We think and create with a holistic mindset

As a communication design studio, we collaborate closely with clients on branding projects, aligning each step through dialogue and guiding the process with clarity and care. 

When needed, we bring in specialists and work closely with those who will realise the work from the very beginning. What unites everyone involved is curiosity, strong communication, and thoughtful intent.

Looking to define your brand positioning or sharpen your core strengths? Need a small, agile, and experienced full-service team to develop a new branding concept with you? Or do you already have existing design guidelines that need to be applied or thoughtfully evolved?

Let’s talk – whether you need support with strategy, concept, design or implementation.

Hospitality Branding

Memorable branding for hotels and restaurants.

Hospitality brands invite people to connect and remember experiences. We create identities that capture the spirit of a place, making it both distinctive and welcoming. Our work ensures that every detail – from logo to menus to digital presence – contributes to a coherent guest experience.

Projects include ODC (Orlando di Castello), a restaurant and bakery chain, and Yellow, a Chinese restaurant and bar.

Healthcare Branding

Approachable, professional identities for hospitals and medical practices.

Healthcare branding must balance professionalism with trust and empathy. We design visual identities that help patients feel at ease while supporting the organisation’s reputation for competence and care. Applications extend from signage and interiors to digital and printed communication.

Our collaborations include Ärztehaus Velden and PremiQaMed Group.

Educational Branding

Clear and engaging identities for educational institutions.

Educational institutions thrive when their identity reflects both tradition and forward-thinking. We develop branding that speaks to diverse audiences – from students and staff to stakeholders and the wider public – with clarity, accessibility, and long-term coherence.

Projects include “Cross-Integrated Strategies”, University of Applied Arts Vienna and ADG, the leading academy of the German cooperative system, specialising in executive and board-level training.

Corporate Branding

Cohesive brand identities for companies.

Corporate brands need to communicate consistently across multiple channels and touchpoints. We create visual identities that capture a company’s character while remaining flexible for future growth. From strategy to application, our work ensures clarity, credibility, and a strong visual presence.

Our work includes SIKA and Bambini, and also extends to lifestyle brands such as the wine label Crazy Creatures.

Architectural Branding

Strong identities for architectural firms and projects.

Architecture communicates through space, form and material. A visual identity must capture this same clarity and precision. We develop brand identities for architectural firms, offices, and projects that reflect their design philosophy while ensuring recognisability across all media. Our approach combines dialogue with clients, careful listening, and a clear visual language that supports both long-term reputation and day-to-day communication.

We have developed brand identities for HMA Architects and Denis Kosutic, among others.

Selected branding on LinkedIn

» Cross-Disciplinary Strategies – university branding
» HMA – brand identity for architects

Selected studio work on Instagram

» Crazy Creatures – winery brand identity
» Von Menschen und Marken – book design
» Bambini – identity, store & packaging for children’s fashion

We teach design and workshops

Practical workshops and university teaching

Looking to book a workshop on giving and receiving feedback, a session on visual communication and branding, or a talk on design education centred around dialogue?

Sven Ingmar Thies, founder of Thies Design, brings over twelve years of experience teaching at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. His book Teaching Graphic Design explores reflective pedagogy and design education fundamentals.

Our workshops focus on constructive feedback within creative teams and client–agency relationships, tailored for enterprises, agencies, design studios and universities.

Get in touch to arrange a suitable workshop.

Workshops on feedback and critique

» ‘Giving feedback on creative work’ – for agencies
» ‘Clients meet Creatives’ – how to understand each other?

Education podcasts with Ingmar Thies

» Watch OhneDenHype – playful learning (German)
» Listen Designerklärer – good teaching (German)
» Listen Design education talks – holistic design (English)

Design education disussions on LinkedIn

» ‘Johanna Pirker, video tutorials or classroom lecturtes?’
» ‘Rathna Ramanathan, how do you get a good mixture of students?’
» ‘Kashiwa Sato, who decides when a project is finished?’
» ‘Hey, students, what do you expect from your teachers?’

Design education insights on Instagram

» Masterclass ‘Branding & Giving Feedback‘ (Hangzhou)
» Workshop ‘Pitch presentations for start-ups’ (Linz)
» Sean Adams on the book ‘Teaching Graphic Design’ (Pasadena)
» Educational trip (Seoul)

We initiate design to explore and evolve

At Thies Design, we regularly launch self-initiated projects – to learn, reflect, and grow. These projects are a vital part of our practice, opening space to explore design education, test artistic formats, and deepen our understanding of creative processes.

Some of our initiatives take experimental forms. Errare Creare, for example, is an installation about error and iteration in idea development, first shown in the garden of the University of the Arts in Tokyo.

Among our self-initiated projects is also the book Teaching Graphic Design. It is based on interviews with educators from Austria, China, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the US.

We’re always open to new perspectives and conversations, especially around design, teaching, and collaboration.

Curious? We’re happy to start the conversation.

Explore selected self-initiated projects

These external links feature artistic works, research, and publications that enrich our design practice beyond client briefs:

» ‘Japanese Rooms’
» insight into the lives of 82 Japanese

» ‘Errare Creare’
» error and iteration in ideation processes

» ‘Teaching Graphic Design’
» English and German book editions

» ‘What does love mean?’
» send your answer, join the project

» ‘Tuesday Questions’
» be part of our education discussion