Exo Ape is a global digital design studio operating from the historic city of Roermond, The Netherlands. We specialize in crafting a high-end digital presence for experience-driven brands—from hospitality and fashion to entertainment. By blending narrative-led design with immersive content, we translate a brand’s physical craft and sophistication into the digital realm. We believe that in an ever-expanding sea of noise, digital character and the human touch are the ultimate luxuries. Our mission is to turn simple digital touchpoints into unforgettable journeys.
Our Story
The Journey Begins
The foundation for Exo Ape was laid nearly twenty years ago when Ronald and Robbert met as students at SintLucas in Eindhoven. Even though we spent the next decade building our own careers and developing our own styles, we always stayed in touch. When we finally teamed up in 2014, it was because we both noticed the same thing: digital design was becoming very template-like. We wanted to move away from these systematic layouts and start building digital experiences that felt much more expressive and refined.
The Creative Synergy
The real turning point—and the true foundation of what Exo Ape is today—happened when we began collaborating with Rob Smittenaar. Initially, Rob worked with us as a freelancer, but it was clear right away that we shared the same creative language. Because Rob started as a designer himself, he had a design-driven eye that allowed him to instantly understand our vision. It was the missing piece of the puzzle. We officially joined forces in 2020, with Robbert as Creative Director, Ronald focusing on Digital and Motion, and Rob as Technical Director. Because we all speak the same language, nothing gets lost in the process; the final product feels exactly like the original vision.
Aiming High, Staying Human
It’s this balance that led to our name. ‘Exo’ represents the exosphere and our desire to keep pushing the boundaries of design and tech. ‘Ape’ is the reminder to stay human and lead with curiosity. In the end, it’s about making sure the technology never feels cold. We use that mix of strategy and aesthetics to build digital journeys that actually resonate with people and help brands build a lasting connection with their audience.
Showcase
Ottografie
Ottografie is a project that’s deeply personal to us. It goes all the way back to the early days of the studio. The very first version became our first-ever Site of the Day on Awwwards and later went on to win Photography Site of the Year at CSSDA. So revisiting it ten years later to build a v2 came with a lot of pressure.
The big question was simple, but not easy to answer: how do you rethink a project that helped define the studio, without stripping away what made it special in the first place?
Instead of leaning into familiar photography grids, we wanted to build something that felt more like an environment than a portfolio. The interface is dynamic and reacts to the user in real time. At times it acts as navigation, at others as a zoom tool or a subtle hint. Keeping it this minimal allowed the technology to fade into the background, so the focus stays where it belongs — on the photography.
To make the experience more personal, we asked Otto to step into the spotlight himself. Using colorful silhouettes, we let him become the subject of his own story, offering a glimpse of the person behind the work. In the end, the goal was never to create another tool, but to offer a more intimate way of stepping into Otto’s world.
Amaterasu
Amaterasu was a unique challenge for us because it sat at such an extreme intersection of high-end physics and mental health. They were essentially asking us to visualize the invisible—taking things like quantum algorithms and turning them into something a person could actually feel and understand. From the start, we knew we had to move away from the cold, clinical look you usually see in healthcare and create something that felt more like a frontier.
The core problem we had to solve was how to translate their Aleph prototype—this incredibly complex piece of tech—into a narrative that wouldn’t overwhelm people. Instead of a typical site structure, we developed a sensory experience that relies on atmosphere as much as information. We layered fluid, organic visuals with an immersive audio landscape to turn the data into a feeling. By focusing on these smooth, rhythmic transitions, we made sure the complexity of the science never got in the way of the emotional story they were trying to tell.
To keep the whole thing grounded, we integrated real audio stories and personal voices into the experience, reminding the visitor that behind all this groundbreaking physics, there’s a very real human benefit. It was a bold, experimental direction for a lab, so it was really rewarding to see the project resonate with the industry—earning a Silver Lovie and several Site of the Day honors across Awwwards, the FWA, and the GSAP Showcase. For us, those awards were a nice validation that you can take a highly technical subject and still make it a deeply personal, hopeful discovery.
