What Bruce does

Bruce is a London-based UX and creative design studio founded in 2021 by Craig Gardner, operating as a trading name of Craig Gardner Designs Ltd. (company number 12031714). The studio positions itself as a hybrid of agency and in-house working models, blending creative execution with business-strategy consulting. Its core services are User Experience Design, UI & Visual Design, Branding, and Business Strategy & Founder Services, delivered through a discover-define-design-refine methodology that the studio applies across all engagements.

Bruce serves a dual client base: established enterprises (Eurostar, Bank of England, Mitsubishi Electric, The Economist Group, Royal College of Physicians, Hastings Direct, Holland & Barrett) and early-stage startups (Lounges.tv, Cineburg, Giglist, Audio Experts). For enterprises, Bruce operates as embedded consultancy, working inside client digital teams to deliver design systems, UX optimization, and brand work. For startups, Bruce acts as a 'consultant co-founder,' helping shape value propositions, product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, pitch decks, and business plans. The studio's distinctive go-to-market explicitly includes equity participation in startups ('For hire. For equity. For the right thing.'), with founder Craig Gardner holding a Chief Product Officer role at portfolio client Lounges.tv.

Bruce does not develop proprietary technology products. Revenue is generated through professional services billed on a project or embedded-engagement basis, with no publicly disclosed pricing. The operating model relies on a flexible network of freelance creatives orchestrated by the founder, keeping fixed headcount at approximately seven. Distribution is direct-only via the company website and founder-led content marketing (blog), with demand generated primarily through portfolio case studies and Craig Gardner's professional network. There are no external investors, no funding rounds, and no parent company; ownership is founder-held.

Name

Bruce

Legal name

Craig Gardner Designs Ltd.

Website

https://wearebruce.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bruce is a London-based UX and creative design studio founded in 2021 that provides UX, UI, branding, and founder-strategy services to both startups (as consultant co-founders) and enterprises (as embedded design consultants).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Customer Experience (CX) & Digital Experience (BPAHAEAC)

Keywords

• UX design services
• Creative design studio
• Branding consultancy
• Product design systems
• Digital design strategy

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Creative Consultancy Services: Bruce generates revenue through professional design and consultancy services including UX design, UI design, branding, business strategy, and founder services. They work with startups to established organizations on project-based engagements, acting as embedded consultants or external partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Bruce is a UX and creative design studio that blends strategy, design, and research to create engaging digital products. The studio delivers User Experience Design, UI & Visual Design, Branding, and Business Strategy & Founder Services for startups and established organizations. Engagements are delivered as project-based or embedded consultancy work, with founder Craig Gardner also taking equity-based co-founder roles in select startup clients.

Product overview

Bruce is a UX & Creative Studio offering a portfolio of design services as a single unified offering rather than a platform architecture. The core services include User Experience Design, UI & Visual Design, Branding, and Business Strategy & Founder Services. These services are delivered through collaborative client engagements, with Bruce working as an integrated creative partner on projects ranging from initial concept through to market-ready products. The studio has delivered notable client projects including platform design for streaming services (Lounges.tv, Cineburg), music industry tools (Giglist), transportation (Eurostar design system), and professional services websites (Audio Experts).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Eurostar checkout redesign resulted in significant conversion rate improvements, generating millions of pounds additional revenue each year.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Pentagram: Pentagram is the world's largest independent design firm, with partners across the US, UK, and globally, delivering branding, UX, and digital design to enterprise clients. It is a broader incumbent competing for the same enterprise branding and design system mandates as Bruce.
• The& Partnership: The& Partnership is a global creative and marketing network with strong London presence, offering brand, digital, and customer experience services to enterprise clients. It is a broader incumbent competing with Bruce for end-to-end enterprise design and CX transformation briefs.

Direct peers

• AnalogFolk: AnalogFolk is an independent London creative agency delivering digital experiences, brand, and content for major brands. It competes for the same enterprise digital transformation briefs that Bruce targets, such as Eurostar and Bank of England-style engagements.
• VentureThree: VentureThree is a London-based brand consultancy combining strategy, naming, identity, and design for consumer and corporate clients. Its service mix and UK enterprise client base overlap meaningfully with Bruce's branding and design system work.
• Moving Brands: Moving Brands is a London-headquartered brand and experience design agency combining strategy, brand, and digital design. Its scope across branding and UX and its enterprise client base closely mirror Bruce's service offering and target buyer.
• Ragged Edge: Ragged Edge is a London brand design agency working with challenger and enterprise brands on identity, verbal identity, and digital brand systems. It is comparable to Bruce's branding practice and shares a similar boutique scale.
• Koto Studio: Koto is a London-based brand and digital design studio working with early-stage and growth-stage companies on identity, brand strategy, and product design. It competes with Bruce's startup-focused co-founder offering and shares the small, multi-disciplined creative team structure.
• ustwo: ustwo is a London-headquartered digital product studio offering UX/UI design, product strategy, and venture-building services to enterprise and startup clients. It is the closest scaled analogue to Bruce in terms of service mix, embedded model, and willingness to take equity.
• Beyond: Beyond is a UK-based experience design consultancy delivering UX, branding, and product design to enterprise clients. It operates a similar boutique-to-mid-sized consultancy model serving financial services and consumer brands, directly comparable to Bruce's positioning.

Regional players

• Studio Output: Studio Output is a design and branding studio headquartered in Los Angeles, serving consumer and tech brands with UX, brand, and motion design. It is a regional peer offering comparable services to Bruce but competing primarily in the North American market rather than the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wearebruce

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 Bruce