Werner Design Factory
Werner Design Werks is a boutique brand development and packaging design studio in Saint Paul, Minnesota, founded in 1991 by Sharon Werner. The ~3-person studio serves consumer brands from startups to large corporations including Target, Moët Hennessy, Suntory, Hallmark, and SC Johnson's Mrs. Meyer's.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Werner Design Factory does
Werner Design Werks (also referenced as Werner Design Factory; URL wdw.com) is a privately held, founder-owned boutique design studio founded by Sharon Werner in 1991 and headquartered at 1229 Payne Ave, Saint Paul, Minnesota. The studio provides brand development, packaging design, logo and visual identity systems, publication design, environmental/retail design, and promotional collateral for consumer product companies ranging from pre-launch startups to large multinationals. The client roster spans food and dairy (Cabot Creamery, Peace Coffee, Lucini Italia), home and personal care (Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, dpHUE, SEEN, HoliFrog, HiBAR, Sophia Graydon), spirits (Moët Hennessy's 10Cane Rum, Suntory's Tahiti Rum and Pavan, Caledonia Spirits, Du Nord Social Spirits, RockFilter Distillery, Dry Wit), cannabis (Lord Jones), retail and mass-market (Target, Hallmark), and healthcare/non-profit (Park Nicollet, Planned Parenthood). WDW deliberately operates with a small core team — approximately three staff as of the most recent data — and delivers all work through project-based, fixed-fee engagements rather than hourly billing.
Revenue is generated entirely through professional services fees tied to discrete brand and packaging engagements, with no self-serve, marketplace, product-led, or recurring-revenue channel disclosed. New business is acquired through portfolio reputation, published case studies, awards, design-community referrals, and inbound from press coverage in outlets such as Fast Company/Co.Design, The Dieline, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal; the studio does not run paid demand generation. WDW supplements its service revenue with a small owned-product line (the Alphabeasties children's book series published by Blue Apple Books, plus flashcards, an activity book, a mobile app, and limited-edition merchandise) and with authored reference content such as 'Really Good Packaging Explained' (Rockport Publishers). The studio has no external investors, no subsidiaries, and no M&A activity; its competitive position rests on the founder and senior designer's reputations, with work held in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Musée De La Poste, Musée des Arts Decoratifs, and Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.
Werner Design Factory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Werner Design Factory
- Legal name
- Werner Design Werks
- Website
- https://wdw.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Werner Design Werks is a boutique brand development and packaging design studio in Saint Paul, Minnesota, founded in 1991 by Sharon Werner. The ~3-person studio serves consumer brands from startups to large corporations including Target, Moët Hennessy, Suntory, Hallmark, and SC Johnson's Mrs. Meyer's.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Werner Design Factory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Graphic Design Services
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430), Interior Design Services (54141), Other Specialized Design Services (541490)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems (BPAFAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL), Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
Keywords
Where Werner Design Factory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Werner Design Factory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Design and branding project fees: Project-based professional services. WDW bills on a project basis rather than an hourly basis, providing fixed-fee proposals divided into phases with deliverables and corresponding fees. Revenue is generated entirely through client engagements for brand development, packaging design, identity systems, publications, and related design services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Werner Design Factory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Werner Design Werks is a boutique graphic design studio providing project-based professional design services across brand development, packaging design, logo and identity design, environmental design, promotional and collateral design, and publication design. The studio serves consumer product brands ranging from small startups to large corporations (including Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, Target, Moët Hennessy, Cabot Creamery, and dpHUE) and has additionally authored and published a typographic children's book series.
Product overview
Werner Design Werks is a design studio (not a unified software platform) offering brand development, packaging design, logo design, environmental design, promotional collateral, and publications as distinct service offerings. The studio has also authored and published its own line of children's books including the Alphabeasties series (Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types, Bugs by the Numbers, Alphasaurs and Other Prehistoric Types), flashcard sets, activity books, an app, and limited edition pillows. Additionally, the studio has created self-promotional products like the In a Series numbered glass collection. WDW serves client brands across consumer product categories including food, beverages, health & beauty, fashion, spirits, and cannabis.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Brand Development
- Packaging Design
- Logo Design
- Environments
- Promo & Collateral
- Publications Design
- Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types
- Bugs by the Numbers
- Alphasaurs and Other Prehistoric Types
Quantifiable outcome
- Mrs. Meyer's grew from 14 SKUs to over 120 SKUs and was acquired by SC Johnson in 2008
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Werner Design Factory
Customer profileNamed customers24 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Werner Design Factory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Werner Design Factory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered primary, core and minor.
- Ken Friberg PhotographyprimaryLong-term photography partner who has photographed the majority of WDW's packaging and brand projects over decades. Ken Friberg's photography appears on projects including Cabot Creamery, Peace Coffee, Du Nord Social Spirits, SEEN, HiBAR, and many others. He is credited across dozens of WDW projects as the primary photographer.
- Franklin Press Inc.primaryPrinting partner for WDW projects. Franklin Press is credited on multiple WDW projects for offset printing, production of shipping cartons, and promotional materials including the SEEN packaging shipping carton and Planned Parenthood pouch development.
