Howard+Revis Design
Howard+Revis Design is a Washington, D.C.-based interpretive design collaborative founded in 1993 serving museums, memorials, visitor centers, National Park Service sites, and cultural institutions with content-driven planning, exhibit design, and digital experiences.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Howard+Revis Design does
Howard+Revis Design is a privately held, Washington, D.C.-based interpretive design collaborative founded in 1993. The firm engages content-driven design projects for museums, visitor centers, memorials, outdoor interpretation, retail environments, and digital experiences, operating as a multidisciplinary team of architects, 3D thinkers, graphic designers, researchers, writers, and project managers. Principal Jeff Howard has been active in the practice since 1980 via work on Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial execution under Cooper-Lecky Associates; Principal Tracy Revis co-leads the firm. The team includes approximately 12 named professionals spanning principals, directors of exhibit development and creative direction, senior architects, graphic and exhibit designers, and content coordinators.
The firm's project portfolio spans marquee cultural institutions including the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National September 11 Memorial Museum, the National Civil Rights Museum at The Lorraine Motel, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Ford's Theatre, and roughly a dozen National Park Service sites, as well as corporate commissions such as Arnold and Porter's lobby. Its technical differentiation rests on narrative-driven interpretive planning, the ability to act as prime contractor managing 40+ subcontractors on multi-year builds (e.g., a 5-year, 35,000-square-foot, 26-gallery National Civil Rights Museum renovation), and emerging use of LiDAR/3D scanning for digital documentation. Co-development partnerships with named architecture firms (Davis Brody Bond, Snøhetta, AECOM, Quinn Evans, GWWO) and museum planners (Lord Cultural Resources) anchor its position in pursuit pipelines for large public-sector interpretive projects.
Howard+Revis generates revenue through project-based professional service engagements billed against negotiated scopes and multi-year contracts, with no public pricing or rate card disclosed. Clients are primarily institutional: federal, state, and municipal government agencies responsible for parks, memorials, and cultural sites; nonprofit museums and cultural organizations; and a small corporate segment (law firms, branded lobbies). The firm pursues work via direct relationships, competitive bidding and RFPs, and reputation-based referrals within the museum and interpretive design community. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, ownership is concentrated with the two founding principals, and the firm has no disclosed external funding, parent company, or subsidiaries.
Howard+Revis Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Howard+Revis Design
- Legal name
- Howard+Revis Design Services
- Website
- https://howardrevis.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Howard+Revis Design is a Washington, D.C.-based interpretive design collaborative founded in 1993 serving museums, memorials, visitor centers, National Park Service sites, and cultural institutions with content-driven planning, exhibit design, and digital experiences.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Howard+Revis Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Interpretive Design Services
- NAICS
- Other Specialized Design Services (54149), Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Event Theming, Mood Boards & Concept Design (HSACAOAH)
Keywords
Where Howard+Revis Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Howard+Revis Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Interpretive Design Services: Project-based professional services for museum exhibit design, interpretive planning, and environmental graphic design. Engagements range from planning through implementation for projects large and small.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based professional services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Howard+Revis Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Howard+Revis Design provides content-driven interpretive design services for cultural and institutional clients, covering museum exhibits, visitor centers, memorials, outdoor interpretive installations, and retail/identity environments. The firm delivers end-to-end services from interpretive master planning and concept development through fabrication oversight and implementation. They operate as a multidisciplinary collaborative combining architects, 3D designers, graphic designers, researchers, writers, and project managers to produce physical and digital interpretive experiences.
Product overview
Howard+Revis Design is a collaborative of architects, 3D thinkers, graphic designers, researchers, writers, and project managers offering interpretive planning and exhibit design services. The firm engages content-driven design projects from planning through implementation. Their core service offerings include Museums + Visitor Centers (exhibit design for museums and visitor centers), Outdoor Work (interpretive trails and outdoor installations), Memorials (commemorative site design), Retail + Identity (branded environments and signage), and Planning + Concepts (interpretive master planning). Projects span physical installations, digital site tours, and 3D exhibit environments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Museums + Visitor Centers Interpretive planning and exhibit design for museums and visitor centers, including research, content development, multimedia, and fabrication oversight for cultural institutions and educational organizations.
- Outdoor Work Interpretive trails, signage, wayfinding, and outdoor exhibit installations for parks, waterfronts, wildlife refuges, and natural areas, serving government agencies and conservation organizations.
- Memorials Design of memorial installations including inscriptions, sculptural elements, and interpretive components for commemorative sites honoring historical events, individuals, and social movements.
- Retail + Identity Retail environment design, branded signage systems, and identity elements for museums, corporate lobbies, and cultural spaces requiring visitor reception and brand representation.
- Planning + Concepts Interpretive master planning, concept development, and feasibility studies for cultural and heritage sites, outlining long-term interpretive experiences both indoors and outdoors.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40+ subcontractors managed on major projects as prime contractor
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Howard+Revis Design
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Howard+Revis Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Howard+Revis Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major and notable.
- Cooper-Lecky ArchitectsmajorHistorical partnership on Vietnam Veterans Memorial where Jeff Howard served as Maya Lin's design attaché. Also worked on Korean War Veterans Memorial under similar arrangement with Cooper-Lecky Architects.
- Davis Brody BondmajorArchitectural firm for National September 11 Memorial Museum project. H+R worked closely with Davis Brody Bond to develop circulation patterns, recommend building materials, analyze artifact loading sequences, and create project schedules and budgets.
