No-Nonsense Design

What No-Nonsense Design does

No-Nonsense Design Ltd is a UK-based, founder-led creative design agency headquartered in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, registered as a private limited company in 2004 (company number 5751113) and led by principal Keith Perry. It operates as a deliberately small, multi-disciplined team offering identities, branding, graphic and print design, web design, digital marketing, internal communications, reporting, exhibitions, experiential graphics, wayfinding and signage, and strategy services to enterprise clients. The firm has a concentrated track record with UK aviation infrastructure (Heathrow across four identity evolutions, Gatwick, Stansted and former BAA work) and has extended into construction/infrastructure (HS2 Euston via the MaceDragados joint venture), sports venues (Wembley/FA), retail (Dr. Martens, VaVaVoom), utilities, telecoms and charitable organisations.

The business model is professional services project-based: bespoke creative work scoped to client budgets, with direct client engagement and Keith Perry as first point of contact. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is structured per project. No software platform, API, SDK, or proprietary technology stack is offered; delivery relies on standard industry design tools and senior practitioner expertise. Go-to-market is word-of-mouth and portfolio-driven, supported by the firm's website. The company has no subsidiaries, no external funding, and no parent entity. Geographic footprint is primarily UK, with limited engagements extending into Europe and the Middle East.

Recent strategic activity centres on the HS2 Euston infrastructure partnership (commenced November 2020 with MaceDragados JV) and a long-standing embedded relationship with Heathrow, alongside selective one-off projects (VaVaVoom in the Middle East, Dr. Martens internal communications, MamaBabyBliss branding). The firm's defensibility rests on Keith Perry's 20+ years of top-agency experience, codified standards (e.g., the BAA construction process adopted by the Institute of Civil Engineers; the 94-page Gatwick Sign Standards), and a price-positioned "no big agency overhead" model. Conversely, customer concentration appears high (aviation-heavy, with Heathrow as a likely anchor), revenue is undisclosed, and there is no evidence of AI tooling or platform-style scaling.

Name

No-Nonsense Design

Legal name

No-Nonsense Design Ltd

Website

https://nononsensedesign.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (54143)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Experiential Brand Design (Retail/Exhibit/Signage) (MPAAAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)

Keywords

• Brand identity design
• Creative design agency
• Wayfinding and signage
• Web design services
• Graphic design studio

Headquarters

HQ city

Hitchin

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Design and Creative Services: Project-based design services including identities, branding, graphic design, web design, internal communications, reporting, exhibitions, experiences, wayfinding, digital, signage, and strategy. Revenue generated through client projects with pricing delivered on time and to client budget.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

No-Nonsense Design is a multi-disciplined creative agency providing identities and branding, graphic design for print, web design, digital design, internal communications, reporting, exhibitions, experiences, wayfinding, signage, and brand strategy services. It delivers these as bespoke, project-based engagements for enterprise and mid-market clients, with Keith Perry as the primary client contact. Work is executed by a small focused team using standard industry design tools rather than proprietary software products.

