Belle & Wissell

What Belle & Wissell does

Belle & Wissell, Co. is a Seattle-based experiential design studio founded in 2003 by designer Gabe Kean, operating as a privately held boutique B2B professional services firm with 1-10 employees. The studio designs and builds immersive media installations, technology-rich interactive exhibits, brand story environments, experiential websites, custom CMS solutions, and original film/animation/soundscape content for cultural institutions, major corporations, and public spaces. Notable clients include Amazon (Understory at The Spheres, HQ2 Visitor Landing in Arlington VA), Microsoft (Interactive Storyworld at Envisioning Center), the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, SFMOMA, the Art Institute of Chicago, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Symphony (Octave 9), Harley-Davidson Museum, the Space Needle, the University of Washington, and the J. Paul Getty Museum.

The studio's core technology stack combines custom software development (proprietary CMS, real-time physics engine, WebGL particle systems, generative visual effects engine) with design, filmmaking, animation, and environmental graphic design to deliver interactive multi-touch experiences, responsive interfaces, and physical-digital integrations. Named flagship products include the Octave 9 Immersive Canvas (generative visual accompaniment for live music), JourneyMaker (personalized museum adventure system), the SFMOMA Eyes-Free accessibility mode, the Tribute Wall at UW's Gates Center, and the SkyPad Interactive Wall at the Space Needle. The firm operates from its headquarters at The Scientific Building in Seattle (122 S. Jackson Street) with expanded prototyping and fabrication facilities at the Oxbow compound in Georgetown, a cross-disciplinary arts space developed in partnership with exhibit fabricator Lockwood & Sons.

Belle & Wissell generates revenue through custom, project-based commissions with non-standard pricing determined by scope and complexity, and new business is sourced through direct client relationships, founder-led outreach (Gabe Kean), industry referrals, and a steady cadence of award-recognized work across two decades. The studio sells primarily into three verticals: museums and cultural institutions, corporate and brand environments, and universities and educational institutions. A sub-brand, Belle & Wissell Editions, produces limited-edition publishing and creative goods as a secondary revenue stream. The firm is founder-owned with no disclosed external investment, no subsidiaries, and no acquisition history.

Name

Belle & Wissell

Legal name

Belle & Wissell, Co.

Website

https://bwco.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Belle & Wissell is a Seattle-based, founder-owned experiential design studio founded in 2003 that designs immersive media installations, interactive exhibits, and brand story environments for museums, major corporations, and public spaces using custom software, generative visuals, and cross-disciplinary creative teams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interpretation, Captioning & Accessibility Services (Live Translation, ASL, WCAG) (THAHAOAL)

Keywords

• Experiential design services
• Interactive exhibit design
• Immersive media installations
• Brand story environments
• Custom content management systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

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. Experiential Design Services: Belle & Wissell generates revenue through custom experiential design projects for museums, cultural institutions, corporations, and public spaces. Projects include immersive media installations, technology-rich interpretive exhibits, brand story environments, experiential websites, filmmaking, animation, and soundscapes, and content development and management strategies. Revenue is project-based with client commissions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Belle & Wissell is an experiential design studio that designs and builds custom immersive media installations, technology-rich interpretive exhibits, brand story environments, and experiential websites for museums, cultural institutions, corporations, and educational institutions. Services span experience and exhibition design, experience prototyping, digital strategy, custom software and CMS development, responsive interfaces, environmental graphic design, filmmaking, animation, motion graphics, generative audio soundscapes, and visitor experience planning. Revenue is generated through project-based commissions with enterprise cultural and corporate clients.

