Design Research Studio

What Design Research Studio does

Design Research Studio is a London-based design and innovations consultancy founded in 2002 and operating with 51-100 employees from The Coal Office in King's Cross. The studio delivers multi-disciplinary design services across products, interiors, architecture, graphics, branding and content for a roster of global enterprise clients spanning hospitality (Morgans Hotel Group, Pan Pacific Hotels Group), real estate development and investment (Canary Wharf Group, AMP Capital Investments, ABRDN Standard Investments), consumer products (Tom Dixon, IKEA, VitrA, Hydro) and specialist manufacturing (Prolicht, Verbom). Tom Dixon serves as Creative Director.

Its core technical capability is the integration of physical and spatial design disciplines under a single narrative-led creative direction, with documented execution across high-complexity built environments (the 359-key Mondrian Hotel London; a 49-storey vertical-village interior at Quay Quarter Tower Sydney with architects 3XN and BVN; 140-unit micro-housing and 200 co-working spaces at UNITY Stockholm; penthouse interiors at One Park Drive for a Herzog & de Meuron-designed tower). Alongside interiors, the studio produces co-developed consumer products using advanced manufacturing techniques, notably the Hydro Chair (a 100% recyclable aluminium stacking chair built with Hydro and automotive engineers via superplastic forming), the Liquid bathroom collection with VitrA, and the CODE light sculptures with Prolicht.

The business model is professional-services consulting on undisclosed project-by-project fees, sold through direct senior-led client engagement to enterprise customers globally. The studio realises work internationally via a documented network of design and manufacturing partners rather than owned offices abroad. Revenue concentration around a limited number of marquee client relationships, combined with multi-year project cadence across continents, points to a boutique consultancy model monetising design IP, brand association and delivery capacity rather than volume licences.

Name

Design Research Studio

Legal name

Design Research Studio

Website

https://designresearchstudio.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Design Research Studio is a London-based design and innovations consultancy, founded in 2002, delivering multi-disciplinary services across products, interiors, architecture, graphics, branding and content for global enterprise clients in hospitality, real estate, retail and consumer products, led by Creative Director Tom Dixon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interior Design Consulting

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410), Industrial Design Services (54142), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Interior design consulting
• Product design services
• Brand identity design
• Hospitality interior design
• Architectural design services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design Consultancy Services: Project-based design and innovation consultancy services spanning products, interiors, architecture, graphics, branding and content across global markets

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Design Research Studio is a design and innovations consultancy that delivers project-based services across products, interiors, architecture, graphics, branding, and content for global enterprise clients. The studio combines multi-disciplinary design expertise with a network of international design and manufacturing partners to realize projects globally across hospitality, retail, co-working, and monumental complex sectors.

Product overview

Design Research Studio is a design and innovations consultancy offering services across products, interiors, architecture, graphics, branding, and content. The studio works with global clients including Tom Dixon, VitrA, IKEA, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Canary Wharf Group, and AMP Capital Investments. Their product portfolio includes CODE light sculptures, the Hydro Chair for Tom Dixon, and the Liquid bathroom collection for VitrA. Their spaces portfolio encompasses hotel interiors (Mondrian Hotel London), mixed-use developments (Quay Quarter Tower Sydney), cocktail bars (Silverleaf), retail/showroom spaces (The Manzoni Milan), and micro-housing (UNITY Stockholm). The studio also provides art direction services for clients like Tom Dixon and IKEA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interior and Space Design Services Project-based interior design and space design services delivered to enterprise clients across hospitality, retail, residential, and commercial sectors, with each engagement executed from concept through completion using a global network of design and manufacturing partners.

