Research by Design
Research by Design is a UK-based full-service market research agency founded in 1994 that specializes in serving membership organizations and professional bodies, including Royal Colleges and chartered institutes across healthcare, engineering, and other sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Research by Design does
Research by Design is a UK-based, full-service market research agency founded in 1994 that specializes exclusively in serving membership organizations and professional bodies. The firm delivers research and consulting solutions across ten service lines covering the full membership lifecycle, including Member Value Proposition development, Member Engagement & Retention, Education/Learning & Development, Equality Diversity & Inclusion, Lobbying & External Affairs, Member Acquisition, Member Satisfaction & Sector Benchmarking, Students & Early Career, State of the Sector surveys, and Revenue Diversification. Its client base comprises 17+ named enterprise accounts, predominantly Royal Colleges and chartered institutes across healthcare (RCP, RCN, RCOG, RCoA, RCPCH, RCSEd, IBMS), engineering (IET, IMechE, IChemE), management (CMI), legal (CIArb, Magistrates Association), and procurement (CIPS), alongside non-profits such as Women's Aid. The firm's proprietary asset is sector-specific benchmarking intelligence, notably the State of the Sector Survey delivered in partnership with Memcom and IOSH.
The company operates as the trading name of Box Delta Insights, a private limited company registered in England and Wales (No. 12823861), within the Box Delta Group conglomerate. It maintains offices in London (7 Bell Yard, WC2A 2JR) and Tunbridge Wells (The Warehouse, Hill Street, TN1 2BY), with stated headcount of 1–10 employees. Its go-to-market is enterprise B2B direct sales targeting senior decision-makers at membership organizations, delivered through professional services engagements on a quote-based, project-specific pricing model. The firm holds Member Wise Recognised Supplier 2025 status and corporate membership in Memcom, and is led by Managing Director Heather Forrester and Associate Director Lindsey Nadin. Core technology is conventional market research and data analytics; no AI/ML capabilities, software platform, API, or proprietary technology stack is disclosed.
Research by Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Research by Design
- Legal name
- Box Delta Insights
- Website
- https://researchbydesign.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Research by Design is a UK-based full-service market research agency founded in 1994 that specializes in serving membership organizations and professional bodies, including Royal Colleges and chartered institutes across healthcare, engineering, and other sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Research by Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Membership Market Research Services
- NAICS
- Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies) (MPAAALAB)
Keywords
Where Research by Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Research by Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Market Research Services: Professional market research services delivered to membership organizations including surveys, benchmarking, member satisfaction analysis, and sector intelligence reports.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Research by Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Research by Design is a UK-based, full-service market research agency that designs and delivers bespoke research projects for membership organizations and professional bodies. Its ten solution areas cover the membership lifecycle—from defining the Member Value Proposition through engagement and retention benchmarking, education and learning research, ED&I initiatives, lobbying and external affairs, member acquisition, sector benchmarking, students and early career, state-of-the-sector surveys, and revenue diversification advisory. Deliverables are research reports, benchmarking datasets, and consulting recommendations, sold as individual project engagements rather than as a software product.
Product overview
Research by Design is a market research agency specializing in membership organizations. The company offers a portfolio of specialized research and consulting solutions organized as ten distinct service offerings covering the full membership lifecycle: Member Value Proposition (MVP), Member Engagement & Retention, Education, Learning & Development, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I), Lobbying & External Affairs, Member Acquisition, Member Satisfaction & Sector Benchmarking, Students & Early Career, State of the Sector / Profession, and Revenue Diversification. These solutions are research and advisory services rather than a software platform with modules.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Member Value Proposition (MVP) Research and consulting service that helps membership organizations define and articulate their unique member value proposition. Targeted at UK professional bodies, Royal Colleges, and chartered institutes seeking to clarify what they offer members.
- Member Engagement & Retention Research solutions focused on understanding and improving member engagement and retention strategies for membership organizations and professional bodies.
- Education, Learning & Development Research services for membership organizations focused on educational programming and member learning outcomes.
- Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) Research and advisory services helping membership organizations advance their equality, diversity and inclusion agendas, including reporting on the current state of the EDI agenda among professional membership associations.
- Lobbying & External Affairs Research support services for membership organizations engaged in lobbying and external affairs activities.
- Member Acquisition Research and consulting to help membership organizations attract and acquire new members.
