Target audience comparison: Frog vs SPCSHP

Dimension Frog SPCSHP
Best company size Startup to mid-market Startup to mid-market
Best industries Enterprise transformation, Consumer products, Healthcare Consumer products, Media & entertainment, Enterprise transformation
Best use cases IoT and connected hardware product design, Automotive and smart-home interface design Consumer brand digital product design with a creative-storytelling emphasis, Campaign-adjacent product design for a media or entertainment brand
Typical project type Fixed project Fixed project

Frog vs SPCSHP: pros and cons

Frog
+ Rare combined software-plus-physical-hardware design capability in this list
+ 35 global studios support multi-region enterprise programs
+ More than five decades of brand history and design case studies
+ Access to Capgemini Invent's broader technology-consulting bench
- Operates as a Capgemini Invent brand today, not an independent firm — worth disclosing to prospective clients
- Absorbed several legacy agencies (Fahrenheit 212, Idean, June21) under one brand, which can mean inconsistent staffing
- Consulting-firm process overhead can slow fast-moving engagements relative to boutique firms
SPCSHP
+ A quarter-century of continuous operation since its 2000 founding as Big Spaceship
+ Named client work spans JetBlue, YouTube, Samsung Galaxy, BMW, GE, Microsoft, and Google
+ MSQ backing since October 2024 provides access to a larger marketing and creative network
+ Creative-and-brand-storytelling roots differentiate it from purely process-driven enterprise design firms
- Rebranded from Big Spaceship to SPCSHP in 2024 — recent enough that some public case studies and reviews still reference the old name
- Acquired by MSQ in 2024, so clients are hiring into a larger network rather than an independent studio
- Team size isn't published in current sources, making capacity planning harder without a direct conversation

Who should choose Frog?

A typical fit: IoT and connected hardware product design.

Still designs physical hardware (IoT, automotive, medical devices) alongside software, inside Capgemini Invent's enterprise consulting scale. Minimum engagement starts at Not published. Works best with clients in Enterprise transformation, Consumer products, Healthcare.

Who should choose SPCSHP?

A typical fit: consumer brand digital product design with a creative-storytelling emphasis.

A quarter-century of creative digital work (JetBlue, YouTube, Samsung, BMW) under a 2024 rebrand from Big Spaceship to SPCSHP, now backed by MSQ. Minimum engagement starts at Not published. Works best with clients in Consumer products, Media & entertainment, Enterprise transformation.

Decision matrix: Frog vs SPCSHP

Your situation Recommended choice
You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope Frog
You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme Check each company's engagement model
Your budget is at the lower end Compare: Frog (Not published) vs SPCSHP (Not published)
You need specialist depth in a specific vertical Frog
You need staff augmentation or team extension Neither; consider alternatives that offer staff aug
You need consulting before committing to a build Both may offer discovery engagements

Use case fit: Frog vs SPCSHP

Use case Frog fit SPCSHP fit Winner
IoT and connected hardware product design Strong Limited Frog
Automotive and smart-home interface design Strong Limited Frog
Consumer brand digital product design with a creative-storytelling emphasis Limited Strong SPCSHP
Campaign-adjacent product design for a media or entertainment brand Limited Strong SPCSHP
Fixed-price product build Limited Limited Both equally
Dedicated design team augmentation Limited Limited Both equally

Verdict: Frog vs SPCSHP

SPCSHP (3.8/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Product Design projects. A quarter-century of creative digital work (JetBlue, YouTube, Samsung, BMW) under a 2024 rebrand from Big Spaceship to SPCSHP, now backed by MSQ.

Frog (3.7/5) is worth a look if you need automotive and smart-home interface design. If your situation matches that, Frog is a competitive option.

Related comparisons

Frog vs SPCSHP FAQ

Is Frog better than SPCSHP?

SPCSHP (3.8/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Frog's strongest advantage: rare combined software-plus-physical-hardware design capability in this list. SPCSHP's strongest advantage: a quarter-century of continuous operation since its 2000 founding as Big Spaceship.

How do Frog and SPCSHP differ in pricing?

Frog uses project-based, enterprise consulting engagements pricing with a minimum engagement of Not published. SPCSHP uses project-based (not published) pricing with a minimum engagement of Not published. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.

Which is better for enterprise: Frog or SPCSHP?

Frog is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each firm before shortlisting.

What are the main differences between Frog and SPCSHP?

Frog's primary differentiator is: still designs physical hardware (IoT, automotive, medical devices) alongside software, inside Capgemini Invent's enterprise consulting scale. SPCSHP's primary differentiator is: a quarter-century of creative digital work (JetBlue, YouTube, Samsung, BMW) under a 2024 rebrand from Big Spaceship to SPCSHP, now backed by MSQ. They also differ in team size (2,000+ vs Not published (historically ~50+)), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Enterprise transformation, Consumer products vs Consumer products, Media & entertainment).

Verify all details directly with each firm before making a decision.