Riggs Ward Design
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersRichmond, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Riggs Ward Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Riggs Ward Design
- Legal name
- Riggs Ward Design
- Website
- https://riggsward.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Riggs Ward Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Exhibit Design Services
- NAICS
- Other Specialized Design Services (54149)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)
Keywords
Where Riggs Ward Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richmond
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Riggs Ward Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Exhibit Design Services: Full-service exhibit design for museums, visitor centers, and cultural institutions. Services include interior architecture, lighting, security, sustainable materials, interactive and participatory experiences, graphic design, and environmental graphics. Revenue is project-based, scoped per engagement.
- Digital Media Production: Digital interactive development including mobile apps, touchscreen and motion-controlled interactives, AR/VR applications, projection mapping, web development, and audiovisual media systems. Typically bundled with exhibit design projects or delivered as standalone engagements.
- Placemaking & Planning Consulting: Interpretive planning, strategic planning, research, content development, community engagement, and fundraising material creation. Often part of broader exhibit design engagements but also provided as standalone strategic services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Riggs Ward Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Riggs Ward Design is a full-service exhibit design studio that designs and produces museum exhibitions, visitor centers, and cultural institutions' immersive environments. The studio delivers integrated exhibit design (spatial design, environmental graphics, casework, hands-on interactives), digital media production (mobile apps, AR/VR, projection mapping, touchscreen and motion-controlled interactives), and placemaking and planning services (interpretive planning, content development, research, and community engagement) for institutional clients across the United States.
Product overview
Riggs Ward Design is an interdisciplinary design studio offering three integrated service lines: Exhibit Design (spatial design, graphics, casework, hands-on elements, immersive media including large-scale video, touchwalls, and gesture-based interactives), Digital Media (mobile apps, touchscreen and motion-controlled interactives, AR/VR development, projection mapping, web development), and Placemaking & Planning (strategic planning, interpretive planning, research, content development, community engagement). Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Richmond, VA, the company has completed over 30 major projects including museum exhibitions, visitor centers, nature centers, heritage sites, and university facilities. Their approach integrates spatial design, graphics, casework, and hands-on elements with immersive media to create cohesive, compelling visitor experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Exhibit Design Full-service exhibit design covering interior architecture, lighting, security, sustainable materials, hands-on and interactive/participatory experiences, graphic design, environmental graphics, experiential graphics, wayfinding, and interior design for museums, visitor centers, and cultural institutions.
- Digital Media
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 30,000 visitors welcomed across four evenings at IllumiNATION projection mapping event
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Riggs Ward Design
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Riggs Ward Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Riggs Ward Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Clark NexsencoreClark Nexsen is an architecture and design firm that has collaborated with Riggs Ward Design on multiple major projects including the 7,000-square-foot Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum (Hatteras, NC), the Fort Fisher Visitor Center (19,916 sq ft), and North Carolina State University's Fitts-Woolard Hall. RWD provides exhibit design and digital media while Clark Nexsen handles architectural design.
- Glavé & Holmes ArchitecturecoreGlavé & Holmes Architecture partnered with Riggs Ward Design on the Fabergé Revealed permanent gallery at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Virginia Museum of Natural History's new Waynesboro campus. RWD developed conceptual design, overall style, color palette, and early renderings, while Glavé & Holmes produced detailed construction drawings.
- ExplusminorExplus collaborated with Riggs Ward Design on the Imagine the Future Gallery at the Bell Museum (St. Paul, Minnesota) and the Hidden Oaks Nature Center (Bolingbrook, Illinois).
- Building 4 FabricationminorBuilding 4 Fabrication collaborated with Riggs Ward Design and Mercer University on the Capricorn Sound Studios and Museum project (Macon, Georgia), handling fabrication of exhibit elements.
- Beacon ArchitectureminorBeacon Architecture collaborated with Riggs Ward Design on the Currituck Maritime Museum in Corolla, North Carolina, providing architectural services alongside RWD's exhibit design.
- GWWO ArchitectsminorGWWO Architects partnered with Riggs Ward Design and the National Park Service on First State National Historical Park in New Castle, Delaware, providing architectural services alongside RWD's exhibit and media design.
