What Design Portfolio does

Design Portfolio is a London-headquartered corporate communications agency and sustainability consultancy founded in 1991, operating as part of the Encompass Agency Group alongside Ever Sustainable and Kalago Digital. The firm provides an integrated suite of professional services to listed and large private companies, including annual report design and production, digital summary reports optimized for AI consumption, corporate website design and build (using Umbraco CMS), investor presentations, employee experience communications, brand identity, video production, and ESG/sustainability advisory through its Ever Sustainable sub-brand. Its underlying technology stack centers on HTML-based report production with JSON-LD schema markup for machine-readability, a proprietary Audience Intelligence Platform applying predictive analytics to anonymous website traffic, and AI-assisted workflows for content drafting, regulatory scanning, image generation (DALL-E, Adobe Firefly, Canva), and embedded reporting-suite chatbots. The company holds ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications.

The firm serves FTSE 100, FTSE 250, AIM-listed, and large private companies (named clients include Britvic, Balfour Beatty, Whitbread, Mondi, Kier Group, Flutter Entertainment, Hollywood Bowl Group, Vanquis, and Yorkshire Cancer Research), as well as charities. It is an official partner of the London Stock Exchange Marketplace and a Workiva design agency partner. Go-to-market is sales-led and consultative, with project-based engagements, and the firm has accumulated multiple industry awards including Small Agency of the Year (2023), European IR Magazine Best Annual Report Mid-Cap (three consecutive years with Balfour Beatty), and The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025. The company employs 101–250 staff across London and Leeds offices and is privately held with no disclosed venture funding.

Name

Design Portfolio

Legal name

The Design Portfolio Marketing Services Limited

Website

https://design-portfolio.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Design Portfolio is a London-based corporate communications agency and sustainability consultancy founded in 1991, serving FTSE 100, FTSE 250, AIM, and large private companies with annual reporting, digital, brand, and ESG advisory services across its London and Leeds offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Communications Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Brand Architecture & Portfolio Strategy (BPAFAEAE)

Keywords

• Corporate communications services
• Annual report design
• Sustainability reporting
• Investor relations communications
• Corporate brand services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Communications Services: Professional services revenue from corporate communications agency services including annual report design, sustainability reporting, digital transformation, brand development, employee experience, video production, and investor presentations. Project-based engagements with listed companies and large private businesses.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Design Portfolio is a corporate communications agency and sustainability consultancy that helps listed and large private companies build trust with stakeholders through creative storytelling and integrated communications. The firm delivers annual report design, sustainability and ESG reporting, digital corporate websites, investor presentations, video production, employee experience programmes, and brand identity services for FTSE 100, FTSE 250, and AIM-listed clients.

Product overview

Design Portfolio is a corporate communications agency and sustainability consultancy operating as part of Encompass Agency Group. The company offers an integrated suite of professional services: Digital (corporate websites, IR sites, IPO communications, Umbraco development), Reporting (annual reports, digital summary reports, sustainability reporting, Workiva partnership), Sustainability/Ever Sustainable (ESG consultancy, TCFD, CSRD navigation), Employee Experience (internal communications), Presentations (investor presentations), Video (annual report videos, storytelling content), and Brand (corporate identity design). The company also offers proprietary tools including an Audience Intelligence Platform that transforms anonymous visitor data into company-level insights using predictive analytics. Key differentiators include machine-readable reporting optimization with schema markup (JSON-LD) for AI citation accuracy, and multi-format digital reporting including Year in Review microsites and Digital Summary Reports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Services Corporate website design and build services including investor relations websites, IPO communications consultancy, and Umbraco CMS development, creating secure, responsive digital platforms optimised for human users and AI systems. Targeted at FTSE and AIM-listed companies.
• Reporting Annual report design and production, digital summary reports, sustainability reporting, and integrated corporate reporting solutions, including Workiva platform partnership for financial reporting. Designed for FTSE and AIM-listed companies and large private firms.
• Sustainability (Ever Sustainable) ESG and sustainability consultancy services including sustainability reporting, TCFD navigation, CSRD compliance, and strategic sustainability communication for listed companies, large private companies, and charities.
• Employee Experience Internal communications strategy and content creation to engage employees with corporate messaging, values, and organisational storytelling. Targeted at corporate clients needing employee engagement programmes.
• Presentations Investor presentation design and development applying investor deck thinking principles to create clear, concise visual narratives for stakeholder communication.
• Video Video production including annual report summary videos, performance highlight videos, and employee storytelling content that brings corporate narratives to life through motion and visual storytelling.
• Brand Corporate brand identity design and development, creating distinctive visual identities that capture brand essence and support stakeholder engagement.
• Digital Summary Reports (DSR) Concise, interactive online annual report format offering highlights and signposts to full documents, optimised for AI citation accuracy (3.05x more frequently cited than PDF-only reports) and machine-readable format using schema markup (JSON-LD).
• Year in Review Microsite Multi-page digital microsite format that transforms key annual report content into structured, HTML-based accessible format, improving AI interpretation accuracy and providing measurable engagement analytics.
• Audience Intelligence Platform Proprietary platform that transforms anonymous website visitor data into real company names, helping clients understand how audiences engage with reporting content using predictive analytics and advanced algorithms.
• Sustainability Governance and Assurance Advisory Advisory services on embedding sustainability into governance structures and preparing for assurance requirements under CSRD, ISSB standards, and TCFD frameworks.

