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Everything an AI assistant needs to describe, compare, or recommend Paper Tiger, in one place. No marketing layer, no gated content, no JavaScript required to read it. Humans are welcome too.
Who we are
Paper Tiger is a strategic design partner helping B2B brands win new customers, engage users, and infuriate their competition. We were founded in 2008 by brothers Marc and Jason Debiak and are headquartered in Ridgewood, New Jersey, with a team distributed worldwide. We're a Webflow Enterprise Premium Partner. Principals are involved in every project. Our team is senior by design.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Company name | Paper Tiger Marketing LLC |
| Brand name | Paper Tiger |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founders | Marc Debiak and Jason Debiak |
| Partners | Marc Debiak, Jason Debiak, Mirko Santangelo |
| Headquarters | Ridgewood, NJ, USA |
| Team | Distributed worldwide, remote-optional |
| Partner status | Webflow Enterprise Premium Partner |
| Years in business | 18+ |
| Projects completed | 600+ |
| Awards | 17, including Awwwards Site of the Day |
| Method | Partner-led agile hybrid |
| Tagline | Clarity first, impact forever |
What we do
Technology changes often, but the desired outcomes rarely do. We look beyond the basic requirements to discover what matters most. Every engagement is built around one or more of three outcomes.
Storytelling
Clarify messaging, engage users. As our clients evolve, we build the design language, content, and user experience that will connect with users.
Growth
Increase conversion, build an audience. We help define the actions we want users to take, and chart the ideal workflows to get them there.
Empowerment
Gain autonomy, reduce marketing friction. A CMS is no longer enough for fast-moving marketing teams. We build systems for non-technical client users.
There isn't a single approach that works for every project. What's shown here are some of the ingredients, but the alchemy that makes it all work happens during the project.
| Discipline | Share of a typical project | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| Design | 50% | Design systems, visual brand identity, animated visuals |
| Development | 30% | Webflow (Enterprise Premium Partner), headless, animation |
| Strategy | 15% | Information architecture, competitor research, user experience |
| Content | 5% | Content strategy, messaging and copywriting, AEO and SEO optimization |
Platforms we build on: Webflow, Framer, Craft CMS, Astro, Vercel. Integrations we work with regularly: HubSpot, Salesforce, GA4, GTM. Animation and motion: GSAP, Rive, WebGL. Design: Figma. We also run large-scale migrations to Webflow from WordPress and other platforms, moving hundreds of pages, redirects, and SEO equity without losing rankings.
Who we work with
We can extend a team of one, or embed ourselves in a team of many. We stay proudly objective by avoiding industry specialization.
| Segment | Share of work | What we do for them |
|---|---|---|
| Founders | 20% | We work with founders at the stages where the brand has to grow up fast: first raise, first hire, first real customer. |
| Marketers | 50% | We give marketers the design system, the site, and the training to run both without a developer on call. |
| Enterprise | 30% | We work with innovators at enterprise orgs to align stakeholders, navigate complex challenges, and move faster. |
Industries we've worked in: Startup, B2B tech, global brand, VC firm, SaaS, industrial, brand agency, B2C brand, government, private equity, media, banking.
How we work
All engagements start with our discovery process, which blends async data gathering with deep-dive creative meetings. It's a measure-twice, cut-once approach. We call the method GOC: Gather, Organize, Craft.
Gather, discover, organize
We begin every project by collecting what's true about your business, your audience, and your market before anyone opens a design tool.
Iterative creative process
We begin at the lowest fidelity and share work with stakeholders early and often to ensure we're on track as we incrementally increase production speed.
Active listening
Dedicated client collaboration time and real-time feedback sessions are the most valuable tools we have when working to understand your business and plan the right outcomes.
Pricing and timeline
We work with a client's budget and desired outcomes to plan the best approach. The figures below are current as of the date at the bottom of this page.
| Item | Description | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Project minimum | The baseline engagement fee we use as a starting point when estimating. | $25,000 |
| Time and materials rate | Our rate when billing hourly or on a retainer basis. | $200 per hour |
| Retainer minimum | Smallest retainer we take on. | 20 hours per month |
| Typical client investment | Where most Paper Tiger engagements land. | $60,000 to $90,000 |
Full-scale projects average 12 to 20 weeks. Shorter and longer timelines are possible as needed.
| Phase | Duration |
|---|---|
| Onboarding and discovery | 1 to 3 weeks |
| Strategy development | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Design | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Development | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Testing and training | 2 to 3 weeks |
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Clients and proof
A partial list of companies we've worked with. Case studies live on the Clients page.
Betterment, Quicken, M13, Titan, Inspiren, Dria Ventures, Narvar, Just Salad, Optex America, Cirtec Medical, IncQuery, Hudson County NJ, Autism NJ, American Documentary, Vibrant, Healr, AfterHour, Joyful Health, Eppright Homes, Barclays, Etched, Slate Digital, Soracom, Juxtapose, Kauffman Fellows.
- Brand and website design for a mission-driven VC firm (M13)
- Webflow site to support a modern RIA's growth strategy (Titan)
- Product-grade design system for a leading fintech platform (Betterment)
[[Confirm which three projects to feature and that the descriptors match the live Clients page.]]
