Coco Raynes Associates

What Coco Raynes Associates does

Coco Raynes Associates is a Boston-based graphic design consulting firm established in 1969/1970 that marked a 50-year operating milestone in 2020. The firm specializes in wayfinding, signage systems, universal design, exhibit design, visual identity, and donor recognition programs. It serves institutional and enterprise clients across healthcare, education, hospitality, government, transportation, and cultural sectors, with project work documented across North America, Europe, South America, the Middle East, Asia, the Caribbean, and Central America.

The practice is anchored in universal and accessible design, supported by three proprietary product lines: the Raynes Rail, a patented Braille- and Audio-equipped handrail system for staircases; Tacdots, a tactile paving and marker product used in wayfinding installations; and Tactile Maps, specialized maps designed for navigation applications. These productized offerings sit alongside the firm's core consulting engagements, which integrate environmental graphic design, branding, and ADA and accessibility advisory work.

The firm operates as a small, project-based design consultancy with 1–10 employees, headquartered at 314 Dartmouth Street, Boston. Revenue is generated through consulting fees for design and wayfinding commissions, supplemented by sales tied to the proprietary tactile product lines. Coco Raynes Associates carries a multi-decade award record, including IDSA, SEGD, and CLIO designations, and operates under a founder-owner structure that has supported a stable, niche market position over five decades rather than a scale-driven growth posture.

Name

Coco Raynes Associates

Legal name

Coco Raynes Associates, Inc.

Website

https://raynesassociates.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Coco Raynes Associates is a Boston-based design consultancy (founded 1969/1970) that provides wayfinding, signage, universal design, exhibit design, and donor recognition services to institutional clients in healthcare, education, government, and cultural sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Graphic Design

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Wayfinding, Signage & Environmental Graphic Design (BPAHAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Graphic Design & Visual Content Production (BPAFAIAC)

Keywords

• Environmental graphic design
• Wayfinding signage systems
• Universal accessibility design
• Visual identity branding
• Donor recognition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Design Consulting Services: Custom graphic design, wayfinding, and signage consulting services for institutional, corporate, hospitality, and public-sector clients. Projects are typically one-off commissions for specific facilities or organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Coco Raynes Associates is a Boston-based graphic design consulting firm that delivers custom environmental graphic design services, including wayfinding and signage systems, visual identity and branding, exhibit design, and donor recognition programs. The firm has developed proprietary universal/accessibility design products—most notably the patented Raynes Rail (Braille and Audio Handrail), Tacdots (tactile paving), and Tactile Maps—used to make public spaces accessible to visually impaired visitors. Projects are commissioned by institutional, corporate, hospitality, transportation, cultural, and government clients globally, with each engagement individually scoped and fabricated to specification.

Product overview

Coco Raynes Associates is a graphic design consulting firm offering a portfolio of interconnected services centered on wayfinding, signage, and universal design. The core offering includes Wayfinding-Signage systems and Visual Identity-Branding services, complemented by Exhibit Design and Donor Recognition programs. The firm has developed proprietary universal design products including the patented Raynes Rail (Braille and Audio Handrail), Tacdots (tactile paving technology), and Tactile Maps—all designed to make public spaces accessible to visually impaired individuals. These accessibility-focused products have earned industry recognition including IDSA Gold Award and SEGD Honor Award. The company also maintains a Jewelry product line and publishes design literature, notably '50 Years of Design Evolution' (2020). Services span corporate, transportation, institutional, academic, cultural, hospitality, and residential sectors across international locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Raynes Rail: The award-winning Braille and Audio Rail product developed by Coco Raynes Associates for universal accessibility in public spaces
• Tacdots
• Tactile Maps

Products and services

• Wayfinding - Signage Comprehensive wayfinding and signage design services for corporate, transportation, institutional, academic, cultural, cities & parks, and hospitality environments. Creates signage systems that harmonize with architectural finishes.
• Raynes Rail Patent-protected Braille and Audio Handrail system designed to make public spaces accessible to all. Features Braille on the rail's inner face and audio information at strategic locations. Available in 1.5" for ADA-compliant handrails or 2" for other uses.
• Tacdots Tactile paving technology that delineates paths for visually impaired individuals. The slightly raised dots make a distinctive sound when tapped with a cane and are effective in both interior and exterior applications.
• Tactile Maps Inclusive design tactile maps and orientation diagrams that address all visitors, including those with limited or no vision. Uses glass, metal, or photopolymer materials and can be standalone or integrated into directories.
• Accessible Exhibits - Multisensory Information Design services for accessible museum exhibits that open national museums to visually impaired visitors. Includes accessible lecterns, tactile graphics, and tactile paving integrated into general museum visits.
• Exhibit Design Comprehensive exhibit design services for institutions, academic facilities, museums, cities and parks, and cultural venues. Includes both traditional and accessible multisensory exhibit design.
• Visual Identity - Branding Brand identity and visual branding services across corporate, food retail, real estate, cultural, medical, accessibility, and hospitality sectors. Creates logos, visual identities, and marketing materials.
• Donor Recognition Donor recognition systems for institutions, academic, and cultural facilities. Includes engraved panels, glass recognition walls, carved lettering, and integrated signage solutions.
• Jewelry Handcrafted jewelry collection including necklaces, removable pendants, and bracelets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 2C designated as prototype for universally accessible pedestrian wayfinding system
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Two Twelve (Stantec): Specialist wayfinding and signage consultancy now part of Stantec; competes head-to-head with CRA on transit, healthcare, and civic wayfinding commissions.
• Pentagram: Independent multidisciplinary design firm with partners across graphic, environmental, and identity design. Directly comparable as a partner-led design consultancy serving institutional and cultural clients.
• Fabio Ongarato Design: Independent design studio with strong practice in wayfinding, signage, and identity for cultural and hospitality clients. Comparable boutique positioning.
• Poulin + Morris: Environmental graphic design firm specializing in wayfinding, signage, and identity for healthcare, transit, and cultural institutions. Closest direct competitor in scope and client verticals.
• Entro Communications: Wayfinding, signage, and placemaking firm serving airports, transit, healthcare, and cultural facilities internationally. Strong overlap on accessibility-led wayfinding.
• Selbert Perkins Design: Environmental graphic design and wayfinding consultancy with a similar institutional client mix including hospitals, museums, and corporate campuses.

Others

• American Sign Museum: Adjacent ecosystem player in the signage/wayfinding industry; relevant for industry visibility and credibility but not a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Studio Joanie: Boutique environmental graphic design studio with emerging practice in wayfinding and inclusive design for cultural and public-realm clients.

Broad incumbents

• Gresham Smith: Large multi-disciplinary design and engineering firm with a significant wayfinding and signage practice, serving the same healthcare, aviation, and civic verticals at greater scale.
• Landor & Fitch: Global branding and design consultancy offering visual identity programs to corporate, hospitality, and cultural clients at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CocoRaynes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coco Raynes Associates