- SnøhettamajorArchitectural firm for National September 11 Memorial Museum project working with H+R on museum design and development.
- Rhodeside & HarwellnotableLandscape architects for multiple projects including National Bonsai and Penjing Museum signage and West Main Street Signage project in Charlottesville.
- Lord Cultural ResourcesnotableMuseum planners working with H+R on Sing Sing Prison Museum interpretive experience in Ossining, NY.
- Quinn Evans architectsmajorArchitecture firm working with H+R on George Washington's Ferry Farm multi-year interpretive Master Plan.
- AECOMmajorLandscape architects working with H+R on George Washington's Ferry Farm interpretive planning and Contrabands and Freedmens Cemetery memorial.
- GWWO ArchitectsnotableArchitecture firm for Robinson Nature Center (LEED Platinum building) where H+R developed exhibit integration and sustainability signage.
- AECOMnotableLandscape architecture firm working on Contrabands and Freedmens Cemetery memorial with H+R and sculptor Joanna Blake.
- Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project (Umbrella Organization)major15-year infrastructure project spanning three jurisdictions with 60 agencies. H+R developed interpretation and selected furnishings for overlooks on the bridge and subsequent parks.
- Skanska and Parsons Transportation GroupnotableBridge designers and engineers for Frederick Douglass Bridge Project where H+R was hired to infuse Frederick Douglass's spirit into the bridge design.
- Skanska and Parsons Transportation GroupnotableContractors for Frederick Douglass Bridge competition where H+R conducted research into Frederick Douglass's life and developed interpretive design concept.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Howard+Revis Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ralph Appelbaum Associates: One of the most established interpretive/exhibit design firms globally, with Smithsonian and major museum projects. Directly comparable to H+R in category (museum exhibit and interpretive design), client type (institutional), and methodology (content-driven exhibit planning). RAA is larger and more international, making it the closest tier-1 reference point.
- C&G Partners: Exhibit and environmental-graphic design firm serving museums, cultural institutions, and corporate clients. Highly comparable scope: wayfinding, environmental graphics, museum exhibits, and visitor experience design. Similar size class, similar client profile.
- Gallagher & Associates: US-based museum planning and design firm working on Smithsonian, presidential libraries, and major cultural institutions. Highly comparable to H+R in project type (interpretive master planning, exhibit design, master planning), G&A also does some corporate/lobby work. Closest mid-sized direct peer.
- ESI Design: Major US exhibit/experiential design firm with deep Smithsonian and large-institutional museum portfolio. Directly comparable to H+R in client base (Smithsonian, NPS, presidential libraries) and in blended physical-digital exhibit design. Larger scale and broader multimedia capability.
- Local Projects: Interactive and experiential design firm known for Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt and 9/11 Memorial museum digital interactives. Comparable to H+R on interpretive storytelling + technology-driven museum experiences. Stronger on the digital/interactive side; H+R stronger on outdoor and physical exhibit integration.
- Lord Cultural Resources: Global museum planning and cultural consulting firm. Already listed as a partner of H+R (Sing Sing Prison Museum). Highly comparable in interpretive master planning, museum strategy, and cultural-sector consulting for institutional clients worldwide.
- Haugen | Waco: Museum planning, exhibit design, and interpretive consulting firm. Direct peer to H+R in scale, services, and target clients (museums, cultural institutions, government). Overlap in narrative-driven interpretation methodology.
- David Small Studios: Mid-size museum exhibit and interpretive design firm. Directly comparable to H+R on exhibit design, narrative methodology, and institutional client base (Smithsonian-adjacent, NPS, historical sites). Often competes for similar project sizes.
Emerging players
- Luci Creative: Mid-west US exhibit design firm with growing cultural, zoo, and science center portfolio. Smaller scale than H+R but directly comparable in interpretive exhibit design for non-Smithsonian and regional museums. Emerging player in the same niche.
Broad incumbents
- Thinkwell Group: Global experience design firm working across museums, theme parks, and brand experiences. Comparable to H+R on museum/institutional project scope but much broader (themed entertainment), larger scale, and much higher revenue. Functions as an incumbent benchmark.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Howard+Revis Design social profiles
Digital presenceHoward+Revis Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Howard+Revis Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Howard+Revis Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Howard+Revis Design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Howard+Revis Design
What does Howard+Revis Design do?
Howard+Revis Design provides content-driven interpretive design services for cultural and institutional clients, covering museum exhibits, visitor centers, memorials, outdoor interpretive installations, and retail/identity environments. The firm delivers end-to-end services from interpretive master planning and concept development through fabrication oversight and implementation. They operate as a multidisciplinary collaborative combining architects, 3D designers, graphic designers, researchers, writers, and project managers to produce physical and digital interpretive experiences.
Is Howard+Revis Design a public or private company?
Howard+Revis Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Howard+Revis Design founded?
Howard+Revis Design was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Howard+Revis Design based?
Howard+Revis Design is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Howard+Revis Design make money?
One revenue line is on record: interpretive Design Services.
Who are Howard+Revis Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ralph Appelbaum Associates, C&G Partners, Gallagher & Associates, ESI Design, Local Projects, Lord Cultural Resources, Haugen | Waco and David Small Studios. Luci Creative is listed as an emerging player. Thinkwell Group is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Howard+Revis Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Howard+Revis Design.
What industry is Howard+Revis Design in?
Howard+Revis Design's product category is Interpretive Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAL, Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54149 and its SIC code is 7330.