Frankstephenson Design
Frankstephenson Design is a UK-based design consultancy founded in 2018 by Frank Stephenson, providing automotive, eVTOL aviation, and product design services to global brands, OEMs, and emerging mobility companies, complemented by D2C merchandise and an online sketching course.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersHigh Wycombe, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Frankstephenson Design does
Frankstephenson Design is a multi-disciplinary design consultancy headquartered in High Wycombe, United Kingdom, founded in 2018 by legendary automotive designer Frank Stephenson (Chief Creative Officer) and Linda Norris (Managing Director). Operating as Montesnowdon Ltd (Company No. 11294625), the studio provides design services spanning automotive, mobility, aviation, and consumer product categories for global brands, OEMs, and individual clients. Core offerings include Mobility Design Services, Product Design Services, Your Design Studio (creative directorship and end-to-end outsourced design), Brand Ambassador Services, and Keynote Speaking Engagements. The studio's design methodology is anchored in four pillars—biomimicry, innovation, environment, and technology—drawing on nature-inspired problem solving exemplified by the sailfish and cheetah references in the McLaren P1.
The firm serves a marquee client roster across multiple verticals: established automotive OEMs (historically McLaren, Ferrari, Maserati, BMW, Fiat via Frank Stephenson's prior career), emerging eVTOL aviation companies (Lilium Aviation as Creative Director 2018-2019, Archer Aviation's Maker aircraft, AutoFlight's Matrix 5-ton eVTOL), technology companies (Atmo AI supercomputer housing), consumer products (babyark child safety seat—iF Design Award 2025, COSMOS watches with Szanto), motorsport (Blackthorn AMR livery), and a new Turkish automotive OEM for which the firm is creating an end-to-end brand and design language. The studio also operates a global manufacturing partner network in the UK and UAE enabling low-volume and limited-edition production builds.
The business model combines B2B professional services (bespoke design consultancy, creative directorships, keynote speaking) with a smaller D2C revenue stream through store.frankstephenson.com (limited-edition signed sketch prints from £30-£225, apparel from £30, COSMOS watches distributed via Watches.com and eBay, Chasing Perfect documentary DVD) and a recurring education product, the Sketching With Frank 8-hour online course at £350, operated through a separate entity (1085 Ltd, Company No. 12887190). Distribution is anchored by Frank Stephenson's personal brand—his YouTube channel, speaking engagements at global events (TEDx, Front End of Innovation, NASA Johnson Space Center), judging panels (Pebble Beach, Salon Prive), and earned media in Forbes, Autocar, Wallpaper, and TopGear function as the primary top-of-funnel lead generation. The team comprises nine named individuals across creative, client services, operations, and design leadership roles.
Frankstephenson Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Frankstephenson Design
- Legal name
- Montesnowdon Ltd
- Website
- https://frankstephenson.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Frankstephenson Design is a UK-based design consultancy founded in 2018 by Frank Stephenson, providing automotive, eVTOL aviation, and product design services to global brands, OEMs, and emerging mobility companies, complemented by D2C merchandise and an online sketching course.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Frankstephenson Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Design Services
- NAICS
- Industrial Design Services (54142), Graphic Design Services (54143)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
Keywords
Where Frankstephenson Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- High Wycombe
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Frankstephenson 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
- Design Consultancy Services: Revenue from providing design services to automotive OEMs, startups, and established brands. Services include creative directorships, brand design language development, and full design process outsourcing from concept through production.
- Merchandise and Artwork Sales: E-commerce sales of limited edition sketches, artwork prints, t-shirts, and memorabilia through the Frank Stephenson store. Includes individually signed artwork and documentary-related merchandise.
- Online Education - Sketching With Frank: Revenue from the 'Learn to Sketch with Frank' online course, an 8-hour immersive program teaching sketching skills to aspiring designers. Course is available at £350 with student discounts.
