Design Made
Design Made is a New York-based boutique design consultancy founded in 2009 that helps organizations undergoing transformation through brand, experience, campaign, and design services, with deep specialization in U.S. retail financial-services branch transformation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Design Made does
Design Made is a privately held, New York-based boutique design consultancy founded in 2009 by architect Brock Danner and led alongside Chief Strategist Thanh Froix. The firm positions itself as a specialist in retail transformation, advising organizations undergoing change through the integration of brand strategy, experience design, campaign development, and design services spanning physical, digital, and architectural domains. Its work is organized into five practice areas — Brand, Experience, Campaign, Design, and Retail Financial Services — with the deepest vertical expertise in U.S. financial services, evidenced by engagements with Wells Fargo, Bank of Hawaii, Citizens Bank, First Commonwealth FCU, Credit Union 1 Alaska, and Affinity Federal Credit Union.
The firm's intellectual property is concentrated in proprietary design frameworks rather than software. Named methodologies include First Engagement (a re-conception of branch entry interaction), Customer Cartography (a customer-journey mapping discipline), Narrative Architecture (storytelling-led spatial design), and Modular Design Systems (interchangeable, scalable branch components developed with fabrication partner Boyce Products). Technology delivery is anchored by a long-standing alliance with NCR for Interactive Teller Machine and self-service hardware integration. The firm publishes field guides (Bank of the Future, Mobile + Store), annual DM books, research briefs, and a 2023 Lookbook, establishing it as a category authority in branch and retail transformation.
Design Made operates as a B2B professional services firm with project-based, scope-negotiated engagements and no publicly disclosed pricing. It goes to market through enterprise field sales supplemented by thought-leadership content and earned media (Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Financial Brand, Forbes). Customer concentration sits predominantly in financial services, with adjacent exposure in arts and culture (Montclair Art Museum), education (NC A&T), cannabis (HICHI), entertainment (AMC), retail (Wawa), and regulated utilities (ADDC in Abu Dhabi). The model is delivery-via-partner-ecosystem rather than scale-via-headcount, with the firm itself remaining at 1–10 employees.
Design Made firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Made
- Legal name
- Design Made
- Website
- https://design-made.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Design Made is a New York-based boutique design consultancy founded in 2009 that helps organizations undergoing transformation through brand, experience, campaign, and design services, with deep specialization in U.S. retail financial-services branch transformation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Made industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Design Consultancy Services
- NAICS
- Interior Design Services (541410), Architectural Services (54131), Graphic Design Services (54143)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
Keywords
Where Design Made is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Design Made business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Professional Design Services: Design Made generates revenue through consulting and design services including brand creation and management, customer/member experience strategy and design, store design, campaign development, digital experience design, and architectural services. The firm works on project basis with enterprise clients across financial services, retail, hospitality, arts, and education sectors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Design Made product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design Made is a design strategy and experience design consultancy that helps organizations change and grow through design. The firm provides brand creation and management, customer and member experience strategy and design, store and branch design, campaign development, digital experience design, and architectural services. They specialize in retail transformation, with a particular focus on digital-first and people-first strategies for financial institutions such as banks and credit unions, alongside engagements across retail, hospitality, arts and culture, and education sectors.
Product overview
Design Made is a design consultancy that helps organizations change and grow through design. They work with organizations starting up, creating new initiatives, or going through major change. Their core offerings span Brand Creation & Management, Experience Design, Campaign Development, and Design Services (product design, graphic design, packaging, retail display, exhibition design, signage systems, and architectural services). The company specializes in retail transformation, particularly in financial services, having created digital-first strategies and people-first experiences for credit unions, banks, and retail brands. Their work is organized into practice areas: Brand, Experience, Campaign, Design, and Banking/Retail Financial Services. They do not offer a unified software product but rather provide consultancy services with project showcases demonstrating their capabilities across industries including banking, retail, hospitality, arts, and education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Brand Creation & Management
Quantifiable outcome
- Bank of Hawaii achieved 98% customer approval and 96% saying they 'loved' the new branch design
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Design Made
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Design Made technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Design Made partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NCRcoreLong-standing technology partner for financial services projects. NCR provides Interactive Teller Machine (ITM) and self-service hardware solutions that Design Made integrates into branch experience designs. Collaborated on Bank of Hawaii, Oxford University Bank, Citizens Bank, Wells Fargo, and First Commonwealth FCU projects.
