Use Design
Use Design is a Paris-based UX/UI and AI design agency founded in 2002 that helps B2B software publishers and industrial companies improve product adoption and integrate AI into professional interfaces through fixed-fee audits, quick-win engagements, and fractional senior product expert retainers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Use Design does
Use Design (SAS, Paris) is a French B2B UX, UI, and product design agency founded in 2002 that has repositioned itself around AI design for professional software. The agency sells three productized consulting offerings: Audit UX/AI (one-week diagnostic from EUR 5,400 HT), Quick wins UX/AI (two-week high-impact engagement from EUR 10,800 HT), and a recurring Fractional Product Expert subscription starting at one week per month. It complements these services with free, lead-generating assets including a UX-IA Maturity Pyramid self-assessment tool, a UI Design Component Size Calculator, a Design for Startups eBook, and a Design for Sustainable Innovation kit, all gated through HubSpot.
The agency's portfolio spans complex vertical B2B domains - aerospace and avionics (multiple Thales projects including Cockpit Avionics 2020, which won a Red Dot Design Award Best of the Best in 2013, and TopSky Flow Manager), water management (Suez Aquadvanced), enterprise storage (Scality Artesca), industrial inkjet (Xerox Rialto, with two joint patents), medical devices (Theraclion Echopulse, JRI My Sirius), agriculture (SAIPOL/Oleoze, where redesign drove 700% sales growth), and fintech/regtech (Elseware/Mstar, Regnology/Uloa). The agency also serves public administration, notably the City of Paris.
Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: clients engage via a HubSpot-scheduled discovery call with CEO Patrick Avril, and quotes are produced for fixed-fee engagements. Distribution is exclusively direct, with a stated single-country focus on France and adjacent EMEA. The company has served nearly 100 clients cumulatively, with multiple enterprise relationships exceeding 15 years, and it has no disclosed funding, parent, or M&A activity. Headcount is reported at 11-50. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.
Underlying technology is consulting craftsmanship rather than a software platform: the principal proprietary components are the UX-IA Maturity Pyramid framework (a 25-question Likert assessment structured on Maslow, Nielsen UX maturity, and AI integration potential), the free UI Design Component Size Calculator (covering mobile, standing, and seating screen distances with density settings), and a Responsible Design template library. The agency does not maintain a public SDK, API, or mobile application.
Use Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Use Design
- Legal name
- SAS Use Design
- Website
- https://use.design
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Use Design is a Paris-based UX/UI and AI design agency founded in 2002 that helps B2B software publishers and industrial companies improve product adoption and integrate AI into professional interfaces through fixed-fee audits, quick-win engagements, and fractional senior product expert retainers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Use Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- UX/UI and AI Design Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430), Other Specialized Design Services (54149)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- UI/UX Engineering & Front-End Modernization (BPAEAFAH), Brand Experience (BX) & Service Design (BPAFAEAI)
Keywords
Where Use Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Use Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- UX/AI Design Consulting Services: Professional services revenue generated through three structured offerings: Audit UX/AI (one-week expert audit at 5,400 EUR HT), Quick wins UX/AI (two-week intervention at 10,800 EUR HT), and Fractional Product Expert (part-time senior product/UX expert from 1 week/month). Services are delivered by senior designers directly to software publishers and industrial companies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Audit UX/AI - One-week expert audit of product UX and AI potential |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Quick wins UX/AI - Two-week express intervention to activate UX and AI potential |
| Subscription | Monthly | Fractional Product Expert - Part-time senior product/UX expert integrated at client's rhythm |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Use Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Use Design is a Paris-based UX/UI, Product Design, and AI Design consulting agency that helps B2B software publishers and industrial companies improve the experience of professional digital products. It sells three core service offerings: Audit UX/AI (one-week diagnostic from €5,400 HT), Quick wins UX/AI (two-week express intervention from €10,800 HT), and Fractional Product Expert (part-time senior product/UX expert from one week per month on a subscription cadence).
Product overview
Use Design is a Paris-based UX/UI/Product design and AI design agency offering professional B2B software augmentation services. Their portfolio consists of three core consulting service offerings (Audit UX/AI, Quick wins UX/AI, and Fractional Product Expert) alongside four complementary free tools/resources (UI Design Component Size Calculator, UX-IA Maturity Pyramid, Design for Startups eBook, and Sustainable Innovation Kit). The agency specializes in improving professional software user experience across industries including healthcare, fintech, industry, maintenance, supervision, agriculture, and aeronautics, focusing on AI integration for software publishers and industrial equipment creators.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- UI Design Component Size Calculator: Free tool for UI designers and front-end developers to calculate ideal component sizes based on screen distance and device settings.
- UX-IA Maturity Pyramid
- Design for Startups
- Design for Sustainable Innovation
Products and services
- Audit UX/AI A one-week expert audit evaluating a B2B digital product's UX and AI potential, delivered in 5 days and priced from €5,400 HT. Provides a clear diagnostic and prioritized action plan to improve UX, leverage AI, and maximize adoption. For software publishers and industrial companies seeking senior product expertise on a fixed-fee engagement.
- Quick wins UX/AI A two-week express intervention (2 x 5 days) priced from €10,800 HT, identifying 5 to 10 high-impact quick wins on UX/AI experience or usage to eliminate friction and generate rapid KPI gains. For B2B software publishers and industrial companies needing fast, measurable UX/AI improvements.
