Designated

What Designated does

Designiert is a Düsseldorf-based corporate identity and digital branding agency founded in 1999/2000 by Niklas Webelhaus, operating as a small owner-managed consulting firm. The company delivers end-to-end brand strategy and visual identity services — including corporate identity workshops, corporate design systems (logos, styleguides, typography, imagery), corporate communication across print and digital channels, naming and claim development, employer branding, packaging, signage and wayfinding, and corporate sound — to corporate, governmental, educational, healthcare, nonprofit, and consumer goods clients across Germany. Its approach combines qualitative and quantitative research with structured CI-Workshops to clarify strategic positioning before visual execution, and it tracks an award portfolio including Red Dot Ehrenpreis (2009), Designpreis des Landes NRW (2005), and Schönste deutsche Bücher (2002).

The underlying technology is conventional creative production tooling with no proprietary software platform; the firm's "IP" resides in methodology (the CI-Workshop framework), proprietary brand management systems for clients, and craft reputation supported by approximately 100 industry awards across the two founding partners. The business model is professional services: project-based fees aligned to the Bundes Deutscher Grafik-Designer (bdg) honorarium recommendations, with usage rights granted on full payment and additional services (modifications, production supervision, travel) billed separately; net fees plus statutory VAT are standard. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales via direct client engagement, competitive pitches, and public tenders for government work, supplemented by referrals and a portfolio-driven website. Following the March 2020 fusion with Lockstoff Design GmbH, designiert operates under the Lockstoff Design GmbH umbrella with Webelhaus as managing shareholder; the combined entity serves a broader vertical mix including tourism, public-sector events, and financial services clients carried over from Lockstoff.

Name

Designated

Legal name

designiert

Website

https://designiert.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Designiert is a Düsseldorf-based owner-operated corporate identity and digital branding agency, serving government, corporate, education, healthcare, and consumer goods clients across Germany with brand strategy, visual identity, and communication services. Following its March 2020 merger, it operates under Lockstoff Design GmbH.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Identity & Brand Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems (BPAFAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging & Product Brand Design (BPAFAEAG), Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)

Keywords

• Corporate identity design
• Brand strategy services
• Digital branding agency
• Visual identity systems
• Corporate communication design

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Creative Design Services and Licensing: Project-based professional services including concept development, design work, and creative execution. Fee structure based on Bundes Deutscher Grafik-Designer (bdg) honorarium recommendations. Usage rights are granted upon full payment. Additional services such as design modifications, production supervision, and travel expenses are billed separately. Net fees plus statutory VAT.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

designiert is a Düsseldorf-based corporate identity and digital branding agency that develops authentic corporate design systems through a structured CI-Workshop methodology, followed by Corporate Design (logos, styleguides, typography) and Corporate Communication (cross-media campaigns, packaging, digital, events) for corporate and institutional clients. The agency delivers project-based professional services covering strategic positioning, brand architecture, visual identity creation, and ongoing brand management across all touchpoints.

Product overview

designiert is a Düsseldorf-based corporate identity and digital branding agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of design services. The core offering consists of Corporate Identity (strategic positioning and brand analysis), Corporate Design (visual identity systems including logos, styleguides, and typography), and Corporate Communication (applying design across campaigns, publishing, and digital channels). These core services are supported by specialized modules including Strategic Consulting, Brand Management Systems, Online Advertising, Employer Branding, Naming/Claim Development, CI-Workshops, Corporate Sound, and Implementation services (templates, print production, programming, evaluation, and reporting). The agency also provides sector-specific solutions for signage and orientation systems, packaging design, and event communication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Design

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully developed and implemented corporate design systems for 50+ police authorities in NRW
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lockstoff Design GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Fusion merger in March 2020 combining designiert with Lockstoff Design from Meerbusch under the Lockstoff Design GmbH umbrella. Expands capacity and expertise in strategy, branding, communication, and digital media. Niklas Webelhaus becomes managing shareholder of Lockstoff Design GmbH.
• big7.netminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Joint project partnership for e-nitiative.nrw network for education project. Combined designiert's branding expertise with big7.net's technical capabilities for integrated communication and sponsorship concept.
• Fachhochschule Düsseldorf (FH Düsseldorf)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership where founder Niklas Webelhaus teaches integrated communications at the Faculty of Design. Agency hosts student projects and studies including FH course work on brand extensions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Strichpunkt: Stuttgart/Berlin corporate design and brand agency working with major German and European brands on visual identity, brand systems, and digital branding. Closely aligned with designiert's core corporate design and digital offering.
• MetaDesign: Berlin-headquartered corporate identity and brand strategy agency with a deep German government and enterprise client roster (e.g., Volkswagen Group, Audi). Closely comparable to designiert in service mix (CI strategy, visual identity, brand systems) and target buyer.
• Loved: Hamburg-based branding and design agency with strong corporate identity and brand strategy practice. Similar boutique positioning with comparable client profile of mid-sized and large German/European brands.
• KMS TEAM: Munich-based brand strategy and corporate design agency serving DAX-level enterprises. Direct comparable on visual identity systems, brand strategy, and corporate communications for large German institutional clients.
• Nordpol+: Hamburg-based communications agency offering corporate design, brand strategy, and digital branding. Comparable scope and client profile to designiert's corporate identity and digital branding practice.
• Peter Schmidt Group: Hamburg-headquartered brand identity, packaging design, and corporate design agency. Direct peer on visual identity, packaging (e.g., TANDIL-type consumer goods work), and brand strategy for German enterprises.
• Kolle Rebbe: Hamburg-based brand and corporate design agency (now part of KNSK). Comparable in offering corporate identity, brand strategy, and integrated communications for German enterprise clients.
• Meiré und Meiré: Cologne-based creative agency specializing in brand strategy, corporate design, and cross-media campaigns. Direct comparable as a Rhineland-based boutique creative with similar mid-sized German client portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Scholz & Friends: Hamburg-headquartered full-service creative agency group (now part of WPP). Operates in the same corporate brand and communications space but at significantly larger scale and broader scope, frequently competing for German enterprise rebrands.
• Jung von Matt: Major Hamburg-based creative agency group with full-service brand strategy, advertising, and digital practices. Competes for the same German government, public-sector, and enterprise brand mandates as designiert, but with much broader portfolio capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/designiert
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Agenturdesigniert
• Facebookfacebook.com/designiert
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/designiert-corporate-design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Designated