Strategic Design

What Strategic Design does

Strategic Design Corporation is a privately held design and digital marketing consultancy founded in 1994 by Charlie (Chas) Merritt and headquartered at 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY (with primary client service offices also in Southport, CT). The firm provides an integrated suite of professional services spanning strategic planning, needs analysis research, industrial and commercial design, branding, packaging, digital marketing, human factors/ergonomics, and management consulting. It serves Fortune 500 corporations and venture-backed startups across more than 60 industries, with a cumulative track record of approximately 400 brand engagements and product development work spanning consumer products, healthcare, tools, marine, retail, beverage, and cultural-institution clients (e.g., Rubbermaid/Newell, CVS, Walgreens, Stanley Black & Decker, Shell, Home Depot, Ingersoll Rand, The Metropolitan Museum of Art).

The firm's core methodology rests on two proprietary assets: the STRATEGIC DESIGN® Brand Advantage Services (described as a trade secret, covering strategy through global execution) and STRATEGIC DESIGN® Needs Analysis Research conducted from primary offices in Southport, CT and New York, NY. Technical capabilities include 3D CAD modeling (Pro/ENGINEER, PTC Creo Parametric, SolidWorks), rapid prototyping, stereolithography, and 3D printing, alongside applied human factors and ergonomics expertise. The STRATEGIC DESIGN® mark has been registered with the USPTO since 2006 (Reg. No. 3,188,761).

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees across four primary streams: strategic and management consulting, industrial design and new product development, branding and marketing, and qualitative/quantitative research. The company operates a direct enterprise engagement model with no public pricing disclosure, reports consistent profitability with "better than expected" quarterly results, and maintains a small core team of 11–50 professionals supplemented by part-time employees, consultants, advisors, and strategic alliance partners. There is no evidence of software products, SaaS offerings, or AI/ML capabilities; the business is exclusively service-based.

Name

Strategic Design

Legal name

Strategic Design Corporation

Website

https://strategicdesigncorp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Strategic Design Corporation is a privately held design and marketing consultancy founded in 1994 that serves Fortune 500 companies and venture-backed startups across 60+ industries with strategy, research, industrial design, branding, and marketing services delivered through project-based engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design Consulting Services

NAICS

Industrial Design Services (541420), Graphic Design Services (54143), Other Specialized Design Services (541490)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM), Brand & Portfolio Strategy Consulting (MPAAAFAB)

Keywords

• Industrial design consulting
• Brand strategy services
• Digital marketing consultancy
• Product design engineering
• Strategic design research

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Strategic Design & Management Consulting: Professional consulting services including strategy and management consulting, strategic planning, strategic thinking, and design thinking. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for strategic engagements with enterprise clients.
2. Industrial Design Services: Product design, commercial design, design engineering, and new product development services including models, rapid prototyping, and design and build capabilities.
3. Branding & Marketing Services: Brand development, brand strategy, brand identity, brand activation, digital marketing, and marketing communications services including graphic design, packaging design, and website development.
4. Research Services: STRATEGIC DESIGN® Needs Analysis Research and market analysis services providing qualitative and quantitative protocols including focus groups, surveys, and observational/ethnographic research.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Strategic Design Corp. is a design and digital marketing consultancy delivering strategy, research, industrial design, branding, marketing, and innovation services to Fortune 500 companies and venture-backed startups. Engagements are delivered via tailored project teams using the proprietary STRATEGIC DESIGN® Brand Advantage Services methodology and STRATEGIC DESIGN® Needs Analysis Research process, from strategic planning through global execution.

Product overview

Strategic Design Corp. is a design and digital marketing consultancy, not a software product company. The company offers a unified suite of professional services under its proprietary STRATEGIC DESIGN® Brand Advantage Services (a trade secret), spanning strategy, research, industrial design, digital design, branding, marketing, packaging design, new product development, human factors/ergonomics, and management consulting. The company was founded in 1994 and does not operate a software platform, SaaS product, or module-based architecture — its offerings are service-based consulting engagements delivered to Fortune 500 companies, startups, and global brands across diverse industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• STRATEGIC DESIGN® Brand Advantage Services Proprietary, trade-secret strategic design engagement covering services from strategic planning to global execution, including brand development, competitive positioning, and brand advantage for enterprise clients across consumer products, retail, healthcare, tools, and other industries.
• STRATEGIC DESIGN® Needs Analysis Research Proprietary primary research service combining qualitative and quantitative protocols, including focus groups, surveys, observational/ethnographic research, in-store audits, and use tests, used to understand client requirements and market opportunities.
• Industrial Design & Product Development Services Industrial and commercial design services including applied human factors, ergonomics, mechanical and electrical design, models, working/functional prototypes, rapid prototyping, stereolithography (SLA), 3D printing, fabrication, and installation for clients across tools, housewares, healthcare, marine, and consumer products.
• Branding & Brand Strategy Services End-to-end branding services including brand development, brand strategy, brand identity, brand activation, brand communications, brand messaging, brand promotion, storytelling, and visual positioning for established and emerging brands.
• Graphic, Packaging & Visual Merchandising Design Graphic design, packaging design and structural packaging design, printing, plus digital marketing communications and visual merchandising design for retail environments, flagship stores, and brand activations.
• Design Engineering Services Mechanical and electrical engineering consulting including 3D CAD modeling (Pro/ENGINEER, PTC Creo Parametric, SolidWorks), production drawings, and bill-of-materials, bridging concept design and manufacturing handoff.
• Website Design, Development & Digital Marketing Website design and development, search engine optimization, digital advertising, digital marketing, social media marketing, and media and public relations consulting for client brands.

