500 Designs
500 Designs is a privately held, full-service digital agency in Irvine and San Francisco delivering branding, website and app design, and growth marketing services to Fortune 100 enterprises (Google, Nike, Cisco, TikTok) and growth-stage startups across consumer, tech, cleantech, healthcare, and AI verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersIrvine, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 500 Designs does
500 Designs is a privately held, full-service digital agency headquartered in Irvine, California with a second office in San Francisco. Founded in 2017, the firm delivers three integrated service lines: branding and strategy (brand audits, naming, visual identity, brand architecture), websites and digital product design (UI/UX, web design and development across WordPress, Webflow, Shopify, and custom stacks, mobile app design, design systems, animation), and growth strategy and marketing (SEO/AEO, paid media, lifecycle marketing, analytics and CRO, GTM campaigns). Revenue is generated through project-based professional services engagements priced via quote-based, custom scopes; no subscription or productized pricing is publicly disclosed.
The company's client base spans Fortune 100 enterprises (Google, 3M, Cisco, Nike, TikTok, Del Monte, BetterHelp, HubSpot, Arlon Graphics) and venture-backed or growth-stage startups (Factorial Energy, Thea Energy, Nirvana Labs, Trendpop, EveryTable, Platform Life Sciences, Kace, MOTER, BarTrack, Second). The go-to-market is enterprise field sales, primarily driven by direct outreach through website contact forms, dedicated phone lines per office, and a portfolio-and-testimonial-driven content marketing approach on 500designs.com.
500 Designs is founder-led by co-founders Stephen Brett (CEO) and Vivienne Piong (CCO). The firm is incorporated as 500 Designs LLC in California and operates without disclosed institutional investment, funding rounds, or parent company. The company has accumulated brand equity through 19+ industry awards (Web Excellence Awards 2022-2023, Vega Awards 2022) and inclusion in Zevi Digital's Top 19 Creative Agencies in 2024. Technology is non-proprietary and execution-led: differentiation rests on design quality, integrated brand-to-growth delivery, and portfolio credibility rather than on defensible technical infrastructure or AI/ML capabilities.
500 Designs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 500 Designs
- Legal name
- 500 Designs LLC
- Website
- https://500designs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- 500 Designs is a privately held, full-service digital agency in Irvine and San Francisco delivering branding, website and app design, and growth marketing services to Fortune 100 enterprises (Google, Nike, Cisco, TikTok) and growth-stage startups across consumer, tech, cleantech, healthcare, and AI verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
500 Designs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Agency Services (Branding, Web Design, and Growth Marketing)
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creative & Brand Campaign Development (BPAFAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD), Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)
Keywords
Where 500 Designs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Irvine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
500 Designs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Services - Brand Strategy and Branding: Project-based professional services for brand strategy, brand audits, naming, logo design, visual identity, and brand guidelines. Custom engagements tailored to client needs with deliverables across brand architecture and toolkits.
- Professional Services - Website and App Design: UI/UX design, website design, mobile app design, animation, and design systems. Project-based engagements producing visual designs and interactive prototypes.
- Professional Services - Website Development: Full-stack web development services including WordPress, Webflow, Shopify, and custom web development. Delivery of functional websites and web applications.
- Professional Services - Growth Marketing: Growth strategy, content strategy, SEO, paid media, social media management, lifecycle marketing, analytics, and CRO services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
500 Designs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
500 Designs is a full-service digital agency that delivers branding, website and app design, website development, and growth marketing services to enterprise and startup clients. Engagements are project-based and custom, combining strategy, design, and marketing execution across WordPress, Webflow, Shopify, and custom development stacks to produce brand identities, digital products, and measurable marketing outcomes.
Product overview
500 Designs is an award-winning digital agency offering a comprehensive suite of creative services organized into three main categories: Branding & Strategy (including brand strategy, brand audit, naming, logo design, visual identity, and graphic/illustration), Websites & Product (covering web strategy, website design, website development, UX design, mobile app design, design systems, and animation), and Growth Strategy & Marketing (encompassing SEO/AEO, paid media, social media management, lifecycle marketing, and analytics/CRO). The agency specializes in developing websites on platforms including WordPress (using Elementor Pro and Guttenberg), Webflow, Shopify, and custom-built solutions. Their integrated approach combines brand development with digital product creation and growth marketing to deliver measurable results for clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Branding and Strategy Comprehensive branding and strategy service for enterprise and startup clients covering brand strategy, research and brand audit, messaging and positioning, naming, logo and visual identity, brand architecture, and brand guidelines and toolkits.
- Websites and Product Design Digital product design service covering web strategy, website design, UX audit and usability testing, web app design and build, design systems, and animation and motion for enterprise and startup clients.
