Catapult Design
Catapult Design is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social impact design consultancy founded in 2008 that delivers human-centered design services to foundations, government agencies, and community organizations across 13+ countries, using proprietary frameworks like Indigenizing Design to co-create solutions with underserved communities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Catapult Design does
Catapult Design is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social impact design consultancy founded in 2008 and headquartered in Sanford, North Carolina, with an additional presence at New Lab in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The organization delivers human-centered design (HCD) services to foundations, government agencies, healthcare networks, and community-based organizations working on social and environmental challenges. Its work spans health equity, education, gender equality, climate adaptation, and Indigenous community empowerment, executed through a distributed global network of local designers across 13+ countries and 12+ languages, with 58+ cumulative projects since inception. Notable clients and partners include the Gates Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Bainum Foundation, Cone Health, Bhatia Foundation, and the World Bank.
The company's core offering is participatory, community-led design consulting delivered through project-based engagements. Its methodology is codified in proprietary frameworks including the Four-Stage Design Process (Align, Engage, Share, Support), the Design and Cultural Indicators (DCI) Method, and the award-winning Indigenizing Design Framework, which integrates Indigenous perspectives into human-centered design. Supporting assets include the Design with Us educational resource and the Open Knowledge Framework partnership for design research data. Signature projects include the Medicine Literacy Platform (India), Indigenizing Design (Arizona), Gender Equality Design Labs (Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya), Redesigning Early Childhood Education (Washington D.C.), and the Navajo and Hopi COVID-19 Awareness initiative.
Catapult's revenue model combines project-based consulting fees with foundation and government grants and tax-deductible donations. The organization has no disclosed pricing, no AI/ML product capability, no API, and no M&A activity. Strategic recognition includes the 2020 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award (Product Design) and the 2024 Core77 Design for Social Impact Award. Leadership is currently anchored by CEO Angela Hariche, with a team of 11-50 employees including a Program Director, Senior Designer, Program Manager, Executive Assistant, SCAD Fellow, and rotating interns.
Catapult Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Catapult Design
- Legal name
- Catapult Design
- Website
- https://catapultdesign.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Catapult Design is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social impact design consultancy founded in 2008 that delivers human-centered design services to foundations, government agencies, and community organizations across 13+ countries, using proprietary frameworks like Indigenizing Design to co-create solutions with underserved communities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Catapult Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Impact Design Consulting
- NAICS
- Other Specialized Design Services (54149)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
Keywords
Where Catapult Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Catapult Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Design Consulting Services: Project-based consulting engagements with foundations, government agencies, healthcare networks, and community organizations for social impact design work
- Foundation and Grant Funding: Funding from foundations (e.g., National Endowment for the Arts, Gates Foundation) and government grants to support specific projects and initiatives
- Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Catapult Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Catapult Design is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social impact design consultancy that delivers human-centered design consulting for organizations addressing social and environmental challenges. Through a global network of local designers, the firm runs project-based engagements spanning health equity, education, Indigenous knowledge integration, and policy using a community-led participatory design methodology. Its work includes distinct consulting programs such as the Indigenizing Design Framework, Gender Equality Design Labs, Medicine Literacy Platform, and Redesigning Early Childhood Education.
Product overview
Catapult Design is a social impact design consultancy that operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Their core offering is human-centered design consulting, delivered through distinct project-based engagements. The portfolio includes the Medicine Literacy Platform (digital health literacy), the Indigenizing Design Framework (decolonizing design methodology), Gender Equality Design Labs (global health research), Redesigning Early Childhood Education (education systems change), Community-Based Design Process (replicable engagement framework), Navajo and Hopi COVID-19 Awareness (crisis communication), and Design with Us (educational resource). All offerings are grounded in participatory design principles and community-led co-creation processes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Design with Us: A resource designed to help clients, partners, and community collaborators understand Catapult's approach to community-led design, including tools, reflections, and practices for navigating the design process.
Products and services
- Medicine Literacy Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- 18+ years of experience since 2008
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Catapult Design
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Catapult Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Catapult Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Gates FoundationcoreFunding partner and project collaborator on Gender Equality Design Labs in Senegal, Nigeria, and Kenya, addressing reproductive health and gender equity through community-led design.
- Bainum FoundationcorePartner on early childhood education redesign project in Washington D.C., focusing on systems change for education.
- Cone HealthcorePartner on community-based design process in North Carolina, developing custom and replicable design thinking processes for community-based design efforts.
