Destination by Design

Name

Destination by Design

Legal name

Destination by Design Planning LLC

Website

https://dbdplanning.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Destination by Design is a multidisciplinary placemaking firm that provides planning, engineering, and communications services to U.S. local governments and tourism boards for parks, trails, wayfinding, and community branding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boone

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. Professional Planning Services: Custom consulting engagements for planning services including tourism master plans, community branding, and placemaking strategies. Projects are scoped per client need with no standardized pricing publicly disclosed.
2. Engineering and Design Services: Engineering services for parks, trails, and infrastructure projects as part of the 'Build' component of their service offering.
3. Communications and Marketing Services: Communications and promotion services for community branding, wayfinding signage, and marketing campaigns as part of the 'Promote' component of their service offering.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DbD is a multidisciplinary placemaking firm that helps civic leaders plan, build, and promote vibrant Main Streets, destination-quality parks, trails, and recreation areas. The firm delivers integrated professional services across three core disciplines — Planning (master plans, tourism strategies, community development), Engineering (parks, trails, signage infrastructure), and Communications (place branding, wayfinding, promotional campaigns) — sold as custom engagements to counties, municipalities, and destination organizations.

Product overview

Destination by Design (DbD) is a multidisciplinary placemaking firm offering integrated professional services for community and economic development. The company operates as a unified service portfolio organized around three core disciplines—Planning, Engineering, and Communications—which work together to help civic leaders plan, build, and promote vibrant Main Streets, destination-quality parks, trails, and recreation areas. Services include placemaking, place branding, tourism planning, community development, consensus building, and wayfinding/signage design. DbD does not offer a software product or platform; rather, it delivers professional consulting services through a team of experienced local government planners, engineers, landscape architects, and communication experts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Planning Services Comprehensive planning services for civic leaders including master planning for parks, trails, recreation areas, tourism master plans, community development strategies, and consensus building. Sold as custom engagements to counties, municipalities, and tourism organizations.
• Engineering Services Engineering solutions integrated with placemaking to support the construction and development of community infrastructure projects such as parks, trails, and bike park facilities.
• Communications Services Strategic communication and marketing services to promote vibrant communities, including place branding, wayfinding design, promotional campaigns, and tourism marketing. Sold as custom engagements to civic and tourism clients.
• Wayfinding & Signage Design and implementation of wayfinding and signage systems to guide visitors through communities, parks, trails, and destinations (including pedestrian and bike signage).
• Tourism Master Planning Strategic tourism master planning engagements that help counties and regions develop and promote their attractions and visitor experiences.
• Place Branding Development of distinctive brand identities for communities, counties, and destinations to attract visitors, residents, and businesses.

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TIP Strategies: Economic and community development consultancy producing strategic plans, target industry analyses, and downtown redevelopment strategies for cities and regions. Comparable buyer profile (civic leaders) and consulting engagement model.
• Camoin Associates: Economic development consulting firm providing strategic planning, market analysis, and workforce/tourism development for municipalities and regions. Comparable to DbD in serving civic clients on economic and community development projects.
• Fourth Economy: Community and economic development consulting firm serving regions and municipalities with strategic planning, talent development, and place-based initiatives. Directly comparable consulting services to DbD's community development work.
• Roger Brooks International: Tourism and attractions consulting firm helping destinations, towns, and DMOs with master planning, branding, and development of visitor experiences. Comparable to DbD's tourism and placemaking services.
• Arnett Muldrow & Associates: Place branding and community identity firm serving municipalities with branding, wayfinding, and downtown revitalization strategies. Highly comparable to DbD's Place Branding and Wayfinding & Signage service lines and overlapping municipal client base.
• Avalanche Consulting: Economic development strategy consultancy producing strategic plans, target industry studies, and community assessments for municipal and regional clients. Comparable engagement model and client base.
• North Star Destinations Strategies: Tourism development and destination branding firm that builds tourism master plans and place brands for communities and DMOs. Closely mirrors DbD's Tourism Planning and Place Branding offerings.
• Development Counselors International (DCI): Economic development marketing and place branding agency working with cities, regions, and states on branding, marketing, and lead generation. Closely comparable to DbD's place branding and communications offering for civic clients.
• Golden Shovel Agency: Economic development communications firm providing branding, websites, and marketing for cities, counties, and EDOs. Comparable to DbD's communications and branding service line and similar government buyer persona.

Emerging players

• LandUseUSA: Demographics, land use, and economic development analytics firm serving municipalities and private developers. Adjacent to DbD's community planning work via shared civic client base and planning inputs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7lz0ngw4LhwjO1uCmOkWRQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/dbdplanning
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/destination-by-design-planning-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/destination_by_design

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 Destination by Design