What Project Design Co. does

Project Design Company LLC is a privately held, founder-led graphic design studio headquartered in Washington, DC, established in 2002 by Dan Banks. The firm operates as a professional services boutique delivering brand strategy, visual identity systems, user experience design, digital design, motion graphics, and print design across conferences, publications, campaigns, and brand systems. Its client base spans mission-driven organizations: nonprofits and associations (EMILY's List, AARP, National Geographic Society, Search for Common Ground, Society for Neuroscience, ADEA, ACCT, ASLA), healthcare organizations (DC Health, American Academy of HIV Medicine, Community Oncology Alliance), educational institutions (Yale School of Medicine, Georgetown University, James Madison University, Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School), and government agencies (DC Department of Behavioral Health, DC Special Education Cooperative).

The firm's core technology stack consists of conventional creative tools applied across an integrated service taxonomy — Integrated Brand Strategy (audit, research, process planning), Visual Identity Systems, User Experience Design (audits, IA, wireframes, prototyping), Motion Graphics (storyboarding, animation, live-action short video, TV/film graphics), and Digital Design (social/email campaigns, WordPress sites, infographic storytelling, SEO). There is no proprietary software platform, no application, and no public API or SDK. The business model is project-based professional services: engagements are quoted on a per-project basis, often multi-year (e.g., recurring ADEA, ACCT, and ASLA annual session branding). A core team of five (creative director, art director, UX/research, and two designers) operates from Washington DC with remote offices in California, North Carolina, and Barcelona, reaching clients in the DC metro area and internationally. Notable outcomes cited by clients include a website achieving 70,000 visitors in 36 hours and 162 distinctive visits to a client e-newsletter within a workforce of under 200.

The firm has no external funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Strategic depth is supplied by two core partnerships — Engage Strategies (healthcare and government campaigns) and WonderLab Group (educational publishing projects including the DK Super Readers series) — and two minor partnerships with Dave Cooper Photo (photography) and Garfinkel+associates (copywriting). Three industry recognitions anchor credibility: 2015 and 2019 Communicator Awards from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, and the 2018 AIGADC Fellow Award to Dan Banks.

Name

Project Design Co.

Legal name

Project Design Company LLC

Website

https://projectdesigncompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Project Design Co. is a privately held, founder-led graphic design studio in Washington DC, founded in 2002, serving nonprofits, associations, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies with branding, print, digital, UX, and motion graphics services via a five-person core team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graphic Design Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)

Keywords

• Graphic design services
• Brand identity design
• Visual identity systems
• Motion graphics production
• User experience design

Headquarters

HQ city

S Central Washington Co

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design Services: Project-based creative design services for branding, print, digital, and motion graphics. Clients include government agencies, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and associations. Work is delivered through direct engagement with clients requiring custom creative solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Project Design Co. is a professional graphic design studio that delivers project-based creative services across six practice areas: brand development and strategy, visual identity and design systems, user experience design, digital design (including WordPress websites and social/email campaigns), motion graphics and video production, and print design (annual reports, publications, event materials). The firm serves mission-driven organizations through direct engagement, producing custom deliverables on a per-project basis.

Product overview

Project Design Co. is a Washington DC-based design agency offering a comprehensive suite of creative services organized around brand, content, and experience strategy. The company operates as a service-based design firm rather than a software product company. Their core service offerings include Brand Development Services (brand strategy, identity design, brand guidelines), Visual Identity Services (design systems, integrated campaigns), User Experience Services (site audits, wireframes, prototyping), Digital Services (WordPress websites, social campaigns, digital advertising, SEO), Motion Graphics Services (animation, video production), and Print Services (books, annual reports, publications, signage). The portfolio showcases 70+ completed projects across client organizations including ADEA, ACCT, ASLA, DC Health, National Geographic, AARP, Yale School of Medicine, and various nonprofits and government agencies. Notable project categories include conference/event branding, annual reports, educational materials, motion graphics, and website design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Development Services
• Visual Identity Services
• User Experience Services
• Digital Services
• Motion Graphics Services
• Print Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Website achieved 70,000 visitors in 36 hours for one client campaign
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Dave Cooper PhotominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhotography partner for design projects requiring professional photography services. Dave Cooper Photo provides visual content that complements Project Design Co.'s design work.
• Engage StrategiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for healthcare and government campaigns. Multiple collaborative projects including DC Health Drug Free Youth Initiative, DC Opioid Campaign, DC Health MyRecoveryDC.org website, and DC Health Well Woman Journal. Engage Strategies provides strategic consulting while Project Design Co. delivers creative design services.
• Garfinkel+associatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for copywriting and content writing services. Helps provide complete communication solutions for clients needing both design and content services.
• WonderLab GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for educational publishing projects. Worked together on Happy Birthday America Book and DK Super Readers book series. WonderLab develops educational content while Project Design Co. provides design services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Wide Eye Creative: Small DC-area design studio focused on branding, digital, and print for nonprofits, associations, and socially conscious organizations. Highly comparable in size, geography, and vertical specialization.
• Nimblebot: Boutique branding and design agency serving nonprofits, associations, and purpose-driven brands with strategy, identity, and digital services. Comparable in scope, client mix, and small-team service model.
• Constructive (formerly Brink): Boutique creative agency specializing in branding, UX, and digital for mission-driven organizations including nonprofits, foundations, and educational institutions. Closest direct comparator in terms of client mix, service scope, and DC/mission-driven positioning.
• Threespot: DC-based digital agency combining strategy, UX, branding, and content for mission-driven organizations including nonprofits and associations. Comparable in DC geography and mission-driven focus plus a stronger digital/UX emphasis.
• MG Design Associates: Boutique design agency serving associations, nonprofits, and government clients with branding, annual reports, and conference materials. Direct overlap with Project Design Co.'s association-conference and annual-report work.
• New City: Mid-size creative agency with nonprofit, association, and government clients, offering branding, campaigns, digital, and motion. Comparable service mix though larger headcount; competes for similar association and government RFPs.

Broad incumbents

• Booz Allen Hamilton Creative (Booz Allen Hamilton): Government and nonprofit consulting giant with a federal creative and communications practice that serves many of the same DC-based agency and association clients. Operates at much larger scale and wider scope, but competes for the same branding and public-engagement budgets.
• Pentagram: Largest independent design consultancy globally, with offices in NYC and other major cities, serving a broad mix of cultural, nonprofit, and commercial clients. Competes at the high end for prestigious nonprofit and association branding engagements.

Regional players

• City Lights: DC-based branding and design firm serving associations, nonprofits, and government clients with strategy, identity, and digital services. A regional direct competitor in the DC mission-driven design market.

Emerging players

• OHO Interactive: Web and digital agency focused on higher education and nonprofit clients, offering UX, web design, and brand-aligned digital experiences. Comparable in digital/UX focus and overlapping education and nonprofit vertical mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/projectdc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/project-design-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/projectdc
• Facebookfacebook.com/ProjectDesignCompany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Project Design Co.