Command+g Design Lab

What Command+g Design Lab does

Command+g Design Lab is a student-run design studio operating within Rochester Institute of Technology's College of Art and Design in Rochester, New York. Founded in 2019 with approximately 30 student/staff participants, the studio provides undergraduate and graduate students across graphic design, industrial design, and new media design programs with experiential learning by undertaking real-world projects for external clients and industry partners. Core service areas include branding and identity systems, typography, UX/UI and interactivity, motion graphics, packaging design, and publication design, executed using industry-standard design tools and methodologies. Students access distinctive institutional assets including the Vignelli Center for Design Studies and the Cary Graphic Arts Collection, which provide archival and historical context that differentiates the studio's output.

The studio's commercial model is explicitly non-revenue: it functions as an academic experiential learning platform rather than a profit-generating agency. Project work for clients and industry partners is undertaken primarily for educational purposes, portfolio development, and pipeline-building for future graduate hiring. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and clients receive design services in exchange for educational access and partnership opportunities rather than commercial transactions. The business is funded indirectly through RIT's institutional budget as part of the College of Art and Design.

Go-to-market operates through two primary channels: community-led outreach via faculty networks and word-of-mouth referrals, and event-driven acquisition through RIT's Office of Career Services events such as Creative Industry Days. The studio serves two primary stakeholder groups—design students seeking portfolio-quality work and career connections, and external clients/industry partners including NYSP2I, Stryker, Kraft, Milwaukee Tool, Mondelez, Starbucks, Unilever, and Wegmans—who seek design collaboration and emerging talent access. Recognition at the 2026 Graphis New Talent Awards (23 students) and the Rochester Advertising Awards reinforces visibility for students and partner brands, supporting RIT's 91% graduate outcomes rate and alumni placement at firms including Adobe, Apple, ESPN, Disney, Nike, and Google.

Name

Command+g Design Lab

Legal name

Command+g Design Lab

Website

https://graphicdesign.cad.rit.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Command+g Design Lab is a student-run design studio within Rochester Institute of Technology's College of Art and Design that provides experiential learning by undertaking real-world branding, motion graphics, and packaging projects for external clients and industry partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Industrial Design Services (54142), Industrial Design Services (541420)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Design studio services
• Branding identity design
• User experience design
• Packaging design services
• Motion graphics design

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational/Experiential (Non-commercial): Command+g operates as an educational studio within RIT's College of Art and Design. It does not generate commercial revenue but rather provides experiential learning opportunities for students. Projects are undertaken for educational purposes and industry partnership development rather than profit generation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Command+g Design Lab is a student-run design studio within Rochester Institute of Technology's College of Art and Design that provides experiential design services to external clients. Founded in 2019 and staffed by approximately 30 student designers in Rochester, New York, the studio delivers branding and identity systems, UX/UI design, typography, motion graphics, packaging design, and publication design for corporate partners.

Product overview

Command+g Design Lab is a student-run design studio operating within RIT's College of Art and Design. The studio provides students with practical experience by taking on real-world design projects and collaborations with external organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Command+g Design Lab Studio Services Cross-disciplinary design services for corporate clients, including branding and identity systems, UX/UI design, typography, motion graphics, packaging design, and publication design. Delivered by approximately 30 student designers in Rochester, New York under faculty oversight.
• Branding and Identity Systems Development of brand strategy, visual identity systems, logos, and brand guidelines for corporate clients such as Starbucks, Kraft, Unilever, and Wegmans.
• UX/UI Design User experience and user interface design for digital products and platforms, supporting client initiatives requiring interaction and interface design.
• Packaging Design Structural and graphic packaging design for consumer goods brands such as Kraft, Mondelez, and Wegmans.
• Motion Graphics Design Animated visual content and motion design for brand communications and digital channels.
• Typography and Publication Design Typographic systems and editorial/publication layout design for client communications and reports.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% outcomes rate for RIT Graduates from the Graphic Design BFA degree
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026NYSP2I collaborated with Command+g to create an animated short film explaining the climate impacts of food waste. This project is one of dozens of real-world projects the student-run studio undertakes each year, demonstrating the studio's capability to produce professional-quality educational content for government and non-profit clients.
• StrykercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Medical technology company Stryker partnered with RIT students in Industrial Design (BFA and MFA) and Graphic Design programs to design home medical device concepts. This collaboration showcased the power of industry partnership in providing students with hands-on experience on meaningful healthcare innovation projects.
• KraftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCourse partner for collaborative class projects exposing students to real-world brand challenges and networking opportunities in the CPG industry.
• Milwaukee ToolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCourse partner for collaborative class projects providing students with experience in industrial design and branding for tool manufacturing companies.
• MondelezminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCourse partner for collaborative class projects in packaging design and brand identity for the food/snack industry.
• StarbucksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCourse partner for collaborative class projects providing students with experience in brand experience design and retail environment design.
• UnileverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCourse partner for collaborative class projects in sustainable packaging design and brand strategy.
• WegmansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCourse partner for collaborative class projects providing students with experience in retail branding and food industry design challenges.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Carnegie Mellon School of Design: Top-ranked design school known for industry-sponsored studio projects in product, communication, and UX design; a comparable academic-industry hybrid model with comparable alumni placement outcomes at leading firms.
• Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): Top-tier US design college with a comparable industry-partnership and student-driven project model, producing portfolio-ready graduates placed at leading brands; the most direct educational competitor to RIT's design programs.
• Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts: Top-ranked public university design school with comparable emphasis on real-world client work and recognition in student design competitions such as Graphis; a relevant peer in academic design reputation and industry partnerships.
• Parsons School of Design (The New School): Design school with deep corporate-partnership projects and integrated BFA programs in graphic and product design that produce award-recognized student work for external clients, paralleling Command+g's experiential learning model.
• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD): Major US design college with branded industry collaboration programs and high placement rates into creative agencies and consumer brands, overlapping substantially with Command+g's talent pipeline and partnership offerings.
• ArtCenter College of Design: Pasadena-based design school widely recognized for industry-partnered transportation, product, and graphic design projects; an analogous studio-based program serving corporate clients with student talent.
• Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA): Major US design college with branded studio courses and industry-sponsored projects in graphic design, packaging, and illustration; parallel structure to Command+g with overlapping brand and CPG corporate partnerships.
• Pratt Institute School of Design: Leading NYC-area design school with analogous industry-sponsored studio courses and a strong track record placing graduates at consumer brands, agencies, and tech firms — closely overlapping with Command+g's design disciplines and client industries.

Broad incumbents

• IDEO: Established design and innovation consultancy working across product, brand, and experience design for major corporates including healthcare and consumer goods — a comparable commercial counterpart operating in the same client industries Command+g serves via student projects.
• Pentagram: Largest independent design consultancy globally, employing top design alumni across branding, identity, packaging, and editorial — represents the commercial endpoint where Command+g graduates and competing industry partners typically land professionally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cmdgdesignlab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Command+g Design Lab