Design Function

What Design Function does

Design Function, Inc. is a private, founder-held custom fabrication and design firm headquartered in Queensbury, New York. Founded in 2004 and operating for over 20 years, the company designs and builds commercial graphic products across four primary lines: trade show exhibits and displays, museum exhibits, environmental signage (exterior and interior), and interactive A/V displays, with a fifth catch-all category of bespoke "special projects" for unique client briefs. Its in-house technical capabilities span computer-aided cutting (CNC), wide format printing, wood and metal fabrication, graphic design, 3D design software, and integration of audio/video technology into physical displays, allowing end-to-end delivery from concept through fabrication under a single roof. The company also resells Classic Exhibits portable trade show systems alongside its custom fabrication, giving clients a hybrid choice between standardized portable configurations and fully bespoke modules.

The business operates on a project-based, quote-driven revenue model with no publicly disclosed pricing. It generates revenue primarily from custom fabrication services (project-based professional services) and one-time product sales of portable trade show display systems. Customers are reached through direct sales — a toll-free phone line, online contact form, and website portfolio galleries — with the company's primary geographic service area being the Northeast United States, though it has executed international projects including trade show booth builds in Basel, Switzerland for Lab Vantage Solutions. Its customer base is horizontally diversified across verticals including museums (National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Norman Rockwell Museum, Saratoga Auto Museum, Schenectady Planetarium, Adirondack Museum, America on Wheels Museum), consumer brands (Hasbro), healthcare (Albany Medical Center, HHHN), real estate (Connolly Homes, Broderick Real Estate), retail (Serotta Bicycles), marine (Tumblehome Boatshop), entertainment (Transformers travelling exhibition), and technology companies (Lab Vantage Solutions, Zehnder, Cost Control Associates).

The go-to-market motion is consultative, sales-led, and relationship-driven: project inquiries arrive via the website contact form (with category-specific dropdowns covering museum exhibits, interactive displays, portable trade show exhibits, custom modules, environmental signage, and graphics production) and the toll-free phone line. There are no disclosed distribution partners, resellers beyond the Classic Exhibits arrangement, or institutional backers. The company has no public funding, no M&A history, no patents or trademarks on record, and no disclosed regulatory or compliance certifications. Marketing relies on a portfolio-driven website (developed with Mannix Marketing) organized by service category, with no social media presence or content marketing beyond the site itself.

Name

Design Function

Legal name

Design Function, Inc.

Website

https://designfunction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Design Function is a Queensbury, NY-based custom fabrication firm designing and building trade show exhibits, museum displays, environmental signage, and interactive A/V installations for B2B clients in the Northeast US. It offers end-to-end in-house production spanning CNC cutting, wide-format printing, wood/metal fabrication, graphic design, and 3D design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Exhibit Fabrication

NAICS

Industrial Design Services (541420), Office Furniture (including Fixtures) Manufacturing (33721), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Fabrication & Scenic/Set Build (Custom Builds, Installations) (BPAFAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Custom Booth & Stand Design (Concept, 3D, Branding) (THAHAHAA), Event Signage, Props & Custom Installations (HSACAOAG), Trade Show & Exhibition Marketing (Booth Design/Build) (MPAAAGAC)

Keywords

• Custom trade show displays
• Museum exhibit fabrication
• Environmental signage design
• Interactive exhibit displays
• Custom fabrication services

Headquarters

HQ city

Queensbury

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Custom Fabrication Services: Design Function generates revenue through bespoke custom fabrication projects tailored to individual customer specifications for trade show displays, museum exhibits, signage, and special projects. Revenue is project-based and one-time per contract, with pricing based on complexity and scope.
2. Trade Show Display Products: Sale of portable trade show exhibit systems and displays, including standard portable configurations and custom modules. One-time product sales with potential for repeat purchases.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Design Function designs, fabricates, and installs custom commercial graphic products including trade show exhibits, museum displays, environmental signage, interactive audio/video displays, and special fabrication projects. The company combines in-house CNC cutting, wide format printing, wood and metal fabrication, graphic design, and 3D design software to deliver end-to-end design-to-fabrication services for businesses, museums, and organizations. They also distribute Classic Exhibits portable trade show systems alongside fully custom builds.

Product overview

Design Function offers a portfolio of display and fabrication services centered on trade show exhibits, museum exhibits, environmental signage, and interactive displays. The core offerings include Trade Show Displays (portable and custom modules with interactive technology), Museum Exhibits (educational experiences with modern technologies), Environmental Signage (exterior/interior custom signs), Interactive Displays (audio/video systems), and Special Projects (custom fabrication including tools, POP displays, and CNC/wide-format printing). These services work together to provide comprehensive display solutions from design through fabrication for trade shows, museums, and commercial environments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers20 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Cornell Cooperative Extension / Saratoga County District Attorneys OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced DWI prevention exhibits for public education outreach. Design Function fabricated the Broken Hearts and One Second exhibits designed to prevent drunk driving incidents, working with government/public institutions on educational awareness campaigns.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Yardley Graphics & Signs: Yardley Graphics is a regional fabricator of custom signs, exhibits, and graphics in the Northeast US. Comparable to Design Function's regional custom signage and exhibit fabrication services within an overlapping geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• BlueHive Exhibits: BlueHive Exhibits is a custom trade show exhibit house providing design, fabrication, and warehousing. Comparable to Design Function in custom modular and portable trade show displays for mid-market clients.
• Hamilton Exhibits: Hamilton Exhibits is a custom exhibit design and fabrication house serving trade shows, museums, and corporate environments. Highly comparable to Design Function's custom fabrication and museum exhibit offerings for B2B clients.
• Classic Exhibits: Classic Exhibits is a manufacturer of portable trade show displays and modular exhibit systems. Design Function is a direct reseller of Classic Exhibits portable products, making it a direct channel partner and the closest comparable in portable trade show offerings.
• EE&G Exhibits & Events: EE&G is a custom exhibit fabricator providing design, fabrication, and installation services for trade shows, museums, and corporate events. Directly comparable to Design Function across trade show and museum exhibit work.
• Visual Marking Systems: Visual Marking Systems manufactures custom signage, wayfinding, and environmental graphics for commercial and institutional clients. Comparable to Design Function's environmental signage and custom fabrication product line.

Broad incumbents

• Derse: Derse is a full-service exhibit and event marketing agency serving large B2B brands. Overlaps with Design Function's trade show display and custom fabrication business but at a much larger enterprise scale.
• Czarnowski Collective: Czarnowski is a large experiential marketing and exhibit fabrication firm serving global brands. Operates in the same custom exhibit and trade show space as Design Function but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Moss (formerly George P. Johnson): Moss designs and builds brand experiences, exhibits, and environments for large enterprises. A broad incumbent in the same experiential/exhibit fabrication space, with overlapping capabilities in custom trade show and signage fabrication.
• 3D Exhibits (Sparks): 3D Exhibits, now part of Sparks, designs and fabricates custom trade show exhibits and experiences for enterprise clients. Comparable in custom exhibit fabrication work, with broader experiential marketing capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Function