What hw.design does

hw.design (legal entity: hw.design GmbH) is a privately held, founder-owned German design agency headquartered in Munich, founded in 1995. The firm specializes in corporate experiences across three interconnected practice areas: strategic brand consulting (the proprietary "Future Resilient Brand" framework covering Mind Set, Essentials, and Experiences), communication design (editorial, event and exhibition branding, websites), and corporate reporting (annual reports, integrated reports, sustainability/CSRD-compliant publications, digital reporting hubs). It serves predominantly large enterprises — including DAX40 and Fortune 500 names such as BMW Group (a 20-plus-year relationship since 2001), Deutsche Bank, DHL Group (since 2006), Siemens Healthineers, Heidelberg Materials, Munich Airport, Adidas, Bosch, Munich Re, MAHLE, MAN Truck & Bus, ProSiebenSat.1, and ThyssenKrupp — with a smaller, deliberate footprint among growth-stage startups (VoltStorage, Bright Capital, ImuVeo) and design institutions such as Deutscher Designtag e.V.

The agency's technical layer combines human design expertise with a human-AI hybrid operating model. Proprietary technology includes the AI-Visibility framework (ensuring corporate reporting is consumable by both human readers and AI/algorithmic systems, effectively a Generative Engine Optimization offering), hw.AI (an internal generative image system used to produce 2045 future-scenario imagery for clients), ReportingMachine 1.2 (a web tool that recommends a reporting format via a five-question diagnostic in roughly three minutes), and the annually published CSRD Monitor whitepaper analyzing every DAX40 integrated report. Supplementary offerings include the Experience Lab (on-site workshops and virtual talks covering AI in branding, sustainability communication, and future resilience) and nomad magazine, an international independent print publication produced twice yearly since 2015 and distributed across 30 countries.

hw.design generates revenue through project-based, quote-driven professional services engagements (brand strategy and identity programs, multi-year reporting retainers, event branding, editorial projects) with no publicly disclosed pricing. Revenue streams span brand-strategy consulting, end-to-end reporting design and production (print, interactive PDF, microsites, digital reporting hubs), communication design services, and licensing/royalties tied to nomad magazine distribution. The firm is founder-controlled, with no disclosed external investors or parent company; its current leadership comprises Frank Wagner (Founder & Managing Director), Thomas Norgall (Head of Communication & Technology), Veronika Kinczli (Creative Director), Marie-Thérèse Sturm (Director Consulting, joined the board in January 2025), and Sigmund Perner (Director Strategy & Content). The company is not publicly listed, has no disclosed financials, and operates from a single headquarters in Munich's Schwabing district with an employee headcount band of 11–50.

Name

hw.design

Legal name

hw.design gmbh

Website

https://hwdesign.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

hw.design is a Munich-based, founder-owned German design agency (GmbH, founded 1995) serving DAX40 and large international enterprises with strategic branding, communication design, and AI-aware corporate reporting — anchored by multi-decade relationships with BMW Group and DHL Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Brand & Communication Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143)

akta.pro primary industry

Brand Experience (BX) & Service Design (BPAFAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Corporate brand consulting
• Corporate reporting design
• Brand strategy services
• Sustainability reporting design
• Communication design agency

Headquarters

HQ city

München

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Brand Strategy & Identity Services: Project-based consulting and design engagements for corporate branding, brand architecture, and positioning. Engagements include strategic workshops, brand development, and design system creation.
2. Corporate Reporting Design & Production: End-to-end production of annual reports, sustainability reports, integrated reports, and CSRD-compliant publications. Includes digital hub development, interactive PDF formats, and microsites.
3. Communication Design Services: Event branding, editorial design, magazine design, exhibition appearances, and website design for corporate clients and institutions.
4. nomad Magazine: A published high-quality print magazine distributed internationally in 30 countries, featuring design, architecture, art, and science content. hw.design publishes the magazine and curates contributions from global creative visionaries.
5. Experience Lab Workshops: On-site workshops and virtual talks on topics including AI in branding, sustainability communication, and future resilience, targeting enterprise communication and brand managers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

hw.design is a Munich-based design and communication consulting agency that creates corporate experiences across brand strategy, brand identity, corporate reporting (annual, sustainability, integrated and CSRD-compliant reports), editorial design, event branding, and website design. The agency combines human and artificial intelligence to deliver project-based engagements for large enterprise clients, and complements its consulting work with proprietary tools (AI-Visibility framework, hw.AI image generator, ReportingMachine), the self-published nomad magazine, and the Experience Lab workshop program.

