What UDL does

UDL Studios (United Design Lab) is a multi-partner, multi-disciplinary design firm headquartered in Beijing's 798 Art District with a second office in Shenzhen, founded in 2012 by Ding Fan and Fang Jianping. The firm operates through four design teams led by six partners and delivers four core service lines: branding (visual identity systems, packaging, typography, brand guidelines), product design (industrial design, UX/UI), digital design (web, motion graphics, 3D/CG production), and cultural design (exhibition design, publications, art direction). Underlying capabilities include a systematic VI-to-PI (visual identity to product identity) translation methodology and proprietary industrial-design IP, including 20+ patents developed through a multi-year collaboration with consumer razor brand MAKE SENSE.

UDL's enterprise client base spans international luxury houses (LOEWE, Balenciaga, Prada, Maison Margiela), sportswear (Nike), consumer electronics and technology (Apple, BMW, Huawei, vivo, OPPO, ANT GROUP, Coze), beauty and personal care (Dr. Alva, GUYU, TOOTOO, MAKE SENSE), food and beverage (Grid Coffee, Naisnow, Goodme), and government/cultural institutions (Chinese Consulate General in New York, Bi-City Biennale). Revenue is generated through project-based professional services engagements priced on scope, complexity, and team allocation; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Client acquisition relies on portfolio reputation, industry awards (50+ international recognitions since 2012 across D&AD, TDC, Red Dot, iF, GDC, and others), and direct partner-led business development rather than paid marketing.

The firm is privately held with no external institutional funding or parent company disclosed; ownership is structured around the six partners. UDL's growth trajectory has been steady and self-funded: a Shenzhen office was established in 2018 under partner Liao Zicheng, two additional partners (Li Xiang and Xing Chen) joined with their prior SDL team in 2022, and a PR Director was hired in 2025 to formalize external communications. Awards have continued annually through 2026, including D&AD shortlists, TDC New York and Tokyo awards, Red Dot, and iF recognition.

Name

UDL

Legal name

UDL Studios

Website

https://u-d-l.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UDL Studios is a Beijing- and Shenzhen-based multi-partner design firm providing branding, industrial, digital, and cultural design services to enterprise clients across luxury fashion, technology, beauty, and food and beverage. Founded in 2012, it serves brands such as LOEWE, Balenciaga, Nike, Apple, and Huawei.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand and Industrial Design Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Brand identity design
• Industrial design services
• Packaging design
• Visual identity systems
• Multidisciplinary design

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design Consulting Services: Project-based professional design services spanning brand identity, visual identity systems, packaging design, product design, digital design, and exhibition/installation design. Revenue generated through client engagements with varying scopes from specific deliverables to comprehensive brand transformations.
2. Brand Design Projects: Comprehensive branding engagements including logo design, typography, image language, illustration, brand guidelines, editorial design, social media, packaging, environmental graphics, and exhibition design.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UDL (United Design Lab) is a multi-partner, multi-disciplinary design studio delivering integrated design and consulting services across four core areas: Branding (visual identity, packaging, typography, brand manuals), Product Design (industrial design, UX/UI), Digital Design (web, motion graphics, 3D/CG), and Cultural Design (exhibitions, publications, art direction). The studio delivers end-to-end project-based design engagements for enterprise clients spanning fashion, beauty, food & beverage, technology, and cultural sectors.

Product overview

UDL (United Design Lab) is a multi-partner, multidisciplinary design studio providing integrated design and consulting services across four core areas: Branding (visual identity, packaging, typography), Product Design (industrial design, UX/UI), Digital Design (web, motion, 3D), and Cultural Design (exhibitions, publications). The portfolio spans fashion, beauty, food & beverage, technology, and finance sectors with notable projects including MAKE SENSE razors, GUYU skincare, Dr. Alva packaging, Grid Coffee retail, PITAKA brand identity, and Naisnow global rebrand. UDL operates with 6 partners leading 4 design teams across Beijing and Shenzhen offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Branding Services
• Product Design
• Digital Design
• Cultural Design

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ international design awards since 2012
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Songmont 山下有松minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Creative collaboration for Songmont's Layered Blue (层层蓝) curtain poster exhibition. Founding partner Ding Fan created commissioned work responding to the exhibition theme of memory and experience. Songmont is a Chinese leather goods brand known for functional elegance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pentagram: The original multi-partner design studio model where each partner runs an independent practice under one brand. Pentagram is UDL's closest structural analog globally and serves comparable luxury, fashion, and cultural clients, validating UDL's partnership model as a scalable design firm archetype.
• Moving Brands: Independent brand and design studio working at the intersection of brand, digital, and product design. Comparable to UDL in size and multi-disciplinary scope, with a similar emphasis on cross-channel brand systems rather than single-discipline agency work.
• Sagmeister Inc. Independent design and branding studio known for high-profile identity, cultural, and exhibition projects. Comparable to UDL in its award-led positioning, premium pricing, and willingness to take on cultural and installation work alongside commercial clients.
• Manual: Independent creative and design studio delivering branding, packaging, and digital design for premium and lifestyle brands. Similar in scale and operating model to UDL, with comparable client mix across beauty, food & beverage, and consumer.

Broad incumbents

• IDEO: Pioneering global design consultancy spanning brand, product, and service design. IDEO operates at greater scale than UDL and across broader industries (including the IDEO U program referenced in UDL's team bios), but shares the multi-disciplinary 'research + strategy + execution' approach to enterprise design.
• Designworks (BMW Group): BMW-owned design consultancy working across mobility, product, and brand. Designworks overlaps with UDL's industrial design and brand work for BMW and other premium clients, though it operates inside a corporate parent structure.
• frog design: Industrial design and brand consultancy with a similar multi-disciplinary offering. frog overlaps with UDL on product design (consumer electronics, beauty devices), brand identity, and digital, and serves comparable tech, beauty, and lifestyle clients.
• Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting firm specializing in brand identity, packaging, and brand experience. Landor directly competes with UDL on branding and packaging briefs for luxury, beauty, and FMCG clients, and operates at significantly larger scale.
• Wolff Olins: Brand consultancy with strong presence in brand identity, verbal identity, and experience design. Wolff Olins competes for similar luxury and tech branding briefs and shares UDL's integrated brand-and-product positioning.

Regional players

• Another Design: Independent design studio based in China/Hong Kong working across brand identity, product, and digital. Comparable to UDL in its multi-disciplinary scope and similar client base in Asian consumer, beauty, and cultural brands; closest direct competitor within the China design market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/udl_studios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/u-d-l

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 UDL