Tangerine

Name

Tangerine

Legal name

Direction & Design Limited

Website

https://tangerine.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

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. Design Consulting Services: Project-based design consulting engagements with enterprise clients across product innovation, customer experience design, and brand identity. Engagements are typically long-term strategic partnerships with global brands.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tangerine is a strategic design consultancy that partners with global enterprise clients to design innovative products, services, and customer experiences. The company delivers project-based engagements across three core pillars: Product & Service Innovation, Customer Experience Design, and Brand & Identity, with deep sector expertise in transportation (aviation, rail, automotive), consumer products, robotics, and built environments. The firm operates studios in London, Seoul, and Brazil, and has produced patented innovations with measurable commercial outcomes for clients such as British Airways, Toyota, Samsung, and CRRC Changchun.

Product overview

Tangerine is a strategic design consultancy offering a portfolio of interconnected services organized around three core pillars: Product & Service Innovation, Customer Experience Design, and Brand & Identity. The company does not offer a unified software product but rather provides specialized design services across aviation (aircraft cabin interiors for British Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, Finnair, Gulf Air, Japan Airlines), rail (RECARO Rail seating, CRRC trains, Heathrow Express), robotics (Rainbow Robotics RB Series cobot), consumer products (Bluebell baby monitor, Adlens eyewear), retail (Innisfree flagship store), and brand strategy (Sindoh, Samsung C&T Raemian). Supporting capabilities include Design Engineering, CMF Design, UX & UI Design, Trend Forecasting, Insight Research, Service Design, Brand Design, Packaging Design, and Brand Experience. The consultancy operates studios in London, Seoul, and Brazil, and has developed patented innovations with measurable ROI (e.g., £200 million from British Airways Club World).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Product & Service Innovation Future-facing design consultancy service for creating innovative products and services, with dozens of patents filed and hundreds of products taken to market for enterprise clients.
• Customer Experience Design Holistic design of customer touchpoints across physical stores, websites, customer support, and all interactions for consistent, on-brand, engaging experiences.
• Brand & Identity Brand positioning and visual identity development connecting brands to customers through consistent touchpoints from flagship stores to visual merchandising.
• Design Engineering Product development service through iterative prototyping, design optimization, and manufacturing liaison for consumer products and electromechanical devices.
• CMF Design Colour, Material, and Finish design service leveraging relevant trends to express brand personality through tactility, fine details, and emotive elements.
• UX & UI Design Digital and physical interaction design ensuring seamless user experiences across products and services.
• Service Design Service experience design covering staff training, back-of-house infrastructure, user interfaces, and front-of-house experiences for consistent quality.
• Trend Forecasting & Vision Setting Research and strategic consultancy service using expert and consumer interviews, experimentation, and multi-lens analysis to identify future trends and opportunities.
• Insight Research Consumer insight research involving customer interviews, story surfacing, and translation into actionable design insights.
• Simplified Aircraft Seat Design Concepts Concept exploration for simplified aircraft seat design combining passenger comfort with sustainability. Tangerine collaborated with Collins Aerospace, Airbus, and Jamco to explore new materials, digital design tools, and simplified kinematics for sustainable aircraft interiors.

Quantifiable outcome

• £200 million ROI in less than 12 months from British Airways Club World seat design
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

