Design is one of the most underleveraged value creation tools in private equity. Not branding. Not marketing. Design — the discipline that determines whether a portfolio company's products are differentiated, whether the brand commands a premium, and whether the story at exit is compelling or forgettable.
I work with PE firms and their portfolio companies to drive enterprise value through design. The work is direct, senior-level, and built around the hold period. No layers. No agency overhead. A principal who understands both design and the mechanics of value creation, working alongside operating partners, founders, and CEOs to move quickly on the opportunities that matter most.
The engagements vary, but the objective is consistent: identify where design can accelerate enterprise value and then execute against it.
Post-acquisition. Most portfolio companies have underleveraged design assets — product lines that could command higher margins with better positioning, brand incoherence that's quietly eroding market share, product portfolios carrying dead weight that should be rationalized. I work with senior leadership to energize recently acquired companies, compress timelines on product strategy, and optimize the portfolio to reduce burden while positioning for market share growth. The focus is always on what drives value within the hold period.
Pre-acquisition. Before a deal closes, I can evaluate a target company's product portfolio and patent library through a design lens — identifying growth opportunities the market hasn't seen, assessing the strength of the product moat, and flagging where design investment would unlock the most value post-close. This is design diligence, and most firms aren't doing it.
Spin-offs and carve-outs. When a business unit needs to stand on its own — whether for growth or for sale — design is what gives it a coherent identity, a differentiated product story, and a market position that buyers or customers can believe in. I help rapidly build that foundation so the spin-off enters the market with clarity, not confusion.
Every engagement begins with a diagnostic — a structured process of opportunity discovery that maps where the company is positioned, the health of its product portfolio, and where design can create the most value. The output is an actionable brief the company can execute on immediately.
In some cases, the advisory evolves into a fractional Chief Design Officer engagement when the portfolio company needs embedded design leadership to execute against the plan.
If you're looking at a portfolio company and suspect design is an underleveraged asset — or if you want a design lens on a deal before it closes — I'd welcome a conversation.
studio@toddbracher.com
— Todd Bracher