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ProlichtcoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration with specialist architectural lighting producer Prolicht for the Code series of experimental light sculptures demonstrating decorative potential of warm LEDs. Resulted in limited edition constructivist light sculptures and minimal track lighting system now sold by Tom Dixon.
• 3XNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with renowned Danish Architects 3XN (Design Architect) for Quay Quarter Tower Sydney project. DRS appointed to design office lobby, reception, hospitality offerings, market hall, retail and co-working floors of the 49-storey vertical village development.
• BVNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery Architect for Quay Quarter Tower Sydney project in collaboration with 3XN and Design Research Studio.
• VitrAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal bathroom brand collaboration creating the Liquid bathroom collection as part of VitrA's long-standing programme of designer collaborations. DRS explored new design opportunities while gaining appreciation of manufacturing complexities for bathroom products.
• HydrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with world's largest aluminium producer Hydro to develop the Hydro chair - an innovation in aluminium manufacturing using automotive industry engineering expertise and superplastic forming processes.
• VerbomcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerManufacturing partner for Hydro chair, producing the 100% recyclable aluminium stacking chair in Canada.
• Pan Pacific Hotels GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-disciplinary collaboration for Silverleaf cocktail bar including interior design, restaurant operations advisory, graphic identity and branding, and bespoke furniture and glassware production.
• MADE A MANOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier and partner for The Manzoni project, contributing to the experimental space featuring restaurant, exhibition and shop in Milan.
• KVADRATminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier and partner for The Manzoni project, providing materials for the Tom Dixon showroom and restaurant space.
• SORENSEN LEATHERminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier and partner for The Manzoni project, contributing leather materials to the experimental space.
• Automotive Industry EngineerscoreTechnology or IntegrationSkilled engineers from automotive industry collaborated on Hydro chair development, bringing advanced manufacturing methods to create unprecedented chair design with complex contours.
• Herzog de MeuroncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural partnership for One Park Drive penthouses designed by Herzog & de Meuron, for which DRS created the Home Of The Collector interior concept.
• IKEAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Gardening Will Save The World experimental project imagining future of urban farming, presented at RHS Chelsea Flower Show featuring vertical gardens and innovative agricultural technologies.
• Bibbings and HensbyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom-made Elm timber furniture supplier for One Park Drive project.
• Above ZerocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoutique developer for Rondure House Melbourne penthouse project in Studley Park precinct, collaborating with Cera Stribley Architects and Design Research Studio.
• Cera Stribley ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm collaboration for Rondure House Melbourne project alongside Design Research Studio.
• More and More StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnimation studio providing animation services for the Liquid product range project.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yabu Pushelberg: Toronto-based luxury interior design and product studio with a comparable hospitality, retail, and residential client roster. Closely mirrors DRS's multi-disciplinary, narrative-driven design approach and global project delivery model.
• Heatherwick Studio: London-based design and architecture studio working across products, buildings, and public realm with a similar reputation-led, conceptual positioning. Comparable in city, scale, and the breadth of disciplines covered.
• Studio Indigo: London-based design consultancy working on luxury residential, hospitality, and workspace interiors. Comparable in city, scale, and project-based delivery model for premium UK and international clients.
• Rockwell Group: New York-based cross-disciplinary design firm working across hospitality, interiors, product, and set design. Similar narrative-driven, multi-sector approach and comparable client prestige tier.
• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): Global hospitality interior design specialist with deep hotel chain relationships (e.g., Morgans, Pan Pacific-adjacent). Direct peer for DRS's hotel interiors work, though typically larger and more hotel-focused.
• Tara Bernerd & Partners: London-headquartered interior design firm specializing in hotels, residential, and restaurants globally. Direct overlap with DRS's hospitality and luxury residential focus and similar project-based engagement model.
• AvroKO: New York-headquartered design firm spanning hospitality, restaurants, and branding. Highly comparable multi-disciplinary model (interior + brand identity) and similar premium hospitality client base to DRS.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Global architecture and design practice with significant interior and product capability. Comparable as a UK-headquartered partner for major real estate developments, but far larger and broader in scope than DRS.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with interior, brand, and product practices across hospitality, retail, and residential. Significantly larger but operates in the same end markets and competes for similar enterprise briefs.
• Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG): International architecture and design practice with growing interior and product capabilities. Comparable partner profile for starchitect-led developments, though primarily architecture-led rather than interior-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/designresearchstudio

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 Design Research Studio