What Fiasco Design does

Fiasco is a privately held brand and digital agency headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, founded in 2010 by Ben Steers and Jason Smith. The firm delivers an integrated suite of creative services spanning brand strategy, visual identity, copywriting and tone of voice, motion graphics, illustration, UI/UX and digital design, and website development. Its stated differentiator is a 'feelings-first' methodology that builds brand strategies around a core emotion to drive audience connection. It operates under a professional services, project-based engagement model with quote-based pricing and multi-year strategic contracts targeting senior decision-makers at ambitious enterprise and purpose-driven businesses.

The agency's client portfolio spans enterprise and high-growth companies across technology and SaaS (Microsoft, Boundless, Pigment, Cleo), climate and sustainability (Vertical, Good Energy, Cellular Agriculture, Pledge), fintech (Go Cardless, Daya), culture and entertainment (Britt Music & Arts Festival, Nederlander Theatres, Arnolfini, National Trust), and food and beverage (Just Eat, Eat Curious). Documented client outcomes include a 3x increase in inbound leads, 2x revenue growth, and 10x uplift in daily active users for OnHand following a Fiasco rebrand. Fiasco achieved B Corp certification in 2024 and has pledged to grow purpose-driven revenue above 50% of annual turnover.

Commercially, Fiasco pursues an enterprise field sales and direct-engagement motion with senior decision-makers, supplemented by referrals from the Bristol creative community and partnerships such as Gather Round co-working. The company employs approximately 16 people and is co-founder-controlled with no external institutional investment. In April 2025 it rebranded from Fiasco Design to Fiasco to reflect expanded scope beyond traditional design, and has begun a deliberate expansion into the United States market supported by senior leadership additions in 2025-2026.

Name

Fiasco Design

Legal name

Fiasco Design Limited

Website

https://fiasco.design

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fiasco is a Bristol-based brand and digital agency founded in 2010, delivering brand strategy, visual identity, and digital design services to enterprise and purpose-driven clients across technology, climate, fintech, and culture verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

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. Brand Strategy & Identity Services: Core professional services including brand strategy development, visual identity systems, brand positioning, and tone of voice development. Delivered as bespoke project-based engagements.
2. Digital Design & Development: Website design and development, UI/UX design, motion graphics, and digital brand experiences. Services include brand collateral creation and website development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fiasco is a brand and digital agency that delivers bespoke brand strategy, visual identity systems, copywriting and tone of voice, digital/UI/UX design, motion graphics, illustration, and front-end and back-end website development. Engagements are sold as project-based professional services to enterprise and mid-market clients, typically spanning multi-year contracts rather than subscriptions.

Product overview

Fiasco is a brand and digital agency that offers an integrated suite of creative services rather than a software product. The agency's core offering combines brand strategy, visual identity design, copywriting and tone of voice development, motion graphics, illustration, digital design (UI/UX), and website development. The agency positions itself as a 'feelings-first' creative studio that helps businesses connect with audiences through emotionally resonant brand experiences. Services are delivered as project-based engagements rather than subscription or SaaS products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Strategy Strategic framework development that defines brand positioning, values, messaging and unique identity, including stakeholder interviews, workshops and market research to uncover authentic brand purpose.
• Visual Identity Creation of brand identity systems including logo design, typography selection, colour palette development, illustration style and photography art direction that translates brand strategy into cohesive visual expression.
• Copywriting and Tone of Voice Verbal identity development including brand messaging frameworks, copywriting for various touchpoints and consistent tone of voice guidelines.
• Digital Design and UI/UX Design Website design, mobile app interfaces and digital experience creation, including user experience strategy, interface design and interaction design for digital touchpoints.
• Motion Graphics Animation and motion design for brand systems, including logo animations, digital interactions and multimedia content creation.
• Website Development Front-end and back-end website development, including responsive design, accessibility implementation and custom web applications.
• Illustration Custom illustration services for brand identities, working with in-house designers and partner illustrators to create unique visual assets.
• Collateral Design Design of marketing materials, packaging, print collateral, merchandise and other physical brand touchpoints.

Quantifiable outcome

• OnHand achieved 3x increase in inbound leads, 2x revenue growth, and 10x uplift in daily active users following rebrand
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ArnolfinicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Fiasco appointed to develop a new visual identity for Bristol's iconic Arnolfini cultural landmark. This represents a significant cultural partnership for the agency as they work to refresh the brand of one of Bristol's most important cultural institutions.
• Cellular Agriculture LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Fiasco partnered with Cellular Agriculture Ltd to develop a new brand identity and website for this pioneering startup in the cultivated protein industry. Cellular Agriculture is on a mission to make sustainable nutrition accessible through ethical, sustainable methods. Founded in 2016 by Illtud Dunsford and Prof. Marianne Ellis, the company is leading the way in the emerging field of cultivated protein.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ragged Edge: Ragged Edge is a London-based independent brand agency specializing in brand strategy and identity design. Comparable to Fiasco as a similarly-sized UK boutique focused on ambitious purpose-led and enterprise clients with a values-driven positioning.
• Mother Design: Mother Design is the design arm of Mother, a creative company offering brand and campaign creative. Comparable to Fiasco on creative-led brand work for ambitious and progressive consumer-facing brands with similar cultural positioning.
• Koto: Koto is an independent brand and digital agency with offices in London, New York, and Berlin. Comparable to Fiasco on integrated brand strategy and identity offerings targeting ambitious tech-forward clients, with a stronger international footprint.
• Studio Output: Studio Output is a Bristol-based creative agency offering brand, digital, and motion design. It is a highly relevant geographic and service peer to Fiasco, operating in the same local creative ecosystem and competing for overlapping talent and clients in the Southwest UK.
• Pentagram: Pentagram is the world's largest independently-owned design studio, offering brand strategy, identity design, and digital experiences across similar verticals. It is the most direct comparable to Fiasco's partner-led boutique model and serves as the benchmark independent creative firm.
• Saffron Brand Consultants: Saffron is a global brand consultancy delivering brand strategy, identity, and activation work. Comparable to Fiasco on strategic brand-led engagements with enterprise and purpose-driven clients, operating at a slightly larger scale.
• Moving Brands: Moving Brands is a London-headquartered brand and digital agency delivering brand strategy, identity, and digital experiences. Closely comparable to Fiasco on services, geographic base, and enterprise client profile with similar team-based operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Wieden+Kennedy: Wieden+Kennedy is a major global creative agency known for integrated brand and campaign work. Comparable to Fiasco on creative-led brand engagements but operates at materially larger scale and full-service scope across advertising, content, and brand.
• Landor & Fitch: Landor & Fitch is a global brand transformation consultancy and part of WPP, offering brand strategy, identity, and experience design at scale. Comparable to Fiasco on brand strategy but with significantly broader geographic reach and full-service offering.
• Superunion: Superunion is a global brand agency owned by WPP offering brand strategy, identity, and design services. Comparable to Fiasco on brand strategy offerings but operates as part of a larger holding-company network with broader geographic and service reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/fiasco-design
• Instagraminstagram.com/fiasco_design
• Xx.com/FiascoDesign

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Fiasco Design