Thomas Matthews
Thomas.Matthews was a London-based sustainable communication design studio, founded in 1997 and closed in April 2025, serving UK and international public-sector, nonprofit, education, healthcare, and cultural clients with brand, campaign, exhibition, and wayfinding design.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Thomas Matthews does
Thomas.Matthews Communication Design was a London-based sustainable communication design studio, registered in England and Wales as Useful Simple Projects Limited and operating from Temple Chambers, 3-7 Temple Avenue, EC4Y 0HP. Founded in 1997 by Sophie Thomas and Kristine Matthews, it delivered project-based design services spanning brand strategy and identity, campaigns and behavioural-change interventions, digital and print design, exhibition and interpretation design, infographics, stakeholder engagement, and wayfinding/environmental graphics.
The studio's operating model was bespoke, sales-led, project-based professional services. Work was commissioned via direct client engagement across the UK and internationally, with documented projects in Singapore, Jordan, and China. Revenue was generated from individual project fees with no publicly disclosed pricing or rate card, and the firm reported no publicly disclosed annual revenue figure. The team's differentiator was the embedding of circular-economy and sustainability principles into communication design, formalized through the parent Useful Simple Trust (a B Corp certified employee benefit trust and social enterprise that also included Expedition engineering, Useful Projects sustainability consultancy, and Useful Studio architecture).
Thomas.Matthews served a diversified vertical mix covering built environment, culture, education, healthcare, social change, sustainability, and transport, with named clients across both the UK public sector (Transport for London, National Trust, NHS Foundation Trusts, multiple local councils, the Royal Institute of British Architects award-winning Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) and the nonprofit, education, and commercial sectors (V&A Museum of Childhood, National Maritime Museum, University of Essex, University of Exeter, Birmingham City University, British Land, St. Modwen, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios). In April 2025, after 28 years of operation, the studio was formally closed and its design capacity integrated into the Useful Simple Trust; sustainability work continues via Useful Projects.
Thomas Matthews firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Thomas Matthews
- Legal name
- Useful Simple Projects Limited trading as Thomas.Matthews Communication Design
- Website
- https://thomasmatthews.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Thomas.Matthews was a London-based sustainable communication design studio, founded in 1997 and closed in April 2025, serving UK and international public-sector, nonprofit, education, healthcare, and cultural clients with brand, campaign, exhibition, and wayfinding design.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Thomas Matthews industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Communication Design Services
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Graphic Design & Visual Content Production (BPAFAIAC)
Keywords
Where Thomas Matthews is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Thomas Matthews business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Design Services: Project-based design services including strategy, branding, campaigns, digital design, exhibition design, wayfinding and sustainability consulting
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Thomas Matthews product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Thomas.Matthews was a sustainable communication design studio providing project-based design services spanning brand strategy and identity, campaigns and interventions, digital and print design, exhibition and interpretation design, infographics, stakeholder engagement, and wayfinding and environmental graphics. Services were delivered to organisations across built environment, culture, education, healthcare, social change, sustainability, and transport sectors. The studio also led The Great Recovery, a multi-year programme on circular economy design.
Product overview
Thomas.Matthews was a sustainable communication design studio founded in 1997 and closed in April 2025. The studio operated as a single unified design practice offering services across brand strategy, campaigns, digital and print design, exhibition design, infographics, stakeholder engagement, and wayfinding/environmental graphics. Their portfolio included The Great Recovery circular economy program. The studio served diverse sectors including built environment, culture, education, healthcare, social change, sustainability, and transport. Following closure, the team's expertise was integrated into the Useful Simple Trust, a B Corp certified family of professional design practices including Expedition, Thomas.Matthews, Useful Projects, and Useful Studio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Brand Strategy & Identity
- Campaigns & Interventions
- Design for Digital
- Design for Print
- Exhibition & Interpretation
- Infographics
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Wayfinding & Environmental Graphics
- The Great Recovery
Quantifiable outcome
- Footfall increased by 47% in first six weeks at University of Roehampton Library
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Thomas Matthews
Customer profileNamed customers22 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Thomas Matthews technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Thomas Matthews partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Useful Simple TrustcoreParent organization - a B Corp, employee benefit trust and social enterprise. Thomas.Matthews was part of this family of professional design practices including Expedition, Thomas.Matthews, Useful Projects, and Useful Studio.