Quantifiable outcome

• LU Biscuits sales increased 16% in first 26 weeks with premium brand identity design
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Merritt Strategic DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company of Strategic Design Corp. Led by Charlie Merritt, serves as affiliated design organization providing complementary strategic design services alongside Strategic Design Corp.
• Merritt Strategic Design InvestmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment entity led by Charlie Merritt focused on investments in brands, companies, startups, innovative ideas, real estate, joint ventures, mergers, and acquisitions. Also focuses on venture capital, holding companies, and private equity investments.
• White River Marine Group / Bass Pro Shops / Cabela'smajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic Design Corp. serves as certified sales consultant for marine brands including Mako, Tahoe, Tracker, Nitro, Regency, Sun Tracker, and Ascend boats via White River Marine Group/Bass Pro Shops/Cabela's Boating Center/Tracker Boat Center.
• Group 4 (Design Firm)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative design partnership responsible for Ingersoll Rand D Series tools winning Gold International Design Excellence Award. Shared team award recognizing joint industrial design innovation, ergonomics, and human factors work.
• J. Walter Thompson WorldwidemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvertising agency of record for Schick Xtreme 3 razors. Strategic Design Corp. collaborated with JWT for consumer research focus groups to test positioning tagline statements and new product development.
• Brooklyn Bottling GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic Design Corp. developed retro brand identity for Best Health Gourmet Soda commemorating 60th anniversary. Brooklyn Historical Society research conducted for heritage brand positioning resulting in 62% first-year sales increase.
• Daymon WorldwideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrand-building partners providing input for H-E-B salsa packaging design project alongside food and ingredient suppliers like Van Der Walle Farms.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IDEO: Pioneering global design and innovation consultancy offering strategy, research, industrial design, and branding services to Fortune 500 clients. Closely comparable to Strategic Design in the strategy-through-execution model and enterprise client focus.
• Frog (frog design): Global design and strategy firm (now part of Capgemini Invent) combining industrial design, brand, and innovation consulting for major brands. Direct overlap with Strategic Design's cross-disciplinary, enterprise-delivered offering.
• Smart Design: Product design and innovation consultancy with strong industrial design and human factors capabilities serving global brands. Comparable to Strategic Design's industrial design and consumer product engagements.
• Pentagram: Multi-disciplinary design consultancy with partners in graphic design, branding, packaging, and digital. Comparable to Strategic Design's branding, packaging, and visual identity work for major consumer brands.
• Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and design firm offering strategy, brand identity, and design execution. Direct overlap with Strategic Design's brand strategy and brand activation services for enterprise clients.
• Lippincott: Brand strategy and design consultancy advising Fortune 500 companies on corporate identity, brand positioning, and customer experience. Comparable to Strategic Design's brand strategy and design thinking offerings.
• Ziba Design: Multidisciplinary design firm combining strategy, research, and industrial design for consumer-facing brands. Overlaps with Strategic Design's research-led product design and branding engagements.
• Lunar Design: Industrial design and innovation consultancy delivering product design and human-centered design for major consumer and technology brands. Closely comparable to Strategic Design's industrial design and ergonomics work.
• RKS Design: Design and innovation consultancy combining strategy, research, and product design for consumer and healthcare brands. Comparable in scale and cross-disciplinary service model to Strategic Design.

Broad incumbents

• Continuum (now part of IBM iX): Global innovation and design consultancy (now integrated into IBM iX) offering strategy, research, and product design services at enterprise scale. Broader incumbent peer that competes for the same strategy-through-design RFPs as Strategic Design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/corp_design
• Facebookfacebook.com/strategicdesigncorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strategicdesigncorp
• Instagraminstagram.com/strategicdesigncorp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC...

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Strategic Design