Better Design
Better Design is a UK-based, founder-led boutique software development agency with London strategy and Zimbabwe delivery, offering custom software, app development, design, infrastructure, and fractional CTO/CPO services to startups and large enterprises.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Better Design does
Better Design (trading as Better Design Digital) is a boutique UK-registered software development and offshore solutions agency founded by Chris Addams. The firm operates a dual-location model with its primary office in London, United Kingdom, and a delivery office in Harare, Zimbabwe, using the geographic split to balance UK client-facing strategy and leadership with cost-effective offshore engineering capacity.
The company sells six integrated professional services: Transformation & Change, Custom Software Development, App Development, Design & Copy, Infrastructure & Security, and CTO & CPO on Demand. These are positioned as an end-to-end stack covering strategic advisory, design, engineering, infrastructure, and fractional executive leadership. The client base is segmented across startups and scale-ups on one hand and large enterprises on the other, with named historical associations (Amazon, BBC, Tesco, DAZN, TalkTalk, PayPoint, RadioTimes, LoveFilm) reflecting the founder's prior employment rather than confirmed current contracts. Visible current logos are smaller organisations such as In Good Company, Get Ahead, Year Here, Catch, Route 1, and Keakie.
Commercially, Better Design runs a consultative, sales-led go-to-market with no public pricing, rate cards, or self-service channels. Engagement is initiated through a 'Talk to us today' call to action on the website, indicating bespoke project-based professional services revenue rather than productised or subscription pricing. The firm is privately held, founder-owned, and bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no public financial statements. No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary technology, or productised IP are disclosed.
Better Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Better Design
- Legal name
- Better Design
- Website
- https://betterdesigndigital.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Better Design is a UK-based, founder-led boutique software development agency with London strategy and Zimbabwe delivery, offering custom software, app development, design, infrastructure, and fractional CTO/CPO services to startups and large enterprises.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Better Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Software Development Services
- NAICS
- Other Specialized Design Services (54149)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)
Keywords
Where Better Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Better Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Custom Software Development: Bespoke software solutions built from the ground up, or maintenance and transformation of legacy systems. Project-based engagements with tailored delivery.
- App Development: Mobile and web application creation to engage customers and drive revenue. Project-based delivery.
- Design & Copy: Customer experience design and award-winning copywriting services.
- Infrastructure & Security: Infrastructure security, automation, and optimisation services to reduce running costs and prevent incidents.
- CTO & CPO on Demand: Access to experienced technical and product leadership on an as-needed basis, supporting organisations with strategic guidance.
- Transformation & Change: Organisational change guidance and transformation delivery services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Better Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Better Design is a UK-based software development agency that designs, builds and transforms digital products for clients ranging from startups to large enterprises. The firm delivers six integrated service lines—Transformation & Change, Custom Software Development, App Development, Design & Copy, Infrastructure & Security, and CTO/CPO on Demand—with a dual-location operating model spanning London (strategy/leadership) and Harare, Zimbabwe (offshore development).
Product overview
Better Design is a software development and offshore solutions agency offering a unified portfolio of six service offerings: Transformation & Change, Custom Software Development, App Development, Design & Copy, Infrastructure & Security, and CTO & CPO on Demand. The company provides end-to-end services from strategic guidance to technical delivery, serving clients ranging from startups to large enterprises including Amazon, BBC, and Tesco. These services work together to help clients design, develop, and transform their customer experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Transformation & Change
Companies that use Better Design
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Better Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Better Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Better Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Thoughtworks: Global technology consultancy providing custom software, digital transformation, and strategy services across industries. Comparable at the category level but operates at vastly greater scale and global reach than Better Design.
- AKQA: Global design and innovation agency delivering digital products, experiences, and campaigns for major brands. Comparable in targeting large enterprise and consumer-facing digital work but operates at significantly larger scale.
- Endava: Global digital transformation company combining technology, design, and agile delivery across multiple geographies. Relevant as a larger incumbent with the same offshore-enabled delivery model Better Design uses via its Zimbabwe presence.
Direct peers
- Clearleft: UK design and strategy consultancy focused on user experience, service design, and digital product strategy. Comparable as a similarly sized UK boutique combining strategy, UX design, and product advisory services.
- ustwo: London-headquartered digital product studio known for app, web, and experience design for consumer brands. Direct peer given shared positioning around design-led product development for high-profile consumer-facing clients.
- Tangent: UK digital product studio building bespoke apps, platforms, and digital experiences for consumer and enterprise brands. Direct peer in the London boutique product studio category serving marquee clients.
- AND Digital: UK-based digital transformation and product engineering consultancy serving enterprise clients with cross-functional product squads. Directly comparable to Better Design in terms of UK enterprise focus, end-to-end digital product delivery, and sales-led consultative GTM.
- Made Tech: UK software delivery consultancy specialising in custom digital product development for public and private sector clients. Comparable as a similarly sized UK firm offering bespoke software, app development, and digital transformation services.
- Thoughtbot: Design and development consultancy providing custom software, product design, and fractional leadership (CTO-as-a-service) to startups and enterprises. Highly comparable offering, including the fractional CTO/leadership line Better Design emphasises.
Emerging players
- Decoded: UK-based technology education and digital transformation consultancy working with large enterprises on digital literacy and product capability. Partial overlap with Better Design's CTO/CPO advisory and transformation offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Better Design social profiles
Digital presenceBetter Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Better Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Better Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Better Design 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 Better Design
What does Better Design do?
Better Design is a UK-based software development agency that designs, builds and transforms digital products for clients ranging from startups to large enterprises. The firm delivers six integrated service lines—Transformation & Change, Custom Software Development, App Development, Design & Copy, Infrastructure & Security, and CTO/CPO on Demand—with a dual-location operating model spanning London (strategy/leadership) and Harare, Zimbabwe (offshore development).
Is Better Design a public or private company?
Better Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Better Design founded?
Better Design was founded in 2022. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Better Design based?
Better Design is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Better Design make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Custom Software Development is the primary driver. The others are app Development, design & Copy, infrastructure & Security, CTO & CPO on Demand and transformation & Change.
Who are Better Design's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Thoughtworks, AKQA and Endava. Direct peers are Clearleft, ustwo, Tangent, AND Digital, Made Tech and Thoughtbot. Decoded is listed as an emerging player.
Does Better Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Better Design.
What industry is Better Design in?
Better Design's product category is Software Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAD, Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX). Its NAICS code is 54149 and its SIC code is 7373.