- Expert à temps partiel (Fractional Product Expert) A senior product, UX, and design expert integrated part-time into client teams from one week per month on a monthly cadence. Provides cadenced accompaniment to frame, challenge, produce, and help teams make better product decisions over the long term, without the cost of a full-time hire. For B2B software publishers and industrial companies needing ongoing senior product expertise.
- UI Design Component Size Calculator A free online calculator tool for UI designers and front-end developers that determines ideal component sizes (buttons, fonts, table rows) based on screen distance, device type (mobile/standing/seating), screen diagonal, resolution, and UI density settings. Inspired by HUMAN SCALE (MIT Press) and Apple/Android guidelines. Available in English and French.
- Pyramide de maturité UX-IA (UX-AI Maturity Pyramid) A free online self-assessment questionnaire (25 Likert-scale questions) that positions a digital product on a 5-level UX-AI maturity scale (FONCTIONNEL / APPROPRIÉ / ADOPTÉ / MOTIVANT / VALORISANT). Based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Nielsen UX maturity models, and AI integration potential. Helps product teams identify improvement levers.
- use.design for Startups (eBook) A free downloadable eBook/whitepaper providing startup founders with design methodology tools, including Design Thinking, Product Design prototyping techniques, and User Research approaches to develop and launch successful products. Gated via HubSpot forms for lead generation.
- use.design for Sustainable Innovation (Kit) A free Responsible Design toolkit with Canvas templates incorporating sustainable development axes across three pillars: Ecology, Social, and Economy. Includes Business Model Canvas, User Journey, Empathy Map, Persona, and Responsibility Evaluation templates.
Quantifiable outcome
- 700% increase in sales volume (1,200T to 9,600T/month)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Use Design
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Use Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature4 records
Use Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and minor.
- YLLYsupportingYLLY served as the technical development partner for the TkCare MVP project, handling the software development while use.design led product design and project management. YLLY is a French digital agency providing technical implementation services. The partnership delivered a complete smartphone app and web platform within 6 months.
- OVHminorOVH provides web hosting services for use.design's website and digital infrastructure. OVH is a French cloud infrastructure company (SAS, capital 10,069,020 EUR, RCS Lille). Website hosting details confirmed in legal notices.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Use Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Designit: Wipro-owned global design consultancy delivering strategy, UX, product, and brand experience work for enterprise clients. Comparable as a multi-disciplinary design firm working at the intersection of AI, software, and digital transformation.
- Frog Design: Global product design and innovation firm specializing in digital and physical product experiences for enterprise. Comparable in its focus on transforming complex products into user-centered designs across hardware and software domains.
- IDEO: Global pioneer design consultancy with deep UX, product design and innovation capabilities serving enterprise clients. IDEO is the most established reference point for a senior-led, methodology-driven design agency of Use Design's profile.
- Huge: Digital agency combining product design, UX, and technology delivery for B2B and consumer brands. Comparable in offering integrated design and product expertise for software-led transformations.
- Pentagram: Independent partner-led design consultancy with deep UX, product, and brand experience practices. Comparable as a senior-led, partner-driven design firm that sells premium creative and product-design engagements to enterprise clients.
Broad incumbents
- Fjord: Design and innovation arm of Accenture Interactive, serving large enterprises across industries with end-to-end design-to-implementation services. Comparable in serving enterprise digital transformation at scale, but backed by Accenture's broader portfolio and global delivery network.
- AKQA: WPP-owned design and innovation agency delivering digital products, experiences, and campaigns for global brands. Comparable in offering premium enterprise UX/product design, though at a much larger scale and as part of a wider agency network.
Regional players
- Theodo: Paris-based digital agency combining product design, UX, and full-stack software development for B2B clients. Closest French-headquartered peer; differentiates with heavier technical implementation but competes for the same software-publisher segment.
- Clever Age: French digital services firm with UX, design, and e-commerce capabilities serving enterprise clients. Comparable French competitor offering design-led digital transformation services to similar enterprise segments.
Others
- Netlight: Nordic-origin management and technology consultancy combining strategy, design, and engineering for enterprise clients. Comparable in offering premium senior-consultant-led digital advisory, though broader in scope than Use Design's UX/AI focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Use Design social profiles
Digital presenceUse Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Use Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Use Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Use 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 Use Design
What does Use Design do?
Use Design is a Paris-based UX/UI, Product Design, and AI Design consulting agency that helps B2B software publishers and industrial companies improve the experience of professional digital products. It sells three core service offerings: Audit UX/AI (one-week diagnostic from €5,400 HT), Quick wins UX/AI (two-week express intervention from €10,800 HT), and Fractional Product Expert (part-time senior product/UX expert from one week per month on a subscription cadence).
Is Use Design a public or private company?
Use Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Use Design founded?
Use Design was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Use Design based?
Use Design is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Use Design make money?
One revenue line is on record: UX/AI Design Consulting Services.
Who are Use Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Designit, Frog Design, IDEO, Huge and Pentagram. Broad incumbents are Fjord and AKQA. Regional players are Theodo and Clever Age. Netlight is listed as an others.
Does Use Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Use Design.
What industry is Use Design in?
Use Design's product category is UX/UI and AI Design Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAD, Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX), with a secondary code of BPAEAFAH, UI/UX Engineering & Front-End Modernization. Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 8742.