- Color Ad, Inc.minorColor Ad, Inc. collaborated with Riggs Ward Design on Three Lakes Park and Nature Center (Henrico County, VA) and the Hampton Waterwalk project, providing exhibit fabrication and production services.
- Southern CustomminorSouthern Custom partnered with Riggs Ward Design on the South Carolina Military Museum's A War With No Front Lines exhibit (Vietnam War exhibit).
- Nancy BeckminorLocal artist Nancy Beck collaborated with Riggs Ward Design on the This is Richmond, Virginia exhibit for The Valentine, creating a hand-painted floor map of Richmond.
- Capitol Museum ServicesminorCapitol Museum Services collaborated with Riggs Ward Design on the Quest at Latta Nature Preserve project (Huntersville, NC), providing exhibit fabrication and services alongside RWD's design.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Riggs Ward Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Split Rock Studios: Exhibit design and fabrication firm serving museums, science centers, and visitor centers with integrated spatial + interactive design — comparable boutique scale and offering to Riggs Ward.
- Christopher Chadbourne & Associates: Museum planning and exhibit development firm providing interpretive master planning and exhibit design for cultural institutions — directly comparable scope and clientele to RWD.
- Solid Light Productions: Louisville-based exhibit design and fabrication firm specializing in museums, visitor centers, and cultural institutions with integrated digital media — directly comparable scope and clientele to Riggs Ward.
- Hilman Rollinger Associates: Museum planning and interpretive design firm focused on strategic planning, audience research, and exhibit development for cultural institutions — closely comparable on the planning/interpretive side of RWD's Placemaking & Planning service line.
- Gallagher & Associates: Boutique museum and exhibit design firm serving cultural institutions and visitor centers with interpretive planning and immersive experience design — closely comparable to Riggs Ward's service mix and boutique client base.
- Luci Creative: Chicago-based exhibit design and fabrication firm serving museums, visitor centers, and corporate clients — comparable boutique scale and integrated spatial+digital model.
- MFM Design Group: Boutique exhibit and interpretive design firm serving museums, historic sites, and cultural institutions with a similar integrated design + media production model.
Broad incumbents
- Ralph Appelbaum Associates: Large, internationally recognized museum and exhibit design firm with a similar interpretive-planning + exhibit-design service model, but operating at significantly larger scale and with broader geographic reach.
- Thinkwell Group: Larger experience design and production firm spanning museums, theme parks, and brand experiences — overlaps with RWD on cultural-institution and immersive media projects but at materially greater scale and broader scope.
- BRC Imagination Arts: Larger, established experience and exhibit design firm with broader entertainment and brand-experience scope than Riggs Ward, serving many of the same cultural and institutional client types at greater scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Riggs Ward Design social profiles
Digital presenceRiggs Ward Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Riggs Ward Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Riggs Ward Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Riggs Ward 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 Riggs Ward Design
What does Riggs Ward Design do?
Riggs Ward Design is a full-service exhibit design studio that designs and produces museum exhibitions, visitor centers, and cultural institutions' immersive environments. The studio delivers integrated exhibit design (spatial design, environmental graphics, casework, hands-on interactives), digital media production (mobile apps, AR/VR, projection mapping, touchscreen and motion-controlled interactives), and placemaking and planning services (interpretive planning, content development, research, and community engagement) for institutional clients across the United States.
Is Riggs Ward Design a public or private company?
Riggs Ward Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Riggs Ward Design founded?
Riggs Ward Design was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Riggs Ward Design based?
Riggs Ward Design is headquartered in Richmond, United States, in the North America region.
How does Riggs Ward Design make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Exhibit Design Services are the primary driver. The others are digital Media Production and placemaking & Planning Consulting.
Who are Riggs Ward Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Split Rock Studios, Christopher Chadbourne & Associates, Solid Light Productions, Hilman Rollinger Associates, Gallagher & Associates, Luci Creative and MFM Design Group. Broad incumbents are Ralph Appelbaum Associates, Thinkwell Group and BRC Imagination Arts.
Does Riggs Ward Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Riggs Ward Design.
What industry is Riggs Ward Design in?
Riggs Ward Design's product category is Exhibit Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAK, Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54149.