- Indigenous Community CollaborativecoreKey partner in the Indigenizing Design project, bringing Indigenous perspectives and leadership to co-create inclusive design frameworks.
- CahokiaPHXcorePartner organization in the Indigenizing Design initiative, representing Arizona-based Indigenous community and social tech/artspace.
- Brian Skeet Design LLCcoreCollaborator on Indigenizing Design project, representing Diné perspective and contributing multidisciplinary design expertise.
- Eunique YazziecoreDesigner, collaborator, and co-founding member of Cahokia LLC, contributing Indigenous perspective to Indigenizing Design framework.
- Melody LewiscoreCollaborator on Indigenizing Design project bringing Indigenous design expertise.
- New LabminorCatapult Design became a member of New Lab in Brooklyn Navy Yard, joining a creative community of innovators and designers.
- World BankcorePartner on Indonesia Green Innovation Pilot Program, working to foster clean energy innovation for rural communities in Indonesia.
- INOTEK FoundationcoreLocal design partner in Indonesia for the Green Innovation Pilot Program, facilitating field research and solution development.
- GATD FoundationcoreMentorship partner in Indonesia program, supporting demand-driven innovation in clean energy.
- The Apex Consulting GroupcoreLocal market facilitator in Indonesia, working with Catapult on the green innovation pilot program.
- Bhatia FoundationcoreProject partner on Medicine Literacy Platform in India, focusing on digital design for patient-centered care.
- DODO (Nigeria)coreLocal partner in Gender Equality Design Labs project, contributing to data collection and design research in Nigeria.
- Derz Consulting (Ethiopia)coreLocal partner in Gender Equality Design Labs project, contributing local expertise in Ethiopia.
- Ideate Innovation (Pakistan)coreLocal partner in Gender Equality Design Labs project, contributing to research in Pakistan.
- Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)minorStanding partnership providing fellowship program for graduates trained in design for transformative change. First fellow now works as senior designer at Catapult.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Catapult Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy with a long-standing social impact practice serving foundations, governments, and NGOs. Closely comparable in design methodology, client base, and human-centered approach.
- frog (Capgemini Engineering): Design and innovation consultancy providing human-centered design, product design, and social impact engagements to enterprises and institutions. Comparable in methodology and target clients.
- Reboot: Social impact design and storytelling firm that works with foundations, multilaterals, and movement leaders on narrative, strategy, and brand. Closely comparable as a mission-driven social-impact design consultancy.
- ThinkPlace: Human-centered design consultancy operating across the Asia-Pacific region, serving governments, multilaterals, and NGOs on social policy and service design. Comparable in methodology and segment focus.
- Livework: Service design consultancy helping public and private organizations redesign services around user needs. Comparable as a specialist design firm working with institutions on systems change.
Emerging players
- Dalberg: Global social impact consulting firm advising foundations, governments, and development institutions. Overlaps with Catapult on social impact missions, though Dalberg operates more broadly as strategy consulting.
- Business Innovation Factory (BIF): Social innovation organization that partners with institutions to design and test new solutions in education, health, and economic mobility. Comparable in human-centered, mission-driven approach.
- Forum for the Future: International sustainability non-profit that works with business, government, and civil society on systems change for climate and equity. Overlaps with Catapult on social and environmental mission focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Catapult Design social profiles
Digital presenceCatapult Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Catapult Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Catapult Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Catapult Design 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 Catapult Design
What does Catapult Design do?
Catapult Design is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social impact design consultancy that delivers human-centered design consulting for organizations addressing social and environmental challenges. Through a global network of local designers, the firm runs project-based engagements spanning health equity, education, Indigenous knowledge integration, and policy using a community-led participatory design methodology. Its work includes distinct consulting programs such as the Indigenizing Design Framework, Gender Equality Design Labs, Medicine Literacy Platform, and Redesigning Early Childhood Education.
Is Catapult Design a public or private company?
Catapult Design is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Catapult Design founded?
Catapult Design was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Catapult Design based?
Catapult Design is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Catapult Design make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Design Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are foundation and Grant Funding and donations.
Who are Catapult Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IDEO, frog (Capgemini Engineering), Reboot, ThinkPlace and Livework. Emerging players are Dalberg, Business Innovation Factory (BIF) and Forum for the Future.
Does Catapult Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Catapult Design.
What industry is Catapult Design in?
Catapult Design's product category is Social Impact Design Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAO, Community Engagement & Participatory Planning, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design. Its NAICS code is 54149 and its SIC code is 8742.