Design Army
Design Army is a Washington, D.C.-based, full-service design-centric creative agency serving 100+ global and local brands across beauty, fashion, hospitality, arts, sports, F&B, and tech with integrated strategy, creative, design, marketing, and production services, anchored by an AOR relationship with Morphe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Design Army does
Design Army is a full-service design-centric creative agency founded in 2003 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., operating with an 11–50 employee team led by co-founders Pum Lefebure (CCO) and Jake Lefebure (CEO). The agency's core offering is an integrated services stack spanning strategy, creative (video, photography, motion graphics, animation, art direction), design (brand identity, packaging, web/digital, environmental, graphic and print), marketing (campaign planning, brand activation, social), and execution (production, post-production, web and print production). It serves a broad enterprise-to-mid-market portfolio of over 100 brands across fashion and beauty, hospitality and real estate, arts and culture, sports and athletic lifestyle, food and beverage, technology, and consumer goods, including Morphe (agency of record), Adobe, Netflix, Hong Kong Ballet, CityCenterDC, The Hay-Adams, Saucony, Jaspal, and The One Club for Creativity.
The agency's underlying technology stack is built on industry-standard creative tools — Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Figma, and Google platforms — supplemented by generative AI tools (notably MidJourney) for visual exploration, character and environment generation, and surrealist composition, blended with hands-on graphic design and collage-based post-production. Its most distinctive proprietary technology is Neenah Swatch Pro, developed in partnership with Neenah Paper and Adobe as the first paper extension on Adobe Exchange, which connects physical paper swatch books to digital design workflows through a revolutionary color and texture numbering system.
Design Army generates revenue through professional services delivered on a project basis and on retainer for key accounts (most notably as agency of record for Morphe, handling ongoing multi-product campaign development across social, in-store, digital, print, and experiential channels including Times Square activations). Go-to-market is anchored in industry reputation — leadership positions on global juries (Cannes Lions, D&AD, CLIO, Spikes Asia), press coverage in Fast Company, The New York Times, Adweek, Forbes, and Entrepreneur, and speaking roles — that drives inbound enterprise demand. A supplementary distribution channel exists via shoppable InDesign templates on Adobe Stock, representing a small productized extension of the agency's design IP.
Design Army firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Army
- Legal name
- Design Army
- Website
- https://designarmy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Design Army is a Washington, D.C.-based, full-service design-centric creative agency serving 100+ global and local brands across beauty, fashion, hospitality, arts, sports, F&B, and tech with integrated strategy, creative, design, marketing, and production services, anchored by an AOR relationship with Morphe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Army industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative & Design Services
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143), Other Specialized Design Services (54149)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD), Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM), Production Design & Art Department Services (Sets, Props, Scenic) (MPADAFAG)
Keywords
Where Design Army is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Design Army business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Creative Agency Services: Design Army generates revenue by providing full-service creative and design services to global and local brands. Services span strategy, branding, campaign development, art direction, photography, video production, motion graphics, animation, packaging, digital/web design, experiential and environmental design, and integrated marketing. Revenue is project-based and retainer-based (agency of record arrangements with key clients like Morphe).
- Integrated Campaign Development: Ongoing campaign conceptualization, design, and development across social media, in-store, digital, print, and experiential channels. For Morphe (agency of record), this includes launching new products into market with campaigns spanning video, photography, key visuals, in-store signage, and Times Square activations.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Design Army product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design Army is a full-service design-centric creative agency that plans and produces integrated brand and campaign work for global and local brands. Its offerings span strategy, branding, campaign concepting and execution, art direction, photography, video/film, motion graphics, animation, packaging, web/digital, experiential and environmental design, and integrated marketing services. The agency also embeds generative AI tools (such as MidJourney) into campaign workflows and co-developed Neenah Swatch Pro, the first paper extension on Adobe Exchange.
Product overview
Design Army is a full-service design-centric creative agency offering integrated services across strategy, creative (video, photography, animation), design (branding, packaging, web/digital, identity systems), marketing (campaigns, brand activation), and production execution. The agency works with global and local brands on projects spanning fashion and beauty, arts and culture, hospitality and real estate, retail, food and drink, and fitness sectors. Their portfolio includes campaign projects for clients like Morphe Cosmetics (Cheek Thrills, Holiday Drama, Hot Honeys, Lip Filter, Bi-Liner, Forbidden Collection, Cheek Island), Hong Kong Ballet (Ballet Fever, Tutu Academy, Never Standing Still), CityCenterDC (Celebrating You, Cityscape), Gold House, Georgetown Optician (Adventures in A-EYE, Eyes Say More Than Words), and others. Services are delivered through their integrated approach combining strategy, creative, design, marketing, and execution capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Strategy Services Strategic consulting services for brands including social media strategy, brand strategy, marketing strategy, innovation planning, and research to guide creative direction.
