United by Design

What United by Design does

United by Design is a privately held, founder-led multidisciplinary design agency established in 2007 in York, United Kingdom, operating under the leadership of Owen Turner (Founder, MD and Creative Director). The firm delivers three integrated service lines: brand strategy (research, positioning, brand audits, and brand-locker workshops), brand identity (naming, logo, brand personality, visual systems, tone of voice, and guidelines), and brand experience activation (packaging, website design and development, digital content, copywriting, print and editorial, illustration, photography, signage and wayfinding). Pricing is project-based and determined per engagement; no standardized tiers or retainer pricing are publicly disclosed, and revenue is not publicly reported.

The firm serves a broad mix of UK-based SMBs, startups, and select enterprises across hospitality and food & drink (a clearly emphasized vertical including Brew York, Brew+, Patisserie Valerie, Honey Thief, Rare Bird Distillery, Taffy Cider, Hurns Beer Co, The Fruity Kitchen, Finders Gin, Bemuse), healthcare and social care (Ochre Care, Benenden Health), education and third sector (St Peter's School, York St John University Neutral Magazine, York Air Map, Scar Free Foundation), professional services and tech (Newmorro, Bytemark), and property and tourism (Kirk House, Events & Attractions). Underlying delivery relies on standard agency-tooling stacks with web development supporting projects like the York Air Map and the Scar Free Foundation WordPress site; the firm's most distinctive technical bet is an ongoing collaboration with xRStories lab using Gaussian Splatting for digital capture of physical environments.

Commercial mechanics are partnership-driven direct sales: prospective clients engage via website contact form, email ([email protected]), or phone (01904 615 050), followed by workshops and discovery, scoping, and proposal development. Marketing distribution centers on the firm's portfolio website, an Insights blog, a Mailchimp-managed newsletter, and the founder-hosted Brand Happy Podcast launched in 2026. The firm is a member of the Design Business Association (DBA) and has entered the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards, providing third-party validation of commercial design impact.

Name

United by Design

Legal name

United by Design

Website

https://unitedbydesign.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

United by Design is a York, UK-based, founder-led multidisciplinary design agency founded in 2007, offering brand strategy, identity, and experience services to startups, SMBs, and select enterprises across hospitality, food & drink, healthcare, education, and professional services sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging & Brand Identity Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Brand strategy services
• Brand identity design
• Packaging design
• Website design development
• Creative design agency

Headquarters

HQ city

York

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Design Services: Revenue generated through project-based design and branding engagements including brand strategy, brand identity design, packaging design, website development, and brand experience services. Projects are scoped individually based on client briefs and requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

United by Design is a multidisciplinary design agency that sells project-based brand strategy, brand identity, and brand experience services to client organisations. Engagements cover brand audits, naming, logo and visual systems, packaging design, website design and development, print, illustration, photography, signage, copywriting, and art direction, delivered directly to clients across hospitality, food & drink, professional services, finance, tourism, and culture & heritage sectors.

Product overview

United by Design is a multidisciplinary design practice offering brand strategy, brand identity, and brand experience services. The company's core offerings include strategic brand development rooted in research and insight, comprehensive brand identity creation (logo, color, typography, tone of voice), and physical/digital brand activation (packaging, websites, digital content, print, illustration, photography, signage). Their portfolio spans across hospitality, food & drink, professional services, finance, tourism, and culture & heritage sectors. The company also develops specialized technology capabilities such as Gaussian Splatting for digital space documentation, and produces content through the Brand Happy Podcast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Strategy Services Strategic brand development rooted in research and insight, including brand workshops, brand audits, market research, positioning, and communication strategy for client organisations across multiple sectors.
• Brand Identity Services Comprehensive brand identity creation spanning naming, brand mark and logo design, brand personality development, brand guidelines and visual systems, and tone of voice development for organisations seeking to establish or refresh their brand.
• Brand Experience Services Physical and digital brand activation services including packaging design, website design and development, digital content, copywriting, print and editorial, illustration, photography, signage and wayfinding, and art direction for clients bringing their brand to life across touchpoints.

Quantifiable outcome

• Brew York: 500% increase in production since March 2016; 5-year targets exceeded in first 9 months of trading; 27% average month-on-month growth
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• xRStoriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with xRStories lab through their residency program to prototype and develop the process of capturing spaces digitally using Gaussian Splatting technology. United by Design explored bringing real-world spaces into immersive web-based digital formats for potential applications with cultural institutions, real estate developers, and tourism organisations.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting firm offering strategy, identity, and experience design across industries — competes for the same enterprise and challenger brand briefs as United by Design with significantly greater resources.
• Pentagram: Global, multi-partner design firm with offices in London and worldwide, operating in identity, branding and design strategy at a far larger scale than United by Design — competing for larger enterprise branding briefs.
• Design Bridge: Global brand design consultancy with major F&B, beverage and consumer goods specialism, competing for the same brand identity and packaging briefs as United by Design but at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Thompson Brand Partners: UK-based strategic branding agency delivering brand strategy, identity and experience work across consumer-facing sectors, comparable in offering and client tier.
• Magpie Studio: UK creative agency focused on brand identity, packaging and editorial design for F&B, hospitality and lifestyle clients — strong overlap in sector focus and project types.
• Carter Wong: London-based strategic brand design agency working across identity, packaging and digital for consumer-facing brands, comparable in service mix and mid-market client profile to United by Design.
• B&B Studio: London brand design agency with deep F&B, beverage and hospitality specialism delivering naming, identity and packaging — directly comparable in service scope and sector focus.
• Without: Independent London brand design agency offering brand strategy, identity, packaging and digital services to a similar mix of challenger and established consumer brands.
• The Clearing: Independent UK brand strategy and design consultancy working on positioning, identity and packaging for challenger and established consumer brands.
• Robot Food: UK-based brand design agency with strong specialism in food, drink and FMCG packaging and identity — directly overlapping with United by Design's core F&B/hospitality vertical and packaging design capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ubd_studio

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 United by Design