Impuls Design

What Impuls Design does

Impuls-Design GmbH is a privately held German exhibition design studio founded in 1988 by Oliver Gies (ethnologist) and Peter Zeiss (fine precision engineer), headquartered in Erlangen with additional offices in Hamburg and Lochau, Austria. The firm conceptualizes, plans, and produces permanent, traveling, and special exhibitions, experience worlds, visitor centers, and themed outdoor trails for a client base composed almost entirely of German public-sector and nonprofit organizations—state and municipal museums, memorial sites, national park centers, science museums, religious congregations, and city tourism departments. Its portfolio includes marquee engagements such as the Deutsches Museum Nürnberg 'Prototypen' traveling exhibition, KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau's 'Dachauer Prozesse' special exhibition, the Imperial Regalia installation at Stadtmuseum Fembo-Haus, the 2,800 m² Nationalpark-Zentrum Königsstuhl revitalization, and the award-winning Holzknechtmuseum Ruhpolding (Bayerischer Museumspreis 2023).

The firm's service offering covers the full project lifecycle from concept sketches and feasibility studies through spatial and graphic design to construction supervision and media production (mediaguides, AR apps, projection mapping, animation films, hands-on exhibits). Delivery is executed by a multidisciplinary in-house team of architects, interior architects, product, communication and graphic designers, a fine mechanics engineer, and an ethnologist—a composition that allows Impuls Design to combine spatial storytelling, technical fabrication, and ethnographic audience research within a single studio. Accessibility and inclusion (Braille, tactile models, sign language, multi-language mediaguides) are embedded across recent projects, including the 2024 Museum Friedland 'Shelter' exhibition delivered in six equal languages.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services contracts negotiated directly with public-sector and nonprofit clients; pricing is not publicly disclosed and there is no digital self-serve, product, or SaaS component. The firm is founder-operated with two additional managing shareholders, has no external institutional investors or funding rounds on record, and maintains no subsidiaries or parent entities. Marketing is conducted through a portfolio website, industry awards, and referral-driven procurement relationships within the German museum and cultural sector.

Name

Impuls Design

Legal name

Impuls-Design GmbH

Website

https://impuls-design.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Impuls-Design GmbH is a German exhibition design studio (founded 1988, Erlangen) that conceives, plans, and produces permanent and traveling exhibitions, visitor centers, and themed trails for museums, memorial sites, national parks, and religious institutions across the DACH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Exhibition Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Design, Decor & Styling (HSACAAAB), Event Theming, Mood Boards & Concept Design (HSACAOAH), Environmental & Experiential Brand Design (Retail/Exhibit/Signage) (MPAAAEAG)

Keywords

• Exhibition design
• Museum design
• Visitor center planning
• Experience world design
• Interactive exhibit development

Headquarters

HQ city

Erlangen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exhibition Design Services: Project-based professional services for designing and realizing exhibitions, experience worlds, visitor centers, themed trails, and outdoor experiences. Revenue is generated through client contracts for design conception, planning, and execution supervision from initial idea to final realization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Impuls Design is a German exhibition design studio that conceptualizes, plans, and produces exhibitions, immersive experience worlds (Erlebniswelten), visitor centers, and themed outdoor trails (Themenwege) for museums, cultural institutions, natural parks, science centers, religious institutions, and municipalities. The studio delivers full-service exhibition projects from initial concept and feasibility study through spatial and graphic design, media and film production, hands-on exhibit development, and on-site construction supervision, integrating multimedia, AR applications, projection mapping, and accessibility features into physical spatial designs.

Product overview

Impuls Design is an exhibition design studio that offers comprehensive services for creating exhibitions, experience worlds, visitor centers, and themed trails. The core offering consists of full-service exhibition design from concept to realization, including spatial design, media production, graphic design, and interactive exhibit development. Their portfolio spans museums, natural/scientific centers, memorial sites, cultural institutions, and outdoor experience facilities across Germany. The company provides these services through all project phases from initial concept sketch to finished exhibition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ausstellungen (Exhibitions) Design and realization of permanent, traveling, and special exhibitions for museums and cultural institutions, featuring emotional and interactive design elements including multimedia and hands-on exhibits.
• Erlebniswelten (Experience Worlds) Creation of immersive experience spaces that tell stories, convey content, and transform themes into multi-sensory experiences for visitors.
• Besucherzentren (Visitor Centers) Design and planning of visitor centers for national parks, nature reserves, and cultural sites, integrating exhibitions with visitor services.
• Themenwege (Themed Trails) Outdoor experience paths and thematic routes with interactive stations and digital companion applications, ranging from 3.5 km to 18+ km in length.
• Grafik- und Screendesign (Graphic and Screen Design) Graphic and screen design services for exhibitions, including signage, wayfinding systems, exhibition texts, and visual communication design.
• Medienproduktion (Media Production) Production of scripts for films and audio productions, animation films, and interactive media stations including audioguides and mediaguides for exhibitions.
• Hands-on-Exponate (Interactive Exhibits) Development of interactive hands-on exhibits and experiential elements for visitor engagement within exhibitions and visitor centers.
• Konzept- und Machbarkeitsstudien (Concept and Feasibility Studies) Concept development and feasibility studies for exhibition and experience projects, including evaluation of spatial, technical, and content feasibility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Holzknechtmuseum awarded Bayerischer Museumspreis 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 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

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Polyform Industrie Design: Hamburg-based studio doing product, brand, and exhibit/interior design. Comparable in design discipline mix but focused more on product and corporate brand environments than pure museum exhibition work.
• Heim & Bürki Büro für Gestaltung: Zurich-based studio for exhibition and graphic design serving Swiss museums and cultural institutions. Comparable offering in a neighboring DACH market with similar public-sector client base.

Direct peers

• jangled nerves: Stuttgart-based studio specializing in exhibition design, scenography, and spatial storytelling for museums and cultural institutions. Comparable in offering (exhibition conception to realization) and in DACH market positioning.
• Atelier Brückner: Stuttgart-based exhibition and experience design studio working with museums, science centers, and brand worlds across Europe. Closest direct peer in scale, customer base (cultural/public-sector), and design-led delivery model.
• Milla & Partner: Stuttgart studio producing exhibitions, brand worlds, and events for cultural and corporate clients. Comparable in mix of permanent exhibitions, brand spaces, and immersive experiences.
• KMS Team: Munich-based design agency combining brand, communication, and exhibition/space design. Overlaps with Impuls Design on cultural and corporate exhibition work and shares a multidisciplinary team model.

Broad incumbents

• Ralph Appelbaum Associates: Global leader in museum and exhibition design, headquartered in London/New York. A larger incumbent with overlapping capability in narrative-driven museum and visitor center design; relevant competitor on international tenders.
• MUTABOR: Hamburg-based multidisciplinary design house covering brand, spatial, and experience design. Broader scope than Impuls Design but overlaps on spatial/exhibition design for cultural and corporate clients.

Emerging players

• Facts & Fiction: Cologne-based agency working on brand experiences, exhibitions, and live communication. Partial overlap with Impuls Design on cultural and corporate experience design projects in Germany.
• design people: German design agency active in exhibition, product, and communication design. Less specialized in large-scale museum work than Impuls Design but competes in adjacent exhibition/communication projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100063812732363
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/impuls-design-gmb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Impuls Design