3f Design

What 3f Design does

3f Design is a Darmstadt-based design studio specializing in science communication for policy, science, and education audiences. Founded in 1991 and operated as a civil-law partnership (GbR) under the legal name Sibylle Schmidtchen und Brita Schneider GbR, the firm translates complex environmental, energy, and sustainability topics — including the energy transition (Energiewende), circular economy, water protection, soil protection, and mobility reform — into accessible visual communications. Its core deliverables include scrollytelling web experiences (a mixed-media scrollable format the firm has produced five times since 2018), scientific visualization and infographics, didactic communication concepts, citizen dialogue facilitation materials, and event branding for public-sector forums.

The firm's product portfolio is service-based rather than software-based: outputs are bespoke communication artifacts produced by a small, specialized team of Diplom-Designerinnen. Notable technical components include the proprietary scrollytelling methodology — combining scrollable web pages with narrative text, illustrations, and visualizations to make complex topics approachable — as well as illustrated person-group conceptualization and integrated print/digital campaign work for municipal and ministerial clients.

3f Design makes money through professional-services fees on project-based engagements, primarily acquired via formal public-sector tenders (often as part of Bietergemeinschaften consortium bids) and through subcontracting relationships with communication agencies that hold direct contracts with German ministries and authorities. Customers are almost exclusively public-sector organizations — including federal ministries (BMUV, BMBF), state ministries (Hessen, Baden-Württemberg, Rheinland-Pfalz), federal agencies (Umweltbundesamt), state energy agencies (LEA Hessen), international development entities (GIZ), and research institutions (h_da Hochschule Darmstadt, ISOE). The firm has 11 employees and operates from a single headquarters in Darmstadt, with one disclosed international project in Tunisia. No external funding, parent company, or institutional investors are identified; the business is owned and managed by its two co-founders.

Name

3f Design

Legal name

Sibylle Schmidtchen und Brita Schneider GbR

Website

https://3fdesign.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

3f Design is a Darmstadt-based, 11-person German design consultancy founded in 1991 that produces science-communication visual content — scrollytelling, infographics, citizen-dialogue materials, and event branding — for federal and state ministries, agencies, and research institutions on environmental and sustainability topics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Communication Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAAAAAD

Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Advertising Agencies (Full-Service/Creative)

Keywords

• Science communication design
• Scientific visualization
• Scrollytelling design
• Citizen dialogue facilitation
• Environmental communication

Headquarters

HQ city

Darmstadt

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. Science Communication Design Services: Professional services revenue from designing communication concepts, visualizations, infographics, event materials, brochures, and digital media for public authorities and government agencies on topics such as energy transition, circular economy, water management, and citizen dialogue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

3f Design is a science communication design studio that translates complex scientific and environmental topics into accessible visual formats, delivering scrollytelling experiences, scientific infographics, brochures, event branding, didactic communication concepts, and citizen dialogue materials. The studio serves German public sector clients including federal and state ministries, the Umweltbundesamt, GIZ, research institutions, and municipalities on topics such as energy transition, circular economy, water protection, soil conservation, and transportation transformation. Founded in 1991 as a partnership (GbR), the firm operates as a professional design consultancy with roughly 11 staff across its Darmstadt headquarters.

Product overview

3f Design is a design agency specializing in science communication for policy, science, and education. Founded in 1991 and operated as a partnership between Sibylle Schmidtchen and Brita Schneider, the company operates as a service-based consultancy rather than a software product company. Its offerings center on Scrollytelling (digital mixed-media storytelling formats), scientific visualization and infographics, citizen dialogue facilitation formats, event design concepts, and didactic communication strategies. These services are delivered to public sector organizations, communication agencies, ministries, and environmental agencies across Germany, with project themes spanning energy transition, circular economy, material flows, water protection, land use, and transportation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scrollytelling Digital mixed-media storytelling format presenting complex scientific topics through scrollable web pages that combine text, images, illustrations, and interactive elements. 3f Design has created five scrollytelling formats since 2018 for public sector clients covering topics such as energy transition and circular economy.
• Scientific Visualization and Infographics

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 50 municipalities have utilized the Forum Energiedialog citizen dialogue service

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LEA Hessen (LandesEnergieAgentur)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2016, 3f Design has supported LEA Hessen in the 'Bürgerforum Energiewende Hessen' (BFEH) project, which strengthens municipalities in dialog with citizens about energy transition. This long-term partnership demonstrates expertise in citizen dialogue facilitation.
• sofia - Sonderforschungsgruppe Institutionenanalyse (h_da Hochschule Darmstadt)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative development of didactical formats for circular economy topics. Created scrollytelling 'Lilium Wash' examining supply and production chains in the context of circular economy transition.
• Umweltministerium Baden-Württemberg (Forum Energiedialog)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2017, supporting the ministry's citizen dialogue initiative for energy transition conflict resolution, supporting over 50 municipalities with transparent citizen information.
• Umweltbundesamt (UBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped event branding for the 'UBA Forum mobil&nachhaltig' (2017, 2019, 2024) - a biennial forum on mobility topics bringing together stakeholders and societal actors.
• Umweltbundesamt (UBA) - Baustofflager StadtgoldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated visualizations and accessible media for a guide on material flows and recycling pathways for nine mineral construction materials, supporting circular economy through urban mining.
• Communication Agencies (Various)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrequent consortium partners providing design services within larger communication agency contracts for public sector clients. Experienced with public procurement processes and platform requirements.
• GIZ (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated an educational video on water conservation in agriculture for the Tunisian Ministry of Environment in 2015, shown on public video screens.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Scholz & Friends: Major German full-service creative agency with a public sector and sustainability practice. Comparable to 3f Design in delivering strategic communication campaigns for ministries and public-interest clients, though at significantly larger scale and with a broader service portfolio.
• Serviceplan Group: Europe's largest owner-managed agency group with substantial public sector and sustainability communication offerings. Overlaps with 3f Design in providing integrated communications for government clients, but at much greater scale and scope.

Direct peers

• Atelier Markgraph: Frankfurt-based design and communication agency with a strong public-sector portfolio including federal ministries. Closely comparable to 3f Design in producing science communication, infographics, and exhibition/media design for German government clients.
• Denkfabrik (sustainability communications): German communications consultancy focused on sustainability and environmental policy topics. Comparable to 3f Design in advising and producing communication for ministries, NGOs, and public-sector stakeholders on energy and climate themes.
• Faktor 3 AG: German communications agency with a dedicated sustainability and public affairs practice. Comparable to 3f Design in serving environmental ministries and NGOs with strategic communications and stakeholder engagement work.
• diffferent GmbH: Berlin-based sustainability communications agency specializing in campaigns on environmental, climate, and social topics. Closely comparable to 3f Design in its focus on translating complex sustainability themes into accessible public-facing communication for government and nonprofit clients.

Emerging players

• i-D Media: Digital agency focused on interactive storytelling, scrollytelling, and content-rich web experiences for brands and institutions. Comparable to 3f Design in the use of scrollable mixed-media storytelling for complex subject matter, though serving a broader commercial client base.
• Goldene Pixel Design: Smaller German design agency producing digital storytelling and science-themed interactive web experiences. Comparable to 3f Design in the scrollytelling and didactic visualization niche, though with a less developed public-sector track record.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3f-design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 3f Design