Black Eye

What Black Eye does

Black Eye is a Dallas-based branding and design agency founded in 1997 that operates as a small professional services firm with 1-10 employees out of a single office at 2289 Vantage Street in the Dallas Design District. The firm delivers three integrated service lines — Brand Strategy (positioning, audits, audience profiling, narrative development), Branding (logos, identity systems, style guidelines, voice and messaging, photography direction, collateral), and Marketing (digital marketing, UX/UI design, campaign concepts, social media, email/CRM, WordPress development, environmental signage) — organized around three vertical specializations: Real Estate Developers/Investors/Owners, Non-Profit Organizations, and Professional/Corporate Organizations.

The agency's core service delivery model is hands-on and design-forward: clients work directly with senior designers rather than account managers, eliminating intermediary layers and positioning each engagement as a collaborative partnership. Black Eye does not build proprietary technology platforms; its technology footprint consists of WordPress-based website development for clients and optional integrations with property management software platforms (Yardi, RealPage, Entrata, SightMap by Engrain) used to add leasing functionality to apartment community websites in the real estate vertical.

Revenue is generated through custom project fees and ongoing retainer arrangements with no publicly disclosed pricing. The customer base mixes enterprise accounts (AMLI Residential, Greystar, Trammell Crow Residential, Brandywine Realty Trust, Hilltop Holdings, PlainsCapital Bank, Carl's Jr., TGI Fridays) with SMB and nonprofit clients across the U.S. The firm is privately held and founder/management-owned, with Chris Stewart as President and Brandon Kirk as Creative Director. Industry recognition includes a 2025 Gold Graphis Poster Award, 2025 Silver Titan Award, DSVC Dallas Show feature, and inclusion in the 2026 Graphis and LogoLounge books.

Name

Black Eye

Legal name

Black Eye

Website

https://blackeyedallas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Eye is a Dallas-based branding and design agency founded in 1997 that delivers brand strategy, branding, and marketing services to real estate developers, nonprofits, and corporate clients through a small senior-designer-led team. The firm operates from a single Dallas office and serves enterprise and SMB customers across the U.S. via project fees and retainer arrangements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Design Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems (BPAFAEAC)

Keywords

• Branding and design services
• Brand strategy consulting
• Marketing services
• Graphic design
• Creative services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Branding and Design Services: Project-based professional services for branding, identity systems, marketing campaigns, and collateral design. Services include brand strategy, logo design, identity systems, marketing materials, digital marketing, and website development. Revenue is generated through project fees and ongoing retainer arrangements with clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Black Eye is a Dallas branding and design agency that creates brand identities, brand strategies, and integrated marketing campaigns for clients in real estate, nonprofit, and corporate sectors. Services span logo design, identity systems, brand guidelines, voice and messaging, digital and print marketing, website development, and environmental signage, delivered as project-based and retainer engagements.

Product overview

Black Eye is a Dallas-based branding and design agency offering a unified service portfolio centered on three core offerings: Branding, Brand Strategy, and Marketing. The agency operates as a single integrated studio rather than a platform with separate modules. The Branding service encompasses logo design, identity systems, style guidelines, voice and messaging, photography direction, and collateral design. Brand Strategy provides positioning, audits, audience profiling, and narrative development. Marketing covers digital marketing, UX/UI design, campaign concepts, social media, email/CRM, and WordPress development. The agency also delivers specialized sub-brands serving Corporate Organizations, Non-Profit Organizations, and Real Estate sectors, with specific services including property marketing integrations with Yardi, RealPage, Entrata, and SightMap for apartment lease-ups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Branding Full-service branding offering logo design, identity systems, brand and style guidelines, voice and messaging, photography style direction, and collateral design for organizations seeking cohesive and compelling brand identities.
• Brand Strategy Strategic brand positioning service including brand audit, competitor audit, audience profile, brand positioning, brand vision, brand personality, and narrative development to shape brand stories and establish an enduring market presence.
• Marketing Full-service marketing offering digital marketing, UX/UI design, campaign concepts, ad design, social media (organic and paid), out-of-home and print advertising, email and CRM, WordPress development, interactive design, and environmental signage.
• Real Estate Branding Specialized branding and marketing services for real estate developers, investors, and property owners across multifamily, office, retail, and single-family developments, including lease-up websites with optional property management integrations.
• Non-Profit Branding Branding services tailored for non-profit organizations with emphasis on mission-driven messaging, brand strategy, design, and digital/interactive projects delivered efficiently within tight nonprofit budgets.
• Corporate Branding Specialized branding services for corporate and professional organizations including law firms, dental practices, realtors, startups, and tech firms, covering logos, guidelines, tone & voice, photography, and copywriting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Designed over 100 brands across real estate sector
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Chris Stewart (Dallas Artist)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Dallas artist who produced 50 original oil paintings for Culp Brand Building project. The artist's work was integrated into the client's brand assets and digitized for ongoing brand use.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pentagram: Pentagram is one of the world's largest independently owned design firms, organized as a partnership of equity-share partners who each run their own client roster directly. It is a direct peer to Black Eye in brand strategy, identity design, and marketing services, with the same senior-designer-direct client model at much larger scale.
• Landor: Landor is a global brand consulting and design firm specializing in brand strategy, identity systems, and brand-led transformations. It is a direct peer in delivering enterprise-grade visual identity and brand strategy services across multiple verticals, including real estate and financial services.
• Character: Character is a San Francisco-based branding agency that provides brand strategy, identity, naming, and design services to a mix of consumer, tech, and real estate clients. It is a direct peer to Black Eye in boutique full-service brand identity work with a similarly hands-on senior creative model.
• Lewis Communications: Lewis Communications is a Birmingham-based branding and marketing agency serving enterprise clients across multiple verticals. It is a direct peer to Black Eye in full-service brand strategy, identity, and integrated marketing with comparable client mix.
• BrandExtract: BrandExtract is a Houston-based branding and brand strategy agency serving B2B, professional services, and real estate clients. It is a direct peer to Black Eye in the Texas market with comparable service offerings in brand strategy, identity design, and integrated marketing, and similar size and regional focus.
• Bonehook: Bonehook is a Dallas-based creative agency providing branding, advertising, and digital services to a mix of consumer and enterprise clients. It is a direct peer to Black Eye in the Dallas branding market with overlapping identity and campaign work.
• Traina Design: Traina Design is a San Diego-based branding and design agency providing identity, strategy, and digital services to enterprise clients. It is a direct peer to Black Eye in boutique full-service brand work with strong identity-system capabilities and similar client-engagement philosophy.
• MBB (Maletz Brown Bulgarelli): MBB is an independent New York-based brand strategy and creative agency focused on B2B and professional services clients. It is a direct peer to Black Eye in boutique brand strategy and identity work, particularly for corporate and financial services clients.

Broad incumbents

• The Richards Group: The Richards Group was a long-standing Dallas-based independent advertising and brand-building agency. It is a broad incumbent peer to Black Eye in the Dallas market, offering overlapping brand strategy and creative services at much larger scale before its 2023 sale.

Regional players

• Rucker & Co: Rucker & Co is a Phoenix-based marketing and brand agency serving Southwest real estate, hospitality, and lifestyle clients. It is a regional peer to Black Eye with overlapping capabilities in real estate branding and integrated property marketing campaigns.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-eye-dallas
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackeyedallas
• Facebookfacebook.com/blackeyedallas

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 Black Eye