Design Think Tank

What Design Think Tank does

Design Think Tank is a privately-held architecture and innovation consultancy headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, with a secondary office in Mexico City. Founded in 2013, the company describes itself as a "laboratory of innovation, technology and design" that consults companies and individuals across architecture, urban design, product design, and modular housing. Its service model — branded as "TANK Units" — assembles interdisciplinary teams drawn from in-house staff and external collaborators to execute client projects on a project basis.

The firm operates as a multi-venture portfolio under a single umbrella, encompassing nine sub-brands: 511 Design (inhabitable spaces and architecture), SW [x] Development (Detroit-based real-estate development), popBANG Media (brand identity and visual systems), P.A.D. (modular adaptive housing for the shared economy), Autonomous Spaces, Art Installation, Product Design, and Participatory Design. The most strategically distinctive line is P.A.D., which proposes a modular housing system whose units expand or contract with residents' life stages and budgets, coupled with an ownership model that allows residents to "own for the price of renting" as dwelling valuation accrues with added modules. P.A.D. has been recognized as an NVIDIA Inception Startup and a member of the Rally SEA 2024 accelerator cohort, and was featured in Housing Magazine's 2025 Liga Inmobiliaria special edition.

Design Think Tank monetizes primarily through professional-services consulting fees across architecture, urban design, interior design, construction, landscaping, and brand-identity projects. Named customers include a mix of community SMBs (Mexicantown Bakery, Azares Bridal Store, Legacy Home Repair, Mona Accesorios, Blanca Delgado) and enterprise or institutional counterparts (Hacienda Food's Factory, Victorian Steel, McIntosh & Poris, RL Concetti). No public pricing, revenue, funding, or headcount trajectory is disclosed; the listed core team comprises 9 named individuals. Beyond Detroit and Mexico City, the company has signaled intent to expand the P.A.D. housing concept into Mexico as a broader market, indicating a cross-border growth vector distinct from its architecture-services base.

Name

Design Think Tank

Legal name

Design Think Tank

Website

https://designthinktank.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Industrial Design Services (54142)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Urban design consulting
• Modular housing solutions
• Brand identity design
• Innovation consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design & Innovation Consulting: Consulting services for companies and individuals in Design, Innovation and Technology. Forms TANK Units with in-house and external resources to accomplish client goals.
2. P.A.D. Housing Solutions: Modular housing units sold or leased to commercial real estate owners, healthcare providers, and student housing operators. Includes profit-sharing models with commercial property owners through a three-bucket structure.
3. Architecture & Design Services: Architecture, construction, interior design, urban design, and landscaping services across residential, commercial, and community projects.
4. Brand Identity & Media Services: Brand identity, visual systems, and marketing services through popBANG Media subsidiary for clients including Legacy Home Repair, Mona Accesorios, and Victorian Steel.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Design Think Tank operates as a laboratory of innovation, technology, and design, providing consulting services to companies and individuals across architecture, urban design, interior design, product design, brand identity, and modular housing. The firm forms interdisciplinary TANK Units composed of in-house and external resources to deliver client projects, and operates a portfolio of sub-brands covering inhabitable spaces, real estate development, media/branding, and the proprietary P.A.D. modular adaptive housing system for the shared economy.

Product overview

Design Think Tank is a laboratory of innovation, technology, and design that operates as a multi-venture portfolio company supporting the products and ventures of the future. The core company consults in Design, Innovation and Technology, forming interdisciplinary TANK Units with in-house and external resources. The portfolio includes nine distinct sub-brands: 511 Design (inhabitable spaces and architecture), SW [x] Development (housing development in Detroit), popBANG Media (branding and marketing), P.A.D./Pad.Space (modular adaptive housing for shared economy), Autonomous Spaces (autonomous environments), Art Installation (creative installations), Product Design, and Participatory Design (community engagement). These ventures collectively address design, architecture, housing innovation, media, and community-focused solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 511 Design: Design studio dealing with inhabitable spaces including Build Environment, Urban Spaces, Creative Ambiences, Experiential Dwelling, and Architecture.
• SW [x] Development
• popBANG Media
• P.A.D.
• AUTONOMOUS SPACES
• ART INSTALLATION
• PRODUCT DESIGN
• PARTICIPATORY DESIGN

Quantifiable outcome

• P.A.D. residents can own for the price of renting with dwelling valuation growing as modules are added

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rally SEA (Social Enterprise Accelerator)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024P.A.D. selected for the Rally SEA (Social Enterprise Accelerator) 2024 cohort, providing mentorship, resources, and support for social enterprise growth in Southeast Asia.
• NVIDIA Inception ProgramcoreTechnology or IntegrationP.A.D. is an NVIDIA Inception Startup, providing access to NVIDIA's ecosystem of resources, technology, and expertise for AI and deep learning applications in housing solutions.
• RVDGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign Think Tank collaborated with RVDG on the VERNOR/LIVERNOIS architecture project in Detroit.
• McIntosh & PorisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner511 Design collaborated with McIntosh & Poris on the North Corktown Framework Plan, providing architecture and urban design services.
• RL ConcettiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner511 Design collaborated with RL Concetti on the Lava Mountain Cafe project, providing architectural and interior design services.
• RBGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign Think Tank collaborated with RBG on the Hacienda Food's Factory project.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Plant Prefab: Sustainable prefabricated home builder offering customizable modular housing — comparable to P.A.D.'s adaptive, configurable modular housing model targeting sustainability and affordability.
• Boxabl: Modular housing manufacturer producing factory-built foldable housing units — directly comparable to Design Think Tank's P.A.D. modular, adaptive housing venture targeting affordability and rapid deployment.
• frog (formerly frog design): Design and innovation consultancy with interdisciplinary teams spanning product, brand, and experience design — comparable in offering breadth and consultative delivery model to Design Think Tank's TANK Unit approach.
• Pentagram: Independent design consultancy specializing in brand identity, visual systems, and graphic design — directly comparable to Design Think Tank's popBANG Media subsidiary offering brand identity and visual systems.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm offering architecture, interior, and urban design services across commercial, healthcare, education, and residential sectors — overlapping with Design Think Tank's 511 Design and architecture services.
• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy operating an interdisciplinary, human-centered model that closely mirrors Design Think Tank's "laboratory of design, innovation and technology" positioning, though IDEO is far larger and more established.
• HOK: Global architecture, engineering, and planning firm serving healthcare, education, commercial, and urban clients — overlapping with Design Think Tank's healthcare housing and education/student housing target segments.

Regional players

• McIntosh & Poris: Detroit-based architecture and urban design firm collaborating with Design Think Tank/511 Design on the North Corktown Framework Plan — comparable in scale, geography, and architectural/urban design offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DesignThinkTank
• Facebookfacebook.com/DesignThinkTank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/design-think-tank

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Think Tank