- Member Satisfaction & Sector Benchmarking Survey and benchmarking services to measure member satisfaction and compare performance across sectors for membership organizations.
- Students & Early Career Research solutions focused on student membership and early career engagement strategies for membership organizations.
- State of the Sector / Profession Comprehensive sector-wide research surveys and reports tracking the state of membership organizations and professions, delivered in partnership with Memcom and IOSH.
- Revenue Diversification Research and advisory services to help membership organizations diversify and grow their revenue streams.
Companies that use Research by Design
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Research by Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Research by Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- MemcomcoreRbD is partnering with Memcom to deliver the highly anticipated State of the Sector Survey, a comprehensive research initiative for membership leaders.
- IOSHcoreRbD is partnering with IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health) to deliver the State of the Sector Survey, a comprehensive research initiative for membership leaders.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Research by Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Yabble: AI-enabled market research platform automating survey design, synthesis, and insight generation. Comparable to RbD as an emerging player targeting enterprise market research buyers, with a technology-led delivery model that competes for the same research budgets.
- Attest: Tech-enabled consumer research platform delivering self-serve brand and product research through online panels. Comparable to RbD as an emerging player in survey-based market research competing for the same enterprise research budgets, but with a software-led delivery model rather than bespoke services.
Regional players
- Censuswide: UK-based market research agency conducting consumer, B2B, and sector research for enterprise clients. Comparable to RbD as a UK regional market research peer delivering survey-based research and benchmarking, though not specialized in membership bodies.
Broad incumbents
- Ipsos: Global market research and analytics firm operating across sectors including membership, associations, and public affairs. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping research services to some of the same professional body clients, but without RbD's niche specialization.
- Kantar: Large global research consultancy delivering brand tracking, consumer insight, and sector studies across industries. Comparable to RbD as a broad incumbent offering survey-based research services to enterprise clients, including in adjacent verticals like professional services and associations.
- Mintel: Global market research firm producing syndicated reports and custom research across consumer and professional sectors. Comparable to RbD as a broad incumbent research provider serving enterprise clients with sector intelligence, though Mintel is far larger and more diversified.
- YouGov: Global research and data analytics firm providing syndicated and custom research through online panels. Comparable to RbD in market research methodology and enterprise research delivery, though YouGov operates as a broad incumbent rather than a membership-vertical specialist.
Direct peers
- Bryngar Consulting: UK-based consultancy delivering market research, member insight, and benchmarking services to membership organizations and professional bodies. Directly comparable to Research by Design in target customer (membership bodies), service offering (member insight surveys and benchmarking), and geographic focus (United Kingdom).
- Member Wise: UK membership-sector membership body and Recognised Supplier scheme operator that connects membership organizations with vetted research and technology suppliers. RbD holds Member Wise Recognised Supplier status; Member Wise is therefore an adjacent peer shaping the same buyer relationships and supplier ecosystem.
- Memcom: UK professional association for membership organizations, hosting events, benchmarking, and the State of the Sector Survey that RbD co-delivers. Compares to RbD as a peer influencing membership-body research, training, and benchmarking agendas for the same vertical buyer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Research by Design social profiles
Digital presenceResearch by Design compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Research by Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Research by Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Research by Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Research by 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 Research by Design
What does Research by Design do?
Research by Design is a UK-based, full-service market research agency that designs and delivers bespoke research projects for membership organizations and professional bodies. Its ten solution areas cover the membership lifecycle—from defining the Member Value Proposition through engagement and retention benchmarking, education and learning research, ED&I initiatives, lobbying and external affairs, member acquisition, sector benchmarking, students and early career, state-of-the-sector surveys, and revenue diversification advisory. Deliverables are research reports, benchmarking datasets, and consulting recommendations, sold as individual project engagements rather than as a software product.
Is Research by Design a public or private company?
Research by Design is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Research by Design founded?
Research by Design was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Research by Design based?
Research by Design is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Research by Design make money?
One revenue line is on record: market Research Services.
Who are Research by Design's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Yabble and Attest. Censuswide is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Ipsos, Kantar, Mintel and YouGov. Direct peers are Bryngar Consulting, Member Wise and Memcom.
Does Research by Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Research by Design.
What industry is Research by Design in?
Research by Design's product category is Membership Market Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHALAE, Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom), with a secondary code of MPAAALAB, Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies). Its NAICS code is 54191 and its SIC code is 8700.