Design Democracy Inc.

What Design Democracy Inc. does

Design Democracy Inc. is a full-service architecture and construction firm headquartered in Santa Monica, California, founded in 2016 by William Robertson and Amanda Robertson. Operating as a division of Design Build Labs, the firm delivers design and construction projects to enterprise clients across the Los Angeles metropolitan area, with a stated methodology called ConsensusandClarity that emphasizes listening to entire organizations before designing spaces. Its technology stack is built around a proprietary process framework — Predictive Placemaking and a LAB (Learning, Action, Building) approach — supported by a Public Surveys tool that collects stakeholder input as a top-of-funnel engagement mechanism. The firm also operates an Interactive Patterns sub-brand under the Design Build Labs umbrella.

The company generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements that span early visioning, permitting, buildout, and turnover. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is assumed to be quote-based per project. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales, targeting organizations seeking to use workplace design as a talent attraction and retention lever. The firm differentiates itself from traditional top-down architecture shops by treating culture as a strategic asset and positioning data-driven stakeholder input as the foundation of design decisions. Its team is approximately 10 people, structured across leadership, project delivery, and marketing functions, with no external funding disclosed and no institutional investors mentioned. Distribution is limited to a single LA office, a Pinterest presence, and the company website; no named customer logos, partnerships, awards, or patents are publicly listed.

Name

Design Democracy Inc.

Legal name

Design Build Labs

Website

https://dbldesigndemocracy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Design Democracy Inc. is a Santa Monica-based full-service architecture and construction firm founded in 2016 that uses a data-driven ConsensusandClarity methodology to design enterprise workplaces for organizations in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Construction Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Construction management services
• Commercial workspace design
• Enterprise interior design
• Building design consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Construction Services: Full-service architecture and construction firm providing services from early visioning through permitting, buildout, and turnover. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services for designing and constructing environments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Design Democracy Inc. is a full-service architecture and construction firm that delivers commercial workspace and building projects using a data-driven "design democracy" methodology called ConsensusandClarity. The firm listens to entire organizations before designing spaces and applies a predictive placemaking approach to create environments that attract talent, strengthen resilience, and deliver measurable ROI, with services spanning early visioning, permitting, buildout, and turnover. It is supported by a Public Surveys tool that collects stakeholder input and operates the Interactive Patterns sub-brand for pattern-based design approaches.

Product overview

Design Democracy Inc. operates as a full-service architecture and construction firm offering a unified methodology called 'Design Democracy,' which centers on a data-driven, consensus-building approach to space creation. The core product portfolio includes the main Design Democracy service itself, supported by Public Surveys tools that enable stakeholder input collection, and Interactive Patterns (a division of Design Build Labs) that provides pattern-based design approaches. The company follows a LAB approach emphasizing collaboration, experimentation, and continuous improvement throughout the design and build process from early visioning through permitting, buildout, and turnover.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Interactive Patterns: A division of Design Build Labs focused on interactive patterns

Products and services

• Design Democracy (Full-Service Architecture and Construction) Full-service architecture and construction service for enterprise organizations, delivering projects from early visioning through permitting, buildout, and turnover using the ConsensusandClarity methodology and predictive placemaking approach to create work environments that attract talent and deliver measurable ROI.
• Public Surveys

Quantifiable outcome

• Measurable returns on investment from early visioning through permitting, buildout, and turnover

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• HOK: Global design, architecture, and engineering firm with significant workplace and interiors practices. Comparable as a full-service incumbent competing for enterprise architecture mandates including workplace design.
• HKS Architects: Large architecture and design firm with a workplace and commercial interiors practice. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving enterprise clients with workplace design engagements.
• Gensler: The largest global architecture and design firm with a deep workplace strategy and interior design practice. Directly comparable as a full-service architecture firm serving enterprise clients with workplace and interior design mandates, though at vastly greater scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• CannonDesign: Integrated design firm offering architecture, interior design, and engineering with an explicit focus on outcomes-driven design. Comparable in positioning design as a strategic, evidence-based practice for enterprise clients.
• HLW: Architecture, interior design, and planning firm serving enterprise clients with workplace, commercial, and institutional projects. Comparable in offering integrated architecture and interior design services to enterprise customers.
• Perkins&Will: Global integrated architecture and design firm with strong workplace and interior design practices. Closely aligned with Design Democracy in offering enterprise-focused architecture services that emphasize human-centered design outcomes.
• SmithGroup: Integrated design firm combining architecture, interior design, and planning across workplace, commercial, and institutional sectors. Comparable as a multi-discipline firm pursuing design outcomes tied to organizational performance.
• Ware Malcomb: Architecture and design firm with a dedicated workplace practice serving commercial real estate and enterprise tenants. Comparable for its commercial interior architecture focus and project-based delivery model.
• IA Interior Architects: Specialized interior architecture firm focused exclusively on workplace design for enterprise clients. A strong direct peer given the overlap in enterprise target market, interior design focus, and design-driven positioning.
• M Moser Associates: Global workplace design and build firm serving enterprise clients with integrated design, change management, and construction services. Highly comparable given its end-to-end workplace model and enterprise customer base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Pinterestpinterest.com/designbuildlabs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Design Democracy Inc.