Group For Design

What Group For Design does

GfG / Gruppe für Gestaltung GmbH is a privately held German design agency headquartered in the Altes Zollamt building in Bremen, founded in 1992 by Stephan Kappen and Hanke Homburg and operating under founder-owned, German Mittelstand-style ownership with no disclosed external investors. The firm generates revenue through project-based professional design services — including exhibition design, corporate identity development, wayfinding systems, editorial design, cross-media campaigns, interior architecture, illustration, animation, photography, and participatory co-creation workshops — acquired via direct enterprise/government relationships, competitive public tenders, and referral networks. Pricing is custom-scoped per engagement with no publicly disclosed rates. Primary client segments are German municipal governments and public-sector institutions (Stadt Bremen, Stadt Osnabrück, BSAG, Umweltbetriebe Bremen, Universität Bremen, Sparkasse Bremen) and cultural institutions and museums (Stadtmuseum Oldenburg, Mercedes-Benz Museum, RPM Museum Hildesheim); corporate clients (DFKI, DMK Group, swb, GEWOBA, Werder Bremen) form a secondary segment.

The agency's operational model is multidisciplinary, with in-house design, photography (led by Michel Iffländer), and concept teams plus a dedicated participation methodology (iD-Werkstatt) for citizen and stakeholder co-creation. Recent strategic emphasis has been placed on AI — formalised in a 'KI Integration und Kreation' service line, an interactive 'KI-Mitmach-Atelier' workshop format, and the SynMM KI collective — positioning AI as a portfolio layer rather than a proprietary software product. The company does not operate a software platform, app, or API product; distribution of services is direct and regional, concentrated in Bremen and northern Germany with selective engagements in Baden-Württemberg and elsewhere in Germany. Geographic reach, customer mix, and partnership with BPW Stadtplanung on urban-development programs anchor the firm's position in the German public-sector and cultural-institution design market.

Name

Group For Design

Legal name

GfG / Gruppe für Gestaltung GmbH

Website

https://gfg-id.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

GfG / Gruppe für Gestaltung is a privately held Bremen-based design agency founded in 1992, serving German municipal governments, cultural institutions, and select enterprises with exhibition design, corporate identity, wayfinding, cross-media campaigns, photography, and participatory co-creation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143), Interior Design Services (541410), Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Experiential Brand Design (Retail/Exhibit/Signage) (MPAAAEAG)

Keywords

• Exhibition design services
• Corporate design services
• Wayfinding system design
• Brand identity consulting
• Participatory design workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design and communication services: GfG generates revenue through project-based professional design services including exhibition design, corporate identity development, wayfinding systems, editorial design, campaigns, and photography. Engagements are typically scoped as client commissions with defined deliverables.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

GfG is a Bremen-based design agency that delivers project-based design and communication services for government, cultural, and corporate clients. Offerings include exhibition design, corporate/brand identity, interior architecture, wayfinding systems, cross-media campaigns, editorial design, illustration and animation, photography, website design, and citizen participation/co-creation workshops.

