Designit

Designit
Name	Designit
Industry	Design consulting
Founded	1991
Headquarters	Copenhagen, Denmark
Key people	Toumbas Kiaer, Sebastian Harnischfeger, Alex Miller
Employees	1,100+

Designit is a global strategic design firm originating in Copenhagen that provides product, service, experience, and digital design for multinational clients. The firm combines industrial design, interaction design, and business strategy to create customer experiences across physical and digital domains. Founded in the early 1990s, the organization expanded through organic growth and acquisitions to operate in multiple countries, working with corporations, startups, and public institutions.

History

Designit's origins trace to the Scandinavian design tradition in Copenhagen in the 1990s, paralleling developments at Bang & Olufsen, Georg Jensen, and Royal Copenhagen. Early projects reflected influences from Dorte Mandrup-era architecture and collaborations with Nordic manufacturers. Throughout the 2000s Designit expanded alongside the rise of Apple Inc. and IDEO-style human-centered design, opening studios inspired by movements associated with Herman Miller and Frog Design. Strategic hires and regional partnerships mirrored expansion patterns seen at Accenture and Capgemini subsidiaries, while acquisitions resembled consolidation in consulting seen with McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group practices. By the 2010s Designit had studios across Europe, Asia, and North America, engaging with organizations such as Siemens, Philips, and Maersk. The company later became part of a private equity and professional services landscape influenced by transactions involving Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Tata Consultancy Services, culminating in integration with multinational ownership structures.

Services and Approach

Designit's service offering spans strategic design, service design, interaction design, industrial design, and organizational change. Its approach synthesizes methods from IDEO-inspired human-centered design, Lean Startup experimentation, and Design Thinking pedagogies promoted by institutions like d.school at Stanford University. Engagements typically combine ethnographic research influenced by scholars associated with Anthropology departments at University of Copenhagen and Goldsmiths, University of London, co-creation workshops modeled on facilitation practices from FutureLab and prototyping techniques used by teams at MIT Media Lab. Delivery modes include product roadmapping similar to frameworks at Google and Microsoft, digital platform design reminiscent of work at Spotify, and service ecosystems aligned with public-sector modernization programs like those run by Nesta and The Rockefeller Foundation.

Notable Projects and Clients

Designit has worked across sectors including consumer electronics, healthcare, finance, and transportation. Clients and project partners have included Siemens, Philips, Telenor, Maersk, and Toyota Motor Corporation. Projects have spanned digital product launches akin to work by Samsung design teams, user experience redesigns comparable to Airbnb platform iterations, and healthcare service innovations paralleling initiatives at Mayo Clinic and NHS England. In mobility, Designit's engagements resembled collaborations between Volvo and urban planners from C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and in finance projects their work paralleled digital transformation efforts at Nordea and Santander. Collaborations with startups have drawn on accelerator models developed by Y Combinator and incubators such as Techstars.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

Designit operates as a networked professional services firm with regional studios under centralized strategic leadership. The governance model reflects hybrid structures found at firms like Deloitte Digital and PwC design units, combining creative leadership with corporate governance similar to Ernst & Young advisory practices. Ownership history includes private investment and integration into larger consulting portfolios comparable to transactions involving AKQA and SapientNitro. Executive leadership teams are staffed by leaders with backgrounds from IDEO, Frog Design, and management consultancies such as McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group, creating a matrix of creative directors, practice leads, and client partners.

Awards and Recognition

Designit's work has been recognized in international design competitions and industry award programs comparable to Red Dot Design Award, IDEA Awards, and iF Design Award. Projects have been featured in exhibitions and publications alongside works showcased at Design Museum and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. The firm's multidisciplinary teams have received acknowledgment in lists and rankings similar to those compiled by Fast Company and Wired, and individual designers have been profiled in outlets such as Dezeen, Monocle, and Dezeen Awards-style coverage.

Sustainability and Social Impact

Sustainability and social innovation are central themes in Designit's practice, reflecting agendas similar to those advanced by United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and initiatives promoted by Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Projects addressing circularity drew on principles championed by organizations like Cradle to Cradle and municipal programs akin to those run by City of Copenhagen. Social impact work has engaged with public sector clients following policy frameworks from bodies such as European Commission and philanthropic programs resembling efforts by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, focusing on healthcare access, inclusive services, and equitable urban mobility.

Category:Design firms