What Studio Way does

Studio Way AG is a Zurich-based, privately held design studio founded in 2008 (originally as Studio Roth&Maerchy) that delivers integrated visual communications services — branding, campaign design, web design and development, exhibition and szenografie design, editorial and motion design — to cultural institutions, festivals, foundations, NGOs, and selected commercial clients, primarily in Switzerland. Following a 2021 restructuring, the firm operates as a self-organized AG owned equally by seven managing directors, with a Board of Directors (Verwaltungsrat) chaired by Martin Roth, distinguishing it from conventional hierarchical agencies. The studio employs 10–15 people and executes projects through an in-house partner and designer team supplemented by a curated network of long-term collaborators covering web development (Furbo GmbH, Taywa GmbH), scenography (Alain Rappaport, melt), animation (Klub Galopp, Márton Dobozi), photography (Anita Affentranger), and filmmaking (Bonny Orbit).

The business model is professional services: revenue is generated through scoped, project-based engagements priced individually, delivered via direct relationships, pitches, RFPs, and inbound inquiries through the studio's website and social channels. Long-term anchor clients — including Kunsthaus Zürich (lead agency since 2021), Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst (lead agency since 2023), Stapferhaus Lenzburg, Zürich Tanzt (since 2013), and Tanzfest — provide recurring annual campaigns and multi-exhibition programs. Studio Way has expanded into healthcare (the finally. brand with Final Studio; Park Igls) and government (BVU Kanton Aargau, WBG Zürich) verticals, and has received industry recognition including Swiss Print Award Silver (2021), Design Preis Schweiz (2023), and iphiGenia Gender Design Award (2023). The studio does not maintain a technology platform or software product; its core offering is human design craft supported by standard web and motion tooling.

Name

Studio Way

Legal name

Studio Way AG

Website

https://studioway.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Studio Way AG is a Zurich-based design studio (10–15 staff, founded 2008, owned by seven equal partners) delivering branding, campaign, web, exhibition, and motion design for Swiss cultural institutions, festivals, foundations, NGOs, and select commercial clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Wayfinding, Signage & Environmental Graphic Design (BPAHAKAN)

Keywords

• Design studio services
• Branding and identity
• Exhibition design
• Campaign design
• Web design development

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design Services: Studio Way AG generates revenue through project-based design service engagements, including branding, campaign design, web design and development, exhibition design, editorial design, and motion design. Projects are scoped, priced, and delivered as retainers or one-time commissions across cultural, nonprofit, and commercial sectors in Switzerland.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Studio Way AG is a Zurich-based design studio that delivers integrated visual communications for cultural institutions, festivals, NGOs, hospitality brands, architecture firms, and government bodies in Switzerland. Services span branding and positioning, web design and development, campaign design (print, digital, outdoor), exhibition and szenografie design, editorial design, animation and motion design, and social media design. Engagements are scoped per project and priced as retainers or one-time commissions.

Product overview

Studio Way is a Zurich-based design agency offering integrated design services as a unified offering rather than discrete software products. The portfolio spans branding, web design and development, campaign design, exhibition design, editorial design, animation, and social media design. The agency specializes in cultural institutions, festivals, museums, hospitality businesses, and NGOs, providing end-to-end creative services from concept through execution across both digital and print mediums.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Branding Services Comprehensive branding services including positioning, naming, visual identity development, and brand guidelines for cultural institutions, hospitality businesses, and corporations.
• Web Design and Development Website design and development services including UX/UI design, Webflow implementation, and digital experience creation for clients across multiple sectors (cultural institutions, NGOs, hospitality, architecture, government).
• Campaign Design Visual campaigns across print, digital, and outdoor media for festivals, exhibitions, and institutional communication; includes key visuals, posters, and multi-channel rollouts.
• Exhibition Design Spatial and exhibition design services including szenografie, wayfinding, and physical exhibit installations for museums and cultural venues.
• Editorial Design Print design services including annual reports, magazines, books, newsletters, and promotional materials.
• Animation and Motion Design Motion graphics, animated content, and video production for social media, presentations, and digital campaigns.
• Social Media Design Social media content creation, templates, and visual strategies for digital engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Swiss Print Award Silver for the 'Geschlecht' publication (2021)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Furbo GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationFurbo GmbH is Studio Way's primary web development partner, collaborating on website projects for various clients including the Ospena Group, AMO e lino, and Stiftung Doppeltür.
• Alain RappaportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlain Rappaport is a szenografie (scenography) partner who has collaborated with Studio Way on multiple exhibition projects, including winning the pitch for the 'Doppeltür' exhibition project.
• meltcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnermelt is a strategic and szenografie partner that has worked with Studio Way on major projects including the Genossenschaft Bellerive exhibition (with Zentrum Architektur Zürich) and sa_partners branding.
• Klub GaloppminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKlub Galopp (Nina Calderone and Maria Rehli) is an animation and illustration studio that collaborated with Studio Way on the Tanzfest 2022 and 2023 campaign illustrations.
• Anita AffentrangerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnita Affentranger is a photographer who has taken team photos for Studio Way and contributed photography to client projects including Power Aargau, Stapferhaus exhibitions, and Balance Familie.
• Eva-Maria Hartwich / Embrace DifferencescoreOthersEva-Maria Hartwich from Embrace Differences has been Studio Way's transformation coach since 2020, accompanying the team through their organizational restructuring from Studio Roth&Maerchy to Studio Way and ongoing organizational development.
• Bonny OrbitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBonny Orbit is a filmmaking duo that collaborated with Studio Way and Migros Kulturprozent SPARX on portrait films for the SPARX Call for Ideas Instagram campaign.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Feinheit: Zurich-based digital agency serving Swiss cultural institutions, NGOs, and public-sector clients. Direct competitor for digital campaign and web mandates that overlap Studio Way's cultural-sector work.
• NORM: Zurich-based design and branding firm serving cultural, public-sector, and institutional clients. Direct peer given shared Swiss market, similar scale, and overlap in cultural-sector branding and identity work.
• Jangled Nerves: Stuttgart-based design studio known for cultural, public-sector, and museum clients. Closely comparable on scale, cultural-sector focus, and integrated branding-and-exhibition approach.
• Strichpunkt: Stuttgart-based brand and design agency with cultural and corporate-sector clients. Peer given shared European design-agency positioning and integrated branding-campaign delivery model.
• Bureau Borsche: Munich-based design studio of comparable scale with a strong cultural-sector and institutional client base (museums, opera houses, public bodies). Closely comparable to Studio Way in focus on prestige cultural communications, branding, and editorial design.
• head advertising: Basel-based creative agency with significant cultural and institutional client work. Comparable in Swiss market positioning, scale, and ability to deliver integrated branding and campaign work for non-commercial clients.
• Pfadfinderei: Munich-based motion and design studio with cultural and institutional clients. Comparable on the motion and visual identity dimensions of Studio Way's offering, though with a stronger motion/film bias.

Broad incumbents

• Landor & Fitch: Global branding and design consultancy with significant cultural-sector work. Broad incumbent: overlapping capabilities (branding, identity, exhibitions) but at a different scale and operating across many industries beyond cultural.
• MetaDesign: Large German design agency brand with cultural and public-sector heritage. Broad incumbent operating at significantly larger scale than Studio Way but addressing similar institutional branding and identity briefs in the DACH region.
• Pentagram: Global multidisciplinary design consultancy with multiple offices. Not a direct competitor for Swiss mid-size briefs but operates in the same brand and identity space and competes indirectly for cultural-institution design mandates at the high end.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/studiowaych
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studiowayCH
• Instagraminstagram.com/studioway.ch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Studio Way