Product overview

GfG | Gruppe für Gestaltung is a design agency based in Bremen, Germany, offering a comprehensive portfolio of design and communication services. The agency operates as a single integrated offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core services include exhibitions (Ausstellungen), illustration and animation, corporate design, interior architecture, cross-media campaigns, AI integration and creation (KI Integration und Kreation), editorial design, wayfinding systems (Leitsysteme), photography, participation and co-creation (Partizipation und Co-Creation), brand identity (Identität und Marke), and website development. The agency specializes in urban development, mobility, participation, future-oriented design, education and research, and climate topics. Notable named offerings include the 'KI-Mitmach-Atelier' hands-on AI workshop, 'Der mobile Mensch' traveling exhibition on mobility, and the 'TONNE' customer magazine for environmental services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exhibition Design (Ausstellungen) Design and curation of physical exhibitions for museums, cultural institutions, and public-sector clients, including concept development, spatial design, and visitor experience design. Award-winning projects include 'Der mobile Mensch' (Mercedes-Benz Museum Stuttgart) and 'EY ALTER'.
• Corporate Design Corporate identity, brand development, visual identity systems, and corporate architecture concepts for enterprise and public-sector clients (e.g., DFKI corporate design featured in the 33rd Corporate Design Preis book).
• Interior Architecture (Innenarchitektur) Interior architecture and spatial design services for offices, public buildings, and corporate environments, including recruiting spaces and performance centers (e.g., DMK Talent Weide, Werder Bremen Leistungszentrum).
• Wayfinding Systems (Leitsysteme) Wayfinding and signage system design for public buildings and corporate campuses, including custom house fonts, pictogram series, and parkhaus/exterior design (e.g., Sparkasse Bremen administration building in Technologiepark Bremen).
• Cross-media Campaigns (Crossmediale Kampagnen) Cross-media campaign development integrating multiple communication channels for recruitment, employer branding, and public awareness campaigns (e.g., swb recruiting campaign, Stadt Bremen employer brand).
• Participation and Co-Creation (Partizipation und Co-Creation) Participation and co-creation workshops and methodologies, including citizen involvement in urban development and mobility projects, delivered via the iD-Werkstatt format (e.g., Evangelische Kitas Bremen strategy co-creation, Personas for participation).
• KI-Mitmach-Atelier (AI Hands-On Atelier) An interactive AI workshop format with four stations where participants can experience and create with AI technologies. Designed for events, festivals, and organizational clients seeking hands-on AI engagement.
• Editorial Design Editorial design services including magazine and publication design, such as the 'TONNE' customer magazine for Umweltbetriebe Bremen (since 2012/13) and the Universität Bremen 50th anniversary jubilee yearbook in pocket format.
• Photography (Fotografie) Professional photography services led by Michel Iffländer, covering exhibition photography, architecture, portraits, and campaign imagery, delivered through GfG's in-house photography studio.
• Identity and Brand (Identität und Marke) Brand identity and brand development services, including visual identity systems and brand strategy for enterprises, public institutions, and cultural organizations (e.g., RPM Museum Hildesheim brand development).
• Website Design and Development (Websites) Website design and development services, including content management system implementations and campaign microsites (e.g., BSAG Gröpelingen website, karriere.bremen.de job portal).
• Illustration and Animation (Illustration und Animation) Illustration and animation services for various communication, campaign, and design projects, including motion content for cross-media campaigns and exhibition media.
• AI Integration and Creation (KI Integration und Kreation) AI integration and creation services as part of GfG's design portfolio, including AI-assisted workshops and AI-augmented design projects for clients exploring generative AI in branding and communication.

Quantifiable outcome

• Job portal for Stadt Bremen achieved over 1.7 million page views and 370,000 visitors in its first year (2019)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BPW Stadtplanung (Osnabrück)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGfG collaborates with BPW Stadtplanung on the city development program for Osnabrück. BPW handles analysis, planning, and public participation while GfG provides visual identity and communication design. This partnership combines urban planning expertise with design capabilities for comprehensive city development programs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Strichpunkt Design: Stuttgart and Berlin-based German design agency specializing in brand identity, editorial design, and visual communication for corporate and cultural clients. Similar mid-size agency profile and integrated design-and-communication model as GfG.
• KMS Team: Munich-based brand consultancy delivering corporate design, brand strategy, and communication design for major German enterprises and institutions. Comparable to GfG in its emphasis on long-term brand systems rather than one-off campaigns.
• Scholz & Volkmer: Berlin-based German design agency with a similar integrated offering spanning brand, digital, exhibition, and spatial design for enterprise and public-sector clients. Directly comparable in size, scope, and German Mittelstand character to GfG.
• denkwerk: Cologne-based German digital and creative agency with brand, campaign, and digital product capabilities. Comparable in size and integrated approach, with overlap in cross-media campaign work for enterprise clients.
• Meiré und Meiré: Cologne-based German design agency focused on brand identity, spatial communication, and exhibition design for cultural and corporate clients. Comparable integrated offering and similar mid-size profile to GfG.

Broad incumbents

• MetaDesign: Berlin and global brand consultancy founded in 1979 with deep corporate design, wayfinding, and exhibition heritage for major German and international clients. Larger and more internationally diversified than GfG, but operates in the same brand and spatial design space.
• Serviceplan Group: Munich-headquartered largest owner-managed German agency group, operating across brand, communication, and digital. Substantially larger than GfG but competes for similar German enterprise and public-sector brand and campaign mandates.
• Jung von Matt: Hamburg-headquartered major German creative agency group with extensive brand, campaign, and communication design capabilities across multiple disciplines. Broader portfolio and larger scale than GfG but overlaps in cross-media campaign and brand work for major institutional clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GfGBremen
• Facebookfacebook.com/GfG.Bremen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gfg-gruppe-f%C3%BCr-gestaltung-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/gfgshowcase

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Group For Design