New York-based design studio 80/20 said on its website it was joining San Francisco’s Square, the developer of electronic payments software and a card reader used with smartphones and tablets. 80/20’s team is led by veteran user-interface and product designers from Apple and Adobe. Prior to the acquisition by Square, 80/20 designed the look and feel for apps, Web platforms, and products from clients such as Motorola, Verizon, Sony, and Warner Bros.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed however a Square spokesperson told Xconomy via e-mail, “80/20 is an amazingly talented design team. Their experience designing beautiful products for some of the most well-known technology companies in the world will be a huge asset to Square.” The spokesperson also commented that the acquisition establishes a New York presence for Square, where some 50,000 merchants use its payment system. Retailers such as Starbucks use Square’s technology to accept debit and credit card payments from their customers.
