Design Collaborations
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersTucson, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Design Collaborations firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Collaborations
- Legal name
- Design Collaborations
- Website
- https://designcollaborations.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Collaborations industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Glass Art & Landscape Architecture
- NAICS
- Industrial Design Services (54142), Other Specialized Design Services (54149)
- SIC
- Glass & Glassware, Pressed Or Blown (3220)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)
Keywords
Where Design Collaborations is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tucson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Design Collaborations business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Glass Works: Hand-made cast glass products including sculptures, totems, chandeliers, rain chains, solid rods, drape pieces, and LED light poles. All products are custom-made to meet client project requirements. Revenue is project-based with pricing determined by scope, materials, and customization.
- Landscape Architecture Services: Landscape design services for residential, commercial, and community settings. Includes thoughtful landscape planning, hardscapes, and creative solutions for outdoor spaces.
- Public Art Design and Installation: Public art projects involving collaboration with donors, stakeholders, artists, fabricators, and governing bodies. Includes design, fabrication, and installation services for municipal and commercial clients.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom Project Pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Design Collaborations product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design Collaborations is a custom design firm that creates hand-made cast glass works (sculptures, totems, chandeliers, LED light poles, rain chains, and other forms) using the lost wax casting technique; designs and installs public art for municipal, cultural, and commercial clients; and provides landscape architecture services for residential, commercial, and community settings. All offerings are custom-made and project-based, with pricing determined through direct client consultation.
Product overview
Design Collaborations is an innovative design firm founded in 1990 and located in Tucson, Arizona, offering three interconnected core service areas: Glass Works (hand-made cast glass products using lost wax casting), Public Art (design and installation of public art projects), and Landscape Architecture (residential, commercial, and community landscapes). The Glass Works division produces diverse products including LED Light Poles, Sculptures, Totems, Drape, Chandeliers, Solid Rods, Rain Chains, and various Shapes—all using the lost wax casting technique. The Public Art division has completed multiple projects including First Impressions, Casa Grande Memorial, Epes Randolph Plaza, Casa Grande Plaza, Kennedy Park Fiesta Area Gateway, Skymarkers: Tucson, and Tucson Botanical Gardens Estella Cole Plaza. The Landscape Architecture division encompasses Residential, Commercial, Paving, and Steel sub-services, all tied together through the company's philosophy that excellent design is produced through collaboration and participation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Glass Works
- LED Light Poles
- Glass Sculptures
- Glass Totems
- Chandeliers
- Rain Chains
- Public Art Design and Installation
- Landscape Architecture
- Landscape Paving
- Steel in the Garden
Quantifiable outcome
- 35+ years of successful project delivery since 1990
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Design Collaborations
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Design Collaborations technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Design Collaborations partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Tucson/Pima Arts CouncilcorePartnered with Tucson/Pima Arts Council on the Epes Randolph Plaza memorial project. The Council facilitated artist Nick Burke's bust of Epes Randolph and coordinated the memorial project.
- Nick Burke (Artist)coreArtist Nick Burke, working through Tucson/Pima Arts Council, designed the bust of Epes Randolph. Design Collaborations coordinated the overall plaza design and installation.
- Union Pacific RailroadminorStakeholder involvement in the Epes Randolph Plaza project, given Randolph's instrumental role in bringing the railroad to Tucson. The railroad was one of many parties involved in the memorial project.
- Line and Space (Les Wallach, Architect)coreCollaboration with architect Les Wallach of Line and Space on the Skymarkers:Tucson project - a national competition entry for the City of Tucson gateway design. The project developed steel conical shapes representing saguaro cactus needles up to 180 feet in height, designed to incorporate photovoltaic film for electricity generation.
- Sonoran Glass SchoolcoreMichael Joplin served as board member from the school's inception in 2001 until 2017. The school represents a key institution in the regional glass arts community and potential talent pipeline and collaboration opportunity.
- City of Tucson Parks and Recreation DepartmentcoreCompleted collaboration on the Kennedy Park Fiesta Area Gateway project. The City provided project sponsorship and approval while Design Collaborations provided design and installation services for the papel picado-inspired steel flag gateway.
