Cinco Design

What Cinco Design does

Cinco Design is a privately held, Portland-based creative design studio founded in 1998 that delivers brand ecosystem design, product design, and creative campaign work for clients ranging from startups to household-name enterprises. The studio operates a project-based professional services model with custom engagements and no publicly disclosed pricing, sourcing work through direct client inquiries via a 'Start a project' call to action on its website rather than self-serve or channel-partner motions.

The company's core offering centers on 'creative intelligence' applied across brand and product touchpoints, packaged under two named product lines: Brand Ecosystem Design (multi-touchpoint brand development) and Innovation Hub Development (strategic design services for technology leaders). It executes work across five named categories — Lifestyle, Outdoor, Sport, Gaming, and Technology — and its visible client roster includes Microsoft (Innovation Hub project), Adidas (All Star Weekend 2026, Dugout, and MLS jersey campaigns), The James Brand, Xpansiv, Smith Optics (4D technology campaign), and Dexcom (Stelo product storytelling). Engagements are bespoke and span brand strategy, sports marketing activations, healthcare brand storytelling, and product brand design.

Commercially, Cinco Design runs a sales-led, B2B direct-engagement go-to-market, supported by a digital-first marketing footprint comprising a portfolio-driven website, an Instagram presence, and a LinkedIn company page. Revenue mechanics are entirely professional services with no standardized product or subscription pricing disclosed, no funding rounds on record, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. The studio has operated continuously for nearly three decades, as evidenced by the 1998–2026 copyright notice on its website, and currently maintains a headcount in the 101–250 range.

Name

Cinco Design

Website

https://cincodesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cinco Design is a privately held, Portland-based creative design studio founded in 1998 that delivers brand ecosystem, product design, and campaign work on a project basis for enterprise brands and startups across Lifestyle, Outdoor, Sport, Gaming, and Technology categories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design and Creative Services: Project-based professional services for brand strategy, product design, and creative campaigns. Engagements appear to be custom engagements rather than standardized product offerings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cinco Design is a creative design studio that provides brand intelligence, brand ecosystem design, and product design services for clients ranging from startups to household-name enterprises. The studio partners with brands across lifestyle, outdoor, sport, gaming, and technology categories to deliver creative campaigns, brand development, and innovation hub projects. Engagements are bespoke, project-based creative services rather than standardized product offerings.

Product overview

Cinco Design operates as a creative design studio offering brand and product design services. Their portfolio includes brand ecosystem design and innovation hub development. The studio works across categories including Lifestyle, Outdoor, Sport, Gaming, and Technology, serving clients from start-ups to household names. The company focuses on building enduring brands through creative intelligence and innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Ecosystem Design
• Innovation Hub Development
• Creative Campaign Design

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lippincott: Brand strategy and design consultancy focused on corporate identity, brand expression, and product naming. Comparable as a brand-focused studio working with enterprise clients across consumer and tech categories.
• Instrument: Portland-based independent creative and design studio with comparable mid-market size. Direct geographic and capability peer, also working with enterprise and emerging brand clients across digital and brand design.
• Pentagram: The most prominent independent brand and product design firm, with a partnership model of senior designers across disciplines. Highly comparable as a multi-disciplinary design studio working on enterprise brand and product design for global clients.
• Manual: Independent design studio focused on brand, identity, and product design for ambitious brands. Comparable in size, multi-disciplinary approach, and enterprise/startup client mix.
• RKS Design: Mid-sized innovation and brand/product design studio operating across categories. Highly comparable in size, multi-disciplinary brand-and-product model, and reliance on enterprise and emerging-brand clients.
• IDEO: Long-tenured design consultancy that blends brand strategy, product design, and innovation work. Directly comparable in its hybrid brand-and-product offering and its track record with global enterprises across consumer goods, tech, and healthcare.
• frog (formerly Frog Design): Design studio known for combining brand expression with product and experience design. Comparable as a hybrid brand/product design house serving technology, sport, and lifestyle clients.

Broad incumbents

• R/GA: Global creative and experience design network combining brand, product, and digital experience work. Comparable in hybrid offering but operates at significantly larger scale with global offices.
• Landor & Fitch: Global branding and design network with significantly larger scale and geographic reach. Comparable in brand strategy and design capability but broader in scope and incumbent in the global branding services market.

Regional players

• Wieden+Kennedy: Iconic Portland-headquartered creative agency with global offices. Comparable as a Portland-rooted creative powerhouse serving major brands, though materially larger and primarily advertising-led rather than focused on brand/product design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cinco-design
• Instagraminstagram.com/cinco.design
• Xx.com/cincodesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cinco Design