- ExpeditioncorePart of Useful Simple Trust family - engineering practice collaborating on interdisciplinary projects
- Useful ProjectscoreSister sustainability consultancy within Useful Simple Trust; focuses on circular economy and communication design
- Useful StudiocoreSister architectural practice within Useful Simple Trust; collaborated on projects including St Mary's University entrance reception
- Feilden Clegg Bradley StudiosminorArchitecture firm collaborated on multiple projects including Earth Centre, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and Net Zero Carbon Installation
- Grant AssociatesminorLandscape architecture practice collaborated on Earth Centre and Gardens by the Bay projects
- Louis Thompson GlassminorGlass artist collaborated on Arts & Business Awards trophies and glassblowing campaigns
- Scena ProminorExhibition builder collaborated on Your Ocean gallery at National Maritime Museum
- Structure WorkshopminorStructural engineers collaborated on British Council Pavilion project
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Thomas Matthews competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Saffron Brand Consultants: Global brand consultancy competing for the same institutional and corporate brand-strategy work, including sustainability-led repositioning mandates.
- Ragged Edge: London-based brand consultancy focused on challenger brands and purpose-led identities. Comparable in size, geography, and B Corp-aligned positioning to Thomas.Matthews.
- Made Thought: London-based design studio with a strong sustainability and purpose-driven narrative across branding, packaging, and communications. Closest peer on the 'sustainable communication design' positioning Thomas.Matthews pioneered.
- Pentagram: Global design partnership offering branding, identity, exhibition, and environmental graphics across sectors. Directly comparable to Thomas.Matthews' brand strategy, exhibition, and wayfinding work, but at materially larger scale and with broader sector reach.
- Moving Brands: Independent global brand and design agency with experience in brand strategy, digital, and environmental graphics — overlapping Thomas.Matthews' integrated brand, digital, and built-environment services.
- DesignStudio: London-headquartered brand and experience design agency working across transport, culture, and built environment — overlapping Thomas.Matthews' Transport for London, museum, and wayfinding mandates.
- Studio Dumbar: Dutch design studio renowned for identity, wayfinding, and cultural-sector work. Highly comparable on exhibition, wayfinding, and cultural-sector design outputs.
Broad incumbents
- Superunion: WPP-owned global brand and design consultancy with deep public-sector, transport, and cultural client rosters — overlaps with Thomas.Matthews' institutional client base at greater scale.
- Wolff Olins: Omnicom-owned global brand consultancy with established purpose and sustainability practices, competing for similar enterprise and public-sector mandates.
- Landor & Fitch: Large global brand consultancy (WPP) covering strategy, identity, and environmental design — competes for the same enterprise brand and wayfinding briefs.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Thomas Matthews social profiles
Digital presenceThomas Matthews compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Thomas Matthews financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Thomas Matthews leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Thomas Matthews funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Thomas Matthews 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 Thomas Matthews
What does Thomas Matthews do?
Thomas.Matthews was a sustainable communication design studio providing project-based design services spanning brand strategy and identity, campaigns and interventions, digital and print design, exhibition and interpretation design, infographics, stakeholder engagement, and wayfinding and environmental graphics. Services were delivered to organisations across built environment, culture, education, healthcare, social change, sustainability, and transport sectors. The studio also led The Great Recovery, a multi-year programme on circular economy design.
Is Thomas Matthews a public or private company?
Thomas Matthews is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently closed.
When was Thomas Matthews founded?
Thomas Matthews was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Thomas Matthews based?
Thomas Matthews is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Thomas Matthews make money?
One revenue line is on record: design Services.
Who are Thomas Matthews's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Saffron Brand Consultants, Ragged Edge, Made Thought, Pentagram, Moving Brands, DesignStudio and Studio Dumbar. Broad incumbents are Superunion, Wolff Olins and Landor & Fitch.
Does Thomas Matthews have an API?
No public API is recorded for Thomas Matthews.
What industry is Thomas Matthews in?
Thomas Matthews's product category is Communication Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAIAC, Graphic Design & Visual Content Production. Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 7330.