Standard Issue
Standard Issue is a Brooklyn-based design consultancy (founded 2005) delivering exhibition design, showrooms, branding, and retail environments for enterprise clients in contract furniture, materials, and architectural solutions — including MillerKnoll, Herman Miller, Designtex, 3form, and Google.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Standard Issue does
Standard Issue is a Brooklyn-based design consultancy founded in 2005 by Michael McGinn, operating as a private studio with 11–50 employees. The firm delivers exhibition design, showroom design, retail space design, branding, signage systems, and publication work, with a portfolio anchored by enterprise clients in the contract furniture, materials, and architectural solutions industries — most prominently MillerKnoll, Herman Miller, Designtex, and 3form, alongside engagements with Google, Latham, Mohawk, Brooklinen, GKD Metal Fabrics, and the Eames Institute. Notable deliverables include the 12,000 sq ft MillerKnoll Archives wing housing over one million objects, a 35,000 sq ft signage system for Google's SPAN 2018 conference in Helsinki, and the award-winning 3form 250 Colors showroom that won Best of Competition at NeoCon 2016. The studio has also extended into proprietary physical products, including the Stille Furniture Collection built on the Abstracta System, the Memo B-Side Table, and the 3form Color Portfolio.
The firm's business model is project-based fee-for-service consulting sold through direct enterprise engagement, with no public pricing, subscription, or product revenue disclosed. Distribution is global in reach (projects delivered in the U.S., Helsinki, Tokyo, and Richmond, CA) but channel-light, relying on portfolio reputation and repeat client relationships rather than formalized sales infrastructure. Marketing is portfolio-driven through the company website, with the 2024 launch of "Standard Issue Presents" signaling an intent to invest in brand and culture beyond client work. There is no disclosed institutional funding, ownership structure, or financial data.
Standard Issue firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Standard Issue
- Website
- https://standardissuedesign.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Standard Issue is a Brooklyn-based design consultancy (founded 2005) delivering exhibition design, showrooms, branding, and retail environments for enterprise clients in contract furniture, materials, and architectural solutions — including MillerKnoll, Herman Miller, Designtex, 3form, and Google.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Standard Issue industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Design Consultancy Services
- NAICS
- Interior Design Services (54141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Workplace Strategy & Space Standards (BPABAFAA)
Keywords
Where Standard Issue is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Standard Issue business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Standard Issue product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Standard Issue is a Brooklyn-based design consultancy founded in 2005 that provides branding, exhibition design, showroom and retail space design, packaging design, and digital material design to design-forward brands and consumer companies. The studio also collaborates with clients on co-branded furniture collections and publications, working with partners such as MillerKnoll, Herman Miller, Designtex, 3form, Latham, Google, Mohawk, Brooklinen, GKD Metal Fabrics, and the Eames Institute.
Product overview
Standard Issue is a design studio offering a broad portfolio of design services and branded products. Their core services include exhibition design, showroom design, retail space design, branding, signage systems, and publication design. The company collaborates with major clients including MillerKnoll, Herman Miller, Designtex, 3form, Latham, Google, and others. Their named offerings span award-winning exhibition concepts like the NeoCon 3form 250 Colors Exhibition, archival space design such as the MillerKnoll Archives, sustainable product sampling systems for Herman Miller Materials, and physical products including the Stille Furniture Collection, Memo B-Side Table, and Latham Reflections publication. The work ranges from large-scale environmental installations to detailed product systems like the 3form Color Portfolio. Standard Issue Presents serves as an internal initiative to showcase team members' creative work outside client projects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Branding and Identity Design Brand strategy and visual identity design services for premium design and consumer brand clients, including the development of brand systems and expressions across touchpoints.
- Exhibition, Showroom, and Retail Space Design Spatial design services for exhibitions, showrooms, and retail environments, translating brand identity into physical spaces for design and consumer brand clients.
- Packaging Design Packaging design services for consumer and design brand clients, including product packaging systems and branded collateral.
- Digital Material Design Design of digital materials, including digital color and texture portfolios and online brand expression tools for partners such as 3form.
- Stille Furniture Collection
- Memo B-Side Table
- Latham Reflections Publication
- 3form Color Portfolio
Quantifiable outcome
- Transformed 12,000 sq ft MillerKnoll archives wing housing over 1 million objects
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Standard Issue
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Standard Issue technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Standard Issue partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Standard Issue competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Gensler: Global architecture and interior design firm doing showroom, corporate HQ, and experiential design work at massive scale. Overlapping capability set but vastly broader industry coverage and larger delivery capacity than Standard Issue.
- Pentagram: Legendary multi-disciplinary design consultancy offering overlapping capabilities (branding, exhibition design, publication, identity) but serving a vastly broader client base across many industries rather than specializing in design brands.
Direct peers
- Local Projects: Award-winning experience design studio creating exhibitions and interactive environments for museums, brands, and cultural institutions. Comparable focus on exhibition design and storytelling for institutional clients.
- Yabu Pushelberg: Interior design studio renowned for retail, hospitality, and showroom design for luxury and design brands. Comparable showroom and retail-environment expertise serving similar fashion and design clients.
- Heatherwick Studio: London-based design studio working across architecture, exhibition design, products, and public-realm installations. Comparable multi-disciplinary practice combining exhibitions, brand experiences, and product design for cultural and commercial clients.
- Ralph Appelbaum Associates: World's leading museum and exhibition design firm specializing in interpretive exhibition design for cultural institutions. Directly comparable to Standard Issue's exhibition and archival-interpretation work for the Eames Institute and design museums.
- 2x4: New York-based design consultancy specializing in brand strategy, exhibition design, and retail environments for design-driven and cultural clients. Highly comparable client base (Knoll, Maharam, Design Within Reach) and similar service mix to Standard Issue.
- Tom Dixon Studio: Design studio combining product design, exhibitions, and brand experiences with own retail presence. Highly comparable multi-disciplinary design approach blending products, exhibitions, and brand storytelling.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Standard Issue social profiles
Digital presenceStandard Issue financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Standard Issue leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Standard Issue funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Standard Issue 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 Standard Issue
What does Standard Issue do?
Standard Issue is a Brooklyn-based design consultancy founded in 2005 that provides branding, exhibition design, showroom and retail space design, packaging design, and digital material design to design-forward brands and consumer companies. The studio also collaborates with clients on co-branded furniture collections and publications, working with partners such as MillerKnoll, Herman Miller, Designtex, 3form, Latham, Google, Mohawk, Brooklinen, GKD Metal Fabrics, and the Eames Institute.
Is Standard Issue a public or private company?
Standard Issue is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Standard Issue founded?
Standard Issue was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Standard Issue based?
Standard Issue is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Standard Issue's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Gensler and Pentagram. Direct peers are Local Projects, Yabu Pushelberg, Heatherwick Studio, Ralph Appelbaum Associates, 2x4 and Tom Dixon Studio.
Does Standard Issue have an API?
No public API is recorded for Standard Issue.
What industry is Standard Issue in?
Standard Issue's product category is Design Consultancy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design, with a secondary code of BPABAFAA, Workplace Strategy & Space Standards. Its NAICS code is 54141.