In the competitive graphic design industry, it is not so easy to determine the number one brand. Around the world, there are dozens of design firms that have managed to break conventions and gain international recognition in the industry. Find out who belongs to the leaders!
They serve the biggest clients, have impressive portfolios, and today their reach is international. See below the list of works by the best design teams.
1. Pentagram
Pentagram and Landor
Pentagram is one of the largest and most famous graphic firms in the world. Its owners and managers are 19 partners — all of whom are leaders in the design industry. Among them are Alan Fletcher, Bob Gill, Paula Scher, and Michael Bierut.
Clients:
The Guggenheim, The Victoria & Albert Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Cosmopolitan, Boots, Revlon, Sesame Street, Citibank, 21st Century Fox, Harley Davidson, Codeacademy, Princeton University, General Electric, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Guitar Hero, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, Sundance Film Festival, Bennetton, Sake Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co, Alexander McQueen, Grey Goose, Popeyes, MillerCoors, WeightWatchers, Stanford Law School, Rolls Royce, Vanity Fair, Sotheby’s, Nissan, Pantone, Nokia, Reuters, Penguin Press, Time Warner, Walgreens, FIFA, Nike, United Airlines.
2. Landor
According to the description they provide, Landor is "the world's leading consulting firm." The company's headquarters are in San Francisco, with 36 offices in 20 countries. This giant has one of the most enviable client lists in the world.
Clients:
FedEx, P&G, BP, John Deere, Smirnoff, Kraft, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, BMW, Volvo, Volkswagen, Land Rover, Moet & Chandon, MillerCoors, Tsingtao, Evian, Nescafe, Crest, Old Spice, PepsiCo, Vicks, Procter & Gamble, Cotton Inc, Juicy Couture, Levi Strauss, Rolex, 7 For All Mankind.
3. Meta Design
Meta Design and The Chase
As one of the world's leading design firms, Meta Design has been creating fascinating designs for over 20 years. From reinventing the Apple Mac OS design system to collaborating on Adobe's packaging and identity.
Clients:
Adidas, AT&T, Apple, Adobe, AOL, Audi, Bank of America, Barclays, Belkin, Bugatti, Charles Schwab, Chevron, Cisco, Coca Cola Comcast, eBay, Expedia, FIFA, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Fujifilm, Fujitsu, Gap, Genentech, Hewlett-Packard, Inkling, Intel, Intuit, Kohler, Lamborghini, LG Electronics, Lufthansa, McAfee, McGraw Hill, Motorola, MTV, Netflix, Nike, Nokia, Polo Ralph Lauren, Samsung, Sony, Volkswagen, Walmart, Wells Fargo, Xerox, Yahoo!
4. The Chase
Number one in 2013 as awarded by the Design Week National Creative League Table. Chase gained attention thanks to its innovative image and unique design. They offer interesting samples of their skills, including a calendar design, museum exhibits, and sports stadium signage.
Clients:
Alibaba, Amnesty International, BBC, Disney, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, Shell, Smirnoff, Yellow Pages
5. Charlie Smith Design
Charlie Smith Design and Happy Cog
Charlie Smith Design was founded in 2003 by former Pentagram designer Charlie Smith. Founded by a star, the company quickly achieved success. Its team offers a full range of services, including packaging and digital products, and applies a detail-oriented approach, paying attention to every aspect of a project, from paper selection to the use of appropriate materials.
Clients:
John Lewis, V&A, Louis Vuitton, Royal Academy of Arts, Yale, University of the Arts London, Tate, Phaidon, Terence Woodgate, British Council, Creative Review
6. Happy Cog
This New York company was founded by website design guru Jeffrey Zeldman and has won more awards in website design than anyone else. The company Happy Cog, known for creating unique online environments, maintains client satisfaction through impressive website design, graphics development, and user consulting.
Clients:
Ben & Jerry’s, MTV, Zappos.com, Fonts.com, Standford University, Thompson Reuters, Mozilla.org, Lagunitas Brewing Company
7. Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv
Chermayeff & Geismar and Saffron
Designers Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar started their business in 1958 and worked for the biggest clients in the world. The results of their work have become icons that have stood the test of time. With the addition of Sagi Haviv in 2006, Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv is growing and continues to shape some of the biggest brands in the world.
Clients:
Chase Bank, National Geographic, Mobil, Library of Congress, Armani Exchange, NBC, Avery, Aquariums, Lisbon Aquarium, National Aquarium, New England Aquarium, Osaka Oceanarium, Tennessee Aquarium, Barneys New York, Bicentennial, Brown University, CB Richard Ellis, Conservation Int’l, Cornell University, EPA, Grey Advertising, HarperCollins, Harvard U. Press, Hearst, International Identities, MoMA, NYU, Pan Am, PBS, Princeton U. Press, Rockefeller Center, Showtime, Smithsonian, UNDP, Univision
8. Saffron Brand Consultants
Based in Madrid, the approach of Saffron Brand Consultants is to help "transform brands and companies with clarity of thought and the courage of bold ideas." Founded in 2001, the company climbed to the top, securing a position among global leaders and gaining the opportunity to establish itself in emerging markets.
Clients:
Goldman Sachs, West Bengal, London, Fujitsu, The Institute of Cancer Research, Vueling, CocaCola, V Festival
Summary
The ranking includes eight design agencies that, thanks to innovative approaches and impressive portfolios, have gained international recognition. Among the leaders were Pentagram with 19 partner-owners, Landor operating in 36 offices in 20 countries, and Meta Design, which co-created the Apple Mac OS design system. The list also includes The Chase — winner of the Design Week National Creative League Table award in 2013 — and Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, a company founded in 1958 whose designs have become icons.
