Design office Made Thought is teaming up with Universal Design Studio and Map Project Office to form a new design collective, after selling a majority share to digital agency AKQA.
AKQA now owns a controlling interest in all three London-based studios, having bought a majority stake in interiors office Universal and industrial design office Map Project Office back in 2018.
Its latest acquisition, Made Thought, is a leading design branding studio founded by Paul Austin and Ben Parker.
New collective called The New Standard
The move allows the three studios to come together to form The New Standard, a collective with the ambition to "redefine the contemporary design agency".
All three companies will remain as distinct entities, but will come together on projects that span different design fields. To allow effective collaboration, Made Thought will move into the Universal and Map office in London's Clerkenwell.
The New Standard's logo includes three circles to signify the three studios
"Universal, Map and Made Thought are pioneers and innovators with an unmatched track record for design excellence, influential and distinguished work," said Ajaz Ahmed, CEO of AKQA.
"This partnership represents the next wave and set The New Standard. It is founded on the beliefs that form and substance are inseparable, and creativity is both revealed and enhanced in an atmosphere of collaboration."
Ushering in "new age of design"
Austin and Parker will st...