- Julie Kucinski (Pitchwell)coreStrategy and copywriting partner who collaborates with WDW on brand development projects. Julie Kucinski has served as strategist and copywriter on projects including SEEN, Mr. Mak's Ginbao, RockFilter Distillery, Dry Wit, Du Nord Social Spirits, Phyllis Rye Whiskey, Brand for Good, and multiple spirits projects.
- Studio on FireprimaryLetterpress, embossing, and foil stamping partner credited on projects including the TDC 59 exhibition postcards (printed on Mohawk paper with embossing and foil stamping), Tokyo TDC exhibition materials, and Oleson Sales stationery system.
- Blue Apple BookscorePublisher of WDW's self-authored children's book series including Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types, Bugs by the Numbers, and Alphasaurs and Other Prehistoric Types. This is a co-development relationship where WDW serves as author, designer, and illustrator.
- Chronicle BooksminorPublished WDW's 'Really Good Packaging Explained' (co-authored by Sharon Werner) and The Working Parents Cookbook. WDW also worked with Chronicle on the Mrs. Meyer's Clean Home book.
- Kellie SchneiderminorWeb design and development partner credited on SEEN website and Du Nord Social Spirits website projects.
- Maggie Stopera (food stylist)minorFood stylist who collaborated with WDW on Cabot Creamery photography including Cracker Cuts packaging and other food projects.
- Todd Hafermann (photographer)minorPhotographer credited on Cabot Creamery Cracker Cuts and Legacy cheese packaging photography.
- AIGA MinnesotacoreSharon Werner served on the AIGA Minnesota Board. WDW co-hosted the Tokyo TDC exhibition with AIGA Minnesota in 2017. WDW has received multiple AIGA Minnesota awards over the years.
- Type Directors Club (TDC)coreSharon Werner served on the TDC Board of Directors. WDW won multiple TDC competition awards and co-hosted the TDC 59 exhibition in Minneapolis alongside AIGA Minnesota and MCAD.
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD)coreCo-hosted the Tokyo TDC exhibition with WDW and AIGA Minnesota at MCAD (October-November 2017). Sharon Werner has taught as adjunct professor at MCAD.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Werner Design Factory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Beardwood & Co: Independent boutique branding and packaging studio with similar size, project-based model, and CPG/specialty food focus. Both compete for the same mid-market and emerging brand clients.
- Stranger & Stranger: Boutique design firm specializing in spirits and beverage branding and packaging. WDW has comparable depth in the spirits category (10Cane, Moët Hennessy, RockFilter, Pavan, Tahiti Rum, Caledonia Spirits, Dry Wit), and both compete for the same premium alcohol clients.
- Stockland & Martel: Independent brand and design studio with comparable offerings in identity, packaging, and editorial design. Both operate as small, multi-disciplinary studios serving consumer brands and editorial clients.
- Mucca: Independent NYC branding and design studio with similar scale and project-based model. Both deliver brand identity, packaging, and retail design for consumer brands and share a comparable creative reputation.
- Pentagram: Pentagram is the archetypal designer-led boutique branding and identity studio. WDW operates the same model (small partner-led studios, brand strategy, packaging, identity) but at a much smaller scale, serving overlapping consumer brand clients.
- Duffy Design (now Duffy): Boutique Minneapolis-based brand design firm where founder Sharon Werner worked for 7 years prior to founding WDW. Both studios share the same heritage, territory, and category focus (consumer brand packaging and identity).
- Pearlfisher: Independent brand design and packaging agency with strong food, beverage, and beauty practice. Pearlfisher and WDW both operate as small, founder-led studios with comparable client rosters in CPG and spirits.
- Sandstrom Design: Independent brand and packaging design studio with comparable scale and similar CPG focus. Both studios deliver packaging, identity, and brand strategy for consumer products across food, beverage, and personal care categories.
Broad incumbents
- Design Bridge and Partners: Global brand design agency (now part of WPP) with deep packaging and CPG practice. Competes with WDW across consumer brand work but offers broader design, strategy, and activation capabilities.
- Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and design firm and part of WPP. Landor & Fitch overlaps with WDW's brand strategy and packaging practice but at much larger scale and across broader service lines, including research, naming, and architecture.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Werner Design Factory social profiles
Digital presenceWerner Design Factory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Werner Design Factory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Werner Design Factory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Werner Design Factory 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 Werner Design Factory
What does Werner Design Factory do?
Werner Design Werks is a boutique graphic design studio providing project-based professional design services across brand development, packaging design, logo and identity design, environmental design, promotional and collateral design, and publication design. The studio serves consumer product brands ranging from small startups to large corporations (including Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, Target, Moët Hennessy, Cabot Creamery, and dpHUE) and has additionally authored and published a typographic children's book series.
Is Werner Design Factory a public or private company?
Werner Design Factory is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Werner Design Factory founded?
Werner Design Factory was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Werner Design Factory based?
Werner Design Factory is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does Werner Design Factory make money?
One revenue line is on record: design and branding project fees.
Who are Werner Design Factory's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Beardwood & Co, Stranger & Stranger, Stockland & Martel, Mucca, Pentagram, Duffy Design (now Duffy), Pearlfisher and Sandstrom Design. Broad incumbents are Design Bridge and Partners and Landor & Fitch.
Does Werner Design Factory have an API?
No public API is recorded for Werner Design Factory.
What industry is Werner Design Factory in?
Werner Design Factory's product category is Graphic Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAEAC, Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAL, Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design. Its NAICS code is 541430.