DesignworksUSA
Designworks is a BMW Group-owned global design consultancy operating studios in Los Angeles, Munich, and Shanghai, delivering industrial, automotive, aviation, digital experience, and strategy design services to BMW Group brands and external enterprise clients across mobility sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1972
- HeadquartersSanta Monica, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DesignworksUSA does
DesignworksUSA, Inc. is a global design consultancy operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW Group since 1995. Founded in 1972 by Chuck Pelly in Malibu, California, the firm runs three studios in Los Angeles (corporate headquarters), Munich, and Shanghai, serving both BMW Group brands — BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce — and external enterprise clients across automotive, aviation, marine, micromobility, consumer electronics, and urban infrastructure. The studio employs a multidisciplinary model spanning industrial design, automotive exterior/interior design, interaction and UX design, digital experience, brand identity, strategy consulting, and sustainable material strategy, with roughly 100-150 staff across the three locations.
Designworks' core technical capabilities include AI-as-craft world-building tools used to shape BMW's Neue Klasse platform and design language, proprietary gaze detection systems (BMW i Interaction EASE), Shy Tech embedded interfaces that communicate through illuminated surfaces and projected images, a circular material library with bio-based inputs like AmpliTex, and modular space configurations supporting autonomous-driving interior scenarios. Concept-to-production outputs span aircraft cabins (SPACEFRAME economy seat, The BOW VIP cabin for Lufthansa Technik, STARLUX A321neo, EVA Air 787), sustainable mobility (THE ICON, Sirius Jet, BMW Electric Wingsuit), EV charging infrastructure (IONITY's 400-station European HPC network, BMW Welt charging experience), digital products (BMW Configurator, MINI Mixed Reality), and licensed micromobility concepts (LUYUAN Group's Dynamic Cargo and Clever Commute).
Revenue is generated through project-based consulting engagements priced custom per scope and complexity, with multi-year contracts typical and no public pricing tiers. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales driven by case-study publication, industry event presence (CES, Aircraft Interiors Expo, IAA), thought leadership content, and reputation-based referrals, with emerging licensing income from IP deals such as the 2025 LUYUAN partnership. Customer segments are horizontal, with automotive and aviation as primary verticals and consumer products, urban mobility, and agriculture as secondary. As a BMW Group subsidiary, Designworks does not publish independent financial statements and operates without external funding.
DesignworksUSA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DesignworksUSA
- Legal name
- DesignworksUSA, Inc.
- Website
- https://bmwgroupdesignworks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1972
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Designworks is a BMW Group-owned global design consultancy operating studios in Los Angeles, Munich, and Shanghai, delivering industrial, automotive, aviation, digital experience, and strategy design services to BMW Group brands and external enterprise clients across mobility sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DesignworksUSA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Design Services
- NAICS
- Industrial Design Services (54142), Interior Design Services (54141), Other Specialized Design Services (54149), Industrial Design Services (541420)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL), Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)
Keywords
Where DesignworksUSA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Monica
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
DesignworksUSA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Design Consulting Services: Designworks generates revenue through client engagements for design, digital, and strategy consulting services. Projects span industrial design, automotive design, aviation interiors, product design, interaction design, UX/UI design, brand identity, and strategic consulting.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom consulting engagements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
DesignworksUSA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DesignworksUSA operates as a global design consultancy providing industrial design, automotive design, aviation interior design, interaction design, UX/UI, brand identity, and design strategy services. The firm delivers project-based consulting engagements to enterprise clients across automotive, aviation, marine, micromobility, consumer electronics, and public infrastructure sectors, operating three studios in Los Angeles, Munich, and Shanghai.
Product overview
Designworks is BMW Group's global design consultancy operating studios in Los Angeles, Munich, and Shanghai. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of design services including industrial design, automotive design, interaction design, UX/UI, strategy, and consulting. Their product portfolio spans aircraft cabin concepts (The BOW VIP Cabin, SPACEFRAME Economy Seat, EVA Air Business Class, STARLUX Airlines Fleet), sustainable mobility innovations (THE ICON, Sirius Jet, BMW Electric Wingsuit), automotive design (BMW i Interaction EASE, BMW Configurator), infrastructure design (IONITY Charging Network, BMW Welt EV Charging), digital products, and collaboration projects. The company serves external clients across aviation, automotive, marine, micromobility, technology, and consumer goods industries while supporting BMW Group brands including BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Industrial Design Services Comprehensive industrial design services including product design, transportation design, color/material/finish design, prototyping, model fabrication, and sustainable material strategy for automotive, aviation, marine, and micromobility industries.
