Designerei

What Designerei does

Designerei is a privately held strategic design agency (Agentur für Strategisches Design) organized as a German civil-law partnership (GbR — Maren Thier & Anja Eglmeyer GbR), founded in 2004 and headquartered in Hermsdorf, Thuringia. The firm serves small and medium enterprises, organizations, associations, and startups primarily in Thuringia and Saxony, delivering brand strategy, corporate design, web design and development, packaging, editorial, campaign, trade-show, and accessibility-focused communication services. Its differentiation rests on an integrated strategy-first positioning codified in the proprietary PLANKLAR+® methodology, which front-loads strategic clarity before design execution.

The agency's technology stack is conventional and non-proprietary: Contao CMS is the primary platform for web builds, Brevo (Sendinblue) handles email/newsletter distribution, Google Analytics covers web analytics, Adobe Typekit serves font delivery, Canva Pro is used as a client-facing template tool, and trakked.io provides website monitoring for maintenance clients. Website support is packaged into three tiers (Basis, Plus, Premium) covering security, functional updates, backups, and monitoring. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, no proprietary software product, and no API platform.

Designerei operates a B2B sales-led GTM with direct client engagement, supplemented by content marketing (website, InfoBox articles, Instagram), an email newsletter (gelbraum Impulse), SEO, and an accredited subsidized-consulting channel via Ellipsis/TAB for Thuringian founders and SMEs. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services on net-price invoicing per the agency's AGB; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The customer base is diversified across manufacturing, nonprofit, public-sector, and startup clients, with a noticeable cluster in the Tridelta industrial ecosystem. The firm employs 11–50 people, with named management comprising two co-Managing Directors (Maren Thier — Strategy & Branding; Anja Eglmeyer — Strategy & Web) and a web developer (Hendrik Bengs).

Name

Designerei

Legal name

Maren Thier & Anja Eglmeyer GbR

Website

https://designerei-werbeagentur.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Designerei is a Thuringia-based strategic design agency serving SMEs, organizations, and startups in Germany with brand strategy, corporate design, web development, packaging, and campaign services, delivered through its proprietary PLANKLAR+® methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Strategy and Strategic Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Industrial Design Services (541420)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAKAL

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design

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

SECONDARYTHAHAHAA

Custom Booth & Stand Design (Concept, 3D, Branding)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Booth Design, Exhibition Stand Builders & Show Services

SECONDARYTHAHAHAG

Graphics Production & Large-Format Printing (Banners, Wraps, Signage)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Booth Design, Exhibition Stand Builders & Show Services

Keywords

• Strategic design services
• Brand strategy consulting
• Corporate identity design
• Web design development
• Packaging design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hermsdorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Strategic Design Services: Professional services revenue model encompassing brand strategy, cultural development, strategic design, and communications services. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting engagements and creative service contracts. The AGB confirms net pricing plus applicable VAT, with invoices payable immediately upon receipt.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Designerei is an Agentur für Strategisches Design (strategic design agency) that provides brand strategy, corporate design, web design and development, packaging design, campaign and event communications, and subsidized consulting for SMEs, organizations, and startups in Thuringia and Saxony. Its work is anchored by the proprietary PLANKLAR+® methodology, which integrates strategy, culture, and design to produce brand clarity and sustainable market visibility. Revenue is earned through project-based, fee-for-service professional design engagements and ongoing website maintenance contracts.

Product overview

Designerei is a strategic design agency (Agentur für Strategisches Design) based in Hermsdorf, Germany, offering a comprehensive portfolio of branding and communication services. The agency's core offering centers on strategic brand development using its proprietary PLANKLAR+® methodology, which integrates strategy, culture, and design for clarity and business growth. Their digital services include website design and development using Contao CMS, SEO optimization, and website maintenance with three support tiers (Basis, Plus, Premium). They also provide specialized services such as product landing pages, accessible/accessible website development, Canva template creation, packaging design, editorial design, catalog design, trade show booth design, campaign design, employer branding, food branding, brand relaunch, and market entry design. Their service portfolio is completed by coaching programs, subsidized consulting for startups and SMEs in Thuringia, event communication, and the gelbraum seminar room booking service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• gelbraum: A seminar room operated by designerei at Eisenberger Straße 79, Hermsdorf, available for booking.
• gelbraum Impulse
• PLANKLAR+®

