SHINE

What SHINE does

SHINE (legal name: The SHINE Agency) is an independent, Glasgow-based design and digital studio founded in 1999, operating from 226 St Vincent Street and serving clients across Scotland and the wider United Kingdom. The firm delivers bespoke creative projects across four interconnected service lines: Strategy (brand strategy, positioning, naming, messaging), Branding (visual identity, logos, colour systems, brand guidelines), Digital (website design and development), and Design (print, environmental, and packaging design). Technology underpinning the digital practice is a conventional WordPress-based web development stack using PHP and Python; there are no proprietary software products, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed. The business model is project-based professional services, with custom quotes per scope and no publicly disclosed pricing.

The client base skews toward Scottish hospitality and heritage venues (Balmoral Arms, Dalhousie Castle, Cawdor Castle, The Torridon, Orroland Estate, Bowfield Hotel & Spa, Cairndale), with additional work in property (Turnberry Homes), events (Paisley Alive Festival, Edinburgh Corn Exchange), industrial (The Green Group, Buchan Guns), transport (The Green Bus), and the voluntary sector (Charity Leadership Scotland). Recent case studies (2025-2026) indicate diversification into green energy (Exergy3) and funeral services (Little's Funeral Service). Outcomes reported by SHINE on completed projects include a 143% lift in user engagement for House for an Art Lover, 29% more users and nearly 10,000 online ticket purchases in three months for Cawdor Castle, and 100+ enquiries plus 11% YoY traffic growth for Turnberry Homes.

Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: a 1-10 person senior team led by Managing Director Craig Mackie engages clients directly through the website portfolio, detailed case studies, LinkedIn and Instagram presence, blog content, and earned credibility via Scottish Design Awards (including a 2023 Gold in Design Craft for Buchan Guns and 2022 and 2023 Brand Identity nominations). The firm has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no external funding rounds, and no recorded M&A activity.

Name

SHINE

Legal name

The SHINE Agency

Website

https://theshineagency.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SHINE is an independent Glasgow-based design and digital studio founded in 1999, delivering bespoke branding, website, and strategy projects for hospitality, heritage, property, and emerging energy-sector clients across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Design and Digital Agency Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

Keywords

• Brand identity design
• Web design development
• Creative strategy services
• Visual design services
• Digital marketing design

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Design and Digital Services: Project-based professional services for branding, digital design, web development, and strategy. Services are delivered collaboratively with clients across the project lifecycle from discovery to deployment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SHINE is a Glasgow-based design and digital agency that delivers project-based creative services to businesses across the UK. The studio offers four integrated disciplines: Strategy (brand strategy, positioning, naming, messaging), Branding (visual identity, logos, color palettes, brand guidelines), Digital (website design and development on WordPress, PHP, and Python), and Design (print, environmental, and packaging design). Services are delivered through a collaborative client engagement process from discovery to deployment, with each project tailored to the client's brand and digital objectives.

Product overview

SHINE is a Glasgow-based design and digital studio offering integrated creative services. The company provides four interconnected service areas: Strategy (brand strategy, positioning, naming, messaging), Branding (visual identity and brand development), Digital (website design and development), and Design (print, environmental, and packaging design). Rather than a modular software product, SHINE delivers bespoke creative projects through collaborative client engagements, combining these disciplines to deliver comprehensive brand identities and digital experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy Services
• Branding Services
• Digital Services
• Design Services

Quantifiable outcome

• House for an Art Lover website: User Engagement up 143%, Page Views up 104%, Conversions up 80%, Sales up 25%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Code Computerlove: UK digital experience agency delivering design, technology, and strategy-led digital products. Comparable as a similarly positioned UK studio with overlapping digital and design capabilities.
• Carter Wong: London-based brand design consultancy providing brand identity, graphic design, and digital services. Comparable in service mix, with similar boutique positioning.
• Whitespace: Edinburgh-headquartered design and brand consultancy providing brand strategy, identity, and digital services. Closely comparable in size, geography, and integrated service model.
• MadeBrave: Glasgow-based creative and digital agency offering branding, design, and digital strategy. Directly comparable as a similarly sized Scottish full-service creative studio serving B2C brands.
• HemingwayDesign: UK-based independent design agency delivering branding, packaging, and digital design. Comparable boutique creative agency with shared focus on brand identity and craft-led design.
• Think Studio: Edinburgh/Glasgow creative studio offering branding, digital, and design services. Comparable Scottish boutique agency with a similar client mix and four-pillar offering.
• Baxter & Bailey: Independent London design agency offering brand identity, digital design, and strategy. Closely comparable boutique brand and design studio with a senior-led engagement model.

Broad incumbents

• Pentagram: Global independent design consultancy operating across branding, digital, and strategy. Overlaps heavily with SHINE's offering but at a much larger scale and with international reach.
• Sumo Digital (now Supermassive/Liquid merged into Kin+Carta): Large UK-headquartered digital transformation consultancy covering design, digital platforms, and strategy. Represents the scaled incumbent end of the spectrum SHINE operates in.
• Wolff Olins: Global brand and design consultancy with a strong heritage in brand strategy and identity. Competes for similar brand-identity engagements at the upper end of the market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-shine-agency
• Instagraminstagram.com/theshineagency
• Xx.com/theshineagency
• Facebookfacebook.com/theshineagency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 SHINE