- Interaction Design & UX Services Interaction design, user experience strategy, brand identity design, UX/UI design, motion graphics, animation, virtual and augmented reality experiences, website design, and app design services for enterprise clients.
- Strategy & Consulting Services Future context research, consumer research, trend and market research, design strategy, brand strategy, future product and service scenarios, and innovation strategy and roadmapping services for enterprise clients.
- Automotive Design Services Automotive concept development, exterior and interior design, color and material design, experience design, and mobility concept development for BMW Group brands and external clients.
- The BOW VIP Cabin Concept A modular narrowbody VIP cabin concept designed for premium group flights accommodating up to 28 high-profile passengers. Features 14 private suites, a transformative lounge, and integrated NICE management platform control. Created in collaboration with Lufthansa Technik.
- SPACEFRAME Economy Seat Concept An economy-class aircraft seat concept featuring a lightweight composite exoskeleton and forward-sliding recline mechanism, designed to improve passenger comfort while reducing aircraft weight and supporting sustainability through engineered disassembly for recycling.
- BMW i Interaction EASE Future autonomous vehicle concept featuring gaze detection AI, Intelligent Personal Assistant (IPA), gesture control, and eye-tracking technology representing human-like interaction between passenger and vehicle.
- THE ICON A sustainable mobility breakthrough representing Designworks' vision for future sustainable transportation solutions.
- BMW Configurator Digital configuration platform making digital vehicle configuration a true brand experience, enabling customers to customize and visualize BMW vehicles.
Quantifiable outcome
- BMW Neue Klasse platform: up to 40 models planned by 2027
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use DesignworksUSA
Customer profileNamed customers22 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
DesignworksUSA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability10 records
Feature5 records
DesignworksUSA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered key, notable and minor.
- Lufthansa TechnikkeyDesignworks collaborated with Lufthansa Technik to unveil 'The BOW' - a modular narrowbody VIP cabin concept at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. The concept integrates BMW's automotive design expertise with Lufthansa Technik's high-end cabin technology, featuring 14 private suites and a transformative lounge. This collaboration represents a new market category bridging private jets and business class.
- STARLUX AirlineskeyDesignworks designed the interior for STARLUX's new fleet of A321neos, creating a luxury brand experience through layered textures and regional Taiwanese hospitality elements rather than pervasive logo use.
- EVA AirkeyDesignworks created a new business class seat and cabin design for EVA Air's Boeing 787, focusing on giving business travelers an uncompromised premium in-flight experience that offsets the disruption of travel.
- IONITYkeyDesignworks served as design partner for IONITY's European high-power-charging network, designing charging station architecture, charger pylons, and digital interaction concept. The goal was to create a recognizable, welcoming visual identity that dispels range concerns and makes e-mobility attractive for long-distance travel.
- TranzitonotableDesignworks partnered with Tranzito and the City of Los Angeles to execute the Sidewalk Transit Amenities Program (STAP), improving the experience for 900,000 public transit riders through redesigned bus shelters with modular shade-focused designs and real-time E-Ink information displays.
- GrammerkeyDesignworks collaborated with Grammer to reimagine vehicle interiors for the autonomous driving era, creating the PURE concept with three versatile experience modes: Productivity, Relaxation, and Social.
- Sea RaynotableDesignworks collaborated with Sea Ray to develop a new and sophisticated design language for future Sea Ray boats, bringing automotive design expertise to marine design.
- LUYUAN GroupnotableBMW Group officially granted licenses to LUYUAN Group for the Dynamic Cargo and Clever Commute micromobility concepts developed by BMW, with Designworks partnering on product design. Faissner Petermeier Fahrzeugtechnik AG was engaged for European market compliance.
- Santa Monica CollegeminorDesignworks collaborated with Santa Monica College interaction design students on a project to design an intuitive, appealing on-demand autonomous mobility experience, focusing on inclusive mobility solutions.
- GenslernotableDesignworks partnered with architecture firm Gensler to explore how collaborative approach to mobility and architecture could create symbiosis between cities, inhabitants, and their mobility.
