Think

What Think does

Think Design Manchester Ltd. is an independent, founder-led creative design agency headquartered in Whitefield, Manchester, with a secondary studio in Farringdon, London. Founded in 1998, the firm operates for 27 years under MDs Paul Grogan (Creative Director, also a professional photographer) and Maz Grogan (Finance Director), supported by a multidisciplinary team of approximately 10 spanning strategy, design, WordPress development, SEO, and digital marketing.

The agency delivers six interconnected service lines: brand strategy, branding (identity, guidelines, tone of voice), web design and WordPress development, graphic design (brochures, reports, infographics, illustration), digital marketing (SEO, PPC, social media, content, email), and media/content production (photography, video, animation, CGI, PR, media buying). The underlying technology stack is built primarily on WordPress CMS, with WooCommerce for ecommerce builds (Slattery), Weglot for multilingual delivery (FILOform), and integrations with DHL and GlobalPayments; Cyber Essentials Plus certification is held for cybersecurity.

Revenue is generated through bespoke project engagements ranging from £500 to £30,000+ alongside ongoing design retainers, sold via direct sales motions (website enquiries, phone outreach, studio consultations) targeting UK enterprises. Customer segments include managed and professional services, heritage brands, property and construction, charity and non-profits, and public sector bodies, with named clients spanning Balfour Beatty, Manchester City FC, University of Manchester, Wienerberger, Downing, St. Modwen Logistics, and SB Laboratories. The firm is privately held with no external institutional investment and is accredited as a carbon balanced business with a Net Zero 2030 commitment.

Name

Think

Legal name

Think Design Manchester Ltd.

Website

https://thinkdesignagency.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Think is an independent, founder-led creative design agency in Manchester offering branding, web design, digital marketing, and media/content services to UK enterprises across professional services, property/construction, heritage, charity, and public sector clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Design & Marketing Agency Services

NAICS

Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD)

Keywords

• Brand strategy services
• Web design agency
• Graphic design services
• Digital marketing agency
• Media production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project-based services: Bespoke project work including brand strategy, branding, web design, graphic design, digital marketing, and media/content services. Pricing ranges from £500 to £30,000+ based on project scope and complexity.
2. Design retainer services: Ongoing design support arrangements with existing clients, providing continuous creative services on a retainer basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Think is a Manchester-based independent creative design and marketing agency delivering six integrated service lines: brand strategy, branding, web design, graphic design, digital marketing, and media/content production. Engagements are bespoke projects or ongoing retainers sold to UK businesses across managed/professional services, heritage brands, property and construction, charity, and public sector. Work is built primarily on WordPress with WooCommerce ecommerce, Weglot multilingual support, and integrations such as GlobalPayments and DHL.

Product overview

Think is a Manchester-based creative design and marketing agency operating as a single integrated studio rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core portfolio spans six interconnected service lines: Brand Strategy Services (discovery, research, positioning, and audits), Branding Services (logo design, brand identity, guidelines, and toolkits), Web Design Services (UX, WordPress development, hosting, and maintenance), Graphic Design Services (brochures, reports, infographics, illustration, and stationery), Digital Marketing Services (SEO, PPC, social media, content, and email), and Media and Content Services (photography, video, animation, CGI, PR, and media buying). These services are delivered as bespoke project engagements and retainers, not as packaged software products. The agency serves clients across sectors including managed and professional services, heritage brands, property and construction, charity, and public sector bodies, and operates two studio locations in Manchester and London.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Strategy Services Strategic brand consulting encompassing discovery workshops, audience research, competitor analysis, brand positioning statements, and brand audits. Guides the overall direction and messaging framework that shapes visual identity and digital experiences for client organisations.
• Branding Services Brand identity and logo design services including brand guidelines, tone of voice documentation, and brand toolkit creation. Delivers visual identities encompassing logo, typography, colour palette, and graphic style systems for UK businesses.
• Web Design Services Website design and WordPress development covering UX design, wireframing, user testing, content planning, best practice SEO, WordPress development, CMS training, managed VPS hosting with 99.99% uptime guarantee, and technical SEO optimization for client websites.
• Graphic Design Services Graphic design services spanning logo design, brochure design, annual report design, infographic design, illustration, marketing collateral, signage and exhibition graphics, and Word/PowerPoint template creation for UK businesses.
• Digital Marketing Services Integrated digital marketing including content strategy and SEO, content creation, social media management, PR and copywriting, PPC (pay-per-click) campaigns, email marketing, and paid social advertising for client organisations.
• Media and Content Services Content production and media services including written content (blog posts, whitepapers, copywriting), photography and art direction, video production, animation (2D and 3D), CGI, illustration, media planning and buying, and public relations for client organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Slattery ecommerce: 52.2% event count increase, 5% organic search traffic increase, 8% direct traffic increase, 133% event count per active user increase
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WeglotcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology integration partner for multilingual website delivery. Weglot integration allows FILOform to manage multilingual content across Europe without maintaining separate websites for each territory.
• Alectro (Virtual Sustainability Officer)coreTechnology or IntegrationSustainability partner for carbon footprint assessment and accreditation. Alectro facilitated employee engagement and sustainability journey assessment, providing Climate Clarity Hub accreditation (currently 'B standard business').
• GoldStandardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon offset certification body. Think's carbon footprint has been offset through GoldStandard-certified projects including Cambodia Water Purifiers, Akbuk Wind Farm (Turkey), Sapphire Wind Farm (Pakistan), and Zimbabwe Cleaner Cooking projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carter Wong Design: London-based independent brand and graphic design agency of similar size, serving enterprise clients across sectors with identity, print and digital design work.
• Bray Leino: UK full-service creative and digital agency offering brand, advertising, digital marketing and content services to enterprise clients — a comparable integrated agency peer with similar service breadth.
• The Market Creative: Manchester-based brand and marketing agency serving UK consumer and B2B clients with brand strategy, design and digital activation — directly comparable to Think's North West enterprise offering.
• Robot Food: Leeds-based independent design and branding agency of comparable size, offering brand identity, packaging and digital design to UK consumer and enterprise clients — directly comparable to Think's integrated brand and design model.
• McCann Manchester: Manchester office of the McCann network, offering creative, brand and digital marketing services to regional enterprise clients — a direct competitor for the same North West client base Think targets.
• Tangent: UK independent creative agency focused on brand, digital and content work for ambitious mid-market and enterprise clients — comparable in service mix and target segments.
• Absolute Design: Manchester-based independent design studio providing brand identity, print and digital design to UK clients — closely comparable in scale, sector mix and integrated creative approach.
• Code Computerlove: Manchester-based digital design and development agency with a similar mix of brand, web and digital product work for enterprise clients; now part of Havas but still operating as a regional creative peer to Think.

Broad incumbents

• Interbrand: Global brand consultancy offering brand strategy, identity, verbal branding and digital experience design to enterprise clients — a broad incumbent competing for the same enterprise brand mandates Think pursues.
• Pentagram: Global multi-partner design consultancy with deep brand identity, graphic design and digital capabilities — an incumbent in the same space as Think but operating at significantly larger scale and price point.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/think-design-manchester
• Instagraminstagram.com/thinkdesignagency
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThinkDesignAgency
• Xx.com/thinkdesignmcr

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Think