Free course recommendation: Master JavaScript animation with GSAP through 34 free video lessons, step-by-step projects, and hands-on demos. Enroll now →
We’re 14islands, a creative agency crafting digital experiences that blend design and technology through interactive storytelling. Based in Stockholm and Reykjavík, we specialize in digital products, brands, and websites that connect people and brands in meaningful ways.
Our journey
14islands was founded in 2011 by Hjörtur Hilmarsson and David Lindkvist with a shared vision to create an agency that values creativity and people in equal measure. Frustrated by the “burnout culture” often seen in tech, they set out to build something different, a place where talented individuals could do their best work in an environment that supports curiosity, work-life balance, and craftsmanship.
What began as a development partner has since grown into a full-service design and technology agency. Over the years, we’ve collaborated with global brands such as Google, Qualcomm, the United Nations, Spotify, and Cartier. Our work has earned multiple awards and an Awwwards Agency of the Year nomination. Through every evolution, our focus has remained constant: creating digital experiences that are both meaningful and delightful.
Showcase
Cartier – Yearbook
Cartier Yearbook 2024 was a digital storytelling project for the luxury brand Cartier. 14islands designed and developed an immersive, multilingual web experience, blending motion, interactivity, and elegant editorial design to present Cartier’s creative journey through 32 articles.
The project won multiple awards, including Site of the Day on Awwwards, FWA, and CSS Design Awards, and a Developer Award for its innovation. It holds special meaning for us as a collaboration with one of the world’s most iconic luxury brands, merging timeless craftsmanship with modern digital storytelling.
Learn more about our projects with Cartier on our website and take a peek behind the scenes at Awwwards.
Neko Health
Neko for Healthtech was a branding and digital experience project for Neko, a startup offering proactive full-body scans to make preventive healthcare more human and accessible. 14islands designed an immersive website using emotional storytelling, interactive visuals, and art-directed photography to introduce Neko’s services and inspire trust in new users.
The launch was a success, with all clinic slots booked immediately. The project won a Lovie Awards Gold 2023 and Site of the Day honors from FWA and CSS Design Awards. We loved to combine technology and empathy in a way that helped people engage with their health.
Learn more about the Neko project on our website.
Blobmixer
Blobmixer is an experimental, WebGL-based creative toy built by 14islands that lets users generate and manipulate 3D “blob” forms. The project was an internal passion project that sits between art and tech, and has drawn over 4 million views globally and prompted enthusiastic social sharing and feedback.
It earned Site of the Day on Awwwards, CSS Design Awards, and The FWA, as well as a Developer Award from Awwwards.
You can try the blobmixer or read more about the project on our website.
Pluto & Qualcomm spatial branding
14islands worked with Pluto to build a “spatial-first” brand identity, website, and developer portal that adaptively transitions between 2D displays (mobile, desktop) and full AR/VR experiences, making the magic of XR approachable and seamless.
The project received multiple awards — Site of the Day on Awwwards, CSS Design Awards, The FWA — plus a Developer Award from Awwwards. It’s meaningful as a pioneering collaboration in the XR space, allowing the team to push the boundaries of how digital experiences evolve across device types and create, possibly, the world’s first spatial website. As a bonus, this project also led us to work with Qualcomm on their Snapdragon XR platform branding.
Learn more about spatial branding in our case study and visit the archived website. Remember to try it on your XR-enabled device. If you are curious please read our breakdown of the 2D to 3D transition.
Culture & Team
Our culture is built on creativity, craftsmanship, and care. We believe happy, balanced people make the best work—so every team member enjoys a strong sense of work-life balance and flexibility to work from anywhere, with an environment that encourages openness, collaboration, and the freedom to explore bold ideas.
We’re a tight-knit, multi-national team that works without heavy hierarchy, blending Nordic work-life values with experimental tech spirit. From hack days and internal lab projects to helping clients transform their products and experiences in the age of AI, 14islands is where craft meets curiosity and passion drives every creation.
