Smart Design Group
Smart Design Group is a privately held global design firm headquartered in Vancouver that delivers integrated interior design, food service consulting, and brand experience services to airport operators, hospitality groups, automotive retailers, and restaurants across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Smart Design Group does
Smart Design Group is a privately held, full-service global design firm specializing in spatial, interior, and brand experience design with a signature 'sense of place' methodology that integrates local cultural elements and operational requirements into airports, restaurants, lounges, and retail environments. Headquartered in Vancouver, BC, the firm operates across North America (Canada, USA), Europe (UK, Norway), the Middle East (Qatar, UAE), and Asia (Japan), with stated presence from Vancouver to New York, London to Abu Dhabi. The company delivers an integrated suite of services spanning project management, interior design, food service consulting, graphic design, business and operations planning, marketing communications, multimedia development, and strategic positioning and brand development.
The firm's core technology is its cross-disciplinary design methodology rather than any proprietary software platform; the in-house 'Smart Food Service' sub-brand reflects specialized foodservice operations expertise. Notable client engagements include multi-project partnerships with airport concession operators Paradies Lagardère, HMSHost International, and Tastes on the Fly (Salt Lake City Airport retail concepts, Atlanta T-Concourse expansion, YVR Pacific Farms Market, Manchester Airport Amber Alehouse), as well as non-airport work for Plaza Premium Group (Air France lounge at Montréal-Trudeau), Porsche (Richmond Centre pop-up), OpenRoad Auto Group (dealership redesign), and various restaurant and education clients.
The business model is project-based professional services: revenue derives from design fees and consulting engagements negotiated individually by scope and complexity. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales, with projects secured through direct client engagement, competitive RFP processes, and strategic partnerships with major airport operators and hospitality groups. No pricing is publicly disclosed. The firm markets through a website portfolio with case studies, LinkedIn (~108K followers), and Instagram, with no consumer-facing distribution channels. No revenue, headcount, funding, or ownership data is publicly available.
Smart Design Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Smart Design Group
- Legal name
- Smart Design Group
- Website
- https://smartdesigngroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Smart Design Group is a privately held global design firm headquartered in Vancouver that delivers integrated interior design, food service consulting, and brand experience services to airport operators, hospitality groups, automotive retailers, and restaurants across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Smart Design Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Interior Design Services
- NAICS
- Interior Design Services (54141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA), Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)
Keywords
Where Smart Design Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Smart Design Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Design Consulting Services: The company generates revenue through professional design services including project management, interior design, food service consulting, graphic design, business planning, marketing communications, multimedia development, and strategic positioning and brand development. Revenue is project-based, derived from design fees and consulting engagements with airport operators, hospitality companies, and retail brands.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Smart Design Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Smart Design Group is a full-service global design firm specializing in spatial design, interior design, and brand experience design for airports, hospitality venues, and retail environments. The firm delivers an integrated suite of services spanning Project Management, Interior Design, Food Service Consulting, Graphic Design, Business & Operations Planning, Marketing Communications, Multimedia Development, and Strategic Positioning & Brand Development. Its defining approach is "sense of place" design, embedding local cultural and regional influences into functional commercial spaces such as airport terminals, lounges, restaurants, and automotive dealerships.
Product overview
Smart Design Group is a full-service global design firm operating from Vancouver to New York, London to Abu Dhabi. The company provides an integrated suite of design and consulting services including Interior Design, Food Service Consulting, Graphic Design, Project Management, Business & Operations Planning, Marketing Communications, Multimedia Development, and Strategic Positioning & Brand Development. Their portfolio spans airport retail and F&B concepts, restaurants, automotive dealerships, pop-up retail spaces, and commercial spaces, with a focus on creating sense-of-place experiences that connect people with physical environments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Smart Food Service: In-house food service design team specializing in foodservice operations, processes, flow, efficiencies, and applicable codes.
Companies that use Smart Design Group
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Smart Design Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Smart Design Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- OpenRoad Auto GroupminorPartnership with OpenRoad Auto Group led by OpenRoad, in tandem with Porsche, to create the Porsche NOW pop-up at Richmond Centre Mall. Smart Design Group 'envisaged a stunning and engaging pop-up' showcasing new electric vehicles.
- Tastes on the FlycoreSmart Design Group partnered with Tastes on the Fly, a San Francisco-based boutique airport operator, to design Pacific Farms Market at Vancouver International Airport. The market is based on the wildly successful approach of Napa Farms Market in SFO airport.
