Design Collective
Design Collective is a 55-year-old, Columbus-based full-service architecture and interior design firm serving hospitality, restaurant, workplace, industrial, and retail clients across the U.S. via principal-led project engagements and a global partner network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersColumbus, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Design Collective does
Design Collective is a 55-year-old, privately held, full-service architecture and interior design firm founded in 1969 and headquartered at 151 E. Nationwide Blvd in Columbus, Ohio. The firm delivers multi-disciplinary design services spanning architecture, interior design, 3D visualization/rendering, and master planning to clients in commercial real estate markets including hospitality (hotels, country clubs, event centers), restaurants (casual dining, fast casual/QSR, multi-unit rollouts), workplace (corporate offices, building repositioning), industrial (warehouses, manufacturing, tilt-ups, PEMB construction), and retail/multi-use environments. The team comprises four principals (Gene McHugh, Brent LaCount, Ryan Geiser, Debra McLaughlin) plus a Director of Architecture and approximately 15 additional project architects, designers, project managers, and interns, with credentials spanning AIA, NCARB, NCIDQ, and WELL AP certifications.
Design Collective's core capability set centers on integrated architectural design supported by in-house 3D visualization for stakeholder buy-in prior to construction, foodservice equipment design expertise for restaurant ROI optimization, and multi-unit rollout prototyping for brand consistency across geographies. Revenue is generated entirely through project-based professional services fees negotiated with clients via a principal-led, consultative engagement model. Customer acquisition is driven by direct principal outreach, a portfolio-driven website, social media presence, and referrals through the ONE Global Design network — a strategic alliance of 23 independent architecture and design firms across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia, in which Design Collective serves as the Columbus, Ohio partner. Notable enterprise clients include Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Velvet Taco (10+ locations), BrewDog, Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant, Pepper Construction, Arrive Logistics, Epstein Becker & Green, Easton Town Center, and a roster of central Ohio private clubs (Muirfield Village, Scioto, Brookside, Lakes).
Design Collective firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Collective
- Legal name
- Design Collective
- Website
- https://dcollective.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Design Collective is a 55-year-old, Columbus-based full-service architecture and interior design firm serving hospitality, restaurant, workplace, industrial, and retail clients across the U.S. via principal-led project engagements and a global partner network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Collective industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architecture & Interior Design Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)
Keywords
Where Design Collective is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Design Collective business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architecture Services: Full-spectrum architectural services from conceptualization to project completion, providing innovative, functional, and sustainable designs for commercial environments
- Interior Design Services: Interior design services including concept development, space planning, color palettes, finishes, and furnishings for commercial spaces
- Visualization Services: 3D rendering and visualization services for project presentation and stakeholder buy-in
- Master Planning Services: Strategic master planning services for creating places that foster belonging and community
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Professional services project-based engagement |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Design Collective product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design Collective is a full-service architecture and interior design firm providing end-to-end design services including architecture, interior design, 3D visualization, and master planning for commercial environments. The firm serves hospitality, workplace, industrial, retail, and restaurant clients with multi-disciplinary teams delivering project-based professional services from conceptualization through project completion.
Product overview
Design Collective is an architecture and interior design firm founded in 1969, offering a comprehensive suite of design services including Architecture, Visualization, Interior Design, and Master Planning. The firm operates across five market segments: Restaurants (casual dining, fast casual/QSR, prototyping, multi-unit rollout), Hospitality (hotels, country clubs, event centers), Workplace (programming, space planning, branding, building repositioning), Industrial (warehouses, manufacturing, tilt-ups/precast/PEMB), and Retail/Multi-Use. Services are delivered through a multi-disciplinary team providing end-to-end design from conceptualization through project completion. The firm is also part of ONE Global Design, a network of 23 architecture and design firms across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architecture Services Comprehensive architectural design services encompassing the entire spectrum from conceptualization to project completion, focused on innovation, functionality, and aesthetics for commercial environments including hospitality, workplace, industrial, and retail projects.
- Visualization
Companies that use Design Collective
Customer profileNamed customers25 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Design Collective technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Design Collective partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ONE Global DesigncoreONE Global Design is a network of 23 architecture and design firms across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Design Collective serves as the Columbus, Ohio partner within this global network, enabling cross-regional project collaboration, referrals, and shared expertise across hospitality, workplace, and commercial design disciplines.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Design Collective competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Shook Kelley: Restaurant, retail, and hospitality design firm with deep brand-driven environment expertise — directly comparable for Design Collective's restaurant and hospitality rollout work.
- CORGAN: Architecture and interior design firm with strong workplace, hospitality, and retail practices, including multi-unit rollout capabilities — comparable multi-disciplinary competitor with a similar service mix to Design Collective.
- Moody Nolan: Columbus, OH-headquartered architecture firm with comparable size, multi-disciplinary practice (architecture, interior design, master planning), and commercial/hospitality portfolio — directly comparable as a local peer with similar service breadth.
- WD Partners: Columbus, OH-based design firm specializing in restaurant, retail, and hospitality environments with multi-unit rollout capabilities — directly comparable to Design Collective in geography, scale, and core vertical focus.
- Baskervill: Hospitality-focused architecture and interior design firm of similar size serving hotels, restaurants, and commercial clients — closely aligned with Design Collective's hospitality, restaurant, and workplace verticals.
- Neumann Monson Architects: Mid-sized architecture firm offering integrated architecture and interior design services across commercial, hospitality, and workplace projects — comparable in scale and multi-disciplinary model.
Broad incumbents
- DLR Group: Integrated design firm with architecture, interior design, and engineering practices serving hospitality, workplace, and industrial sectors at greater scale — a broader incumbent competing for similar commercial mandates.
- Gensler: World's largest architecture and design firm with deep hospitality, workplace, and retail practices — represents the broader-incumbent competitive set Design Collective competes against for enterprise clients.
- Stantec: Large global design and engineering firm offering architecture and interior design across hospitality, workplace, industrial, and retail — a broader incumbent that competes for enterprise-scale commercial projects.
- Perkins&Will: Global architecture and design firm with significant workplace, hospitality, and healthcare practices — broader incumbent that competes for the same enterprise and institutional mandates as Design Collective.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Design Collective social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Collective compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Design Collective financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Collective leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Design Collective funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Collective 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 Design Collective
What does Design Collective do?
Design Collective is a full-service architecture and interior design firm providing end-to-end design services including architecture, interior design, 3D visualization, and master planning for commercial environments. The firm serves hospitality, workplace, industrial, retail, and restaurant clients with multi-disciplinary teams delivering project-based professional services from conceptualization through project completion.
Is Design Collective a public or private company?
Design Collective is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Design Collective founded?
Design Collective was founded in 1969. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Design Collective based?
Design Collective is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.
How does Design Collective make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Architecture Services are the primary driver. The others are interior Design Services, visualization Services and master Planning Services.
Who are Design Collective's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Shook Kelley, CORGAN, Moody Nolan, WD Partners, Baskervill and Neumann Monson Architects. Broad incumbents are DLR Group, Gensler, Stantec and Perkins&Will.
Does Design Collective have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Collective.
What industry is Design Collective in?
Design Collective's product category is Architecture & Interior Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54131.