Design Principles

What Design Principles does

Design Principles, Inc. is a privately held, woman-owned (WBE) full-service creative agency founded in 1997 and headquartered in Marion, Massachusetts. The firm delivers integrated graphic design, web design and development, branding, and marketing services to municipalities, national and international corporations, small-to-mid-sized businesses, and nonprofit organizations. Core offerings span custom WordPress-based web development with modular content blocks and accessibility features, brand identity systems including logos and style guides, results-driven marketing campaigns (direct mail, e-campaigns), and specialized services such as exhibit design for museums and product packaging design. Named engagements include municipal website redesigns for the City of Brockton (1,000+ pages) and City of New Bedford (400+ pages, 2,200 PDFs), the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), US Sailing, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, Factory Five Racing, Northland Residential, Summit Retail Solutions, Pair Payments, and Pine Harbor Wood Products.

The firm's operating model is a distributed virtual team that positions itself as an 'off-site, in-house creative & technical team,' intentionally substituting for clients that cannot or do not want to staff full-time strategic creative roles. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services on quote-based pricing, with multi-year contracts and bundled ongoing support and training. The firm holds Massachusetts SDO and WBE certifications, which provide procurement preference in government and institutional RFPs. Go-to-market relies on a portfolio-driven website, client testimonials, social media (Facebook, Instagram), and earned media through industry awards including American Web Design Awards, GDUSA, and Massachusetts Municipal Association awards (2015).

Ownership and governance sit with President & Creative Director Karen Alves and Vice President Mike Cronin. The firm is bootstrapped — no external funding, parent company, subsidiaries, acquisitions, or recent leadership changes are disclosed. Operating status is active with copyright dated through 2026. Geographic reach is concentrated in Southcoast Massachusetts with national and limited international client engagement delivered through the remote team model rather than physical offices. The business carries 11-50 employees, project-based revenue streams, and a horizontal segmentation across four customer categories with no disclosed financial KPIs.

Name

Design Principles

Legal name

Design Principles, Inc.

Website

https://designprinciples.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Design Principles is a woman-owned Massachusetts creative agency founded in 1997 that delivers branding, web design, marketing, exhibit design, and packaging services to municipalities, nonprofits, corporations, and small-to-mid-sized businesses via a distributed virtual team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graphic & Web Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAAAAAD

Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Advertising Agencies (Full-Service/Creative)

SECONDARYBPAFAEAC

Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Brand Strategy & Creative Services

SECONDARYBPAHAKAL

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Architecture, Design & Planning Services

Keywords

• Graphic design services
• Web design agency
• Branding services
• Creative agency
• Marketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Marion

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. Creative Agency Services: Project-based professional services for branding, web design, web development, and marketing. Services include logo design, brand identity development, website redesign, content management systems, exhibit design, and marketing collateral creation. Revenue is generated through project fees, with costs savings emphasized over in-house teams.
2. Ongoing Support & Training: In-house support and training services provided to clients for maintaining websites and brand assets post-launch. Typically bundled with project work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Design Principles is a full-service graphic design and web agency delivering custom web design and development, branding, and marketing services to municipalities, corporations, small-to-mid-sized businesses, and nonprofits. Core offerings include website design and development using WordPress CMS with responsive, ADA-compliant layouts, brand identity development with logo design and style guides, and results-driven marketing including direct mail, e-campaigns, and creative production. Supporting services include website training, exhibit design for museums, and package design for product companies.

Product overview

Design Principles is a full-service graphic design and web agency offering an integrated suite of creative services. The core offerings include Web Design & Development (custom programming, responsive design, WordPress development), Branding Services (logo design, brand strategy, visual identity), and Marketing Services (direct mail, e-campaigns, creative visioning). Supporting services include Website Support & Training for client independence, Exhibit Design & Planning for museum and institutional clients, and Package Design for product companies. The company serves diverse sectors including municipalities, nonprofits, corporations, and small-to-mid-sized businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Web Design & Development Custom web design and programming solutions integrating data, information extraction, and workflow streamlining for desktop and mobile platforms. Built using WordPress CMS with responsive, ADA-compliant layouts.
• Branding Services Brand strategy, logo design, and visual identity development through a collaborative discovery process focused on customer needs and challenges. Includes comprehensive style guides and scalable brand identity systems.
• Marketing Services Results-driven marketing strategies including direct mail, e-campaigns, creative visioning, and design and production of marketing materials with measurable outcomes.
• Website Support & Training In-house support and training services for clients to manage and update their digital assets independently. Typically bundled with project work post-launch.
• Exhibit Design & Planning Design and planning of museum exhibits and interactive stations with immersive experiences, including signage, painted installations, and physical visitor environments.
• Package Design Product packaging design services including photography, lifestyle imagery, and cohesive brand presentation across product lines.

Quantifiable outcome

• Website with 1,000+ pages organized and streamlined for City of Brockton
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SmartSites: Full-service web design, development, and digital marketing agency serving SMBs and mid-market clients. Directly comparable in service mix (web + brand + marketing) and project-based professional services model, though at significantly larger scale.
• Lounge Lizard: Creative agency offering web design, branding, and digital marketing services to mid-market and enterprise clients. Comparable in service offerings (brand identity, web development, marketing strategy) and client base.
• Blue Water Marketing: Brand strategy, web design, and digital marketing firm comparable in size and service mix. Similar positioning around integrated creative services for SMBs and institutions.
• OuterBox: Web design, e-commerce development, and digital marketing agency serving mid-market clients. Comparable in service mix (web + brand + marketing) with overlap in e-commerce and WordPress platform expertise.
• Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: Web design and digital marketing agency serving SMBs through enterprise clients. Overlaps directly in web design, branding, and integrated marketing service offerings for similar client segments.

Broad incumbents

• Pentagram: Large, established multidisciplinary design firm operating across branding, digital, and environmental design. Overlaps in brand identity and design services but serves enterprise clients at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Clay (by Clay.global): Top-tier UX, branding, and product design agency serving enterprise clients globally. Comparable in core service categories (digital experience, brand, web) but operates at significantly higher price points and scale.

Emerging players

• Cuker Agency: Digital marketing and web design agency with comparable service offerings in brand, web, and digital. Slightly larger scale but overlapping client profile in mid-market and institutional clients.
• Wix Enterprise / Squarespace Design Partners: Platform-embedded agency partner networks and DIY site builders serving SMBs with low-cost alternatives. Relevant as competitive pressure on the SMB segment of Design Principles' client mix; does not directly compete for municipal/enterprise engagements.

Regional players

• Raincastle Communications: Massachusetts-based B2B branding, web design, and marketing agency. Comparable in geography (New England), size, and service offering (brand, web, content) for institutional and SMB clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/designprinciplesinc
• Instagraminstagram.com/designprinciples

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Design Principles