Directory of Design Consultants
Design Directory is a privately-held, UK-only WordPress-based online directory and marketplace where businesses can discover and filter design consultancies across six verticals, monetizing via annual Basic (£120) and Premium (£999) subscriptions sold to consultancies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersSaint Albans, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Directory of Design Consultants does
Design Directory (operating at designdirectory.co.uk) is a privately-held, UK-only online directory and self-serve marketplace that connects businesses seeking design services with design consultancies across six verticals: Product Design, Engineering, Branding, Architecture, Motion Graphics, and Interaction Design. The platform operates on a WordPress-based technology stack with category-structured subdirectories and location/category search functionality; there is no mobile app, no public API, and no proprietary technology features beyond standard listing management and email-based contact forms.
The company monetizes exclusively through annual subscriptions sold to design consultancies (the supply side) across three offerings: a Basic Listing at £120 per year (logo, cover image, company description, live hyperlink), a Premium Listing at £999 per year (extended bio, portfolio gallery, contact form, multimedia, up to five business sub-listings), and a Featured Company Placement sold via direct email enquiry that grants homepage visibility in a category-specific showcase slot. The demand side (businesses and organizations seeking design services) accesses the directory for free, with discovery primarily driven by organic SEO for queries such as 'UK product design consultancy' and 'branding agencies UK', supported by a content marketing blog and integrated social sharing.
Directory of Design Consultants firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Directory of Design Consultants
- Legal name
- Design Directory
- Website
- https://designdirectory.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Design Directory is a privately-held, UK-only WordPress-based online directory and marketplace where businesses can discover and filter design consultancies across six verticals, monetizing via annual Basic (£120) and Premium (£999) subscriptions sold to consultancies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Directory of Design Consultants industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Design Consultancy Directory
- NAICS
- Other Specialized Design Services (54149), Other Specialized Design Services (541490)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
Keywords
Where Directory of Design Consultants is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Albans
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Directory of Design Consultants business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Premium Listing Subscriptions: Annual subscription model for design consultancies seeking enhanced visibility. Premium listings at £999/year include extended company bio, image portfolio, contact form, multimedia content, and up to 5 business sub-listings.
- Basic Listing Subscriptions: Entry-level annual listing subscription at £120/year providing logo, cover image, company description, and live hyperlink for design consultancies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Basic listing for design consultancies with essential profile features |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium listing with full multimedia showcase and contact capabilities |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Directory of Design Consultants product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Directory of Design Consultants (Design Directory) is a UK-focused online marketplace that lists vetted design consultancies across six categories — Product Design, Engineering, Branding, Architecture, Motion Graphics, and Interaction Design — and lets businesses search and filter by sector and location. Consultancies purchase Basic (£120/year) or Premium (£999/year) annual listing subscriptions to claim and manage their profile, with Premium adding multimedia portfolios, contact forms, and featured homepage placement. The platform earns revenue from these recurring listing subscriptions while giving businesses free access to browse and contact consultancies.
Product overview
Design Directory is a UK-based online directory platform for design consultancies offering tiered listing packages. The core offerings include Basic Listing (£120/year) providing profile claiming, logo upload, and hyperlinks; Premium Listing (£999/year) offering extended bio, portfolio galleries, contact forms, and multi-business management; and Featured Company Placement for homepage prominence. The platform organizes consultancies across six design sectors: Product Design, Engineering, Branding, Architecture, Motion Graphics, and Interaction Design. Users can search by industry and location to find design partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Basic Listing
Companies that use Directory of Design Consultants
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Directory of Design Consultants technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Directory of Design Consultants partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- designdirectory.comminorInternational counterpart website for finding design consultancies outside the UK. Design Directory.co.uk refers users seeking international consultancies to this partner resource, expanding the reach of businesses beyond the UK market.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights2 records
Directory of Design Consultants competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DesignRush: DesignRush is an agency marketplace that lets companies find top design, web development, and marketing agencies by category and location. Its pricing-tier listing model and category-based filtering closely parallel Design Directory's Basic/Premium approach.