Columbia 100 Years Anniversary
Working on the 100th-anniversary website for a global icon like Columbia Pictures was a major highlight for our studio. It’s not every day you get the chance to touch a century of cinematic history, and it felt like a significant milestone in our studio’s journey. We teamed up with the talented team at Watson Design Group to create a global digital experience that wasn’t just a static timeline, but a celebration of the fans who have lived with these stories for decades.
The project centered around an interactive quiz that took visitors on a journey through Columbia’s endless library. We didn’t want it to feel like a standard form; it needed to be dynamic. We built a system where the experience actually learns from the user in real-time—if you lean toward 80s nostalgia or have a thing for horror, the visuals and questions shift to match your taste. By the end, the site generates a one-of-a-kind shareable asset that highlights the films that shaped your life, making the whole thing feel deeply personal.
Building for a global audience meant the technical execution had to be flawless. We worked hard to make sure the experience stayed fast and fluid across all devices and browsers, no matter where in the world someone was logging in from. Seeing millions of fans engage with the work and share their results via the social media campaign was the ultimate payoff. It really proved that you can take a massive corporate anniversary and turn it into something that feels personal and celebratory for every individual user.
Pixelflakes
Pixelflakes was a fun one because it’s always a bit daunting to design for other creatives. They’re masters at architectural visualization, but they were stuck in that classic “portfolio trap” where everything starts looking like the competition. They didn’t just want a place to dump their latest renders; they wanted a digital flagship that would actually help them stand out to new talent and clients who value the “why” behind the work.
One of the real highlights of the site is the “Sketch Studies” section. We realized early on that the most interesting thing about them isn’t just the final 3D image—it’s that raw, artistic phase where the concept actually comes to life. We built an interactive, full-screen canvas for that section, letting you practically walk through their creative narrative by dragging your way around the screen. It gives a behind-the-scenes look at the “magic” before the final render, which is way more engaging than a standard gallery. We wove in these subtle, pixel-inspired design details as a quiet nod to their name, but we were careful to keep it refined so it never felt like a gimmick.
We really obsessed over how to keep the interface minimal without losing the richness of their story. By moving the heavy content into side panels, we ensured the UI never competes with the renders; users can choose to explore additional information or just stay focused on the main gallery. To back that up, we built it on a headless framework so the performance felt instant, almost like using an app. It wasn’t just a technical exercise for us; it was about honoring their craft and ensuring the platform felt every bit as premium as the visualizations they produce.
Studio Culture
We treat every project as a collective responsibility. We believe a vision should never be handed off or diluted as it moves through the studio, which is why we’ve kept our structure intentional and compact. It ensures the craft remains consistent from the first concept to the final launch. This hands-on approach is what allows us to push for the level of refinement our clients expect. While we remain the dedicated core, we flexibly extend our team with a global network of specialists when a project calls for it. This gives us the freedom to scale for any ambition without compromising the personal touch that defines our work.
What Makes Us Unique
What truly sets us apart is the depth of our involvement. Because we don’t have the overhead of a large agency, we don’t need to juggle dozens of projects at once. We choose to partner with only a few select brands each year. This exclusivity means we aren’t just ‘working’ on a project; we are living it. We become a temporary extension of the brand’s own team, bringing a level of focus and emotional investment that is impossible to find in a high-volume environment.
Values & Traditions
Our traditions are built on the same curiosity that brought us together twenty years ago. We value the slow part of the process, including the research, the sketching, and the deep thinking, just as much as the final high-fidelity result. Whether it’s our daily creative syncs or our obsession with emerging technology, our main tradition is never being satisfied with ‘good enough.’ We focus on quality over volume, ensuring that every project we finish is something we are personally proud of.
Last Words
In the rush to be first, most forget to be meaningful. We choose to stay in the slow part of the process, because only what is built with depth can truly resonate.
Unforgettable journeys start with a click.