Quantifiable outcome

• 54% increase in views in first seven days for FTSE 250 Year in Review microsites
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability12 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• London Stock ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign Portfolio is a proud partner of the London Stock Exchange Marketplace, providing issuer services and corporate communications support to listed companies on the LSE.
• Encompass Agency GroupcoreOthersDesign Portfolio is part of Encompass Agency Group, which also includes Ever Sustainable (sustainability consultancy) and Kalago Digital.
• Ever SustainablecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability consultancy brand operating under Encompass Agency Group. Provides ESG strategy, sustainability reporting, and governance services integrated with Design Portfolio's corporate communications offerings.
• QCA (Quoted Companies Alliance)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with QCA for reporting advice workshops and governance guidance for AIM and small-cap companies.
• Aston UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration with MSc Strategic Marketing Management student for business projects and marketing strategy research. Student awarded First class for strategic recommendations that fed into internal planning.
• Warwick Business SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with undergraduate finance students on expectations for future annual reports and corporate reporting trends.
• Yorkshire Cancer ResearchminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCharity partnership delivering annual report services locally through the Leeds office. Collaboration celebrating the charity's 100th anniversary with impactful reporting.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Black Sun (SEC Newgate): UK specialist in annual report design, IR communications and corporate reporting. Direct competitor serving many of the same FTSE and large-cap clients with overlapping annual-report and ESG-reporting mandates.
• Instinctif Partners: UK-headquartered corporate communications and capital markets advisory firm with strong IR, ESG and reporting practices. Comparable in serving listed UK and European clients with integrated communications mandates.
• Powerscourt Group: London financial and corporate communications firm with dedicated IR, ESG and reporting capabilities. Direct peer for FTSE investor communications, annual-report work and sustainability advisory.
• MHP Communications: Part of Omnicom, UK-focused strategic communications consultancy with strong IR and corporate reporting practice. Direct competitor for FTSE reporting and ESG engagements.
• Lansons Communications: London-based reputation, investor and corporate communications consultancy. Comparable target market (FTSE/listed companies) and overlapping service lines in stakeholder communications and ESG.
• Tavistock Communications: UK financial and corporate communications agency focused on listed and growth companies. Comparable in serving AIM and main-market clients with IR, media and ESG advisory work.
• Headland Consultancy: London-based corporate, financial and political communications consultancy. Comparable in serving large UK listed companies with investor, media and stakeholder communications mandates.
• Maitland (AMO): London-based strategic communications and advisory firm with capital-markets and corporate communications practices. Comparable in serving UK-listed clients with IR, ESG and stakeholder communications.

Broad incumbents

• Brunswick Group: Global advisory firm with deep corporate communications, IR and ESG practices. Overlaps with Design Portfolio at the top end of the FTSE but offers broader M&A, crisis and geopolitical advisory.
• FTI Consulting: Global advisory firm with a Corporate Communications segment serving listed and large private clients. Comparable in investor communications, ESG advisory and reporting, but with much wider service breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/design-portfolio
• Xx.com/WeAre_DP

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Design Portfolio