- Paradies LagardèrecorePartnership with Paradies Lagardère on multiple airport retail and F&B projects. Smart Design Group worked with Paradies as part of the HOK-designed Salt Lake City Airport project, unveiling 10 new retail concepts. Also awarded T-Concourse expansion for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport including Southern National Market, Vino Volo, and Tropical Smoothie Café.
- HMSHost InternationalcorePartnership with HMSHost International to develop Amber Alehouse gastropub at Manchester Airport, celebrating Mancunian culture with local craft beers. Smart Design Group was 'very proud to be part of this winning bid in partnership with HMSHost International and Manchester International Airport.'
- Marshall Retail GroupminorSmart Design Group worked with Marshall Retail Group, with Senior Vice President Roderick I. McOwan praising the relationship as 'based on understanding the client and what makes them tick.'
- Qatar Duty FreeminorSmart Design Group worked with Qatar Duty Free on food and beverage operations at Hamad International Airport, creating compelling experiences for international operators.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Smart Design Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- HOK: Global architecture firm with aviation and hospitality practices. Partnered with Paradies Lagardère and Smart Design Group on the Salt Lake City Airport project — competing as a prime design lead on the same airport capital programs.
- CallisonRTKL: Global architecture and design firm with deep retail and hospitality portfolios. A broader incumbent that frequently competes for airport retail/F&B design mandates alongside specialists like Smart Design Group.
- Benoy: International architecture, interior design, and masterplanning firm with significant retail, hospitality, and airport-adjacent work. Competes with Smart Design Group on terminal-adjacent retail and F&B design commissions across the Middle East, Asia, and UK.
- Gensler: Largest global architecture and design firm, with significant aviation, hospitality, and retail practices. Competes for major airport interior programs and concessions design where Smart Design Group operates.
- Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG): Long-established global hospitality architecture and interior design firm with deep airport hotel and resort portfolio. A larger incumbent that competes on the same airport hospitality programs as Smart Design Group but across a broader real estate footprint.
Direct peers
- Yabu Pushelberg: Toronto-based design studio known for luxury hotel, restaurant, and retail interiors globally. A direct competitor for high-end hospitality and brand experience projects in airports and urban retail, with comparable client roster.
- Rockwell Group: New York-based architecture and design firm specializing in hospitality, restaurant, and experiential interiors. Directly comparable to Smart Design Group in delivering sense-of-place restaurant, hotel, and entertainment environments for premium enterprise clients.
- AvroKO: Design firm focused on hospitality, restaurants, and hotels, with integrated brand strategy. Competes for the same airport, restaurant, and lounge projects as Smart Design Group with a similar end-to-end interior + brand methodology.
Others
- The Brand Union: Brand-led design consultancy with experience in hospitality and place branding. Adjacent to Smart Design Group's brand development and graphic design services, though operating at a more brand-strategy altitude.
- Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and experiential design firm. Comparable to Smart Design Group's brand experience and strategic positioning practice, particularly for airport lounges and concession brand identity work.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Smart Design Group social profiles
Digital presenceSmart Design Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Smart Design Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Smart Design Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Smart Design Group 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 Smart Design Group
What does Smart Design Group do?
Smart Design Group is a full-service global design firm specializing in spatial design, interior design, and brand experience design for airports, hospitality venues, and retail environments. The firm delivers an integrated suite of services spanning Project Management, Interior Design, Food Service Consulting, Graphic Design, Business & Operations Planning, Marketing Communications, Multimedia Development, and Strategic Positioning & Brand Development. Its defining approach is "sense of place" design, embedding local cultural and regional influences into functional commercial spaces such as airport terminals, lounges, restaurants, and automotive dealerships.
Is Smart Design Group a public or private company?
Smart Design Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Smart Design Group founded?
Smart Design Group was founded in 2000. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Smart Design Group based?
Smart Design Group is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Smart Design Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: design Consulting Services.
Who are Smart Design Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are HOK, CallisonRTKL, Benoy, Gensler and Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG). Direct peers are Yabu Pushelberg, Rockwell Group and AvroKO. Others are The Brand Union and Landor & Fitch.
Does Smart Design Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Smart Design Group.
What industry is Smart Design Group in?
Smart Design Group's product category is Interior Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54141.