- Keynote Speaking and Brand Ambassador Services: Frank Stephenson provides speaking engagements at corporate events, conferences, and automotive exhibitions. Also offers brand ambassador services including content, conferences, and media presence to support commercial launches.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Learn to Sketch with Frank Course |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Limited Edition Sketches - A5 Size |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Limited Edition Sketches - Oversized A4 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Limited Edition Sketches - A3 Size |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Apparel and T-Shirts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | COSMOS Watch Series |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chasing Perfect DVD |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Frankstephenson Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Frankstephenson Design is a multi-disciplinary design consultancy providing automotive, mobility, and product design services to global brands, OEMs, and individual clients. Core offerings include creative directorships, full design process outsourcing from sketching through production-ready designs, design language development, brand ambassador services, and keynote speaking. The studio sells direct-to-consumer merchandise, signed limited-edition sketch prints, branded apparel, watches, documentary DVDs, and an online sketching course.
Product overview
Frankstephenson Design is a multi-disciplinary design studio founded in 2018, led by legendary automotive designer Frank Stephenson (Chief Creative Officer) and Linda Norris (Managing Director). The company provides a portfolio of design services — Mobility Design, Product Design, Your Design Studio (creative directorship and outsourcing), Automotive Design Services, Brand Ambassador Services, and Keynote Speaking Engagements. Beyond services, the portfolio includes designed products: automotive concepts (the frankNstein hypercar, fs59 electric motorcycle, frankstephenson Urban Taxi), aviation design (Archer Maker eVTOL, AutoFlight Matrix eVTOL), the Atmo supercomputer physical design, COSMOS watches (with Szanto ICON), and BabyARK child safety seat (iF Design Award 2025). The company also operates a retail store selling the Chasing Perfect documentary DVD, the Sketching With Frank 8-hour online course, limited edition signed sketch prints (Ferrari F430, Maserati MC12, Ford Cosworth Wing, McLaren P1, Classic E-Type, Bulldog and MINI, 430 Scuderia), branded apparel (P1 Sailfish T-shirt, F430 T-shirt, P1 Cheetah Sketch T-shirt), and the FS Cosmos Watch Series.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sketching With Frank: An 8-hour online course teaching sketching skills in design, with Frank Stephenson as instructor. Includes quarterly Q&A sessions and a Frank Stephenson Foundation for financial support to students.
- COSMOS Watches
- Chasing Perfect
Products and services
- Mobility Design Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Frank Stephenson has designed multiple iconic vehicles including Ford Escort RS Cosworth, BMW X5, New MINI, Ferrari F430, Maserati MC12, Fiat 500, and all McLaren supercars from 2008-2017
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Frankstephenson Design
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Frankstephenson Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Frankstephenson Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AutoFlightcoreFrankstephenson Design serves as the design partner for AutoFlight's eVTOL aircraft portfolio. The studio designed the Matrix (world's first 5-ton class eVTOL), CarryAll cargo eVTOL, and other aircraft. Frankstephenson Design crafts the distinctive design language for the aviation company's urban air mobility and logistics solutions.
- Turkish OEM (New Automotive Brand)coreFrankstephenson Design appointed as design authority for a new major Turkish automotive OEM. Scope includes creation of new automotive brand and design language from scratch for Sedan, Crossover, SUV and Light Industrial Vehicle segments. Studio oversees end-to-end design process from ideation through tooling.
- Lilium AviationcoreFrank Stephenson served as Creative Director at Lilium Aviation from May 2018 to November 2019, designing their electric vertical take-off and landing jet (eVTOL). This partnership established Frankstephenson Design's credentials in the emerging eVTOL industry.
- Suning Intelligent Terminal Technology Co LtdminorFrank Stephenson served as Design Master for Suning Intelligent Terminal Technology Co Ltd (China) in 2018, bringing automotive design expertise to consumer electronics and intelligent devices.
- Archer AviationcoreFrankstephenson Design crafted the design for Maker, Archer Aviation's full-scale electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The studio defines the design language for this new generation of urban air mobility vehicles.
- Blackthorn AMR (Aston Martin Racing Partner)minorFrankstephenson Design created the racing livery for Blackthorn AMR, a partner team of Aston Martin Racing, for use at competitive race days for the Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
- Szanto (COSMOS Watches)minorFrank Stephenson COSMOS watch collection is part of the Szanto ICON watch series. Frankstephenson Design contributes styling cues reflecting automotive and mobility design heritage, with logo on dial and signature on watch case.
- babyarkminorFrankstephenson Design partnered with babyark for child safety seat design. babyark won the iF Design Award 2025, demonstrating the studio's expansion into safety-critical consumer products.