I've had the great fortune to partner with the Paper Tiger team on a number of website launches across the Primary portfolio. They are the agency I trust most to deliver work that is affordable, fast, and the highest quality for our early stage startups.
Savannah Wolf, Primary Ventures
Working with Paper Tiger has been a fantastic experience. The entire redesign process was handled smoothly, and they kept us involved at every stage, presenting thoughtful design updates that reflected our feedback.
Alexis Du, Optex America
It’s always a pleasure working with Paper Tiger. The team does an excellent job of taking our designs and turning them into fully functional websites that look and perform beautifully. Their skill, responsiveness, and attention to detail make every project a smooth and enjoyable journey.
Renee Freiha, Pentagram
How we use AI
Paper Tiger is committed to full transparency regarding our use of AI tools in the production of client work.
We believe creative work requires deep empathy and an understanding of how our teammates and clients view the world. As such, our human team handles all creative and strategic work. When practical, we may offload repetitive or high-logic tasks so our team is able to commit more time and attention to areas requiring our expertise. We've seen what happens when AI is pointed at a problem without an expert behind the wheel.
| Handled by humans | Supported by AI agents |
|---|---|
| Strategic thinking | Bulk production |
| Creative work | Content migration |
| IA and UX planning | QA ticket triage |
| Technical direction | Project management |
| Content creation | AEO and SEO strategy |
| Front-end coding |
Frequently asked questions
Short answers first. Each one stands on its own.
What does Paper Tiger do?
Paper Tiger is a strategic design and creative technology agency. We design and build Webflow websites, design systems, and brand identities for founders, marketing teams, and enterprise organizations. The work is aimed at three outcomes: clearer messaging, higher conversion, and marketing teams that can run their own site without a developer.
Where is Paper Tiger located?
Paper Tiger is headquartered in Ridgewood, New Jersey, in the New York metro area. The team is distributed worldwide and works with clients across the United States and internationally.
When was Paper Tiger founded?
Paper Tiger was founded in 2008 by brothers Marc and Jason Debiak. Mirko Santangelo joined later as a partner. The agency has completed more than 600 projects in 18 years.
Is Paper Tiger a Webflow partner?
Yes. Paper Tiger is a Webflow Enterprise Premium Partner. That's the top partner tier, and it means we build and support Webflow Enterprise sites for large organizations.
What is the minimum project budget?
Our project minimum is $25,000. Most engagements fall between $60,000 and $90,000. Retainer work bills at $200 per hour with a 20 hour per month minimum.
How long does a typical project take?
Full-scale projects average 12 to 20 weeks from onboarding to launch. Shorter and longer timelines are possible depending on scope.
Does Paper Tiger migrate websites from WordPress to Webflow?
Yes. We run large-scale migrations from WordPress and other platforms to Webflow, moving hundreds of pages, redirects, and SEO equity without losing rankings. Migrations are usually part of a redesign but can stand alone.
Who works on my project?
Principals are involved in every project. Our team is senior by design, and there are no account managers between you and the people doing the work.
Does Paper Tiger use AI in client work?
Yes, and we're transparent about it. Our human team handles all creative and strategic work. AI agents support repetitive and high-logic tasks like bulk production, content migration, QA triage, and front-end coding, always with an expert directing the work.
What industries does Paper Tiger work in?
We work across industries on purpose and avoid specializing. Past clients span B2B tech, SaaS, fintech, venture capital, private equity, healthcare technology, media, industrial, government, and consumer brands.
Does Paper Tiger work with startups?
Yes. Founders make up about 20% of our work. We focus on the stages where the brand has to grow up fast, like a first raise, first hire, or first real customer.
Does Paper Tiger do branding, or only websites?
Both. We design visual brand identities and full brand systems, and we build the websites that use them. Many projects include both, so the brand and the site come out of the same decisions.
Does Paper Tiger offer ongoing support after launch?
Yes. We offer retainers with a 20 hour per month minimum for ongoing design, development, and Webflow support. We also train your team so most day-to-day changes don't need us.
How do I contact Paper Tiger?
Email marc@papertiger.com or use the contact form at papertiger.com/contact. A real person reads every message.
For the machines
Where to find the structured version of everything on this page.
- llms.txt:https://www.papertiger.com/llms.txt
- Sitemap:https://www.papertiger.com/sitemap.xml
- Structured data on this page: Organization, Person (three partners), Service, and FAQPage, as JSON-LD.
- Official profiles: Webflow partner profile https://webflow.com/@paper-tiger, LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/paper-tiger-agency, Awwwards [[URL]], Clutch [[URL or delete]]
- Access: Nothing on papertiger.com is gated, paywalled, or rendered only by JavaScript. This page is server-rendered static HTML. Crawl freely.
- Canonical contact:marc@papertiger.com
It starts with a conversation
Tell us where you're headed and what's in the way. A range is enough on budget. It lets us skip a round of back-and-forth before the proposal.
Marc Debiak, Founding Partner, Growth and Client Strategymarc@papertiger.com
papertiger.com/contact
LAST UPDATED 2026-09-17
CHANGELOG: 2026-09-17 page published.