SDL
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersStockholm, Sweden
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
SDL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SDL
- Legal name
- Stockholm Design Lab Aktiebolag
- Website
- https://stockholmdesignlab.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where SDL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stockholm
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SDL business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Strategic Design Services: SDL generates revenue through providing strategic design and branding services to enterprise clients. Services include brand strategy, visual identity development, packaging systems, signage design, and comprehensive design programs for major brands and organizations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
SDL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SDL (Stockholm Design Lab) is an independent strategic design and branding agency that transforms brands and businesses through comprehensive design solutions. The firm offers brand strategy development, visual identity systems, packaging design, signage and wayfinding, and full-scale design programmes for major global enterprise clients across retail, automotive, aviation, culture, and sports.
Product overview
SDL (Stockholm Design Lab) is a strategic design and branding agency that transforms brands and businesses through strategic design solutions. The company operates as a full-service creative agency rather than a software product company, offering services across brand identity development, visual identity systems, packaging design, signage and wayfinding, digital design experiences, and brand strategy. SDL has worked with prominent global brands including IKEA, Polestar, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Haglöfs, The Nobel Prize, Nike, Adidas, Volvo Cars, and numerous others across sectors including retail, automotive, sports, hospitality, aviation, and cultural institutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Brand Strategy Strategic brand development consulting for global enterprise clients, focused on positioning, narrative, and long-term brand direction across multiple markets and touchpoints.
- Visual Identity Creation of logo systems, typography, color palettes, and comprehensive visual identity systems implemented across all brand touchpoints for global brands.
- Packaging Design Packaging system design for large product portfolios, including cost-efficient and environmentally conscious programmes (e.g., IKEA's 8000+ non-furniture products packaging system).
- Signage and Wayfinding Unifying design strategy for physical environments including signage, wayfinding, imagery, and brand manuals for airports, retail destinations, and healthcare facilities.
- Comprehensive Design Programmes Full-scale, multi-disciplinary design programmes spanning brand revitalization, digital and motion design, livery systems, and end-to-end brand transformation for enterprise clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Annual visitor numbers increased tenfold from 10,000 to 100,000 for Spritmuseum
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use SDL
Customer profileNamed customers23 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
SDL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SDL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- TEA (project partner)minorProject partner for Swedavia airport design project. TEA collaborated with SDL on signage, wayfinding and environmental design implementations.
- Brendan Austin (project partner)minorDesign collaborator on Swedavia airport design project.
- Felix Odell (project partner)minorDesign collaborator on Swedavia airport design project.
- Kalle Sanner (project partner)minorDesign collaborator on Swedavia airport design project.
- Mattias Jersild (project partner)minorDesign collaborator on Swedavia airport design project.
- Wang & Söderström (project partner)minorProject partner for Sveriges Television intro sequence project, specialized in digital and motion design.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SDL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and design firm within WPP, offering brand strategy, identity, and experience design for major enterprises. Operates at larger scale with broader service portfolio than SDL, but competes directly for marquee brand transformation mandates.
- Anomaly: Independent creative agency with strong brand identity and design capabilities alongside advertising and innovation work. Competes with SDL for brand transformation engagements while offering broader marketing and product capabilities.
- Wolff Olins: Global brand consultancy (part of Omnicom) specializing in brand strategy, identity, and experience for iconic clients. Directly comparable in delivering strategic brand transformations for large enterprise customers like SDL's IKEA and Volvo work.
Direct peers
- COLLINS: Independent brand and experience design firm working with Fortune 500 and cultural institution clients on identity, strategy, and digital. Directly comparable founder-led, design-first model serving premium global brands.
- Pentagram: Largest independent design consultancy, structured as a partnership of creative leaders delivering brand identity, packaging, and environmental design. Closely mirrors SDL's founder-led, multi-disciplinary brand strategy model at significantly larger scale.
- Mother Design: Design arm of the Mother creative collective, offering brand identity, packaging, and motion design for global brands. Comparable creative-led positioning with similar enterprise and cultural client portfolio.
- Moving Brands: Independent, founder-led brand design consultancy with studios in London, San Francisco, and Zurich. Comparable in size, philosophy, and enterprise client focus, and a direct competitor for premium strategic identity engagements.
- Manual: Independent brand and design agency with offices in San Francisco, London, and New York, focused on enterprise brand strategy and identity. Comparable positioning as a design-led partner for ambitious global brands.
- Studio Dumbar: Dutch independent design studio with 30+ year heritage in visual identity, packaging, and motion design for cultural and commercial clients. Comparable boutique, founder-led European design firm competing for similar premium identity mandates.
- Lippincott: Brand strategy and design firm focused on corporate identity, with comparable founder-era heritage and enterprise brand transformation projects. Direct competitor for strategic brand mandates in the same premium segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SDL social profiles
Digital presenceSDL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SDL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
SDL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SDL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SDL
What does SDL do?
SDL (Stockholm Design Lab) is an independent strategic design and branding agency that transforms brands and businesses through comprehensive design solutions. The firm offers brand strategy development, visual identity systems, packaging design, signage and wayfinding, and full-scale design programmes for major global enterprise clients across retail, automotive, aviation, culture, and sports.
Is SDL a public or private company?
SDL is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SDL founded?
SDL was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SDL based?
SDL is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does SDL make money?
One revenue line is on record: strategic Design Services.
Who are SDL's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Landor & Fitch, Anomaly and Wolff Olins. Direct peers are COLLINS, Pentagram, Mother Design, Moving Brands, Manual, Studio Dumbar and Lippincott.
Does SDL have an API?
No public API is recorded for SDL.