Product overview

Belle & Wissell is a Seattle-based experiential design studio offering a portfolio of project-based service offerings rather than a unified software product. Their core capabilities include immersive media installations, technology-rich interactive exhibits, brand story environments, experiential websites, filmmaking and animation, and custom CMS development. Key named projects include Octave 9 Immersive Canvas for Seattle Symphony, JourneyMaker personalization system for Art Institute of Chicago, Understory at Amazon's Spheres, SkyPad Interactive Wall for Space Needle, SFMOMA Eyes-Free accessibility mode, Harley-Davidson Story Engines kiosk system, and the Foster School digital wayfinding system. The studio also operates Belle & Wissell Editions as a publishing sub-brand for limited edition artistic publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Belle & Wissell Editions: Publishing arm of the studio producing limited-edition books, records, and creative works including 'Too Far Gone' with Todd Blubaugh and Gingo Press, and 'R.H. Wissell's Lost Recordings' experimental record project

Products and services

• Media Experiences Immersive media installations for museums, cultural institutions, and corporate environments, including video walls, interactive displays, and responsive environments.
• Interactive Exhibits Technology-rich interpretive exhibits featuring touchscreens, touchtables, motion sensors, and physical-digital interactions for educational and cultural venues.
• Brand Story Environments Branded experiential environments that communicate company narratives through integrated media, physical design, and interactive storytelling.
• Experiential Websites Web-based interactive experiences combining animation, video, and user interaction for digital storytelling.
• Filmmaking, Animation, and Soundscapes Original film production, motion graphics, animation, and audio design for exhibition and brand applications.
• Custom CMS Development Custom content management system development enabling clients to update and manage exhibit content independently.
• Octave 9 Immersive Canvas Visual accompaniment system for Seattle Symphony's experimental music venue, featuring over 30 generative visual effects that respond to live instrumentation.
• JourneyMaker Personalized art museum adventure system for the Art Institute of Chicago, allowing visitors to create custom tours through the collection.
• Understory at The Spheres Immersive media experience at Amazon's Spheres facility showcasing the company's world-class botanical collection.
• SFMOMA Eyes-Free Mode Interactive audio-rich experience for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art enabling visually impaired visitors to explore artwork; the first eyes-free mode in an American museum.
• Digital ID System (SAM/SAAM) Digital guide system serving both Seattle Art Museum and Seattle Asian Art Museum with touchless pandemic-safe mode.
• Tribute Wall Interactive video wall at UW's Bill & Melinda Gates Center featuring motion sensor-triggered story cards about computer science and engineering.
• SkyPad Interactive Wall Interactive wall experience for Space Needle's observation deck featuring touch-responsive content and generative media.
• Wish Experience Center Visitor experience for Make-A-Wish National Headquarters featuring Legacy Timeline and Digital Wish Wall visualizations.
• Harley-Davidson Story Engines Seven-unit touchscreen kiosk system at Harley-Davidson Museum with scrapbook functionality, documentary films, timelines, and oral histories.
• NMAAHC Digital Donor Experience Data-driven donor visualization system for National Museum of African American History and Culture featuring interactive quilt display.
• RadioEight Experimental web experience presenting subconscious dreams of children worldwide using 3D simulation, particle systems (WebGL), and dynamic soundtrack.
• Foster School Digital Wayfinding Interactive building directory, multiplex display system, Twitter feed interactive, and digital donor program for UW Foster School of Business.
• Conservation Field House Interactive tiger conservation exhibit for Woodland Park Zoo featuring media installation and tablet stations with quiz and pledge activities.
• Belle & Wissell Editions Studio's publishing arm producing limited edition books, records, and artistic publications including Too Far Gone travelogue and R.H. Wissell's Lost Recordings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Communication Arts Interactive Annuals Awards of Excellence 2025, 2021, 2018, 2017, 2013, 2011, 2007, 2006
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• StimulantcoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaborated on the NMAAHC Digital Donor Experience where Stimulant served as project and technology lead. Belle & Wissell worked closely with Stimulant's team including Project Lead Darren David and Project Manager Julie Yamato to deliver the data-driven donor recognition system.
• Lockwood & SonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelle & Wissell partnered with exhibit fabricator Lockwood & Sons to create Oxbow—a cross-disciplinary arts compound in Georgetown. The partnership involves adaptive reuse of historic buildings for studio, fabrication, and exhibition space. Lockwood & Sons operates their fabrication shop within the Oxbow compound.
• LMN ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborated on the UW Foster School of Business digital wayfinding system. LMN Architects evolved the challenging spaces into ones well-suited for modern business school needs. Also collaborated on Octave 9 at Seattle Symphony.
• Meyer SoundsupportingTechnology or IntegrationProvided audio technology and expertise for Octave 9 at Seattle Symphony, delivering immersive sound quality for the experimental music venue.
• Jaffe HoldensupportingTechnology or IntegrationAcoustic engineers providing expertise for Octave 9 at Seattle Symphony, contributing to the immersive sound quality of the experimental venue.
• Studio MatthewssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner on the Understory experience at Amazon Spheres. Contributed to the immersive media experience showcasing Amazon's botanical collection.
• AVI-SPLsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerA/V integrator partner on multiple projects including Understory at Amazon Spheres and T-Mobile 5G & Me Innovation Center. Handles installation of audio-visual technology components.
• YCD MultimediasupportingTechnology or IntegrationProject partner on Understory at Amazon Spheres, providing multimedia technology solutions for the immersive visitor experience.
• Planar Systems, Inc.supportingTechnology or IntegrationProject partner on Understory at Amazon Spheres, providing display technology for the immersive media experience.
• Fantagraphics BookssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Beasts! exhibition—a show of hidden creatures developed with Fantagraphics and Born Presents, featuring work from 90 artists and 5 writers.
• Born Presents / Born MagazinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaborative relationship on experimental publishing and art projects including Born Presents 417 • 903, RadioEight, Beasts! exhibition, and various storytelling artworks. Born Magazine's mission involves bringing together people with diverse backgrounds to create storytelling artworks.
• GenslersupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitectural design partner on the Bob Hope USO interactive experience at LAX, providing architectural design services for the renovated facility.
• DCC ExperiencesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on R.H. Wissell's Lost Recordings experimental record project, working with producers Steve Fisk, William Ronan, and composer Wayne Horvitz on this Belle & Wissell Editions release.
• NBBJsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture and design firm partner on Understory at Amazon Spheres project, contributing to the design of the immersive botanical experience.
• Graham Baba AssociatessupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm partner on Understory at Amazon Spheres project.
• WorksBureausupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture partner with Belle & Wissell on the Make-A-Wish National Headquarters Wish Experience Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ESI Design (NBBJ Experience): Experience strategy and design group within NBBJ operating at larger scale in museum, corporate, and civic experience design; broader incumbent with overlapping cultural-institution client work.
• Moment Factory: Montreal-based multimedia entertainment studio with global scale producing immersive installations; broader incumbent that competes for the same large-scale multimedia experience commissions.