Product overview

No-Nonsense Design is a multi-disciplined creative design agency offering a comprehensive range of design services. The company provides creative and branding solutions including Identities, Branding, Graphic Design, Web Design, Internal Comms, Reporting, Exhibitions, Experiences, Wayfinding, Digital, Signage, and Strategy services. Operating as a small focused team with twenty years of experience, the agency delivers big agency quality creativity without the associated overhead costs. Their service portfolio spans corporate identity design, print and digital graphics, website development, wayfinding and signage systems for major clients including airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted), and strategic brand consulting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Identities Corporate identity design including logos, visual identity systems, and brand guidelines for enterprise and mid-market clients.
• Branding Brand development and brand strategy services to establish and communicate company positioning for corporate clients across multiple sectors.
• Graphic Design Print and digital graphic design services covering brochures, publications, and marketing materials for enterprise and SMB clients.
• Web Design Website design and development services including responsive layouts and digital presence creation, with projects delivered for Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and other enterprise clients.
• Internal Comms Internal communication design and strategy services supporting corporate messaging, employee engagement, and people-focused communications for clients including Dr. Martens and Cable & Wireless UK.
• Reporting Report design and publication services for corporate communications, including lengthy technical submissions such as the 454-page technical reports produced for the Heathrow expansion submission.
• Exhibitions Exhibition design and environmental graphics for events and public spaces.
• Experiences User experience design and experiential graphics for public-facing spaces, including installations at Wembley Stadium (Football Association offices) and Heathrow terminals.
• Wayfinding Wayfinding and signage design systems for airports, stations, and large public facilities — a flagship capability evidenced by 300+ pictograms, 1,200+ temporary signs, and the 94-page Gatwick Sign Standards document.
• Digital Digital design services including mobile interfaces and digital marketing assets for enterprise and SMB clients.
• Signage Sign design and signage production services for corporate and public environments, including flight information displays, supergraphics, and terminal signage at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.
• Strategy Strategic communication and brand strategy consulting services, including the £250m+ BAA construction project process that was adopted by the Institute of Civil Engineers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £500,000 raised for charity through Heathrow Charity Balls since 2008
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MaceDragados Joint Venture (MDJV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2020Working with MaceDragados Joint Venture since November 2020 on HS2 Phase 2 Euston Station redevelopment. Responsible for hoarding graphics and wayfinding system design for approximately 3km. Also worked on Team Euston brand, site office signing, induction room branding, and Net Zero Carbon Strategy communications.
• P3 Creative (Derrick Pover)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Derrick Pover of P3 Creative for VaVaVoom retail identity project for Alshaya Group in the Middle East. Pover specializes in retail interiors, providing complementary expertise to No-Nonsense Design's branding capabilities.
• Gebler Tooth ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Gebler Tooth Architects on interior graphics planning and design for Football Association offices within Wembley Stadium.
• ArupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArup conducted a workshop producing insights into future surface transport technology for Access Gatwick project, helping envision technologies including robo-taxis, cloud vision glasses, and robotic parking for 2030.
• Sign Design SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKeith is an active member and served as director for 8 years (2006-2014). Society membership is international including individuals and organizations involved in wayfinding, environmental graphics and signage. No-Nonsense Design involved with Society communications, website design, and Awards programmes including London 2012 Olympic Games related activities.
• Home-Start HertfordshireminorOthersSupporting Home-Start, a local community network helping families with young children. No-Nonsense Design provides design, print and website requirements for free, allowing more donation money to go directly to families in need.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Mother Design: Design arm of Mother, the independent creative network, covering brand identity, motion, digital and environmental design. Comparable as a creative agency combining brand design with experience and digital execution.
• Made Thought: Independent London design agency delivering brand identity, packaging, digital and experiential design. Directly comparable as a multi-disciplinary UK design studio with overlapping service categories.
• Without: London-based brand and digital design studio focused on identity, brand systems and digital products for consumer and cultural clients. Closely comparable in service mix (branding, design, digital) and studio size to No-Nonsense Design.
• Koto: Independent brand design agency specializing in identity, brand strategy and digital experience for ambitious companies — directly comparable to No-Nonsense Design's identities, branding, and web design offering. Koto is a closer-match small/medium studio versus holding-company networks.
• Carter Wong Design: Independent London-based branding and design consultancy with a focus on corporate identity and brand strategy. Comparable UK brand-design peer operating in the same enterprise identity market.
• SomeOne: Independent London branding and design studio covering identity, brand strategy, motion and digital design. Comparable as a similarly-sized UK creative agency competing in the same identity and branding market.
• dn&co: Boutique design consultancy focused on brand identity, narrative, and communications design for corporate and cultural clients. Comparable in size and service scope to No-Nonsense Design.
• Magpie Studio: Independent London brand-design studio specializing in identity, brand systems, motion, and environmental graphic design. Closely comparable as a UK boutique design agency with overlapping environmental/experiential design capabilities.
• The Clearing: Brand-led creative consultancy covering brand strategy, identity and communications design. Comparable to No-Nonsense Design in the strategy-plus-design positioning and senior-led boutique model.

Broad incumbents

• Pentagram: Largest independent design firm in the world, covering identity, brand strategy, environmental and digital design across many sectors and geographies. Overlaps with No-Nonsense Design's multi-disciplinary design offering but operates at materially greater scale and global reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 No-Nonsense Design