- CapsulabminorFrankstephenson Design recognized as Global Innovation Champion with Capsulab, showcasing partnership in innovative product design.
- Global Manufacturing Partner NetworkcoreFrankstephenson Design has established a global partner network for low volume builds and limited edition production runs, with presence in both the UK and UAE, enabling end-to-end delivery for bespoke automotive projects.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Frankstephenson Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Donckerwolke Design: Boutique design practice founded by Luc Donckerwolke (ex-Lamborghini Design Director) offering automotive and product design. Comparable as a small, name-led European design consultancy, though at an earlier stage of commercial maturity than Frankstephenson Design.
Direct peers
- Pininfarina: Legendary Italian automotive design house operating as a full-service design consultancy for OEMs and luxury brands across automotive, industrial design, and architecture. Directly comparable to Frankstephenson Design in offering end-to-end vehicle design services and competing for premium design engagements.
- Zagato: Boutique Italian coachbuilder and design house specializing in bespoke automotive design for limited series and OEM collaborations. Highly comparable to Frankstephenson Design's high-touch, founder-led model delivering limited-edition and OEM design language work.
- Callum Designs: Boutique UK design house founded by Ian Callum (ex-Jaguar/Aston Martin Design Director), offering automotive and lifestyle product design. Closest structural analogue: a small, celebrity-designer-led UK studio pursuing OEM and consumer product work.
- Italdesign: Italian design and engineering consultancy offering integrated automotive design, development, and production services to global OEMs. Both firms provide full design-to-production capabilities; Italdesign operates at a much larger scale with deeper industrial engineering capacity.
- Henrik Fisker Design: Designer-led vehicle business pioneered by Henrik Fisker (BMW, Aston Martin DB9, V8 Vantage). Comparable founder/celebrity-designer playbook to Frankstephenson Design, with product-side executions beyond pure consulting.
- Bertone (design lineage): Historic Italian design house known for defining iconic automotive design languages. Relevant as a comparable founder/brand-driven design pedigree to Frank Stephenson's legacy, though Bertone's corporate trajectory is more turbulent.
- Gordon Murray Design: UK-based supercar design and engineering firm founded by Gordon Murray (ex-McLaren F1 designer). Directly comparable as a small, designer-led practice executing full vehicle programs (T.50) and licensing design IP, mirroring Frankstephenson Design's boutique OEM model.
Broad incumbents
- SAIC Design: Large in-house design center of China's SAIC Motor covering multiple brands and global design studios. Comparable industry overlap in automotive design services but operates at significantly greater scale and as an embedded OEM capability rather than a boutique consultancy.
- Geely Design (GFMI Style): Large-scale in-house design group within the Geely Auto Group covering multiple brands globally. A broader incumbent operating at greater scale across automotive and mobility design, serving internal brands rather than external clients like Frankstephenson Design.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Frankstephenson Design social profiles
Digital presenceFrankstephenson Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Frankstephenson Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Frankstephenson Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frankstephenson 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 Frankstephenson Design
What does Frankstephenson Design do?
Frankstephenson Design is a multi-disciplinary design consultancy providing automotive, mobility, and product design services to global brands, OEMs, and individual clients. Core offerings include creative directorships, full design process outsourcing from sketching through production-ready designs, design language development, brand ambassador services, and keynote speaking. The studio sells direct-to-consumer merchandise, signed limited-edition sketch prints, branded apparel, watches, documentary DVDs, and an online sketching course.
Is Frankstephenson Design a public or private company?
Frankstephenson Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Frankstephenson Design founded?
Frankstephenson Design was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Frankstephenson Design based?
Frankstephenson Design is headquartered in High Wycombe, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Frankstephenson Design make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Design Consultancy Services are the primary driver. The others are merchandise and Artwork Sales, online Education - Sketching With Frank and keynote Speaking and Brand Ambassador Services.
Who are Frankstephenson Design's main competitors?
Donckerwolke Design is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Pininfarina, Zagato, Callum Designs, Italdesign, Henrik Fisker Design, Bertone (design lineage) and Gordon Murray Design. Broad incumbents are SAIC Design and Geely Design (GFMI Style).
Does Frankstephenson Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Frankstephenson Design.
What industry is Frankstephenson Design in?
Frankstephenson Design's product category is Automotive Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design. Its NAICS code is 54142 and its SIC code is 7330.