Products and services

• Strategisches Design (Strategic Design) Comprehensive brand strategy services for KMU, organizations, and startups, integrating strategy, culture, and design into a coherent system that produces brand clarity, visibility, and growth. Customers contract for project-based strategic design engagements anchored by the agency's proprietary PLANKLAR+® methodology.
• PLANKLAR+® Brand Strategy Methodology Proprietary method that brings clarity and focus to corporate communication and brand development. Used by Designerei as its core strategic framework to answer strategic brand questions and provide guiding principles for client decisions.
• Webdesign & Webentwicklung Strategically planned web design and development services for KMU, organizations, and startups in Thuringia and Saxony, including SEO-optimized content, modern web technology built on Contao CMS, conception, content creation, design, development, training, and ongoing support.
• Website-Betreuung & Support (Website Maintenance) Recurring website support service for clients with three tiers (Basis, Plus, Premium), offering security and functional updates, database backups, trakked.io-based uptime and performance monitoring, and direct technical support.
• Geförderte Beratung (Subsidized Consulting for Founders and SMEs) Intensive consulting for startups and SMEs in Thuringia, delivered under the Gründungsrichtlinie (80% subsidy for startups) and Beratungsrichtlinie (50% subsidy for SMEs) through an accredited partnership with Ellipsis Gesellschaft für Unternehmensentwicklung mbH, with applications processed via Thüringer Aufbaubank (TAB).
• Coaching & Gründungsberatung (Startup Coaching & Founding Consulting) Coaching and consulting services for founders and early-stage companies, including workshops on brand values, communication concept development, and the selection of initial marketing measures.
• gelbraum Seminarraum (Seminar Room Booking) Seminar room (gelbraum) available for booking at the Hermsdorf office for workshops, client meetings, and events.
• Website-Kompass (Website Strategy Workshop) Structured 7-step workshop service that develops the strategic facts required for a successful website, working with clients to bring structure and clarity to web projects before design and development begin.
• gelbraum Impulse Newsletter Recurring newsletter with information, invitations, and impulses about the gelbraum seminar offering and topics for successful brand communication, delivered via Brevo with double opt-in subscription.
• Eventkommunikation (Event Communication) Full-service event communication for conferences and association events, producing program booklets, abstract books, conference bags, lanyards, meal tickets, and roll-ups (executed for CERAMICS 2023 and similar engagements).
• Produkt-Landingpage (Product Landing Page) Strategic product landing page development for B2B product launches and international marketing, comprising workshop, visual design, content creation, front-end and back-end development, and SEO (delivered for Tridelta Meidensha smartCOUNT surge arrester monitors).
• Barrierefreie Website (Accessible Website) Barrier-free / accessible website development services that meet accessibility standards and include content in easy language (Leichte Sprache), accessible interactive maps, pictograms, and inclusive design for people with disabilities.
• Verpackungsdesign (Packaging Design) International packaging design services covering strategic design concepts, packaging implementation, and sticker systems for product differentiation in B2B and consumer markets.
• Canva-Vorlagen (Canva Brand Templates) Brand-compliant Canva template creation and training services for clients' corporate design, covering social media posts, stories, banners, data sheets, and flyers (Canva Pro subscription required for template usage).
• Editorial Design Editorial design projects covering modern design, project concepts, consulting on structure and content, editorial concepts, layout, design, and typesetting for publications.
• Katalogdesign (Catalog Design) Catalog design services with barrier-free design focus, including structure concepts, design grids, layout, photo editing, and full project management.
• Messestand-Design (Trade Show Booth Design) Strategic trade show booth design services, from design concepts and brand adaptation to spatial storytelling, key visuals, and media integration.
• Markteintritt Design (Market Entry Design) Market entry design services for startups entering new markets, integrating strategic design, brand development, and product landing pages.
• Food Branding Food industry branding services, including brand development, naming, claim development, art direction, photography, and brand brochures.
• Markenrelaunch (Brand Relaunch) Brand relaunch services for existing brands that modernize visual identity while preserving recognition, introducing a new image language and consistent application across all touchpoints.
• Recruiting-Kampagne (Employer Branding / Recruiting Campaign) Employer branding and recruiting campaign services for SMEs, encompassing strategy workshops, strategic design, campaign implementation, and mentoring during rollout.
• Markenentwicklung (Brand Development) Comprehensive brand development projects combining brand strategy, presentation design, website support, and ongoing design implementation.
• Dachmarke (Umbrella Brand Development) Umbrella brand development services for organizations operating multiple sub-brands or facilities (eight in the WENDEPUNKT e.V. case), covering logo redesign, website creation, and business stationery.
• Botschafterpraline (Corporate Premium Gift Branding) Premium corporate-gift branding projects including naming, corporate design, flyers, labels, and packaging (Botschafterpraline concept for Köber Kulinarisches).
• Kampagnendesign (Campaign Design) Integrated campaign design services spanning logo redesign, postcards, poster series, large-format posters, Canva templates, and thank-you cards.
• Werbekampagne (Advertising Campaign) Full-service advertising campaign projects covering campaign concepts, publication (VHS journal), program flyers, and poster advertising.
• Zukunftsbild (Future Vision via soulsketch®) Emotional future vision development delivered through the soulsketch® illustration methodology, covering cultural development consulting, moderation, mission/vision/values articulation, positioning, and bespoke illustration (delivered for Anschütz GmbH).

