Code and Theory Honored by Fast Company's Innovation by Design for Four Consecutive Years
Fast Company’s 2026 honors extend Code and Theory’s multi-year recognition and showcase client results tied to its digital transformation work.
Rhea-AI Summary
Stagwell (STGW) announced that its agency Code and Theory has been named a Fast Company Design Company of the Year and received Fast Company’s 2026 “Enduring Impact” award for companies with 15-plus years of success, marking the agency’s fourth consecutive year of recognition in the Innovation by Design Awards.
Code and Theory highlights a 25‑year track record built on an operating model with roughly 50% creatives and 50% engineers, positioned as a digital transformation engine for clients. Over the past year, its work reportedly helped TIME increase digital revenue by 159% year over year, supported a 40% e‑commerce conversion lift for Stanley Black & Decker, drove a 2,434% year‑over‑year rise in AI‑driven referrals for JBL, and enabled T. Rowe Price to save 100,000 team hours and avoid $15 million in costs. An NFL.com redesign increased NFL+ discovery by 104% year over year and tripled acquisition.
The 2026 awards also recognize work from across the Code and Theory Network: Instrument and ŌURA are honored in UX Design for a reimagined app experience, and Instrument’s Playspace platform is cited in Experimental and Conceptual Design. Code and Theory’s broader Fast Company history includes a 2025 placement on the World’s Most Innovative Companies list and prior Innovation by Design distinctions for NBC’s Big Board, the NFL app and a 2025 Design Company of the Year award. In 2026, Code and Theory is honored alongside Google, Canva, SharkNinja, Design Bridge and Partners, Adobe, L’Oreal and CVS Health.
Positive
- Client TIME digital revenue up 159% year over year after platform work
- Stanley Black & Decker e-commerce conversion increased by 40% across 55 markets
- JBL AI-native discovery system grew AI-driven referrals by 2,434% year over year
- T. Rowe Price site unification saved 100,000 team hours and avoided $15M in costs
- NFL.com redesign increased NFL+ discovery by 104% year over year and tripled acquisition
- Code and Theory recognized for four consecutive years in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards
Negative
- None.
Key Figures
- Awards received
- 2 awards
- 2026 Fast Company Innovation by Design
- Consecutive recognition
- 4 consecutive years
- Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards
- Enduring Impact eligibility
- 15-plus years
- Company-success criterion for the award
- Digital revenue growth
- 159% year over year
- TIME client platform transformation
- E-commerce conversion increase
- 40%
- Stanley Black & Decker client work
- AI-driven referral growth
- 2,434% year over year
- JBL discovery system
- Avoided costs
- $15M
- T. Rowe Price site consolidation
- NFL+ discovery increase
- 104% year over year
- NFL.com redesign
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Accolades include being named to the Design Company of the Year list and receiving the Enduring Impact award for companies with 15-plus years of success.
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / September 15, 2026 / Code and Theory has received the dual honor of being named a Fast Company Design Company of the Year and selected for its "Enduring Impact" award, which recognizes the best design among companies with 15-plus years in business.
The accolades mark the agency's fourth consecutive year in which Code and Theory has been selected for Fast Company's Innovation by Design Awards.
Technology has made it easier to make things, but most businesses find it harder to make things that matter. It's a gap that keeps growing and one that Code and Theory is uniquely built to close. For 25 years, the agency has brought creativity and technology together through a differentiated balance of
Over the past year, that work has delivered measurable results across industries:
- TIME: Transformed the legacy publisher into a modern, AI-powered platform, increasing digital revenue by
159% year over year. - Stanley Black & Decker: Created one design system for more than 30 brands across 55 markets, helping increase e-commerce conversion by
40% . - JBL: Created the industry's first AI-native discovery system, built for the way search works now, growing AI-driven referrals by 2,
434% year over year. - T. Rowe Price: Unified 47 fragmented sites on a single system, saving 100,000 team hours and
$15M in avoided costs. - NFL: Reinvented NFL.com to help fans find what they want faster, increasing NFL+ discovery by
104% year over year and tripling acquisition.
The 2026 awards also recognize work from across the Code and Theory Network. Instrument and ŌURA have been named in the UX Design category for Instrument's reimagining of the ŌURA app experience. Instrument's Playspace, an open, living archive of experiments, tools and interactive sketches, has also been honored in the Experimental and Conceptual Design category. The platform gives teams a place to test ideas, build prototypes and turn emerging technologies into tangible, usable experiences.
This recognition builds on a broader history of Fast Company honors for the Code and Theory Network. In 2025, Code and Theory was named to Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies list in the Design and Teamwork categories, while Instrument was named to Fast Company's list of Best Workplaces for Innovators. Code and Theory's previous Innovation by Design honors include three distinctions for NBC's Big Board, the NFL app and Design Company of the Year (2025).
This year, Code and Theory was honored alongside Google, Canva, SharkNinja and Design Bridge and Partners in the Design Agency of the Year category as well as Adobe, L'Oreal and CVS Health in the Enduring Impact category.
Dan Gardner, founder of Code and Theory, says: "It's a crazy moment to be able to be creative and use technology to design what's never come before. Our teams are more excited about the future than ever because moments like this don't come around very often. As we head into our 25th anniversary, I can say that being recognized for the work we're doing at a time like this is a real honor for our clients and all of the great talent at Code and Theory."
Brendan Vaughan, Editor-in-Chief at Fast Company, says: "The Innovation by Design Awards have always recognized the ideas that challenge convention and show what's possible when design is treated as a strategic force, not an afterthought. Congratulations to this year's honorees, who demonstrate how thoughtful design can solve meaningful problems and create new possibilities for people and businesses."
About Fast Company
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow business publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.
About Code and Theory
Code and Theory is the digital transformation agency where the C-suite comes together to create change. Our differentiated balance of
Media Contact
Kenneth Hein
kenneth.hein@codeandtheory.com
SOURCE: Stagwell
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What is Fast Company’s “Enduring Impact” award that Code and Theory received?
The “Enduring Impact” award recognizes the best design among companies that have been in business for more than 15 years. Code and Theory received this honor in 2026 alongside its Design Company of the Year recognition.
How long has Code and Theory been operating, and what is its team structure?
Code and Theory has been in business for 25 years. The agency describes its model as a differentiated balance of approximately 50% creatives and 50% engineers, combining strategy, creativity and technology in one offering.
Which other Code and Theory Network agencies and projects were recognized in the 2026 awards?
Instrument and ŌURA were named in the UX Design category for Instrument’s reimagining of the ŌURA app experience. Instrument’s Playspace, described as an open, living archive of experiments, tools and interactive sketches, was honored in the Experimental and Conceptual Design category.
What prior Fast Company recognitions has the Code and Theory Network received?
In 2025, Code and Theory was named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies list in the Design and Teamwork categories, while Instrument was listed among the Best Workplaces for Innovators. Previous Innovation by Design honors include distinctions for NBC’s Big Board, the NFL app and a 2025 Design Company of the Year award.
Who are some of Code and Theory’s notable clients mentioned in the announcement?
The announcement cites work or client relationships with TIME, Stanley Black & Decker, JBL, T. Rowe Price, the NFL, and notes that broader clients of the network include Amazon, IBM, JPMorganChase, Microsoft, NBC and others.