- Boyce ProductscoreFabrication and manufacturing partner for modular branch design solutions. Developed and engineered modular construction systems to Design Made's specifications for Citizens Bank and other projects. Created reusable elements for concept stores and permanent installations.
- Inver ConsultingminorPartnered with Design Made on Central Pacific Bank concept store and lab project. Provided consulting services for digital and physical transformation engagement.
- Saatchi & Saatchi XminorShopper marketing agency partner for LG Life's Good Studio project. Design Made worked alongside Saatchi & Saatchi X to craft the LG Studio concept as a consumer connection platform.
- RGW ArchitectureminorArchitecture partner for First Commonwealth FCU projects. Collaborated on Financial Wellness Center design and implementation.
- Vines ArchitectureminorArchitectural partner for North Carolina A&T University Student Center project. Design Made developed narrative architecture while Vines Architecture provided overall building design including the iconic gold stair.
- Otte ArchitectureminorArchitecture partner for Washington Market Tavern restaurant project. Collaborated on building identity design and signage.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Design Made competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Studio O+A: Architecture and experience design firm specializing in workplace and commercial interiors. Comparable to Design Made on spatial-narrative and interior experience design for institutional clients.
- Citizen Group: Design and brand consultancy focused on purpose-driven and mission-aligned brands. Overlaps with Design Made's work for cultural institutions, nonprofits, and values-led retail brands across experience and brand systems.
Broad incumbents
- Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with major financial services and retail practices. Competes with Design Made on branch transformation projects where architectural, brand, and experience design converge at scale.
- Pentagram: Largest independently owned design firm, with partners covering brand identity, environmental graphics, and digital. Overlaps with Design Made's brand and environmental/experiential design work for enterprise clients across multiple verticals.
- CallisonRTKL: Architecture and retail design firm with extensive banking and retail experience. Competes for large-format branch and retail transformation engagements where integrated design-to-execution capability is required.
Direct peers
- IDEO: Pioneering design consultancy spanning brand, experience, and innovation services for enterprise clients. IDEO competes for the same senior-level design and experience engagements, including in financial services and retail transformation, as Design Made.
- frog (Capgemini Invent): Global design and innovation firm with deep experience in financial services and retail experience design. As part of Capgemini, frog competes on large multi-year transformation programs where Design Made also bids.
- Lippincott: Brand strategy and design consultancy serving enterprise customers including financial institutions. Lippincott's brand-and-experience practice directly overlaps Design Made's work with banks and credit unions on brand and experience transformation.
- Siegel+Gale: Brand strategy and experience design firm focused on simplicity. Its financial services and digital-first transformation practice competes head-to-head with Design Made for similar BFSI transformation RFPs.
- Landor & Fitch: Global brand and design consultancy with strong financial services and retail experience practices. Competes with Design Made for enterprise transformation work where brand strategy, spatial design, and customer experience intersect.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Design Made social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Made financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Made leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Design Made funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Made 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 Design Made
What does Design Made do?
Design Made is a design strategy and experience design consultancy that helps organizations change and grow through design. The firm provides brand creation and management, customer and member experience strategy and design, store and branch design, campaign development, digital experience design, and architectural services. They specialize in retail transformation, with a particular focus on digital-first and people-first strategies for financial institutions such as banks and credit unions, alongside engagements across retail, hospitality, arts and culture, and education sectors.
Is Design Made a public or private company?
Design Made is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Design Made founded?
Design Made was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Design Made based?
Design Made is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Design Made make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Design Services.
Who are Design Made's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Studio O+A and Citizen Group. Broad incumbents are Gensler, Pentagram and CallisonRTKL. Direct peers are IDEO, frog (Capgemini Invent), Lippincott, Siegel+Gale and Landor & Fitch.
Does Design Made have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Made.
What industry is Design Made in?
Design Made's product category is Design Consultancy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAL, Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 541410.