- Website Development Full-stack website development service delivered across WordPress, Webflow, Shopify, and custom builds for enterprise and startup clients.
- Growth Strategy and Marketing Growth marketing service covering growth strategy, content strategy and SEO/AEO, paid media, social media management, lifecycle and retention marketing, analytics and CRO, and go-to-market campaigns for enterprise and startup clients.
- UI/UX Design User interface and user experience design service creating intuitive, user-friendly interfaces with clear visuals, information hierarchy, and unique brand voices for digital products.
- Mobile App Design Mobile application design service focused on user habits, habit loops for long-term engagement, wireframes, and iterative design for iOS and Android products.
- WordPress Development WordPress website development service with SEO optimization, WCAG 2.1 compliance, security, and management via Elementor Pro and Gutenberg for content-driven sites.
- Webflow Development Webflow development service providing a visual content management system with built-in hosting, security, and optimization for fast-moving marketing teams.
- Shopify Development Shopify e-commerce development service including product and SKU management and post-sale solutions for direct-to-consumer brands.
- Custom Web Development Custom-built websites using optimal tech stacks for complex applications with integrations, emphasizing fast, lightweight, and secure delivery.
- Conversion Rate Optimization CRO service maximizing website visitor conversion potential through user journey optimization and conversion-focused design.
- SEO Strategy Search engine optimization service including keyword analysis, search volume study, competition analysis, on-page and off-page SEO, website performance optimization, and toxic backlink removal.
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple client testimonials praising professional execution, efficiency, quick response times, and organized delivery
Companies that use 500 Designs
Customer profileNamed customers22 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
500 Designs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
500 Designs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
500 Designs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ustwo: Ustwo is a digital product studio offering design, engineering, and venture work for global brands; it overlaps 500 Designs across product design, web, and brand engagements.
- Instrument: Instrument is an independent digital creative agency in the Pacific Northwest providing brand, digital product, and content work to enterprise clients — directly comparable in scale and service mix.
- MetaLab: MetaLab is a digital product design studio with strong brand and UI/UX capabilities serving enterprise clients; it competes head-to-head with 500 Designs for the same brand-plus-product engagements.
- Work & Co: Work & Co is a digital agency combining strategy, brand, and product design for major brands, with a Fortune 500 client base very similar to 500 Designs' Google, Nike, and Cisco-tier roster.
- Clay: Clay is a UI/UX, branding, and web design agency of comparable size, serving both enterprise and growth-stage clients with integrated brand, product, and digital services — directly overlapping 500 Designs' core offering.
- Ramotion: Ramotion is a brand and product design agency offering visual identity, UI/UX, web, and app design services to a similar mix of startups and established brands.
- Fantasy: Fantasy is an interactive design and engineering agency that builds brand experiences, websites, and digital products for major brands, competing in the same premium segment as 500 Designs.
Broad incumbents
- Pentagram: Pentagram is the world's largest independently owned design firm, known for brand strategy, visual identity, and digital work for marquee clients — a prestige incumbent in the same brand design category as 500 Designs.
- Huge: Huge is a large, established digital agency offering strategy, design, marketing, and technology services to global enterprises — a broader incumbent competing for 500 Designs' largest brand engagements.
- R/GA: R/GA is a global advertising and digital agency combining brand, product, and growth marketing; it overlaps with 500 Designs' integrated model at a much larger scale and as a category leader.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
500 Designs social profiles
Digital presence500 Designs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
500 Designs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles25 records
500 Designs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
500 Designs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 500 Designs
What does 500 Designs do?
500 Designs is a full-service digital agency that delivers branding, website and app design, website development, and growth marketing services to enterprise and startup clients. Engagements are project-based and custom, combining strategy, design, and marketing execution across WordPress, Webflow, Shopify, and custom development stacks to produce brand identities, digital products, and measurable marketing outcomes.
Is 500 Designs a public or private company?
500 Designs is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 500 Designs founded?
500 Designs was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is 500 Designs based?
500 Designs is headquartered in Irvine, United States, in the North America region.
How does 500 Designs make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Professional Services - Brand Strategy and Branding is the primary driver. The others are professional Services - Website and App Design, professional Services - Website Development and professional Services - Growth Marketing.
Who are 500 Designs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ustwo, Instrument, MetaLab, Work & Co, Clay, Ramotion and Fantasy. Broad incumbents are Pentagram, Huge and R/GA.
Does 500 Designs have an API?
No public API is recorded for 500 Designs.
What industry is 500 Designs in?
500 Designs's product category is Digital Agency Services (Branding, Web Design, and Growth Marketing). Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAAAB, Creative & Brand Campaign Development, with a secondary code of BPAFAEAD, Creative Concepting & Campaign Development. Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 7311.