Others

• AVI-SPL: Large AV systems integrator that has partnered with Belle & Wissell on corporate projects including Understory; serves as an implementation/integration partner rather than direct creative competitor.
• Planar Systems: Display technology provider that has partnered with Belle & Wissell on Understory at Amazon Spheres; adjacent ecosystem participant supplying the physical display infrastructure for immersive installations.

Direct peers

• C&G Partners: Design firm specializing in branded environments, exhibits, and wayfinding for museums, universities, and corporate campuses; directly comparable in the brand-and-exhibit storytelling space.
• Second Story (now part of Adobe): Portland/Atlanta-based experiential design studio historically focused on museum interactives and brand experiences; absorbed into Adobe's immersive offerings but remains a benchmark peer.
• Local Projects: New York studio specializing in interactive museum installations and interpretive media experiences; directly comparable for cultural-institution and public-space interactive commissions.
• Night Kitchen Interactive: Philadelphia-based interactive media studio known for museum web and exhibit experiences; comparable for cultural-institution digital storytelling and visitor engagement work.
• Stimulant: San Francisco-based experiential design and interactive studio that partnered with Belle & Wissell on the NMAAHC Digital Donor Experience; competes for similar museum and corporate digital-experience engagements.

Emerging players

• Riverwalk Studio / Leviathan: Chicago-based creative technology and experience studio with growing museum and corporate experience practice; emerging competitor overlapping with Belle & Wissell's interactive and projection work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BelleandWissell
• YouTubevimeo.com/belleandwissell
• Facebookfacebook.com/belleandwissell
• Instagraminstagram.com/belleandwissell

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Belle & Wissell