- Sortlist: Sortlist is an international agency matchmaking platform connecting brands with creative, digital, and design agencies. It uses a similar directory-plus-lead-generation model and competes for the same supply-side audience (design consultancies seeking client leads).
- Top Design Firms: Top Design Firms is a curated directory that ranks and lists design agencies by specialization and geography. It overlaps directly with Design Directory's category structure (branding, web design, UX, etc.) and competes for both UK consultancy listings and inbound buyer leads.
- Clutch: Clutch is a leading B2B services marketplace where businesses find and review agencies across categories including design, development, and marketing. It directly competes with Design Directory for the same buyer intent (businesses sourcing UK design consultancies) but operates globally with verified reviews and a larger paid listing base.
- Dribbble: Dribbble is a design community and job/agency marketplace connecting designers, freelancers, and agencies with clients. Its marketplace and directory functionality overlap with Design Directory's supply-side value proposition, particularly for Interaction Design and Branding categories.
- GoodFirms: GoodFirms is a B2B research and review platform listing IT, software, and design service providers. It offers paid featured profiles similar to Design Directory's Premium tier and ranks agencies by category and geography, including the UK.
- Awwwards: Awwwards is a curated platform recognizing the best web designers, agencies, and digital design work. While more focused on web/digital design awards, it overlaps with Design Directory's Interaction Design and Motion Graphics verticals and competes for the same design-conscious buyer audience.
- The Manifest: The Manifest is a B2B news and how-to resource that also publishes agency rankings and buyer guides across design and development. It is part of the Clutch/Manifest/Design Rush network and competes for the same buyer-intent search traffic that Design Directory targets.
Broad incumbents
- LinkedIn (Services Marketplace): LinkedIn is the dominant broad professional services platform where design consultancies maintain profiles and source clients organically. As a free incumbent with massive network effects, it represents the primary alternative to paid directories like Design Directory.
Regional players
- Yell (Yellow Pages UK): Yell is the UK's leading general business directory with paid listing tiers and category coverage that overlaps with Design Directory's location-based search. While not design-specialized, it competes for the same UK SMB buyer searching for local professional services.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Directory of Design Consultants social profiles
Digital presenceDirectory of Design Consultants financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Directory of Design Consultants leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Directory of Design Consultants funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Directory of Design Consultants M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Directory of Design Consultants
What does Directory of Design Consultants do?
Directory of Design Consultants (Design Directory) is a UK-focused online marketplace that lists vetted design consultancies across six categories — Product Design, Engineering, Branding, Architecture, Motion Graphics, and Interaction Design — and lets businesses search and filter by sector and location. Consultancies purchase Basic (£120/year) or Premium (£999/year) annual listing subscriptions to claim and manage their profile, with Premium adding multimedia portfolios, contact forms, and featured homepage placement. The platform earns revenue from these recurring listing subscriptions while giving businesses free access to browse and contact consultancies.
Is Directory of Design Consultants a public or private company?
Directory of Design Consultants is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Directory of Design Consultants founded?
Directory of Design Consultants was founded in 1995. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Directory of Design Consultants based?
Directory of Design Consultants is headquartered in Saint Albans, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Directory of Design Consultants make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Premium Listing Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are basic Listing Subscriptions.
Who are Directory of Design Consultants's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DesignRush, Sortlist, Top Design Firms, Clutch, Dribbble, GoodFirms, Awwwards and The Manifest. LinkedIn (Services Marketplace) is listed as a broad incumbent. Yell (Yellow Pages UK) is listed as a regional player.
Does Directory of Design Consultants have an API?
No public API is recorded for Directory of Design Consultants.
What industry is Directory of Design Consultants in?
Directory of Design Consultants's product category is Design Consultancy Directory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54149 and its SIC code is 7330.