38 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• BuzzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Australia-based Buzz (onboard product innovator) and UK-based Tangerine formed a cross-disciplinary creative partnership to redefine Premium Economy comfort. The collaboration developed four product concepts including a cocooning blanket, sensory shut-out eye mask with integrated earbuds, adjustable flat-roll neck pillow, and foldout lumbar cushion. Launched at WTCE 2026 in Hamburg.
• RAVE AerospacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Tangerine collaborated with RAVE Aerospace to design their new brand and visual identity. The partnership marked an exciting step forward for RAVE Aerospace as they evolved their offer ahead of Aircraft Interiors Expo 2026.
• RECAROcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRECARO partnered with Tangerine as their collaborative partner to enter the international rail sector. Tangerine developed new seating concepts for Standard, First, and Premium train classes for long-distance inter-city and high-speed routes.
• Collins AerospacecoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaborated on British Airways First Class suite design. Collins Aerospace provided seating technology while Tangerine led design concept, aesthetics, ergonomics, and seamless technology integration.
• British AirwaysflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship partnership to create British Airways' next-generation First Class seat. Tangerine led design vision and concept while British Airways provided specifications and collaboration on the luxury suite design.
• JALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapan Airlines partnership for A350-1000 international service cabin interiors, infusing the essence of Japan into the cabin experience.
• LGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for product and service innovation across consumer electronics.
• ToyotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for product innovation and design strategy across automotive sector.
• SamsungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple partnerships including Samsung C&T (Raemian apartments), Samsung C&T (apartment design strategy), and Samsung CT (apartment design).
• CRRC ChangchunflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic design partnership (since 2016) with world's largest rolling stock manufacturer. Tangerine has designed 18+ rolling stock vehicles including high-speed trains, maglev, metros, and sleeper trains.
• CepsaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship service station brand design partnership.
• HyperloopTTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigning the future of super-fast express freight for Hyperloop TT.
• Volkswagen Group ChinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigning Volkswagen's first eVTOL for luxury passenger transport within China.
• Cathay PacificcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCabin design for A350 aircraft with harmonious CMF design and economy class comfort innovation.
• Gulf AircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTotal brand transformation and cabin design for the original Middle Eastern carrier.
• Southwest AirlinesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAircraft interior design to capture passengers' hearts.
• InnisfreecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic repositioning of Korea's leading beauty brand through flagship store design.
• SpacetalkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWearable product ID and app UX design for safer family communication.
• Heathrow ExpressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst-Class vision and carriage design for UK's No.1 rail service.
• SkyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct design for Sky set-top box bringing time-shift TV to world.
• NikoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner10+ year design leadership training partnership. Nikon designers based at Tangerine for 6-12 months annually to develop future products and services.
• SeikominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct and service innovation partnership.
• TotominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct innovation partnership.
• Johnson & JohnsonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct innovation partnership.
• KIAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct innovation partnership.
• HuaweiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct design strategy and industrial design partnership.
• BluebellminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmart baby monitor product and brand design partnership. Co-founders are two doctors and a data scientist.
• SnoozeboxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortable hotel room design for events like Glastonbury, Silverstone F1, Edinburgh Fringe.
• AdlensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerService design strategy for Allfield brand, transforming sales processes for adjustable eyewear.
• Rainbow RoboticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner3-year partnership to develop first fully designed commercial collaborative robot and brand identity for South Korean robotics company born from KAIST University.
• Hassan AllamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisitor experience design for the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).
• Asiana AirlinesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuccessful management of global stakeholders to deliver new A380 cabins.
• SindohcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner10+ year strategic partnership for corporate identity transformation from OEM to consumer brand for 2D/3D printers.
• OkamuraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransforming flexible working through modular work booths.
• DRAXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign to enhance the experience and appeal of innovative fitness equipment technology.
• BOEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHelping China's biggest display manufacturer transition from OEM to own brand.
• AzulminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrand lift launching new long-haul service.
• Virgin AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium repositioning for A330 and B777 aircraft through cabin design and brand experience.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pentagram: Independent design consultancy with a partner-led model delivering brand identity, product, and digital design for global brands. Comparable to Tangerine in brand and identity work, though lighter on industrial design and engineering.
• Seymourpowell: London-headquartered industrial design and innovation consultancy with strong transport (rail, automotive) and consumer product portfolio. Closest UK-based head-to-head peer given similar transport-sector focus and project-based enterprise model.
• RKS Design: US-based industrial and product design consultancy with focus on consumer products, medical devices, and sustainable design. Comparable to Tangerine's product innovation, design engineering, and human-centred methodology.
• Smart Design: Global product design and innovation consultancy with a portfolio spanning consumer products, healthcare, and mobility. Directly comparable to Tangerine's industrial design and product innovation services.
• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy with deep expertise in product, service, and brand design for Fortune 500 clients. Directly comparable to Tangerine in offering human-centred design across aviation, mobility, and consumer products.
• Wolff Olins: Global brand and design consultancy with operations in London and broader EMEA. Comparable to Tangerine in brand strategy and identity work, though with less depth in industrial/transport product design.
• frog (Capgemini Engineering): Global design and engineering consultancy operating across product, brand, and customer experience. Now part of Capgemini but maintains a creative studio model closely analogous to Tangerine's aviation and mobility design work.
• Landor & Fitch: Global brand consultancy with significant aviation and mobility clients (including airline branding work). Comparable to Tangerine on the brand identity and customer experience pillars, particularly for transportation sector clients.
• Ammunition Group: US-based design and brand strategy firm with deep experience in consumer electronics and product design. Comparable to Tangerine's work with LG, Samsung, and consumer tech clients through a studio-style consultancy model.

Broad incumbents

• Designworks (BMW Group): BMW-owned design studio with cross-industry transport, mobility, and consumer design work. A broader incumbent with corporate backing; serves external clients with similar transportation design expertise to Tangerine's rail and automotive engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tangerinelondon
• Facebookfacebook.com/tangerinedesignconsultancy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tangerine_2
• Instagraminstagram.com/tangerinelondon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Tangerine