What MrSmith Studio does

MrSmith Studio is a Milan-based strategic design consultancy founded in 2004 by Marco Mascetti, operating as an Italian S.r.l.s. (MrSmithStudio S.r.l.s.) with a six-person team and a registered office in Cameri. The firm serves enterprise manufacturers across Italy and Europe — spanning lighting, furniture, packaging, industrial products, food, and consumer goods — applying a proprietary trademarked methodology called "Design As An Input®" that integrates design competencies into business processes from the earliest stages, combining human, technology, business, and sustainability components to generate competitive differentiation.

The studio's product surface divides into service categories (Strategic Design Consulting, Industrial Design, Furniture Design, Lighting Design, Packaging Design, Brand & Graphic Design, Design Strategy, Communication Design, and Learning) and named physical products co-designed with clients (Flatiron lamp for Egle, Sextans and Bend/Medito for Calligaris and FontanaArte, Porcelain for Officine Smith Milano, Fiume marble tables for Pietre di Monitillo, Tone concrete speaker for CONCRETAmente, CNC Collection bathroom fixtures for Zaninelli, and the 100% plastic-free Nutella Silos lid for Ferrero). It also operates LENS, an editorial platform publishing design-philosophy content on sustainability and human-centered design. Multiple products have received international recognition (Gold A'Design 2024, Silver A'Design 2018, Bronze A'Design 2017, German Design Award 2019, WorldStar Packaging Award 2019).

The business model is professional-services/project-based, with pricing negotiated per engagement. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct client relationships, the studio's award-winning portfolio, presence at Salone del Mobile and Euroluce, and earned media via design awards and publications. Revenue is undisclosed; there is no external funding, parent company, or institutional investor — ownership remains founder-controlled.

Name

MrSmith Studio

Legal name

MrSmith Studio S.r.l.s.

Website

https://mrsmith.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MrSmith Studio is a six-person Milan-based strategic design consultancy founded in 2004 by Marco Mascetti, serving European enterprise manufacturers with a trademarked "Design As An Input®" methodology across packaging, furniture, lighting, and brand identity projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design Consultancy Services: Professional design consulting services including product design, packaging redesign, brand identity, and strategic design advisory for enterprise clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MrSmith Studio is a strategic design consultancy that provides product design, packaging redesign, brand identity, and design strategy services to enterprise manufacturers. The studio applies its proprietary 'Design As An Input®' methodology to integrate design competencies into business processes from the earliest stages, combining Human, Technology, Business, and Sustainability components to generate competitive advantage.

Product overview

MrSmith Studio is a Strategic Design Consultancy founded in 2004 by Marco Mascetti, applying the 'Design As An Input' methodology. The firm offers a portfolio of design services including Industrial Design, Furniture Design, Lighting Design, Packaging Design, Brand & Graphic Design, Design Strategy, Communication Design, and Learning content. Their notable product collaborations include the Sextans lamp collection (Calligaris), Flatiron lamp collection (Egle), Porcelain table lamp (Officine Smith Milano), Bend and Medito lamps (FontanaArte), Fiume marble coffee tables, Tone wireless speaker (CONCRETAmente), CNC Collection bathroom fixtures (Zaninelli), and the 100% plastic-free Nutella Silos lid (Ferrero). The LENS platform provides editorial content on design thinking and sustainability. The studio's approach balances Human, Business, Technology, and Sustainability components across all projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Design Consulting

Named customers18 records

Segments1 record

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

One partnership is on record.

• Marco Mascetti (Founder)coreOthers · 1 January 2004Founder and principal of MrSmith Studio. Marco Mascetti established the design consultancy in 2004 and developed the proprietary 'Design As An Input®' methodology.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pentagram: Multi-disciplinary design consultancy with partner-led studios across brand identity, product design, and packaging. Highly comparable in operating model (partner-led, project-based) and in the brand/packaging subdomains MrSmith serves.
• frog: Global design and engineering firm (now part of Capgemini Invent) offering industrial design, brand, and strategy services. Directly comparable as a strategic design partner serving enterprise manufacturers across product categories.
• fuseproject: Yves Béhar's strategic design studio focused on brand, product, and sustainability-led industrial design. Directly comparable in positioning as a founder-led boutique with brand and product design services.
• Lunar Design: Independent design firm providing industrial design, brand strategy, and user experience for hardware and consumer products. Comparable in scope of industrial and brand design services offered to enterprise manufacturers.
• IDEO: Pioneering global design and innovation consultancy offering strategic design, product design, and brand services to enterprise clients. Closely comparable in business model, methodology positioning, and target customer base to MrSmith Studio.
• Ammunition Group: Independent design firm delivering brand strategy, product design, and packaging work for consumer and industrial clients. Comparable in services and the founder-led boutique consultancy model.
• Smart Design: Independent design consultancy combining industrial design, brand, and strategic design for global consumer and industrial clients. Comparable service mix (industrial design, brand, packaging) and enterprise client profile.
• Method: Global design and innovation consultancy combining brand, product, and experience design. Comparable in strategic design methodology positioning and enterprise client roster.
• Continuum Innovation: Global design and innovation consultancy offering industrial design, brand, and strategy services to enterprise manufacturers. Comparable service portfolio and strategic-design upstream positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Designworks (BMW Group): BMW-owned strategic design consultancy operating across mobility, consumer, and industrial sectors. Comparable services and methodology positioning, but operates at significantly greater scale and as part of a broader corporate portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mrsmithstudio
• Facebookfacebook.com/MrSmithStudio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mrsmith-studio
• Instagraminstagram.com/mrsmithstudio

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 MrSmith Studio