Some great people with terrible leadership - Designer Instrument Employee Review

1.0
Sep 14, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Some truly talented and humble people. The work is generally executed at a very high level and you'll work with some of the best brands out there.

Cons

Leadership at an executive level is arrogant and disconnected from the rest of the business. Some longer tenured employees have an outsized influence on the culture and while leadership generally talks a good game, they very rarely follow through with action. The environment is particularly toxic for women and BIPOC which is made all the worse because they claim to care so much about creative a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. Instrument is also very "Portland centric" which means it is actually completely disconnected from the tech companies that comprise the bulk of its client base.

Explore other reviews about Instrument

5.0
Jun 26, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great company with great people. Seamless life, work balance, and a very nice company culture.

Cons

No big cons as far as my concern. The pay can be slightly better, but it's okay compared to other agencies' standards.

3.0
Jun 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The people here are great. Every team feels fairly connected, even for a 250+ person agency. Work/life balance is the best I've experienced at an agency so far. Pay is fair and scales depending on where you live and your experience overall. Work has the potential to be interesting, but most clients we bring in are not looking for ground-breaking work.

Cons

The benefits are not extraordinary, other than generous PTO. Recently removed a sabbatical program. Layoffs that come as a surprise, with scrambles only months later to fill the eliminated roles. Freelance hiring is hit or miss. Publicly-owned with a parent company that doesn't align with Instrument's morals. Leadership feels fairly disconnected and not genuinely interested in resolving the low morale amongst the larger team. Seemingly more interested in advertising themselves and using AI than in focusing on craft and high-quality projects. Constant leadership departures create anxiety.

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