- Creative Services Video and film production, creative direction, motion graphics, photography, art direction, and animation for campaigns and brand storytelling.
- Design Services Comprehensive design offerings including experiential and environmental design, packaging, naming, identity systems, web/digital, brand identity, graphic and print design, and product design.
- Marketing Services Marketing development, omnichannel and integrated marketing, brand activation, campaign planning and execution, and social media marketing.
- Execution Services Production execution including website development, post production, print production, production management, and photo and web production.
- Neenah Swatch Pro Adobe Exchange Extension The first paper extension on Adobe Exchange, connecting Neenah CLASSIC Papers swatch books to digital design workflows via Adobe tools through a revolutionary numbering system that brings color and texture to life on screen.
- Adobe Stock InDesign Template Collection InDesign templates for Adobe Stock celebrating InDesign's 20th anniversary, designed by Design Army to blend diverse design movements including Memphis, Web 1.0, and futuristic aesthetics, available for purchase and download by individual designers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Cheek Thrills became one of Morphe's top-selling collections, setting a new standard for immersive, high-impact beauty campaigns.
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Design Army
Customer profileNamed customers23 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Design Army technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature3 records
Design Army partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- AdobecoreDesign Army partnered with Adobe to design a collection of InDesign templates for Adobe Stock celebrating InDesign's 20th anniversary. Design Army also developed Neenah Swatch Pro — the first paper extension on Adobe Exchange — connecting physical Neenah paper swatches to Adobe digital design workflows through a revolutionary numbering system.
- Christie'sflagshipAorist, the NFT art platform rebranded by Design Army, commissioned major projects and established collaborations with Christie's, positioning itself as a next-generation cultural institution in the art world.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Design Army competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- COLLINS: Independent brand strategy and design firm serving global clients across identity, packaging, and experience. Comparable to Design Army in its full-service, design-first positioning and enterprise-grade clientele.
- Athletics: Independent creative agency known for branding, motion, and design-forward campaigns for ambitious clients. Comparable to Design Army in size, multidisciplinary offering, and focus on culturally resonant, award-caliber creative.
- Mucca: Independent creative agency specializing in branding, packaging, and integrated campaigns for global brands. Closely comparable in size, scope (brand identity, packaging, web), and premium positioning to Design Army.
- Pentagram: Largest independent design firm with a partnership model. Directly comparable to Design Army as a multi-disciplinary, partner-led creative agency serving enterprise clients across branding, packaging, and campaigns, with similarly award-driven positioning.
- Mother Design: Design arm of the Mother creative network, focused on brand identity, packaging, and campaign design. Comparable to Design Army as a design-centric creative shop with global brand clients and award-winning reputation.
- Other People's Children: Boutique creative studio combining strategy, brand, and design for cultural and consumer clients. Comparable to Design Army in being a design-centric, founder-led shop producing integrated brand and campaign work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Design Army social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Army financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Army leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Design Army funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Army 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 Design Army
What does Design Army do?
Design Army is a full-service design-centric creative agency that plans and produces integrated brand and campaign work for global and local brands. Its offerings span strategy, branding, campaign concepting and execution, art direction, photography, video/film, motion graphics, animation, packaging, web/digital, experiential and environmental design, and integrated marketing services. The agency also embeds generative AI tools (such as MidJourney) into campaign workflows and co-developed Neenah Swatch Pro, the first paper extension on Adobe Exchange.
Is Design Army a public or private company?
Design Army is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Design Army founded?
Design Army was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Design Army based?
Design Army is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Design Army make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Creative Agency Services are the primary driver. The others are integrated Campaign Development.
Who are Design Army's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are COLLINS, Athletics, Mucca, Pentagram, Mother Design and Other People's Children.
Does Design Army have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Army.
What industry is Design Army in?
Design Army's product category is Creative & Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAA, Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies, with a secondary code of MPAAAAAD, Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX). Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 7330.