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning accessible website project (Deutscher Agenturpreis 2023, B2C/Website category)

Named customers23 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

Integration8 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ellipsis Gesellschaft für Unternehmensentwicklung mbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignerei is an accredited consulting company of Ellipsis, enabling them to offer subsidized consulting services to founders and SMEs in Thuringia through government-funded programs (Gründungsrichtlinie and Beratungsrichtlinie). Ellipsis acts as quality assurance provider, forwarding applications to Thüringer Aufbaubank (TAB) for processing.
• Studio2 Media (Marko Unger)minorOthersPhotography services provider credited for photos on the Designerei website. Located in the Erzgebirge region.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• MetaDesign: Berlin/global brand agency (now part of Adobe) specializing in brand strategy and corporate design for large enterprises. Operates in the same brand-strategy category at much greater scale and geographic reach.
• Jung von Matt: Major Hamburg-headquartered creative network with strong brand strategy and design practices. Significantly larger but directly competes for the same German brand strategy and design mandates.
• Me & Company: Munich-based brand consultancy combining strategy, design, and organizational transformation for corporates and SMEs. Comparable strategic-first approach but operates at a larger and more national footprint.
• Kolle Rebbe: Hamburg-based creative agency offering brand strategy, campaign work, and digital design for major brands. Broader incumbent with wider portfolio and larger headcount, but overlapping core brand-and-design capability.
• Antoni Garage: Berlin-based creative agency with strong brand strategy, campaign, and digital design capabilities for German and international clients. Larger scope but overlapping in core brand-and-design service lines.

Direct peers

• Scholz & Volkmer: Wiesbaden-based brand and digital agency of comparable size, delivering brand strategy, corporate design, and web platforms for German SMEs and enterprise clients. Closest direct peer in business model and integrated strategy-plus-execution offering.
• denkwerk: Cologne-based digital agency offering strategy, design, web development, and digital marketing. Closely comparable service mix and German mid-market positioning to Designerei's web/digital offering.
• Strichpunkt Design: Stuttgart/Munich brand and design agency focused on corporate design, brand systems, and digital brand experiences. Comparable mid-size German brand agency serving B2B and B2C clients with similar integrated services.
• KMS Team: Munich-based brand consultancy offering brand strategy, corporate design, and communication systems for mid-market and enterprise clients. Directly comparable as a German strategy-led design agency with similar service depth.

Regional players

• neues handeln: Cologne-based strategic design and brand agency with comparable integrated strategy-plus-execution model for SMEs and nonprofits. Comparable size and positioning though based in a different German region.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/designerei_werbeagentur
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/designerei-werbeagentur

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Designerei