- Karen Piovaty (Graphic Artist)minorCollaboration with graphic artist Karen Piovaty on the Kennedy Park Fiesta Area Gateway project, creating distinctive plasma-cut imagery for the steel flag structure.
- Holm Architectural and Landscape LightingcoreDevelopment partnership for LED light pole fixtures. Holm Architectural developed a 9 array LED fixture specifically for Design Collaborations' cast glass beads. The fixture combines first-class LED technology with premium materials, installed in 2½-inch steel tubing.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Design Collaborations competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mayer/Reed: Portland, Oregon-based design firm integrating landscape architecture, urban design, and environmental graphics for civic and cultural clients. Comparable to Design Collaborations in its integrated public-realm design practice serving museums, parks, and municipalities.
- Ball-Nogues Studio: Los Angeles-based studio producing large-scale, custom-fabricated public art installations using metalwork, weaving, and sculptural techniques. Comparable to Design Collaborations as a small, craft-driven public art fabrication practice delivering one-off signature commissions for cultural and civic clients.
- RE:site Studio: Houston-based public art and integrated design studio combining landscape, sculpture, and architectural installations for civic clients. Comparable to Design Collaborations in its multi-disciplinary public art + landscape offering and project-based custom commissioning model.
- James Carpenter Design Associates: New York-based design studio specializing in glass, light, and metal public art installations integrated with architecture and landscape. Comparable to Design Collaborations as a rare practice that bridges master-level glass craftsmanship with civic-scale public art delivery.
- LandMorphology: Seattle-based boutique landscape architecture firm focused on high-end residential, cultural, and civic projects. Comparable to Design Collaborations as a small, design-driven landscape architecture studio serving affluent residential and institutional clients in the western U.S.
Others
- Habatat Galleries: Michigan-based gallery specializing in studio glass art with a long-running annual exhibition. Comparable to Design Collaborations as part of the broader U.S. studio glass ecosystem in which Michael Joplin trained and exhibits, though operating as a gallery/retailer rather than a producing design firm.
- Mark Peiser: Renowned American studio glass artist based in North Carolina, under whom Michael Joplin studied. Comparable as a master practitioner of glass art techniques whose career informs Design Collaborations' lost-wax casting lineage and craft positioning, though operating as an individual artist rather than a design firm.
Broad incumbents
- OLIN: Philadelphia-based landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with deep public-realm and cultural-institution portfolio. Comparable to Design Collaborations for its integration of art, landscape, and civic placemaking, but at much larger scale and institutional client base.
- Chihuly Studio: The studio of Dale Chihuly, the world's most prominent glass artist and another of Michael Joplin's teachers. Comparable as a glass-art production and installation enterprise, but operating at vastly greater scale, brand recognition, and global gallery distribution.
- SWA Group: Large, internationally recognized landscape architecture and urban design firm. Comparable to Design Collaborations as a practitioner of integrated public-realm and landscape architecture, but operating at significantly greater scale across commercial, civic, and large-infrastructure projects.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Design Collaborations social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Collaborations financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Collaborations leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Design Collaborations funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Collaborations 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 Collaborations
What does Design Collaborations do?
Design Collaborations is a custom design firm that creates hand-made cast glass works (sculptures, totems, chandeliers, LED light poles, rain chains, and other forms) using the lost wax casting technique; designs and installs public art for municipal, cultural, and commercial clients; and provides landscape architecture services for residential, commercial, and community settings. All offerings are custom-made and project-based, with pricing determined through direct client consultation.
Is Design Collaborations a public or private company?
Design Collaborations is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Design Collaborations founded?
Design Collaborations was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Design Collaborations based?
Design Collaborations is headquartered in Tucson, United States, in the North America region.
How does Design Collaborations make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Glass Works are the primary driver. The others are landscape Architecture Services and public Art Design and Installation.
Who are Design Collaborations's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mayer/Reed, Ball-Nogues Studio, RE:site Studio, James Carpenter Design Associates and LandMorphology. Others are Habatat Galleries and Mark Peiser. Broad incumbents are OLIN, Chihuly Studio and SWA Group.
Does Design Collaborations have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Collaborations.
What industry is Design Collaborations in?
Design Collaborations's product category is Custom Glass Art & Landscape Architecture. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAL, Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design. Its NAICS code is 54142 and its SIC code is 3220.