- Material Manufacturers (Pioneering)keyDesignworks partners with pioneering material manufacturers for the BMW Visionary Materials project, exploring new ways to design seats without compromising quality while embodying circularity. Includes collaborations on bio-based materials like AmpliTex and secondary materials designed for disassembly.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DesignworksUSA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ammunition Group: Ammunition Group, founded by former Apple designer Robert Brunner, is a San Francisco-based design studio focused on industrial design, brand strategy, and product design for premium clients including Beats by Dre, Adobe, and Williams-Sonoma. Comparable to Designworks as a premium, founder-led industrial design practice with cross-industry reach.
- IDEO: IDEO is one of the most established global design consultancies, offering industrial design, interaction design, and strategy services to enterprise clients across multiple industries. Directly comparable to Designworks in service mix, client profile (premium enterprise), and cross-disciplinary approach, though IDEO operates independently rather than as an OEM subsidiary.
- Teague: Teague is a Seattle-based design consultancy with deep specialization in transportation design (aviation, rail, automotive) and product design. Directly comparable to Designworks' aviation interior work (Lufthansa Technik, EVA Air, STARLUX) and automotive design heritage, serving many of the same enterprise client categories.
- Bresslergroup: Bresslergroup is a Philadelphia-based industrial design and engineering consultancy specializing in consumer products, medical devices, and connected hardware. Comparable mid-sized design consultancy competing for similar industrial design engagements with a research-driven, multidisciplinary approach similar to Designworks.
- RKS Design: RKS Design is a California-based industrial design and innovation consultancy with expertise in consumer products, sustainability, and human-centered design. Comparable to Designworks in mid-size premium industrial design services, sustainable materials focus, and cross-industry client base.
- Smart Design: Smart Design is a global design consultancy with industrial design, UX, and innovation strategy offerings serving enterprise clients in consumer products, transportation, and healthcare. Comparable in scale, multi-disciplinary approach, and client mix, with similar cross-industry design transfer capabilities.
- Pentagram: Pentagram is a partner-led design consultancy specializing in brand identity, graphic design, digital design, and product design. Comparable to Designworks' brand identity, UX, and strategy services; both operate premium design practices serving enterprise clients, though Pentagram is more brand-focused versus Designworks' transportation emphasis.
- frog (Capgemini Invent): frog is a global design and innovation consultancy now part of Capgemini Invent, providing industrial design, UX, and digital transformation services. Direct competitor in the premium transportation, consumer, and tech design space, with a comparable global studio footprint and cross-industry portfolio.
Emerging players
- Aruliden: Aruliden is a New York- and Amsterdam-based design consultancy offering industrial design, brand strategy, and UX services to clients including Google, Samsung, and Lufthansa. Comparable to Designworks as a multi-disciplinary design consultancy serving premium enterprise clients across consumer and transportation sectors, though at smaller scale.
Broad incumbents
- McKinsey Design (Lunar): McKinsey Design, backed by global strategy consultancy McKinsey, acquired Danish design firm Lunar to offer integrated strategy-plus-design services. Comparable as a premium design consultancy competing for enterprise transportation and consumer clients, but with significantly greater scale and parent backing similar to Designworks' BMW Group relationship.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DesignworksUSA social profiles
Digital presenceDesignworksUSA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DesignworksUSA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
DesignworksUSA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DesignworksUSA 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 DesignworksUSA
What does DesignworksUSA do?
DesignworksUSA operates as a global design consultancy providing industrial design, automotive design, aviation interior design, interaction design, UX/UI, brand identity, and design strategy services. The firm delivers project-based consulting engagements to enterprise clients across automotive, aviation, marine, micromobility, consumer electronics, and public infrastructure sectors, operating three studios in Los Angeles, Munich, and Shanghai.
Is DesignworksUSA a public or private company?
DesignworksUSA is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was DesignworksUSA founded?
DesignworksUSA was founded in 1972. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is DesignworksUSA based?
DesignworksUSA is headquartered in Santa Monica, United States, in the North America region.
How does DesignworksUSA make money?
One revenue line is on record: design Consulting Services.
Who are DesignworksUSA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ammunition Group, IDEO, Teague, Bresslergroup, RKS Design, Smart Design, Pentagram and frog (Capgemini Invent). Aruliden is listed as an emerging player. McKinsey Design (Lunar) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does DesignworksUSA have an API?
No public API is recorded for DesignworksUSA.
What industry is DesignworksUSA in?
DesignworksUSA's product category is Industrial Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54142 and its SIC code is 8700.