Product overview

hw.design is a design agency for corporate experiences in branding, communication and reporting, combining human and artificial intelligence. The core offering consists of strategic consulting frameworks (Future Resilient Brands, Corporate Reporting Intelligence) and specialized AI capabilities (AI-Visibility, hw.AI). Supporting digital tools include ReportingMachine for reporting positioning analysis and Experience Lab for workshops and talks. The company also publishes nomad magazine, a biannual international future-focused publication. The portfolio spans strategic brand consulting, digital tools, experiential services, and publishing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• nomad magazine: International independent media brand published twice yearly since 2015, distributed in 30 countries, featuring contributions from creative visionaries, designers, artists, architects, scientists, and entrepreneurs.
• ReportingMachine
• Experience Lab
• hw.AI
• CSRD Monitor

Products and services

• Future Resilient Brands Strategic brand consulting framework used to build future-resilient corporate brands through three components — Mind Set (attitude/growth through conviction), Essentials (relevance through focus), and Experiences (loyalty through encounters). Offered to large enterprise clients as a holistic brand strategy and identity engagement.
• Corporate Reporting Intelligence Design and consulting offering for intelligent corporate reporting that combines legal compliance (CSRD/ESRS) with stakeholder-oriented design for both human readers and algorithms. Delivered to enterprises for annual, sustainability and integrated reports, including digital reporting hubs.
• AI-Visibility A methodology ensuring corporate messages are precisely defined so they can be unambiguously captured by both human readers and AI/algorithmic systems — Generative Engine Optimization applied to business and sustainability reports. Sold as a specialist service to enterprise reporting and communications teams.
• hw.AI Proprietary AI image generator developed by hw.design that creates visionary future scenarios for clients through creative dialogue with AI. Used for client projects to generate visual utopias of the world in 2045 and as a playground for future-oriented ideas.
• ReportingMachine Interactive web-based analytical tool for positioning corporate reporting. Through a 5-question assessment (~3 minutes) it recommends the ideal annual report format based on goals, functions, stakeholder relevance, communication dynamism and priority audience. Includes a 3-phase discover/define/develop program.
• Experience Lab On-site workshops and virtual talks around identity, branding, communication and technology, covering AI in brand storyselling, sustainability communication, AI-generated visuals, and future envisioning. Offered to enterprise communication and brand managers as a paid workshop/talk series that doubles as thought leadership.
• nomad magazine International independent print magazine (200+ pages, biannual) on design, architecture, art and science, featuring contributions from world-renowned designers, architects, scientists, eco-pioneers and entrepreneurs. Published by hw.design and distributed in 30 countries.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Munich Airport Integrated Report 2022 achieved a unique level of accessibility and interactivity in integrated reporting, serving as a model for CSRD-compliant companies.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• nomad Magazine (self-published)coreOthershw.design publishes and curates nomad magazine — an international independent magazine on design, architecture, art, and science — as a proprietary thought leadership platform. The magazine features contributions from world-renowned figures and is distributed in 30 countries. Since mid-2024, the editorial team has been on a creative break.
• Munich Creative Business Week (mcbw) / bayern designcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerhw.design has developed the annual theme, visual identity, event branding, and accompanying magazine for Germany's largest design event for consecutive years (2022, 2023, 2024). The agency shapes both content and design, positioning the event as a holistic design week rather than a traditional design expo.
• Deutscher Designtag e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPro bono partnership to develop new corporate design, logo refresh, and corporate website for Germany's most important design institution. The project also included event branding for DIVE'25 — the first national design congress.
• Christof SchmidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpert in business storytelling and former Head of Communications at Twitter Germany. Led the Experience Lab workshop 'Brand Storyselling mit KI' (November 2023) on using AI for effective corporate storytelling.
• Prof. Dr. Riccardo WagnerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences Cologne, specializing in sustainability and CSR. Led the Experience Lab workshop on 'Sustainability Communication' (February 2024).
• Boris KochanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed the Deutscher Designtag pro bono project team alongside hw.design, overseeing design sprints for the new corporate design system.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Strichpunkt Design: German brand and corporate reporting design agency serving DAX-scale clients with annual/integrated reports and identity systems, directly overlapping hw.design's core reporting and branding niche.
• KMS Team: Munich-based strategic branding and design agency working with large corporates on brand identity and corporate design, competing in the same city and enterprise segment.
• Peter Schmidt Group: German brand agency specializing in corporate and brand identity, packaging and communication for major corporations, closely comparable in offering and target clientele.
• Kirchhoff Consult: Hamburg consultancy specializing in annual reports, ESG/CSRD reporting and financial communications for listed companies, directly competing in hw.design's corporate reporting specialty.
• MetaDesign: German-rooted global brand design agency delivering corporate identity and brand strategy to enterprises, overlapping hw.design's branding services with broader international reach.
• Silvester Group: Reporting and financial-communications design consultancy for listed companies, competing directly in corporate and sustainability report design.

Emerging players

• nexxar: Vienna-based specialist in digital and online annual/sustainability reporting for large corporates, overlapping hw.design's digital reporting-hub and interactive report work.

Broad incumbents

• Interbrand: Global brand consultancy offering brand strategy and design at scale; overlaps hw.design's branding work but as a much larger multinational network rather than a reporting niche specialist.
• Landor: Global brand transformation and design firm serving large enterprises, overlapping hw.design's brand identity and experience services as a broad incumbent.

Regional players

• Serviceplan Group: Munich-headquartered independent agency group offering brand, design and communication services to major corporates, overlapping geographically and in enterprise creative services but with far broader scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/hwdesign
• Facebookfacebook.com/hwdesigngmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hw-design-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/hw.design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 hw.design